Welcome to the MindThatEgo Podcast — hosted by Ricky Derisz. MindThatEgo's ethos is to explore nuances of mind, body and spirit by igniting challenging conversations with insightful thinkers, combined with deep reflection on subjective experience. Vulnerability and authenticity are guaranteed as Ricky talks to psychologists, spiritualists, philosophers, scientists, friends and fellow human beings during his quest to understand key questions — what's the key to wellbeing? How can we reduce suffering? What tools are most useful in managing mental health?
#44: The Bhagavad Gita and the Devotional Path of Bhakti Yoga with Nikunja
I’m joined by Nikunja, a musician and yoga teacher who bridges the creative arts with ancient philosophy. Following a path of devotion — known as Bhakti yoga — Nikunja teaches the embodiment of the Bhagavad Gita as a way of life.
Nikunja has reimagined chapters from the Gita as part of a project to illuminate yoga’s sacred nature, which extends far beyond physical postures.
In exploring the Gita’s ancient wisdom, we discuss the divine intellect, reading sacred scripture as a spiritual practice, the art of listening, the nuances of yoga philosophy across traditions, single-pointed devotion as a pathway to union with God, the nature of the soul and the supreme self, the overlooked value of the teacher / student dynamic, and much more.
In September, Nikunja will be performing at the Bhakti Fest in California. She will be sharing music on the main stage and conducting a workshop. Discounted tickets for the festival can be found at https://www.bhaktifest.com/tickets by entering the code NIKUNJA.
And just a reminder before we jump into the conversation to please like, rate, subscribe and share to help more people access the podcast. Enjoy!
Nikunja's Resources:
Website: https://www.nikunjartistry.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikunja
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC44NFKxo4399zT6byAVOZkA
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/11SfT4EjJa4ObpX8nZJQ7M?si=_Sp4fdglQ4qKGf82Fvv9QA
5/16/2024 • 1 hour, 31 minutes, 25 seconds
(Micro-Episode) Dealing With Scattered And Impulsive Thinking
When the mind is scattered, and we become easily distracted, what's the solution? Here I break down the difference between impulse and action, and offer a few techniques in refining focus and not becoming caught up in "chasing" thoughts as they arise. There's some influence from meditative practices along with "urge surfing" from Russ Harris' Happiness Trap, based in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
