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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Coming up at Esalen:

A New Way To Experience Esalen
If you can’t come to Big Sur, our Digital Extended Education Program (DEEP) will offer an online Esalen workshop you can experience from the comfort of your home. The first six-week online workshop, We’re All Gonna Die, led by Bodhi Be, kicks off on January 10, 2022. Bodhi Be will lead students through an exploration of how a healthy life includes a healthy relationship to death, how that awareness can help shape who we are as a community, and how we care for each other now and when we are dying.  

The second online course, Moon Lodge, begins January 17, 2022. Moon Lodge is a six-week online workshop focused on celebrating the body of Woman+ and the sacred feminine within. Through ritual practices, instructors Lucia Horan and Dr. Julia Von will share in the sisterhood of humanity and all that it encompasses. 

https://www.esalen.org 


Do You Really Understand Tantra? 
Have you ever wondered if your own mind and body may hold the key to unlocking a path to transformation? Today the word “Tantra” has an incredibly array of culture-specific meanings in South Asia and around the world, ranging from the exploration of anything strange, to the carrying out of a guru’s instructions, and yes — also to sexual practices. One overarching meaning that encompasses all is this: Tantra, as an applied method of acquiring freedom from external interference and of obtaining self-sovereignty (Sanskrit: svādhikāra) along this very path to transformation. 

Join Tantric scholar-practitioners Sravana Borkataky-Varma and Keith Cantú for this fascinating new workshop, the first of a signature series on Tantra, and explore the foundations of Tantric theory and practice. Bring an open mind as we explore deep questions about our bodies and minds in a safe space and nurturing environment.

Enroll in the Tantra workshop today at https://www.esalen.org 



Live and learn at Esalen for 4 weeks as part of our re-imagined four-week experience, the Live Extended Education Program (L.E.E.P.).  L.E.E.P. IS designed for people who want to explore new ways of thinking and being.
Under the guidance of our skilled, compassionate 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.  The first program cohort begins January 15 and runs to February 11.  Applications are now open.  
Learn more and apply today at https://www.esalen.org

Q and A with Sam

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. 

Paul Selig, I am the Word: The Extraordinary Life of a Spiritual Channel

"Voices of Esalen" features provocative, in-depth interviews with the dynamic leaders, teachers, and thinkers who reflect the mission of the Esalen Institute.

For more about the Esalen Institute, head to esalen.org 

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Q and A with Sam

Voices of Esalen

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