Banyen Books ~ Branches of Wisdom

Kabir Helminski, renowned Sufi teacher and one of the foremost Rumi translators of our time, joins Banyen for an illuminating conversation on The Mysterion: Rumi and the Secret of Becoming Fully Human. Kabir Helminski is the author of the classic book Living Presence and a renowned translator of Rumi and other Sufi literature. Shaikh Kabir Helminski was the first westerner recognized as a Shaikh, or elder in the Mevlevi Order of Sufism, which dates back to the Thirteenth Century, and is based on the works of the great poet and philosopher, Rumi. He is the co-director of the Threshold Society, a nonprofit Sufi organization, and was the publisher of Threshold Books for twenty years. He is also a producer and writer of Sufi music.

Neil Douglas-Klotz—teacher, author, musician, and scholar of Middle Eastern tradition—joins Banyen in conversation on his new book, Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus: The Hidden Teachings on Life and Death. Neil Douglas-Klotz, PhD, is an internationally known scholar in the fields connecting religious studies (comparative Semitic hermeneutics) and psychology as well as a poet and musician. He is the author of Prayers of the Cosmos, Desert Wisdom, The Hidden Gospel, The Little Book of Sufi Stories, Kahlil Gibran’s Little Book of Wisdom, and The Genesis Meditations, and coauthor of The Tent of Abraham with Sr. Joan Chittister and Rabbi Arthur Waskow. He is the past chair of the Mysticism Group of the American Academy of Religion and is active in various international colloquia and conferences dedicated to peace and spirituality.

A. H. Almaas, renowned author and spiritual teacher, speaks with Banyen Books on Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality. A. H. Almaas is the pen name of A. Hameed Ali, founder of the Diamond Approach to Self-Realization, a contemporary teaching that developed within the context of both ancient spiritual teachings and modern depth psychology theories. Almaas has authored 20 books about spiritual realization, including the Diamond Heart series, The Pearl Beyond Price, The Void, and The Alchemy of Freedom. Watkin’s Review cites him as one of the world’s 100 most spiritually influential people. He is the founder of the Ridhwan School for Spiritual Development, an inner work school devoted to the realization of True Nature.

@BanyenBooks converses with acclaimed author and activist Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg on 'Mend the World' and 'On Repentance and Repair'. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg serves as scholar in residence at National Council of Jewish Women. She is the award-winning author of seven books, including 'Surprised by God' and 'Nurture the Wow'. She was named by Newsweek and the Daily Beast as one of ten “rabbis to watch,” by Forward as one of the top 50 most influential women rabbis, and called a “wunderkind of Jewish feminism” by Publishers Weekly. Rabbi Danya has been a Washington Post Sunday crossword clue (83 down), and her most recent book 'On Repentance and Repair' has been hailed by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley as "A must read for anyone navigating the work of justice and healing” and by the author Rebecca Solnit as “brilliant.”

@BanyenBooks joins Gabor Maté for a conversation on his new book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, & Healing in a Toxic Culture. A renowned speaker and bestselling author, Dr. Gabor Maté is highly sought after for his expertise on a range of topics including addiction, stress, and childhood development. Dr. Maté has written several bestselling books, including the New York Times bestseller The Myth of Normal, the award-winning In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection, and Scattered Minds: How Attention Deficit Disorder Originates and What You Can Do About It, and has coauthored Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers. His works have been published internationally in nearly thirty languages.Daniel Maté is a Brooklyn-based composer-lyricist who has received the Kleban Prize, Cole Porter Award, and Jonathan Larson Grant. His musicals include The Trouble With Doug and The Longing and the Short of It. Other shows in development include Hansel & Gretl & Heidi & Günter, Middle School Mysteries, and an adaptation of the Russell Banks novel The Sweet Hereafter. He is the host of the YouTube program Lyrics To Go and runs a "mental chiropractic" service called Walk With Daniel.

@BanyenBooksSound hosts Kendra Allen sharing exercises and advice from The Breakup Workbook to heal from your heartbreak and create your best life. KENDRA ALLEN is a breakup coach, blogger, host of the Heal Your Heartbreak Podcast, and founder of Break Up Bestie. In 2017, she launched her Instagram account @YourBreakupBestie and began talking with thousands of people all over the world about what struggles they were going through post-breakup. Kendra launched her blog in 2018, online courses in 2019, and her popular podcast in 2020. Kendra has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Elite Daily, New York Post, Mind Body Green, and dozens of popular podcasts.

Dr. Rick Hanson speaks with @BanyenBooksSound on his new book Making Great Relationships—neuroscience, psychology, and the contemplative wisdom. Rick Hanson, PhD, is a psychologist, senior fellow at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times bestselling author. His books have been published in 30 languages and include Neurodharma, Resilient, Hardwiring Happiness, Just One Thing, Buddha’s Brain, and Mother Nurture. A summa cum laude graduate of UCLA, he has been an invited speaker at NASA, Oxford, Stanford, Harvard, and other major universities, and he has taught in meditation centers worldwide. An expert on positive neuroplasticity, his work has been featured on the CBS, NPR, the BBC, and other major media. He began meditating in 1974 and is the founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom.

Pico Iyer, bestselling author and TED speaker, converses with @BanyenBooksSound on his new book, The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise. Pico Iyer is the acclaimed and bestselling author of fifteen books, translated into twenty-three languages, including The Art of Stillness. He has been a constant contributor for more than thirty years to Time, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, and more than 250 other periodicals worldwide. His four recent talks for TED have received more than eleven million views. He has written the liner notes for Leonard Cohen albums, and his in depth conversations with the Dalai Lama have been published in the book, The Open Road.

Karen Casey shares life lessons and wisdom from her beloved classic Each Day a New Beginning, and celebrates the release its new 40th anniversary edition. Each Day a New Beginning defined a genre as the first daily meditation book for women, filled with encouraging meditations and  practices to lift readers up. With over 3 million copies sold and a  dedicated readership spanning over four decades, Karen Casey has cemented herself as a leading voice in the reflection and recovery space. Karen Casey is the author of several bestsellers including The Promise of a New Day, 52 Ways to Live the Course in Miracles, Let Go Now, and Codependence and the Power of Detachment.

Julia Cameron, author of 'The Artist's Way', shares wisdom and practices from her new book, 'Write for Life: Creative Tools for Every Writer'.  Julia Cameron, hailed by the New York Times as “The Queen of Change,” is credited with starting a movement in 1992 that has brought creativity into the mainstream conversation—in the arts, in business, and in everyday life. She is the best-selling author of more than fourty books, fiction and nonfiction; a poet, songwriter, filmmaker and playwright. Commonly referred to as “The Godmother” or “High Priestess” of creativity, her tools are based in practice, not theory, and she considers herself “the floor sample of her own toolkit.” 'The Artist’s Way' has been translated into fourty languages and sold over five million copies to date.   Joel Fotinos has been a publishing professional for many years, as well as a minister and author. After 21 years as a Vice-President and Publisher at Penguin Random House, Joel joined Macmillan to start a new mind/body/spirit imprint called St. Martin's Essentials. He and Julia have worked together for 26 years so far, and hope for many years to come.