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What does a true spiritual teacher look like—and how do you avoid false gurus in modern spirituality?

In this powerful episode of the Spiritual Teachers Podcast, Flowing River shares his deeply personal journey of spiritual awakening, surrender, and transformation through mantra meditation, Sikh wisdom, bhakti yoga, and seva (selfless service). From meeting his living teacher to letting go of scattered spiritual practices, Flowing reveals how single-pointed devotion and humility radically transformed his life.

Together, Petr and Flowing River explore:

How to discern true vs false spiritual teachers

Why mantra meditation has endured for thousands of years

The role of karma, vibration, and conscious action

Sikh teachings from Guru Nanak and the Guru Granth Sahib

Enlightenment traits: humility, service, detachment, and divine love

Red flags in Western spiritual materialism

Maintaining ethical boundaries in spiritual communities

Balancing spirituality with business and right livelihood

SEVA vs exploitation in spiritual organizations

Telepathic experiences, subtle energy, and divine union

Flowing River’s upcoming book The Flowing River (221 spiritual poems)

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction – Flowing River’s Spiritual Journey
03:45 Finding a Living Spiritual Teacher Online
08:40 Surrender, Humility & Letting Go of Ego
13:55 From Scattered Practices to Mantra Meditation
19:30 Six Months of Transformation Through Single-Pointed Focus
24:50 Bhakti Yoga & Ancient Mantra Traditions
30:10 Conscious Thought, Speech & Spiritual Unity
34:45 Sikhism & the Guru Granth Sahib Explained
39:55 Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Spiritual Lineage
44:30 Guru Nanak’s Teachings on Equality & Nam Japo
49:40 Karma, Vibration & the “Karmic Bank Account”
55:20 The Five Thieves & Five Divine Virtues
1:01:40 What True Enlightenment Actually Looks Like
1:07:30 Studying Enlightened Beings (Buddha, Krishna, Sikh Gurus)
1:12:50 Telepathy, Subtle Energy & Spiritual Sensitivity
1:18:10 True vs False Spiritual Teachers – Key Red Flags
1:25:00 Power, Control & Manipulation in Spiritual Groups
1:31:40 SEVA vs Exploitation in Spiritual Communities
1:38:20 Balancing Spirituality & Ethical Business
1:44:30 Song of the Divine Light & Community Offerings
1:49:50 Upcoming Book: The Flowing River
1:54:30 Poetry Reading & Closing Reflections

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In this episode Petr Lightbear interviews Flowing River, a poet, mystic, and spiritual seeker, as they explore a powerful journey from addiction and inner turmoil to sobriety, spiritual awakening, and sustainable living.

Flowing River shares his story of growing up in San Francisco, navigating addiction, and experiencing a profound awakening through music festivals, meditation, yoga, plant medicine, permaculture, and eco-village life. The conversation moves through his time working with Newmundo, living off-grid in Costa Rica, apprenticing in permaculture and sustainable food production, and ultimately discovering deep healing through nature, community, and humility.

This episode explores spiritual awakening, addiction recovery, sobriety, mysticism, permaculture living, sustainable spirituality, ayahuasca healing, indigenous wisdom, yoga, meditation, surrender, spiritual ego, humility, eco village life, off grid living, African spirituality, IFA foundation, spiritual teachers, Ascension Academy, healing through nature, poetic mantras, conscious living, and the modern path to enlightenment.

This episode dives into:

The difference between healthy vs unhealthy surrender

The dangers of spiritual ego

Why true awakening comes from inner work, not chasing experiences

Encounters with indigenous wisdom, African spirituality (IFA), yoga, mysticism, and poetry

Meeting his spiritual teacher Bahandur Singh after years of searching

The birth of Ascension Academy and modern spiritual teaching

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Podcast Overview
02:15 – Growing Up in San Francisco & Early Struggles
06:40 – Addiction, Sobriety & the Search for Meaning
11:30 – Festival Awakening & the “Joy Limiter” Realization
16:45 – Radical Surrender & Synchronicity
20:50 – Discovering Permaculture & Newmundo
25:10 – Trading Work for a Permaculture Retreat
29:30 – Off-Grid Life in Costa Rica (Think-O-Morpho)
35:40 – Apprenticeship in Sustainable Living & Food Production
41:20 – Healing Through Nature, Community & Love
46:10 – Receiving the Name “Flowing River” (Narayan)
49:55 – Ayahuasca, Indigenous Wisdom & Mysticism
55:30 – Poetry as Spiritual Reprogramming
59:45 – First Recognition of the Ego
1:03:40 – Healthy vs Unhealthy Surrender
1:09:30 – Spiritual Ego & the Trap of Extreme Practices
1:15:20 – Humility as the Path to True Awakening
1:20:10 – Ascension Academy & Modern Spiritual Teaching
1:25:40 – Mystical Encounters & Meeting Bahandur Singh
1:31:10 – Recognizing the True Spiritual Master
1:36:30 – Poetry Recap & Closing Chapter One
1:39:30 – What to Expect in Part Two

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This powerful podcast episode explores Indigenous healing traditions, spiritual diets, and cultural revival through lived experience with the Yawanawa (Yawinawa) tribe of the Amazon rainforest.

Petr is joined by Angelique, founder of Spirit of the Forest, who has worked closely with the Yawanawa tribe for over 13 years. Angelique shares deeply personal stories of Indigenous healing, shamanic initiation, and spiritual transformation.

Together, they discuss:

The cultural revival among Indigenous youth

The process of becoming a traditional healer

The role of spiritual diets (Diets / DFS) in Indigenous initiation

The urgency of preserving ancestral knowledge as the last elders pass away

The difference between plant medicine treatments and spiritual healing

Ancient chants, prayers, and stories (Shani Pahus)

The role of women in Indigenous spirituality and leadership

Forgiveness, surrender, and real-life integration of spiritual practices

Spirit shares extraordinary experiences, including:

Receiving healing after a life-threatening accident

Participating in year-long spiritual diets

Learning directly from Indigenous elders and shamans

Working with face painting, anaconda symbolism, and ancestral rituals

Supporting the first woman in her tribe to undergo intense spiritual practices

🌿 Spirit of the Forest is an organization dedicated to sharing Indigenous knowledge globally, offering:

Online Indigenous studies

Community gatherings

Teachings on ancestral languages and chants

Ethical plant-based products

To join the Spirit of the Forest mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/b5bd56940cd7/stay-connected-to-the-spirit-of-the-forest

Spirit of the Forest main website: www.spiritoftheforest.co

instagram: @spiritoftheforest.us

📅 Upcoming Online Study:
Begins February 17 — focused on the Uanna language and ancient chants

Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction – Indigenous Healing, Spiritual Diets & Amazon Wisdom
02:15 Meeting Angelique – 13 Years With the Yawanawa Tribe
05:10 First Encounter With Indigenous Healing & Cultural Revival
09:30 Why Indigenous Knowledge Must Be Preserved Now
13:40 Spirit’s Life-Changing Healing Experience After a Serious Accident
18:25 How Indigenous Shamans Heal Physical & Emotional Trauma
23:10 Spiritual Diets Explained – The Path to Becoming a Healer
28:40 Wanawa Healing Traditions & Plant Medicine Practices
34:15 Ancient Stories, Prayers & Shani Pahus Teachings
38:50 Losing the Elders – Preserving Sacred Indigenous Knowledge
43:20 Spirit of the Forest – Sharing Indigenous Wisdom Globally
47:10 Online Indigenous Studies & February 17 Program Announcement
51:05 Spiritual Diet Rules – Food Restrictions, Kaisuma & Intention
56:40 Strengthening the Spirit by Weakening the Body
1:01:15 Shahu – The First Woman in Her Tribe to Walk the Spiritual Path
1:06:30 Risks, Power & Responsibility of Deep Spiritual Practices
1:11:20 Forgiveness, Healing the Heart & Letting Go
1:16:10 Anaconda Symbolism, Face Painting & Spiritual Protection
1:21:30 Living in the Village – Daily Life & Community Healing
1:26:10 Healing Yourself Before Healing the World
1:30:45 Surrender, Trust & Integrating Spiritual Lessons
1:35:20 Future Podcast Guests & Closing Reflections

Indigenous healing
Yawanawa tribe
Yawinawa tribe
Amazon shamanism
spiritual diets
shamanic initiation
Indigenous spirituality
ancestral healing
plant medicine traditions
Amazon rainforest t

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