Episodes
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Celebrated poet Jane Hirshfield joins Banyen Books for an hour of poetry and conversation on her new book, Ledger: Poems. Jane Hirshfield is one of our most celebrated contemporary poets. Her books have received the Poetry Center Book Award, the California Book Award, and the Donald Hall-Jane Kenyon Prize in American Poetry and have been finalists for The National Book Critics Circle Award and England’s T. S. Eliot Prize and long-listed for the National Book Award. Hirshfield has received fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Foundations, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Academy of American Poets, and she presents her work at literary and interdisciplinary events worldwide. Her poems appear in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Review of Books, The Times Literary Supplement, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The New Republic, Harper’s Magazine, and Poetry, and have been selected for ten editions of The Best American Poetry. She is a 2019 elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a former chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
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Stephen Mitchell joins Banyen Books in conversation about The First Christmas: A Story of New Beginnings–an astonishingly beautiful re-imagining of the Nativity story, enchanting to readers of every background. Stephen Mitchell also shares spiritual insights, discusses the influence of Zen on his life & work, and speaks about his relationship with Byron Katie.
Stephen Mitchell was born in Brooklyn in 1943, educated at Amherst, the Sorbonne, and Yale, and de-educated through intensive Zen practice. He is married to Byron Katie, founder of The Work, with whom he co-authored the bestsellers Loving What Is and A Thousand Names for Joy. A world renowned translator and scholar, he has brought to life a wide range of literary classics, including the Tao Te Ching, Gilgamesh, the Bhagavad Gita and the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke. His work has been praised by Anne Lamott, Billy Collins, Daniel Goleman, Jack Kornfield, and Elizabeth Gilbert. -
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Stephen Jenkinson shares wisdom from his new book, A Generation’s Worth: Spirit work while the crisis reigns.
In this conversation, Stephen Jenkinson addresses questions about vaccines, mass hysteria and conspiracy thinking, ecology, aging and elderhood, hope and being hope free, and more. Stephen Jenkinson has described A Generation’s Worth as "something of a plague document... dispatches from the front lines of a strange occupation undeclared." What does a life’s work mean in a time of undoing? A Generation’s Worth sets out to learn liveable answers. Dying and death, love and matrimony, money and soul, aging and elderhood, drawn through the eye of a pestilential needle: this is the spirit work, and that is the crisis.
Stephen Jenkinson, MTS, MSW is a spiritual activist, author, ceremonialist and farmer. Stephen teaches internationally and is the creator and principal instructor of the Orphan Wisdom School, founded in 2010. With Master’s degrees from Harvard University (Theology) and the University of Toronto (Social Work), he is the author of several books including the award-winning Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul and Come of Age: The Case for Elderhood in a Time of Trouble. Stephen is the subject of the National Film Board of Canada feature length film documentary, Griefwalker. -
Apela Colorado, PhD, discusses 'Woman Between the Worlds: A Call to Your Ancestral and Indigenous Wisdom. Apela Colorado of Oneida-Gaul ancestry, has dedicated her life’s work to bridging Western thought and indigenous worldviews. As a Ford Fellow, Dr. Colorado studied for her doctorate at both Harvard and Brandeis Universities and received her Ph.D. from Brandeis in Social Policy. She founded the Worldwide Indigenous Science Network (WISN) to: Foster the revitalization, growth, and worldwide exchange of traditional knowledge; Safeguard the lives and work of the world’s endangered indigenous culture practitioners; Develop an interface with Western science. Dr. Colorado was one of twelve women chosen from 52 countries by the State of the World Forum to be honoured for her role as a woman leader.
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Martha Beck, Ph.D., discusses The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self. The author of several New York Times and international bestsellers including Finding Your Own North Star, Martha Beck has been a regular columnist for O: The Oprah Magazine since its inception. She has been described by USA Today as “the best-known life coach in America.” She holds three Harvard degrees in social science, has taught career development at the American Graduate School of International Management, and was research assistant to Dr. John Kotter at Harvard Business School.
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Dr. Martin Shaw speaks about his new book, Smoke Hole: Looking to the Wild in the Time of the Spyglass. At a time when we are all confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our lives, Dr. Shaw delivers a work of literary tonic. In Smoke Hole, Martin shares three ancient stories that are metaphors for our world today, a world where we are losing our sense of direction. With extraordinary poignancy, Smoke Hole illuminates the complexities of contemporary life and–through story–a way forward. Martin Shaw is widely regarded as one of the most exciting teachers of the mythic imagination. Author of the award-winning Mythteller trilogy (A Branch from the Lightning Tree, Snowy Tower, Scatterlings), he founded the Oral Tradition and Mythic Life courses at Stanford University, and is director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK. He has introduced thousands of people to mythology, and for twenty years Shaw has been a wilderness rites of passage guide, working with at-risk youth, those who are unwell, returning veterans as well as many women and men seeking a deeper life. His translations of Gaelic poetry and folklore (with Tony Hoagland) have been published in Orion Magazine, Poetry International, and Poetry magazine. Dr. Shaw's work has received top praise from the likes of Malidoma Somé, Stephen Jenkinson, Coleman Barks, Robert Densmore, and Robert Bly. His essay and conversation with Ai Weiwei on myth and migration was released by the Marciano Arts foundation.
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Jesse Thistle joins Banyen in conversation about his award-winning book, From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way. In his extraordinary and inspiring memoir, Jesse Thistle chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. An eloquent exploration of what it means to live in a world surrounded by prejudice and racism and to be cast adrift, From the Ashes is, in the end, about how love and support can help one find happiness despite the odds. Jesse Thistle is Métis-Cree, from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He is an assistant professor in Métis Studies at York University in Toronto. He won a Governor General’s Academic Medal in 2016, and is a Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholar and a Vanier Scholar. He is the author of the #1 National Bestselling book, From the Ashes, a CBC Canada Reads finalist and recipient of multiple awards.
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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. In this first of two Banyen interview, Martín discusses his new book, Rescuing the Light.
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Jill Bolte Taylor, bestselling author of My Stroke of Insight, discusses her new book, Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters that Drive Our Life. Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained neuroanatomist. In 1996 she experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, or recall any of her life. Her book, My Stroke of Insight, documenting her experience with stroke and eight-year recovery, spent 63 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Her TED talk has had over 26 million views, she has been a premiere guest on Oprah Winfrey's "Soul Series", and she has been named one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World”. Her new book 'Whole Brain Living' blends neuroanatomy with psychology to show how we can short-circuit emotional reactivity and find our way to peace.
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Thomas Moore, bestselling author of Care of the Soul, discusses Soul Therapy: The Art and Craft of Caring Conversations. Thomas Moore, PhD, is the author of more than twenty books on spirituality and depth psychology that have been translated into thirty languages. He has been practising depth psychotherapy for thirty-five years. He lectures and gives workshops in several countries on depth spirituality, soulful medicine, and psychotherapy. He has been a monk and a university professor, and is a consultant for organizations and spiritual leaders. He has often been on television and radio, most recently on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday.
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Renowned forest ecologist Suzanne Simard discusses her new book, Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest. Suzanne Simard, PhD, is a Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia and the author of the instant New York Times bestseller, Finding the Mother Tree. Suzanne is a pioneer on the frontier of plant communication and intelligence; she’s been compared to Rachel Carson, hailed as a scientist who conveys complex, technical ideas in a way that is dazzling and profound. Her discoveries have influenced filmmakers such as James Cameron, who drew from her work to create the Tree of Souls in Avatar, and her book Finding the Mother Tree is currently being adapted into a feature film produced by Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal. Simard's TED talks have been viewed by more than 10 million people worldwide.
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Tara Brach, renowned meditation teacher, psychologist, and author shares wisdom & guided meditations from her book, Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness.
Tara Brach, PhD has been practicing and teaching meditation since 1975, as well as leading workshops and meditation retreats at centers throughout North America and Europe. She has a PhD in clinical psychology, is the founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, and is the author of Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, and Radical Compassion. She and Jack Kornfield lead the Awareness Training Institute which offers online courses on mindfulness and compassion, as well as the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program. -
Dr. Shefali, bestselling author and renowned clinical psychologist, discusses her new book, A Radical Awakening: Turn Pain into Power, Embrace Your Truth, Live Free.
“A Radical Awakening will be of great help to anyone who is ready to transcend the limitations of their personal as well as cultural conditioning and awaken to their true nature as the eternal presence of consciousness itself.” ~ Eckhart Tolle
Dr. Shefali’s ground-breaking approach to mindful living and parenting has taken her books to the top of the NY Times best-sellers list. Oprah has endorsed her work as revolutionary and life-changing. She is the author of several books, including The Conscious Parent, The Awakened Family, Out of Control, and A Radical Awakening. -
Gary Zukav, bestselling author of Seat of the Soul, speaks about his new book Universal Human: Creating Authentic Power and the New Consciousness. Purchase Universal Human at https://www.banyen.com/products/unive....
Gary Zukav is the internationally acclaimed author of The Dancing Wu Li Masters, The Seat of the Soul, Soul Stories, and many others. The Seat of the Soul was a number one New York Times bestseller thirty-one times, and remained on the bestseller list for three years. Zukav's gentle presence, humour, and wisdom have endeared him to millions of viewers through his thirty-four appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Super Soul Sunday. Published in 30 languages, Zukav is a graduate of Harvard University and a former Green Beret officer.
Gary Zukav is joined in the later part of the interview by Linda Francis. Linda Francis has been practicing the creation of authentic power since she read The Seat of the Soul in 1989. In 1993 she met Gary Zukav and they created a spiritual partnership. During this time, she co-authored two NY Times bestsellers with Gary Zukav, The Heart of the Soul: Emotional Awareness and The Mind of the Soul: Responsible Choice. They also co-authored Thoughts from the Heart of the Soul and Self-Empowerment Journal: A Companion to the Mind of the Soul. Linda Francis is a co-founder of the Seat of the Soul Institute. -
Gregg Braden shares insights from his new book, The Wisdom Codes: Ancient Words to Rewire Our Brains and Heal Our Hearts.
In The Wisdom Codes the cutting edge of neurolinguistics meets the spiritual wisdom of the ages in a handbook of key words that literally rewire our brains.
Gregg Braden is a five-time New York Times best-selling author, scientist, international educator and renowned as a pioneer in the emerging paradigm based in science, social policy and human potential. He is the author of several books including The Divine Matrix, Fractal Time, Science of Self-Empowerment, Spontaneous Healing of Belief, and The Wisdom Codes. To date his research has led to 15 film credits and 12 award-winning books now published in over 40 languages. -
Russ Hudson is one of the world's foremost Enneagram scholars today. He is the co-founder of the Enneagram Institute, as well as a founding director and former vice-president of the International Enneagram Association. He has coauthored several international bestselling books, including The Wisdom of the Enneagram and Personality Types. Russ is a popular speaker at conferences and retreat centres worldwide including the Esalen Institute, the Wisdom 2.0 Conference, and the Science and Non-Duality Conference. Here he discusses Russ Hudson discusses The Enneagram: Nine Gateways to Presence. -
Anita Moorjani, New York Times bestselling author of Dying to Be Me, speaks about her new book Sensitive is the New Strong: The Power of Empaths in an Increasingly Harsh World. Moorjani offers inspiration and guidance for sensitive people looking to fully harness their gifts of intuition and empathy in today’s harsh world. -
Elizabeth Lesser discusses her new book, Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes.
What story would Eve have told about picking the apple? Why is Pandora blamed for opening the box? And what about the fate of Cassandra, who was blessed with knowing the future but cursed so that no one believed her? What if women had also told our guiding origin tales, spiritual parables, and hero myths?
Elizabeth Lesser is the co-founder of Omega Institute, the renowned conference and retreat center in Rhinebeck, New York. She is the New York Times bestselling author of several books including Marrow, The Seeker's Guide, and Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow, which has been translated into more than 20 languages. Elizabeth Lesser has given two popular TED talks, and is one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, a collection of a hundred leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity. -
Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith & Max Wilbert discuss Bright Green Lies: How the Environmental Movement Lost Its Way and What We Can Do About It.
"Bright Green Lies exposes the hypocrisy of leading environmental groups. It asks the questions most refuse to ask, and in that questioning, uncovers profound truths.” ―Chris Hedges
"This disturbing but very important book makes clear we must dig deeper than the normal solutions we are offered." ―Yvon Chouinard
“Derrick Jensen is a rare and original voice of sanity in a chaotic world. ”
―Howard Zinn
Derrick Jensen is an American author, ecophilosopher and radical environmentalist living in Crescent City, California. Democracy Now! has described him as the "poet-philosopher of the ecological movement." He is the author of more than 25 acclaimed books, including A Language Older Than Words, The Culture of Make Believe, and Endgame.
Lierre Keith is a writer, small farmer, and radical feminist activist. She is the author of six books, including The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability, which has been called “the most important ecological book of this generation.” She is also coauthor of Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet.
Max Wilbert is an author, organizer, and wilderness guide. A third-generation dissident, Max has been part of grassroots political work for nearly 20 years. Max serves on the Board of Directors of Deep Green Resistance and Fertile Ground Institute for Social and Ecological Justice. -
Bill Plotkin, author of Soulcraft, discusses The Journey of Soul Initiation. In this conversation, Plotkin provides guidance for the descent to soul - the dissolution of current identity; the encounter with the mythopoetic mysteries of soul; and the metamorphosis of the ego into a cocreator of life-enhancing culture. He illustrates each phase of this riveting and sometimes hazardous odyssey and speaks about his innovative exploration of Carl Jung's Red Book.
Bill Plotkin, PhD, is a depth psychologist, wilderness guide, and agent of cultural evolution. As founder of western Colorado’s Animas Valley Institute in 1981, he has guided thousands of seekers through nature-based initiatory passages, including a contemporary, Western adaptation of the pan-cultural vision quest. Previously, he has been a research psychologist (studying non-ordinary states of consciousness), professor of psychology, psychotherapist, rock musician, and whitewater river guide. Bill has a doctorate in psychology from the University of Colorado. He is the author of Soulcraft, Wild Mind, Nature and the Human Soul, and the new release, The Journey of Soul Initiation. - Show more
