In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Steel, author and host of Let’s Talk About Sects, an award-winning independent podcast about which the New York Times said, "Come for the satisfying pun in the title, stay for the deeply researched chronicles of all kinds of cults." We discuss a topic that’s often misunderstood but deeply important, especially in the world of spirituality: the nature of cults. With cult documentaries becoming a regular feature on streaming services, and the word ‘cult’ being thrown around to describe different groups, we wanted to open a conversation to unpack what actually defines a cult and to explore the subtle red flags that can emerge in spiritual, religious, or self-development spaces.

FYI - This isn’t an episode on the different cults that exist in the world nor is it about trauma. Sarah’s podcast is a great resource for those conversations and we highly recommend listening if you’re interested. Instead, we wanted this episode to discuss how cultic tendencies are part of many different communities, what to look out for when joining or being part of a community, and essentially how to not become a cult leader and instead build healthy community for all to benefit from.

Whether you’re part of a spiritual community, a wellness circle, or simply curious about the dynamics of power, control, and coercion—this episode offers powerful insights on building integrity into the spaces we share.

What we talk about.

• The definition of a cult and cult leader
• Impact of cults on its members
• Coercive behaviours, power, and control
• Cults evolving from communities 
• Why cults are present in spirituality and religion
• Cult ‘Red Flags’ to look out for
• Supporting ex-members of cults
• Media coverage and public awareness of cults
• The business of spirituality and cult-like tendencies
• How to not become a cult leader
• Fostering healthy community and leaders in the spiritual space

Connect with Sarah Steel.

Website

Instagram

Resources.

Let's Talk About Sects Podcast hosted by Sarah Steel

Do As I Say How cults control, why we join them, and what they teach us about bullying, abuse and coercion (also available on Audible and Spotify)

Cultic bahaviour ‘Red Flags’ checklist

Association for Spiritual Integrity honour code for teachers and students

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

We are excited to share with you this conversation on an important subject for many women in our community – the rite of passage known in our modern world as menopause.

We are joined by Ayurveda practitioner and Vedic wisdom holder Erandati Benjamin from Inner Soma. Erandati has a diploma in Ayurveda from the Australasian Institute of Ayurvedic Studies (AIAS) and a Masters in Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine from Maharishi International University (MIU) in Iowa, USA.

Her focus with patients is on health rather than disease and passing on knowledge and tools so each person can take responsibility for their own health. She teaches that through simple but profound changes to diet, lifestyle, behaviour, and exposure to the environment we can realign ourselves with our true nature and begin to address imbalances from the very foundation of our being.

What we talk about.

• The Ayurvedic view of menopause as a natural transition in a woman's life.
• The 4 x stages of life known as ashramas in the Vedic philosophy.
• Menopause as an opportunity for inner growth and evolution, rather than a pathological condition to be ‘fixed’.
• Menopausal symptoms as the result of accumulated stress.
• Ayurvedic daily practices that can support women during the menopausal transition.
• The importance of abhyanga (self-oil massage), dinacharya (daily rhythms), and exposure to sunlight.
• Menopause as an exciting new phase of life, rather than something to be feared.
• Menopause as a transition for women to tap into deeper wisdom, self-knowledge, and spiritual evolution.

Connect.

Website https://www.innersoma.com.au/

Email info@innersoma.com.au

Follow @inner_soma

Resources.

Ayurveda dinacharya (daily routine)

How to do self-massage ‘abhyanga’

Vata, pitta, and kapha article – the 3 x doshas in Ayurveda

Vedic asramas (stages) of life article

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode Laura Poole speaks with her colleague and friend Joh Jarvis from The Light Inside - a not-for-profit foundation which takes meditation into prisons and jails across the United States. The Vedic perspective is that all change in life begins with a shift in consciousness. This is why meditation is the foundation for bringing us into right action. But those who really need meditation may not have access. This is why Joh and The Light Inside exist.

What we talk about.

• Joh’s journey of coming to teach Vedic meditation in prisons at age 54
• How did she get there? What is it like?
• What stories of transformation has she witnessed?
• What challenges has she faced?
• The living of dharma and seva (self-less service)
• How to live in alignment with your true Self
• Trust and surrender
• The huge shift that takes place when you let go and allow life to move through you

It’s not every day you end up teaching Vedic meditation at age 54 in prisons. We hope her story will resonate beyond the specifics into what’s possible at any age, the dharma and purpose we can find, and the joy that comes from being of service to our humanity.

Resources.

Follow Joh @thelightinsidemeditation

Subscribe to The Light Inside newsletters for stories of transformation

Donate to The Light Inside to support the teaching of Vedic meditation in prisons

Watch online

• The Project on Channel 10 interviewing Joh on The Light Inside's meditation program in the North Dakota State Penitentiary
• Joh named New Yorker of the Week March 2024 for The Light Inside's program in Rikers Island jail (camera work was very restricted in Rikers Island)
• Dhamma Bros - Meditation program in Donaldson prison, Alabama
• Doing Time, Doing Vipassana - Meditation program in New Delhi's Tihar prison
• The Work - Set in Folsom State Prison, incarcerated men and men from outside prison together undergo four days of intensive group therapy, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation
• Unlocked: A Jail Experiment - A social experiment where incarcerated men are given increased autonomy in hopes of creating a community-driven atmosphere and deterring future criminal behaviour
• God Save Texas: Hometown prison - Richard Linklater documentary
• Step Inside the Circle - Those who experience the Compassion Trauma Circle and learn about Adverse Childhood Experiences and the symptoms of trauma, feel a sense of relief, self-forgiveness and community support

Read People Magazine Article - Only in New York: Australian Writer Becomes Dog Sitter for New York Inmate. Joh’s story of meeting her dog the first week she moved to New

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This content may be emotionally challenging and includes trauma, violence, and sexual abuse. If this doesn’t feel the right time for you to listen, we recommend circling back when you’re ready. We are not providing any professional advice, only sharing a personal story and perspective. Please seek professional help if you need support – we shared some services that you can access via our show notes.

For Melbourne based designer Yeojin Bae, fashion has always been her creative expression for women to enjoy the confidence that comes from wearing beautiful clothes. Back to her earliest memories as a child in Korea, Yeojin was always sketching the most beautiful dresses she could imagine. And with just under three decades working in fashion, she developed a cult following for her stylish silhouettes. Yeojin was living her life as a successful designer, just as she always imagined, when at the beginning of 2020, she walked away with no explanation at all.

For the first time, Yeojin is sharing with us her intimate story of leaving behind what she had spent her whole life becoming, to embark on a deeply transformative and much needed healing journey, supported by Vedic wisdom and practices. Statistically it takes on average 24 years to reveal child sexual abuse, and many never do.

Yeojin thought she was irreparably damaged and for a long time felt a dread that something terrible was about to happen. Yet even at her lowest, she never gave up, some days it was baby steps, and other times a leap, but through this process, Yeojin found a profound acceptance, joy, and trust in life. She hopes by sharing her story today, she can reach out to others who are afraid and help them make progress in their lives too. She admits she experienced a lot of stress release leading up to recording this episode, but it was exactly because of these feelings, she wants to challenge her belief to stay silent and unseen.

RESOURCES:
Learn Vedic meditation with Mahasoma
Rishi Training - advanced Vedic wisdom course
Siddha Training - advanced Vedic wisdom course

SUPPORT LINKS:
https://fullstop.org.au/get-help/our-services
https://www.1800respect.org.au
https://www.beyondblue.org.au
https://www.nasasv.org.au/support-directory
https://blueknot.org.au
https://www.nationalredress.gov.au

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This time of year can be very full, fast paced, and involve a lot of doing, we thought it would be timely to share this short podcast episode from our teacher Kathleen O'Brien. Our hope is that it softens the busyness this time of year can bring. In this episode you'll be reminded that life is a constant process of unfolding. We need reminding because when everything is rolling along smoothly it can be easy to see the big picture. But when life gets challenging or we’ve been ignoring change, life can get very overwhelming! It’s usually in these moments when the body starts to move into a state of fight or flight that we tend to forget the process is the solution. 

 When we’re experiencing something we find uncomfortable or we can’t see it in context (meaning we just want it to end and get back to the flow state), we tend to kick ourselves out of the present moment and move into future thinking/solution mode. In this state we can be so focused on a solution and wanting to change the current situation that we move out of the power of the present moment. We miss the opportunity for growth and learning. We resist life by resisting what is.

Life is not really about getting to a final destination. We never will say ‘ahh I’ve done it all! The to-do list of my life is complete! I never have to do anything else again!' We know that life continues and we must keep evolving. But when we’re in outcome mode we can forget life is a process. We miss the now and therefore we miss life! When what we really need is to find greater ease and grace in the process, knowing the process is the solution.

What we talk about in this episode

• Feminine leadership
• Collaboration and co-creation without goal orientation
• There's no final destination only the process of life
• Seeing growth and possibility rather than ‘problems’
• Nature as our greatest teacher
• How Vedic meditation teaches process orientation

Connect with Kathleen

• kathleen@mahasoma.com
• @kathleenobrien_

Learn Vedic meditation with Kathleen

• Castlemaine
• Melbourne
• Adelaide

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This podcast episode refers to suicide and its impact. Please seek professional help if you need support. A list of mental health and counselling resources can be found in the show notes.

In this episode Laura Poole joined by Melbourne-based artist and storyteller, and fellow Vedic meditator, Ryan Abramowitz to talk about an important subject that can be shrouded in shame and stigma – suicide. Ryan is the author and artist of ‘Elegy for an Elephant’, a picture book he has been working on these past few years, after the loss of his own father to suicide.

There is a severe shortage of suicide bereavement resources available for families and mental health workers to draw upon when supporting those in grief. You may think picture books are just for kids, but they are actually an accessible format for all ages to address this complex subject matter.

An elegy is a lament, a passionate expression that honours those who have passed. Elegy for an Elephant chronicles Ryan’s family’s experience in processing the complexity of post-suicide grief. It has been crafted as a therapeutic resource for readers (aged 7+) who have lost loved ones, and those communities and caretakers supporting them through their mourning. While it touches on suicide, it more universally addresses how we come to terms with bereavement and access shapes of healing following the loss of loved ones.

We asked Ryan to come on the podcast as we wanted to share the journey he has been on creating this book, his own healing that has turned into a gift of healing for the world, and to create a space for him to share the research, love, and divine energy that has gone into it. Elegy for an Elephant is being released on World Suicide Prevention Day - September 10, 2023, but is available for pre-purchase now. If you know of anyone mourning the loss of a loved one, or if you’re a clinician, parent, mental health worker, meditation teacher, or school teacher, may you consider getting this book, which Ryan says is a gentle and warm hug, when needed in tender times.

Show notes.

CONNECT WITH RYAN

www.narrativesofnature.com

@narrativesofnature_ 

RESOURCES

Pre-purchase Elegy for an Elephant

Mental Health Resources

LIFELINE - Available 24/7 for crisis support - Call 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14

Please see our Mahasoma Journal post for full show notes and images.

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

Laura Poole is again joined by Vedic astrologer Blaine Watson to talk all about Guru Purnima – the full moon night that occurs once a year where we honour the guru and all teachers in our lives. We go a beautiful journey exploring what a guru is (and is not), the relationship of guru to transcendence and love, stories from Blaine’s time with his guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and other great gurus and saints. We finish with how we can observe the Vedic celebration of Guru Purnima and gain the auspicious blessings of this full moon night.

What we talk about in this episode.

• Definition of Guru Purnima
• Difference between a teacher (acharya) and a Guru
• How Guru Purnima is celebrated
• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Guru Purnima
• The purpose of devotion and awakening the heart
• Lineage and tradition
• Transcendence and the Guru
• Love and the Guru
• Guru-shishya relationship
• When the Guru falls from the pedestal
• Is the age of the Guru dead?
• Is it possible to find a true Guru?
• The path of the Guru
• The day of the Guru – spiritual practice for this day
• How to observe Guru Purnima and gain the auspicious blessings

Show notes.

BOOKS

• The Ocean of Love: The Anurag Sagar of Kabir
• The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi
• Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda KINDLE or PAPERBACK
• A Search In Secret India: The classic work on seeking a guru by Paul Brunton

OTHER

• Neem Karoli Baba
• Ananda Mayima
• Purnamadah Mantra

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This episode comes from a group meditation Q&A where a student asked about falling asleep in meditation and why it keeps on happening. We explore why meditation is a practice of two-fold revealing and the importance of allowing cosmic intelligence to take the drivers seat in life. If you’ve ever fallen asleep while meditating, we hope this gives you a new perspective to see everything is just as it should be.

We hope you enjoy!

What we talk about:

• Why meditation is a practice of two-fold revealing
• Surrender and letting cosmic intelligence take the drivers seat 
• What the true purpose of Vedic meditation is
• Why we need to accept and allow all experiences in meditation

Show notes

Connect with Laura

• laura@mahasoma.com
• @laura_poole

Learn Vedic meditation with Laura

• Noosa
• Melbourne

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

Something we’re passionate about in our community is women’s health, and in this episode Laura Poole is joined by Ayurveda practitioner and author Chasca Summerville who some of you may know from Instagram as Alchemy of Ayurveda.

Chasca’s real speciality is Ayurveda for women sharing holistic ways to rejuvenate and wisdom to empower women to be their own healers. In this episode we explore all of this, with a focus on one ritual – yoni steaming - which changed Chasca’s life and healed her from chronic endometriosis. We speak about what yoni steaming actually is, how, when, and why to do it, the deeper purpose and how we can use ritual to heal, embody, and empower ourselves as women. As we share in the podcast, we recommend connecting with a practitioner to begin your journey into the rituals we share. We acknowledge the history and traditional cultures that yoni steaming has come from, and we honour the women who have passed down the ritual in its wholeness for all women to benefit from today. We hope you enjoy this episode on Yoni steaming with Chasca Summerville!

What we talk about in this episode:

• Chasca’s journey into Ayurveda
• Menstrual cycle education (or lack thereof)
• Rituals for fertility
• What is a yoni?
• Yoni steaming – what is it all about?
• How to use yoni steaming in your menstrual cycle
• Healing from Endo, PCOS, infertility, hormonal imbalances and more with yoni steaming
• The deeper purpose of yoni steaming and healing
• Connection of vata imbalances and the womb space

Show notes.

Connect with Chasca

• Alchemy of Ayurveda website
• Ayurvedic Rituals – Chasca’s amazing book
• Book an Ayurveda consultation with Chasca
• Follow on Instagram @alchemyofayurveda

Yoni Steaming

• Neoflam Clay Casserole Dish / Yoni Pot 
• Organic dried herb supplier
• Pre-mixed herbs
• Womb Medicine (book on yoni steaming)
• How to steam ~25min
• Steamy Chick on Instagram

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This is a new offering on our podcast of shorter wisdom sessions shared from our teachers. Of things we have been exploring in group meditations, mentoring sessions, and in our personal lives. This episode came from a question at group meditation: ‘How do I trust life? How can I surrender and have faith when things just don’t see to be going ‘my way’ or as I had hoped they would go?’ 

Kathleen explores a different take on trust, shifting our perspective from a life based in faith, trust, and belief, to a new paradigm of knowing. She shares how life is in-fact a very knowable experience, rather than something occurring externally. 

Initially we may not have this relationship with life so we need to employ faith, trust, and belief. These can be functions of the mind that help us move forward. We can begin by telling ourselves, “It’s OK, I've got this, even though this feels big or scary, I’m going to put all of my fear aside and trust that it will be ok. I’m going to take the leap of faith.” But the next step we want to take is building a direct and unfiltered relationship with life. We want to know from within.

What we talk about in this episode.

• What is trust?
• How Vedic meditation is the tool to move from trusting to knowing
• Why we would prefer to know than trust
• The importance of direct experience
• The innocence of forgetting
• The necessity of compassion and playfulness when learning new skills

Show notes.

Connect with Kathleen

• kathleen@mahasoma.com
• @kathleenobrien_

Learn Vedic meditation with Kathleen

• Castlemaine
• Melbourne
• Adelaide

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This is a new offering on our podcast of shorter wisdom sessions shared from our teachers, of things we have been exploring in group meditations, mentoring sessions, and in our personal lives.

This episode is about the idea that meditation can cause you to avoid doing the ‘real work’ - the harder, emotional, deeper work of change.  Laura Poole shares a perspective that helps us understand what’s really going on when people use meditation to spiritually by-pass what’s needed, and how we can empower ourselves to use our practice in the way it was intended.

What we talk about in this episode.

• What is spiritual by-passing
• Why meditation can be seen as avoiding doing the ‘real work’
• What meditation actually is
• The real purpose of a daily practice
• How to harness the full power of meditation as a tool for real, long-lasting, and integrated healing

Show notes.

• Connect with Laura
  • laura@mahasoma.com
  • @laura_poole
• Learn Vedic meditation with Laura
  • Noosa
  • Melbourne

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This is a special episode for everyone who knows and loves Pandit Baskaran AKA Panditji. Panditji is a Vedic meditation teacher, pandit, and man of bliss consciousness. You may have had the great blessing of being on retreat with him in India, experiencing the bliss and joy of being in his presence.

This episode is devoted to sharing Panditji’s life story and wisdom. We hope you enjoy and get sore cheeks from smiling as much as we did.

What we talk about in this episode.

• Panditji’s life story
• Training as a meditation teacher with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
• Who is Shiva
• The deeper meaning and purpose of abishekam ceremony
• Tamil Nadu temples
• Living a life of bliss

Show notes.

• Connect with Pandit Baskaran
  • panditbaskaran.com
  • @panditbaskaran
• Rameshwarum Temple
• Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur
• Vedic meditation teacher training with Mahasoma and Pandit Baskaran

To see photos of all the places and experiences we talk about in the episode, head to our journal post for more.

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

• Being your own healer
• Why meditation – the missing piece
• The healthy way to relate to using practitioners to support your wellbeing
• The two sides of surrender
• The 3 x types of Karma
• A discourse by Guru Deva – Swami Brahmananda Saraswati

• kathleen@mahasoma.com
• More about Kathleen
• @kathleenobrien_
• Learn to meditate with Kathleen - Castlemaine, Albury, Adelaide, Melbourne

• Mahasoma wellbeing resources
• ‘I know what it feels like to not feel strong in my body’ by Kathleen O’Brien
• Dinacharya, Ayurvedic daily routine
• Daily Abhyanga (self massage) to support the nervous system
• Surya Namaskara to strengthen the body
• Daily mantra practice for health, strength and vitality
• Agnihotra for health, wellbeing and healing the land
• Breathwork and embodiment practices
• Panchakarma - Ayurvedic detox and rejuvenation program in India

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This episode was recorded while we were in the south of India, in Tamil Nadu, staying at the Sri Narayani Holistic Centre for Ayurveda and Siddha Medicine.

Our  Vedic meditation teacher Laura Poole had the honour of speaking with the head doctor there – Dr Janani – all about Siddha Medicine for spiritual enlightenment and how you can experience this healing for yourself at the Sri Narayani Holistic Centre.

The centre is one of the many projects of Sri Sakthi Amma, who is an avatar, an incarnation of the goddess Sri Narayani. It sits within the town of Thirumalikodi, where Amma’s ashram and Sri Purum Golden Temple are. The centre opened in 2019 continuing Amma’s mission of alleviating those suffering from pain, disease, or imbalance in the body, mind, or soul.

Before Dr. Janani came to work with Amma at the centre, she worked as a personal Siddha physician for the president of India for 4 years. She has written 21 research articles on a variety of topics related to Siddha medicine, she is a mother, devotee of the Divine Mother, and a vibrant woman who loves to share her love of the ancient system of Siddha medicine. We hope you enjoy this episode and please check out the show notes for links to everything we speak about!

What we talk about in this episode.

• What is Siddha medicine and its true purpose
• How Dr Janani came to Siddha Medicine and to work at Sri Narayani Holistic Centre with Sri Sakthi Amma as her Guru
• Relationship of Sri Sakthi Amma and the Siddhas
• Connecting to the Divine for deep healing
• Panchakarma detox and rejuvenation at the Sri Narayani Holistic Centre
• Siddha Medicine nanoparticle formulas and how they differ from other medicines
• The purpose of puja (ceremony)
• Navapashanam – special Siddha formula
• Varma technique (vital energy points) in Siddha Medicine
• King Bodhi Dharma – the Siddha from Tamil Nadu that brought the wisdom of Siddha Medicine to China that developed into Chinese martial arts (Shao Lin), Chinese medicine etc.
• Maharishi Patanjali – one of the great Siddhas who brought yoga to the world

• Read more about Sri Sakthi Amma – the incarnation of Narayani
• Stay at the Narayani Holistic Centre and receive Ayurveda and Siddha Medicine treatments (panchakarma)
• Read more about Aayurveda and Siddha Medicine
• Palani – Navapashanam Idol in south of India
• Email hello@mahasoma.com for details on receiving Navapashanam water for healing (a Siddha medicine)

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode we chat with water researcher, activist and educator Isabel Friend. Isabel’s expertise is bringing modern scientific understanding together with ancient ancestral wisdom. Isabel shares a vision with practical strategies that helps people transform their relationship to water, increasing physical, mental, emotional, and environmental health for all beings. If you don’t yet have a deep reciprocal relationship with water, if your health or the state of our world is important to you, and water is not part of the conversation, then this episode is for you.

For full show notes visit the Mahasoma Journal

What we talk about.

• What actually is water?
• How to communicate with water and understand her needs
• How we are currently abusing water, the impact of this individually and collectively
• What is a watershed?
• Quantum coherence of water
• Harvesting raw wild spring water
• The physical, emotional, and psychological benefits of being in relationship with water
• Water + energy + meditation
• Honouring and learning from our indigenous water protectors
• Being an ally, accomplice, and water activist
• Falling deeper in love with water

Connect with Isabel Friend.

• Water is Life - educational platform + online courses
• Email Isabel to have a personalised hydration session
• @jenisabelfriend
• 10% discount code for the Water Shop - use MAHASOMA

Resources.

• Learn more about Victor Schaurberger
• Watch The Secrets of Water, The Documentary of Viktor Schauberger- Comprehend and Copy Nature
• Read more about Theodore Schwenk through his book Sensitive Chaos
• Visit the Earth Law Centre website to know more about personhood and legal rights for water
• Learn more about the Blue Planet Project 
• Read up on the work of the Lakota Law Project and their fight for justice
• Connect with the vision of International Rivers on their website and Instagram
• Read up on the decentralised system of law based on water via the World Water Law Project
• Visit the Oak Ridge National Laboratory website to learn about their work and discoveries
• If you’re in the USA find your local watershed by visiting the US Geological Society
• Find your local spring in your area using findaspring.com
• Explore your surrounding water sources using Gaia GPS
• Develop a relationship with your local water protectors. Reach out to your local elders to connect with the land/water you live on.
• Veda Austin - photographing water in its ‘state of creation’ - this is the ‘hyd

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This episode is a Mahasoma team effort as we come together to answer your questions. We get a lot of inquiry on social media, emails, and group meditations, so we thought podcast episodes would be a great way to share more. We will be exploring your questions, sharing our real life experiences, and tapping into relevant themes/happenings we’re going through as a collective. In this episode we hope to give you some insight into who we are, how we came to meditation, and how the Vedic wisdom can be applied to your everyday life right now.

What we talk about in this episode:

• How we came to meditation and what it has given us
• The concept of time - past, present and future – where do they exist?
• Who is telling your story?
• Upgrading our memories to experience immediate liberation

Mahasoma is a feminine-led meditation collective sharing Vedic wisdom and practices to support you in becoming more grounded, present, and creative. Our teachers are Laura Poole, Sarah O’Brien, and Kathleen O’Brien. We teach in-person courses in Melbourne, Castlemaine, Surf Coast, Noosa, Albury, Adelaide, Northern Rivers, Sydney, and travel to teach around the world.

Connect with Mahasoma.

• @mahasoma
• hello@mahasoma.com
• Learn Vedic meditation with us
• Mahasoma team

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This episode is all about the Vedic celebration known as Navaratri – the nine nights of worshipping the goddess at the two new moon equinoxes of the year. We wanted to share with you some of the deeper meanings and understandings of this celebration, and how you can tap into this flow of time to create greater health and vitality for yourself, your family and your community.

We asked the wonderful teacher Prashanti de Jager to share some of the wisdom he has gained over the last 32 years of engaging in, studying, teaching, and worshipping the Goddess through Navaratri. Prashanti has deeply studied the Vedic sciences including Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology, Yoga, Vedic Architecture, Advaita and Dhanurveda, and has sat at the feet of many great masters including Sri H.W.L. Poonja.

This is an episode for those interested in deeper Vedic wisdom and understanding the mythology of this wonderful time of the year known as Navaratri. If you’re keen to explore Prashanti’s Navaratri Restorative Cleanse that takes place twice a year, check out the show notes below after you listen for all the details of how to participate.

What we talk about in this episode:

• The yoga of time
• Who is Durga and Kali
• How to live in the goddess flow state
• Shiva + Shakti
• What Navaratri is actually about and how to engage with it
• Goddess Worship
• Vedic restorative cleanses
• The bi-monthly celebration of Ekadashi – what is it and how to gain its benefit
• The mantra of the goddess
• The 4 levels of truth
• The process of dharma
• The purpose of sangha
• The goddess known as Tulsi

Connect with Prashanti de Jager

• Explore the Veda Mandala to learn more about the Vedic sciences with Prashanti
• @prashanti.veda.mandala
• Navaratri Restorative Cleanse - this restorative cleanse happens twice every year

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode our Mahasoma teacher Laura Poole and the delightful repeat guest on our podcast, our Vedic astrologer Blaine Watson, talk all things transcendence. With both Laura and Blaine teaching Vedic meditation, a transcending meditation technique, we wanted to share the deeper understanding of transcendence, and help you recognise the profound nature of what you may already be experiencing every day. 

What we talk about in this episode.

• What transcendence actually is
• What are thoughts
• What the purpose of transcendence is and how to access it through meditation
• The biggest misperception in the yogic world
• How to live transcendence 24/7
• What enlightenment actually is
• The work of self-enquiry
• Transcendence, trauma and disassociation
• Ways to enliven transcendence in daily life
• Shivaratri, Shiva and the transcendental field

Show notes.

Learn to meditate and transcend

• Mahasoma Vedic Meditation Courses

Connect with Blaine

• Sign up to Blaine’s daily inspirational email via blainepw@gmail.com. Please note: Blaine is currently booked for all Vedic astrology sessions for 12 months and isn’t taking any new clients right now.

Books

• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad-Gita, A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1- 6 (try to find a pre-1969 version)
• Yoga Sutra by Patanjali
• The Manual for Self Realization: 112 Meditations of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra by Swami Lakshmanjoo (112 ways to transcend)
• Śhiva Sūtras : The Supreme Awakening - by Swami Lakshmanjoo
• The Ramayana – translated by Ramesh Menon
• Anandamayi Ma - Mother of Bliss

Ways to enliven transcendence in daily life

• 8 Principal Upanishads
• Yoga Vasishta – The Supreme Yoga by Swami Venktesananda
• All books by Ramana Maharishi
• All books by Nisargadatta Maharaj
• All books by Rumi
• All books by Hafiz
• A.H. Almas – The Dimond Approach
• The Work as Meditation by Todd Smith
• The Work by Byron Katie
• Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu (Translated by Stephen Mitchell)
• All books by J Krishnamurti

Other

• Rudrabhishek - powerful chanting of 1,000 Maharishi Vedic Pandits
• Mayavakyas

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode we chat with incredible permaculture teacher, psychologist, Ayurveda expert, and barefoot yogi Ian Trew, exploring the physical, psychological and spiritual world that is permaculture. Our Mahasoma teacher Laura Poole completed her permaculture PDC course with Ian at Noosa Forest Retreat and fell in love with the way he spoke about ecology and nature, weaving in psychology, the Vedic worldview, indigenous wisdom, and personal development. It was an inspiring and very intense few weeks training, and we knew we had to share the inspiration with everyone.

What we talk about in this episode:

• Ian’s inspiring life story that took him from the country, to the military, to permaculture
• What permaculture actually is
• How we currently grow food and what needs to change
• Holistic habitat design – rethinking and redesigning how we live
• Cradle to grave design
• The psychological, emotional and sociological aspects of permaculture
• The differences between organic, biodynamic, agroforestry and syntropic farming
• The need for embodied ecological role models
• Accessing the flow state and becoming an everyday super hero
• The 1 thing you start doing right now to flow with Nature

Connect with Ian Trew at Noosa Forest Retreat:

• @permaculture_community_nfr
• Want to take Noosa Forest Retreat's next PDC (Permaculture Design Course)? Connect with Ian and use our affiliate code MAHASOMA to receive $50 off!
• Noosa Forest Retreat Permaculture online course

Books and articles:

• The Soil and Health by Albert Howard
• The Global Brain: The Awakening Earth (2008 updated) by Peter Russell
• The Global Brain Awakens: Our Next Evolutionary Leap (1995) by Peter Russell

Documentaries:

• Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami who started it all
• Happen Films – Stories for a changing world

Other:

• Mushroom ‘Infinity Burial Suit’ by Coeio - creating life after death

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode we chat with Celeste Tesorerio - a name well known in luxury fashion industry both within Australia and abroad. As Sustainability Manager of Roland Mouret and a member of the British Fashion Council’s Positive Fashion Committee, Celeste has worked with brands including Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga as well as big retailers such as Net-a-Porter, Matches and Selfridges. Celeste also spent five years directing her own namesake label with her direct experience in the industry as a designer giving her a wealth of first-hand knowledge about the nuances of sustainability and ethical production. She is now the founder of Sonzai Studios - a sustainable fashion consulting business where she helps brands better their environmental presence with a move toward a brighter future of fashion.

What we talk about in this episode:

• What sustainable fashion actually is and if it’s even possible
• The shocking unsustainable parts of the fashion industry
• The process of how a plain cotton t-shirt is made
• The true cost of fashion
• Is sustainable fashion a privilege?
• Celeste's top ways to become more sustainable in the way we shop
• Ways fashion brands can become more sustainable and take greater responsibility
• The 1 thing you can start doing right to empower yourself with knowledge to make better decisions when it comes to buying clothes

Connect with Celeste:

• Sonzai Studios
• @celestetesoriero
• @sonzaistudios
• celeste@sonzaistudios.com

Books and Articles:

• RIISE Climate Credentials
• Sonzai Studio’s Journal - articles on all things sustainable fashion
• Sustainable swimwear guide by Celeste Tesoriero
• Sustainability By Leslie Paul Thiele
• Zero Waste Fashion Design by Timo Rissanen and Holly McQuillan

Resources:

• Sonzai Studio’s Journal - articles on all things sustainable fashion
• Sustainable swimwear guide by Celeste Tesoriero
• RIISE.Shop - all sustainable brands curated by Celeste
• Vestiare Collective
• The Real Real - hiring clothing
• Depop - hiring clothing

Instagram accounts to follow:

• RIISE 
• Sustainable Fashion Forum
• Stories behind things
• Climate council

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

This episode we have the enlightening Vedic astrologer Blaine Watson back for another juicy session sharing his deep wisdom and experience of the Vedic science and technology known as yajña. On the surface it looks like a fire ceremony, where Vedic pandits are sitting around the fire, offering ghee and other sweet-smelling items, alongside chanting specific Vedic mantras to connect with the desired deity. What may look like an esoteric, occult, or religious practice, is actually a precise Vedic technology that uses consciousness, intention and vibration to resolve our karma and therefore change our future.

What we talk about in this episode:

• What yajña actually is, diving into the Vedic wisdom, beginning with a powerful sloka or verse from Rig Veda
• A poignant Vedic analogy for understanding how the world is created
• Karma + yajña
• How to change the future by altering our DNA in the present
• How you can engage with yajña 
• Yajña Q&A

Connect with Blaine and others:

• Blaine Watson - blainepw@gmail.com - book in for a Jyotish (Vedic astrology) session or if you need to find your exact birth time, or if you would like a yagya performed on your behalf with the Pandits in India. 
• You can also email Blaine (above) to sign up for the ‘Auspicious Days’ of the Vedic calendar to be emailed to you monthly
• Join Sri Sakthi Amma for the 1000 day Sri Lalitha Yagam - email Beloved Narayani Foundation for details on when the yajña begins

Books:

• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita – Chapters 1-6 (chapter 3 – on yajña)
• Human Physiology: Expression of Veda and the Vedic Literature by Tony Nadar
• Devi Bhagavatam by Ramesh Menon – stories of Ma Durga (Navaratri)
• View some amazing old photos from LIFE Magazine in 1944, where Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s teacher, Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (Guru Deva), arranged and presided over a mahayagya (great yajña) to end WWII

Listen:

• Durga Sapta Shati – 700 Verses to Ma Durga
• Maharishi Veda App for mantra chanting and listening
• Vital Veda podcast episode with Dr Svoboda on connecting with our ancestors and how to perform shraddha

Verse from Rk Veda:

Richo akshare parame vyoman
Yasmin devaa adhi vishve nisheduh
Yas tan na veda kim richaa karishyati
Ya it tad vidus ta ime samaasate

The verses (richas) of the Veda exist in the collapse of fullness (the kshara of ‘A’) in the transcendental field, the Self, in which reside all the devas, the impulses of creative intelligence, the laws of nature responsible for the whole manifest universe. He whose awareness is not open to this field, what can the verses accomplish for him? Those who know this level of reality are e

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode we speak with the divine Paige Hasaballah, otherwise known as Delta Venus. Delta is a visual communicator and intuitive conduit whose art and offerings are primarily about exploring consciousness. She works with her Egyptian lineage incorporating ancient spiritual practice into her creative expression. Her aim is to create space for the experience of oneness. Each artwork is designed to be lived with, meditated on, and experienced through. You can see her work by following @deltavenus on Instagram, we suggest having a look at Delta’s artwork as you listen to the episode to get a feel for her art.

What we talk about in this episode

• Delta’s Egyptian lineage and the Khemetic wisdom tradition she is part of
• Her process as an artist communicating these deep spiritual truths of life
• The science of imagery and its place in the ancient Egyptian culture
•  Our favourite topic, LOVE!
• We finish with some questions from our community on love as Delta openly and honestly shares from her direct experience.

Connect with Delta Venus

• Follow Paige Hasaballah @deltavenus on Instagram 
• Visit the Delta Venus print shop
• Explore Delta's Egyptian astrology prints
• Have your ‘energy portrait’ taken/created by Delta Venus
•  Purchase Delta's Know Thyself 72-card deck of questions for self-enquiry

Books

• Serpent in the Sky by John Anthony West
• Temple of the Cosmos by Jeremy Naydler
• The Opening of the Way: A Practical Guide to the Wisdom by Isha Schwaller de Lubicz
• The Ringing Cedars book series by Vladmir Megre - the wisdom of the Russian Vedic tradition through Anastasia

Podcast 

• A podcast with John Stuart Reid titled ‘The Startling Secrets of Sound’. John speaks about his experiences in the Pyramids with sound and hieroglyphics.    

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode, we hear from Caroline Blanco - Mother, Vedic Meditation teacher, creative consultant & mentor. She lives and works on Bundjalung country nurturing individuals and teams to create, birth and live with deeper connection, purpose & freedom. After a deep healing journey from her traumatic first birth, Caroline recently free birthed her 2nd child undisturbed at home and in this episode she shares with us her learnings and experience.

* Trigger warning * - In this episode we talk about birth and birth trauma. Please give yourself the time and space needed to listen and reach out for support if you need.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE:

• The possibilities of birth + breaking down the myths
• Medicalised birthing vs. free birthing
• What free birthing actually is
• The importance of centring the mother and her experience
• The role of a midwife
• How to create an empowering birth experience
• The connection between meditation and birth
• Caroline’s direct experience using mantra, Vedic philosophy, breath and Vedic meditation in preparation for sacred birthing.

CONNECT WITH CAROLINE

• Visit Caroline’s website to learn more about her offerings and Vedic meditation courses in Byron Bay
• Follow Caroline on Instagram @_____love_now
• caroline@lovenow.com.au

RESOURCES

Listen 

• Podcasts:
  • Pregnancy Birth and Beyond
  • Vital Veda
• Narayani Moola Mantra by Edo and Jo
• Please email hello@mahasoma.com to connect with us and receive the special Vedic birthing mantra

Read

• Sacred Birthing: Birthing a New Humanity - Sunni Karll
• A Compassionate Guide to Being With Birth - Jenny Blyth 
• Jane Hardwick Collins – HERstory

Instagram

• @ripsnorter
• @michellepalasia 
• @wild.womb.witch
• @indigenous.doulas
• @_rosierick_
• @wild.pregnancy_free.birth
• @padmini_yoni 
• @bushrat_
• @zoe_bosco

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode Mahasoma teachers Laura Poole and Sarah O’Brien come together to talk about Sarah’s journey into Vedic meditation. Sarah’s comes from a background in legal advocacy. After finishing her law degree, Sarah jumped straight into working in human rights and administrative law, which was what she had spent her 7 years at university hoping to do. In a pretty short period of time, she witnessed the way we currently try to make change in the world and it began to feel that for her, the legal industry wasn’t the way she could have the best impact. As Sarah went deeper into Vedic knowledge, travelled to India and really allowed herself to dream, she came to understand that teaching people new (or should we say re-enlivening old) ways of seeing the world was going to have much more of an impact than her current work. 

Sarah came to understand that it is through the mind of each person that we gain our community. It is therefore vital to influence the way individuals see the world so that we as a community can be more inclusive, multi-generational, and compassionate. She now understands this is how we can create true change.

What we talk about

• How Sarah came to learn Vedic meditation herself
• What she learnt about making change, both in career and mindset
• Sarah's journey of transitioning from being a lawyer to a meditation teacher
• Her passion for creating change in the world which looks a little different to how she thought it would
• The three parts of evolutionary change through the Vedic lens (creation, maintenance and destruction)
• How to engage with each phase of evolution
• The purpose and necessity of compassion
• How true compassion often involves strong action but is ultimately a freeing experience
• The misinterpretation of wisdom that leads to spiritual bypassing
• The dismantling of this misinterpretation and how to correct our vision
• Why we shouldn’t get defensive when people point out to us where we need to change
• The need for us to collectively dream a better world together

Connect with Sarah

• sarah@mahasoma.com
• @sarahobrien_meditation
• Learn Vedic meditation with Sarah

Books to read

• Read Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation and Commentary, Chapters 1-6

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com

In this episode our Mahasoma teacher Laura Poole speaks with our Vedic Astrologer, Blaine Watson. Vedic Astrology, or ‘Jyotiṣa’ as it is called in Sanskrit, has become an increasingly popular way of taking care of one’s future. Jyotiṣa means the ‘best of lights’. It’s the Vedic science of bringing awareness or light to the evolutionary process of life, predicting what’s coming and revealing that which is hidden from view, so we can adapt, adjust our behaviour, make better decisions and create greater coherent flow for ourselves as individuals and our society as a whole.

Blaine Watson is a  Vedic astrologer who has been studying astrology since childhood. On a trip to India in 1980 while spending time with his teacher and Guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, he became deeply interested in Vedic astrology and began studying in earnest. After several years of self-study in India, USA, Spain, Netherlands and Switzerland, Blaine was personally certified as an expert in jyotiṣa by the Dean of the Department of Sanskrit at Benares Hindu University in Varanasi, India in 1989. He has been a professional astrologer for over 30 years and has more than 30,000 clients in over 30 countries. People find him only via word of mouth as the Vedic tradition with which he is associated does not permit him to advertise.

What we talk about

• The true purpose of jyotiṣa – both on the individual level and the cosmic level
• The difference between Western astrology and yyotiṣa
• What influences an individual’s chart
• Karma and past lives
• How to remedy afflictions in our charts
• The power of yajña to restructure our DNA
• Saturn returns and 'sadi sati'
• The 12 zodiac signs personalities and traits
• Intuition vs. jyotiṣa
• Free will vs. determinism
• How to study jyotiṣa and become a Vedic astrologer

Connect with Blaine.

Blaine is currently booked for all Vedic astrology sessions for 12 months and isn’t taking any new clients. However you can sign up to Blaine’s daily inspirational email via blainepw@gmail.com.

Resources

Listen

• Listen to Blaine on the Vital Veda Podcast
• Ep 49 - Karmic Relationships, Why am I single? & Past Lives
• Ep 41 - Celestial Organisation of Life with Vedic Astrology

Online learning

• David Frawley's online courses for learning Jyotish

Books

• Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (we suggest trying to finder an earlier copy of the book, ideally from the 1960s-1970s)
• Light On Life by Hart Defouw
• The Greatness of Saturn by Robert Svoboda
• A Story Like The Wind (The Collected works of Laurens van der Post) - What Blaine read during his sadi sati that changed his perspective on life forever.

Learn to meditate with us at Mahasoma --- follow us @mahasoma --- hello@mahasoma.com