Born in Kenya, and of Indian ancestry, Riyaz came to North America when he was ten years old (growing up in Canada, and then moving to the United States as an adult). Each of these lands, peoples, and cultures has informed and shaped his expression and sensibilities. He is a product of both East and West.

Most of his adult life has been devoted to the study and practice of both psychotherapy and spirituality. And both of these disciplines have been integral to a path of healing and awakening. Professionally, his life’s work has been to bring together Eastern wisdom with Western science and psychology in a synergistic alliance.

After 26 years of mainly practicing as a psychotherapist, and many years of teaching and supervising students and interns in a transpersonally oriented graduate school (CIIS in San Francisco), he has shifted his work in a more explicitly spiritual direction. He now leads individuals and groups in spiritual work through groups, and day-long and multi-day retreats.

In April 2023, he received dharma transmission and the blessing of his teacher, Adyashanti.

Website: riyazmotan.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group

Summary and transcript of this interview

Interview recorded November 26, 2024

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Gail Brenner, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author, speaker, and lover of the nondual teaching with a fire that burns brightly. She is an expert in healing from early trauma and brings to this work years of experience with individuals and groups. Her work lovingly illuminates our everyday humanness with the deepest spiritual truths, and she is known for creating the safe space needed for inner exploration.

Gail has special expertise working with older adults and their families in the transitions of aging, death, and dying. She was an assistant clinical professor at the University of California San Francisco where she trained physicians and maintained a clinical practice. She has published numerous professional articles on coping with stress and chronic medical illness and is the author of the award-winning The End of Self-Help: Discovering Peace and Happiness Right at the Heart of Your Messy, Scary, Brilliant Life and Suffering Is Optional: A Spiritual Guide to Freedom from Self-Judgment and Feelings of Inadequacy. She loves exploring different cultures through international volunteering.

First BatGap interview with Gail

Website: gailbrenner.com

Summary and Transcript of this interview.

Interview recorded January 16, 2022.

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump
• 00:03:53 – Personal and Professional Growth
• 00:07:54 – Tapping into the Beyond
• 00:11:40 – The Release of Old Patterns and Conditioning
• 00:15:33 – Embracing Openness and Compassion
• 00:19:00 – Exploring the Nature of True Self and the Overshadowing of Experience
• 00:22:41 – The Separation of Identity
• 00:26:00 – The Impact of Unmet Needs and Coping Strategies
• 00:29:37 – The Healing Power of Meditation
• 00:33:11 – The Healing Power of Meditation
• 00:36:39 – The Power of Attention
• 00:40:07 – The Importance of Paying Attention and Self-Scrutiny
• 00:43:38 – Numbing out to avoid discomfort
• 00:47:15 – Investigating conditioned patterns and healing trauma
• 00:50:54 – The Neurophysiology of Trauma and Healing
• 00:55:13 – Tools for Relaxation and Rest
• 00:58:32 – Inner Awakening and House Cleaning
• 01:02:09 – The Recognition of Timeless Being
• 01:06:01 – Healing and Growth in a Nurturing Environment
• 01:09:27 – Living in Bigger Questions and Non-Duality
• 01:12:28 – Letting go of control and being present
• 01:15:38 – Listening Deeply and Bringing Compassion
• 01:19:30 – Being Present with What Arises
• 01:22:57 – Working with Unworthiness Issues
• 01:27:05 – The Power of Being with Emotions
• 01:30:51 – Beyond Limitations and Identification
• 01:34:48 – The Profoundness of Being Together in Unity
• 01:38:19 – Contemplating People
• 01:41:58 – Finding Meaning and Satisfaction in Life
• 01:45:28 – Going Deeper and Discovering Meaning
• 01:49:00 – Thank you for Listening

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John J. Prendergast, Ph.D., is the author of

• The Deep Heart: Our Portal to Presence and
• In Touch: How to Tune in to the Inner Guidance of Your Body and Trust Yourself.

He is a retired adjunct professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies and a licensed psychotherapist.

He studied for many years with the European Advaita master, Jean Klein, as well as with Adyashanti. He was invited to share the dharma by Dorothy Hunt.

He offers retreats in the U.S. and Europe, as well as online.

Website: ListeningFromSilence.com

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and transcript of this interview

First BatGap Interview with John

Interview recorded November 23, 2019

YouTube Video Chapters:

• 00:00:00 – Introduction and Background
• 00:03:49 – Following the Subtle Impulses
• 00:07:19 – Mysterious Encounters with Wise Teachers
• 00:11:02 – The Wisdom of Not Knowing
• 00:14:24 – Crossing the Barrier of Fear
• 00:18:08 – The Head, Heart, Gut Structure
• 00:21:46 – The complexity of human nature and awakening
• 00:25:45 – The Polarity of Change and Fixing
• 00:29:35 – Balancing Act and Spiritual Maturity
• 00:33:24 – Trusting the Process of Balance
• 00:37:29 – The Seeker and the Sought, a Paradoxical Teaching
• 00:40:40 – Finding Your Dharma
• 00:44:11 – The Shift and the Capacity for Empathy
• 00:47:52 – The Capacity of the Heart to Bear Collective Suffering
• 00:51:44 – Moving with Love and Being of Service
• 00:55:19 – Living in Deep Integrity with our Heart
• 00:59:04 – The Influence of Teachers
• 01:02:07 – The Importance of Teachers in Spiritual Awakening
• 01:05:03 – Discovering Inner Resonance
• 01:09:09 – Opening Communication with the Body
• 01:12:46 – Non-phenomenal completion and the refinement of the instrument
• 01:16:29 – Leaning into Deep Sadness
• 01:20:28 – The Heart’s Upwelling and Sharing the Love
• 01:24:15 – The Wisdom of the Body
• 01:27:52 – The Power of Beliefs in Creating Noise
• 01:31:29 – Identifying Core Subconscious Beliefs
• 01:34:49 – The Tendency for Darkness in Human Nature
• 01:38:28 – Acting without being married to the principle of fairness
• 01:42:04 – The Power of Self-Acceptance and Transformation
• 01:49:20 – Interviews with Regular Joes

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