Today on the podcast, we welcome two special guests, Science and Nonduality co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. 

Zaya and Maurizio are both filmmakers and activists. They merged their lifelong passions for science and mysticism when they met in 2007, and their first project together was filming the documentary Rays of the Absolute on the life and teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. 

This project sparked their next level of creation and collaboration: SAND, a global community inspired by timeless wisdom traditions, informed by modern science, and grounded in direct experience. 

In 2021 they released the acclaimed documentary The Wisdom of Trauma featuring Dr. Gabor Maté. And for the past year they have been traveling the globe working on their next documentary about indigenous cultures, resilience, and an expansion of what is meant by Nonduality and Science, all today on the Sounds of SAND Podcast.
Topics:

0:00 – Introduction
3:09 – The Wisdom of Trauma
11:16 – Exploring at the Edge
14:34 – Genesis of the Next Film
19:06 – Expansion of Nonduality
22:04 – New Paradigms of Healing
25:54 – Expansion of Science
30:24 – Transformations
34:50 – Learning to Listen
44:28 – The Tree and the Whale
56:30 – What’s Next with the Film?


#51 After The Wisdom of Trauma: Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo

Sounds of SAND is a podcast from Science and Nonduality which contemplates and reveres the beauty, complexity, pain, and great mystery that weave the infinite cycles of existence.
We explore beyond ultimate truths, binary thinking, and individual awakening while acknowledging humanity as a mere part of the intricate web of life.

Episodes tap into SAND’s rich history and collaborative future by presenting talks, dialogs, interviews, readings, music, and recordings from SAND Conferences, events, and webinars weaving timeless wisdom and embodied experience.
Let’s listen, learn, and share. 

➡️ Find out more at scienceandnonduality.com



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Osprey Orielle Lake is the Founder and Executive Director of Women’s Earth & Climate Action Network, International (WECAN). She works nationally and internationally with grassroots, Indigenous and business leaders, policy-makers and scientists to promote climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a clean energy future. Osprey is Co-chair of International Advocacy for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and the visionary behind the International Women's Earth and Climate Summit, which brought together 100 women leaders from around the world to draft and implement a Women's Climate Action Agenda. She teaches international climate trainings and directs WECAN’s advocacy work in areas such as Women for Forests, Rights of Nature and UN Forums. She has served on the board of the Praxis Peace Institute and on the Steering Committee for The UN Women’s Major Group for the Rio+20 Earth Summit. Awards include the National Women’s History Project Honoree, Taking The Lead To Save Our Planet, and the Woman Of The Year Outstanding Achievement Award from the California Federation Of Business And Professional Women.  Osprey is the author of the award-winning book, Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature.

Her new book is The Story is in Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis 
Topics:

00:00 — Introduction
08:05 — Path to the Book
14:42 — Moderns and Ancient Science
20:24 — Integrative and Interconnected Ways Forward 
25:28 — Gaza and the Polycrisis
35:28 — Composting Cultural Toxins
42:00 — Remembering How to Listen
45:40 — Stories of Resilience

Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.

#85 In Our Bones: Osprey Orielle Lake

A recording of excerpts from a live SAND Community Gathering hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo.
In these times of unbearable anguish, as the already beleaguered Palestinian community is being massacred and starved before our astonished eyes, our own grieving flows into the sea of human suffering and we remember that we belong to each other. 

Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialog. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Her latest book, WILD MERCY: Living the Fierce & Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics, was named one of the “Best Books of 2019”. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico.
Mona Haydar is a young Muslim Syrian-American poet, musician, workshop leader and speaker who gained global recognition through her “Ask A Muslim” project and the viral hip-hop music video “Hijabi (Wrap My Hijab).” Her debut EP “Barbarican” addresses global patriarchy, orientalism, immigration policy, white supremacy, and suicide. A Master’s graduate in Theology from Union Theological Seminary, Mona speaks at churches, synagogues, universities and international forums, engaging audiences on art, Islam, feminism, hip hop, theology, and interfaith dialogue. 

Topics
 

00:00 — Introduction
06:52 — Mirabai’s Introduction
16:42 — Mona’s Introduction
21:06 — Interfaith Teachings on Grief
32:40 — Islamic Teachings on Grief
41:58 — The Grief of Loss
50:11 — Closing Prayer
55:58 — Song from Desiree Dawson & Mona Hayder

Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member: 
Also mentioned in this episode is SAND’s Fundraiser to help relocate a family from the Genocide in Gaza. 


#84 Grieving in Community: Mirabai Starr & Mona Haydar

Mattias Daly is Taoist practitioner and a professional translator with a degree in acupuncture and a master’s in Chinese Literature. He was inducted into the Longmen lineage of Complete Reality Daoism by Abbess Liu of the Three Purities Monastery in Jilin province, China in 2013. He primarily translates for the National Palace Museum in Taipei and the Chinese Taipei PEN quarterly.
His new translation of Taoist Inner Alchemy: Master Huang Yuanji's Guide to the Way of Meditation by Ge Guolong and Huang Yuanji is out now on Shambala Publications.
Topics:

04:42 — Core Principle of Taoism
10:59 — Path of Taoist Inner Alchemy
15:11 — Metaphor of Alchemy
22:44 — Energies of Inner Alchemy
27:09 — Chan Buddhism
35:36 — Physical Components of Inner Alchemy
43:45 —  Importance of Heart Practice
45:15 — Navigating the Polycrisis


Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.

#83 Taoist Inner Alchemy: Mattias Daly

A recording of excerpts from a SAND Community Gathering hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo.
Trauma has a severe impact that extends far beyond the individual survivor. It ripples through families, communities, and generations in ways both seen and unseen. Yet there is a path forward — through courageously sharing our stories and tapping into the body’s innate wisdom.
In this episode, Peter openly shares his own courageous journey to resolve severe childhood trauma, by using the very techniques he developed. He shows a pathway whereby giving voice to our stories can help reclaim our dignity, wholeness, and ignite an inner spark of healing.
Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., is the renowned developer of Somatic Experiencing. He holds a doctorate in Medical and Biological Physics from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate in Psychology from International University. The recipient of four lifetime achievement awards, he is the author of several books, including Waking the Tiger, which has now been printed in 33 countries and has sold over a million copies.
His new book is An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey 

Topics:

00:00 — Introduction
02:43 — Writing the new Autobiography
09:05 — Uncovering Layers of Trauma
19:52 — Trauma & Intimate Relationships
26:20 — Meeting Albert Einstein & Past Life Trauma
34:00 — Relationships with Parents
43:00 — Connections to Ancient Traditions
50:10 — Indigenous Healing Practices
57:12 — Closing

Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member.
Also mentioned in this episode is SAND’s Fundraiser to help relocate a family from the genocide in Gaza.

#82 From Wounds to Wholeness: Peter A. Levine

Reem (DRĖĖĖMY) Abdou is a native Egyptian international interdisciplinary sound artist, embodiment and meditation guide, curator, cultural worker, and community building founder of the inclusive global impact agency for women+ & BIPOC holistic artists: The Collective BAE. As an intentional DJ and spoken word poet, her work harnesses music, movement, and meditation to activate real shifts at the intersection of transformational creativity, social and healing justice, and ecosystem consciousness.
Links:

www.dreeemy.com
instagram.com/dreeemy
www.collectivebae.com

 
Upcoming projects:

Join The BAE (RE)MEMBERSHIPS: An Ecology of Care for Conscious Creatives. We'll be launching a full training course this May.
The release of the 2nd EP: SALTWATERS in the Mother & Water project. It will be released this May.

Topics:

00:00 — Introduction
03:00 — Ancestry & Dream work
06:45 — Communities
11:19 — Bass Yoga
17:19 — Gradients & Binaries
23:17 — Ecologies of Care
32:33 — Sacred Activism
36:51 — Post-COVID Shift
45:31 — Egyptian Lineage
53:44 — Upcoming Projects

Support the mission of SAND the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member:

#51 After The Wisdom of Trauma: Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo

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