Living Spiritually in Daily Life: Sacred Community Retreat 2025 (Q&A #1)

Living Spiritually in Daily Life: Sacred Community Retreat 2025 (Q&A #1)

In this first Q&A from the 2025 Sacred Community Retreat, the facilitation team answers the question, "What does it mean to live spiritually and authentically in everyday life?" This episode features Lakshmi Abrol, Swapnil Abrol, Connor Burns, zander cole, Pavan Das, Sitaram Dass, and Beverly Hsu.  Learn more about this year’s Sacred Community Retreat in British Columbia. [https://ellipsoid-red-zdmp.squarespace.com/salt-spring-summer-retreat] The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/values]. Sacred Community Project works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org [https://sacredcommunityproject.org]   Related Credits and Links Podcast Host and A/V: zander cole [https://zandercole.com/] SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu [https://www.beverlyhsu.com/] Podcast Intro Music: Carl Golembeski

Noah Hoffeld: Listening, Improvisation, and Living the Path

Noah Hoffeld chats with zander about music as a sacred path of listening and explores the intricacies of what it means to play improvisational cello in kirtan. He also discusses time spent with spiritual teachers such as Ram Dass, Krishna Das, and David Nichtern, and he expounds on the essence of Loving Awareness.   Noah Hoffeld is a musician and meditation teacher known for his soulful cello playing and deep commitment to sharing the path of awakening. From 2016 until his teacher’s passing, he was a personal student of Ram Dass and, in 2016, while on retreat with RD at his home, he met and played with world renowned chant singer Krishna Das, becoming a member of his band.  A Juilliard graduate, Noah has been featured in performance with artists such as Pete Seeger and Natalie Merchant, on Grammy-winning and Billboard #1 albums, films like The Skeleton Twins with Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader, and with his cello and piano duo Bodhiheart. His work as a producer includes Anubhav by Nina Rao and his own album of songs Mobile Home, coproduced with Mark Plati (Bowie, Prince, etc). Mobile Home addresses issues from climate change and spiritual awakening, to the promises and perils of falling in love.  Wishing to pay it forward, Noah shares the heart-centered wisdom of his mentor Ram Dass with groups and individuals, along with the practices that help us to truly be here now.  Follow @noahhoffeld [https://www.instagram.com/noahhoffeld/] or visit livingthepath.com [http://livingthepath.com/] The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values. Sacred Community Project works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org [https://sacredcommunityproject.org] And join us at the fourth annual Sacred Community Retreat! https://sacredcommunityproject.org/salt-spring-summer-retreat [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/salt-spring-summer-retreat]   Related Credits and Links Podcast Host and A/V: zander cole [https://zandercole.com/] SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu [https://www.beverlyhsu.com/] Podcast Intro Music: Carl Golembeski

Rasa Lila Duet: Sitaram Dass and Swapnil Abrol

"The dance of Krishna with the Gopis is a nectar-enriched tale that sparks delight from each turn of phrase. Every page is an Ambrosia-soaked rag, its absorbent capacity so overwhelmed it sweats honey; the slightest touch and Amrit rains down like a monsoon, watering the imagination and fermenting it with Nectar. "It describes God, not as distant, punishing, or evenly placidly loving, but as Intimate Lover. Krishna is the All-Attractive Spell Caster from whom devotees swoon. It is said that many pleasures seem like nectar but turn into poison. With wisdom we learn to seek the medicines that taste like poison but turn out to be nectar. However, Krishna's Unadulterated Sweetness is the rare kind of pleasure that turns poison into nectar." — Sitaram Dass In this episode, Sitaram Dass tells the story of Krishna and the Gopis, those gurus of devotion that dropped everything at the call of Krishna's flute. Accompanied by Swapnil Abrol on flute and recorded at the 2024 Sacred Community Retreat [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/salt-spring-summer-retreat]. This live track is featured on the album, Sacred Community Project Live (V.2) [https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sacredcommunityproject/sacred-community-project-live-v-2].    The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values. SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org [https://sacredcommunityproject.org]    Related Credits and Links Podcast Host and A/V: zander cole [https://zandercole.com/] SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu [https://www.beverlyhsu.com/] Podcast Intro Music: Carl Golembeski "Rasa Lila Duet" (song): Sitaram Dass and Swapnil Abrol [https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sacredcommunityproject/sacred-community-project-live-v-2]   Sacred Community Retreat: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/salt-spring-summer-retreat [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/salt-spring-summer-retreat]

Merging with Love: Visualization Meditation with Sitaram Dass

This recorded audio meditation is from the 2024 Loving Rock Training. Sitaram Dass leads a heart-opening visualization of merging with a being of unconditional love. This meditation was from the module on Dream Logic, and it led to a discussion about how intention and imagination can open us to "non-ordinary states of consciousness." Find out more about the upcoming Loving Rock Training program and register before March 1, 2026. The This 70-hour introductory course unfolds from March through September, and is designed for compassionate beings who see service as a core element of their spiritual path and feel called to deepen their ability to be a “loving rock” for themselves and others on their spiritual journeys. Read more about the course or sign up here: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/loving-rock-training [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/loving-rock-training] Sitaram Dass (K. Sandin, LCSW) (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is a kirtan singer, social worker, author, and spiritual counselor. As the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices. His book, From and for God [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/from-and-for-god], is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path. Connect with Sitaram Dass at http://sitaramdass.com [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDlsMnYwbFZaOHdvb1RoSWdtcDY5N0xtSUswZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsaV92bWdiYnhhMmM1QWgyNkRvcnpRaTg3dVhfZ19XdVpWeW5HRWhoZV9GZHZoTExNV19LZ21lRmFEWU9MMHpqRHpZU0J0ZGlXRU9GbF8zTlZPd3VHMnFRSmV1NmF2R21zbDVkUmpJS2Y4NktwaTdGQQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fsitaramdass.com%2F&v=Q8eREPgmEvQ] The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/values]. Sacred Community Project works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org [https://sacredcommunityproject.org]   Related Credits and Links Podcast Host and A/V: zander cole [https://zandercole.com/] SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu [https://www.beverlyhsu.com/] Podcast Intro Music: Carl Golembeski

Dream Logic: Navigating Non-Ordinary Realities with Swapnil Abrol

In this talk from the 2024 Loving Rock Training, Swapnil Abrol (he/him) shares his personal reflections from along the spiritual path. Starting from his first psychedelic experience, exploring different modalities of connection to being trained as a shaman, Swap offers insights on how to navigate alternate states of reality and integrate them into our everyday lives. Find out more about the upcoming Loving Rock Training program and register before March 1, 2026. The This 70-hour introductory course unfolds from March through September, and is designed for compassionate beings who see service as a core element of their spiritual path and feel called to deepen their ability to be a “loving rock” for themselves and others on their spiritual journeys. The twice a month classes support those who are committed to exploring and deepening their practice of being a loving rock, “So another person can push against you and pull against you, and you stay rooted in love” (Ram Dass). Read more about the course or sign up here: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/loving-rock-training [https://sacredcommunityproject.org/loving-rock-training] Swapnil Abrol will be a guest teacher for the Dream Logic Module in the Advanced Course. He discovered the Bhakti tradition through a formal Amazonian shamanic apprenticeship. Through connecting with Maharajji, he found himself returning to his once neglected Hindu roots. Now following the path of Bhakti yoga, he deepens his practice through devotional musical expression. Also an active participant in the world of business, Swapnil enjoys learning new ways of bringing love and compassion into worldly situations. The Sacred Community Podcast is an inter-spiritual hub of the universal teachings, “Love, Service, Remembrance, and Truth.” Home to Sacred Community Project interviews, live workshop recordings, dharma talks, and meditations, each episode is carefully curated to ensure its alignment with SCP values. SCP works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices through free, donation-based, and affordable offerings, spiritual support, and prison outreach. Learn more and make a tax-deductible donation at: https://sacredcommunityproject.org [https://sacredcommunityproject.org]    Related Credits and Links Host: Sitaram Dass A/V: zander cole [https://zandercole.com/] SCP Logo: Beverly Hsu [https://www.beverlyhsu.com/] Podcast Intro Music: Carl Golembeski