Banyen Books ~ Branches of Wisdom

Dr. Samra Zafar, bestselling author of A Good Wife and one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Inspirational Women, speaks on her book, Unconditional: Break Through Past Limits to Transform Your Future.Blending personal experience with science, Unconditional reveals how unlearning deeply ingrained beliefs is the key to true freedom. After escaping an abusive child marriage, Samra built a new life—but discovered that the hardest battle was within. In this powerful and deeply personal discussion, she shares how to break free from limiting narratives, heal past wounds, and embrace self-love.SAMRA ZAFAR is an award-winning, internationally renowned speaker, physician, author and educator. She has been recognized among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, the Top 25 Most Inspirational Women in Canada, and the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Her book A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose, based on her journey of escaping an abusive child marriage to pursue her freedom, sheds light on gender-based oppression, and was a national bestseller and a CBC Best Book. One of the youngest alumnae to serve as governor at the University of Toronto, she is currently on the board of the Women’s College Hospital Foundation and a celebrated ambassador for Plan International. She is also the founder and executive director of Brave Beginnings, a national charity that provides mentorship to women who have escaped abuse. Her work has impacted millions and has been extensively featured in national and global media. Samra Zafar’s speaking portfolio includes four successful TEDx Talks and many leading organizations around the world.

Susan Gillis Chapman shares helpful insights and wisdom from her new book, "Which Way Is Up?" She is joined in conversation with Jan Marie Martell.Drawing from her personal journey through cancer during the isolating years of the Covid pandemic, Susan offers a guide to navigating difficult times with mindfulness, compassion, and courage. Through the lens of Buddhist teachings on the "bardo"—a period of transition—she reveals how we can face our fears, transform suffering, and emerge stronger.Susan Gillis Chapman is a Buddhist teacher, retired family therapist, and author with decades of experience in contemplative psychology and meditation. She has trained under notable teachers like Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Pema Chodron, and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and her work emphasizes the power of mindfulness in times of personal crisis. Her first book, The Five Keys to Mindful Communication, has been widely praised. Her new book is Which Way Is Up? Finding Heart in the Hardest Times. Which Way is Up? offers practical and transformative guidance for facing life's greatest challenges.Jan Marie Martell is a poet, writer, photographer, botanical pharmacist, and former film teacher at Emily Carr University. She has been a student of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche since 1996 and member of his organization, Nalandabodhi, since its inception.

Cyndi Dale, bestselling author of the Subtle Body series, discusses her new book Transforming the Legacy and her powerful subtle body approach to healing ancestral and soul-based patterns.Cyndi Dale presents a transformative method for addressing inherited and soul-based issues through the energetic anatomy—your chakras, meridians, and auric fields. Cyndi brings her expertise in energy medicine to help you release ancestral blocks, reclaim your authentic self, and establish a future rooted in love, clarity, and well-being. Join Cyndi for an enlightening exploration of how energy medicine can help transform your legacy and unlock new possibilities for healing and growth.Cyndi Dale is an internationally renowned intuitive healer, speaker, and author of over 30 books on energy medicine, intuition, and spirituality, including The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy, a four-time award winner. With work published in 20 languages, she has helped over 80,000 clients and led workshops worldwide, from Beijing to Peru. A leading expert in subtle energy healing, Cyndi has been featured in documentaries and collaborates with medical professionals, therapists, and thought leaders to bridge science and spirituality in profound and practical ways.

Jackie Morris and Nick Bantock, internationally renowned illustrators & authors, converse about art, the creative process, and their award-winning and bestselling books. Special focus is given to Jackie Morris' books The Lost Words and Song of the Golden Hare and Nick Bantock's The River Deck, The Corset & The Jellyfish and the Griffin & Sabine series.Nick Bantock, author of 30 books including 11 bestsellers, saw three of his works simultaneously reach the New York Times top ten. His iconic Griffin and Sabine series remained on bestseller lists for over two years, with more than 5 million copies sold and translations in 13 languages. Named by Weird Tales as one of the top 85 storytellers of the century, Bantock’s art—including paintings, drawings, and sculptures—has been exhibited across the UK, France, and North America. He received a lifetime BAFTA for Ceremony of Innocence, a CD-ROM collaboration with Peter Gabriel’s Real World. Over the last 20 years, he has delivered keynote and motivational talks across North America, Europe, and Australia. Educated in England with a Fine Art degree, Bantock’s background includes work as a psychotherapist-in-training and the design of a uniquely inspired home. From 2007 to 2010, he served on Canada’s postage stamp selection committee. nickbantock.com

Karla McLaren shares insights and wisdom from The Language of Emotions Workbook to help us connect with our feelings and build better boundaries.Karla McLaren, M.Ed., is an award-winning author, social science researcher, and empathy innovator. She is CEO of Emotion Dynamics Inc., developer of Dynamic Emotional Integration®, and creator of the Empathy Academy. Karla is the author of 'The Language of Emotions', 'Embracing Anxiety', 'The Art of Empathy', 'The Power of Emotions at Work', and the multimedia online course Emotional Flow. She writes for Psychology Today. She lives in Sonoma County, CA.

Ron Pevny, founder and director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, shares wisdom on living a fulfilling, purpose-driven second half of life.As today’s seniors redefine what it means to age, Conscious Living, Conscious Aging offers wisdom and practical tools for navigating this new chapter with vitality, engagement, and spiritual depth. Pevny introduces Conscious Eldering as a pathway to personal growth, service, and lifelong exploration, helping readers cultivate meaning, navigate life transitions, and embrace their elder years with intention. This conversation will explore how aging can be a time of transformation, contribution, and deep fulfillment.Ron Pevny, M.A., CSL has for forty years been dedicated to assisting people in negotiating life transitions as they create lives of purpose and passion. He is Founding Director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, based in Colorado, which for 20 years has presented workshops and retreats across North America to support people in bringing purpose, growth and commitment to service to their elder years. He is author of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging: Claiming the Gifts of Elderhood, published by Beyond Words/Atria Books in 2014, with a new, 10th Anniversary expanded and updated edition published this past July. Ron is also a Certified Sage-ing® Leader, and has served as the host/interviewer for three Transforming Aging Summits presented by The Shift Network and co-host for the Turning Points interview series presented by Sage-ing International.

Richard Rudd, founder of the Gene Keys method, shares wisdom and practices from from his newly released book Gene Keys (Special Anniversary Edition).Gene Keys offers a powerful approach to unlocking your untapped potential by awakening the sleeping genius within. Combining Western astrology, the I Ching, and genetic archetypes, these transformative teachings guide you in decoding your Gene Keys Profile and help you turn shadow patterns into creative gifts. Richard Rudd is a teacher, mystic, and award-winning poet, experienced a life-changing spiritual awakening at age 29, which led to his development of the Gene Keys teachings. His studies with renowned spiritual teachers, travels across the world, and deep inner explorations culminated in this profound body of work. In 2019, Richard was named on the Watkins list of The 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, solidifying his influence in the field of personal and spiritual growth.

Mirabai Starr and Sr Greta Ronningon discuss Mirabai Starr's new book, Ordinary Mysticism, where she reveals how to discover the sacred in everyday life. In Ordinary Mysticism, Mirabai Starr invites us to embrace mysticism not as a distant or exclusive practice, but as a direct, personal experience of the divine woven into the fabric of our daily routines. Drawing on wisdom from spiritual luminaries like Julian of Norwich and Ram Dass, along with her own journey through love, loss, and healing, Starr offers profound insights, storytelling, and practices to awaken to the magic in ordinary moments. Ordinary Mysticism has received praise from the likes of Anne Lamott, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Mark Nepo, Valarie Kaur, Pete Holmes.Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and leading teacher of interspiritual dialogue. In 2020, she was named one of Watkins’ 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos, she now travels globally, sharing her insights on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformative power of grief. Her books include Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, and God of Love. Mirabai’s acclaimed translations of mystics like John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila offer a fresh, lyrical voice. She lives in northern New Mexico and teaches through her online community, Wild Heart. More at www.mirabaistarr.com.Sister Greta Ronningen is an Episcopal monastic, spiritual teacher, and chaplain. She began her journey in the 1970s at the Ojai Foundation with Dr. (Roshi) Joan Halifax, exploring various Eastern traditions, and later traveled to Nepal, where she took refuge with His Holiness Dudjum Rinpoche. In the 1980s, she co-founded Yoga Works in Santa Monica and Yoga Zone in New York with her husband, a second-generation yoga master of the ISHTA tradition. After 35 years of yoga teaching, she felt drawn to the Christian contemplative path, co-founding the Community of Divine Love in San Gabriel, CA. Greta holds an MA in Spiritual Formation from Claremont School of Theology and serves as a chaplain at Twin Towers Correctional Facility and Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.

Internationally celebrated Qi Gong master Lee Holden shares wisdom from his latest book, Ready, Set, Slow: How to Improve Your Energy, Health, and Relationships Through the Power of Slow.In this guide, Holden explores the power of slowing down to find balance and peace amidst the chaos of modern life. Drawing from Eastern meditation, martial arts, and Western science, he will introduce The Slow Method—a collection of practical tools to help you regain time, energy, and clarity. Discover techniques for calming the mind, nurturing the body, and deepening relationships as you learn how slowing down can lead to greater productivity, vitality, and inner harmony. Rady, Set, Slow has received praise from Deepak Chopra, James Nestor, Vishen Lakhiani, Mantak Chia and more.Lee Holden is an internationally celebrated Qi Gong master recognized by the International Qi Gong Association. He is the author of 7 Minutes of Magic and a beloved television personality who has been aired in over 50 million households in the US alone. Lee is a licensed Chinese medical doctor and acupuncturist and the cofounder of the Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine and Chi Center.

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.