Afleveringen
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Sarah Abrams and Virginia Benson Wigle join host Sharon for this warm-hearted conversation about their friendship, their Process experience, and the non-profit they founded, The Starfish Connection.
Virginia attended the Hoffman Process at the urging of her husband, John. Years later, John passed away. Virginia, in turn, passed the Hoffman Process on to Sarah, and then to her new husband. Giving the gift of the Process to someone ready and willing to attend is a profound way to pass along the gifts discovered during the week.
The seed for The Starfish Connection came from John's dying words - "Our story." The vision for The Starfish Connection, the non-profit Virginia founded, began as storytelling. Now, it focuses on giving gifts to people needing momentary help without expecting anything in return. John's gift continues to grow with numerous gifts given through Starfish.
This conversation begins with what's possible in a friendship when two people have had powerful transformations in the Process and have come to trust each other profoundly. The way that Sarah and Virginia are there for each other is what gives their friendship such a strong foundation. We hope you enjoy this heartening conversation.
Follow The Starfish Connection on Instagram.
You can reach The Starfish Connection by email at [email protected].
More about Sarah Abrams:
Sarah Abrams is a seasoned entrepreneur and has navigated various industries with curiosity and creativity. As the Executive Director of The Starfish Connection, she demonstrates her commitment to fostering community through giving and sharing her love of writing and storytelling. Her journey as a serial entrepreneur underscores her versatility and passion to create products and services that serve her community. From launching a software startup to creating a floral and event company, and a children’s toy store, Sarah has a history of innovation and adaptability. Her ventures showcase her creativity and her knack for sustainable business practices.
More about Virginia Benson Wigle:
Virginia Benson Wigle is the founder of The Starfish Connection, the nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a difference, one life at a time by providing crisis funding grants to individuals and families facing sudden financial crises. Virginia has passionately served in the nonprofit sector throughout Santa Barbara County for over thirty years. Before devoting her work full-time to The Starfish Connection, Virginia spent twenty years at Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo in varying positions from clinic staff to education, and administration. She ultimately served as Vice President of Education before retiring in 2015. She also served two terms on the California State Legislative Committee for Planned Parenthood affiliates in Sacramento.
As mentioned in this episode:
Planned Parenthood
Hoffman Q2 Intensive
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Annie Looby, Hoffman Process Senior Facilitator in Australia and Gestalt Psychotherapist is our delightful and wise guest today.
For much of her life, Annie has had an extensive career in the performing arts, including film, television, and theatre. Then, in 2014, Annie found the Hoffman Process. She decided to do the Process after witnessing the change in her husband after he completed it.
During her Process, Annie experienced a shame attack so painful that she wanted to leave. Her teacher guided her to see that everything Annie was looking for was just on the other side of this painful moment. If Annie could just stay with it, she would find what she was looking for. In this pivotal moment, Annie found the strength and resolve to stay. Listen in to hear what she discovered on the other side.
While in her Process, Annie realized that the work of the Process was the work she'd been searching for to do in the world. Annie's first step to becoming a Hoffman teacher was to study to become a therapist. She returned to school for graduate studies in psychotherapy. From there, she trained to become a Hoffman facilitator and has worked for Hoffman since.
Annie is fascinated with the human condition and why we are the way we are. Over time as a teacher, she learned to lean back and trust the Process. Listen in as Annie shares her wisdom and experience of teaching the Process.
More about Anne Looby:
Annie is a Senior Facilitator of the Hoffman Process in Australia as well as working privately as a Counsellor and Gestalt Psychotherapist. With a background in the performing arts, Annie is also an accomplished actor (NIDA), producer, and teacher with more than 30 years of experience. The arts have been a major focus of her life and she has an unwavering belief in the power of creative expression as a healing force. Whether music, art, theatre, or literature, Annie loves the human capacity to create meaning in all expressive forms.
As a Facilitator of the Hoffman Process, Annie has witnessed first-hand the power of this deep and life-changing process. “I continue, each time I teach the Process, to deepen my understanding of the beauty, frailty, and resilience of the human spirit – it is an absolute privilege to bear witness to each participant's courage and inherent goodness.”
Discover more about Anne on Linkedin and Wikipedia.
As mentioned in this episode:
Four Stages of Competence:
Unconscious incompetence
Conscious incompetence
Conscious competence
Unconscious competence
Volker Krohn -
Director, Hoffman Australia; Hoffman Supervising Facilitator
Chair, Hoffman International
Listen to Volker on the Hoffman Podcast
Kerri Chinner was Annie's Process teacher. Annie shares that Kerri no longer teaches the Process but remains a beloved team member.
The Paradoxical Theory of Change
Transference
Awareness Hell:
In Awareness hell, we are aware of the patterns that we have that we wish we didn’t have. We see them but don't yet know how to change. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to happen These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Cory Britt was sober for four years before coming to the Hoffman Process in June of 2024. As Cory shares his life story and recovery story with Sharon, he touches on many painful parts of his life and many joyous ones, too. In a raw and detailed way, Cory leads us through his journey from addiction to freedom.
For two decades of alcoholism, Cory held incredibly poignant life dreams and aspirations while at the same time not knowing how to break free of addiction so he could follow them. His dreams terrified him because he had no idea if he would ever live them. He started drinking when he was twelve. This way of life was all he knew.
Like many students, Cory had to wait almost six months to attend the Process after enrolling because it is usually fully booked six months ahead. Cory knew the Proess was coming, which was a beacon of hope during his wait. He chose to utilize the many tools he'd learned to navigate a life of sobriety, to consciously dig deeper as he moved closer to his time in Petaluma.
Post-Process, Cory feels joy and excitement about his dreams and vision. He knows who he is and understands who he is. He is proud of who he is. His mind is quiet. There's space there. Cory is free now to live the life he dreamed about for all those years. As he says, "All that space I have in my head now, and all that free time in my head, all the amazing shit that I can do with it? That is the Hoffman pouring out of me every day."
**Be aware that this conversation contains explicit language and mentions substance abuse. Please use your discretion.
More about Cory Britt in his own words:
I'm a stay-at-home dad and full-time student, passionate about helping others. With a love for the outdoors, from trail running to hitting up the ski slopes, and working out in the gym, I seek the deeper meanings in conversation, while always enjoying the little moments in life.
Just over four and a half years ago, I was at the lowest point of my existence. The deepest and darkest holes you can imagine, with little to no light in sight. After crawling from the depths of my hell, I began to rid myself of demons and transform my lifestyle. I started by switching careers. I became a student and completely overhauled my daily nutrition, all while seeking refuge for my mental well-being.
In a couple of months, I'll have earned my degree in studies in education. I'm following this with a master's in secondary education, paving a potential path to educational leadership in the future. To say I am excited to be in the classroom full-time is a drastic understatement. My love for children begins at home, with my five-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. Watching them grow has been the greatest gift; the joy they bring me each day is unmeasurable.
Through many dark days, droves of discipline, and unwavering consistency, I have begun to build the life I always dreamed of. For so long I was merely drifting along in search of meaning, now I am living and loving the beautiful space I occupy on earth. I intend to use all my pain, suffering, and the reclaimed happiness and joy, to affect change and inspire those who may feel lost or need help on this journey we call life. Through love and peace, I will continually embody and radiate my light.
As mentioned in this episode:
The Rich Roll podcast
• Ken Rideout on the Rich Roll podcast
• Ken Rideout on Instagram
Ed McClune, Hoffman teacher and coach
• Listen to Ed on the Hoffman Podcast
"When there is no enemy within, the enemy on the outside can do you no harm." African Proverb
"Suck the bone marrow out of life." Words shared by Cory
Another quote about the marrow of life from Henry David Thoreau
"I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms...”
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Alysse Godino, Money Coach and Founder of Saffron Money tells her story of transformation during her week at the Hoffman Process. But like all stories of transformation, it begins long before her time at Hoffman. When the Maui fires hit, Alysse was preparing to fly to California for her Process. She wondered if she should go, wondering if it made sense to go during a time of such emergency. But she knew it was the right time, and her transformation was fueled by her grief of what was happening on the island she loves.
When Alysse returned home to Maui, she was ready to contribute to rebuilding her community. It was time to put the inner change she experienced into external action. This is a beautiful example of Love's Everyday Radius.
What caused Alysse to enroll in the Process wasn't any big traumatizing event. Rather, it was something that she noticed happening inside of her. On the outside, her life was good, even great. But on the inside, she felt an anxiety that wasn't tied to anything apparent. She would come to see, after her week at Hoffman, that she'd been living with an unconscious internal level of anxiety and anger for a long time. Through her work in the Process, she let go of it all.
We hope you enjoy this powerful story of healing and love, community and rebuilding, loss and new life.
More about Alysse Godino:
Alysse has worn many hats in her 32 years. A San Francisco native, NCAA Division 1 athlete, Cornell University graduate, investment banker, Maui resident, founder, financial advisor, consultant, soul surfer, earth lover, and Hoffman graduate.
After graduating from Cornell University, Alysse went straight to work as an investment banker in New York and San Francisco. After ~5 years of the corporate grind, Maui came into Alysse’s life. At a moment’s notice, she decided to retire from her corporate finance career and pursue a life on Maui. Almost 7 years later, Alysse surfs daily (sometimes twice daily if the waves are good) and runs her growing financial advisory business, Saffron Money, which focuses on helping millennial women and couples build 7-figure wealth.
Discover more about Alysse and her business at www.saffronmoney.com. Follow Alysse on Instagram and Saffron Money on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:
Maui fire, August 2023 - Cause
Maui fire, Lahaina rebuilding
Saffron Money - Maui wildfire update
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Leila Day, journalist, co-creator/co-host of The Stoop, and freelance podcast show-runner, is our guest this week. She and Drew sat down for an in-depth conversation about story, belonging, and the Hoffman Process.
Always a lover of story and storytelling, Leila shares that she fell in love with podcasting as a creative way to format personal storytelling. She says podcasting keeps her curious; when she's not curious, she knows something is off. Leila realized a lack of curiosity was a lack of interest in others and life. With this realization, she knew the light within her was dimming. This is what brought her to the Hoffman Process.
At the beginning of her Process, Leila kept to herself and her teachers noticed. Being there felt like she often felt in her childhood - the only Black kid surrounded by white kids. She found herself observing rather than engaging. Her teacher encouraged her to take control of this pattern and actively deconstruct her pattern of disengaging under these circumstances. Leila did and what happened in response was powerful. She realized she was stunting her growth in a place built for her to grow. Her curiosity and light were reignited in her remaining days at the Process because she chose to do it differently. She reclaimed the wholeness and fullness of who she truly is.
We hope you enjoy this intimate, honest, loving conversation with Leila and Drew.
More about Leila Day:
Leila Day is a journalist and co-creator and co-host of The Stoop. An award-winning podcast, The Stoop focuses on Black stories. She won the Gracie Award for an episode on The Stoop titled, Inside These Walls. Leila received her Gracie at The Alliance For Women In Media Foundation's 48th Annual Gracie Awards Gala.
She’s also a freelance podcast show-runner who has hosted and edited podcasts for Marvel, CBS Universal, NPR, Netflix, and many others. As a former NPR station reporter, she’s often speaking on unique ways to combine journalism and storytelling.
Follow Leila on Instagram and Twitter/X. Follow The Stoop on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:
The Stoop:
A podcast about stories from the Black Diaspora.
Higher Ground Media:
Podcasts for the Obama's production network.
Winning the Gracie Award:
Image of Leila receiving her Gracie award wearing her fabulous dress. Taken at The Alliance For Women In Media Foundation's 48th Annual Gracie Awards Gala.
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Michael Wenger is a Hoffman teacher and past Director of Hoffman International. In this conversation, he shares stories of the early days when the Hoffman Process was first introduced in European countries. This is a delightful conversation about the Hoffman Process's early days, how the Process spread internationally, and about Michael and his spiritual journey.**
Michael first learned about the Process in August '86 from his brother who participated in the first European Process. Michael then participated in the second European Process in early '87. Both of these were taught in Germany. Students of these first two Processes then opened Hoffman Institute centers in Germany, France, and Austria, helping to begin to spread the Process throughout Europe. Michael decided to become a Hoffman teacher himself. Fluent in four languages, he helped Bob Hoffman translate the teachings he experienced in English into the four languages he knew.
Eventually, Michael helped establish the Hoffman Institute in Italy alongside his sister, Hoffman teacher, Lisa Wenger. Over the years. Michael taught the Hoffman Process within various cultural settings. He came to see the various ways that each culture approached the work differently. Michael shares how each culture approaches the work differently. As he says, the cultural differences become clear because the Process is the same no matter where it is taught.
** This episode mentions substance abuse and is marked explicit for language. Please use your discretion.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Michael and Drew.
More about Michael Wenger:
After an adventurous youth exploring many limits of lifestyles and consciousness, working as a DJ, Barman, and Actor, Michael met Bob Hoffman in 1987 and attended one of the first Hoffman Programs in Europe. Being fluent in four languages, Michael then followed Bob who was introducing Hoffman to many different countries, thus being able to move quickly through the training to become a Hoffman Process Teacher under the supervision of Bob. In 1990 he assisted his sister Lisa in introducing the Hoffman Institute in Italy and facilitating the Hoffman program for over thirty years. For eight years he also worked as one of the three executive directors of Hoffman Institute International.
(Photo, L-R: Michael, Bob Hoffman, Lisa Wenger, Beatrice Wenger)
For the past few years, apart from occasionally teaching the Hoffman Process, Michael has been dedicating his time to exploring non-dual awareness and meditation, facilitating retreats (www.camminoaperto.info) inspired by Pir Elias Amidon, Rupert Spira, Ramesh Balsekar, and many other mystical teachers. He lives in the hills above Lugano, Switzerland.
As mentioned in this episode:
'68 Hippies
Michael's Brother died of AIDS
Canary Islands
Celebration of Integration:
This portion of the Process experience happens toward the end of the week. This is when students begin to integrate the parts of their Quadrinity. The Quadrinity is the four aspects of self: Spiritual Self, Body, Intellect, and Emotional Self.
Stanley Stefancic, former Hoffman teacher.
• Stanley's obituary
• Listen to Stan on the Hoffman Podcast
Lisa Wenger
• Listen to Lisa on the Hoffman Podcast
Non-Dual Spirituality
Western Sufism
Paradox
White Sulphur Springs, St Helena, CA
• Home of the Hoffman Process for many years. California's oldest retreat site was nearly destroyed in the Glass Fire.
• Read more about White Sulphur Springs
Hoffman International
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In this insightful episode with author and podcaster, Liz Moody, Liz shares a powerful truth not often spoken about - that healing can come from a place of joy. Liz graduated from the Hoffman Process in early 2024. As she shares with Drew, even though she found healing in the more painful parts of the emotional work, Liz shares how she found joy pivotal to her healing process.
In speaking about moments when her Process breakthroughs happened, Liz talks about the power of the relationship between pain and joy, and compassion and anger, as places where something powerful happened. Compassion for her parents allowed for the suppressed anger she felt at them to finally emerge. Holding both the pain and joy of her experience helped her understand that healing doesn't always come from pain. It can come from feeling joy, safety, and community, too.
One of the highlights of this episode is when Liz and Drew speak about the power of doing the Process from the understanding that there is nothing wrong with you and you don't need to be fixed. Knowing that you have everything you need within you to heal and grow allows you to settle into a deep trust in the Process as it carries you through the week. We hope you enjoy this powerful conversation with Liz and Drew.
More about Liz Moody:
Liz Moody is the host of the top-rated 'The Liz Moody Podcast,' author of bestselling books 'Healthier Together: Recipes for Two—Nourish Your Body, Nourish Your Relationships' and 'Glow Pops,' and a popular online content creator who has helped millions of people transform their lives. Her new book, '100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships & Success,' draws from Moody’s more than a decade of experience in the health and wellness world, serving as a new kind of personal development book — one that empowers readers to craft their unique, best life based on the habits they want to form, the problems they want to solve, and the parts of their life they want to take to the next level.
A longtime journalist for publications including Vogue, Marie Claire, and goop, an online creator with a social media following of more than 1+ Million, and the founder of Healthy Convo Co, a conversation game company designed to facilitate fun and life-changing conversations, Liz previously served as food director for mindbodygreen, a leading wellness website where she led content strategy for the food section. A regular speaker, panelist, and podcast guest, Liz shares her own deeply personal anxiety journey that led her to where she is now and actionable, fun, and science-based ways for everyone to live their best lives.
Find out more about Liz here. Listen to her podcast here. Follow Liz on Instagram and TikTok.
As mentioned in this episode:
Extroverted Introvert
Structured fun
Whimsical:
"Whim naturally came about as a shortened form of whim-wham, and whimsy and whimsical eventually followed. Whimsical now describes more than just decisions made impulsively, but things resulting from an unrestrained imagination, as in "whimsical children's book characters."
Agoraphobia
Neuroscience
Negative Love Syndrome:
...as described in The Path to Personal Freedom and Love, written by Bob Hoffman
Dr. Elissa Epel on Stress and on the Liz Moody podcast
Heidi Krahling, Hoffman's Chef
• Listen to Heidi on the Hoffman Podcast
Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
• by The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
Dr. Lauren Cook - The Millennial Midlife Crisis on the Liz Moody Podcast
Dr. James Doty on The Liz Moody Podcast: Manifest Like a Neurosurgeon
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Nailah Blades is a Life and Leadership coach and a lover of the great outdoors. She's our last non-grad guest in our short series of four non-grads. Nailah is passionate about exploring the natural world. She and her family are avid outdoor enthusiasts. A portion of Nailah's work is also in the great outdoors. She invites women of color to return to nature, a space that has always belonged to them too.
Nailah isn't a graduate of the Hoffman Process, but her work in the world matches the ethos and values of the Process. At one time, Nailah knew she wasn't doing the work she was meant to do. After a bit of exploration, she found her calling. Since then, she's followed this call to diversify the outdoors, to guide people back into the wild and beautiful world of nature. As you listen to Nailah and Drew, you'll hear Nailah's commitment to the community of women she serves.
The call to return to nature has been a thread through many of our episodes. The outdoors can be a healing and regenerative place for everyone. As Nailah shares, for many people, layers of marginalization serve as barriers to the outdoors. For women of color, returning to the outdoors is an embodied reminder of the great power of knowing that the land, seas, and mountaintops are places where everyone belongs.
More about Nailah Blades:
Nailah Blades is a Life and Leadership coach who helps leaders tap into their power to build personal and professional lives that are whole, good, and full of possibility. She founded Color Outside, a community for Black, Indigenous, and women of color who are ready to create unapologetic, soul-stirring lives through outdoor adventure. Through high-touch coaching that integrates the outdoors, Nailah teaches her clients how to go from languishing to flourishing in every area of their lives. Her work centers on the belief that when we stand in the truth of our authentic selves, we can live and lead in a way that creates real change in our world.
Nailah is the author of Joyful by Nature: Outdoor Adventure as Women of Color. Created for the modern woman of color, Joyful by Nature is a guide to reconnecting with nature and reclaiming your place in the outdoor community.
When she's not coaching or speaking you can find her hiking with her husband or playing intense games of hide-and-seek with her two tiny kids.
Find out more about Nailah at NailahBlades.com. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
As mentioned in this episode:
Salt Lake City, Utah
Marginalization
Wyoming Park Service
Be Bear Aware Campaign - Promoting Safety for People and Safety for Bears Since 1976
Sundance Resort
Audre Lorde
Bell Hooks
Adrienne Maree Brown
• Emergent Strategy book
• Biomimicry
Outdoor Afro
Latino Outdoors
Unlikely Hikers
Joyful by Nature, by Nailah Blades -
Teacher, counselor, and attorney David Bedrick has developed a profound method for helping people unshame their shame. In this third episode of our short non-grad series of four, David and Drew dive deep into a conversation about the true nature of shame and how to heal it through what David calls Unshaming. While David is not a graduate of the Process, his work is very closely aligned with the work of the Process.
As David says, "Shame is an internalized vision of oneself. It creates feelings, but they are not feelings."
According to David, to heal shame, someone must truly witness us. In telling our story of what happened, we need to be heard, seen, and understood. We need to be humanized, not stigmatized or pathologized. He says we must be "witnessed for being a human being who’s been through an experience. That’s unshaming. That’s humanizing." We hope you enjoy this profound conversation on the nature of healing shame with David and Drew.
**This episode mentions physical and sexual violence and may not be suitable for all listeners. Please use your discretion.
More about David Bedrick:
David Bedrick, JD, Dipl. PW grew up in a family marked by violence. While his father’s brutality was physical and verbal, his mother’s denial and gaslighting had its own covert power. This formative context introduced David early to the etiology of shame and instilled an urge to unshame. Professionally, he was on the faculty for the University of Phoenix and the Process Work Institute in the U.S. and Poland and is the founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-based Studies where he trains therapists, coaches, and healers and offers workshops for individuals to further their own personal development.
David writes for Psychology Today. He's the author of Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology and Revisioning Activism: Bringing Depth, Dialogue, and Diversity to Individual and Social Change. His new book is You Can’t Judge a Body by Its Cover: 17 Women’s Stories of Hunger, Body Shame, and Redemption. North Atlantic Books will publish David's upcoming book, The Unshaming Way, in November 2024. You can preorder The Unshaming Way here.
Discover more about David at DavidBedrick.com. Follow David on Instagram and Facebook.
As mentioned in this episode:
The Wounded Healer Archetype
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross:
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”
Dr. Larry Nassar
Somatic
Brené Brown
Allopathic medicine
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We welcome physician, author, educator, and thought leader, Zach Bush, MD to our podcast. Part of our non-grad series, Dr. Zach is not a graduate of the Hoffman Process but his work speaks to the nature of the unburdening of self that also happens through our highly transformative Hoffman Process.
In this conversation, Dr. Zach and Drew speak of the unburdening of patterns as just the first step. Then, once we know our authentic nature, we can explore who we truly are in relationship to nature.
As a doctor and researcher, Dr. Zach shares with us about the isolated human cell that becomes cancer and how that relates to human beings. Isolation can keep us in a state of disharmony and dysfunction. Coming back into connection and community with other people can heal us, just as the human cell heals when it returns to a connection as part of the larger soil of the body. After we complete the Process, we must find a place or community where we can be our newly awakened selves. This is how we keep unburdening, growing, becoming.
According to Dr. Zach, the deep belief that we were kicked out of nature is the root cause of our wounds. And with that belief comes a deep-seated sense of scarcity in all areas of our lives, especially, as Dr. Zach says, "love, acceptance, and God itself." We must heal humanity's root wound - the belief that Nature abandoned us. Nature never did. Nature is our gateway and mirror to healing.
We hope you enjoy this profound, expansive, and enlivening conversation with Drew and Zach Bush, MD.
Photographs of Zach Bush, MD are by Leia Vita.
More about Zach Bush, MD:
Zach Bush, MD is a physician specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology, and hospice care. He is an internationally recognized educator and thought leader on the microbiome as it relates to health, disease, and food systems. Zach Bush, MD founded *Seraphic Group and the non-profit Farmer’s Footprint to develop root-cause solutions for human and ecological health. His passion for education reaches across many disciplines, including topics, such as the role of soil and water ecosystems in human genomics, immunity, and gut/brain health. His education has highlighted the need for a radical departure from chemical farming and pharmacy, and his ongoing efforts are providing a path for consumers, farmers, and mega-industries to work together for a healthy future for people and the planet.
Zach Bush MD's work in for-profit and nonprofit arenas creates avenues for collaborative action for all stakeholders in our global community for a regenerative future of health for the planet and our children.
Discover more about Dr. Zach at ZachBushMD.com. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, X(Twitter), and YouTube.
As mentioned in this episode:
Mitochondria
Hippocrates
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Yogic traditions:
Ayurveda
Qigong
Tai chi
Microbiome
A Course in Miracles
Hospice and Palliative Care
Buckminster Fuller -
Welcome to Season 9! We begin this new season with a mini, four-episode non-grad series highlighting guests whose work is harmonious with the work and ethos of the Hoffman Process. Our first non-grad guest is musician, activist, and award-winning filmmaker, Michael Franti.**
As you listen to Michael's life story, you'll hear him speak of his feelings of abandonment and being an outsider. These feelings echo much of the work done during a week at the Hoffman Process. With eloquence and an open heart, he tells us his story of adoption, living with alcoholic parents, and what healing these wounds can look like. His life story is beautiful. As Michael says, you'll see what a generous gift it is to tell one's story.
Originally recorded as part of an ongoing collaboration with Modern Elder Academy, Michael and Drew met in person in Santa Fe to record this conversation. Chip Conley, co-founder of MEA, chimes in at the end. This is a deep, fun, vulnerable conversation. We hope you enjoy it!
**Please note that this episode is marked explicit for language and some content.
More about Michael Franti:
Michael Franti is a globally recognized musician, activist, and award-winning filmmaker revered for his high-energy live shows, inspiring music, worldwide philanthropic efforts, and the power of optimism. Throughout his multi-decade career, Franti has earned three Billboard No. 1’s with triumphantly hopeful hits “Sound of Sunshine,” “Say Hey (I Love You)” and “I Got You,” as well as six Top 30 Hot AC singles, 10 Top 25 AAA Singles and three Billboard Top 5 Rock Albums. Spearhead’s Follow Your Heart was released in June 2022 and debuted at No. 2 on the iTunes Pop Chart behind Harry Styles. Praised by American Songwriter as “an energizing batch of songs that spotlight the common threads that connect us,” Franti & Spearhead’s 13th studio album Big Big Love is available everywhere now. It features 17 tracks co-written by Franti, reflecting his tenacity, inclusiveness, and optimism.
Franti & Spearhead are currently on the Togetherness Tour in 2024. They bring their dynamic and invigorating shows to Soulrockers across the U.S. This tour includes a return to the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. With 60+ dates through the summer, the Togetherness Tour kicked off at the Tortuga Music Festival on April 6 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
The Bay Area native resides in Bali when he is not on tour. Michael owns Soulshine Bali, a 32-room top-rated boutique hotel in Ubud, Bali. Soulshine Bali focuses on joy through wellness and music, offering unique retreat opportunities and accommodations. They also host special events and celebrations. Franti continues to foster community on and off stage with a wish-granting non-profit, Do It For The Love. which brings those with life-threatening illnesses, veterans, and children with severe challenges to concerts worldwide, fulfilling over 3,500 wishes and touching the lives of over 15,000 people to date.
Find out more:
You can find out more about Michael at MichaelFranti.com. Follow Michael on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter(X).
HoffmanInstitute.org/donate
As mentioned in this episode:
Reverend Cecil Williams: "Joy is the intersection between the human and the Divine."
• Glide Memorial Church
• Michael singing at Rev. Williams' memorial
Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia
The Munchies band - Bali, Indonesia
Lynne Twist
• Listen to Lynne on the Hoffman Podcast: Love's Immense Power
Robert Mirabal
• Taos Pueblo: Home of the Red Willow People
Gulf War
HIV
Soul
The Multiverse
Modern Elder Academy (MEA)
• Chip Conley - Listen to Chip Conley on the Hoffman Podcast: Wisdom and the Ultimate Spirituality
Rick Rubin: Art vs. Craft - "If you know what you want to do and you do it, that's the work of a craftsman. If you begin with a question and use it to guide an adventure of discovery, that's the work of the artist.”
The Beatles
Chuck Berry -
We wrap up season 8 with Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary and her powerful, dynamic conversation with Sharon. Dr Chaudhary is a neurologist, neuroscientist, and Ayurvedic practitioner. She combines modern neuroscience with ancient wisdom. She also coaches executives of large corporations on how to connect.
Dr. Chaudhary completed the Hoffman Process in 2022. She shares a powerful, pivotal moment from her Process. She was paired up with another student which provided the perfect invitation to be - messy. As she tells us, she's been trained to keep things clean in her life and work. But at this moment, she let go. Kulreet shares, "I don't think I have ever been that emotionally messy in my entire adult life." She tells us that because of her willingness to let go fully into her emotional messiness, she also found a freedom she'd never felt before as an adult.
After she completed the Process, Dr. Chaudhary dove into the Hoffman practices and tools. For about six months, she embraced a daily practice to deepen the transformation that had happened during her Process. It is hard to describe what happened to Kulreet after working with the tools and practices diligently. What stands out is how in the moment of incredible transformation and healing, Kulreet was holding herself in a profound, unwavering, self-love. As she held herself in the radiance of this self-love, the darkness that she thought was within her shattered. It wasn't at all what she'd thought it was. This is the raw power of self-love.
We hope you enjoy and find benefit from this profound conversation with Kulreet and Sharon.
We'll see you again in the second half of August for our next series of conversations.
More about Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary:
Meet Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, a neurologist, neuroscientist, and a pioneering voice in Sound Medicine and Ayurveda. Combining modern neuroscience with ancient wisdom, Dr. Chaudhary has helped thousands achieve health goals they never thought possible. She passionately advocates for a wellness-based medical system that empowers patients, moving beyond traditional disease-focused approaches. Dr. Chaudhary is the acclaimed author of "The Prime: Prepare and Repair Your Body for Spontaneous Weight Loss" and "Sound Medicine: How to Use the Ancient Science of Sound to Heal the Body and Mind." She has shared her insights on national platforms like The Dr. Oz Show and Home & Family.
With decades of experience, Dr. Chaudhary continues to advance medical research, participating in over 20 clinical studies on conditions like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease. Her work includes pioneering stem cell therapies and uncovering ancient Siddha Medicine texts in India. As part of the Healthy Directions family, she’s developing an at-home wellness program to help millions lead healthier, happier lives.
Discover more about Dr. Chaudhary’s unique approach to wellness at www.drkulreetchaudhary.com. Follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
Article: The Connection Between the Gut and Brain in Ayurveda (https://www.healthydirections.com/articles/ayurvedic-medicine/ayurveda-gut-brain-connection)
As mentioned in this episode:
Dark Side Stomp (Check)
Ayurveda Medicine
Siddha Medicine Tradition
Star Wars - Return of the Jedi
Enlightenment
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Equine Assisted Coach and soon-to-be-published author, Leslie Kornstein, is our guest today. Leslie and Liz sit down for this powerful conversation about healing and coming into a wholeness of self that includes what Leslie calls our social self, the aspect of ourselves she discovered learning from the horses she worked with.
Leslie experienced a delayed emergence of language until age five. Her early challenge became a unique gift as she developed sensitivity to people's energy, empathy, and understanding of others' unspoken feelings. Leslie shares her journey to becoming the coach and author she is today. Throughout her story, you'll hear her weave this deep sensitivity to aspects of life that often go unnoticed by most of us.
Leslie attended the Hoffman Process in 2004. As she tells us, she found the language of the Quadrinity to be a gift. It allowed her to listen to the parts of herself that were in pain. Through this exploration, she was able to heal on multiple levels. She found more healing working with horses herself and then becoming an Equine Assisted Coach.
We hope you enjoy this heart-opening and thought-provoking conversation with Leslie and Liz.
More about Leslie Kornstein:
Up until high school, Leslie was language-challenged. However, her other attributes invited positive peer guides who supported and guided her. After receiving her Master’s degree in 1975 she married and during the next decade became a dedicated teacher, evaluator of learning challenges, and creator of a resource room for children with learning challenges in a NYC public school.
Leslie was moved to adopt a son and daughter due to her physical inability to carry her own children and her near death from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. This created a family for all to benefit from. In the '90s, Leslie was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. She then realized an inner knowing that healing was a whole-body process. Leslie became a Breathwalk instructor, learned meditation from Deepak Chopra, and completed the Hoffman Process giving her permission to forgive herself and those in her sphere of influence. She trained to be a Hoffman Facilitator. Leslie went on to study Spiritual Psychology at The University of Santa Monica (USM). She followed those studies by becoming a personal coach and training as an Equine Assisted Coach.
Now, Leslie works on her ranch in Reno Nevada assisting others with her equine coaches. She has integrated her life experience and extensive educational background to guide others through their healing and growth journeys. For years, Leslie envisioned a fable being written as a preface for the book she's been working on with Robert Stokich. One evening K. Alden Peterson, Leslie’s partner, became very curious about SPIES, went to sleep, and dreamt of the fable, which is now the preface to “Lies, SPIES & Butterflies: where individual stories abound, exponential powers emerge, and reimagined lives flourish." Stay tuned as Leslie & Robert’s book and Alden’s children’s fable will be available by 2025.
Find out more about Leslie on Facebook and Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:
Equine Assisted Coaching
Near-death Experience (NDE)
Ectopic Pregnancy
Chron's Disease
The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukov
Spiritual Psychology at The University of Santa Monica
Sentience
Horses as prey animals -
Elaine Duncan, Hoffman Process graduate, and strategy and development consultant, shares her touching story about growing up in a family with numerous adopted siblings. She came to the Process over a decade ago. One thing Elaine remembers and cherishes about the Process is the copious amount of laughter she experienced and the feeling of deep connection, laughter, and joy.
Elaine was the only child in her nuclear family until her parents adopted their second child, a boy younger than Elaine. Elaine's mother was a social worker who believed deeply in the need for and benefits of international adoption. Living her values, she adopted many children from around the world. While the home was full of children, with both parents often gone, Elaine eventually came to feel adrift in her own home. She eventually found solace in her relationship with her grandmother.
When children are adopted, they have to find their way to a sense of belonging. But what is it like to be the only biological child, the oldest, and then bounce around in the middle position over time because so many siblings join the family? While Elaine wasn't adopted, she and her life to come were deeply affected by adoption. Listen in as Elaine shares how many children her mother (through two marriages) adopted and the deeper lessons Elaine learned.
Elaine speaks of being a connecter in her life. She draws people to her and creates community wherever she goes. As she tells us, she has found it to be a sense of community that has always saved her. Unsurprisingly, Elaine has recommended the Hoffman Process to numerous people over the ten-years-plus since she completed the Process.
We hope you enjoy this heartwarming and connecting conversation with Elaine and Drew.
More about Elaine Duncan:
Elaine Duncan is a strategy and development consultant inspired by nature, healing the planet, and regenerative practices. She is writing a memoir on growing up as the only biological child in a large multicultural family. Elaine and her husband, David, live in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with their dog, a Brittany named Shilo.
Follow Elaine on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Read Elaine's articles on Medium.
As mentioned in this episode:
Social Work
International Adoption
The Donahue Show
Oprah Winfrey - Anchor on Baltimore News Station
Latter Day Saints
AA (Alcoholics Anonymous)
Connector
Landmark
Raz Ingrasci, Founder Hoffman International, Hoffman teacher and coach
• Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast
The Hoffman Process Feelings and Sensations List
White Sulphur Springs
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, MD
Gabor Maté
Triggers
Transference
Quad Check
The Quad Check is a practice to support you in checking in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body. To practice Quad Checks with others, join our virtual Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. We also hold an Appreciation and Gratitude practice each day at 6:00 pm on Instagram.
SGA - Student Government Association
Mentorship
Hoffman Couples Retreat
The Q2 Intensive
Twelve Step Sponsorship
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Roxy Hayde, Hoffman teacher and member of the Hoffman UK team, is our guest today. She came to the Hoffman Process after a lifetime of trying to hold it all together behind a deeply defended heart.
At a very young age, Roxy knew that to feel safe she would have to learn how to control everything and everyone around her and not let herself feel vulnerable. Through the Process, she dropped into a very soft place and came to parent herself in a way she'd never known. Roxy and her emotional child have fostered a beautiful relationship. She tells Drew how her inner child is often present with her when she teaches the Process.
Roxy describes her deep fear of vulnerability and how she hid herself behind the archetype of a strong, successful woman. That kept her from having real connections with the people in her life. Now, she connects deeply with people and also connects people in marriage as a wedding celebrant. Roxy is a celebrant who celebrates love with an open, vulnerable, radiant heart.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Roxy and Drew.
More about Roxy Hayde:
Roxy joined the Hoffman UK team in 2018 and is now a supervising Hoffman Teacher. After completing the Hoffman Process in 2014, she became deeply passionate about it and its transformative effects. Roxy has completed numerous courses and trainings that inform her work with clients and groups.
When not teaching in a Process, she coaches, trains teachers, and is a Humanist Wedding Celebrant (non-religious officiant) in the UK and abroad. A lover of all things ritual, she creates bespoke, one-of-a-kind wedding ceremonies for couples.
In her downtime, she loves traveling and beach walks with her dogs in Brighton, England, where she now lives after nearly two decades in London - much of which was spent working in the music industry.
Discover more about Roxy here and follow her on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:
Liverpool, England
• Toxteth riots, 1981
Margaret Thatcher
Shame statements at the Process referenced by Roxy:
During the Hoffman Process shame is explored as a false identity, an unconscious or subconscious belief about oneself. Shame is part of the human experience.
Self-abandonment
The archetype of a Strong Independent Woman.
Enneagram - type 7
Treacle - "any uncrystallized syrup made during the refining of sugar."
Regent's Park
Jelly Babies
Care Bears
Eckhart Tolle and Kim Eng
C0dependency
Dark Side - Dealing with your Dark Side.
Florence House
Joseph Campbell
The Hero's Journey
Dark Night of the Soul
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Tami Tack & Kim Worrall graduated from the Hoffman Process in 1996. They took the Process a second time after it was rejuvenated from an 8-day Process to 7 days. Tami and Kim have been stewards of this work ever since. For over 15 years, Tami has been a graduate group leader in the Portland, Oregon area.
Tami and Kim speak to the power of learning to trust in and live from the Spiritual Self and softening into its care. Kim first realized that his nature had a spiritual aspect during the Process. Tami and Kim share stories from their post-Process past to illuminate how vital this aspect of our Quadrinity has been to leading joyful lives.
You'll hear Tami and Kim speak about how the Process work has been vital to their relationship. The Hoffman Process supports not only our internal transformation. It also transforms our relationships. When two partners have completed the Process and followed it up with the Hoffman Couples Retreat, the work can deepen the quality and power of your relationship.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Tami, Kim, and Hoffman host, Sharon Mor.
More about Tami Tack & Kim Worrall:
Married since 1987, Tami and Kim enjoy traveling and exploring the inner world of relationships and spirituality. They host a monthly spiritual Living Circle and have participated in Thom Bond’s Compassion Course for two years, an outgrowth of Nonviolent Communication (NVC). Tami and Kim sing together in local choirs and volunteer with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to work with children in foster care. They live in Tami’s childhood country home which they have named Harmony Hill. Enjoying an active life, they hike, bike, and kayak. They are deeply grateful for all that Life has brought them and look forward to the next adventure.
More about Tami Tack:
Tami first experienced the Hoffman Process in 1996, then again in 2015 after the Process was rejuvenated. Passionate about Hoffman Graduate Groups, she led the Portland group from 2009 to 2023, mentoring other leaders beginning new groups. She is a retired school counselor and therapist and has always loved working with people of all ages. Another passion of hers is music, expressed both through piano and voice. Classically trained in piano, she discovered in her 40s that she could compose music and recorded three CDs of her original piano solos.
Singing with many choirs, she directs the Lower Columbia chapter of Threshold Choir whose mission is to sing at the bedside of the dying. The proud mother of two delightful adult children and grandmother to four, she prioritizes family and heart connections.
More about Kim Worrall:
Kim discovered the Hoffman Process in 1996. In 2014, he repeated the HQP, remembering that he is not his patterns—imagine that! A major takeaway was that he has a Spiritual Self. He is curious about how things work, from human thinking and behavior to galaxies and microbes. He is a retired teacher and counselor, a former pilot and mountain climber, and a father and grandfather. Formerly singing in the Portland Opera chorus, he now sings with a local men’s ensemble. Having been interested in magic since he was a kid, Kim has produced magic shows and always carries a bit of magic with him. He loves to travel for its broadening view of our world and people. He is learning the value and strength of vulnerability.
As mentioned in this episode:
Engulfment
Bob Hoffman
Hoffman Couples Retreat
Hoffman tool: Embodied Recycling
Graduate Groups
Virtual (Zoom) Grad Meetings are held in four time zones - Pacific, Mountain, Central, and Eastern.
Hoffman Process Rejuvenation
Neural Pathways
Threshold Choir
Religious Science
Ed McClune: Listen to Ed on the Hoffman Podcast
Prayer Wheel -
Jessica Kizer, PhD and Professor of Sociology, shares her powerful life story. One of the main threads of her story is the deep feeling and sense of not belonging. Through her story, we can understand how identities, roles, and circumstances can cause us to feel as if we do not belong in this world as we are for who we are. You'll also hear Drew reflect to Jessica: "...that's stereophonic not-belonging on overdrive." Through her studies in Sociology, Jessica began to understand how societal forces shape our lives societal constructions, and choices made by others.
A myriad of steps and people brought Jessica to the Hoffman Process. On her first day, she felt that all-too-familiar pang of not belonging. She saw that she was the only Black person there. This was the reality. Immediately, she felt a familiar pain of distance from everyone. But in the first few days, she experienced a shift. You'll hear Jessica share a moment when she saw that we can have very different life stories but arrive at the same place, feeling the same things about ourselves and our place in the world. This was when she began to focus on "our commonalities and not on our differences" in her time at the Process and after.
As a mixed-race, neurodivergent person who teaches Sociology at a top university, perhaps Jessica's story is one we can identify with because we don't share those same identities. The patterns of not belonging, having to prove our worth, and feeling like we are in the wrong place, are common patterns among us. Jessica's experience, wisdom, and understanding, both academically and personally, shed a powerful light on the human experience. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Jessica and Drew.
More about Jessica Kizer:
Jessica Kizer was born and raised in a multigenerational, multiracial family in the South Bay of Los Angeles County. Her spiritual journey led her first to Hoffman Essentials and then the Hoffman Process in June 2023, where she experienced deep healing for herself and her family. As a result of her experiences growing up Black, Puerto Rican, and Indonesian and neurodivergent in a neurotypical world, she developed a strong sense of justice, equity, and inclusion, which led her to a career as a sociology professor.
In her courses, Jessica creates educational experiences so that everyone can learn and, in turn, helps students learn how to communicate sociological research in a way anyone can understand. In her courses, students tutor elementary school students and then write and illustrate sociological storybooks for the children’s home libraries. They also participate in intergenerational and interracial dialogues on race, research, and create podcasts on racial inequality, which they share with elders.
Jessica loves going on walks and talks, journaling, and finding adventure in the everyday. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, their two cats, and two dogs. Follow Jessica on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:
Hoffman Essentials
Jehovah's Witness
Marni Battista - Listen to Marni on the Hoffman Podcast
EMDR
Brainspotting
Kristin Neff - Listen to Kristin on the Hoffman Podcast
Quad Check:
The Quad Check is a practice to support you in checking in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body. To practice Quad Checks with others, join our virtual Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. We also hold an Appreciation and Gratitude practice each day at 6:00 pm on Instagram.
Left Road, Right Road -
Johanina Wikoff, PhD, sits down with Drew for a conversation about consciousness, the Hoffman Process, psychedelics, relationships, and deep inner healing.
As someone who has always been "drawn to explore the mysteries of life," Johanina began exploring psychedelics when she was a teen and in college. She lived off-grid in deep nature and homesteaded while raising her children. Eventually, she was called to return to school for graduate studies, earning her PhD and becoming a therapist and educator. During these years through her practice, and for decades with clients, Johanina has explored the mystery and terrain of the inner world.
Although she'd known about it for decades before going, Johanina attended the Process in 2010. She found the Hoffman Process to be deeply healing. As she shares, "The Process is a brilliant way to embody what was lost in a way that is deeply healing...When we are able to feel the full range, the depths, the heights, the full - the whole catastrophe of our emotional life then we're not owned by denying, our energy isn't tied up in pushing away or clinging sentimentally to it. ... It's all part of life and so are we."
Johanina has a mantra she follows and shares with those she works with. "Be open, interested, and curious." It's a good mantra, especially as we open to new territory, whether in our lives or our inner world explorations. Many of our guests say this way of being helped them get the most out of their Process experience. We hope you enjoy this deep conversation with Johanina and Drew
More about Johanina Wikoff:
Johanina Wikoff, M.A., PhD is a therapist and educator. She has been working in the areas of body-mind healing, couples therapy, consciousness studies, and the therapeutic use of psychedelics since 1979.
With her husband, Andy Milberg, a senior Hoffman Process teacher and coach, she created Dare To Love Again, a body of evolving relationship work. Discover more about Johanina and Dare to Love Again here.
As mentioned in this episode:
Andy Milberg, Hoffman teacher and coach.
• Listen to Andy on the Hoffman Podcast.
Ayn Rand
Psychedelics
Living Off-the-Grid
Homesteading
Breathwork
Ajijic, Mexico
• Lake Chapala
Peak experience
Hoffman Tools Mentioned:
Left Road, Right Road Map
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Rector of Dharma Gate Buddhist College in Budapest, and Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Gabor Karsai has practiced Buddhism and mindfulness for decades. His Hoffman experience was "magical" and one of profound healing and forgiveness. It's also a story of how important it is to listen to our body's signs of distress and heed the message it is trying to tell us.
Over the past few years, Gabor began to experience physical symptoms of stress daily upon waking. While he was very uncomfortable each morning, the symptoms would end and he'd head off to work. Eventually, his daughters' concerns and his good friend's advice, led him to stop and accept that something was wrong and he needed to take time off. His friend's advice and recommendation eventually led him to the Hoffman Process.
Gabor's experience is not unusual. Many of us experience the effects of stress on our bodies without taking the time to stop and wonder why they are happening. Our bodies tell us what is going on in our inner world. They try to speak to us to let us know something needs to be resolved and healed. Gabor found this healing during his week at the Process in Canada, in January 2024.
We can practice mindfulness and become very conscious, yet there can be a current underneath consisting of old pain, unhealed patterns, and emotions waiting to be released. When the Intellect runs the show, the body and emotional self suffer. By the time Gabor found the Process, his Intellect had already conceded. This opened the door for him to a magical experience of profound healing. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Gabor and Sharon.
More about Gabor Karsai:
Gabor Karsai, based near Budapest, Hungary, is the Rector of Dharma Gate Buddhist College in Budapest, and Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, specializing in process philosophy, phenomenology, and the enactive approach. Since 2021 he has also been Managing Director of Mind & Life Europe, an organization founded by Francisco Varela and the Dalai Lama, fostering interdisciplinary dialogues in the field of contemplative science.
Over the last 20 years, Gabor has had extensive management engagements, including as CEO at KOGART Holding Plc. (Hungary), Director of the Spirit of Humanity Forum (Iceland), the Education for Peace Foundation (Switzerland), and CEO at the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society (Taiwan). He combines practical experience running a not-for-profit organization with a deep appreciation for contemplative practice and science.
Learn more about and connect with Gabor on LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:
Hoffman Institute Canada
Hungary
Dharma Gate
Buddhism
Mind & Life Europe
Expression Work
The Truce - Internal Dialogue between Intellect, Body, and Emotional Self
Dorothy Holden, Hoffman teacher and coach
• Listen to Dorothy Holden on the Hoffman Podcast
Sanctum Retreat Center, home of Hoffman Canada
Hoffman's Focused Discovery Coaching
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Award-winning storyteller in television, film, and literature, Matthew Weiner, is a recent graduate of the Hoffman Process.
Matthew is the creator, executive producer, writer, and director of the television show, Mad Men. Matthew shares that his biggest fear in doing the Process was losing his creativity; if he healed his trauma, he'd no longer be creative. Now on the other side of the Process, Matthew knows his fear was unfounded because, through his deep work of transformation, he learned that making art is part of healing trauma.
As a comedy writer, Matthew shares that often negative self-statements get a laugh. And yet, that inner negativity, including when it is pointed at ourselves, is, as Matthew says, "not sustainable." Releasing harmful negative patterns and the negative love we learned as children brings freedom and a lightness that is hard to imagine until you discover it within yourself.
A particularly beautiful and wise reflection from Matthew comes when he speaks about childhood. He shares that, as children, we see ourselves as a "supporting player" in our parents' lives, not realizing that each of us is actually "the star" of our childhood.
Toward the end, Matthew shares the importance of reflecting on his experience during the Process and after. Post-Process, people have told him he's different, his voice has changed and he's softer. Like many of our guests, Matthew sees value in this process of reflection through conversation on personal transformation. We know there is also great value in witnessing another's experience. We hope you enjoy this wise, reflective conversation with Matthew and Drew.
More about Matthew Weiner:
Matthew Weiner is a nine-time Emmy Award winner and five-time WGA Award-winning storyteller in television, film, and literature. Among his range of credits are two of television’s most successful and critically lauded shows: creator, executive producer, writer, and director on Mad Men, which was distinguished with the Peabody Award, and executive producer for The Sopranos. Weiner was also the creator, executive producer, writer, and director of the original contemporary anthology series, The Romanoffs, set in seven countries around the globe.
Weiner’s debut novel, Heather, The Totality, was published by Little, Brown and Company. You can discover more about Matthew Weiner here.
As mentioned in this episode:
Esopus Magazine article.
Quote:
“Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I don't have anything on paper despite years of constant rejection. In showbiz, all bad news has come through agents and in the form of phone calls. Even early on. I don't know that I would have saved them if I had gotten them. They're like bad reviews for me, best skimmed through and then briefly obsessed over before being mentally discarded. I've come to realize rejection is now part of my process. I am not used to it by any means, nor do I expect it, but it both sharpens my resolve that my ideas are new and also drives me to professionally outlive the resistance of the gatekeepers. If I wait patiently they will either move on, reconsider, or become brave enough to try something new. Rejection, as painful as it is, is nothing more than a delay.“ - Matthew Weiner
Mindful Self-Compassion (Kristin Neff and Chris Germer)
Listen to Kristen Neff on the Hoffman Podcast.
Listen to Chris Germer on the Hoffman Podcast,
Livia Soprano
David Chase
Terry (Terrence) Winter
Robin Green
Mitch (Mitchell) Burgess
TM (Transcendental Meditation)
About the song, Try a Little Tenderness
Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding
Fawlty Towers: Don't mention the war!
Wizard of Oz
Hoffman Teacher, Barbara Comstock
Listen to Barbara Comstock on the Hoffman Podcast
The cargo ship that took down Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge
Sigmund Freud
Id: the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest. - Laat meer zien
