The Sweet Spot Podcasts

Essence of Tantric Sexuality

Length-24 minutes, 40 seconds

Dr. Lara Honos-Webb host of the Sweet Spot Podcast, interviews Mark Michaels (Swami Umeshanand Saraswati) and Patricia Johnson (Devi Veenanand) authors of Essence of Tantric Sexuality published by Llewellyn Publications.

Patricia Johnson and Mark Michaels

Mark Michaels (Swami Umeshanand Saraswati) and Patricia Johnson (Devi Veenanand)a devoted married couple who have been teaching Tantra and Kriya Yoga together since 1999. Their popular workshops have been featured in several publications, including the Village Voice, Now magazine, and Breathe magazine.

The two seek to combine a traditional, lineage-based approach with the best contemporary, Neo-Tantric methods. Their approach includes breath work, meditation, chanting, and puja (a type of Hindu devotional ritual), and their "initiated Kriya yoga" practices aim to lay a spiritual foundation for bringing the heightened awareness and pleasure of sex into everyday life.

The authors are senior students of Dr. John Mumford (Swami Anandakapila Saraswati) and have been named lineage holders of the OM-Kara Kriya® system for the Americas and Sunyata, coauthor of The Jewel in the Lotus, named Michaels his lineage holder in 2001.

Michaels and Johnson have studied Bhakti Yoga with Bhagavan Das and Tantra with Dr. Rudy Ballentine, and they have been featured in Dr. Judy Kuriansky's The Complete Idiot's Guide to Tantric Sex.

Michaels is a graduate of New York University School of Law, is a member of the Bar in New York State, and holds master's degrees in American Studies from NYU and Yale. A playwright and translator, he translated and adapted Goldoni's The Mistress of the Inn, The Thrill of Victory, The Agony of Debate, which premiered at New York's Primary Stages.

Patricia Johnson is a professional operatic soprano who tours extensively throughout the United States, Europe, and South America and has performed with the New York City Opera, the Houston Grand Opera, and the Berlin Komsiche Opera.  Visit their website.

Visit Dr. Honos-Webb's website and blog.

Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship by Letting Yourself Be Loved

Length-24 minutes, 46 seconds

Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, host of The Sweet Spot, interviews Dr. Harville Hendrix, author of Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship by Letting Yourself Be Loved published by Owl Books.

Dr. Harville Hendrix

Harville Hendrix is a clinical pastoral counselor who holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Theology from the University of Chicago and is a former professor at Southern Methodist University. He is known internationally as the co-founder of Imago Relationship Therapy, a couple’s therapy which he co-developed with his wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph.D. With her and other Imago therapists, he co-founded Imago Relationships International, an international non-profit organization that offers training, support and promotion of the work of 2,000 Imago therapists in 28 countries.

Harville is the author of Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples and Keeping the Love You Find: a Personal Guide, both New York Times best sellers. With Helen he co-authored Giving the Love That Heals: A Guide for Parents, also a best seller, and Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship by Letting Yourself Be Loved plus three meditation books, two study guides and a video for couples seen on more than 300 public television stations. Their books are published in more than 57 languages.

He has appeared on many national television shows including 16 guest appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show. One of his appearances won her an Emmy award for the “most socially redemptive” daytime talk show and was included by Ms. Winfrey in her top twenty shows.

In addition to many radio and television shows, his work has been written about in numerous newspapers and magazines internationally. He is a member of the Redbook Marriage Institute, serving on the magazine’s team of marriage experts. Harville has received an honorary doctorate and two distinguished service awards.

Harville lives with Helen in New Jersey and New Mexico; they have six children and three grandchildren. For more information, visit www.imagorelationships.org or www.harvillehendrix.net

Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples

Length-25 minutes, 2 seconds

Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, host of The Sweet Spot Podcasts, interviews Dr. Harville Hendrix, author of Getting The Love You Want: A Guide for Couples published by Owl Books.

Dr. Harville Hendrix

Harville Hendrix is a clinical pastoral counselor who holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and Theology from the University of Chicago and is a former professor at Southern Methodist University. He is known internationally as the co-founder of Imago Relationship Therapy, a couple’s therapy which he co-developed with his wife, Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph.D. With her and other Imago therapists, he co-founded Imago Relationships International, an international non-profit organization that offers training, support and promotion of the work of 2,000 Imago therapists in 28 countries.

Harville is the author of Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples and Keeping the Love You Find: a Personal Guide, both New York Times best sellers. With Helen he co-authored Giving the Love That Heals: A Guide for Parents, also a best seller, and Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship by Letting Yourself Be Loved plus three meditation books, two study guides and a video for couples seen on more than 300 public television stations. Their books are published in more than 57 languages.

He has appeared on many national television shows including 16 guest appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show. One of his appearances won her an Emmy award for the “most socially redemptive” daytime talk show and was included by Ms. Winfrey in her top twenty shows.

In addition to many radio and television shows, his work has been written about in numerous newspapers and magazines internationally. He is a member of the Redbook Marriage Institute, serving on the magazine’s team of marriage experts. Harville has received an honorary doctorate and two distinguished service awards.

Harville lives with Helen in New Jersey and New Mexico; they have six children and three grandchildren. For more information, visit www.imagorelationships.org or www.harvillehendrix.net

Guide To Getting It On, 5th Edition

Dr. Lara Honos-Webb, host of The Sweet Spot, interviews Mr. Paul Joannides, author of Guide To Getting It On, 5th Edition published by Goofy Foot Press.

Paul Joannides is a research psychoanalyst, which means he went to school for way too long. He is on the editorial board of the American Journal of Sex Education. Paul is also the cow superintendent at his county fair. He lives on a remote bay in the beautiful Northwest with his wife, daughter, dogs and small herd of livestock. 

Paul writes (and rewrites, and rewrites, and rewrites) the Guide, typesets it, and handles the marketing. In all of the years he has been working on The Guide, the new 5th edition is the first he's ever been happy with. Visit his website.