Your Body Is Your Guru with Reginald A. Ray, Ph.D.

MP3 Download

“We think that spirituality somehow is a separation from life, that when we remove ourselves from our ordinary human experience we become more spiritual. That’s actually getting it backwards. The deeper we enter into this life of ours, in this world, the more spiritual we become.” With these words Reginald Ray invites you to become more fully human, and in so doing to more deeply embrace your spirituality. He reminds us that our bodies carry the lifelong memory of emotions we were unprepared to handle, and offers techniques for deep relaxation and release as keys to awareness. His decades of experience within various Tibetan Buddhist traditions and as a student of indigenous spirituality, bring a rare perspective on the role of ancient teachings in the lives of contemporary Western students. As Dr. Ray describes the practices that have taken him deeper into his own body and thereby freed him from its limitations, you will find yourself freed from the need to deny the truest gifts of your human experience, your human spirituality. (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Reginald A. Ray, Ph.D. holds a doctorate from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, and teaches within the dharma and meditation lineages of the revered Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He has studied extensively with masters of Tibetan and Zen Buddhism and with indigenous teachers from North and South America and Africa. He has been on the faculty of Naropa University since its inception.

His books include:

• Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism (Shambhala 2002)
• Secret of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet (Shambhala 2002)
• Buddhist Saints in India: A Study in Buddhist Values and Orientations (Oxford Press 1994)
• In the Presence of Masters: Wisdom from 30 Contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Teachers (Shambhala 2004)
• The Pocket Tibetan Buddhism Reader (Shambhala Pocket Classics) (Shambhala 2004)
• Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body (Sounds True 2008)

• Buddhist Tantra: Teachings and Practices for Touching Enlightenment with the Body (Sounds True 2002)
• Your Breathing Body Volume 1: and Volume 2 (Sounds True 2008)

To learn more about the work of Reggie Ray go to www.dharmaocean.org.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• How your body can help you become enlightened
• Why a calm state of mind may interfere with your spiritual development
• How spending time in utter darkness can bring extraordinary insights
• Why some Asian Buddhist traditions may be unhealthy for the Western psyche
• Why the natural world is our deepest, oldest form of spirituality

Host: Michael Toms       Interview Date: 11/5/2008       Program Number: 3287

Music Playlist

From Album: Feather on the Wind
Artist: Cedar Wind
1997 Laughing Cat Records LC 1500

Opening Essay: Track 01 Helushka
Music Break 1: Track 07 Call across the Waters
Music Break 2: Track 04 Father Sky
Music Break 3: Track 13 Moon of Popping Trees