Voices & Community – Videocast Interviews
An Evening with Dr. Dennis Chernin, M.D., M.P.H. in Conversation with Moderator Bill Zirinsky of Crazy Wisdom
Recorded, Thursday, September 26, 2024 in the Crazy Wisdom Celestial Lounge.
What’s on your mind these days, Dennis Chernin, what’s in your heart, what have you relished, what’s been really hard, what matters? One of the wise men of integrative medicine in this region, Dr. Chernin (and Dr. Lev Linkner) founded the Parkway Center, the original and pre-eminent clinic for practitioners of complementary, holistic, and integrative medicine in Ann Arbor. He also lectures at U-M Medical School and is the medical director of 3 county health departments.
He’s taught meditation and breathing techniques for over 40 years, is a certified yoga teacher, and the lead singer, harmonium player and co-founder of Ann Arbor Kirtan. Dr. Chernin is the author of books on meditation and homeopathy, and his most recent book is A Physician’s Journey: Yoga and Meditation to Holistic Medicine.
An Evening with Lisa Gottlieb, MSW, SSW in Conversation with Moderator Bill Zirinsky of Crazy Wisdom
Recorded, Thursday, October 10, 2024 in the Crazy Wisdom Celestial Lounge.
What’s on your mind these days, Lisa Gottlieb, what’s in your heart, what have you relished, what’s been really hard, what matters?
One of Ann Arbor’s modern-era renaissance women, Lisa has been a leader in the community for decades. The co-founder and Operations Director for Selma Café, she’s been at the forefront of Ann Arbor’s organic food and farm-to-table culture, and in more recent years she’s been deeply involved in Nonviolent Communication, as a certified trainer, and as the Founder and Director of Compassionate Communication of Ann Arbor.
She works with individuals, couples and families through the lens of Nonviolent Communication to improve connection, reduce conflict and make it easier to understand each other. She is currently writing a book called Musings from a Snarky Empath: Life through the Lens of Nonviolent Communication.
An Evening with Dr. Jay Sandweiss, D.O. in Conversation with Moderator Bill Zirinsky of Crazy Wisdom
Recorded, Thursday, November 21, 2024 In the Crazy Wisdom Celestial Lounge.
What’s on your mind these days, Jay Sandweiss, what’s in your heart, what have you relished, what’s been really hard, what matters?
Physician and skilled raconteur, Dr. Jay Sandweiss is one of the best-known and most respected integrative physicians in the region. Dr. Sandweiss is board certified by the American Osteopathic Association in neuro-musculoskeletal medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine. He is also board certified in medical acupuncture by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture.
Dr. Sandweiss is extensively trained in the fields of Osteopathy, Applied Kinesiology, Functional Medicine and Chinese Medicine. He’s been teaching nationally and internationally for decades.
An Evening with Demo Rinpoche in Conversation with Moderator Bill Zirinsky of Crazy Wisdom
Recorded, Wednesday, October 22, 2025 In the Crazy Wisdom Celestial Lounge.
A Public Q+A with the 44 year old Tibetan Buddhist monk and incarnate lama, who leads Jewel Heart, the Ann Arbor-based Tibetan Buddhist Center, recognized nationally and internationally as a center of Buddhist teaching. Demo Rinpoche has spent most of his life studying in monasteries in India with thousands of other monks, and under the Dalai Lama’s direct supervision, and he now lives on his own in a simple apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He is the nephew of the late Gelek Rimpoche, founder of Jewel Heart Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center. Since 2018, he has served as Jewel Heart’s Resident Spiritual Director.