The Spiritual Ninja Podcast

What would make someone walk away from a promising music career to become a monk? In this episode of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt sits down with Dr. Neale Lundgren to explore his extraordinary journey from professional musician to Benedictine monk, a path shaped by spiritual literature, meditation, prayer, and a deeper search for meaning. Neale shares how reading the works of Herma...

What happens when you stop identifying with everything happening in your mind and simply rest in awareness? In the third and final conversation with Buddhist teacher Justin Michelson , Jonathan Hewitt explores the fourth foundation of mindfulness from the Satipatthana Sutta and the deeper freedom that can emerge through sustained mindfulness practice. After exploring the body in Episode 1 and feel...

You are not your emotions. In this second conversation with Buddhist teacher Justin Michelson, Jonathan Hewitt explores how Buddhist mindfulness can help us relate to difficult emotions without becoming consumed by them. Drawing from the Satipatthana Sutta , Justin introduces the second and third foundations of mindfulness: noticing pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feeling tones , and becoming aw...

What if the way to become more present isn't to think harder, but to come back to your body ? In this episode of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt sits down with Buddhist teacher Justin Michelson to explore the Satipatthana Sutta , one of the foundational Buddhist teachings on mindfulness. Justin explains how sati —often translated as mindfulness—can also be understood as remembering :...

How should we live? Throughout history, people across cultures, religions, and philosophies have asked this fundamental question. In this episode, Jonathan Hewitt explores a simple human moral code built around three principles: kindness toward yourself, kindness toward others, and kindness toward the environment. But kindness isn't simply about being nice. It can require courage, responsibili...

What does it mean to truly live naturally? In this episode of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt continues his conversation with Dr. Neale Lundgren about the Tao Te Ching and explores one of Taoism's deepest ideas: Ziran — living naturally, spontaneously, and in harmony with the way of life. Dr. Lundgren shares how his years as a Benedictine monk and his experiences in nature eventua...

What if the way out of stress, anxiety, and overthinking isn't to fight them—but to soften? In this episode of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast , Jonathan Hewitt continues his conversation with Dr. Neale Lundgren about the Tao Te Ching , exploring Chapter 56 and its surprisingly practical approach to finding greater peace and awareness. The passage offers a simple sequence: Close your mouth. Block...

What can the Tao Te Ching teach us about living with greater peace, harmony, and authenticity? In the first episode of Season 2 of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt sits down with Dr. Neale Lundgren to explore the wisdom of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, Qigong, nature, and the practice of living in harmony with life. Dr. Lundgren brings decades of experience with spiritual traditions, inclu...

What happens when you sit down with people from different spiritual traditions and ask how their beliefs actually shape the way they live? After an incredible first season of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt reflects on the conversations and personal stories that stayed with him most. While each guest came from a different background, many of their experiences pointed toward the same d...

In this episode of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt sits down with Tom Cedel, retired Air Force F-16 pilot, university president, educator, scientist, and lifelong student of faith, to explore one of life's biggest questions: What are we here to do? Tom's remarkable journey takes him from flying F-16s and serving in the military to earning a PhD, leading a university, mentoring...

What if your greatest struggles weren't meant to break you... but to awaken you? In this deeply meaningful conversation, Jonathan Hewitt sits down with Shanti Kelley , spiritual psychology professor, yoga therapist, and longtime student of Zen, Yoga Nidra, and non-dual philosophy, to explore one of life's biggest questions. How do we truly heal? Rather than trying to fix ourselves, Shanti...

Is meditation enough to heal emotional pain and awaken spiritually? Or is there something deeper? In this episode of the Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt sits down with meditation teacher Andrew Keaveney to explore the deeper purpose of meditation, breathwork, spiritual practice, and returning home to yourself. Andrew shares how a lifelong search for truth led him through Buddhism, contemp...

Can meditation help us heal emotionally, or does true healing require something more? In this episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt speaks with Justin Michelson about the connection between meditation, Buddhism, emotional healing, nature, and spiritual growth. Justin shares how a lifelong connection with nature led him toward meditation and Buddhist practice, and how decades of s...

In this heartfelt Spiritual Ninja Podcast episode, Jonathan Hewitt speaks with Shabana Serang, known as The Mercy Queen, about growing up with a father who taught her that spirituality begins with love, mercy, and intention rather than judgment or labels. Shabana shares how conversations with her father shaped her understanding of faith, compassion, and human connection from an early age. She refl...

In this powerful Spiritual Ninja Podcast episode, Jonathan Hewitt speaks with Vahum about his deeply personal journey from military service, combat trauma, PTSD, and emotional shutdown into bodywork, bodybuilding, spiritual awakening, surrender, and heart-centered healing. Vahum shares how serving in Iraq as part of the m ilitary bomb squad forced him to face death, fear, moral injury, and the dee...

As America approaches its 250th anniversary of freedom, Jonathan reflects on the deeper spiritual meaning of freedom and the natural human impulse to be free. True freedom is not simply having unlimited choices on the outside. Without wisdom, freedom can easily become chaos. We can become controlled by every thought, emotion, reaction, fear, habit, or outside pressure. The Spiritual Ninja path beg...

In this episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast , Jonathan Hewitt speaks with Winston Meikle about his spiritual journey, his lifelong work in nursing, and his vision for bringing more love, presence, and wisdom into healthcare. Winston shares how early experiences with meditation opened him to a deeper reality beyond the five senses, and how decades of nursing revealed moments of connection, heali...

Rabbi Dan joins Jonathan Hewitt on The Spiritual Ninja Podcast for a deep heart-to-heart conversation about J udaism, God, love, creativity, service, and the courage to live your unique spiritual path. Rabbi Dan shares how early childhood questions about death and existence opened a lifelong spiritual search. He reflects on growing up in Jewish tradition, studying philosophy, experiencing 9/11 in...

In this powerful episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan sits down with Timothy Harper, who spent 37 years and 4 months in prison before being released on September 25, 2025. Timothy shares his deeply personal spiritual journey from abuse, anger, pain, survival, and darkness to surrender, forgiveness, meditation, service, and a profound relationship with God. He speaks about becoming spir...

In this deeply moving episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast , Jonathan Hewitt speaks with Buddhist practitioner, artist, chaplain, and longtime prison meditation teacher Terry Conrad about meditation, awakening, love, compassion, and the simple but profound truth that we are already enough. Terry shares how his spiritual path began through childhood experiences in nature, exposure to Japanese art...

In this powerful episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast , Jonathan Hewitt speaks with Adam Roach, founder of ILoveCoachingCo, about the journey from outward success to deeper significance. Adam shares his story of : professional tennis business success real estate coaching fatherhood faith and the inner wake-up moments that led him to ask deeper questions: Who am I beyond performance? What does tr...

In this episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast, Jonathan Hewitt speaks with Dr. Carrie Contey, a parenting expert, coach, speaker, and Ph. D. in clinical psychology with an emphasis in prenatal and perinatal psychology. Carrie shares the childhood moment that awakened her lifelong connection to babies, children, human development, and consciousness. From holding a five-day-old newborn at age seven...

In this profound episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast, hospice physician Dr. Rohini Kanniganti shares wisdom from years of working closely with death, grief, trauma, love, and healing. We explore:• nervous system healing• spirituality beyond religion• attachment & attunement• trauma and compassion• embodied presence• the healing power of love• what dying people often teach us• and how to rec...

What does it mean to truly live from love? In this episode of The Spiritual Ninja Podcast , Jonathan sits down with S ufi teacher David Less for a deep and honest conversation about spirituality, inner transformation, and how to l ive with clarity, calm, and compassion in the real world. David shares insights from over six decades of spiritual practice, including the power of silence, breathwork,...

What is the purpose of life —and how do we actually live it? In this deeply meaningful conversation, two Montessori Masterful Guides share their personal spiritual journeys and the powerful lessons they’ve learned from decades of working with children. Together, Jonathan, Jen, & Jennifer, explore how spirituality moves beyond ideas and becomes something we live—through presence, kindness, awar...