Voices of Esalen Podcast

Ken Dychtwald is a lifelong friend of Esalen and certified amazing guy. Besides being the best-selling author of more than ten books, he's a ground-breaking gerontologist, a psychologist, an educator, a professional lecturer (one of the best to ever pick up a microphone), a superb storyteller, a consultant to several White House administrations, an amazing father and husband—and apart from all that, he knows quite a lot about Esalen back in the day.

This interview with Ken gets into Esalen in the 1970's, and digs into the work of Will Schutz, famous for his encounter groups, and the psychodrama technique that came with it.

Ken and host Sam Stern also talk about Ken's seminal book, Bodymind, which he developed in his early twenties, and how he came to be at the forefront of the holistic health movement at its inception, as well as his lifelong work with aging populations, culminating in a bold initiative with the XPRIZE foundation that aims to defeat Alzheimer's.

Dr. Hyman is an eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author, an internationally recognized leader, speaker, educator, and advocate in the field of functional medicine.

He is the Director the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, the founder and medical director of The UltraWellness Center, chairman of the board of the Institute for Functional Medicine, a medical editor of The Huffington Post, and a regular medical contributor on many television shows, including CBS This Morning, Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, The View, and The Dr. Oz Show.

In this episode Dr. Hyman and host Sam Stern discuss many topics, including healthy fats, what NOT to eat, organ meats, dairy (nature's perfect food, if you're a calf, says Mark), fluoridated water, and more. This podcast is full of actionable knowledge. Have a listen.

Look for upcoming workshops with Mark Hyman.

Bob Walter is the executive director and board president of the Joseph Campbell foundation. Walter was Joseph Campbell’s editor for the last ten years of his life and the editorial director of "The Historical Atlas of World Mythology."

Following Campbell’s death in 1987, he served as literary executor of Campbell’s estate, and continues to oversee the publication of Joseph Campbell’s writings.

In this episode, Walter talks about the work and the life of Campbell, a central figure in Esalen’s history, as well as the human potential movement.

Bonus: this episode contains some original Joseph Campbell clips taken from a speech he gave at the Esalen institute, on October 12th, 1967, entitled, “Freud, Jung, and Kundalini Yoga.” Enjoy.

Look for upcoming workshops with Bob Walter.

Jean Houston is an interdisciplinary thinker and author, known for her ability to weave together history, culture, spirituality, and science. Dr. Houston is the author of 26 books and has worked in over 100 countries.

She recently came to Esalen to teach about quantum theory and concurrent realities, and in this episode of Voices of Esalen she talks with host Sam Stern about her relationships with Margaret Mead, Joseph Campbell, Alduous Huxley, Eleanor Roosevelt, Deepak Chopra, and Hilary Clinton, among other fascinating topics.

Look for upcoming workshops with Jean Houston.

Ben Tauber is a former member of Esalen's Board of Trustees and former Executive Director.

During this conversation that took place during Ben's tenure as Executive Director, he and Voices of Esalen host Sam Stern spoke about Ben's youth and teenage years, the nature of the company he created and made successful before joining Esalen, his creative relationship with Esalen's co-founder, Michael Murphy, how he battled cancer and emerged victorious, what it was like to come to the helm at Esalen in the midst of a natural disaster, and much more.

Steven Harper is a wilderness guide, author, artist, and longtime teacher at the Esalen Institute. He focuses on wild nature as a vehicle for awakening; his work is inspired by a deep connection to inner wild nature. Steven is a contributor to the emerging field of ecopsychology, and has written at length on the subject.

He was also a longtime student and close friend of Esalen co-founder Dick Price, and in our conversation, he speaks about his history with Dick, Esalen in the 1980’s, what it was like to raise a family in Big Sur, and how he continues to connect to wild spirit.

Look for upcoming workshops with Steven Harper.

Dorothy Charles writes, "The practice of being present is simple and not easy. We call it a practice because that’s what it takes – returning to the moment whenever I notice that I’m not present."

Dorothy is a long-time and beloved teacher and Gestalt Practitioner at Esalen since 1985, where she continues to lead workshops and training groups. Dorothy received her training at Esalen with Richard and Christine Price.

She lives in Aptos, California, where she and Christine Price lead and curate Tribal Ground, an educational and congregational organization dedicated to Gestalt Awareness Practice, Relational Gestalt Practice, and recognizing the sacredness in both life and death.

Look for upcoming workshops with Dorothy Charles.

Dr. Kristin Neff writes, "Self-compassion involves acting the same way towards yourself when you are having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself. Instead of just ignoring your pain with a 'stiff upper lip' mentality, you stop to tell yourself 'this is really difficult right now,' how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?"

In this conversation, Kristin describes the difference between self-esteem and self-compassion, describes the scientific research she has been conducting in self-compassion, and gives us a few simple, actionable techniques to help direct compassion toward ourselves.

Look for upcoming workshops with Kristin Neff.

David Crow is one of the world’s foremost experts in the field of botanical medicine and grassroots healthcare.

He is a master herbalist, aromatherapist and acupuncturist with over 30 years experience in the Ayurvedic and Chinese medical systems, as well as a renowned author, poet, and co-founder of The Learning Garden at Venice High School in Los Angeles, one of the country's largest and most successful school gardens.

We explore the ins and outs of essential oils, aromatherapy, flower essences, ayurveda, psychedelics, energy bodies, and gardening.

Look for upcoming workshops with David Crow.

Digital Raign is a conference that recently convened at Esalen with the intention of creating an "experiential ecosystem," dedicated to exploring the links between Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain Technology, and essential human nature.

Co-founders Alison Raby, founder of Mariposa Search, LifeBeforeDeath and Co-Founder of Wisdompreneurs, and James Hanusa, cultural strategist, entrepreneur, and advisor to Burning Man, walk us through uncharted territory in this interview.

If you're looking to learn about new technologies and holistic ways to relate to them, this talk will provide helpful information.

Look for upcoming workshops with Alison Raby or James Hanusa.