Welcome back, curious hearts —
This week’s episode is a tender, smart, and surprisingly funny conversation with my longtime friend Sam Brandao — a law professor, musician, and someone I’ve known since we were awkward, opinionated teenagers trying to make sense of the world. (Spoiler alert: we're still trying.)
Sam is one of those people who might surprise people with the depth of his spiritual life — which is exactly why I wanted to talk to him. On the surface, he’s a rational, level-headed law professor. He only goes to church so he can play the organ. But beneath that? He’s someone who has been asking the same questions we all are:
What do I actually believe?Can anything be trusted?What does practice look like when life keeps pulling you off-center?What if everything I built to protect me is actually a cage?
This episode moves between the philosophical and the deeply personal. We talk about grief, law school culture, non-duality, breath, the weirdness of spiritual practice, and why so many of us come back to it even when we try to run away.
We also cover:
* How Sam went from childhood atheist to weekly church organist
* The deeply spiritual experience of not listening to the sermon
* Why patriotism might have been our real “childhood religion”
* Whether safety is real — or just another illusion
* What happens when you stop trying to be right and start trying to be real
* The spiritual roots of resistance (yes, including actual war)
This is one of those conversations that surprised me as it was happening — where we followed the thread wherever it led, and wound up somewhere deeper than we expected.
Did this conversation resonate?
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Thank you, always, for listening. May you keep turning toward what matters.
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00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:26 Meet Sam Brandao
03:22 Sam's Early Spiritual Life
05:38 Musical Journey in Church
09:54 Law School and Critical Thinking
18:23 Shifting Perspectives on Religion
25:30 Spirituality in Daily Life
33:52 Philosophical Reflections
36:10 Reflections on Patriotism and Impermanence
37:38 The Evolution of Patriotism in Modern Times
41:03 The Role of Law and Security in Society
43:33 Spirituality and Social Justice
53:39 Meditation and Spiritual Practices
56:16 The Paradox of Practice
01:01:53 Breath and Martial Arts
01:08:09 Final Thoughts and Farewell
