513. Shyamji Bhatnagar

Sri Shyamji was born and raised in India. At age 12, he met his spiritual teacher in the Himalayas and spent several years under his guidance. The Guru initiated Shyamji into the Saivite tradition of Tantra—imparting a rare oral tradition of sacred sounds (naada yoga), breath (svara yoga), and spiritual wisdom.

The grace of the guru (guru krippa) and the spiritual practices he imparted (sadhana) are the basis for Sri Shyamji’s extraordinary intuition and unique chanting of sounds and mantra. For millennia this tradition was passed down from generation to generation through an oral tradition which preserved its purity. It is a rare opportunity to learn the science of sound from a true master.

Website: chakrainstitute.com

Book: Microchakras: InnerTuning for Psychological Well-being

Email: admin@chakrainstitute.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded August 13, 2019

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Meeting the Spiritual Teacher
  • 00:05:46 – The Power of Breathing with the Nose
  • 00:11:10 – The Brain’s Role in Thinking and Feeling
  • 00:16:03 – The Nature of Love and Subtle Matter
  • 00:21:08 – Blocked Micro Chakras
  • 00:25:56 – The Importance of Breastfeeding and the Belief that Babies Have no Feelings
  • 00:30:34 – The Importance of Pronouncing Sounds Properly
  • 00:35:52 – Discontentment and Addiction
  • 00:40:44 – The Importance of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
  • 00:45:44 – Ingmar Bergman and the Colors of the Week
  • 00:50:28 – Understanding the Mind and Mantras
  • 00:54:50 – The Subject and the Ego
  • 00:59:05 – The Story of a Human Being
  • 01:02:40 – The Meaning of Meditation
  • 01:06:41 – The Stages of Meditation
  • 01:10:52 – Purification of the Body and Sexual Energy
  • 01:14:35 – Understanding the Prana Calendar and Nostril Dominance
  • 01:18:21 – Calming Anger and the Power of Water
  • 01:22:01 – Controlling the Ego
  • 01:25:57 – The Seven Sister Powers
  • 01:29:36 – Awakening Kundalini and Siddhis
  • 01:33:38 – The Value of Teachers and Subjective Science
  • 01:38:10 – Music Compilation
  • 02:03:13 – Sri Radhe Mantra and Purifying the Second Chakra
  • 02:08:33 – The Power of Stories
  • 02:12:12 – The Three-Body Purification Practice
  • 02:16:12 – Individual Fitness and Surviving Challenges
  • 02:19:45 – The Meaning of Tantra and Its Misconceptions
  • 02:24:16 – The Importance of Sleep in Relation to the Sun
  • 02:28:42 – Many more years to come

500. Dani Antman

Dani Antman is an internationally known energy healer and interfaith minister in Santa Barbara, CA. She has been at the forefront of energy medicine and healing since 1992 when she graduated from the Barbara Brennan School of Healing.

Dani is a graduate of The School for Nondual Healing and Awakening, where she taught for over nine years. She has led workshops at the Esalen Institute, La Casa de Maria, and The Lionheart Institute for Transpersonal Energy Healing. She is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and helps people recover from the effects of trauma and PTSD.

She has received spiritual direction and assistance for over 17 years from Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care (see BatGap interview with Joan Shivarpita Harrigan). Through this consistent guidance, she completed a challenging Kundalini process related to her Jewish past. She is dedicated to guiding others on their spiritual path.

Silvia Eberl is the new lineage holder of Patanjali Kundalini Yoga Care, as designated by Swami Chandrasekharanand. She is working in Austria and Rishikesh, India. Her contact info is: bharatpkyc@yahoo.com. Websites:

Dani’s website: daniantman.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded April 27, 2019

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction and Background
  • 00:03:59 – The Misleading Nature of Spiritual Purification
  • 00:07:07 – Early Life and Tumultuous Times
  • 00:11:27 – The Zen of Art and Focus during All-nighters
  • 00:14:53 – Discovering Healing and Self-Transformation
  • 00:18:57 – The Existence of a Subtle Body
  • 00:22:57 – Distance Healing Mechanisms and Limitations
  • 00:26:57 – Wholeness and Integrated Perception
  • 00:30:59 – Seduction and Deception in Spiritual Teachers
  • 00:35:30 – The Dark Side of Spiritual Teachers
  • 00:39:38 – The Living Tradition of Kabbalah
  • 00:44:00 – The Living Tradition of Enlightened Sages
  • 00:47:46 – The Importance of Spiritual Activism and Seva
  • 00:51:57 – The Sex Rising and its Effects
  • 00:56:15 – A Rising in Spiritual Seekers
  • 00:59:48 – Kundalini Awakening and Progressions
  • 01:03:50 – Kundalini Awakening Journey
  • 01:08:17 – Addressing the Root of the Problem
  • 01:11:56 – Milestones in Spiritual Awakening
  • 01:15:45 – Kundalini Awakening and Brain Support
  • 01:19:23 – Repairing the Chakra System
  • 01:22:50 – Kundalini Yoga and the Advaita Vedanta
  • 01:26:21 – Loss and Grief, Near Death Experience
  • 01:31:03 – Grounding into the Body, Running and Returning
  • 01:35:06 – Surrendering to Grace
  • 01:38:48 – The Power of Sincere Intentions and Desires
  • 01:42:17 – Near Death Experience
  • 01:46:24 – A Life-Changing Experience and Fearlessness
  • 01:50:10 – Returning to the Jewish Lineage
  • 01:53:57 – Connecting with Dani Antman
  • 01:57:42 – Preserve the Teachings of Jesus

474. Bonnie Greenwell, 2nd Interview

Bonnie Greenwell Ph.D. is a transpersonal psychotherapist and non-dual teacher in the lineage of Adyashanti. After her kundalini awakening in graduate school, she wrote a dissertation and book on the kundalini process. In 2003 she met Adyashanti and experienced a deep shift in consciousness that led to editing his book “Emptiness Dancing” and an invitation to teach. She has worked as a mentor/guide for people in kundalini or awakening processes for over 30 years. Her 4th book is “When Spirit Leaps: Navigating the Process of Spiritual Awakening”. She was a founder and director of the Kundalini Research Network and has trained people internationally to work with spiritual emergence and understand kundalini phenomena. She believes the awakening of consciousness to Truth is a natural realization available to all who sincerely long for Self-Realization, and that kundalini is fundamentally a clearing and transformative energetic support for this process. She offers webinars and consultations on the web and can be contacted through her websites and her Awakened Living Blog.

Websites:

Books:

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded October 20, 2018

Bonnie’s side of the audio in this video is choppy in places. The audio-only version is clear on both sides of the conversation.

YouTube Video Chapters:

  • 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
  • 00:04:14 – The Journey of Spiritual Awakening
  • 00:09:15 – The Longing for Awakening
  • 00:13:23 – Moving Back and Forth between Freedom and Contraction
  • 00:18:34 – The Struggle of Awakening
  • 00:23:32 – The Importance of Understanding Energy Phenomena
  • 00:28:19 – The Diversity of Awakening Experiences
  • 00:33:12 – Developing Intuitive Knowing
  • 00:37:36 – Following Inspiration and Discernment
  • 00:42:03 – Surrendering to the Process
  • 00:46:41 – Following Your True Passion
  • 00:50:55 – Enlightenment and Perception
  • 00:55:22 – A Clear and Crisp Mind
  • 01:00:28 – The Importance of Being Ordinary
  • 01:05:29 – The Role of Teachers in Kundalini Awakening
  • 01:09:57 – Living in Samadhi amidst Dynamic Activity
  • 01:13:14 – The Flow of Feelings
  • 01:16:55 – The Longing for God
  • 01:20:47 – The Evolution of Spiritual Practices
  • 01:24:32 – Finding Stillness within a Chaotic World
  • 01:28:02 – Kundalini Awakening and Coping with Difficulties
  • 01:31:30 – The General Good Health of People in Spiritual Awakening Process
  • 01:34:39 – The Importance of Getting Rid of Fear
  • 01:38:12 – Exploring the Use of Psychedelics
  • 01:41:44 – The Use of DMT and Its Effects
  • 01:45:10 – The Effects of Drugs on Spiritual Awakening
  • 01:48:04 – Exploring the Effects of Drugs on Brain Chemistry
  • 01:51:10 – Cornerstones for Awakening and Inner Peace
  • 01:54:40 – Harmonizing Chakras and Managing Energy
  • 01:57:52 – Taking Care of the Body
  • 02:01:05 – Music Intro