Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck with David Nichtern

Dr. Sará King and Kierstin Gray join The CSM Podcast to discuss their tech company, MindHeart AI, which uses an interactive map of human awareness for personal health and planetary well-being.
MindHeart AI is a liberatory technology company centering the neuroscience of well being as a catalyst for intergenerational planetary healing. Utilizing the Systems Based Awareness Map, the world’s first interactive map of human awareness, they are building a scalable, equitable platform combined with experiences that they call MindHeart Activations - in person events that support collective healing through combining culturally relevant forms of somatics, contemplative practices, land-based rituals and retreats, music and art. MindHeart AI is designed to create an infrastructure of care as a loving response to the rising loneliness, stress, isolation and depression experienced across the world.
In this episode, David, Sará and Kierstin:
Taking responsibility for the technology we create
Reducing the harm that human beings are doing to the planet and each other
AI as a reflection of ourselves for better understanding of our emotions and identity
The way that humans influence AI, for better and worse
Empowering others to create MindHeart Activations in their community
The connection between water scarcity, trauma, and AI
Dr. Sará’s contribution to the documentary Every Living Thing
Holding collective grief and sadness while still tapping into our agency
Join Dharma Moon’s for a free online talk about embodied wisdom on Thursday May 14th or sign up for their 100-hour course on teaching mindfulness meditation
About Dr. Sará King:
Dr. Sará King is a Mother, a neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, medical anthropologist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and certified yoga and meditation instructor. She is an internationally recognized thought leader in the interdisciplinary field that examines the relationship between complementary alternative medicine, social justice, art, and mindfulness from the perspective of neuroscience. Dr. King is the co-founder of MindHeart AI.
Keep up with Dr. King on Instagram or HERE
About Kierstin Gray:
Kierstin Grey is the program director at Argodesign and the co-founder of MindHeart AI. She is a consultant specializing in using technology and service design thinking principles to bring about transformative change for her clients. She has designed a framework that centers around the building of narratives that use existing talents and skills within an organization to enable innovative change to resolve business problems. Combined with the best practices of design and delivery, she helps businesses implement products and projects that meet their business objectives and cultivate deeper and more efficient engagement with customers.
“If we’re confused, AI is going to be confused. That’s the reason why it's important for us to be clear on who we are, what we believe, who we value, how we love, how we relate to each other—those things influence how we design emergent technologies like AI.” –Kierstin Gray
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Author and executive Bryan Welch shares how the grief of losing his child profoundly reshaped his heart, deepening his capacity for connection and compassion toward others.
Grab a copy of Bryan’s book, The Gift of a Broken Heart, HERE
In this episode, David and Bryan chat about:
How grief can transform us in a beautiful way
Bryan’s journey through the loss of his son, Noah
Developing a deeper sense of compassion through Buddhism
Grief as a bridge of connection between ourselves and others
Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable
Narratives of our own safety as narratives of superiority
Forgiveness and considering how the ego wants to be responsible
Our involuntary reactions to grief, when compared to those of animals
Permission to cry & the relief we can feel from allowing emotions to wash over us
Sign up for Dharma Moon’s upcoming 8-week Buddhist Psychology Course HERE.
About Bryan Welch:
Bryan Welch is an author, business executive, farmer, and entrepreneur. For nineteen years, from its founding, he ran Ogden Publications, Mother Earth News, Mother Earth Living, Utne Reader, and several other leading media brands focused on sustainability and natural health. More recently, he served as co-CEO of Silk Grass Holdings, a family office developing 32,000 acres of regenerative organic farms and wildlife preserves in Belize. He was founder and CEO of B The Change Media, a multiplatform media company focused on business as a force for good in the world; and was CEO of Mindful Communications, a media and corporate meditation-training company; and CEO of Foster Care Technologies, a B Corporation that provides software that improves placements of children in foster care. Welch has served on the boards of the Silk Grass Farms, the Magazine Publishers Association, the Social Venture Network, Down Home Ranch Foundation, and several nonprofits. He has also served on corporate boards of directors and advisory boards of companies involved in natural foods, agriculture, food processing, e-commerce, corporate training, and the media. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied at the Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School. As a Buddhist, Welch is a longtime meditator and advocate for mindfulness practices. Keep up with Bryan on Facebook and check out thegiftofabrokenheart.com.
“I spent some energy over the course of my life separating myself psychologically from the suffering from others, from the potential for my own suffering, and when I was up against it, I didn’t have those reasons to separate myself any longer. I felt a new sense of kinship with other people who were suffering. It occurred to me that as part of the healing, I wanted to see if I could preserve the new warmth I felt, the new openheartedness I felt. When your child dies of mental illness and addiction, you don’t want the pain and turmoil to be their legacy.” –Bryan Welch
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Blending creativity, business, and parenthood, Jonathan and Miya Eden join David Nichtern to discuss bringing stories to life through animation.
Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.
In this episode, David, Jonathan and Miya explore:
How Jonathan and Miya met and became both personal and creative collaborators
The process of animating and creating content for Pengwee and Ruby
Animating meditative processes and a modified story of the Buddha
The impact of Miya’s late grandmother on her life and creative process
A special hello from Arthur, Miya and Jonathan’s young son
How to hold space for career development, creative pursuits, and being a parent
The business side of creative work and dealing with finances, problem-solving, etc.
Why creativity and bringing entertainment to others is so important to Jonathan
About Jonathan and Miya Eden:
With a degree in Character Animation from the California Institute of Arts (CalArts 2012) Jonathan Eden has over a decade of rich experience in the field of Animation. Working currently as an Animator for Comedy Central's Emmy-winning South Park, Jonathan has a history of prestigious work from large networks which include Disney, Hasbro, and HBO; as well as animating projects for the New York Times, Thom Browne, and Cubcoats. Miya, a professional dancer, choreographer, and director, came together with Jonathan to help create quality animation content for Strawberry Moons Media. You can learn more about Jonathan and Miya’s other creative projects, HERE at Nobody Couple Studios.
Check out Strawberry Moons Media on YouTube, where you can find access to entertainment with meaning, mindful living tips, and mindful lessons for children.
About David Nichtern:
David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings, integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy Award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and an honorary member of the Bhakti community.
“For me, creativity is about expressing yourself and your unique view and doing it in a way that can bring either joy or entertainment to others. Seeing people react to something I’ve animated or a drawing is a great feeling, it’s something you’ve uniquely created with your perspective that no one else can do.” –Jonathan Eden
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Discussing their newest project, Strawberry Moons Media, David Nichtern and Debbie Nutley get into how they truly merged creativity with spirituality and ‘making a buck’.
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.
This time on the CSM Podcast, David and Debbie share about:
The creation of Strawberry Moons Media as a hub for conscious creators and spiritual storytellers
Having a ‘sky view’ perspective while also staying grounded and executing dreams here on earth
Experiencing Buddhism and meditation in a way that is accessible, engaging, and entertaining
Debbie’s inspiration behind Pengwee and Ruby, two mindful penguin best friends who teach compassion and playfulness
How music bypasses the logical mind, opening the door to intuition and emotional depth
Rediscovering our natural state as intuitive, spiritual beings
Breaking down superficiality to reconnect with the sacred and the beyond
Check out Strawberry Moons Media on YouTube, where you can find access to entertainment with meaning, mindful living tips, and mindful lessons for children. You can also keep up with Strawberry Moons on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok.
About Debbie Nutley:
Debbie Nutley is an award-winning children's picture book author, certified meditation instructor and trained to teach mindfulness to children. Her picture books, Pengwee's Breath and Ruby's Heart Song, both contain engaging stories involving two adorable and best friend penguins. Each story weaves lessons of mindfulness and social-emotional learning. Always finding inspiration in music, Debbie collaborated with composer and songwriter Wells Hanley to create a musical rendition of the signature song embedded in the story of Ruby's Heart Song. Debbie has a large extended family with a cadre of kids. Eons ago, Debbie was an accomplished attorney and human resources leader. Then she sat still for a moment, took a few mindful breaths, and forged a path of purpose-driven and creative endeavors. Keep up with Debbie on her Instagram and learn more about her books on her website.
“The whole reason why I decided to publish children’s books about mindfulness, and Pengwee and Ruby are these adorable, mindful, heart-centered penguins, they’re best friends, the whole reason I did it is because I thought it would be great for kids to learn about mindfulness at a young age. That it would be a better world if every kid knew about this stuff.” –Debbie Nutley
About David Nichtern:
David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy Award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and an honorary member of the Bhakti community.
Move from practitioner to teacher via Dharma Moon’s 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training,or, consider a year long Buddhist Studies certificate with Ethan Nichtern.
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Dissecting the process of her book, The Power of Meaning, Emily Esfahani Smith joins David to explore bringing depth to our lives via belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling.
Pick up Emily's book, The Power of Meaning, HERE.
This time on the CSM Podcast, David and Emily discuss:
Positive Psychology: shifting from a focus on what’s wrong to the science of well-being and human flourishing
How connecting to something greater than ourselves can lead to self-transcendence and deeper meaning
What scientific research reveals about activities that create a meaningful life
Making intentional, values-aligned choices instead of following external pressures
Emily’s four pillars of meaning: belonging, purpose, transcendence, and storytelling
Finding true community and belonging without reinforcing exclusion or “othering”
How cultural values are evolving toward greater empathy, compassion, and collective care
The bodhicitta aspiration: working toward the end of suffering for all beings
Start your journey from meditation practitioner to meditation guide via Dharma Moon’s course, Deepening Your Practice to Teach or step on into their 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training.
About Emily Esfahani Smith:
Emily Esfahani Smith is the author of The Power of Meaning. A psychotherapist and writer, her articles have appeared in The Atlantic, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Her TED Talk, 'There's more to life than being happy,' has been viewed over 15 million times." Learn more on Emily’s website.
“The more I got into the research, the more that I saw that maybe it’s not happiness that we should be pursuing and glorifying, but maybe it’s this concept of leading a meaningful life.” – Emily Esfahani Smith
About David Nichtern:
David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy Award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and an honorary member of the Bhakti community.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.