Living the Dharma in Family Life: a Discussion with Former Monk and Father Richard Josephson
Release Date: 03/10/2025
Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind 4/4 *Death* with Daniel Ingram
Escaping Samsara
In the fourth and final episode of our series on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, Nathan sits down with renowned Dharma practitioner and ER physician Daniel Ingram to explore the most confronting and transformative contemplation: death. Drawing from his experience in emergency rooms and deep meditation, Daniel discusses how death can be a powerful catalyst for spiritual urgency, freedom, and insight. They reflect on childhood spirituality, near-death experiences, death rehearsal practices, and the delicate balance between striving and letting go on the path. If you’ve ever asked...
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The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind: *Drawbacks of Samsara* with Robina Courtin
Escaping Samsara
This is episode three in the series on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, contemplations that form the basis of the Buddhist path. In this episode, Ven. Robina Courtin, a Tibetan Buddhist nun with nearly fifty years in the tradition, discusses "The Drawbacks of Samsara". We dive into the nature of suffering in Samsara, the subtle role of attachment, and the practical meaning of the Four Noble Truths. Robina speaks to the balance between devotion and clear-eyed reasoning, showing how both can deepen and stabilize our practice. Our conversation explores the six realms of...
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Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind: *Precious Human Rebirth* with Joe Evans
Escaping Samsara
Episode 2/4 on The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind, and this time we are talking about the “precious human rebirth” and pondering the unique opportunity that human beings have to practice the path to awakening. And to discuss this I am joined by Joe Evans, founder of the Rangdröl Foundation and teacher of Dzogchen under the name Jigme Rangdröl. The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind, also known as the Four Reminders, are a set of Buddhist contemplations that encourage practitioners to turn their minds away from worldly distractions and towards spiritual practice. These thoughts are: 1)...
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Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind: *Karma* (with Ellen Johannesen)
Escaping Samsara
In this episode of the Escaping Samsara Podcast, we begin a four-part journey into the Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind—a set of foundational Buddhist contemplations that help orient us toward Dharma. Our focus today is on karma. I’m joined by Ellen Johansson, a long-time Ashtanga teacher and committed Vajrayana practitioner, who brings deep insight into how karma works—not as punishment, but as a mirror of cause and effect, intention and outcome. We explore how karma is understood across Buddhist and yogic traditions, what it means to take responsibility for our actions, and how this...
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Announcing the Escaping Samsara Substack
Escaping Samsara
In this short announcement episode, I introduce our new online home: the Escaping Samsara Substack — a space where all our content will now live, including podcasts, written pieces, and weekly reflections. Here’s what to expect: 🧘 Weekly Practice Notes Personal insights from my daily practice — exploring themes like working with moon phases in asana and mantra, or extending meditation into the evening hours. It’s an honest, ongoing look at what it’s like to live a spiritual life in the modern world. 🌀 Longform Articles & Interviews Every week, either a new podcast...
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Susi Sweeney on Ashtanga's Sixth Series, Aging & Authenticity
Escaping Samsara
In this episode of Escaping Samsara, Nathan Thompson sits down with Susi Sweeney—a lifelong yoga practitioner, teacher, mother, and now grandmother. Her path runs deep through 30 years of practice and cuts across the raw terrain of anxiety, eating disorders, motherhood, and aging. She trained with Pattabhi Jois. She now works through the sixth series. Every movement, she says, pulls something loose—grief, joy, memory. Susie explains how she raised children while maintaining her practice, how her mat held steady through births and breakdowns. Now a grandmother, she reflects on...
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Cycles Within Cycles: Gregor Meahle Returns
Escaping Samsara
In this episode, Nathan sits down with Gregor Maehle to explore the deeper patterns that shape a lifetime of spiritual practice. Rather than focusing on technique or lineage, this conversation travels into the inner terrain—what changes as we mature in our practice, what stays hidden until we’re ready to see it, and how we relate to disembodied knowledge and the teachers who carry it. Gregor speaks candidly about moving through different phases of yoga—physical, philosophical, devotional—and the quiet shifts that signal growth. The conversation turns to the Yoga Sutras, not as a...
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Sat Inder Khalsa: Going Beyond Yoga Asana into the Depths of Hindu Tantra
Escaping Samsara
What does it mean to walk a path across lifetimes, through lineages, and into the heart of divine practice? In this intimate and powerful episode, we sit down with Sat Inder Khalsa, a teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, student of Tantra, and dedicated seeker who has traveled many spiritual paths—including Wicca, Sikhism, Hinduism, and more—to uncover deeper layers of truth. Sat Inder shares his mission to help others integrate yogic and tantric wisdom into everyday life—guiding students through Sanskrit, philosophy, temple life, and the very human challenges of spiritual growth. With warmth and...
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Mark Darby Discusses the Synergy of Ashtanga, Hatha, and Kriya Yoga
Escaping Samsara
Known simply as Darby, his story is one of movement, devotion, and surrender, which led him to India in 1979. There, in Mysore, he met Ashtanga guru Pattabhi Jois and embraced the transformative rigor of the practice. Darby’s experiences reflect a deep commitment to both physical and spiritual growth. Today, as a husband, father, and teacher, Darby shares how he balances family responsibilities with his practice, emphasizing surrender as the key to fulfillment. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or new to yoga, this episode offers wisdom on integrating Chinese Medicine, Hatha,...
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Remembering the Buddha and Devotional Practice in Buddhism with Kim Allen
Escaping Samsara
Kim Allen’s journey into Buddhist practice began in 2003, sparked by a period of deep personal change and suffering. Guided by her primary teacher, Gil Fronsdal, she devoted herself to intensive retreat practice, sutta study, and a life aligned with the Eightfold Path. With over 1,000 days of silent retreat, including practice in Sri Lanka and Buddhist centers across Asia, Kim brings a depth of lived experience to her teaching. She has studied with renowned teachers like Shaila Catherine, Bhikkhu Anālayo, and Bhikkhu Bodhi, and now offers teachings on classical texts, sutta study, and...
info_outlineIn this episode we're once again joined by Richard Josephson for a Dharma discussion centred around family life as a vehicle for practicing Buddhist and general liberation teachings. With over 50 years of practice experience both as a monk and a family man, Richard Josephson is perfectly placed to give a wise perspective on how we can best practice, whatever our circumstances.
- Listen for insights on:
- Why you should or shouldn't become ordained
- The challanges of being a monk or nun
- How to find time in family life to practice well
- How to cultivate an attitude and find motivation to pursue the noble path
- How to find stillness and release from stress no matter what