The Free Radical Podcast

The Free Radical Podcast is a creative encounter among like-minded and like-hearted spirits, regardless of their background or affiliation—or even non-affiliation. Following the call of our 21st Century spirituality, we embrace a trans-institutional commitment to spirituality rather than an institutionalized version of it. It is not so much about the demarkation of buildings but the exploration of hearts, not so much about fitting in but about deeply belonging—not so much about mere holiness but about wholeness as well. And it is the freedom born in the fire of these shared hearts who deeply belong to a process of becoming fully whole, fully persons, that creates the sacred space to step into new ways of being, deeper ways of being, radical—to the core—ways of being….and being what?….Being fully integrated individuals, whose humanity contextualizes their spirituality.Swami Padmanabha is an author, monk, and spiritual mentor who has just published his second book, called "Radical Personalism: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion." The format of the podcast is not an interview as much as spontaneous exploration in dialogue, encouraging a multi-trait interdisciplinary method of approaching how we understand something—of looking at it from different angles and perspectives. We don’t expect to agree on everything with each person, but we do expect to use our differences as a way to approach each other, rather than an excuse for further distancing. The time has come to let down the draw bridges and learn how to deeply relate with ourselves, each other, and the world in meaningful ways. This experience of mutual enlightenment can be also called “Collective Introspection.” This joint reflection is probably “the highest form of worship and communion. Restricted to the individual, this power of reflection remains limited and rudimentary. It is only in connection to kindred spirits that we can discover our own depth and wholeness. In other words, the deepest form of reflection can be developed only in communion with others. It is essentially a social phenomenon.” (excerpt from Radical Personalism: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion”). The Free Radical Podcast attempts to invoke sacred space and sacred conversation through deep expressive exchanges with like-minded souls with whom we share one same purpose in mind and heart, that purpose being to align our lives with the loving will of the Sweet Absolute, and to compassionately point to those things that need to be addressed for that miracle to continue happening in each of us. Please join the conversation. It won’t be the same without you.

  1. SOUL FRIENDSHIP & THE CONTEMPLATIVE PATH | Free Radical Podcast ep71 | Carl McColman 6/3/26

    3d ago

    SOUL FRIENDSHIP & THE CONTEMPLATIVE PATH | Free Radical Podcast ep71 | Carl McColman 6/3/26

    Join us for an adventurous episode of the Free Radical Podcast, featuring spiritual director, teacher, retreat leader, and author Carl McColman. Carl McColman is a lay practitioner under formal spiritual guidance from sisters and monks associated with the Trappist Monastery of the Holy Spirit. His formation in Christian contemplative spirituality and contemplative leadership was shaped through the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation, and he also received training in the practice of spiritual direction through the Institute of Pastoral Studies. He is also the author of more than a dozen books, alongside contributions to publications such as Huffington Post and Evie of the Arts, and he continues to travel widely leading retreats and speaking on contemplative spirituality. Alongside this deep grounding in the Christian contemplative tradition, Carl’s path has moved through the luminous terrain of goddess spirituality, nature-centered practice, and interfaith encounter. His early studies in comparative spirituality, along with a lasting engagement with the Christian mystics, have shaped a sensibility attuned to the hidden depths running beneath all religious forms—the presence that is both beyond and within what can be named. In this conversation, we enter into a contemplative space where language begins to loosen its edges: where the divine feminine is not only discussed but sensed as a living current; where duality and non-duality are held in creative tension; and where awe, imagination, and wonder become ways of seeing rather than ideas to be held. We reflect on the sacredness that pulses through the natural world, and on scripture as a field of encounter rather than explanation. 👉 Connect Further with Carl IG: h / ilanchesteroficial YT: / @carl-mccolman FB: facebook.com/carlmccolman WWW: christianmysticism.wordpress.com https://youtu.be/5SOIePac494 ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 41m
  2. Response-Ability & The Architecture of Safety | Free Radical Podcast #70 | Madhava  5/20/26

    May 20

    Response-Ability & The Architecture of Safety | Free Radical Podcast #70 | Madhava 5/20/26

    IIn this episode of the Free Radical Podcast, we’re joined by psychologist, philosopher, and trauma-informed facilitator Madhava, whose work sits at the intersection of nervous system awareness, attachment, and relational inquiry. As the founder of the Neurobody Method and a teacher at the Learning Love Institute, Madhava explores what truly makes connection possible—beginning with a nervous system that feels safe enough to stay present. Together, we dive into a rich and expansive conversation on interrelatedness, communication as the fabric of reality, and the subtle dynamics that shape how we meet one another. Rather than focusing on analysis or emotional processing alone, this dialogue points toward the conditions that support genuine safety, dignity, and life-affirming connection. We explore themes of vulnerability, the difference between false and authentic safety, and what it means to belong while continually evolving into our potential. This episode invites you into a deeper inquiry of relationship—not just with others, but with life itself. Join us for a thoughtful and open-ended conversation that continues well beyond the episode. 👉 Connect Further with Madhava IG: / micha.madhava YT: / @micha-madhava FB: / micha.madhava https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNheYrD8L1I ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 34m
  3. DRUMMING FOR THE LOVE OF GOD | Free Radical Podcast #69 | Fr. Hyacinth Cordell | 5/6/26

    May 6

    DRUMMING FOR THE LOVE OF GOD | Free Radical Podcast #69 | Fr. Hyacinth Cordell | 5/6/26

    In this episode of the Free Radical Podcast, we’re joined by Catholic priest, pastor, and acclaimed drummer Father Hyacinth Cordell—a man where philosophy meets pulse, and theology meets rhythm. With training in philosophy, theology, and pastoral ministry, Father Hyacinth carries a rare integration of intellectual depth and lived spirituality. Alongside his priestly vocation, he has also cultivated a global following as a drummer, where rhythm itself becomes prayer—an embodied offering, a language beyond words, a direct line to the sacred. Our conversation moves fluidly through music, spirituality, and the many surprising ways art can become devotion. We explore drumming, poetry, and embodied expression as portals into something larger than language—spaces where celebration, transcendence, and intimacy with the divine naturally arise. We also enter into his personal journey: the unexpected call to priesthood, the shaping force of discipline and devotion, and the everyday practices—running, veganism, contemplative living—that quietly structure a life oriented toward meaning. Along the way, we touch questions of vocation, celibacy, longing, and what it means to live a life sincerely given over to something greater than oneself. This is a rich, human, and often surprising dialogue—where rhythm and reverence meet, and where spirituality is not just believed, but lived, breathed, and played. 👉 Connect Further with Fr Hyacinth Cordell IG:  / @BenedictusEsDomine  YT:  / @BenedictusEsDomine  https://youtu.be/mwoQwzs7WYc ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 37m
  4. THE SOUND OF A LIFE | Free Radical Podcast #68 | Gaura Vani | 4/15/26

    Apr 15

    THE SOUND OF A LIFE | Free Radical Podcast #68 | Gaura Vani | 4/15/26

    In this episode of the Free Radical Podcast, we sit down with world-renowned musician, artist, and storyteller Gaura Vani for a rich and heartfelt conversation. Gaura Vani’s journey is anything but ordinary. Raised in temples in India and trained in monastic life from a young age, he later found himself immersed in the energy of Hollywood’s rock and roll scene during his teenage years. Today, his music is a unique fusion of these worlds—blending devotion, rhythm, storytelling, and performance into an experience that captivates audiences across the globe. Having spent over two decades traveling internationally, Gaura Vani has witnessed firsthand the power of music to transcend boundaries of culture, nationality, and belief. Wherever he goes, he builds community and inspires others toward a deeper, more meaningful engagement with life. In this episode, we go far beyond music. Together, we explore profound and universal themes—death and illness, fear and love, friendship and poetry, existential crisis and renewal. This is a conversation rooted in authenticity and shared humanity, offering a space for reflection, connection, and inspiration. It was a true privilege to sit together in this spirit of openness and brotherhood—and now, we invite you to join us at the table. Listen in, reflect deeply, and be part of the ongoing dialogue. If you are inspired to learn more about Gaura Vani, please be sure to visit his website. If you would like to participate in his journey back to radiant health, click the DONATE button on his site for more information. https://www.gauravani.com/ 👉 Connect Further with Gauravani IG:  / gauravani   YT:  / @gauravanimusic   FB: / gauravani   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8cu_Q4e_sw ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 42m
  5. POETRY, PRAISE & THE ALCHEMY OF GRIEF | Free Radical Podcast #67 | Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer  April 1, 2026

    Apr 1

    POETRY, PRAISE & THE ALCHEMY OF GRIEF | Free Radical Podcast #67 | Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer April 1, 2026

    🌿 This episode holds some very tender terrain, including the loss of a child to suicide. If this is close to your heart, we invite you to listen at your own pace, honoring whatever arises within you. If needed, you might set it down and return when the time feels right.🌿 With that in mind, we invite you into a deeply moving and quietly evocative conversation on the Free Radical Podcast with award-winning poet, teacher, and speaker Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. A lifelong writer and co-host of "Emerging Form", Rosemerry has been devoted to the daily practice of poetry since 2006—a steady ritual that became a lifeline following the loss of her teenage son in 2021. In this intimate and expansive episode, Rosemerry opens a doorway into her creative path, her daily poems from "A Hundred Falling Veils," and her audio series "The Poetic Path." Drawing from her celebrated collections "All the Honey" and "The Unfolding," and her work as Poet Laureate for Evermore, she invites us into the subtle terrain where grief softens into wonder, where language becomes a bridge, and where the ordinary shimmers with quiet revelation. Together, we wander through questions of how to live and create in the face of the unknown—how to listen more deeply, to trust what unfolds, and to meet life with a courageous, open heart. This is a conversation that moves like a current beneath the surface, weaving loss and beauty, vulnerability and presence, into something both tender and enduring. Tune in, take a breath, and step into a space where poetry becomes a way of being—and where each moment holds the possibility of meaning, connection, and quiet transformation. 👉 Connect Further with Bhakti Lalita devi YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/BhaktiLalitaDD FB: https://www.facebook.com/BLalitaDD IG: https://www.instagram.com/bhakti_lalita_devi https://youtu.be/hmNwjgIAjSQ ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 43m
  6. The Feminine Heart of Love | Free Radical Podcast #66 | Bhakti Lalita Devi  3/18/26

    Mar 18

    The Feminine Heart of Love | Free Radical Podcast #66 | Bhakti Lalita Devi 3/18/26

    In this episode of the Free Radical Podcast, we sit in sacred conversation with Bhakti Lalita Devi (Goh Diwajnavi) — teacher, author, and pilgrim of the heart within the Gaudiya Vaishnava lineage. A devoted disciple of Srila Bhaktisundar Govinda Maharaj, the Acharya of Sri Caitanya Sarasvat Math, she spent nearly two decades in India in intimate service to her Gurudeva, acting as his personal correspondent secretary and absorbing the subtle currents of devotion that flowed through his presence. In 1996, in a gesture both tender and revolutionary, her guru offered her the sacred saffron brahmachari cloth — a first for a woman in their lineage — and bestowed upon her the name Bhakti Lalita Devi, sealing her life in dedication to divine love. Now residing in Chiang Mai, Thailand, she moves between continents as a quiet emissary of grace — encouraging hearts, steadying faith, and sharing the inner culture of bhakti-yoga as a living, breathing path of transformation. In this episode, we explore the feminine heart of bhakti — its softness and strength, its surrender and sovereignty. Bhakti Lalita Devi speaks of her journey with her Gurudeva, of life in sacred community, of love as service, and of devotion as an ever-unfolding revelation. What emerges is not merely philosophy, but a transmission — a glimpse into a spirituality that is relational, embodied, and deeply personal. We invite you to enter this contemplative dialogue — a meeting of hearts, a meditation in conversation, an ongoing dance with reality itself. Thank you for being part of this ongoing conversation. 👉 Connect Further with Bhakti Lalita devi YT: https://www.youtube.com/user/BhaktiLalitaDD FB: https://www.facebook.com/BLalitaDD IG: https://www.instagram.com/bhakti_lalita_devi https://youtu.be/hmNwjgIAjSQ ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 49m
  7. Awakening From the Mechanical Self | Free Radical Podcast #65 | Theodore Nottingham  3/4/26

    Mar 4

    Awakening From the Mechanical Self | Free Radical Podcast #65 | Theodore Nottingham 3/4/26

    Enter into a sacred conversation at the crossroads of ancient wisdom and living awakening. In this luminous gathering on the Free Radical Podcast, Swami Padmanabha welcomes author, mystic, and Fourth Way teacher Theodore Nottingham for a meeting that feels less like an interview and more like a recognition between kindred souls. With over four decades devoted to the inner path—and author of more than 30 books, including The Spiritual Origins of the Fourth Way: Reuniting the Lost Fragments of a Sacred Teaching—Theodore brings the depth of a lifetime steeped in Christian mysticism and the transformative fire of conscious practice. Together, they wander into the holy terrain of mystery: the trembling edge between fear and intimacy, the sacred ache for the Divine, and the courage it takes to truly see oneself. From the stillness of self-observation to the living current of presence and attention, this dialogue invites us to remember what has been forgotten—to gather the scattered fragments of ancient traditions and rediscover their shared, radiant source. This is not merely a discussion, but an invocation: a call to return to the roots of spiritual life, to embrace the unknown, and to walk the pilgrim’s path with sincerity, vulnerability, and wonder. If your heart longs for depth, authenticity, and the quiet fire of inner transformation, we invite you to step into this sacred exchange. Thank you for being part of this ongoing conversation. 👉 Connect Further with Ted Nottingham Site https://www.tednottingham.com/ IG  @nottinghamted https://youtu.be/HDWyZooik6o ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 47m
  8. Poets, Protest & the Power of Sacred Song | Free Radical Podcast 64 | Bali Rico - 2/18/26

    Feb 18

    Poets, Protest & the Power of Sacred Song | Free Radical Podcast 64 | Bali Rico - 2/18/26

    In this heart-opening episode of the Free Radical Podcast, Swami Padmanabha sits in warm, searching dialogue with renowned Vaishnava musician, author, and sincere seeker Bali Rico. Born in the United States to Colombian parents and raised partly in the sacred atmosphere of Mayapur, Bali’s formative years unfolded amidst ashram life, devotional sound, and the living rhythms of ancient India. As co-founder of the kirtan collective Mayapuris, his innovative mridanga playing helped shape what many now recognize as the “Mayapur sound”—dynamic, immersive, and communal at heart. But Bali’s artistry does not end in kirtan. A lyricist and multi-instrumentalist, his hip hop expression carries the pulse of a born percussionist—intricate in rhythm, philosophical in depth, and confessional in tone. His music becomes a space where protest and prayer meet… where social critique reveals hidden layers of grief, longing, and sacred vulnerability. In this rich exchange, Swami Padmanabha and Bali explore: ✨ Kirtan as a social and spiritual phenomenon ✨ The necessity of communion—and the realizations we cannot reach alone✨ Growing up in a religious family while meeting the outer world ✨ Fatherhood and the inner shifts it awakens ✨ Hip hop as sacred confession and emotional truth-telling ✨ The dialogue between science and spirituality ✨ Building a mature, relatable, and sustainable spiritual life informed by multiple disciplines What unfolds is more than conversation—it is a meeting of hearts, a weaving of sound, philosophy, culture, and lived experience into a shared inquiry on what it means to be human in devotion. Thank you for being part of this ongoing conversation. 👉 Connect Further with Bali FB / balirico IG @bali.rico https://youtu.be/r6OdEsUcNmw?si=QN9NlyXTBbmaTjoi ▶ CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION: Gaudiya Reform Forum on Facebook . ~ Swami Padmanabha’s Channels ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ YOUTUBE ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ WEBSITE ▶ PURCHASE RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats on Amazon ▶ WRITE your REVIEW of RADICAL PERSONALISM ~ Tadatmya Sangha’s Channels ▶ WEBSITE ▶ FACEBOOK ▶ INSTAGRAM ▶ YOUTUBE

    1h 40m

Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

The Free Radical Podcast is a creative encounter among like-minded and like-hearted spirits, regardless of their background or affiliation—or even non-affiliation. Following the call of our 21st Century spirituality, we embrace a trans-institutional commitment to spirituality rather than an institutionalized version of it. It is not so much about the demarkation of buildings but the exploration of hearts, not so much about fitting in but about deeply belonging—not so much about mere holiness but about wholeness as well. And it is the freedom born in the fire of these shared hearts who deeply belong to a process of becoming fully whole, fully persons, that creates the sacred space to step into new ways of being, deeper ways of being, radical—to the core—ways of being….and being what?….Being fully integrated individuals, whose humanity contextualizes their spirituality.Swami Padmanabha is an author, monk, and spiritual mentor who has just published his second book, called "Radical Personalism: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion." The format of the podcast is not an interview as much as spontaneous exploration in dialogue, encouraging a multi-trait interdisciplinary method of approaching how we understand something—of looking at it from different angles and perspectives. We don’t expect to agree on everything with each person, but we do expect to use our differences as a way to approach each other, rather than an excuse for further distancing. The time has come to let down the draw bridges and learn how to deeply relate with ourselves, each other, and the world in meaningful ways. This experience of mutual enlightenment can be also called “Collective Introspection.” This joint reflection is probably “the highest form of worship and communion. Restricted to the individual, this power of reflection remains limited and rudimentary. It is only in connection to kindred spirits that we can discover our own depth and wholeness. In other words, the deepest form of reflection can be developed only in communion with others. It is essentially a social phenomenon.” (excerpt from Radical Personalism: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion”). The Free Radical Podcast attempts to invoke sacred space and sacred conversation through deep expressive exchanges with like-minded souls with whom we share one same purpose in mind and heart, that purpose being to align our lives with the loving will of the Sweet Absolute, and to compassionately point to those things that need to be addressed for that miracle to continue happening in each of us. Please join the conversation. It won’t be the same without you.

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