Letting Grow

Well, friends, I’ve officially got too much on my plate right now! There are more episodes to come: conversations with wonderful and insightful people, teaching episodes about what happens when we die and what it can teach us about who we are now – and a super spooky episode on David Hufford’s book The Terror That Comes in the Night about sleep paralysis and supernatural assault.   But I’m taking a few weeks off now as I work on other stuff – like live workshops, my YouTube channel, and my first book (yay!). “See” you in late November! To find everything else I’m doing, here are a few links: My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ClaireVillarreal My other podcast, Buddhist Wisdom, Modern Life: https://anchor.fm/buddhist-wisdom My newsletter signup: https://bit.ly/CVmailing And you can come say hi on Facebook or Instagram: @namastehyall

Andrea Wilson Woods shares the story of adopting her little sister, Adrienne, then losing her to liver disease, which she tells in her best-selling memoir, Better Off Bald. The sisters shared beautiful moments even as Adrienne was treated for her cancer, and what happened after Adrienne passed has changed the way Andrea understands the afterlife. Grab Andrea’s book here: https://betteroffbald.com You can connect with Blue Faery, the organization Andrea started in honor of Adrienne, here: https://www.bluefaery.org/ And we mention advance directives and medical power of attorney in the episode; you can learn more about those here: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/advance-care-planning-health-care-directives To support this podcast, please head to my Patreon page to become a community member for as little as $3 per month: https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2 Or buy me a virtual coffee: https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe Grab your free quick guide to the death and rebirth process, with links to (also free) audio teachings: https://bit.ly/2Zl80UA

In this episode, author and spiritual teacher Charlene Jones shares not only her near death experience but also the many ways she's been cracked open to experience the transcendent in her life. In this episode, we'll talk about an early kundalini awakening she had while meditating as a teenager, her abduction and escape from her kidnappers, her struggles with darkness, a near death experience, past lives, and her heritage of Celtic spirituality.  Sensitive listeners, please note that Charlene's story includes a lot of trauma and deals with topics like sexual violence and murder. From all this trauma comes a life suffused with the transcendent, and Charlene offers us her wisdom throughout the episode. You can find links below to her memoir and other books, as well as to Jeff Kripal's work that I refer to. Find Charlene’s books (these are affiliate links; more on that below): Her memoir, My Impossible Life: https://amzn.to/3v8xy36 Her novel, The Stain: https://amzn.to/2YIlfhR Her book on healing, Medicine Buddha/Medicine Mind: https://amzn.to/3DGFDir And I mention Jeff Kripal’s work; here’s a link to more on him: https://kripal.rice.edu/index.html If you'd like to watch the ad-free video of this episode, please head to my Patreon page to become a community member for as little as $3 per month: https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2 Or buy me a virtual coffee: https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe Grab your free quick guide to the death and rebirth process, with links to (also free) audio teachings: https://bit.ly/2Zl80UA If you follow an affiliate link and buy one of the books above, you won’t be charged extra, but this show will receive a (very small) commission from the sale.

My friend Nick (who writes under the name Nicholas Grant) is a writer, editor, and transpersonal psychologist, and we've known each other since grad school at Rice University's Department of Religion over 10 years ago. I was shocked to hear recently that he'd had a near death experience. He fell out of a fourth story window and spent months recovering physically, but the most amazing part of Nick's story is the emotional, psychological, and energetic rebirth he's experienced. In this interview, you'll hear themes that will return again and again in this season: the connection between trauma and transcendence and the choices Nick and others make to reshape their lives following. This episode deals with self-harm, substance use, and other difficult topics, and it includes strong language, so you might not want to listen with kids. This was a long conversation, and what you'll hear is an edited version. If you'd like to hear the whole thing or watch the full video, please head to my Patreon page to become a community member for as little as $3 per month: https://bit.ly/3Dm14p2 Or buy me a virtual coffee: https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe Grab your free quick guide to the death and rebirth process, with links to (also free) audio teachings: https://bit.ly/2Zl80UA

If you've heard of near death experiences (NDEs), you probably know that they're a major form of evidence that consciousness can survive the death of the body. In this episode, we'll go through Raymond Moody's classic 1975 book Life After Life, in which he details 15 characteristics of the NDE. You'll hear some of the remarkable stories he includes in his book about people hearing themselves pronounced dead, leaving their bodies, meeting a being of light, having life reviews, and more. Some people even relate evidence to their doctors or others afterwards, giving details of the procedure done on them -- or even what was happening in other rooms of the hospital -- that they couldn't know through ordinary means. Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/ClaireVillarreal Buy us a virtual coffee: bit.ly/CVPayPalMe Check out Life After Life: amzn.to/3uBdki5 Other books on NDEs include After by Bruce Greyson (amzn.to/3orjq3H) and Changed in a Flash by Krohn and Kripal (amzn.to/3D5Ejp5) (Book links are affiliate links, which means we make a very small commission. But we recommend these books because they're reliable guides on the topic of NDEs.)

Last season we talked about the Tibetan teachings on death and rebirth and how those apply to life's transitions, too. (If you missed it, you can grab your free quick guide here: https://bit.ly/2Zl80UA .) This time you'll hear interviews with people who have had near death experiences, folks who received communications from deceased loved ones, an intuitive who connects with spirits on the "other side," and even a couple of stories about memories from previous lives. Plus we'll talk dark nights of the soul and what psychedelics can tell us about the afterlife. You can invest in this podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/LettingGrow Or give a one-time donation of any amount here: https://bit.ly/CVPayPalMe Thanks for your support!  _/\_ Please grab your free quick guide (see the link below) and get ready to have your mind blown! https://bit.ly/2Zl80UA

Today Dr. Donna Dechen Birdwell and I will talk about her EarthCycles series of speculative novels that imagine a world in which a new human subspecies has evolved what we might call their mystical capacities in order to survive. And the humans – like us – without such strong abilities for intuitive connection have started deliberately having near death experiences in order to unlock their latent mystical capacities. Find more of Donna's work on her website: https://bit.ly/3zT06iq Start here with her first EarthCycles novel, Song of All Songs: https://amzn.to/3fgrEq5 Find her on Instagram and Twitter: @donnadechen or on Facebook: @wideworldhome

In the first season of Letting Grow, we've covered traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the bardo states: this lifetime, death, clear light, and becoming (between death and birth). We've meditated together and heard from some amazing people. Now it's time to wrap up this chapter with a summary -- and a new web page with all this season's episodes grouped according to type (teachings, meditations, interviews, and other reflections). To revisit the season or, for instance, binge all the meditations, go to https://www.clairevillarreal.com/letting-grow-s1-guide Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

Today’s episode is the next to last in season one of Letting Grow, and today I’m finally talking about our rebirth out of the covid bardo state we’ve all been in. No matter how long it takes for us all to move on to some kind of new normal, eventually we’ll be able to meet friends and go to the gym and so many of the things we used to do. If we stop now and reflect on what we've learned about ourselves and what matters to us, it’ll help us to live more intentionally in the “after times,” not just try to get back to the “before times.” Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

In today’s episode, I’m delighted to bring you Shannon Marie, author of the new book Crystal Wisdom and a friend of mine from the Dawn Mountain sangha, one of the places Shannon deepened her contemplative practice. We’ll talk about her rebirth from a corporate worker – good at her job but with so much more to offer the world – to author and spiritual guide. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from our conversation: “You know when you’ve encountered something that is healthy for your soul.” Crystal Wisdom brings Shannon’s lifelong fascination with healing crystals and gemstones together with her contemplative wisdom in Reiki, meditation, and yoga, and it’s a great read for anyone curious about including crystals in their meditation practice. Grab your free copy of Crystal Wisdom today (April 15) only here: https://amzn.to/3e1VKME Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com. Learn more about Shannon’s work athttps://crystal-wisdom.com/ or say hi to her on Facebook (@shannonmarie.author) or Instagram (@crystalwisdom.shannon).

This week I was planning to do an episode about coming out of covid times into some kind of new normal and some tips on rebirth. But with cases spiking – again – it seems too soon for that.  So instead I wanted to share some reflections on one of the most famous Marvel villains, Thanos, who I think must have been inspired by the Greek god of death, Thanatos. Today’s episode is about the creative tension between Thanatos and Eros, god of love and sex, and the dynamic balance life strikes between birth and death, creation and destruction. Whether you’re a Marvel fan or not, I hope this episode offers you an opportunity to reflect on your own relationship with endings and the ways recognizing impermanence can actually help us live better lives. For a deeper dive on (and images of Greek art portraying) Thanatos, see https://www.theoi.com/Daimon/Thanatos.html. Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

Today's episode is a meditation that’s all about noticing and resting in what’s good in our lives. We have what’s called a negativity bias: our brain’s tendency to rewire quickly in response to threats but slowly or not at all in response to opportunities. It’s helped our species to survive and evolve to become the dominant one on the planet, but it’s less helpful these days when our threats aren’t rare things like getting chased by a lion but everyday things like getting stuck in traffic. (Or not getting stuck in traffic because there’s a global pandemic.)  So we need to balance out our natural negativity bias, but we can also go further and learn to look for those moments when our buddha nature – our true, divine face, so to speak – shines through and spend some time soaking them in. This meditation can be a way to connect with that awake and loving aspect of ourselves, which comes naturally to our awareness during the bardo of clear light. Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

In today’s episode you’ll meet Jogen Salzberg, a dharma teacher in the Zen tradition who recently left his identity as a Soto Zen monk to start a new chapter in his life as a lay teacher. We’ll talk about the joys and challenges of monastic life, why he left, and what it’s like to explore a new identity after being defined by one role for years. Adam Jogen Salzberg, Sensei is an ordained Zen Buddhist teacher with Dharma Transmission in the Soto Zen lineage. He has practiced meditation for 25 years including 15 years of full time residential practice and study at Great Vow Zen Monastery. Four years of that time was spent in intensive silent meditation retreat. To complement his Zen practice, he has also trained in Voice Dialogue, Process Work, Dzogchen and the ParaTheatre medium of Antero Alli. You can find out more about his work at solisluna.org Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

I’m so delighted to share my conversation with Caren Prentice on the magic of in-between spaces with you today. Caren is a meditation teacher, and she shares her own experience of an in-between time when she’d started a spiritual practice and was beginning to see the toll her anger was taking on her relationships, but she didn’t yet know how to relate differently with situations that made her angry. She was able to stay quiet instead of lashing out in anger, and eventually, in that quiet space that replaced her angry response, her own inner wisdom began to show up and guide her to a new way of responding. Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com. Caren began meditating in 1972 but struggled for decades to establish a consistent meditation practice.  During the 80’s and 90’s as she juggled career, family, and eventually became a stay-at-home-mom to four kids, she continued to study different traditions and techniques looking for a way to feel less angry, and frustrated.  In 1998 she discovered Kriya Yoga and found a meditation technique she actually enjoyed practicing regularly, and this is the tradition she carries on. Caren is not aligned with any one school of meditation. Rather she considers herself simply, "a meditation teacher," using her background in yoga, mindfulness, and Tibetan Buddhism to help her students find joy in meditating using techniques that work best for their personality and lifestyle.  Around 2009 her students gave her the name Meditation Momma. Several years ago she opened Hamsa Meditation Center, which has evolved into a small friendly online meditation community serving people of all ages all over the country. Find Caren online: https://www.hamsameditation.com/, https://www.meditationmomma.com/

This show has focused so far on Tibetan teachings on death and rebirth, but there are also Western authors who have been thinking and writing about transitions and have their own model to offer. In this episode I'll share four of my Western favorites, their three-stage model of transitions, and some of the recent research on how people go through transitions (in this lifetime). At the end of the day, these authors make a great conversation partner, so to speak, with Tibetan teachings on literal rebirth. Books mentioned in this episode: Arnold van Gennep, Rites of Passage; Victor Turner, The Ritual Process; William Bridges: Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes; Bruce Feiler: Life Is in the Transitions. Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

Today's meditation practice is one I've used and been so grateful for in the past. It's not exactly traditional in Tibetan Buddhism, but it uses the power of visualization to practice leaving this lifetime in the way you choose, doing some kind of spiritual practice -- like using a mantra or settling the mind on the breath -- or holding an inspiring figure or ancestor in mind. In a later episode, I'll share the way I've used this type of meditation and the reasons I think it'll actually help me when my time comes to move on from this body. (Spoiler alert: one reason is what my mind did when I thought I was going to die in Tibet.) Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

Today’s episode is the story of how I fell in love, left home on a quest for rebirth, and haven’t died (yet!) of the Canadian cold. In the middle of all these massive life transitions, I realized one day that I’d basically died to my old identity and was in a bardo state between old and new, and that insight is what led to this podcast, the book I’m working on, and basically most of my professional life at the moment. Interested in my course on rebirth? Check it out here: http://bit.ly/rbthcourse Find me on social media and share your rebirth story (#LettingGrow): @namastehyall on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

Confession time: I don’t actually do well with change or transitions. (That’s part of the reason I’m spending so much time on how to navigate them better.) I recorded this episode from a hotel room in Houston the night before I flew out to Canada and a day or two before Texas – where I was staying – thawed out from our historic ice storm. So this episode ended up being more personal than usual, and it’s also got more background noise than usual. In it, I talked about two ways to make friends with change in general: by noticing how we relate to it in daily life and by using meditation practice to focus on our relationship to change. Also, I mention a few people’s work in the episode: Marie Kondo (Google her if you’re unfamiliar with her slightly crazy but magical approach to tidying); Mind Beyond Death by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche; and Elaine Aron and her work on highly sensitive people. I incorrectly stated that about 5-10% of the population is highly sensitive; the actual figure is about 20%. You can find her work here: https://hsperson.com. Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

This week’s meditation uses the imagination to take us to a sacred cave with restorative waters, where we’ll take off the old clothing of an outdated part of our identity, climb naked into the waters, and come out refreshed and ready to take on an identity that’s a better fit for who we are now. I hope this virtual journey through the death of the old and the gestation of the new can help you move forward if you’re having a hard time letting go of something. Join the community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.

Welcome back for this third episode with Dr. Simon Cox, my friend and colleague from the PhD program at Rice University’s Department of  Religion and co-founder of the Okanagan Valley Wudang kung fu school. He’s back today to tell us all about the Taoist subtle body. (If you missed Simon’s two previous appearances, he also talked with us about the Buddhist subtle body and his experiences as a kid from Houston, Texas, exploring Asia in search of esoteric lore.) This time we’re talking about Taoist teachings on the subtle body and descriptions of the death process, and along the way we’ll touch on – among other things – the way Taoism was nearly wiped out in China’s Cultural Revolution, similarities between Tibetan and Chinese descriptions of shooting your consciousness from the crown of the head at the time of death, and Simon’s recommendations for folks who want to meditate in his tradition. If you’d like to learn more about Simon, see amazing photos from his time in China, and join his mailing list to hear about all the cool stuff he’s offering, check out okanaganvalleywudang.com. Join the Letting Grow community and get members-only invitations to bimonthly video calls – plus our fun, free biweekly newsletter: http://bit.ly/rbrthnews Check out more content at clairevillarreal.com or share your story of death and rebirth with us: claire@clairevillarreal.com.