This week's guests on Speaking Freely's Series: Religion and Spirituality

Brian Finnerty - U.S. communications director for the Catholic organization Opus Dei. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opus_Dei

David Rynick - Zen Master, practicing Zen Buddhism for over 30 years.

Speaking Freely presents a Special Series on Religion and Spirituality.

Jan 15: Dr. Alan Hodder - Professor of religion and literature Hampshire College. | Dr. Llewellyn - world renowned Sufi teacher, author, and lecturer.

Jan 22: Father Thomas Keating, Trappist monk and former Abbot, St Joseph's Abbey. | Rabbi Simon Jacobson - publisher of the talks of Rabbi Menachan M. Schneerson.

Jan 29: Philip Goldberg - author of the book American Veda. | Brother Satyananda - monk with the Self Realization Fellowship of Paramahansa Yogananda.

Feb 5: Brian Finnerty - U.S. communications director for Opus Dei. | David Rynick - Zen Master, practicing Zen Buddhism for over 30 years.

Feb 12:  Mike Otterson -  director of media relations the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. | Swami Atmavidyananda - swami of the Ramakrishna Order of India.

Master artist/instructor/curator William Teeple, founder and director of ICON Gallery in Fairfield, IA.

Philip Goldberg has been studying India's spiritual traditions for over forty years. He is the author of 19 books, his most recent being, American Veda. Mr Goldberg's blogs appear regularly in the Huffington Post.

Speaking Freely's Series on Religion and Spirituality continues this week with:

Zen Master, David Rynick, has been studying and practicing Zen Buddhism for over thirty years. Mr Rynick is the founder of Boundless Way Zen and is the author of the forthcoming book, This Truth Never Fails - A Zen Memoir in 4 Seasons.

Philip Goldberg is the author, novelist, and screenwrither. His latest book is, American Veda, How Indian Spirituality Changed the West. The Huffington Post named American Veda one of the top ten books on religion for 2010.

Starting Tuesday April 17, Speaking Freely will be running a series on Religion and Sprirituality. Guests include: Father Thomas Keating - world renowned Trappist Monk; Alan Hodder - Professor of Religion and Literature at Hamphshire College; Michael Otterson - international spokesman for the Mormon Church; Brian Finnerty - spokesman for Opus Dei; Swami Atmavidyananda of the Vedanta Society; Rabbi Simon Jacobson - associate of the Lubavitcher Rebbe; Radanath Swami of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness; Philip Goldberg - author of American Veda; Dr. Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee, Sufi teacher and author of Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi  Mysticism; Brother Satyananda of the Self Realization Fellowship; Donald Ingwerson - spokesman for Church of Christ, Scientist. (Additional guests will be scheduled).

In our fast paced, ever changing world, patience is often our most needed, but least cultivated virtue. Allan Lokos is the founder and guiding teacher of New York City's Community Meditation Center. His book "Patience: The Art of Peaceful Living" lays out a compelling and helpful path to deeper patience. Drawing on Lokos many years as a Buddhist practitioner and teacher, as well as interviews from a wide range of people who have had their patience dramatically tested, this book provides a realistic approach to becoming calmer and happier with one's self, in relationships, at work, and with the world.

Don't miss out on this very inspirational Writers' Voices!

New York Times bestselling author, Sophy Burnham, makes a visit to this week's Writers' Voices. Sophy's most famous book, "A Book of Angels", has recently been re-released. The book is an exploration of angels through a vast collection of stories, history, and literature related to human encounters with angels.

Sophy's most recent book is "The Art of Intuition". This book explores many facets of intuition; what it is, why it's important, and how to have more of it. 

This week Writers' Voices explores spirituality and other cultures.

Poet and author Susan Klauber discusses her newest book "Sound of the Sacred Beads: A Poet’s Journey into India". The book follows Susan's journeys through India and its holiest places. She explores the people, culture, ancient wisdom, and mystery that she finds there. Since 1983, Susan has been based in Fairfield where she writes and pursues her interest in creating a better world through spiritual development.

Join hosts Monica Hadley and Caroline Kilbourn for another enlightening conversation.

J. Carolos Aguirre, originally scheduled as the second guest on this week's show, has been postponed until sometime in 2011. Stay tuned for further announcements :)

The Possibility of Everything,examines how an otherwise mainstream mother finds herself making the rather unorthodox choice to take her three-year old daughter to Mayan healers in Belize. The Possibility of Everything chronicles the magical week in Central America that transformed Edelman from a person believing only in the visible and the "proven" to someone open to the idea of larger, unseen forces. Tune in to Writers’Voices on KRUU 100.1 FM this Friday, July 23, at 1 pm Central Time or Monday July 26, 8 am to hear this rebroadcast of Monica and Caroline's interview with nonfiction author Hope Edelman . Edelman’s books include bestsellers Motherless Daughters (1994) and Motherless Mothers (2006). Her articles and reviews have appeared in publications ranging from the New York Times to Seventeen, and her essays have appeared in numerous anthologies, including The Bitch in the House (2002).

Please send your healing thoughts to Dr. David Simon, Chopra Center co-founder when you tune in this Friday, June 25, 1pm Central for this pre-recorded interview hosted by Monica Hadley and Caroline Kilbourn.

Earlier this week, Dr. Simon underwent surgery for a brain tumor.  As poignant as his discussion of his latest book, "Free to Love, Free to Heal" was when we first spoke with him, it is even more so now.  You can follow Dr. Simon's recuperation and express your wishes for his recovery at www.lovefordavid.com.

Dr. David Simon is a board-certified neurologist and pioneer in the medical field. His personal mission is to facilitate the integration of complementary and conventional medicine in the 21st century. Since he began his association with Deepak Chopra, M.D. in the 1980’s, Dr. Simon has become one of the nation’s foremost authorities on effective and appropriate use of holistic health care practices, specifically ayurveda – the 5,000-year-old healing tradition of India.

In his role as medical director for the Chopra Center, Dr. Simon continues to research and develop clinical programs in mind-body medicine. He directs a comprehensive curriculum that includes on-site seminars and workshops, in addition to a worldwide educational outreach enterprise. Dr. Simon is the driving force behind the Chopra Center’s development, training, and implementation of the Center’s flagship programs Perfect Health, Journey into Healing, Primordial Sound Meditation, Seduction of Spirit, Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga, and Free to Love, Free to Heal.