Banyen Books ~ Branches of Wisdom

Deb Dana discusses The Nervous System Workbook: Practical Exercises to Ease Anxiety, Find Safety, and Come Home to Yourself Using Polyvagal Theory.Deb Dana offers tools for understanding and befriending your unique nervous system, providing practical exercises and insights rooted in Polyvagal Theory—a groundbreaking approach that explains how our nervous systems shape our behaviors, emotions, and relationships. Dana presents a layperson-friendly overview of Polyvagal Theory, guiding you through practices and reflections to help you understand, soothe, and train your system, cultivating a sense of safety and well-being.Discover how to manage stress, anxiety, and overwhelm with effective strategies tailored to your body's unique needs. As Dana writes, “There is no right or wrong way—there is the way of your nervous system.” This event is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their mental health and live with greater resilience and connection.Deb Dana, LCSW, is a clinician and consultant specializing in using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma and create ways of working that honour the role of the autonomic nervous system. She is a founding member of the Polyvagal Institute and lectures internationally. She is the author of several books, including Anchored and Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection.

Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor share authentic wisdom from their new book, Feeling Happy: The Yoga of Body, Heart, and Mind. Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor have both studied yoga for over 50 years. Together they teach workshops and training throughout the world and have authored several influential books. Their new book, Feeling Happy, draws from their decades practising and teaching yoga, meditation, and Buddhism to explore what happiness is and to offer practical steps toward cultivating happiness as a deep, embodied expression of life. Freeman and Taylor offer insights from yoga philosophy and Buddhism as well as accessible practices to help readers develop true happiness, (self)compassion, and equanimity.Richard Freeman has studied Ashtanga, Iyengar, bhakti, and traditional hatha yoga; Western and Eastern philosophy; and Sanskrit, all of which he incorporates into his Ashtanga yoga practice. Richard teaches at his studio, the Yoga Workshop, in Boulder, Colorado, as well as at studios and conferences throughout the world. He is also a frequent contributor to Yoga Journal and his video series, Yoga with Richard Freeman, inspires many people to take up yoga. Mary Taylor is the cofounder, with Richard Freeman, of the Yoga Workshop in Boulder, Colorado, which they started in 1988. Mary travels and teaches Ashtanga yoga throughout the world, both independently and in collaboration with Richard. In addition to teaching, Mary works closely with programs focused on bringing contemplative and yoga practices into the health care system for integrative therapies and self-care, and she is active in Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation.

Rob Wipond, author of Your Consent Is Not Required, discusses the alarming rise of psychiatric coercion—and how we can push for ethical, person-centred alternatives.Asylums may have closed, but their practices persist in troubling ways. More people than ever are being involuntarily committed and forcibly treated. In Your Consent Is Not Required, investigative journalist Rob Wipond exposes how psychiatric incarceration, forced medication, and coercive interventions extend beyond hospitals into homes, schools, prisons, and social services—impacting not only those deemed "dangerous" but also schoolchildren, the elderly, whistleblowers, and marginalized communities. While revealing these hidden injustices, the book also explores humane, consent-based alternatives for supporting people in crisis.Rob Wipond is a freelance investigative journalist who writes about the intersections of psychiatry, civil rights, policing, surveillance, and social change. His work has been nominated for seventeen magazine and journalism awards for reporting on science, medicine, law, business, and community issues.

Toko-pa Turner, award-winning author of Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home, shares wisdom from her new book, The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams.In 'The Dreaming Way', Toko-pa reawakens the ancient art of dreaming as a way to reclaim the wisdom we all carry within. Blending animism, Sufism, and Jungian Psychology, she reveals that the power to interpret and understand our dreams is a natural part of being human—something as accessible as finding meaning in a story or beauty in a work of art. In this evocative and revolutionary new book, she invites us to reconnect with our inner guide and to bring the world of dreams back into everyday life.Toko-pa Turner is an award-winning writer, teacher, and dreamworker who blends the mystical tradition of Sufism with a Jungian approach to dreams. In 2001 she founded the Dream School and speaks internationally on the subject of dreams and belonging. Sometimes called a "midwife of the psyche," Toko-pa’s work focuses on restoring the feminine, reciprocity with nature, honouring grief, ritual, and beauty-making. Her book, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home, is the winner of multiple awards, including the 2017 Gold Nautilus Award, and the 2018 Readers' Favourite Gold Award. It was named Finalist in the 2018 Whistler Independent Book Awards, and Finalist for the Montaigne Medal in the 2019 Eric Hoffer Book Awards. Her new book is The Dreaming Way.

Amy Tan, 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club, discusses her new book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Blending birdwatching, nature, and personal reflection, The Backyard Bird Chronicles features Tan’s original sketches and insights on finding peace in the natural world. Amy Tan is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter. The Joy Luck Club spent over forty weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and was adapted into a critically acclaimed film, for which she served as co-producer and co-screenwriter. Her works have earned numerous accolades and have been translated into more than 35 languages. She lectures at prestigious universities internationally, delivered a TED talk on creativity, was featured on Sesame Street, and spoke at the White House. Tan is also an advocate for environmental conservation and serves on the board of the American Bird Conservancy.

Bob McDonald, Canadian icon and host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks, discusses his book, Just Say Yes: A Memoir. Bob McDonald has been the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks since 1992. He is a regular science commentator on CBC News Network and science correspondent for CBC TV’s The National. He has been honoured with the 2001 Michael Smith Award for science promotion from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, as well as the 2002 Sandford Fleming Medal from the Royal Canadian Institute for Science, and the 2005 McNeil Medal for the public awareness of science from the Royal Society of Canada. In November 2011, McDonald was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is the recipient of thirteen honorary doctorates . In 2014, asteroid 332324 was officially named bobmcdonald.

Paulina Stevens & Jezmina Von Thiele, cohosts of the Romanistan podcast, join Banyen for a discussion of their book, Secrets of Romani Fortune-Telling: Divining with Tarot, Palmistry, Tea Leaves, and More. Jezmina Von Thiele (they/she) is a writer, educator, performer, and fortune-teller in their mixed Sinti Romani tradition. Their work has been published in Prairie Schooner, The Kenyon Review Online, and Narrative Magazine under the name Jessica Reidy. Jezmina reads tarot, palms, and tea leaves online and at Deadwicks Ethereal Emporium in Portsmouth, NH. They also teach classes on divination, spiritual wellness, and the creative arts, and perform poetry with The Poetry Brothel in Boston. Jezmina cohosts Romanistan, a podcast celebrating Romani culture, and runs the Etsy shop Evil Eye Edit. They are based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Paulina Stevens grew up in an insular Romani-American family, destined to leave school, marry young, and become a fortune-teller. By age seventeen, her fate was sealed—until she decided to leave it all behind. Paulina is the subject of the podcast Foretold. Hosted by Los Angeles Times reporter Faith Pinho, the podcast follows Paulina as she navigates the consequences of her decision to leave her community and redefine her identity. The cohost of Romanistan, a podcast celebrating Romani culture, Paulina is based in Los Angeles.

Martín Prechtel joins Banyen Books for a rare audio interview (part 4 of 4) on his book, The Canyon Wren. Martín Prechtel is widely recognized as a profound and beloved teacher for our times. Raised in the Tzutujil Maya shamanic tradition, he has dedicated his life to the preservation and promulgation of indigenous spirituality. Sharing his deep shamanic wisdom within a grand overview of human history, Prechtel shows us how we can reconnect with the unique and unsuspected manifestations of our own sacred selves. He is the author of several contemporary classics, including The Smell of Rain on Dust and Secrets of the Talking Jaguar. His work has been highly praised by the likes of Clarissa Pinkola Éstes, Coleman Barks, and Mary Oliver.

Banyen Books speaks with Red Hawk on his new collection of poetry, Book of Lamentations. Red Hawk shares profound insights into his spiritual journey, the role of poetry as a vehicle for expression, and reflections on authentic spiritual leadership. He delves into the impact of technology on human connection and discusses the importance of nature and humility.

Nedra Glover Tawwab, New York Times bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace and Drama Free: A Guide to Managing Unhealthy Family Relationships, joins Banyen Books for an engaging discussion on her book, Consider This: Reflections for Finding Peace. Nedra Glover Tawwab, MSW, LCSW, is the author of New York Times bestsellers Drama Free and Set Boundaries, Find Peace. A licensed therapist and sought-after relationship expert, Nedra has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, The Breakfast Club, and many other media outlets, and her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Vice. She hosts the podcast You Need to Hear This, and shares practices and reflections for mental health on her popular Instagram account. Nedra currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family.