COMING SOON!
A new SCP offering, Loving-Awareness: Awakening the Heartmind through the Path of Grace, offers an overview of the path of Love with accessible practices and a collection of awakening and healing stories to aid the spiritual journey.
This book is regenerative: all money raised from sales go directly to support SCP in its mission to “lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices.” Anyone who asks will be given a free digital copy, and those imprisoned within the US carceral system will be mailed a physical book.
BOOK PROGRESS
Collecting Stories
First Draft
Cover Art
Editing
Book Art
MEET THE TEAM
The Loving-Awareness book is truly a community effort. Scroll down to meet the ever-growing team…
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Lead Author and Editor
Sitaram Dass (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is a kirtan singer, workshop leader, clinical social worker, published author, and spiritual counselor. As the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to provide affordable, free, and donation-based offerings as a praxis of Sacred Community. His first book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path. Learn more about Sitaram Dass at: sitaramdass.com
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Book Design, Art, and Cover
Beverly Hsu (she/they) is here to make art and delight in God—in all their forms. Inspired and guided by Ram Dass’s teaching that “social action happens heart to heart to heart,” she is exploring how we connect hearts through art, conscious design, and service. Some of her ideas and creations are shared at beverlyhsu.com ✨
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
(Listed alphabetically by last name)
Swapnil Abrol (he/him) discovered the Bhakti tradition through a formal Amazonian shamanic apprenticeship. Through connecting with Maharajji, he found himself returning to his once neglected Hindu roots. Now following the path of Bhakti yoga, he deepens his practice through devotional musical expression. Also an active participant in the world of business, Swapnil enjoys learning new ways of bringing love and compassion into worldly situations.
Megan “Janaki” Barbush is a trauma-informed yoga teacher with certifications in Baptiste Power Yoga and Yin. She specializes as a caregiver to developmentally disabled adults and offers spiritual support and mentorship. Her simple intention is to create an environment where beings from all walks of life can feel included, safe, and Loved.
Greg “Aditya Das” Barbush is a longtime contributor of the food service industry, a youth martial arts instructor, community volunteer, and certified mindfulness meditation teacher through Dharma Moon & Tibet House US. He has a passion for cultivating relationships with incarcerated individuals through spiritual support and letter writing and believes the best thing we can offer another human being is our own open heart.
Chris Beaudry is a father, farmer, mentor, and public speaker from Saskatchewan, Canada. He was a coach with the 2017/18 Humboldt Broncos, a junior hockey team that was involved in a tragic bus accident that killed 16 people and injured 13 others. Since then, Chris has been practicing heavily in the areas of Devotional Bhakti and Mahayana Buddhism. He has a background in Dr. Gabor Mate’s Compassionate Inquiry, Buddhist psychology, grief and trauma support, and Toltec wisdom, and he is on the board of the Living Dying Project
zander cole (they/them) is guided by sacred wisdom traditions and offers kirtan, film, music, and art in the journey toward collective liberation. The heart of zander's services lies in singing the divine names during kirtan, and they have chanted alongside globally-recognized kirtan wallahs. They are the community organizer for the Sacred Community Project, a part of the Brooklyn Kirtan Collective, and they also tutor for the NYC Children’s Dyslexia Center.
Steven “Stever” Dallmann is a spiritual practitioner, writer, teacher, and licensed psychotherapist. In 2008 he founded the non-profit Liberation Institute in San Francisco, a community organization with an innovative model of offering mental health services to the entire community regardless of income. Stever currently resides and practices on the island of Maui in Hawaii, from where he continues to guide the ever expanding Liberation Institute and is deeply involved in Hanuman Maui (The Ram Dass Loving Awareness Sanctuary), Aloha in Action, and various community and writing projects.
Pavan Das is a multi-media artist, mindfulness teacher, and nonprofit leader. He resides on Maui where he serves on the board of Hanuman Maui: Ram Dass Loving Awareness Sanctuary. His time with spiritual leaders, like Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh, informs his commitment to fostering resilience and community through contemplative and devotional practices.
Priti Durga was born and raised in India and moved to the United States at age 27. A devoted student of Ram Dass, she serves as an “End of Life” companion at hospices in America and is actively involved with non-profit shelters in India that serve the old, dying, and unhoused elders. Some of her sources of joy are chanting and listening to music, spending time in nature, and her two incredibly supportive daughters.
Anna Le (She/They) is a Vietnamese-American, Bay Area native, and psychotherapist. She is a Bhakta, student of Ram Dass, and devotee of Neem Karoli Baba “Maharajji”. She utilizes compassion-based practices, mindfulness, and various spiritual modalities through a trauma-informed lens to heal others. She is interested in alleviating collective suffering and aiding in collective liberation. She holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Sonoma State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from University California, Davis.
Karla Montero (she/her) is a Self-Love coach, mindfulness meditation teacher, artist, public speaker, and skilled group facilitator. As a Maharajji devotee and student of Ram Dass, she embraces the spiritual journey through service, laughter, and play. Satsang is where she continues to find her heart and feels free to practice telling the truth and finding laughter even in tough moments. As a group facilitator she creates nurturing spaces for heart connection and self expression. She uses her social media platform to share her personal Self-Love journey guided by Ram Dass’s words, “I can do nothing for you but work on myself. You can do nothing for me but work on yourself.”
A dedicated yogi, devotee of Neem Karoli Baba (Maharaji-ji), and student of Ram Dass, Jai Ram Lentine is beloved by the world-wide Ram Dass satsang and a leader in the Atlanta yoga and chanting community. Jai Ram became close to Ram Dass between 2015 and his death, traveling to Maui many times to be with him. Ram Dass gave him the name Jai Ram (Victory to the One) on the Summer Solstice in 2018. Jai Ram co-founded the non-profit Nandi Dass with his life partner, David Ault, which brings spiritual teachings to seekers, especially the young. He serves on the organizing committee of Chantlanta, an all-volunteer run chanting festival that generates money for charity. He has a master's degree in Public Health from Emory University, and serves humankind as a policy analyst at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention where he leads Congressional relations. He is the proud father of two daughters, both in university.
Arjuna O'Neal, MBA, is a Men's Leadership Coach, Public Speaker, Certified Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor, Youth Mentor, and founding director of Share Necessities, a nonprofit organization teaching mindfulness, yoga, and wellness to at-risk youth in South Central LA. In 2019, Arjuna was recognized as a Non-Violence Peace Ambassador by the City of Los Angeles for his nonprofit's community development efforts and 20,000 hours of field experience. He is also a Grammy nominated percussionist for multicultural music, and his favorite self-care practices include gardening, time in nature, meditation & yoga, fitness, and watching nature documentaries.
Vasu Jon Seskevich is a lifelong student of meditation and practitioner of mind-body medicine, nursing and healing. He helped create the Duke University Hospital Stress Management Consult Team and has been a pioneer in integrating therapies that build resiliency. Now retired, he has seen over 40,000 patient consults throughout his career, helping people to skillfully navigate the sufferings and joys of life, right up to their last breath.
Nikki Walton is a best-selling and NAACP Image Award-nominated author, licensed psychotherapist, and host of the popular daily show, 'GoOD Mornings with CurlyNikki', and the Spotify Original 'Meditation with CurlyNikki'. With features in the New York Times, People, and Forbes, she is actively helping the world wake up to and AS Love.