167 | Jonathan Leland on Ram Dass, Spirituality, Creativity, Death & Change vs Loving What Is

Full show notes here.



I'm excited to introduce you to another one of my friends from the Ram Dass retreat. If you haven't heard about the retreat or Ram Dass yet we talk all about both in this episode. My guest today Jonathan Leland gives a great background of Ram Dass and how he started following his work. Jon, much like Ram Dass is one of the smartest, most fascinating people I've ever met.  I've been excited to have him on the podcast since meeting him. He has such a creative, unique and inquisitive approach to life which comes through in our conversation.  Some of you may remember the animal meditations I shared in my past newsletter. These are just one small example of the innovative and inspirational things Jonathan does. We explore topics like community, psychedelics, death, and the inevitable changes of life and learning to re-love every new and changed moment and situation. He beautifully describes this as the 'dance between change and love' in life. The whole conversation is so rich and nourishing for the soul. I hope you love it as much as I do.

I 'm loving Aaptiv so much. If you haven't already got your FREE 30 Day Trial you should totally check them out. You guys know how important incorporating movement into my life is and finding a way to do it that you love. Aaptiv makes it easy to do this everyday. It has 1,000+ customizable workouts (including yoga, running, elliptical, strength training and more) to choose from that will motivate you to get that movement into your day from anywhere. You can use it at the gym, outdoors, at home... it is like having a trainer/DJ combo for whatever kind of workout you are looking for right in your pocket. I highly recommend giving them a try. With the code below you really have nothing to lose in checking them out.

Get a 30 day, free trial by going to www.Aaptiv.com ​and entering the code "LETITOUT" ​at checkout.

I'm loving CW Hemp for so many reasons and I know you will love them too. Charlotte's Web Hemp Oil (also known as CW) is a premium hemp extract for daily health and wellness. It helps with focus, mood boosting, muscle tension and just generally keeping your body in a balanced and flowing state. My personal favorite are the everyday oils you can drop directly into your mouth or add to smoothies and other drinks. CW harnesses the science of power and nature to counter everyday mind and body stresses.

Get a 10% off all products by entering the code "LETITOUT" ​at checkout.

-THIS WEEKEND come hang with me and other past pod guests at The Good Festival in Philadelphia AND/OR come hang at the Listener Meet-up on April 22nd!

-Jon's Kickstarter Page | Twitter

-I met Jon at the Ram Dass Retreat which we talk about

-Animal Meditations Project — his favorite is the three toed sloth

-Jeff Bridges sleeping tapes is what inspired his Animal Meditations project— specifically the one about Temescal Canyon

-Thanda -- South African non-profit Jon co-founded

-Werner Herzog's work — specifically his work on ecstatic truth and his documentary Encounters at the End of the World

-VICE's Creator's Interview article

-Non Karoli Baba and Ram Dass's experience sharing psychedelics with him

-Locanda in NYC — restaurant, excellent Negronis (cocktail)

-Favorite places:: New Zealand and Sierra Nevada John Muir Trail,

-Books he mentions/loves:: Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, Marcus Aurelius's Meditations, The Art of Communication, Poetry by Yeats, Be Here Now (book that introduced him to Ram Das), State of Wonder (his favorite that he recommends)

-Article on loss:: Elizabeth Bishop's Art of Losing

-Movies he is into now:: — Arrival & 13th 

-Music:: Krishna Das, Run the Jewels, The National, Justin Bieber and Robyn

-Podcasts:: You Made It Weird & Hardcode History

Cool Things to Check-Out:

-Sign-up for my newsletter to get updates on where I'll be and what I'm loving!

-Join the listener Facebook Group



-Get my book Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling or leave a review if you have read it.