Isira is an awakened spiritual teacher who has been initiated in advanced spiritual practices and rites across a number of traditions including Australian Aboriginal, Yogic Indian, African Shamanism and Tibetan Buddhist. When she was a young adult, Tibetan Lamas, recognized her as an important incarnation and travelled to Adelaide, Australia to bring her to the Himalayas to be ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Isira is also honored as an Australian Indigenous elder and wisdom keeper. The heart of Isira’s teaching is Holistic Awakening. While the predominant western model of awakening focuses on individual consciousness, Isira’s holistic approach has us awaken to the sacred in all of life. It is an awakening that is integrated, embodied, and grounded, rather than siloed, conceptual, and abstract. Isira believes that, even among those on a committed spiritual path, there is still a deep sense of “something missing.” The human spirit is hungering to be nurtured by the sacred. We know this because we're living in a world that is fractured and conflicted more than ever. And people are reporting a sense of fear, alienation, depression, anxiety, and chronic illness in epidemic numbers. Inspired by the wisdom of indigenous cultures, Isira teaches that we must awaken to what she calls the “Four Sacred Pillars of Life.” While one of these four pillars is the Self or Spirit, they go beyond the Self to include our interconnected relationship with three other essential dimensions of life—the second is nature or earth, the third is kinship or others, and the fourth is the cosmos or universe. While conventional thinking assumes that our spiritual connection must start with Self or Spirit, instead, Isira teaches that for awakening to be holistic, it is essential that we start with our connection to earth or nature. Through holistic awakening, we move out of the mind into a lived experience in which the sacred is restored to each moment of our day-to-day life. As we integrate our awakening, a natural byproduct is that we relate in a deeper, more meaningful way—respecting, honouring and loving all of life. Simply, we live sacredly. Books: Awakening You: Embodying Peace, Love and Freedom on Earth (enter code ISIRA010 to access eBook for no charge) Buddha on the Dance Floor Website: isira.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. First BatGap interview with Isira Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded September 25, 2022 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:56 - The Power of Spiritual Connection and Ancestral Guidance 00:10:23 - Indigenous Wisdom and Lore 00:15:32 - Interactions in Dream State and Meditation 00:20:14 - Appointment as a Lama's Consultant 00:25:07 - The Emergence of Nature and Creation 00:30:32 - Embracing Holistic Development and Avoiding Narrow Paths 00:35:10 - Incorporating Boundaries and Boundless 00:40:38 - The Interconnectedness of All Living Beings 00:45:53 - The Importance of Connectivity with Nature and the Cosmos 00:50:54 - The Value of Deeper Connections with Earth 00:55:33 - Connecting with Nature in a Modern World 01:00:35 - The Role of Indigenous Cultures in Awakening Humanity 01:05:44 - Indigenous People as Transceivers of Natural Lore and Values 01:10:31 - Addressing the Root Cause of Crime 01:15:32 - Dissolving Centralized Systems 01:20:38 - Healing Wounds and Transgressions 01:25:29 - The Four Pillars of Connection and Fulfillment 01:30:47 - The Four Pillars of Balance 01:35:55 - Restoring Balance within Ourselves and the World 01:40:49 - Finding Beauty in Life's Experiences 01:45:42 - The Cosmic Perspective 01:50:21 - The perception of reality 01:55:48 - Anchoring with the Senses 02:00:35 - Wrapping up the interview and answering viewer questions