Voices Of Esalen

Dorothy Charles writes, "The practice of being present is simple and not easy. We call it a practice because that’s what it takes – returning to the moment whenever I notice that I’m not present." Dorothy is a long-time and beloved teacher and Gestalt Practitioner at Esalen since 1985, where she continues to lead workshops and training groups. Dorothy received her training at Esalen with Richard and Christine Price. She lives in Aptos, California, where she and Christine Price lead and curate Tribal Ground, an educational and congregational organization dedicated to Gestalt Awareness Practice, Relational Gestalt Practice, and recognizing the sacredness in both life and death. http://www.tribalground.com

Dr. Kristin Neff writes, "Self-compassion involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself. Instead of just ignoring your pain with a “stiff upper lip” mentality, you stop to tell yourself “this is really difficult right now,” how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?" In this conversation, Kristin describes the difference between self-esteem and self-compassion, describes the scientific research she has been conducting in self-compassion, and gives us a few simple, actionable techniques to help direct compassion toward ourselves.

David Crow is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of botanical medicine and grassroots healthcare. He is a master herbalist, aromatherapist and acupuncturist with over 30 years experience in the Ayurvedic and Chinese medical systems, as well as a renowned author, poet, and co-founder of The Learning Garden at Venice High School in Los Angeles, one of the country's largest and most successful school gardens. We explore the ins and outs of essential oils, aromatherapy, flower essences, ayurveda, psychedelics, energy bodies, and gardening.

Digital Raign is a conference that recently convened at Esalen with the intention of creating an "experiential ecosystem," dedicated to exploring the links between Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Technology, and essential human nature. Co-founders Alison Raby, founder of Mariposa Search, LifeBeforeDeath and Co-Founder of Wisdompreneurs, and James Hanusa, cultural strategist, entrepreneur, and advisor to Burning Man, walk us through unchartered territory in this interview. If you're looking to learn about new technologies and holistic ways to relate to them, this talk will provide helpful information.

Today we take a small step back in time to speak with Phillip Burrus, longtime member of the Esalen community and former Executive Chef. Recorded in the spring of 2017, only days before Phillip and his wife Isabel Chave-Manso set off for the next chapter of their lives in Spain, we spoke at length about Phillip's take on sustainability, the importance of locally-grown produce in food preparation, land stewardship, and community in Big Sur. He is a brilliant guy. If you ever wanted to learn more about what goes on in one of the best healthy kitchens in California, have a listen. Voices of Esalen is produced in conjunction with Cheryl Franzel, Jerilyn Hesse, Lori Putnam, Shannon Hudson, and Ean Golden. Our theme music is by Nico Holloman. Subscribe to Voices of Esalen on iTunes, and if you find the time, please rate and review.

Byron Katie was severely depressed in her early thirties. For almost a decade, she spiraled down into rage and self-loathing, battling constant thoughts of suicide. Then one morning in February 1986, she experienced a life-changing realization: "I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but that when I didn't believe them, I didn't suffer. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional." Together we discussed The Work, the philosophy and process of self-inquiry that Byron Katie has brought to millions of people across the world.We also spoke about her new book, "A Mind at Home with Itself," written with her husband Stephen Mitchell. I found her to be a remarkable person to be around, and our conversation as enjoyable and revelatory as any I can remember in recent memory. Please enjoy.

Noah Levine is a punk, a father, a remarkable teacher of Buddhism, and the author of the books Dharma Punx, Against the Stream, The Heart of the Revolution, and Refuge Recovery. His memoir, Dharma Punx, details teenage years filled with drugs, violence, incarceration and suicide attempts - as well as his path to vipassana meditation. During our far-ranging conversation, we discussed what it means to look back on a memoir he wrote more than fourteen years ago, and how Noah is able to live a life of leadership that's not contingent upon tending to an unhealthy ego. We also spoke about Refuge Recovery, Levine's book and similarly-named addiction program which provides a non-theistic path of recovery for addicts. Our track today is "Machine Elves" by Anamorphic Orchestra and is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Michael Murphy is the co-founder of the Esalen Institute, a key figure in the Human Potential Movement and an extraordinary human being. He is the author of many remarkable books, including Golf in the Kingdom, The Future of the Body, Jacob Atabet, and In the Zone: Transcendent Experience in Sports. Today we spoke about the 1960's and how Esalen was born, touching upon his encounters with notables like Hunter S. Thompson, Alduous Huxley, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), Timothy Leary, Sri Aurobindo, Abraham Maslow, and Esalen's co-founder Richard Price. Michael also described his own origin story, from his altar boy roots to his journey to India, Big Sur, and beyond. Today's music was created by Esalen's own Daniel Knipprath.

Jeff Kripal is the Chairman of the Board of the Esalen Institute and holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. His fascinating work includes the history of psychic phenomena, comparative erotics and ethics in mystical literature, American countercultural translations of Asian religions, and the Esalen Institute itself. He is the author of the foundational text "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion," a must-read for anyone interested in the Esalen Institute. His present areas of writing and research include the articulation of a New Comparativism within the study of religion that will put “the impossible” back on the table again, a robust and even conversation between the sciences and the humanities, and the mapping of an emergent mythology or “Super Story” within paranormal communities and individual visionaries. Have a listen to our conversation on the cultural and historical forces at play during the origin of the Esalen Insitute. Our theme music tod

Shauna Shapiro, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized expert on mindfulness. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Santa Clara University, and the co-author of the books "The Art and Science of Mindfulness" and "Mindful Discipline: A Loving Approach to Setting Limits and Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child." Shauna and I discussed a way into meditation and mindfulness that is, somewhat surprisingly, not predicated around spirituality - rather, one that is focused on science and research. We spent some time speaking about some of the studies and clinical research she's done, including work with women with breast cancer, as well as increased empathy with physicians. Definitely check this one out, Shauna is super interesting and is doing great work in the world. Today's track is by Cory Gray - it's called "Tell the Future" and is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.

Paul Selig is considered one of the foremost mediums working today. He is the author of several rather extraordinary works of channeled literature, including I Am the Word, The Book of Love and Creation, The Book of Knowing and Worth, and The Book of Mastery. I spoke to Paul at length about the work he'd done before becoming a medium (he was a well-known playwright, as well as the director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Goddard College), and we discussed the creative process, wondering if there was some sort of useful comparison between that and the work of channeling. Then we turned to the content of his work, the remarkable message of his guides. This is a must-listen episode for those who are fascinated by the art of channeling, and those who find their interest piqued by the message of the Word. Today's music is "Slow Dissolve" and was used courtesy of www.purple-planet.com.

Caroline Harvey is an accomplished poet and educator whose work explores ideas of the sacred and the profane. Nominated for the 2013 Best Poets Award and a 2012 Pushcart Prize, she has shared stages and classrooms with Alicia Keys, Livingston Taylor, Melissa Ferrick, Donna De Lory, and Yasiin Bey (Mos Def, and is dedicated to conscious evolution and intelligent rebellion. Over the course of our conversation, we spoke about gender politics, teaching, authenticity, her love for the Grateful Dead, and how to avoid a predictable poetic cadence - and, I got her to share several of her fantastic new poems. Our music today is by Esalen's own Sierra Snyder, who records under the moniker of Sea Seer. The track's name is "There Will Be Music Despite Everything." Check it out.

This week's episode is a special one - brilliant writers Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond are actually hosts of another podcast, Dear Sugar Radio, and they are so excellent at banter and speaking articulately that all I had to do was get out of the way and let them do their thing. And I'm so glad I did. You probably know Cheryl Strayed from her memoir, #1 New York Times Bestseller, Wild; she is also the author of Tiny Beautiful Things, Torch, and Brave Enough. Steve Almond is the author of CandyFreak, My Life in Heavy Metal, God Bless America, and many other terrific books. Our conversation was far-ranging, and I really got the sense that these two understand the practice of writing to be an exploration of human nature, and of human experience. It was lovely to hear the wisdom they bestowed during their break from the Esalen Writer's Camp they organized. Be sure to check out their podcast, Dear Sugar Radio, an existentialist and compassionate take on the age-old form of the advice column. Today's music is fro

Mark Whitwell is a brilliant yogi and an impassioned teacher, the student of Krishnamacharya, and an all-around funny, sweet, wonderful dude. I was privileged enough to sit with him for an afternoon, hear him play his sitar, and speak about many topics, chief among them his book, "The Promise of Love, Sex, and Intimacy: How a Simple Breathing Practice Will Enrich Your Life Forever." Our music today is Jason Shaw's "Running Waters", licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.

Alexandra Katehakis is the Founder and Clinical Director of the Center for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles and the author of Erotic Intelligence: Igniting Hot, Healthy Sex While in Recovery from Sex Addiction. She's also the co-author of the award-winning daily meditation book, Mirror of Intimacy: Daily Reflections on Emotional and Erotic Intelligence, from which she reads during our far-reaching interview. We touch on a host of subjects, including the difference between desire and eroticism, the value of examining sexual fantasy and peak sexual experiences, the meaning of trauma in today's world, the many faces of sex addiction and love addiction, how to find novelty within one's long-term sexual relationships, and much more. Our music today is by Ketsa, and the track is called "Dryness." It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

"The purpose of THE MAX is to discover yourself beyond who you know yourself to be. It is a voyage through your own humanity—a journey to discover the extent of your self-expressive power." Paula Shaw has been leading a workshop called "The Max" at Esalen for nearly 30 years. Today, we talk to her about the roots of The Max, touching upon her history with est and her experiences with the Actor's Theater of New York. Today's music is by Graham Bole, "Sleep Seeds," from the album "First New Day," licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.

Ian-Michael Hebert is the former Property Development Manager at the Esalen Institute. In 2016 he spoke to us about the state of Esalen's renewal, the challenges and triumphs of sustainable building, and plans for the future. We talk about Stanislav Grof's holotropic breathing, shamanic portals, perinatal matrices, re-experiencing one's own birth, fatherhood and how amazing it is, visions of a post-capitalistic society, intergenerational alchemy, his admiration for Dick Price and the Murphy family, his roots in the wilds of Alaska, Esalen as a refuge for revolutionaries, and much more. Today's music is Dave Depper's "All the Pieces Come Together", licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Thanks for listening.

Dr. Sam Berne is known internationally as a pioneer in vision science, integrative health, and subtle energy therapies. He has developed innovative methods for healing the mind-body-spirit through eye therapy. We go through a process together where he offers concrete techniques to strengthen my vision while exploring somato-emotional territory. It's super cool.

In this episode, Patrice Hamilton guides us through Body Centered Awareness. The aim is to become aware of your own somatic experiences and patterns, expanding your capacity for more fluid and functional movement. Patrice has been assisting people in self-discovery as a teacher and counselor for over 25 years. Body Centered Awareness is her work as a somatic educator and counselor. She draws upon her training in Cortical Field ReEducation, a movement education practice, the Hakomi method, and Gestalt. Music: "Tranquility" by Purple Planet. http://www.purple-planet.com

Susan Collin Marks is an internationally renowned peacemaker and peacekeeper. She's worked for nearly three decades forging peace, including in her native South Africa, where she worked intimately with the nation's transition from apartheid after the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. Additionally, she has helped facilitate ongoing dialogue in the Middle East and established peacebuilding programs in Africa. Honors include a Peace Fellowship at the United States Institute for Peace, the Institute for Noetic Science’s Creative Altruism award, a Skoll Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship, President Jimmy Carter’s Waging Peace Award, and an Honorary Doctorate from the UN University of Peace. She is also an outstandingly warm and generous person. Our conversation was far-ranging, and included her insights into how peace functions on a personal level, as well as her history with the Esalen Institute. Our music is Siesta by Jahzzar, licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 International License.