438. Kavitha Chinnaiyan, M.D. - a podcast by Rick Archer

Kavitha Chinnaiyan, MD, is a cardiologist, meditation teacher and tantrika. She became drawn to the Direct Path through the teachings of Greg Goode and Sri Atmananda Krishna Menon, and has studied yoga, Sri Vidya Sadhana, Vedanta and Tantra through the teachings of Chinmaya Mission, Sri Premananda, Sally Kempton, Paul Muller-Ortega and Sri Chaitanyananda Natha Saraswati. She blends her expertise in cardiology with her knowledge of Ayurveda, yoga, Vedanta, Tantra, and the Direct Path in her approach to healing, enabling patients to discover bliss amid chronic illness. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine in Rochester, MI.

She is the author ofShakti Rising: Embracing Shadow and Light on the Goddess Path to Wholeness (2017) and
The Heart of Wellness: Bridging Western and Eastern Medicine to Transform Your Relationship with Habits, Lifestyle, and Health (2018).Website: kavithamd.com

Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook GroupTranscript of this interview

Interview recorded January 20, 2018Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.Chapters:


00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump00:04:34 - The Direct Path vs Progressive Path
00:08:27 - The Direct Path and Neo-Vedanta00:12:05 - Witnessing in Tantra
00:16:25 - Discovering the Unobservable through Spiritual Path00:21:18 - Redefining Gender Roles and the Divine Feminine
00:26:15 - The Mahavidyas: Goddesses of Darkness and Light00:30:14 - Reconciling Ahimsa with the Reality of the Universe
00:33:55 - The Intelligent Universe and the Mahavidyas00:38:26 - Shiva and Shakti: The Creative Power
00:42:53 - The Misunderstanding of Kali00:47:42 - The Black Goddess Kali and the I-Self
00:51:36 - Refinement of the Sense of Self in Tantra00:55:19 - Tantric Philosophy and Rewiring the Body-Mind
00:58:52 - The Role of Nadis in Kundalini Awakening01:02:50 - Differences between Vedanta and Tantra
01:07:14 - Sri Yantra and Sri Vidya01:11:33 - The Power of Bija Mantras in Consciousness
01:15:00 - The Use of Aum Mantra01:18:36 - Tara's Shadow and Light Aspects
01:22:54 - Chinnamasta: The Concealing and Revealing Power of the Divine01:27:05 - Stories of Delusion and Awakening in Hinduism
01:31:38 - The Ashrama System and the Four Stages of Life01:36:08 - Elements of the Path of the Mahavidyas
01:39:20 - The Ethics of Tantra01:43:54 - The Path of Tantra and Work in Progress
01:48:26 - Cultivating Discernment and Discrimination01:52:39 - The Divine Feminine and the Shadow Side
01:57:37 - Surrendering in Softness and Sweetness02:01:11 - Exploring Wellness through Ayurveda and Yoga
02:04:10 - Music Introduction

Further episodes of Buddha at the Gas Pump

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