Be Where How? Show

Sitaram Dass spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is a writer, musician, counselor, and community volunteer working to strengthen our sense of the Timeless Sacred in today’s modern world. His new collection of prose and poetry, From and For God, is available now at all online retailers.

“Love Serve Remember .. are instructions from our own heart.”

Sitaram shares with us tales from Ram Dass’ final years, alongside lucid soulful discussions around service, vulnerability, perfectionism, and how the continual re-examination of faith is rooted in freedom.

His book recommendations are:

“Be Love Now” by Ram Dass

The books of Mirabai Starr

The Bhagavad Gita

“Paths To God” by Ram Dass

Esther Ladipo is a social impact inspiration. A proud Nigerian-American born in Columbus, Ohio, currently living in Austin Texas, Esther works at DoorDash on their Social Impact team, alongside being the cofounder and CEO of Ranowo.org, a donation platform supporting black and Latin-x nonprofits through donations of physical goods.

We talk about her early motivations for service. We untangle ‘social impact’ being a trendy term—how to keep it all sincere, transcend the critics, and make a legitimate impact where it matters. And we close out about her own conscious intention to get where she is today.

Zevi Slavin is a Hasidic Jewish mystic and content creator of the channel “Seekers of Unity”. Zevi grew up in Australia, moved to LA when he was eighteen, then NY, and Cape Town, South Africa. Now living in Israel, Zevi is an ordained rabbi dedicated to teaching about the beauty of Judaism, philosophy, world mysticism, and all of their many benefits.

Zevi explains the unique contributions of Jewish mysticism within the world’s mystic traditions—as we discuss, they integrate the legalistic with the ecstatic like no other tradition. They encourage the deification of the human being, and they sound a lot like the Upanishads! The mystic is not separate from God—that line is blurred! Outside of God, nothing else exists.

Lastly, Zevi walked us through some of his daily practices, and how every aspect of his day is full of intention. His book recs are:

Marie Young is a body-based coach who helps clients reach their goals by connecting with their bodies and souls first. She has been studying yogic practices for over twenty years, and teaching for nearly ten. Marie empowers clients with grounding techniques and coaching tools so they can live their lives with purpose, passion, and focus.

We discuss different meditation types, the body, and using physical sensations as a meditative technique. Different spiritual practices: how to find yours, or stick with one, or to listen to when to move on. Toning the vagus nerve (Cranial Nerve 10): the ventral and the dorsal. How scientific research validates a lot of what the 19th and 20th century Hindu swamis talked about. Guru stories. Shakti and Shiva as the Immanent and Transcendent. Chanting as a form of resilience, by amplifying the autonomic response. And then we end on one of Marie’s guided meditation sessions. Her book recs are:

“Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve” by Stanley Rosenberg

“Chakra Yoga” by Anadea Judith

“Awakening Shakti” by Sally Kempton

Sync up with Marie:

Marcelo Villaseñor is a visual artist based in Austin, Texas. He is originally from Monterrey Mexico. Marcelo works primarily with photography and design, with the intention to deconstruct life through creative and meditative processes. His creative brand is Visual Mantra, whose tagline is Mindful Art to Align Awareness.

Marcelo led us through memory, intention and the deconstruction of concepts—in order to approach the essence. He reminded us to question everything. Marcelo deconstructs everything, even COVID.

His book recommendations are:

“Be Here Now” by Ram Dass

“The Fifth Agreement” by don Miguel Ruiz

“Altered Traits” by Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson

“Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse

“Consciousness: An Introduction” by Susan Blackmore and Emily Troscianko

“Conscious” by Annaka Harris

‘A New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle

“How to Change Your Mind” by Michael Pollan

“The Harvard Psychedelic Club” by Don Lattin

“Waking Up” by Sam Harris

“The Sophia Code” by Kaia Ra

Follow Marcelo’s work on Instagram https://instagram.com/visual.mantra.art and his site https://visualmantra.art.

Stay connected with us via email:

Dr. Aaron Conrado holds a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Texas at Austin. While dedicating himself in graduate school to scientific progress for the betterment of others, he discovered a passion for communicating science to non-scientists, and decided to leave the halls of academia to pursue a career using this newfound talent to address societal problems by creating evidence-based policy solutions. Shortly after graduating, he left his home of Austin, TX and moved to Washington, DC to work on science policy in the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office of the President (The White House).

Aaron is an old friend of the boys, and despite his secular-minded academic background and professional career as a scientist, he has a refreshingly open outlook on the transcendental. He hasn’t quite “jumped off the cliff”, but science does seem to be moving in closer proximity to spiritual ideals. As a science educator, Aaron’s ask is that we stick to the data, and listen to each other more clearly.

Dr. Conrado’s book recs are:

“The Mystic Christ” by Ethan Walker III

“The Tao Te Ching” by Lao Tzu

“Merchants of Doubt” by Erik M. Conway and Naomi Oreskes

“The Collapse of Western Civilization” by Erik M. Conway and Naomi Oreskes

“Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius

“Ethics” by Baruch Spinoza

Stay connected with us via email:

Christian Parrish Takes the Gun, known professionally as Supaman is an Apsáalooke rapper and fancy dancer who was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Crow Agency, Montana. He dedicates his life to empowering and spreading a message of hope and faith through a unique fusion of traditional and modern culture. He is the recipient of the 2017 MTV VMA award for Best Fight Against the System. He is also a Nammy - Native American Music Award Winner, North American Indigenous Image Award, and seven Tunney Awards.

We talked about Supaman’s early years in hip hop, and what led him to incorporate more of his tribal identity into his creativity.. despite initial concerns by both his Christian pastors and tribal chiefs. He informed us about the state of emergency in regards to preserving the Apsáalooke culture, and how Standing Rock and other indigenous rights movements are emerging—creating glimpses of bright optimism out of the darker collective trauma still impacting contemporary reservation life.

Supaman’s book recommendations are:

“Plenty-coups: Chief of the Crows” by Frank Bird Linderman

“Two Leggings: The Making of a Crow Warrior” by Peter Nabokov

The books of Deepak Chopra

“God is Red: A Native View of Religion” by Vine Deloria Jr.

“Wrestling with Jesus: A candid dialogue with the Master on what Christians must know about their religion—but will never hear in church” by D. K. Maylor

Follow all of Supaman’s latest work:

There are so many misconceptions around spirituality, but especially “mysticism” or “mystic philosophy”. Many people tend to think “mystic” means “magic”, or that it’s far beyond critical grounded scholarship.

In this extended episode, Bob, Scott, and Melena go through Bob’s new article “Debunking Mystic Philosophy”, providing a useful intro to mysticism: the symbolic string connecting the pearls of the worlds’ faith traditions. We talk about how mysticism essentially means internal discovery; that the mystic is guided by the intuitive understanding; and that there is a rich spectrum of inclusive, accepting paths.

Jeremy Hoffeld is a painter, sketch artist, musician, and spiritual contemplative from New York. He studied art history at Columbia University, and wrote a thesis on Paleolithic cave paintings in France. Hoffeld did an apprenticeship in painting and drawing at the Art Students League of New York, having previously spent two years copying old masters at Boston’s Fogg Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Nowadays he spends his time on the island of Maui, painting portraits of saints, activists, and other heroes.

We were thrilled to hear his Ram Dass stories, as Jeremy was graced to be able to spend time with that monumental spiritual force in his later years. (Jeremy’s brother plays music with Krishna Das.) Tropical birds serenaded our interview, as we covered social media, creativity, social action, and had a few laughs about his experiences with RD.

Jeremy’s book recommendations are:

“Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahamsa Yogananda (1946)

“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron (1992)

See Jeremy’s work on Instagram:

Jason Ivy is an award-winning singer, songwriter, music producer, film producer, and entrepreneur from the south side of Chicago. He has a bachelor’s degree in cognitive neuroscience and linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania, a bachelor’s in biology from the University of Chicago and an international relations bachelor’s from the University of Cambridge. He’s also worked with NASA, and he currently works for a startup teaching social emotional learning skills to kids.

The guys took considerable inspiration from Jason’s productive energy. Relevant to Be Where How?, his appreciation for Eastern mysticism helped him realize his personal philosophy of limitless-ness and ultimately how all humans can harness our creative potential.

Jason’s book recommendations are:

The ancient “I Ching”
“Christianity Before Christ” by John G. Jackson (1938)

The Be Where How? Show has its first guest: Sara Bawany! Sara received her Master’s in Clinical Social Work at the University of Texas, and she is currently a full-time social worker with FACE, which stands for Facing Abuse in Community Environments.

She is also a published author who has released (w)holehearted, a book of poetry on being, brokenness, facades… from the description:

“(w)holehearted seeks to encompass as many stories as possible, touching on several topics, namely, spirituality, feminism, colorism, domestic violence, intersectionality, mental health and more. it aims to depict that anyone with the darkest past and pitfalls can still save themselves from drowning in the difficulties that not only plague our world, but also plague our hearts.”

The current racial and cultural climate in America is extremely inspiring, and the Be Where How? collective stands in solidarity with black liberation and equality for all communities of color in America. As three white men, we talk about how other white folks can best understand allyship and social action through a spiritual lens: namely through listening, amplification, and conscious evolution.

In the "Death" episode, we talk about what we want done with our bodies—tree body urns are the clear winner—as well as reflecting on those we've lost, near-death experiences, and how world cultures deal with death. Do we just become dust, is it heaven vs. hell, or what about reincarnation?  

Sponsored by O'Hoolahan's Tree Urns (ohoolahans.com)

Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett

bewherehow.com/podcast

Music by Sleep Good

The last of the three definitions episodes: “nondual” is all about One Only, not two. From Advaita Vedanta to A Course in Miracles to glimmers in other systems, we untangle the headiness of the illusion and how to live in it, despite its unreality.

Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett

bewherehow.com/podcast

Music by Sleep Good

It was the Monday after Easter and we wanted to talk about Jesus—what we liked about our Christian upbringings, and why we’re no longer churchgoers. Includes an intro to Bible scholarship, love for Bart Ehrman and the Gnostics.

Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett

bewherehow.com/podcast

Music by Sleep Good

Part 2 of the definitions episodes: the “metaphysical” material is focused on concepts, teachers, and systems of thought beyond the physical. We reference Mark Gober’s book "An End to Upside Down Thinking" constantly, and promise we’re not crazy. Yogananda, Hermeticism and astrology get some shoutouts.

Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett

bewherehow.com/podcast

Music by Sleep Good

We’re three creatives in distinct yet overlapping disciplines, so we talk about our latest projects (including bit.ly/solidarityfilm), philosophies around creativity, and how to make things.

Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett

bewherehow.com/podcast

Music by Sleep Good

This project works with three categories of content: mindful, metaphysical, and nondual — all of which have value in their own way.

The “mindful” material is based on secular mind-training practices and systems derived from Buddhism and Ancient Greek thought, particularly Zen and Stoicism. Modern teachers are Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, and of course the legendary Thich Nhat Hanh.

Be Where How? is Bob Peck and pals: Scott Standley & Ryan Padgett

bewherehow.com/podcast

Music by Sleep Good