Voices of Esalen

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 from Weinland - the track is "Hardly Worth Saving," and it is licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License. Subscribe to us on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-of-esalen/id1084621605?mt=2

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