How To Learn From Your Ancestors | Spring Washam

How To Learn From Your Ancestors | Spring Washam

Our guest argues that looking back on those who came before us can help us understand who we are and why we do the things we do. Plus, a very special request from Dan.

Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, author, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She is the author of A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage and Wisdom in Any Moment and her newest book, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. Spring is considered a pioneer in bringing mindfulness-based meditation practices to diverse communities. She is one of the founding teachers at the East Bay Meditation Center, located in downtown Oakland, CA and has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999.

In this episode we talk about:

  • How Spring came to write about Harriet Tubman’s life
  • Her work with plant medicine and the shamanic tradition
  • The dream and the “conversations” Spring had with Tubman
  • Why we are all so interested in ancestry
  • How we can deepen our relationship with our ancestors
  • Family Constellation Therapy as a modality for doing ancestry work
  • Spring’s own family history
  • Why she is still processing the experience of writing her book about Harriet Tubman
  • What she means by the “inner underground railroad” and how it is alive today
  • And, how, in the inner underground railroad, freedom equates to nirvana

Content Warning: mentions of suicide

This episode originally aired in February 2023, and we’re re-airing it today for two reasons: first, because it’s awesome; and second, because Spring needs help.  A few months ago, Spring was hit by a delivery truck while crossing the street in Atlanta. She suffered extensive injuries and has been largely unable to work since then. As a result, she's been experiencing some financial distress between her mounting medical bills and her inability to be fully employed.

We’ve teamed up with the meditation teachers Jack Kornfield and Trudy Goodman to start a GoFundMe page to help Spring raise a little bit of money. Jack, Trudy and Dan have all contributed. If you can make a contribution, please do. No amount is too small.

You can find the GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-spring-washams-healing-journey

Related Episodes:

Join Dan’s online community here

Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel



To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris.

Avsnitt(904)

Jaimal Yogis, A Surfer's Quest for Zen

Jaimal Yogis, A Surfer's Quest for Zen

Being out on a surfboard, when it's just you and the ocean, is "a meditative space," Jaimal Yogis said, "There's a certain amount of solitude that's just built into the experience." The longtime surfer and meditation teacher talks about his first memoir, "Saltwater Buddha," a coming-of-age story about running away at 16 and buying a one-way ticket to Maui to surf, joining a monastery and almost becoming a Zen monk and then launching a journalism career, and his second memoir, "All Our Waves Are Water," which is out now.

30 Aug 201744min

Robert Wright, 'Why Buddhism is True' (Bonus!)

Robert Wright, 'Why Buddhism is True' (Bonus!)

"Progress on the meditation path tends to involve moral progress. You tend to become a better person as well as a happier person... I personally think that you should not be allowed to call yourself enlightened if you're a jerk," said Robert Wright, a best-selling author with extensive knowledge on philosophy and religion. Wright, whose new book out now is titled, "Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment," offers his thoughts (and skepticism) on what it means to achieve true enlightenment and whether mindfulness meditation could change the world.

25 Aug 20171h 2min

LeAnn Rimes, Grammy-Winning Artist

LeAnn Rimes, Grammy-Winning Artist

LeAnn Rimes has been making a name for herself and her powerful voice since her early teens -- she's the youngest person ever to win a Grammy -- and the country music star's career includes writing books and appearing in TV series and movies, including the new film, "Logan Lucky." In our interview, Rimes opens up about another side of her life: How meditation has changed how she feels about herself and interacts with others.

23 Aug 201722min

Ethan Nichtern, 'The Dharma of The Princess Bride'

Ethan Nichtern, 'The Dharma of The Princess Bride'

"I don’t claim that ['The Princess Bride'] is a Buddhist story, but I do think it has some Buddhist elements," Ethan Nichtern said. "It's a deconstructed fairytale that's... really about trying to navigate relationships from this space of compassionately not knowing." Nichtern, a senior teacher in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, uses moments from the cult-classic movie in his upcoming book, "The Dharma of The Princess Bride," out Sept. 12, to illustrate his personal life -- he says his father's best friend is actor Christopher Guest, who plays the notorious "six-fingered man" -- and to discuss having compassion when figuring out relationships.

16 Aug 201759min

Moby and Google's Bill Duane at Wanderlust Hollywood (Live!)

Moby and Google's Bill Duane at Wanderlust Hollywood (Live!)

In the final installment from the "10% Happier" road trip, Dan Harris and meditation teacher Jeff Warren ended their cross-country tour at a Wanderlust Hollywood event in February, where they hosted a live discussion and Q&A with recording artist Moby and Bill Duane, the Superintendent of Well-Being at Google. The guys offered their advice on how to overcome meditation frustrations.

9 Aug 201748min

Anurag Gupta, Attorney 'Hacking' Unconscious Bias

Anurag Gupta, Attorney 'Hacking' Unconscious Bias

Anurag Gupta, who immigrated to the U.S. from India at age 10, has devoted much of his adult life to helping reduce racial inequality and transform bias into awareness and understanding with mindfulness techniques. An attorney and mindfulness expert, Gupta founded BE MORE America, a non-profit that works with various organizations, including hospitals, banks, tech firms and police academies, to train professionals on how to eliminate bias in hiring and decision making.

2 Aug 201750min

Rich Roll, Vegan Ultra-Endurance Athlete

Rich Roll, Vegan Ultra-Endurance Athlete

Shortly before his 40th birthday, Rich Roll was walking up a flight of stairs when he suddenly felt like he was about to have a heart attack. That terrifying moment led the former entertainment attorney, who had already been through rehab for alcohol abuse, to overhaul his lifestyle and now he is a dedicated vegan who has completed some of the world's most grueling and extreme endurance races.

26 Juli 201738min

Lt. Richard Goerling, Mindfulness in Police Work

Lt. Richard Goerling, Mindfulness in Police Work

At a time when there have been controversial police shootings of unarmed civilians and many officers risking their lives to protect their communities feel under siege, one potentially constructive element being introduced into this highly-charged atmosphere is mindfulness. Richard Goerling, a police lieutenant in Hillsboro, Oregon, who has served in law enforcement for 20 years, works with police departments around the country to teach officers how reduce stress, combat unnecessary use of force and make smarter decisions in the field through mindfulness training.

19 Juli 201754min

Populärt inom Hälsa

somna-med-henrik
rss-bara-en-till-om-missbruk-medberoende-2
inga-beiga-morsor
alska-oss
sexnoveller-deluxe
johannes-hansen-podcast
sova-med-dan-horning
not-fanny-anymore
angestpodden
brottarbroder
en-beroendepodd-av-the-house
tyngre-traningssnack
sa-in-i-sjalen
dilemma-2
halsoveckan-by-tyngre
tyngre-radio
smartare-fitness-podden
hacka-livet
rss-beroendepodden
giggles-med-wiggles