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Voices of Esalen

Latest episodes

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Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 12min

Mirrored Fatality: Non-Binary Kapampangan-Pilipinx and Pakistani-Muslim Duo on Healing Noise Punk

✧༺mirrored fatality is the nonbinary Kapampangan-Pilipinx and Pakistani-Muslim performance art duo of Mango and Samar, artists in residence at Esalen during the summer of 2021. Together we discuss the difference between non-binary and trans, how they share their rituals, altars, and medicine through DIT (Do It Together) experimental and healing noise punk, why punk as a genre is their musical choice, how fashion can be weaponized, why farming is a huge part of their lives and creative practice, how capitalism functions as the backdrop for their world, what an anti-imperialist education would look like, what they love about one another, how to educate, how they might react when they are misgendered, what they hope for Esalen's future, and much more. We play selections of several of their songs throughout this episode. To support Mango and Samar, head to their bandcamp and check out their music. https://mirroredfatality.bandcamp.com/music In their words: "mirrored fatality’s performance activism allows them a safe space to release their bubbling, fermenting primal rage rooted in the settler colonialism, transphobia, racism, xenophobia, and intergenerational ancestral trauma they experience daily as nonbinary people of color. mirrored fatality’s intentions for their art is for Queer Trans Black Indigenous People of Color to embody their rage, disrupt the silence and isolation from existing in a white supremacist capitalistic apocalyptic world, and harness collective care, catharsis, and holistic healing. Join them in imagining the future we’ve been fighting for and experience mirrored fatality’s reflections to witness our highest, truest selves."
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Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 2min

Albert Hoffman: Stan Grof Interviews Hoffman at Esalen, 1984

Today we celebrate Bicycle Day, a modern semi-holiday (unrecognized by official governmental agencies yet observed by psychedelic enthusiasts across the globe) that commemorates Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman’s bike ride home from his lab on April 19th, 1943, after ingesting 250 micrograms of lysergic acid diethlymide, and in the process creating the world's first recorded intentional LSD trip. When Hoffman originally synthesized the compound in 1938, in the Sandoz Pharmeacuticals laboratory, in Basel, he had deemed it next to useless, and put it up on the shelf to be forgotten - but five years later, something within him told him to take a second look. The rest, as they say, is history. Today’s Voices of Esalen episode is a treasure drawn from our extensive archives - an interview with Albert Hoffman himself, conducted by none other than Stanislav Grof, sometimes known as the godfather of LSD psychotherapy. Grof was a Czechoslovakian psychoanalyst who was enormously influenced by Hoffman’s discovery of LSD; in his research in Czechoslovakia he oversaw tens of thousands of supervised therapeutic LSD trips. Grof would emigrate to the United States in the late 1960’s, a move precipitated by the Soviet invasion of his country. Grof spent more than ten years as a teacher in residence at the Esalen Institute during the 1970’s and 80’s, where he developed the practice of holotropic breath work and became one of the founders of the school of transpersonal psychology. In this interview, Grof and Hoffman explore a host of topics, including Hoffman’s discovery of LSD and how on his first trip, Hoffman freaked out and thought he was going insane, then thought he was dying; how Hoffman then became aware that his new discovery would have immense significance to the field of psychiatry; why Hoffman believed LSD could be used as a model psychosis and a way to study schizophrenia; how Hoffman collaborated with amateur mycologist R. Gordon Wasson to create a synthetic version of so-called magic mushrooms, which would be known as psilocybin; how Hoffman traveled to Mexico to deliver this modern version of mushrooms to the famed curandera Maria Sabina, who had introduced Wasson to the mushrooms in the first place, and more. They end this interview by speaking about Hoffman’s reaction to the way LSD escaped the laboratory and infiltrated culture during the turbulent 1960s. This interview was conducted at Esalen Institute in 1984 - just one part of the ever evolving and complex tapestry of history that unfolded here in Big Sur.
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Oct 14, 2024 • 60min

Justin Michael Williams: Fear and Faith

Justin Michael Williams is an author, speaker and musician who works at the intersection of social justice, mindfulness, and personal growth. Justin has become a pioneering voice of color for the new healing movement. His mission is to make sure that all people, of all backgrounds, have access to the information they need to change their lives. Together, we discussed the science of transformation, what it means to combat forces of oppression (in a healthy way), identity labels (and how they function for good and for bad within the activist framework), what it means to go beyond anti-racism, Justin's current take on the human potential movement, and more. Also... Did you know that each purchase in our online store goes directly back to Esalen’s programs and the land? Go to http://shop.esalen.org and embark on a personal treasure hunt for highly curated objects that will support your well-being and spiritual discovery.  Lucia Horan: Where do you want to go? In times of turmoil and change, how do you navigate your way out of resistance… and into ecstasy? Lucia Horan, lineage holder of Gabrielle Roth’s 5Rhythms movement practice and somatic meditation, will share the science and skills needed to support balance, easy, and joy. Celebrate being alive in the wild, wondrous, natural beauty of Esalen. Sign up at https://www.esalen.org/workshops/maps-to-ecstasy-5rhythms-r-mindfulness-workshop Justin Michael Williams and Shelly Tygielski: Learn what it means to set yourself and others free with an awake, authentic voice. Justin Michael Williams partners with Pandemic of Love’s Shelly Tygielski to show the power of coming together across gender, race, age, and sexual orientation. You will leave with greater clarity and a clear course of action to call people forward - instead of calling people “out.” Join them for a wildly inclusive and compassionate weekend. Sign up at - esalen.org/workshops/liberate-yourself-set-yourself-free
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Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 9min

The Psychedelic Moment, Pt. 7: Laura Mae Northrup on Healing Sexual Trauma with Psychedelics

Laura Mae Northrup is a somatic psychotherapist and podcast creator. Her remarkable show, Inside Eyes, focuses on the use of psychedelics and entheogens to heal from sexual trauma, drawing largely on personal stories from survivors of sexual violence and exploring the ways they have used these medicines to heal. Laura's work focuses on defining sexual violence through a spiritual and politicized lens and supporting the spiritual integrity of collective humanity. Trigger warning: this episode contains frank descriptions of sexual violence and trauma, so please, take care of yourself and use discretion while listening. This episode is not appropriate for children. To listen to the entirety of Inside Eyes, please visit https://www.lauramaenorthrup.com/inside-eyes-podcast
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Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 15min

Jack Kornfield's 1983 Talk at Esalen: My Dharma Journey

This episode captures Jack Kornfield's lecture/ Dharma talk at Esalen on September 15th, 1983. Kornfield, one of the most articulate and compassionate voices in modern Western Buddhism, is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. He trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma and India, first as a student of the Thai forest master Ajahn Chah, about whom he speaks at length in this lecture. Kornfield has taught meditation worldwide since 1974 and is considered one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practices to the West. He’s the author of a host of books, including 1977’s "Living Dharma," 1993’s "A Path with Heart," and 2001’s "After the Ecstasy, the Laundry." This talk is at turns funny, wise, and insightful. It awakens a certain kind of spirit in the listener. We're grateful to Kornfield for his continuing association with the Esalen Institute, and continuing devotion to the path of the heart. Upcoming at Esalen: Being With Your Heart: Enneagram and Inner Work Retreat Are you ready to be with your heart and do deep inner work to get there? Russ Hudson, one of the top teachers and developers of the Enneagram system, & Deborah Rose Longo, an instructor of the Gurdjieff Movements for over 40 years, lead this retreat focused on restoring the centrality of spiritual practice and psychological rigor to Enneagram work. Sign up: https://www.esalen.org/workshops/being-with-your-heart-enneagram-and-inner-work-retreat Esalen Hosts Embrace Yoga’s Roots Virtual Book Tour with Susanna Barkataki October 21 at 5:00 PST, Esalen is honored to host a virtual book tour with Susanna Barkataki, author of Embrace Yoga’s Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice. An Indian yoga practitioner in the Shankaracharya tradition, Susanna supports practitioners to lead with equity, diversity, and yogic values while growing thriving practices and businesses with confidence. Join Susanna for a conversation with Danny Fluker Jr., queer Atlanta native and the creator and executive director of Black Boys OM. Danny is a Esalen Teacher in Residence alum and a yoga/meditation teacher, writer, and activist whose vision is to uplift the Black community, Black boys in particular, with programs centering on their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Tickets to the event are $35, but as part of our End of Year Campaign, Esalen is offering free tickets to the first 50 people who sign up to become a Friend of Esalen between October 1-October 21. You’ll receive the comp code and the RSVP link to the event when you become a friend. Become a friend and get your Comp Code now: https://www.esalen.org/give/friends-of-esalen Grief Into Beauty: Creating Nature Altars to Transform and Heal from This Year October 29-31, Internationally renowned author and artist Day Schildkret of Morning Altars will teach students how to use nature, art, and ritual to transform, heal, and make meaning from this chaotic time.
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Oct 14, 2024 • 51min

Justin Michael Williams: Stay Woke

Justin Michael Williams is an author, activist, meditation teacher and musician. His book Stay Woke established him as a pioneering millennial voice for diversity and inclusion in wellness. His work has been featured by The Wall Street Journal, Grammy.com, Yoga Journal, Billboard, Wanderlust, and South by Southwest. Justin was the artist in residence at Esalen during the month of July. He shared his thoughts with us on racism, healing, virtue signaling, men's eating disorders, Eckhart Tolle, the decolonization of wellness practices, and more.
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Oct 14, 2024 • 45min

Suzanne Simard: Finding the Mother Tree

Suzanne Simard is a Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia as well as the author of the excellent new memoir, “Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.” Suzanne is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; she’s been hailed as a scientist who conveys complex, technical ideas in a way that is dazzling and profound. Her TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide. Together, we discussed her scientific findings, the dangers of deforestation, how her literary and scientific proclivities intertwine, and what it’s like to have a character in a pulitzer prize winning novel based on her (Richard Powers' "The Overstory"). She's a rather amazing person, passionate about the future of the planet and our shared existence with old-growth forests. Coming up soon at Esalen: Our sense of self develops in connection with others, and our experience in early relationships shapes our beliefs — about ourselves, other people and what is possible for us in our lives. Join long-time Esalen instructor Dorothy Charles for Relational Gestalt Practice: The Transformative Power of Emotion, in which you’ll learn basic gestalt awareness practices to help you recognize limiting relational patterns and enhance your ability to have positive connections with others. This workshop takes place July 26th to July 30th in Big Sur. Find out more or enroll now: https://www.esalen.org/workshops/relational-gestalt-practice-the-transformative-power-of-emotion Did you know that Esalen has a scholarship program? We believe that money should never stand in the way of human potential. Esalen offers a generous student scholarship program that features: Awards of up to 90% of workshop tuition and accommodation Scholarship for qualifying travel A convenient, online application process A mission-driven goal to increase diversity Apply today at http://www.esalen.org/scholarshipFall20 for more information. A growing number of people are aware of the Enneagram as an accurate and profound map of personality. The nine Enneagram types are based on the three primary centers of intelligence: thinking, emotion and instinct. The Transformational Enneagram: Mindfulness, Insight and Experience, a new workshop led by Russ Hudson will emphasize recognizing the ways that each of the nine types plays out in our own personalities. It will combine psychological insight into the inner workings of the types with meditation practices and exercises to lead you toward a more direct experience of qualities of essence such as presence, clarity, compassion and joy. Conversational instruction will be combined with group meditations, small-group work, physical movements and music so that you can more fully integrate the richness of the Enneagram material into their daily work and relationships. The workshop will run from August 8-13 at Esalen in Big Sur. Register now: https://www.esalen.org/workshops/the-transformational-enneagram-mindfulness-insight-and-experience
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Oct 14, 2024 • 38min

Shayla Love: The High-Stakes Game of Psychedelic Capitalism

“All of these sort of regular things that biotech companies do, like snapping up patents so that they can get investor dollars moving forward, they’re intersecting with this culture in the psychedelics world, which is sort of anti-ownership. These forces will clash. They oppose with one another.” - Shayla Love, Vice Media Shayla Love is a senior staff writer at Vice Media whose writing has appeared in the Washington Post, the Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, the Guardian, and more. Her recent focus has been the field of psychedelics and how they exist and interact with the forces of what some refer to as late-stage capitalism. Shayla discussed whether there is a way to corporatize psychedelics responsibly, who has the most to gain in the new landscape of psychedelic capitalism, why the for-profit entity known as Compass Pathways attempted to patent a form of synthetic psilocybin, how and why the accompanying challenge to this patent from a group called FTO, or Freedom to Operate, originated, whether state decriminalization of psychedelics is at odds with federal medicalization, and more. Coming Soon at Esalen: Live and learn at Esalen for 4 weeks as part of our Live Extended Education Program or L.E.E.P.  Under the guidance of our skilled faculty and surrounded by a cohort of twelve other learners, students will be challenged to expand their personal growth edges and open up to greater discoveries of self and community. Learn more and apply, at https://www.esalen.org Integration From the Core: Embodiment through Yoga, Dance, and Sound Meditation. Drawing on the embodied practices of yoga, pranayama , sound meditation, and conscious dance, reconnect your bodies and minds, digest your feelings and emotions, and open yourselves to the wisdom of your heart. Led by Jovinna Chan. Learn more or apply now at https://www.esalen.org.
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Oct 14, 2024 • 1h 4min

Q and A with Sam

A glimpse under the hood at Voices of Esalen. Host Sam Stern interviews himself, entertaining questions such as How and why did you start Voices of Esalen - What was the first episode of the show and what was it about ? - Were the first episodes popular ? How many people listened to them? - What are your favorite podcasts and who are your favorite hosts? - Who have been some of your favorite people to talk to? - What is the most challenging thing about hosting a podcast ? - What episode gave you some simple practical advice? - What concepts have you most appreciated being exposed to while talking to your guests? - Who would you consider your wisest teacher? - What is your recording set up like ? - Who created your theme music? - What mistakes did you use to make as a host that you don’t make now? - What have been the hardest interviews you did, hosting Voices of Esalen ? - Do you have any advice for folks who might want to start their own podcast ? - And what will you be focusing on for most of this year’s interviews? Listen and learn about the show's evolution. . . .
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Oct 14, 2024 • 51min

Encore Presentation: Jeffrey Kripal on the Cultural History of Esalen

Jeff Kripal is a historian of religions - his work includes the study of comparative erotics and ethics in mystical literature, American countercultural translations of Asian religions, and the history of Western esotericism from gnosticism to New Age religions. He’s also the author of the book "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion" - a must read for anyone interested in unpacking the conditions of history surrounding Esalen’s birth in the early sixties. This interview was originally published in 2016. Coming up at Esalen: The Embodied Life™: Presencing and Re-Visioning. December 10 to 12th 2021, with Russell Delman and Linda Evans Delman. Connect present moment awareness with your intentions and dreams for the future to create a truthful and meaningful life. Experience embodied mediation, guided inquiry, and embodied movement practices like Feldenkrais, a set of neurologically based motor sequences that invite a deepening of body awareness. Sign up at: https://www.esalen.org/workshops/the-embodied-life-tm-presencing-and-re-visioning Gestalt Practice & Principles: Cultivating Embodied Wholeness in Daily Life. December 13 -17 , 2021 During this workshop we will explore the rich practices and principles of Gestalt Practice, apply them to daily life, and begin to experience the simple yet profound potential for growth towards authentic wholeness and radical aliveness. Gestalt Practice cultivates curiosity, equanimity, and acceptance with greater choice for creative possibilities. Rather than focusing on “fixing”, a “cure”, or seeking “accomplishment”, this approach offers methods to aid you in: Cultivating awareness and embodied presence; Growing responsiveness, resilience, and choice; Trusting in your organism’s inherent capacity for self-regulation and co-regulation. Sign up at: https://www.esalen.org/workshops/gestalt-practice-principles-cultivating-embodied-wholeness-in-daily-life Esalen End of Year Campaign - Help Us Make 300 New Friends Last year, Friends of Esalen helped us to survive closures due to the pandemic, fires and mudslides. We're here today because of our friends. When you become a Friend of Esalen with a donation, your contribution helps us finance our day to day operations in Big Sur-from staff to infrastructure. This year, our goal is to raise 450K and make 300 new friends so that we can continue to keep our doors open for generations to come. Become A Friend Now: https://www.esalen.org/give

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