Our guest today is with Swami Dayananda or as she’s known today, Ani Pema, a Tibetan Buddhist nun. And we’re your hosts Marc Ketchel and Larry Holmes.
Swamiji currently resides in Chiang Mai, Thailand, but has spent decades living and traveling in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Thailand. She is a direct disciple of Swami Muktananda, the Shaktipat (or Direct Transmission) Master and spent the last 12 years of his life with him as he travelled the world initiating thousands into the Way of the Siddhas or Perfect Masters.
After Muktananda’s passing she eventually found resonance with Tibetan Buddhism and was initiated into a monastic order as a nun in 2001 in Bhutan.
Our conversation covers the full spectrum of her spiritual work in many yogic disciplines and spiritual traditions as well as the convergence of Transpersonal Psychology as taught by Jungian professors prominent at the time.
In our conversation, we discuss her investigations and study of the effects of multigenerational trauma in spiritual practice and awakening. We explore the understanding of Shaktipat and subsequent Kundalini unfoldment. She shares with us what she feels is the most important understanding gleaned from the 50 years of her practice, what she calls embodied humanity.
We discuss her discoveries through deep spiritual work in two of the greatest direct transmission lineages in modern spirituality. Her wisdom and insights are rare and completely applicable to our current times.
We hope you enjoy this conversation.
For Show Notes and to directly contact our hosts, visit their respective websites:
https://www.wisdomtalks.net– Show Notes, Links and Resources, including Glossary of Terms for all Episodes and to contact Marc directly.
https://larryholmespracticalwisdom.com/ – For All Episodes and to contact Larry directly and review his consulting and coaching services.
Show Notes
Born in Idaho – pursued fashion, worked for Vogue Magazine
Initiated in Sannyasa by Swami Muktananda in 1980 and named Swami Dayananda. Later initiated into monastic order of Tibetan Buddhism in Bhutan in 2001 and took the name, Ani Pema.
Sex, Drugs, and Rock n’ Roll but no happiness – auto accident and broken back led to the practice of yoga which affected her nervous system, in a positive way. She decided to learn more and become a teacher. She went to Swam Vishnudevananda’s Sivananda Ashram in Canada where she was trained in the yogic lifestyle and then returned to San Francisco to open a Sivananda Yoga Center.
Met Swami Muktananda (Baba) at a public program introduced by Ram Dass in San \Francisco in 1970.
After the lecture she invited Baba to her Yoga Studio for a visit and he came. He then invited her to his ashram in India and within weeks she was off to India.
Received a degree in Transpersonal Psychology from Columbia Pacific from work done with two Jungian psychologists. She then started counseling in Sydney Australia where she began to focus and investigate the role of trauma in mental health and spiritual practice.
“Trauma is the root cause of unhappiness and seeking for happiness”.
Shaktipat – Linked to full glossary
Key therapeutic technique – Loving Kindness for oneself
Noteworthy People and Authors
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is head of Khyentse Foundation a very vast international charitable organization. His main monastery is in Dzongsar Tibet and large monastery in Chauntra near Dharmshala, india His lineages are both Sakya and Nyingma. He was a close disciple of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.
Dalai Lama – “My religion is kindness”
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – Sutra II.33 – The antidote to negative emotions
Ram Dass – Love Serve Remember Foundation
Yoga Therapy with Desikechar in India,
Bessel Van der Kolk – The Body Keeps the Score
The Polyvagal Theory – Stephen Porges
It Didn’t Start with You – Mark Wolynn
Earthing – The Most Important Health Discovery Ever!
Gabor Mate , MD – trauma and addiction across a lifespan
Spiritual Emergency Network – founded by Stan Grof and Christina Grof
Mind and Life 2020 Contemplative Research Conference
Swam Vishnudevananda’s Sivananda Ashram in Canada
Noteworthy Places Mentioned
Chiang Rai, Thailand – New Life Foundation
Shanti Mandir – Chanting and Kirtan
Shree Muktananda Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya – Boys school