Henry Cretella's guest appearances

Henry Cretella

Unraveling Religion

Phil Borges

Sara Hughes

Hilary Weaver

Bill Pruitt

Rich Grego

Lisa Carley Hotaling

Chris Barbera

Vicki Ross

Rabbi Micha Odenheimer

Maj Ragain

Micha Odenheimer

Joel Lesses

Bettie Scullin

Graham Sears

OwlTail

In this epsode recorded for Alchemical Dialogues, Henry Cretella inteviews Joel about the arts, and how they are instrumental in creating change within ourselves and in the world. The relationship of inner and outer reflects a unity in the mystical experience. Henry and Joel talk about a particular immersion in poetry, and for Joel, this art form is an expression of humanity’s mystical longing. Joel also explores other avenues of change through his podcasts on Unraveling Religion, his commitment to revisioning our conception of mental health issues and treatment, his spiritual practices, and reflecting on his own personal journey. Join us and dive into the change that we all long to embody. [Note this verison is slightly edited from the Alchemical Dialogues post of the same episode]  Link for Alchemical Dialogues: https://www.amberlightinternational.org/podcast/ Alchemical Dialogues are live and unscripted conversations recorded on Zoom brought to you by the great folks of Amber Light International. We choose topics from our current social and cultural climate, with an emphasis on humanism and spirituality. Bio on Alchemical Dialogues: Joel David Lesses crafts poems about the landscape of our mind and life, capturing the mystical and spiritual elements of being human. He explores our humanness and resilience in the face of true suffering, overcoming these with the transformative power of self-inquiry, introspection, contemplative, and meditative practices. Joel grounds our human experience and spiritual realms in poetry. He has lived in Nepal and Israel, and now resides in Western New York. Joel was previously voted ‘Buffalo’s Best Poet’, founded WNY’s ‘Ground and Sky Poetry Series’, and created the podcast Unraveling Religion, which explores world mysticism and spirituality. His autobiography, Odyssey of Autumn’s Breath, is in-progress, and combines much of his life’s poetry with prose​.​

In this epsode recorded for Alchemical Dialogues, Henry Cretella inteviews Joel about the arts, and how they are instrumental in creating change within ourselves and in the world. The relationship of inner and outer reflects a unity in the mystical experience. Henry and Joel talk about a particular immersion in poetry, and for Joel, this art form is an expression of humanity’s mystical longing. Joel also explores other avenues of change through his podcasts on Unraveling Religion, his commitment to revisioning our conception of mental health issues and treatment, his spiritual practices, and reflecting on his own personal journey. Join us and dive into the change that we all long to embody. [Note this verison is slightly edited from the Alchemical Dialogues post of the same episode]  Link for Alchemical Dialogues: <a href="https://www.amberlightinternational.org/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.amberlightinternational.org/podcast/</a> Alchemical Dialogues are live and unscripted conversations recorded on Zoom brought to you by the great folks of Amber Light International. We choose topics from our current social and cultural climate, with an emphasis on humanism and spirituality.  Bio on Alchemical Dialogues: Joel David Lesses crafts poems about the landscape of our mind and life, capturing the mystical and spiritual elements of being human. He explores our humanness and resilience in the face of true suffering, overcoming these with the transformative power of self-inquiry, introspection, contemplative, and meditative practices. Joel grounds our human experience and spiritual realms in poetry. He has lived in Nepal and Israel, and now resides in Western New York. Joel was previously voted ‘Buffalo’s Best Poet’, founded WNY’s ‘Ground and Sky Poetry Series’, and created the podcast Unraveling Religion, which explores world mysticism and spirituality. His autobiography, Odyssey of Autumn’s Breath, is in-progress, and combines much of his life’s poetry with prose​.​


                The Unity of Mysticism: The Micro and Macro Landscape Of Existence Posted With Henry Cretella and Joel Lesses
            

In this walk and spontanous talk through a local neighborhood and nearby meadow in Rochester, NY, Henry and Joel discuss Henry's path and development in spirituality, syncretism, Indiginous teachings, studying shamanism, forces in Nature, Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and what called him to his path. While walking, rustling leaves, Henry and Joel explore synchronicities, his guides and teachers, lessons, and opening to deepening his human experience, beyond his life as a successful Psychiatrist. Also talked about were the development of Amber Light International and Alchemical Dialogues and the classes and impact they offer, how to manifest through study of desire, wish, and will, connecting to community and the connection to the Universal practices found in Sufism, including life's teachings and lessons personal to Henry.  As a lifelong student of humanism and seeking the freedom many traditions and paths of spirituality offer, Henry and Joel explore the universal aspects of the different paths in our shared human experience. Henry Cretella is a retired psychiatrist and an active spiritual guide and teacher.  In addition to a traditional psychiatric practice, he also trained with James Gordon, M.D. in mind-body medicine and incorporated this into his psychiatric teaching.  He spent close to 20 years intensively studying and teaching in the universal sufi tradition of the Indian mystic, Inayt Khan, becoming a senior teacher before deciding to pursue his interestsindependent of any organization.  Henry feels it is important now to integrate what each person finds useful from whatever traditions to which they are exposed as long as this is done respectfully and holistically. Each of us is responsible for creating our own connection with a power greater than ourselves and with each other.  We are now in an era of collaboration and mutual enrichment rather than exclusion, possessiveness, and top-down paternalistic approaches.   He and his partner Kathleen formed Amber Light International, a non-profit vehicle through which they teach, guide, offer retreats, workshops and classes revolving around mysticism and humanism.  No membership is required.  Though the mystical emphasis is primarily sufi, there are significant elements of other mystical traditions as well, integrated with explorations in psychology, philosophy, science, and medicine to help us understand and better direct our evolution.  He hosts his own podcast, Alchemical Dialogues, through Amber Light.  Check out their offerings at amberlightinternational.org.

In this walk and spontanous talk through a local neighborhood and nearby meadow in Rochester, NY, Henry and Joel discuss Henry's path and development in spirituality, syncretism, Indiginous teachings, studying shamanism, forces in Nature, Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and what called him to his path. While walking, rustling leaves, Henry and Joel explore synchronicities, his guides and teachers, lessons, and opening to deepening his human experience, beyond his life as a successful Psychiatrist. Also talked about were the development of Amber Light International and Alchemical Dialogues and the classes and impact they offer, how to manifest through study of desire, wish, and will, connecting to community and the connection to the Universal practices found in Sufism, including life's teachings and lessons personal to Henry.  As a lifelong student of humanism and seeking the freedom many traditions and paths of spirituality offer, Henry and Joel explore the universal aspects of the different paths in our shared human experience. Henry Cretella is a retired psychiatrist and an active spiritual guide and teacher.  In addition to a traditional psychiatric practice, he also trained with James Gordon, M.D. in mind-body medicine and incorporated this into his psychiatric teaching.  He spent close to 20 years intensively studying and teaching in the universal sufi tradition of the Indian mystic, Inayt Khan, becoming a senior teacher before deciding to pursue his interestsindependent of any organization.  Henry feels it is important now to integrate what each person finds useful from whatever traditions to which they are exposed as long as this is done respectfully and holistically. Each of us is responsible for creating our own connection with a power greater than ourselves and with each other.  We are now in an era of collaboration and mutual enrichment rather than exclusion, possessiveness, and top-down paternalistic approaches.   He and his partner Kathleen formed Amber Light International, a non-profit vehicle through which they teach, guide, offer retreats, workshops and classes revolving around mysticism and humanism.  No membership is required.  Though the mystical emphasis is primarily sufi, there are significant elements of other mystical traditions as well, integrated with explorations in psychology, philosophy, science, and medicine to help us understand and better direct our evolution.  He hosts his own podcast, Alchemical Dialogues, through Amber Light.  Check out their offerings at <a href="http://amberlightinternational.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amberlightinternational.org</a>.


                Honoring Traditions and 'The Deep River Flow' Of Life, Walking An Autumn Path, Making It One's Own: A Talk With Henry Cretella, MD On Spiritual Development 
            