Nexus, Colorado's Holistic Health and Spirituality Journal

The Nexus Interview
1997 - Present
Listed in alphabetical order

Karen Armstrong Issue: May/June 2008	JESUS AND JIHAD Karen Armstrong was once dubbed the “runaway nun.” She later called herself “a freelance monotheist.” Armstrong has rarely shied from controversy. As a free-thinking and highly respected expert on religious history, her outspoken commentary on religion has raised eyebrows, ruffled feathers, and alternately alienated and endeared her to audiences around the globe. At times outrageous—she once compared Pope John Paul II to a Muslim fundamentalist—at others deeply empathic, she is unfailingly meticulous in her research. Here, she shares her views on the war in Iraq, the events of 9/11, and the pervasive and deeply troubling split between Islam and the West.
William Arntz Issue: Jan/Feb 2005	*WHAT THE #$%! DO WE KNOW?** Who knew that the seed of an idea, germinating for 25 years in the mind of William Arntz, the movie’s mastermind, would take such a quantum leap, outselling the likes of The Exorcist and The Lord Of The Rings in some theatres? Here, Arntz talks about his inspiration for the film, his hopes for its impact and the next installment.
Marc Ian Barasch Issue: Jul/Aug 2005	THE FACES OF COMPASSION Barasch asks the question “What if the driving force of human progress is not survival of the fittest, but rather survival of the kindest?” Here, Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema talks to Barasch about the nature of basic human kindness, the biological evolution of goodness, and how compassion can transform our individual lives and the world at large.
Martha Beck Issue: Sept/Oct 2005	OUT OF MORMONISM AND INTO FAITH One woman's painful journey out of Mormonism and into faith. Beck's journey culminated in her brave and often chilling book, Leaving The Saints: How I Lost the Mormons and Found My Faith, a chronicle of her quest to develop an authentic spirituality and satisfy her deep spiritual longing, coupled with rare and compelling glimpses into one of history's most secretive religions and accounts of her personal attempts to deal with childhood trauma. Here, Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema talks to Beck about surviving sexual abuse, coming to terms with the Mormon church and the transfomative power of personal truth.
Steve Bhaerman, aka Swami Beyondananda Issue: Mar/April 2008	ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION AND THE MODERN POLITICIAN Steve Bhaerman, also know as Swami Beyondananda has been a regular contributor to many Nexus-type magazines, written four books, Driving Your Own Karma, When You See a Sacred Cow, Milk It For All It’s Worth, Duck Soup for the Soul, and his latest, Swami for Precedent: A 7-Step Plan to Heal the Body Politic and Cure Electile Dysfunction, and has toured the country performing his comedy routine. He also designed and led workshops on Comedy as a Healing Art. Pre-Swami, Steve Bhaerman started an alternative high school in Washington, D.C. and co-authored a book about his experiences, No Particular Place to Go: Making of a Free High School. A political science major in college, he later taught history to autoworkers at Wayne State University in Detroit as part of the Weekend College. As you will see, middle-aged Steve Bhaerman aka Swami Beyondananda has a serious side, and he, like perhaps you and I, can’t sit by anymore and hum while bombs burst and ice caps melt. So he has focused his wit on politics with his latest book, Swami for Precedent.
Brad Blanton Issue: Sept/Oct 1997	TELLING THE TRUTH Telling it as it is - Radical honesty, Blanton explains, is a kind of communication that is direct, complete, open and expressive, an authentic sharing of what you think and feel. "The point of radical honesty isn’t to invoke another oppressive morality, but to get in touch with our insides, to nurture a clear-headed foundation for being alive," he says. "If you are grounded in your experience, you can forgive yourself and your fellow beings and love life. If you really want to make your life work, stop being such a liar!"
Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. Issue: Nov/Dec 2007	A BODY-MIND REVOLUTIONARY'S REMARKABLE JOURNEY With the publication of the best-selling Minding the Body, Mending the Mind in 1987, Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. firmly established herself as a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine. Trained as both a medical scientist and psychologist, she received her doctorate from the Harvard Medical School, where she also completed three post-doctoral fellowships. Using this impressive background, she went on to start Mind-Body clinical programs at two Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals, using her classic medical training as a foundation for a deeper body of work--one that encompasses psychoneuroimmunology, relationship-centered healing, women’s health, religion and interspirituality. With these programs, and her classic book, she began a career as one of the most respected voices in the field of mind-body medicine. Here, she speaks with stunning depth, perception and sometimes painful personal wisdom about the mind-body connection, interspirituality and the elusive quest for inner peace.
Robert Bosnak Issue: May/June 1998	EXPLORING OUR DREAMS Dreaming our way back to life. A renowned Jungian analyst, Bosnak believes that dreams can lead us from depression, disorientation and ennui to a feeling of aliveness and vitality—if we take the time to work with them. Dreams are "the purest form of creativity that I know of," says Bosnak. They're our closest connection to the creative force of the universe. "By being strongly connected to your dreaming, I think you can get much closer to the creative force that is driving you." Dream work can give us deeper connections in our lives, more direction in our lives and more control over our lives, he believes.
Don Campbell Issue: Jul/Aug 2007	THE EXTRAORDINARY POWER OF MUSIC At some point in our lives, each of us has been touched by the extraordinary power of music—be it a moving symphony or a snippet of a song that recalls a long-ago memory with striking poignancy. What is this power? How exactly is it that music touches us so deeply? Don Campbell—best-selling author of The Mozart Effect (Harper Paperbacks, 2001) and an internationally recognized authority on the transformative power of music–has made it his life’s work to answer these questions.
Chalanda Sai Ma Issue: Nov/Dec 1993	DIVINE MOTHER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN DIFFERING SPIRITUAL MESSAGES Chalanda Sai Ma discusses how religions are causing rifts between people and nations, the emptiness she observes among people in Western countries, her vision of America as the leader of a spiritual renaissance, her youth in Mauritius, and her spiritual awakening experience.
Theo Colborn, Ph.D. Issue: Jan/Feb 2003	MAN-MADE CHEMICALS THAT ARE HURTING YOU And they're in everything from plastics and make-up. In this interview with Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema, Colborn discusses how hormone disruptors interfere with normal growth and development, where they're found in the environment, and ways we can protect ourselves and our children.
David Deida, Charles Muir, Saida Désilets Issue: Sept/Oct 2007	SEXUALITY: INTIMACY, ORGASM AND SPIRIT - The new awakened sex ignites more than experiences of God and spirit. It expands intimacy between two people, it grows love. And it is for this reason too that couples flock to tantra workshops and sacred sexuality classes. Many have found that re-ignited passion injects a healing salve into their relationship, deepens their capacity to love, and may even save a rocky marriage. In these three conversations we explore the potential of our sexuality and sensuality with two of the shining lights in this field: David Deida and Charles Muir. We also speak with an important innovator and teacher of a Taoist perspective on sexual awakening, Saida Désilets.
Yogi Amrit Desai Issue: Mar/April 2002	JOINING MIND AND BODY on the practice of "real yoga". Desai talks to Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema about the spiritual aspects of yoga, the integration of the body and the practice of living consciously.
Larry Dossey, M.D. Issue: Jan/Feb 2007	MARRYING MIRACLES AND SCIENCE Can praying for someone increase his or her chances of recovering from an illness? Does positive intention influence the outcome of disease? And can we create miracles in healing through the power of our minds? A growing body of scientific evidence is suggesting that we can.
John Douillard, D.C., PhD. Issue: Mar/April 2007	DIET ROULETTE: SETTLING ON ONE THAT WORKS What to eat? What to avoid? In our diet-obsessed culture, the answers to these questions get more confusing every year. But according to John Douillard, Ayurvedic physician and author of The Three Seasons Diet (Three Rivers Press, 2001), devising a lifelong eating plan is simpler-and more natural-than you may think.
Michael Eades, MD and Amy J. Lanou, PhD Issue: Sept/Oct 2004	LOW-CARB DIETS- Wise or Foolish? Over the past two decades, we've followed food fads ranging from Atkins to macrobiotics, from vegetarian to the Zone. But no trend has gained as ardent a following-or caused as much controversy-as the low-carb regimen. Critics charge that it increases the risk of osteoporosis, kidney disorders, heart disease and cancer. Supporters say it wards off diabetes and reduces the risk of cancer and heart disease. And, they say, nothing is as effective for losing weight. To help us make sense of the controversy, Nexus interviewed Michael Eades, M.D., co-author (with his wife, Mary Dan Eades) of Protein Power and The 30 Day Low-Carb Diet Solution. Here, Eades talks to Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema about the myths, the realities and the flat-out lies about a low-carb diet.
Jonathan Goldman Issue: Mar/April 2003	THE SOUND OF HEALING Goldman talks about research in the field of sound healing, using music and sound as healing and spiritual modalities, and how sound can heal the planet.
Kathlyn Hendricks Issue: Nov/Dec 2006	CHANGING THE WORLD, ONE BREATH AT A TIME Kathlyn Hendricks talks about the power of breath, the principals of a healthy relationship, and the magic that arises from authentic communication.
K. L. Shankaranarayana Jois, Kali Ray and David Life Issue: May/June 2004	WHAT IS YOGA? Side-by-side these two pictures clash: Yoga as a workout and yoga as a religious lifestyle. Maybe it is both.In this issue of Nexus we explore these and other questions with three renowned Yoga experts: K. L. Shankaranarayana Jois holds a Ph.D in yoga from Rastriya Sanskrita Samsthanam in Tirupati, India. He is recently retired as a professor of Sanskrit at the Sanskrit College of Mysore, India, and he has a degree in Ayruveda. In addition, he is a hereditary Vedic astrologer. He and his wife, Vijaya, have founded a non-profit organization for the preservation of the wisdom and knowledge of ancient India, Bharati Yoga Dhama. We spoke with Dr. Shankaranarayana during his recent visit to Boulder. Kali Ray was initiated as a swami by H. H. Ganapati Sachidananda of Mysore, India, and created TriYoga®, which is now taught at five centers around the U.S. Kali Ray has been a keynote or featured speaker at numerous yoga conferences in the U.S. and abroad. She has produced six newly-released DVDs titled, "TriYoga - Free the Hips," "TriYoga - Free the Spine," "Yoga for Two," "Yoga for Kids," "Cardio," and "Strengthening." We spoke with Kali Ray by phone. David Life founded Jivamukti yoga with his wife, Sharon Gannon. They run a busy center in New York City and include among their students celebrities such as Christy Turlington and Sting. David Life has studied yoga around the world with many teachers including Shri Brahmananda Saraswati, Sri Swami Nirmalananda and Shri K. Pattabhi Jois. He is a contributing writer for several publications including Yoga Journal and Yoga International, and together with Sharon Gannon has co-authored two books, Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body & Soul and The Art of Yoga. We spoke with David Life at our offices in Boulder.
Byron Katie - Issue: May/June 2005	WHO WOULD YOU BE WITHOUT YOUR STORY? Over the last 15 years, Katie has traveled the world, offering free public events, weekend workshops, conferences and a nine-day “school.” She doesn’t lecture or teach, but instead invites people to do The Work with her and with each other. Here, she shares the story of how The Work was born, and ways to learn to love what is.
Bernard Lietaer Issue: Jul/Aug 2003	MONEY AND SOCIAL CHANGE Lietaer shares his views on the shortcomings of our conventional currency system, the benefits of creating a complementary currency, and ways to effect lasting social change.
Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee - Issue: Sept/Oct 2003	EXPLORING OUR SHADOW Spiritual psychology can lead us on a journey into ourselves. Currently, Vaughan-Lee specializes in Sufi dreamwork, integrating the ancient Sufi approach to dreams with the insights of modern psychology. He lectures in Europe and in the United States, and has written a number of books on Sufism, including Love Is a Fire: A Sufi's Mystical Journey Home (Golden Sufi Center, 2000), Sufism: The Transformation of the Heart (Golden Sufi Center, 2001) and his newest book, Working with Oneness (Golden Sufi Center, 2002). Here, he shares his thoughts on spiritual psychology with Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema.
Ed Lewis Issue: Jan/Feb 2004	ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN COLORADO And their potential to change the world. New technologies have enabled people to extract portable fuel from non-fossil sources, such as leftover French fry grease and plant stems. Boulder Bio-diesel collects used oil from Sunflower Restaurant in Boulder (and many other places) and makes fuel out of it with a simple process. Boulder Rolfer Eric Fenz fills up his VW bug with the fuel, and feels good as he drives off, even though he pays a bit more for it than he would for regular diesel. His car's exhaust smells like a Chinese restaurant. It pollutes way less than a car burning diesel would. Should this be our collective future? If so, how do we get there? To answer these questions, and many others, we interviewed Ed Lewis, who is the Senior Deputy Director of the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation in Denver (OEMC), and is the State Biomass Coordinator for Colorado. He has been involved in numerous alternative fuel projects in Colorado over the last seven years, and is a well-respected expert in the field. We also interviewed David Green, PhD, a researcher at Oak Ridge National Labs in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. (See page, "Can alternative fuels eventually replace petroleum fuels?")
Carolyn Myss, Ph.D. Issue: Mar/April 2005	POWER, COMPASSION and GENEROSITY Myss talks about how we can become channels for grace, power and miracles through kind, compassionate and generous actions-—invisible acts of power.
Nando Parrado Issue: Sept/Oct 2006	A LOVE MORE POWERFUL THAN DEATH author of Miracle in the Andes, Nando Parrado, survivor of the 1972 Andes plane crash, reflects on spirituality, faith and what one can learn from death.
Stephen Porges, Ph.D. Issue: Mar/April 2006	HOW YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM EFFECTS YOUR RELATIONSHIPS The Polyvagol theory is the study of the evolution of the human nervous system and the origins of brain structures, and it assumes that more of our social behaviors and emotional disorders are biological—that is, they are “hard wired” into us—than we usually think. Based on the theory, Porges and his colleagues have developed treatment techniques that can help people communicate better and relate better to others.
Ana Micka Issue: Jul/Aug 2004	THE POLITICS OF HEALTH The Campaign For Better Health is dedicated to protecting access to safe, effective and affordable natural treatments and products and promoting safe food, clean air and water, and the freedom to make health choices.
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Issue: May/June 2003	BEFRIENDING YOUR MIND Mipham Rinpoche spoke with Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema in Boulder about his youth, about the meaning of enlightenment, about the art of meditation and the path of spirituality.
Dan Millman Issue: Jul/Aug 2006	THIS VERY MOMENT IS MAGICAL Millman talks about what it means to be a peaceful warrior, discovering the spirituality of everyday life and finding the magic in every moment.
Michael Roads Issue: Nov/Dec 2002	ROAD'S WAY 1976, Michael Roads, an ordinary farmer in Tasmania, Australia, suddenly realized that his life was driven by fear, and he didn't know who he was. This event launched his single-minded journey toward what some would call enlightenment. Over the next 10 years- guided by books, teachers and his own intuition, and grappling with devastating illness- Roads says he "learned to cross the membrane separating the physical from the metaphysical."
Debbie and Carlos Rosas Issue: Jan/Feb 2006	THE CREATION OF NIA Can we experience deep physical pleasure, even joy, in a workout? Can a fitness routine nurture exploration of the self and transform the spirit? Nia says yes. Part yoga, part martial arts and dance, this soulful workout incorporates movement from nine systems, including tai kwon do, modern dance, Feldenkrais and others, into an inspiring dance-like routine.
Don Miguel Ruiz Issue: Nov/Dec 2004	THE LIFE OF A TOLTEC WARRIOR Sometimes the most important spiritual lessons are the simplest: Tell the truth. Don't take anything personally. Don't assume things. Do your best. And this is the essence of the Four Agreements, created by Don Miguel Ruiz, healer, shaman and modern leader of the ancient Toltec tradition.
Mark Schapiro Issue: Jan/Feb 2008	TOXIC WARRIOR The cosmetics you use every day, the toys your children play with, the air inside the car you drive, all these introduce chemicals into your body. Are some of these chemicals toxic at the levels to which you are exposed? And if so, what can we do to protect ourselves? It is a question that scientists ask, governments ask, industry leaders ask, and ordinary people ask. And many of the answers are unsettling . . .
Bishop John Shelby Spong Issue: May/June 2006	CHALLENGING THE BIBLE The Bible is, arguably, the Western world's most widely read, frequently quoted and generally venerated text. In religious circles, it is beyond reproach. How, then, did a leader in the Episcopal church come to call some of the Bible's teachings “toxic” and label the book itself “the tribal story of a particular people... not the word of God”? John Shelby Spong, retired Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Newark, is a leading and provocative spokesperson for a progressive and scholarly approach to Christianity. Now considered the pre-eminent voice for liberal Christianity, Spong began questioning some interpretations of the Bible when he was only 14 years old.
Konrad Steffen, Ph.D. Issue: May/June 2007	WILL THE OCEANS RISE? WILL CROPS FAIL? Will future generations lament to their ancestors (us), “What the (bleep) were you thinking!?" A climate scientist convinces you to do something now about global warming.
David Steinman Issue: July/Aug 2002	PROTECTING YOURSELF FROM TOXINS Author of The Safe Shopper's Bible, Steinman speaks about organic food, baby shampoo and lotion, water quality, our over-sanitized lives, a lawsuit that resulted from Steinman's past whistle blowing, and other topics.
Shanti Toll Issue Jul/Aug 2003	COLORADO'S METAPHYSICAL SPRINGS In this interview by Nexus publisher Ravi Dykema, conducted at the Celebration Production, Inc. offices in Colorado Springs, we ask Shanti Toll about life as a metaphysical entrepreneur in the capitol of Christian activism. We ask him about the value of and the philosophy behind psychic readings. And we ask him about the community he loves: Colorado Springs.
David and Lila Tresemer Issue Mar/April 2004	SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT Founders of Star House and All Seasons Chalice - When David Tresemer, a Harvard graduate raised in a world of private schools and privileges, first came to Boulder, it was part of a spiritual journey that had taken him from a PhD program in psychology to a rural farming community in Vermont, growing organic vegetables and delivering baby animals.His pilgrimage culminated 13 years later in the building of the Star House and All Seasons Chalice, a multi-faith, nature-based church that celebrates the seasons and lunar cycles with an eclectic blend of ancient rituals, indigenous wisdom and modern practices. Situated on 35 spectacular acres in Boulder's foothills, the church is surrounded by a tight-knit spiritual community that grows organic herbs and meets for regular prayer and meditation. Here, Tresemer and his wife, Lila Sophia, talk to Ravi Dykema about Darwinism, myth-based theatre and celebrating life through the seasons.