The Hoffman Podcast: Recent Episodes
Hoffman Institute Foundation
“If we imagine fear as this tight fist that says, I’m not going to let go, I need to keep you safe, love comes in as just this warm hug, and it’s like, It’s all right, sweetheart, I’ve got you, you don’t have to hold this burden anymore. And the fear doesn’t want to do this…. It is doing it because it does not believe there is another path for you in order to survive or get your needs met.” – Cory Muscara
Cory and DrewCory MuscaraFormer monk and down-to-earth spiritual teacher Cory Muscara wraps up Season 12 with a powerful exploration of the lived human experience. Cory is not a graduate of the Hoffman Process, but he has recommended it to many and plans on attending in the near future. The ethos of his work blends beautifully with that of the Process.
After a painful relationship breakup in his twenties, Cory began to meditate as a way to support himself. Realizing he wanted to go deeper into meditation, he headed to a monastery in Burma for a 6-month meditation retreat.
Truly, it is hard to summarize this conversation. Like life, it must be experienced. You can feel the invitation to soften when in Cory’s presence as he articulates the process of internal healing and self-compassion.
Later in the conversation, Drew mentions that a Process is completing just down the hill. He asks Cory what he might tell them. Cory offers a compassionate response to them and ultimately to all of us. He shares that leaving a retreat such as the Process and heading back into life offers us the opportunity to continue the work to heal, realizing that life is the meditation cushion. Life is where the ‘work’ continues. It is also where love can blossom with more ease and grace for ourselves and others.
We hope you enjoy this wise and compassionate conversation with Cory and Drew.
We’ll see you again in late August when we launch season 13. Thanks for listening and watching. We appreciate you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgf3BpOFloY
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Cory Muscara:Cory Muscara is a former monk, host of the Practicing Human podcast, and bestselling author of the book Stop Missing Your Life. With over 1.5MM followers across his social media channels, Cory has gained popularity for his down-to-earth teachings on mindfulness, wellbeing, and mental health.
Cory has taught mindful leadership at Columbia University, is an instructor in Positive Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and, for the last decade, has offered mindfulness keynotes, workshops, and retreats around the world, helping people find peace and transformation in a chaotic world. Cory’s meditations have been heard more than 50 million times in over 150 countries. His goal is to share wisdom teachings in a practical and accessible way.
Discover more about Cory here and find resources here. Follow Cory on Instagram and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:The monastery Cory resided at is Panditarama Hse Main Gon Forest Meditation Center in Burma.
Cory’s teacher, Sayadaw U Pandita
Sayadaw means “venerable teacher.”
Vipassana Meditation.
• Vipassana means to “see things as they really are.”
• Vipassana meditation is one of India’s most ancient meditation techniques.
Walking meditation:
• Thich Nhat Hanh on How to Take a Mindful Walk
Attunement
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• IFS Model, Parts, and Protective Patterns
• Richard Schwartz – Listen to Richard on the Hoffman Podcast: IFS & the Unburdening of Self
The productivity tool Cory mentioned is ToDoist.
C.A.R.E. – Connect. Appreciate. Reveal. Empathize.
19:44 (video), 18:47 (audio)
Two levels of pain: Primary and Secondary pain
37:09 (video), 34:40 (audio)
Cory’s episode is the first one we filmed at our new Hoffman Podcast Studio at Santa Sabina.
We celebrated this inaugural episode with a crew photo.
Drew Horning – Host, Cory Muscara – Guest, Julie Daley – Executive Producer, Mike Ingrasci – Director of Marketing, outside the new studio at Hoffman Retreat Center, Santa Sabina.
“It was this conversation between three generations — but I was the only one who could speak. Someone wise told me to recognize the gifts that come with change. That was really a gift. There’s a connection there across generations. And that’s really what Hoffman does.”
– Mike Ingrasci
Drew and Mike/Hoffman Podcast StudioHoffman’s Director of Marketing, Mike Ingrasci, sits down with Drew to talk marketing, brand, and his Hoffman experience. The son of Raz and Liza Ingrasci, founders of the Institute, Mike’s experience of Hoffman goes way back. He shares, “I think that I got Hoffman a bit through osmosis, whether it was like whispers in the house, teachers who came to visit at dinner, just the way in which my parents raised us as children. …They really let us be kids, and they were protective of that, because they had done the Process, and they knew what that meant.”
Raz, Mike, and LeoSince Raz’s passing, Mike has reflected on the gifts that come with change. His friend suggested this as a way through the tough time ahead. Between the day Raz passed away, Dec 31, 2025, and the day of his Celebration of Life in March, Mike and Sara needed to take turns putting Leo to bed. Leo was going through a stage where he didn’t want to be left alone. So every other evening, Mike would lie on the floor by Leo, writing into his Notes app on his phone. One night, he realized that there were three generations linked – father, son, grandson – and only one of them – Mike – could speak. He continued to write the words from this generational connection, eventually sharing them with the over 1500 friends and family gathered. As Mike shares, this is a cornerstone of what Hoffman is about.
Aligning and refining Hoffman’s Brand:As Director of Marketing, one of Mike’s goals is to align and refine Hoffman’s brand to accurately reflect the decades of powerful transformational experiences of well over 100,000 Process graduates. When young, Mike had a hard time knowing how to talk about the Process. He knew his parents were ‘helping people,’ and that they loved and wholeheartedly believed in the Process. Once Mike took the Process in 2009, he understood, as a lived experience, what he could never conceptualize. And now, it is perfect that he is the guide for this elevation of Hoffman’s brand into something that reflects what it is and makes it welcoming, understandable, and reflective of its organic coolness. Armed with a mood board, Instagram, and a lifetime surrounded by Hoffman, Mike is crafting an ever-evolving invitation into the profound beauty and magic of the Hoffman Process.
For Mike, Brand = Promise + Experience + Reputation. At Hoffman, these three things have always been incredibly strong. The Process delivers on its promise, the experience is transformative, and the reputation speaks for itself. Mike’s approach isn’t about changing any of that…it’s about building the world around it: creating an ecosystem that feels thoughtful, elevated, and welcoming for both people discovering Hoffman for the first time and graduates who continue to engage with it for years. His goal is simple: to make every touchpoint reflect the integrity of the Process, and elevate how Hoffman is experienced and perceived while remaining true to the work itself.
We hope you feel the warmth and care of this invitation and conversation.
https://youtu.be/OlvZy60Vjkc
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Mike Ingrasci:Liza, Mike, Raz, and MarissaLong before joining the Hoffman Institute as Director of Marketing, Mike Ingrasci was embraced by the Process. His parents, Raz and Liza Ingrasci, served as its stewards for decades. Hoffman was woven into the fabric of Mike’s childhood.
Mike earned a BFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts before beginning his career as Director of Video at Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. He joined Barack Obama’s historic 2008 presidential campaign as an intern, then became a key member of the 2012 Obama campaign’s Chicago-based video team. He produced content for the President throughout his successful re-election campaign. This experience reinforced Mike’s belief in the power of storytelling to move people and create change.Leo, Mike, Sara IngrasciOver twelve years, Mike helped build John Elliott into one of the world’s most respected independent fashion brands. He led sales and brand marketing while helping shape its creative voice. During Mike’s tenure, the brand earned accolades, including GQ’s Best New Menswear Designer, presented runway shows in New York and Paris, and collaborated with globally recognized brands Nike, Converse, Gap, and more. That experience shaped Mike’s approach to marketing: the best stories don’t sell — they connect.
Although Mike grew up around Hoffman, the Process itself remained unknown until he attended in 2009. His biggest takeaway? While many of us spend our lives searching for love outside ourselves, we’re ultimately looking for the ability to give more love — and the openness to receive it. This realization underscores Mike’s work, relationships, approach to fatherhood, and the stories he tells.Mike lives in Northern California with his wife, Sara, and their two-year-old son, Leonardo “Leo” James. Leo’s middle name honors Raz, whose lifelong dedication to the human potential movement inspires Mike’s work and belief in the transformative power of the Process.Discover more:Follow Mike on Instagram and Facebook.
As mentioned in this episode:Raz and Liza Ingrasci, Founders of the Hoffman Institute Foundation
• Liza is the former CEO and President. Raz was a Hoffman teacher and the former Chairman of Hoffman International. Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast: Husband, Father, Son
• Liza and Raz Ingrasci’s stated mission: “Our mission is to provide people greater access to the wisdom and power of love in themselves, in each other, and in the world.”
Mike filming during the Obama campaign.
Mike was drawn to the message of hope and change.
Oprah and Raz on the Oprah Podcast
Maria Shriver shares her Process experience on the Oprah Podcast.
Hoffman on Instagram:
Daily 8 am PT Quad checks and 6 pm PT Appreciation and Gratitude posts
Inside(r) Baseball
New Age
Hoffman Process Scholarships
Ongoing Hoffman programs:
The Q2 three-day intensive: Beyond Mom and Dad
Webclasses
One-day Refreshers
The iPhone Notes App
The Ingrasci Family photo, Thanksgiving, 2025
Charles “Raz” James Ingrasci Obituary
Video recording of Charles “Raz” Ingrasci Celebration of Life, March 14, 2026
“Look at the hoop, close your eyes, and think of something you love, and it will go through.” – Raz Ingrasci
“Love is a renewable resource.” – Raz Ingrasci
“There was something about the Process that really allowed me to understand that there’s also a lot of healing that comes from pleasure and play and connection, and to really disentangle the parts of me that were so attached to being a sufferer, to being someone who struggled.” – Sara Bissell Rubin
Sadie and Sara at the Hoffman Podcast Studio, Santa SabinaMedical Sociologist and Hoffman Process grad, Sara Bissell Rubin, holds a PhD in the neuroscience of pain and is a chronic pain educator. Sara joins Sadie to talk about the physical and emotional experience of pain, the science behind pain, and her experience in the Process as someone who lives with a chronic pain condition.
Special note: Sara’s video episode is one of the first recorded in our new Hoffman Podcast Studio at Santa Sabina, our new retreat site. So, welcome, Sara, and welcome all to our new podcast studio home.
This conversation is a warm doorway into a topic most of us would rather not discuss. With Sara’s wisdom and compassion, we can begin to change how we relate to our own pain. Sara shares that it can be hard to see our way out of pain when we’re in it. We learn to relate to pain in our childhood and take those patterns into adulthood. By disconnecting from these patterns through the Process, we can begin to relate to pain in a new way.
During her Process, Sara did exactly this. She saw that she tended to relate to pain through suffering and struggle. Through the Process, Sara found that play, pleasure, and connection are powerful allies in healing. Sara says she trusts in love and compassion and is reclaiming self-trust in relation to pain.
We hope you enjoy this healing conversation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPmSCfAfauM
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Sara Bissell Rubin:Sara Bissell Rubin has spent a lot of her life thinking about pain. A medical sociologist and chronic pain educator, Sara received her PhD from UCSF. There, she studied how neuroscience makes sense of pain and how those understandings shape the way we think about and treat it. Before that, she was a clinical bodyworker providing hands-on care for people with severe chronic pain and PTSD.
During grad school, Sara developed her own chronic pain condition. This lent a layer of urgency and fervent curiosity to her research topic. She brings these three ways of knowing – academic, somatic, and lived experience – to her work as she guides individuals and groups towards finding their own resolution from chronic pain.
In part because of the nature of her work, which involves walking with people through the most difficult areas of their lives, Sara came to the Hoffman Process strongly identified with her dark side. She held a strong belief that life’s struggles were where the truth lay, and that embracing them was the only path to real healing. Sara also had a secret wish that the Process would finally fix her for good. Although she advocated in her research and her work for the human capacity for agency, she didn’t truly believe that change was possible because she hadn’t experienced any lasting change in herself. During her Process, Sara realized that the constant striving to be fixed was reinforcing the shame message that she was broken and in need of fixing in the first place, and that, for her, real growth comes from love, play, and connection.
Discover more:Learn more about Sara at www.painfermata.com. Follow Sara on Instagram and Facebook.
As mentioned in this episode:Michael Klein, PhD, Therapist and teacher of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
Chronic Daily Migraine
Sara’s teacher, Jason Beegle.
• Listen to Jason on The Hoffman Podcast: Our Pre-Process Panel – with Regina, Marc, and Jason
“It was always in a weird way, I wouldn’t say triggering, but I just didn’t like it. And then by the end, I really did love it. It just felt really heartwarming when different people in the Process, even still, since we all – a lot of us still keep in touch, and they call me Bubba, it makes me smile.” – Julie Shapiro
Hoffman grad, Julie Shapiro, found herself at a crossroads. She knew what she wanted to change in herself. Yet, she also felt unable to make that change. There’s change we can make through our choices, and then there’s change that must come from deeper within. The Hoffman Process works in this deeper place within us through the Cycle of Transformation. This is the place where the “magic” of the Process happens.
Julie’s story is one of courage, desire, and willingness. She came to the Process with profound scepticism. But she also came with a willingness to fully enter into the Process to allow change to happen within her, even though she couldn’t understand how it would happen.
In moments of silence in nature, time with a Buddha, and places where Julie knew she had to go deeper, the “magic” of transformation happened. She gained new insights and saw a deeply rooted pattern. In one moment that allowed her Process to go deeper, Julie realized she had to use the childhood nickname her father had given her on her name tag rather than her given name. She knew that, even though her nickname, Bubba, triggered her, using it would be important. And it turned out to be. As Julie shares, using Bubba “was the real way to connect with my childhood, connect with my parent relationship, work through some things that I may not have had the opportunity to do before he died, and just really connect with him.“ Connecting with her childhood unlocked something deeper within. Hearing fellow students call her Bubba began to bring her joy.
Beautiful, ineffable things can happen when you surrender to the Process, as Julie did. We hope you enjoy this heartfelt conversation with Julie and Sadie.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Julie Shapiro:Have you ever known exactly what you wanted to change about yourself — but felt unable actually to make the change?
It was at that crossroads that Julie Shapiro signed up for the Hoffman Process. At 42, she felt that certain milestones, like marriage and starting a family, were out of reach. A lifelong New Yorker, she’d recently moved to Los Angeles and unexpectedly lost her dad within weeks of moving. A Stanford graduate, she set impossibly high standards for herself, both personally and professionally.
Little BubbaJulie had spent years in therapy, taken meditation courses, and tried other modalities to reduce anxiety. She was self-aware and could name her patterns. But awareness alone wasn’t moving the needle to evoke the changes she wanted.
The Hoffman Process was not something she ever would have considered. She expected it to be “woo woo” and couldn’t imagine that a one-week retreat had any long-term benefits. But despite her skepticism, she attended the Process in 2024, hoping it might unlock something within her.
The Process did just that. Through the Cycle of Transformation, Julie was able to move beyond her lawyer-trained intellect and tap into her emotional and spiritual selves. She discovered a deeply rooted pattern of living in survival mode — pushing through things that made her unhappy just to achieve the end goal. As the Process week unfolded, she began to believe that a spirit-led life, focused on “being” rather than “having,” was not only possible, but available to her.
One year later, in 2025, Julie returned for the Q2 graduate program to deepen her Hoffman toolkit. She is actively reorienting her life around who and what truly light her up — and redefining achievement along the way, from her tangible accomplishments to the person she is becoming. Follow Julie on Instagram.As mentioned in this episode:Hoffman’s Q2 is a three-day program for Process graduates.
Early-onset Alzheimers
Drew Horning:
Julie’s Hoffman teacher and one of the Hoffman Podcast hosts.
The Crossword
Hoffman Terminology and Tools:Awareness Hell:
In the Hoffman Process, when we’re in awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do that we wish we didn’t, but we are still unable to change. We understand, but feel stuck in this place of hell, even though our awareness keeps expanding. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
The Cycle of Transformation:The four steps in the cycle are Awareness, Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
Be-Do-Have vs. Do-Have-Be:
The life we long for comes from Be-Do-Have; the life we are taught we should strive for comes from Do-Have-Be.
Recycling/pre-cycling is a tool and a practice for receiving wisdom from your own Spiritual Self, which gives you qualities that lead you directly to new behavior, authenticity, and the freedom to respond rather than react to patterns. You replace a pattern with an authentic quality of your Spiritual Self and embody that quality. You create new behavior from this embodiment.
- When recycling, you use a scene from your recent past when you acted out the pattern.
- In pre-cycling, you use an imagined scene when you act out the pattern at some point in the future.
Your Spiritual Self ultimately guides you on how to BE so that you DO what supports your being and HAVE what you need to support your living.
Read about Dark Side work in the Hoffman Q2.
“I often feel like the work is kind of a disintegrative work that we’re doing, we’re allowing the patterns and the structures to release, so that there’s sort of nowhere left to go, because there’s nothing left to lose.” – Julia Bodkin
Beloved Hoffman Process facilitator and psychotherapist, Julia Bodkin, first took the Process in India in her very early adulthood. After living quite a bit of life, she took it again in Australia. Now, as a trained professional in many healing modalities, Julia facilitates the Process in the U.K. She brings a lifetime of experience, wisdom, and expertise, along with her generous, vulnerable heart.
In her youth, Julia wondered if there could be more to life than just getting a job and settling down. She grew up in a middle-class British family that, to her, seemed very “dull.” So she left the U.K. and travelled around India until she came to Pune, India, where she studied on and off for ten years.
Along her journey, having worked within many of the great schools of spiritual transformation, Julia knew she was seeking enlightenment and an “everlasting blissful state.” Through study, teaching, and much meditation, she’s, over time, found herself settling into an awakening and the embodiment of her true nature. Julia now sees it as “settling into what is.”
In teaching the Process, Julia shares how beautiful it is to watch students soften into themselves. She shares that in shedding patterns, they start “to get familiar with something that they’ve been trying to avoid, and realize how beautiful it is, and how much more open, and how much sweeter it is to have that connection with themselves.“
We know you’ll love this conversation with Julia and Drew. It’s filled with many bits of Hoffman history that might be new to you.
Listen on Apple PodcastsMore about Julia Bodkin:Julia Bodkin has been a Hoffman Process facilitator since 2014. She completed the Process, trained in Australia, and is now based in Devon, in the U.K., where she has a private psychotherapy practice.
Julia’s work is inspired by more than 35 years of personal and professional immersion in different schools of psychotherapy and meditation. She has a degree in psychotherapy and a long career as a therapist in private practice, individually and with groups. Julia has worked as an addiction therapist at the original Priory Hospital in London.
For 15 years, Julia was a co-creator and a senior facilitator of The Path of Love process. She has been a senior teacher of the Diamond Logos Teaching since the late 1990’s. She has expertise and experience in Trauma Healing/SE®, Addiction Treatment, Gestalt Therapy, Group Therapy, Family Therapy & Family Constellation, and is also a Craniosacral Therapy practitioner.
As a traveller, Julia has lived and worked on several continents and is passionate about supporting people in reconnecting with their true nature.
As mentioned in this episode:County of Devon, South West England.
• Dartmoor, an upland area in southern
Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process
Osho Ashram, Pune, India
Pokhara, Nepal
• White water rafting
North of India, in the Tibetan Buddhist area of Ladakh
The Path of Love
Faisal Muqaddam
Diamond Logos™ Teachings
The Diamond Approach, Ridhwan School
• Ali Hameed Almaas (A. H. Almaas)
• Karen Johnson
Claudio Naranjo
• Enneagram
• SAT: Seekers After Truth
The Priory, London, England
Negative Love
• A Path to Personal Freedom & Love: Written by Bob Hoffman. Download and read in PDF form.
• Listen to Drew and Andy Milberg, Hoffman teacher: Exploring the Negative Love Syndrome
Zen Buddhist Koans
• How to practice Zen Koans.
Spiritual Self
• Essence, the Essential Self, your True Nature
“At the very end, we’re all the same, and we want the same thing, which is we want to feel like we’re worthy of love and belonging.”
— Markus Bihler
Markus Bihler | Chairman, Hoffman South AfricaThe Chairman of Hoffman Institute South Africa, Markus Bihler, is a different person than he was before taking the Hoffman Process. One beautiful outcome of his Process was the journey he made from his head to his heart.
Markus spent 35-plus years of his life as a “medical anomaly,” namely, “as somebody who had a head but no body.” He lived in his intellect. During the week of his Process, Markus cried more than he had ever cried in his adult life. Calling it a “liberating experience,” he now knows that all emotions are legitimate and have a reason for being. And he found deep empathy for young Markus, which led to empathy for his family and people in general.
After his Process, not only did Markus change, but his life changed, too. He and his wife, Angelina, moved home to South Africa. Once there, one of the first things he did was look for a Hoffman grad group. When he realized there was no Hoffman Institute South Africa, he and Angelina rolled up their sleeves to create one. They have opened and now run the Hoffman Institute in South Africa. They held their first Process this past Spring.
Using powerful metaphor and analogy, Markus shares his experience and knowledge of the Process in ways that bring its gifts into clear focus. He also speaks to the business side of Hoffman. For Markus and Angelina, the ‘business’ of Hoffman is not to make money. It is to “provide scale for this Process to permeate further into the world.” Their expertise and enthusiasm for the Process’s growth are helping to bring Bob Hoffman’s vision, “world peace, one person at a time,” more fully into reality.
Listen on Apple PodcastsMore about Markus Bihler:Markus and Angelina BihlerAngelina and Markus Bihler have started the Hoffman Institute South Africa, based in Cape Town, where they live with their two young sons after a global career in tech and finance, respectively.
Markus Bihler is a director, investor, and former CEO with a background spanning global consumer and investment businesses. He has worked across Europe, Southeast Asia, and international markets, including leading two successful CEO-led exits and founding a global long/short hedge fund focused on consumer equities. Earlier in his career, he was with Blackstone and EQT in private equity. Markus is a graduate of Oxford University and a Professor of Finance at the University of Cape Town.
Follow Markus on LinkedIn. Find out more about Hoffman South Africa’s upcoming Process dates here and their global press coverage here, and follow them on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Hoffman Institute UK
• Serena Gordon and the UK team
• Serena on the Hoffman Podcast: The Treasures of Your Past
Read more about the new China Hoffman Center.
• Rao Rao, Hoffman China teacher, on the Hoffman Podcast: Across the World, We Share the Same Humanity
Matt Brannagan, CEO of Hoffman Institute.
• Matt on the Hoffman Podcast: Our New CEO for Hoffman 3.0, Communities of Meaning
Read more about Bob Hoffman, founder of the Hoffman Process.
Raz Ingrasci, Founder of the Hoffman Institute Foundation, USA.
• Raz on the Hoffman Podcast: Husband, Father, Son
• Raz and Marissia Ingrasci on the Hoffman Podcast: Spiritual Lineage and the Hoffman Process
Hoffman South Africa Process venue:
• Mont Fleur Conference Venue in the heart of the Stellenbosch winelands. Nestled in the Blaauwklippen Valley, Mont Fleur is a small, family-run venue. read more…
“Wisdom is a little bit more than just knowledge or experience; it’s a felt sense of truth and what reality is, and it’s a very tricky thing, because no one really has the final say on some of these things.” – Tyson Fok
When philosopher, designer, innovative creator, and Hoffman Process grad, Tyson Fok, tells his story, he weaves together his life experiences with his joyful pursuit of wisdom, an open sense of wonder, and a deeper quest for understanding. In doing so, he reveals a thoughtful retelling of a dynamic life path.
There are many powerful threads to this conversation with Tyson and Sadie. What stands out is Tyson’s way of navigating the world and relationships with his fellow human beings. Since he was young, Tyson has explored his curiosity and sense of wonder. The question of ‘Why?’ has been at the heart of this exploration. He came to the Hoffman Process in 2019, having completed a ten-day silent retreat prior. Tyson touches on multiple outcomes from his Process. One is a deeper relationship with his wife. Another is the desire to leave awareness hell and venture into an active exploration of turning his ideas into reality. And a third is a profound understanding of his parents’ stories, separate and together, which helped him express his appreciation and love for them.
Tyson shares, “My mother is an immigrant from Macau. My father’s family is from Hong Kong. And it’s such a different reality than what I grew up with. And to understand their story, where they came from, has given me just a whole different level of appreciation of my life. That was a huge shift for me that came out of Hoffman.”
After the Process, and during COVID, Tyson decided to start a podcast. Eventually, his podcast morphed into what it is now, Mixtape Memories. The podcast has blossomed into a physical card game and an app.
We hope you enjoy this wise and wonderful exploration of the question of ‘Why?’ with Tyson and Sadie.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Tyson Fok:Tyson Fok is an interior designer, podcast host, and creative producer working at the intersection of space, story, and human connection. His design practice centers on creating environments that are not only visually compelling, but deeply aligned with the lives people want to live—spaces that function as both backdrop and catalyst for meaningful experience.
He is the creator of Mixtape Memories, an ongoing storytelling project that explores identity through the music that shapes us. Through its podcast, Songversation card game, and companion app, the project invites people to reflect on their lives through song—transforming personal memory into a shared language of connection.
Across his work, Tyson is driven by a core question: how do we design for a more intentional, connected life? This inquiry extends beyond interiors into the gatherings and communities he builds. As a community and event organizer, he creates spaces—both physical and social—where people can engage more honestly with themselves and each other, often blending elements of storytelling, design, and facilitated conversation.
His approach is interdisciplinary but precise: remove noise, surface what matters, and design environments—whether a room, a conversation, or an experience—that make those priorities tangible and actionable.
Follow Tyson on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:The Mormon Church
The Boy Scouts, now called Scouting America
Japanese Buddhist Temple in Sebastopol, California
10-Day Meditation Retreat:
This is usually a reference to a Vipassana Meditation retreat taught by S.N. Goenka.
Awareness Hell:
At the Hoffman Process, when we’re in awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand, but feel stuck in this place of hell, even though our awareness keeps expanding. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
Mixtape Memories:
Mixtape Memories is an ongoing storytelling project that explores identity through the music that shapes us.
This is Water, David Foster Wallace’s Commencement Speech
A Songversation Game
Mixtape Memories App
1980’s Culture
Mixtape
MTV
Macau
Hong Kong
Peace Piece, by Bill Evans
• Listen to Peace Piece
“It’s not just a job. It’s really a mission, a purpose to be part of something that really does contribute to the rest of the world.
It’s healing for people. It’s love for people. It’s Spirit for people.” – Robin Linde
Today’s episode is an exciting two-for-one. Robin Linde, Senior Director of Operations – Infrastructure, joins Drew for a video walkabout of Santa Sabina, Hoffman’s new retreat site. A ’97 Hoffman grad, Robin also sits down with Drew for a conversation about her relationship to the Process and to Hoffman.
Robin and DrewAfter completing her Process, Robin worked for Hoffman for a short time before returning home to Minnesota to care for her aging grandparents. Her time at the Process helped her see that serving the world doesn’t have to be big and flashy. Robin’s service was to be with her grandparents, and ultimately with her grandmother, for ten years after her grandfather died. Upon her grandmother’s death, she returned to the Bay Area and to Hoffman for a second stint.
Her timing impeccable, Robin returned to work for Hoffman for the fourth time in 2024. We were ready to renovate our newly acquired Santa Sabina. Someone with the right experience and a deep familiarity with Hoffman was needed to shepherd the renovation. Robin was perfect for the role.
We’re excited to share Santa Sabina with you. Walk through Santa Sabina with us and hear some of its history and key features. Then, listen in to hear more of Robin’s story and why working for Hoffman is more of a mission than a job. We hope to welcome you into Santa Sabina one day soon, either for the Process or the Q2, our three-day graduate retreat.
https://youtu.be/3tv1vL5qYKA
Listen on Apple PodcastsMore about Robin LindeRobin Linde is Senior Director of Operations – Infrastructure at the Hoffman Institute Foundation. She oversees retreat site operations across California, Connecticut, and Alberta, Canada. Robin also manages internal operations for Human Resources and IT.
Robin brings a diverse professional background and unique operational experience supporting start-up companies and organizations going through periods of significant transition. She served as the primary liaison between Hoffman and the construction project team for the renovation and transition of Santa Sabina Center, overseeing the work from planning through execution and positioning the site for its next chapter of hosting Hoffman programs.
More about Santa Sabina:Architect Arthur ConstableMother Raymond O’Connor, OPNestled in the hills of San Rafael, California, historic Santa Sabina Retreat Center has roots dating back to 1939. It was named after the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill in Rome, the historic mother church of the Dominican Order.
Santa Sabina was designed by architect Arthur Constable for Mother Raymond O’Connor, OP. The architecture is Tudor-Gothic, influenced by the Dominican Monastery at Stoke-on-Trent in England. It originally included a chapel, library, and courtyard garden. It served as a novitiate house of spiritual formation for women joining the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael until 1970.
From 1970–2023, Santa Sabina was open to the public for retreats, fostering a space for meditation, reflection, and spiritual growth, serving thousands of guests of a variety of denominations.
In 2024, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael sold the property to the Hoffman Institute. Renovating it into a modern retreat center, Hoffman maintained its historic character, such as the chapel painting by E. Charlton Fortune. Thoughtfully redesigned for the next generation of seekers, the campus features a light-filled classroom, a welcoming dining hall and kitchen, and 47 private bedrooms designed for rest and renewal.
In April of 2026, the first Hoffman Process was held in the newly renovated Santa Sabina Retreat Center. The former chapel, now de-sanctified and free of religious iconography, has been transformed into The Sanctuary. Reimagined as a space for Hoffman’s non-religious spiritual work, The Sanctuary is where participants gather for reflection, transformation, and connection, a space that holds the essence of Hoffman’s mission to nurture healing and awakening. Set on two secluded acres of landscaped grounds, Santa Sabina provides an environment for the Hoffman Process to continue fostering growth, discovery, and profound personal change well into the future.
As mentioned in this episode:Dominican University of California
Drew and Robin
“I feel like we are our own greatest science experiment.” – Jake Daigle
As Hoffman’s Facility and Land Manager, Jake Daigle weaves his love and care for the land with his love and care for the Hoffman Process. He found an intimacy with the land and wildlife at the IONS site in Petaluma when he and his wife, Christine, were caretakers there for many years. Now, as we transition to Santa Sabina, Jake looks back on his time at the Hoffman Retreat Site in Petaluma, working for Hoffman and supporting the students who have transformed there over the years.
There is something beautiful and yet understated in how Jake weaves these two together – the Process and the land. At the core, these are his deep values. When you look at who he is and how he embodies his love, you grasp that he truly is Farmer Jake, as he is known in his Instagram profile. Rooted in the growth of life all around him, he tends and cultivates, holds and supports.
Jake and ChristineJake took the Process at White Sulphur Springs, where his Process’s pivotal moments revolved around the land. The creek running through, the sulphur springs, and the redwood grove all supported his deep work. After his Process, Liza Ingrasci asked Jake and Christine to create a labyrinth there. So many of us came to know intimately. Jake now brings his care for and knowledge of White Sulpher Springs and our Petaluma site, his knowledge of both flora and fauna, and the sacred places they hold, to his tending of the Santa Sabina site.
Referring to North America as Turtle Island, Jake shares that each place Hoffman calls home is a distinct part of the turtle’s back. All are connected.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
More about Jake Daigle:Jake Daigle is a farmer and consultant focused on organic agriculture, ecological stewardship, and the long-term vitality of working landscapes. After Hurricane Katrina flooded his home in New Orleans, he moved to the Bay Area, finding refuge in nature and discovered that a holistic approach to health and wellness began with the awareness of our interconnection with all beings.
After graduating from the Hoffman Process, Jake put in years of hands-on experience in diversified organic farming. Jake has contributed to education and skill-building at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, where he supported both new and experienced growers through mentorship and practical training. He was also part of the founding of Live Oak Farm, helping shape a model that integrates agriculture, community, and place-based stewardship. This work reflects Jake’s view of farms as spaces not only for production, but for art, education, connection, and resilience.
Young JakeCurrently working with the Hoffman Institute at Santa Sabina, Jake is also developing Headwaters Farm at SOMO Village. The project is designed as a living example of regenerative organic agriculture, combining food production with education, community engagement, and local food systems.
In partnership with Credo High School, he is also planning a culinary arts program set to launch in 2027. The program will connect students to the full cycle of food—from growing and harvesting to cooking and sales—offering hands-on learning that ties together agriculture, nutrition, and ecology.
Through consulting, teaching, and fieldwork, Jake helps farmers and land stewards think strategically about soil health, crop planning, and whole-farm systems. His work emphasizes practical, economically viable approaches to building resilient agricultural operations.
Across all his roles, Jake brings a collaborative, observant, and grounded approach, guided by a commitment to organic practices, continual learning, and the relationship between healthy land, food, and communities.
Social Media:Follow Jake on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Christine Falcon-Daigle:
Christine is the Assistant Retreat Site Manager for the Hoffman Institute.
Jake and Christine with Aia-Jo.
Aia-Jo recently passed away.
Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)
Frank Ferrante:
• Book: May I Be Frank?
• Documentary: May I Be Frank?
Edgar Mitchell, Astronaut, Hoffman Graduate:
• The Overview Effect
• “Earthrise: Earthrise is a photograph of Earth taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission…” read more…
Olompali State Historic Park
John Muir:
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir
White Sulphur Springs, St Helena
• Hoffman Retreat Site at White Sulphur Springs
Guardian rock:
A large rock that stands on the land in Petaluma, which was the home of the Hoffman Process.
Guardian Rock, photo by Drew Horning“As above, so below.”
Shamanism (Shamanic work)
Riparian zone
Mount Burdell Preserve
Mount Tamalpais
“The turtle’s back…” refers to Turtle Island.
Flora mentioned:Madrone
Manzanita
Valley Oak
Live Oak
Buckeye
Bay tree
Manzanita
“You know, there’s that old saying, anywhere you go, there you are.
The Hoffman Process brings that magic with it wherever it goes.”
– Perry Dorsey Jr.
Today’s guest is Perry Dorsey Jr., Hoffman Institute’s retreat site manager and a beautiful human being. As we transition from Petaluma Retreat Center to our new Santa Sabina Retreat Center, we invited Perry to share his wisdom with you. He tells the story of how the land nurtured him during his Process. The land continued to do so as he stepped into his important role at Hoffman.
Perry’s relationship with the land at our site in Petaluma has been foundational to his care for the site, his fellow Petaluma staff, and the students who come to do the Hoffman Process. Perry completed his own Process at White Sulphur Springs, our old retreat site. He supported the opening of our new site, Santa Sabina. Perry is managing both Petaluma and Santa Sabina during our crossover period in April and May, with programs in both places.
Perry holds a reverent long view of Hoffman from the perspective of the land. Over time, he has witnessed how it interplays with students there to do the deep work of the Process. In hearing his experiences witnessing the students interact with nature, we begin to get a sense of this important interrelation with the land.
As Perry says, the land feels “the vibrations and the energy of all the hard work and love that is held there. You know, there’s that old saying, anywhere you go, there you are. The Hoffman process brings that magic with it wherever it goes.” The land at White Sulphur Springs and the Petaluma Retreat Center will remember all who opened their hearts there, as new students open theirs at Santa Sabina.
A special addition to Perry’s episode:The land blessing ceremony, led by (Clockwise from top-left) Jessica Harjo, Matt Brannagan, CEO, Karen Waconda-Lewis, and Jessica’s daughter.In the last portion, Sadie and Perry welcome Jessica Harjo to the conversation. Jessica shares a bit about the land blessing we held onsite for Santa Sabina the morning before the first students arrived for their Process there. Jessica was integral to our land blessing for Santa Sabina. After the circle of Indigenous leaders, including Jessica, Karen Waconda-Lewis, and Jessica’s daughter, led the blessing ceremony, various attendees read the Thanksgiving Address. Jessica reads a portion of this address in this episode.
Jessica’s multicultural ancestry (Indigenous/San Carlos Apache, Indigenous/Chicana/Mexican, Filipina, Japanese, and European) has been a source of strength in her life. It is reflected in her work in recognizing and uplifting multicultural and Indigenous knowledge.
We hope you enjoy this loving conversation with Perry, Sadie, and Jessica.
Listen on Apple PodcastsMore about Perry Dorsey Jr.:As the Retreat Site Manager for the Hoffman Institute, Perry currently oversees operations at our Petaluma site and the new Santa Sabina site. His history with the institute began at White Sulphur Springs. There, he supported the daily operations before leaving to pursue his graduate degree. After four years away, Perry returned to the Hoffman Institute to manage the Petaluma site. He brought a perspective deeply influenced by the profound changes he experienced during his own Process at White Sulphur Springs in 2017.
Perry’s professional approach is shaped by a Master’s in Diverse Community Development Leadership from Cal State University, Northridge, and his time living on the Big Island of Hawaii. Those experiences were foundational in shaping his passion for food security. Perry has supported the development of food hubs and helped create sustainable operational practices for small, localized businesses. They also deepened Perry’s understanding of how essential community is, not just for individual growth, but for our collective resilience. He now carries that into his work. He helps create spaces where students can open up, feel supported, and fully step into the work in a way that’s meaningful and impactful.
Follow Perry on Instagram and Facebook.
More about Jessica Harjo:Jessica Harjo is a soul-embodied human being and lifelong learner. She’s a proud homemaker and mother of three daughters, three stepchildren, and four grandchildren. For the past eighteen years, Jessica has worked in the nonprofit sector as the Director of Operations for the Tribal Law and Policy Institute.
A nonprofit leader, Jessica specializes in policy development, administrative infrastructure, team development, project management, HR implementation, and business and financial operations management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Film, Media, and Social Justice and a minor in Business Administration. Jessica also holds an MBA from Mount Saint Mary’s University. Mount Saint Mary’s is the only women’s university in Los Angeles. It is known for its annual report on the Status of Women and Girls in California.
Jessica has volunteered on numerous nonprofit boards that serve Indigenous communities. She’s an active volunteer for the Hoffman Inner Work for Indigenous Leaders Advisory Circle and the Indigenous outreach team. She provides support for other Indigenous Process fellows and graduates.
A student of Yoga philosophy, Nichiren Buddhism, and Indigenous Mindfulness, Jessica is currently working on her RYT500 Yoga Teacher Training. She regularly uses her Hoffman tools to continue healing, visualizing, and growing. This has been the journey of her lifetime. The Process brought her to herself, and the BIPOC Q2 brought her home.
Jessica and her husband, Tim Harjo, live in Oklahoma. They balance their careers, family life, and running Sovereign Ranch, a first-generation, Native-owned bison ranch.
Listen to Jessica on The Hoffman Podcast: My Ancestry Is My Soil, My Foundation
As mentioned in this episode:California Hoffman Retreat Centers:
• Santa Sabina Retreat Center, San Rafael
• Petaluma Retreat Center, Petaluma
• White Sulphur Springs Retreat Center, St Helena
The Thanksgiving Address, read by Jessica Harjo.
How can I just be in the sensing of my life and the experiences that I have,
rather than having to wrestle and fight those?” – Cindy Murray
We are thrilled to have beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Cindy Murray, as our guest today. Cindy responds to Drew’s question – Why the Process? – sharing a few reasons. Cindy had been very successful in her career as a psychotherapist and educator. After suffering a traumatic brain injury, Cindy was shaken. She’d relied heavily on her intellect in her career for success. How would she move forward now with this brain injury?
Cindy also found herself “in a conundrum within.” She’d grown up in a loving home with all her needs met. Her parents didn’t discuss feelings, but they were a beautiful, loving couple. Their marriage was Cindy’s role model for relationships, one that lasted more than 50 years. Then, Cindy fell deeply in love with a woman after being married to a man for about 10 years. Suddenly, she realized she had been living the model her parents taught her, but deep within, she understood this wasn’t who she truly is.
During her time at the Process, Cindy reclaimed her true self. Post-Process, Cindy integrated what she learned and began to trust this new relationship with her Spiritual Self. Now, through her work as a Hoffman Process teacher, she holds space for her students to do the same. Listen in to hear Cindy’s journey to learn how to stop wrestling and fighting so she could come to meet her life as it unfolds.
Content Warning:This episode references child sexual abuse and may not be suitable for all audiences. Please use your discretion.
Watch and listen to Cindy & Drew:https://youtu.be/-tG6xa3SMos
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Cindy Murray:Cindy, doing what she lovesHoffman Process teacher, Cindy Murray, earned a Master of Clinical Social Work from Western Michigan University and is a graduate of the clinical training program in Analytical Psychotherapy from the CG Jung Institute of Chicago.
Cindy’s own Process was pivotal in her personal growth, leading her on the path of connection and presence. As a Hoffman Process teacher, she believes in helping students to further their own deep connection with themselves and to hold presence within themselves and in the world for those they love.
Cindy also teaches in the Social Work Department at Western Michigan University and volunteers for the LoveYourBrain Foundation, which empowers people with brain injury and caregivers to feel more resilient, connected, and able to lead fulfilling lives.
Originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, Cindy currently lives in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, near the Hoffman Canadian retreat site. She enjoys hiking and skiing in the mountains and swimming in the glacial lakes as often as she can.
As mentioned in this episode:Love Your Brain Foundation
“The relationship I have with my girls now is just remarkable. It’s remarkable. I’m so blessed.”
– Steve Cieciuch
Husband, father, avid skier, and fly-fisher, Steve Cieciuch is living, in his words, a remarkable life. Steve begins his story recounting the 2004 horrific avalanche in British Columbia that he survived, but which took the life of his skiing partner and friend. Steve has lost five friends. Concurrently, Steve and his wife were trying to start a family. Over the years, they experienced five miscarriages. Eventually, they gave birth to two beautiful daughters.
In 2019, fifteen years after the avalanche and years of grief and depression, Steve came to the Hoffman Process. His children were under ten. Steve shares how clearly he saw how he was passing down these patterns of depression, worry, and stress to his daughters. Upon his return home from the Process, his daughters greeted him and told him that he’d “lost his stress face.”
One of the deeper threads that runs through this conversation is that of spirit, the afterlife, and other planes of existence. Steve recounts an experience of the ‘other side’ during the avalanche. And he shares his profound experience during the Process when he went outside after an intense experience. “I’m just seeing things like I’ve never seen them before. … I was seeing, the color in the trees, and I go on this hike, and I mean, it was just like mind-blowing, how visual and how in tune and how present I was. It was one of the greatest moments I’ve ever had.”
Steve is now writing a memoir. He says he hopes “his daughters will see that their dad’s vulnerable, that he’s being authentic, that he’s had a lot of difficulty in his life, but he’s got back up, and he’s been resilient. He’s marched forward in the face of a lot of loss and still has a lot of joy. He’s trying to put his right foot forward all the time and lead a good life.”
We hope you enjoy this remarkable conversation with Steve and Drew.
Content Warning:Please be aware that this episode includes details of traumatic events, reproductive grief, and substance abuse, and might not be suitable for all audiences. Please use your discretion.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Steve Cieciuch:Steve Cieciuch, doing what he lovesSteve Cieciuch moved to Aspen in 1979 at age 18, drawn by a love of skiing, freedom, and the Rocky Mountain lifestyle. After deciding to make the mountains his permanent home, he began his real estate career in Telluride in 1987.
Over the past four decades, Steve has built a distinguished career in the San Juan Mountains, helping clients discover exceptional properties while developing and selling custom homes and ranches, building seven homes of his own—ranging from a historic renovation to a striking modern residence perched off a mountainside.
Steve Cieciuch, doing what he lovesIn 2019, Steve attended the Hoffman Process. This pivotal experience helped him process the anguish from the loss of five close friends, recognize lifelong patterns, and reshape how he relates to his family, work, and himself.
A husband and father of two daughters, Steve lives in Telluride with his wife, Kendall. He is an avalanche survivor, lifelong skier, fly fisherman, and pastel artist currently writing a memoir—a metaphorical journey through the eyes of a fly fisherman exploring deep friendship, tragic loss, and transformational renewal with the help of the Hoffman Process.
Steve has served as managing broker of Telluride Properties, consistently ranking among the region’s top producers. He contributes to his community through nonprofit leadership, including serving as Chairman of Mountainfilm.
Today, Steve views life as an ongoing process of growth, awareness, and deeper connection.
To find out more about Steve and Telluride Properties, follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
As mentioned in this episode:The final mandala Steve created during his Hoffman ProcessFree Ride, Big Mountain
British Columbia avalanche, 2004
• Revelstoke, BC, Canada
Kevin Eyres, Hoffman teacher and coach
• Listen to Kevin on the Hoffman Podcast: Beyond the Intellect
Jud Wiebe Trail, Telluride, CO
Karma
Fly fishing
Hoffman Process tools and practices
Morning Quad Checks and Evening Appreciation and Gratitude:
Join us on Instagram for a daily Quadrinity Check at 8:00 a.m. PT and an Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 p.m. PT.
“I wanted to live my very best life. I wanted to know who I really am.” – Jan Docherty
Do you ever wonder who you really are? Today’s guest, Jan Docherty, did. She wanted to know who she really is and what she could accomplish living as her true self. Jan came to the Hoffman Process to find the answers to these questions. She left knowing herself and loving herself, too.
Jan joined Sadie for this forthright conversation about self-knowledge, passion, and healing. Jan is passionate about life. Adopted early on, life was unconventional in many ways. Now, as she looks ahead to her later years (she’s just become a senior citizen), Jan is fully focused on her business, Merridale Cidery and Distillery. For her, business is personal. It’s where she gets to bring her true self and full-on passion she discovered at the Hoffman Process. It’s where she gets to support and build community in meaningful ways.
With hard-earned wisdom, Jan shares what she’s learned about facing the painful moments in life. In a candid moment, she touches on one of the most painful moments in her Process. A mother of three, Jan speaks of the estrangement she’s experiencing with one of her children and how she’s navigating that since graduating from the Process. During her Process, Jan realized that, by living out her patterns, she harmed others, including her children, due to Negative Love. She learned that it is critically important to hold herself with both honesty and grace. She learned to be honest with herself and take responsibility for the harm, but also not to derail from her own healing. Jan knows that she did the best she could with what she had at the time. It is in this that she finds the grace to move forward.
Content Warning:Be aware that this conversation contains mentions of sexual abuse and child sexual abuse. Please use your discretion.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Jan Docherty:Jan Docherty at Merridale with OliverJan Docherty is a Vancouver-born entrepreneur. Unconventional beginnings and a deep commitment to growth, resilience, and community have shaped her life. Adopted into a small, compassionate family, she was raised with strong values while navigating early life challenges that would later inform her perspective and strength. Jan’s childhood followed an unconventional path when she successfully auditioned for a CBC television series. She spent several years singing and dancing. As a result, much of her learning took place beyond the traditional classroom. Despite this unconventional path, Jan went on to earn a business degree from UBC. This grounded her in practical skills and a strong understanding of financial stewardship – lessons first instilled by her adoptive father. In her 30s, she connected with her birth parents, expanding her sense of identity with roots in both Toronto and Mexico.
Jan’s professional journey spans multiple chapters, from building residential homes alongside her partner to leading a thriving for-profit social enterprise in the food, beverage, and tourism industry for over 25 years. Today, she is the driving force behind Merridale Cidery and Distillery. Merridale is a values-based business set in an apple orchard, where a cidery, distillery, and eatery come together to create space for people to slow down and connect. Jan’s work is guided by a belief in integrity, both in the products she creates and the culture she fosters for her team, guests, and broader community. A mother of three and grandmother of two, Jan considers family, connection, and purpose to be her greatest achievements. Now at 65, she embraces this stage of life as her most meaningful yet: an ongoing adventure rooted in authenticity, contribution, and joy.
As mentioned in this episode:Vertical Integration (Vertically Integrated Business)
Hoffman Quadrinity Check-In
• Listen to the Daily 8 am PT Quad-Check on Instagram
“I’ve just started to tap into that, trusting a little bit faster over time. Because I see that when I make these decisions that feel aligned with what I want, and I believe is right for me, that on the other side, I haven’t regretted one of those decisions.” Allison Kahler
Allison Kahler attended the Hoffman Process in 2024 after experiencing multiple big life changes. The Process helped her integrate these changes. One year later, Allison returned for the graduate Q2 in search of the catalyst that would move her forward into her new life.
Before coming to the Process, Allison, who grew up in an “idyllic, loving, Catholic family,” felt tremendous guilt. Having had a ‘perfect childhood,’ she wondered if, instead of doing self-reflection work, she should just be grateful. But she found that even in a ‘perfect’ childhood, we still adopt patterns. Allison had adopted messages of perfection and proving worth through achievement. She had internalized the external pressure she felt as a child, with work being her number one focus in life.
During her Process, Allison began to set the stage for her new life, realizing she is allowed to have dreams and desires. She started asking and listening to the quiet voice within. She started to develop a deeper trust in this voice. And she began to look for the spark that would launch her into her new life.
A year post-Process, Allison came to Hoffman’s graduate retreat, the Q2. There, she found the catalyst she was looking for through an experience of self-compassion. Finding self-forgiveness lit the catalytic spark. By listening to the quiet voice within and developing her trust muscle through sustained action, Allison is now living into her new life. We hope you enjoy this uplifting conversation with Allison and Sadie.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Allison Kahler:Allison, host of The D. TalesAllison Kahler is an executive coach and the host of The D. Tales with Allison Kahler. A recovering perfectionist and lifelong insecure overachiever, Allison spent nearly two decades in management consulting before realizing that much of her drive was fueled by fear, self-doubt, and deeply ingrained patterns formed early in life. After going through a divorce at 33, an experience that left her carrying years of guilt and shame, she made a series of life-altering changes: leaving a nearly 20-year consulting career, moving cross-country from Chicago to Santa Monica, and questioning not just her marriage and career, but who she was and who she wanted to become.
Young AllisonAllison’s experience at The Process marked a profound turning point. Through a deep commitment to the daily tools and practices, she began to shed limiting beliefs, transform long-held patterns, and learn to meet herself with greater self-compassion. Today, Allison supports leaders and individuals navigating transition, working with organizations as an executive coach and advisor. She works with individuals through The D. Tales, her podcast. There, she shares real divorce stories and grounded conversations with experts about identity, healing, and rewriting the next chapter of their lives. At the heart of her work is a belief shaped by lived experience: that even our most painful life transitions can become powerful invitations to reconnect with who we truly are and move forward with greater clarity, courage, and self-trust.
Discover more at AllisonKahler.com. Follow Allison on Instagram. Follow The D. Tales on Instagram and TikTok.
As mentioned in this episode:The D. Tales with Allison Kahler — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms.
The Hoffman Q2 Intensive Dates and Registration
Kevin Eyres, Hoffman teacher – Listen to Kevin on the Hoffman Podcast: Beyond the Intellect
Self-compassion:“Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with your failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?” – KristenNeff, expert on self-compassion
Listen to Kristin Neff on the Hoffman Podcast: Goodwill & Intention, the Magic Ingredients
Hoffman Tools:
• Be-Do-Have vs. Do-Have-Be:
The life we long for comes from Be-Do-Have; the life we are taught we should strive for comes from Do-Have-Be.
• Quad Check: Join our virtual Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. The Quad Check is a practice to guide you to check in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and Body.
“It’s huge to find out that who you are is really not who you’re afraid you are,
and not all the patterns you’ve been acting out.” – Andy Milberg
Andy MilbergBeloved Hoffman teacher, Andy Milberg, has been teaching the Process since August 1991. Bob Hoffman, founder of the Hoffman Process, trained Andy to become a teacher. One thing Andy is known for is his articulate, nuanced ability to explain the foundational theory of the Process – Negative Love.
Drew and Andy dive deep into the Negative Love Syndrome and how it plays out in our lives. Showing how nuanced this syndrome is, he shares that he is still discovering more subtle ways this plays out in his life, even these many years later.
Bob HoffmanAndy shares a fair amount of Hoffman history. He explains that Bob Hoffman was concerned with the pain human beings seem to experience and sought a way to be free of it. Bob asked two very important questions. The first was, “Why do seemingly rational adults continue to act out, automatically, compulsively, in self-defeating ways?” The second question was, Why is it so hard to change that behavior? Bob Hoffman discovered this fundamental theory by asking this second question.
When Andy did the Process in his early forties, his attitude toward himself was that this was how he’d always been. But at the Process he was quite happy to discover that how he was is not how he always has to be. He found, post-Process, that there was much more available to him after he broke free of the power his patterns had on him. There was space for new possibilities in his life. Andy explains that this is the kind of change Hoffman means in our tagline When you’re serious about change. You don’t become somebody different. Rather, you reclaim your potential and all you can be.
We hope you take away a deeper understanding of the poignancy of human nature and the possibility of reconnecting with your essential nature. You’ll want to bookmark this one so you can return to it.
More about Andy Milberg:Andy did the Hoffman Process in July of 1990. He was immediately inspired to become a teacher, completing his training in August of 1991.
“Although I had done a lot of personal growth work before”, he says, “the Process went deeper in so many ways, showing me my blind spots and then teaching me how to move beyond them into my authenticity. It was an amazing gift I wanted to share with others, and still do, 35 years later.”
Andy spends most of the year in Ajijic, Mexico, with his wife and dog. He commutes to teach, while also coaching. In his spare time, he likes to play music and table tennis.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process
Listen to Andy’s previous episode on The Hoffman Podcast: Reflections on Teaching the Process.
The Negative Love Syndrome and The Path to Personal Freedom and Love:
• Read the essay, The Path to Personal Freedom and Love.
• Listen to The Path to Personal Freedom and Love.
John Bradshaw, Healing the Shame That Binds Us
Brenè Brown
The Negative Love Syndrome Map:The Negative Love Syndrome and the Negative Love Syndrome map are integral to the Hoffman Process.**
At 24:49, Andy shares:
“There’s an inner circle, which is who we really are.” (This is the little heart in the center, within a circle.)
“Then there’s another circle, which is who we’re afraid we are, which, in Process terms, is that shame statement.” (This is the next circle out. It’s gray and labeled shame.)
“And because of that, there’s a bigger circle, which is who we want the world to think we are, so they don’t know that we’re the shameful person that we think we are.” (This bigger circle is comprised of the four yellow/gold rings. This is the false self they refer to.)
The good news is that we are neither our shame statement nor our patterns. We are Essence, our Spiritual Self.
22:22 Talking about the arrows:
The fourth section in blue is the area Andy and Drew talk about when Drew asks about the arrows, and Andy responds by speaking about addictions.
**The Hoffman Process®, including the Negative Love Syndrome®, is protected worldwide as intellectual property, encompassing trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. The Hoffman Institute International owns the rights to all materials, concepts, and methodologies, and it is strictly prohibited to reuse or sell these materials, concepts, and methodologies.
“I have all these learned behaviors, and … was seeing them play out in my own family, with my own children, and thinking about the generational transference of hurt and wounds and wanting to do what I could to minimize that.” – Carrie Levine
Certified nurse-midwife and functional medicine practitioner Carrie Levine has had a lifelong interest in deep exploration. She completed the Hoffman Process in 2024, having learned about patterns years earlier from reading Bob Hoffman’s book, No One Is to Blame. She truly understood Bob Hoffman’s realization that “No one is to blame.”
Self-described as weird when young, Carrie explored a variety of unusual passions as a teen, including challenging activities in nature. In early adulthood, Carrie led women through outdoor experiential educational adventures, guiding them to become skilled and empowered in a variety of settings. Later, as she embarked on a new career in medicine, Carrie drew parallels between supporting women in nature and supporting them in the labor room. She found the skills and presence she’d gained earlier also empowered women during childbirth.
Sharing her journey, Carrie highlights how she came to learn about herself. She is clear that she must be aligned with her Spiritual Self and reflects on how she doesn’t do well when she isn’t aligned. She now counsels her patients that optimal health can only come when we are aligned with our core self. Carrie refers many women to the Hoffman Process. She sees that women, especially parents, need to step away from their everyday lives to do deep healing work. Her experience now helps others realize the importance of aligning mind, body, and spirit for optimal wellness.
Content Warning:This episode mentions the death of a child and suicide. Please use your discretion. If you or someone you know is suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK, or 800-273-8255. Or message the Crisis Text Line at 741 741.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Carrie Levine:Carrie E. Levine, CNM, FMCP-M, is the founder of the Whole Woman Health Clinic and author of Whole Woman Health: A Guide to Creating Wellness for Any Age and Stage. A certified nurse midwife and Institute for Functional Medicine certified practitioner, she evaluates and treats most common women’s health concerns by integrating gynecology and functional medicine. For more than two decades, Carrie has worked to help women find wholeness, connecting physical symptoms and test results with lifestyle choices and daily practices.
Previously, Carrie practiced gynecology and functional medicine at the renowned Women to Women clinic in Maine (2006–2014), and earlier provided full-scope midwifery at Miles Memorial Hospital (now Maine Health Lincoln) in Damariscotta, Maine. She’s known for deeply listening, “connecting the dots” among seemingly unrelated symptoms and emotions, and breaking personal health goals into attainable steps so clients can thrive emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Carrie earned a BS from Syracuse University, an RN and MSN from Case Western Reserve University, and a Nurse-Midwifery certificate from what is now the Frontier Nursing University. She is a member of ACNM (national and Maine chapters), the Maine Nurse Practitioners Association, and the Institute for Functional Medicine.
Learn more about Carrie and sign up for her free weekly newsletters featuring recipes, podcasts, articles, and more. Follow Carre on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
As mentioned in this episode:The Medical Panel episode on The Hoffman Podcast:
• Healing, Hoffman, and Finding Safety Within
The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson
• Transcendental Meditation
Biking in Nova Scotia – cycling tours
Johari’s Window
Macrobiotics
Women to Women Healthcare Center
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, by John Gray
Ruth Lockhart, Founder of Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center, Bangor, Maine
Health in Our Hands
• Christiane Northrup, ObGyn, Founder of Women to Women
• Deb Soule, Herbalist, Founder of Avena Botanical
Doula Training
The Community Nurse Midwifery Education Program, Frontier Nursing University, Kentucky
Midwifery
MaineHealth, Lincoln, Maine
Sympathetic Nervous System
Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety, by Judith Warner
Marcelle Pick
No One Is to Blame, by Bob Hoffman
Hoffman Tools:Hand on Heart
Recycling Patterns
“Oddly enough, it’s the vulnerability that connects us.
It’s not the perfect; yeah, that’s like Teflon.” – Mike Depatie
Mike DepatieMike Depatie, Founding Partner of KHP Capital Partners, attended the Hoffman Process in 2005. At the Process, Mike looked around the room and felt like he didn’t belong. He wasn’t even sure it was right for him because he felt he had a kind of Leave-it-to-Beaver childhood. Mike stayed through that discomfort and came to understand that even though he felt he had nothing in common with those he was with, he had come to love them. He realized that everyone is lovable if you really get to know them, including himself.
Mike came to the Process through his role as President and CEO of Kimpton Hotels. Kimpton leadership encouraged employees to connect with themselves, so they would ultimately connect at a deeper and more effective level with their teammates and customers. To that end, employees were given the chance to do the Hoffman Process. Mike agreed to come. After attending, he says the Process helps people discover the best version of themselves. The business advice he offers is to “figure out who the hell you are, and then fully step into that.”
Mike is the informal leader of Qfish, an annual fishing trip whose members are all Hoffman Process grads, including Raz Ingrasci, a long-time participant. They called themselves Qfish, like the Hoffman Q2 retreat. For the past 20 years, they’ve fished together and processed things like they’d learned to do at their Process. Both Raz and Drew Horning have attended these Qfish gatherings.
We hope you enjoy this engaging conversation with Mike and Drew.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Mike Depatie:QfishMike Depatie is a seasoned hospitality and investment leader best known for serving as President and CEO of Kimpton Hotels, which he led for over a decade before its sale to IHG in 2015. Under his leadership, Kimpton became the world’s largest boutique hotel company with over 60 hotels and a celebrated workplace and brand. Kimpton was named one of Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Places to Work multiple times.
Mike is now a Founding Partner of KHP Capital Partners, an active investor in hospitality real estate. With a Harvard MBA, he has held senior roles across hospitality, real estate, and technology. He’s served on multiple boards. Mike lives in Napa with his wife, Holly, and their 16-year-old yellow lab, Cabo.
As mentioned in this episode:Qfish, including Drew, Mike, Raz, and other Hoffman graduates.Raz Ingrasci:
Raz, along with his wife Liza Ingrasci, founded the Hoffman Institute Foundation. Raz passed away on December 31, 2025.
• Listen to Raz on The Hoffman Podcast
• Watch Raz on The Oprah Podcast
David Bork
Founder of the Aspen Family Business Institute, David was a pioneer in the field of counseling family-owned businesses for over 25 years. Integrating Family Systems Theory with sound business practice, he had in-depth, long-term involvement with some 350 families in business. He was the author of Family Business, Risky Business. David passed away in 2025.
Fly-fishing
Hoffman Q2, graduate intensive
Zen (as an adjective)
The Enneagram
Leave it to Beaver
Joseph Campbell
• The Hero’s Journey
Davos ‘takeaways’ on YouTube
The All In Podcast
Peter Diamandas
• The X Prize
• The Moon Shot Awards
Watch Raz on The Oprah Podcast
Zig Ziglar
• See You at the Top, by Zig Ziglar
“Welcome your enemy, welcome the darkness. Let everybody come and sit with you at the table.
Welcome with open arms, with love, with light. …That is when everything dissolves, and you are free.”
– Tamsyn Strydom
Before discovering the Hoffman Process, Tamsyn Strydom shares that her life had “quietly begun to shut down.” She felt overwhelmed, facing unexplained health challenges and struggling to get out of bed after relocating to a new country.
Coming to the Process with a Hoffman scholarship and a quiet, desperate urgency to heal, Tamsyn felt hope. She knew that doing the Process would mark a profound turning point in her life.
At the Process, Tamsyn gave it her all. She met all parts of herself, the light and the dark. She faced everything with a willingness to change. Tamsyn left feeling incredible. Yet it only took a week back home for her to fall back into the darker patterns that had brought her to Hoffman in the first place.
Once home, Tamsyn had shared with others how good she felt. Now, she felt shame that the patterns had returned. Rather than saying anything to anyone, she began to isolate. This is when she found a profound willingness within. With nowhere to run to, nowhere else to go, she had to surrender again as she’d done at the Process. Now, she had to do it on her own. It was time to sit with the darkness, time to come to know and love herself deeply.
Listen in to hear how Tamsyn made her way through this challenge and into her new life. She credits the Hoffman Process as a pivotal catalyst that helped her reclaim her capacity, deepen her self-trust, and step fully into this next chapter of her life.
Content Warning: This episode references disordered eating.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Tamsyn Strydom:Tamsyn is the founder of Radiant Growth and Khanyisa Institute, and the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Lo Sono Integrative Health. All three are dedicated to functional medicine, well-being, longevity science, and leadership evolution. Through her work in clinical and integrative health environments, she has supported thousands of patients. She brings a rare blend of medical insight and performance-driven leadership. Drawing on her background in integrative health and experience within clinical environments, her work bridges the realities of business demands, health, and human performance. She partners with physicians and clinical teams, serving as the bridge between patients and providers to integrate the often-missing “healing from within” dimension alongside medical care.
Tamsyn – Cape Town, South AfricaA keynote speaker and leadership performance expert, Tamsyn Strydom helps high-performing founders and leaders elevate business results, performance, and health. Most leaders try to think their way through burnout, culture issues, and performance gaps. But real change starts on the inside. Tamsyn works with those who appear successful on the outside but feel disconnected, reactive, or stretched thin behind the scenes. She equips them to rebuild self-trust, emotional resilience, and clarity so they can lead more effectively and create real impact without burning out. Personally trained and certified within Dr. Joe Dispenza’s authorized practitioner network, this is one of several dimensions that inform her approach.
Originally from South Africa, Tamsyn is building a life in the U.S. that feels like a story worth telling. A story of new countries, getting intentionally lost in new cities, and deep talks at 1 AM about purpose, passion, and why we’re really here.
Learn more at TamsynStrydom.com. Follow Tamsyn on Facebook and Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Willingness:
Willingness is a concept and a corresponding skill that supports healing. When we are willing, we choose to be and engage with what we are experiencing. We don’t have to like it. We don’t have to believe that what is here is okay or even good. It’s the choice we make to be right here, right now, with everything just as it is, even if it means feeling pain or discomfort. Our instinct might be to pull away, yet we can develop the skill of willingness.
Self-compassion:
“I define self-compassion as the ability (and practice) of holding myself amidst failure, disappointment, and suffering of any kind, and in the face of these life contractions, to still be able to offer myself love and kindness. …It is the practice of loving ourselves out of shame and into wholeness – the place where we can connect to and embody our own capacity for radical self-love.” Jasin Deegan (Read the full quote here.)
“I used to believe that I needed to transcend being human to be enough,
and now I see that being human is the sacred experience.” – Alyssia Sheikh
Beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach, Alyssia Sheikh, is our guest today. When she did the Process eight years ago, Alyssia’s sense of self, her sense of ‘me,’ changed dramatically from her time there. Out of this new sense of self, profound change and transformation came to both Alyssia and her post-Process life. Now, with a master’s degree in Mindfulness Studies, she is also a certified life coach, speaker, and trauma-sensitive meditation teacher. As Alyssia states, “Who I am today is really thanks to my Process experience.”
On the first day of her Process, Alyssia entered brand new territory when she was handed the ‘Hoffman feelings list.’ Feelings weren’t a part of her childhood. She’d been “living, waiting to feel, and not knowing how to do it.” But now, immersed in awareness of this deeper part of herself, Alyssia sensed a “rich intelligence” new to her. Before her eyes, life went from grayscale to full color. She was shocked, intrigued, and profoundly curious about these deeper capacities of being human. Alyssia awakened to what it means to be a human being rather than a human doing, now fully aware that being human is messy – and that isn’t a problem.
Exploring shame in her Process was pivotal and held a profound lesson. Now, as a Hoffman teacher, shame is Alyssia’s favorite part of the Process to teach. Shame’s lessons have brought Alyssia liberation. In moving toward it, she realized that shame is not her and she is not shame. She would never have become a Hoffman Process teacher if she hadn’t learned shame’s lessons.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Alyssia and Sadie.
More about Alyssia Sheikh:Alyssia Sheikh holds a master’s degree in Mindfulness Studies and is a certified life coach, speaker, and trauma-sensitive meditation teacher. Her work centers on presence, emotional awareness, and helping people move out of autopilot and into a more connected, alive experience of being human.
Drawing from mindfulness, neuroscience, and embodied practice, Alyssia supports individuals in relating to themselves with greater clarity, curiosity, and self-trust.
Alyssia is also the host of the Relish podcast, where she explores joy, presence, and meaningful living beyond self-improvement and fixing. Through personal storytelling and practical insight, her work invites people to savor life as it is and reconnect with the inherent wholeness of being human. She is a Hoffman Process teacher and continues to be deeply shaped by the work—both personally and in how she guides others.
Find out more about Alyssia and follow her on Instagram. Follow the Relish Podcast on Instagram.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:The Relish Podcast, with Alyssia Sheikh
Hoffman Process Feelings and Sensations List
The Quadrinity – body, intellect, emotional self, and Spiritual Self.
Watch the video Alyssia references on our website.
“We teach what we need to learn.” – Gloria Steinem
• Full quote: “I began to understand with a terrible sureness that we teach what we need to learn, and write what we need to know.”
“Trust in your inner knowing. Absolutely. And know that your angels do have your back.” – Nicole Olivier
photo by Jonathan ConditScreenwriter and Hoffman Process graduate Nicole Olivier has a profound ancestral history. As a daughter of families active in France and Norway’s WWII Resistance, she grew up hearing family stories of moral courage and being of service. Nicole has woven these ancestral stories into her life’s work and art.
Nicole is mindful of her ancestral patterns and epigenetics; how trauma was passed down and lives inside of her. During her childhood, she witnessed what was going on and attuned to the power dynamics playing out amid her parents’ divorce. As we all do, she developed patterns to get her through these early years. What’s beautiful about Nicole’s story is how she has worked and studied to understand the origins of those dynamics. The Hoffman Process, understanding somatics, and knowing the lineage of ancestral history supported her in releasing the power of those patterns. Transforming them and realizing they are not who she is supported a deeper capacity to witness and honor her ancestors’ profound courage and strength.
Through her dedicated drive to understand how the unconscious is shaped in our early years and foster tools to cultivate compassion, Nicole now brings her wisdom more fully to the current focus of her art, screenwriting. Most recently, Nicole attended the Hoffman Q2 after the loss of her mother. Caring for her mother after a stroke until her peaceful passing was a deep act of service for Nicole. Now an ancestor, her mother is inspiring Nicole’s next screenplay. Her wish is to honor her mother and her mother’s life.
Photo credit: Jonathan Condit
Content warning:We hope you find this conversation with Nicole and Sadie insightful and inspiring. Please be aware that this episode mentions and includes stories of genocide, World War II, and the devastating events of these times. It describes the experience of a young child participating in France’s WWII Resistance. Please use your discretion.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Nicole Olivier:Fascinated by human behavior and how the subconscious is shaped in formative years, Nicole Olivier majored in psychology at Mills College, studied at the Sorbonne, spoke about maintaining morale at the Western Psychology Association’s Convention, and participated in Stanford University’s inaugural Compassion Cultivation program.
After a brief but award-winning career as an advertising copywriter in Manhattan and San Francisco, inspired by childhood influences from international cinema to sitcoms, Nicole wrote her first feature script in seven days – a spontaneous creative outpouring that launched her screenwriting path. She then reached the second round of the Sundance Screenwriting Competition twice and was selected as one of twelve writers for the Olympic Valley Community of Writers Screenwriters Workshop. Her mentor there was the gracious, Oscar-nominated Tom Rickman, founding Creative Advisor of the Workshop and the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
The daughter of families active in France and Norway’s WWII Resistance, Nicole developed a keen sensitivity to power dynamics and hypervigilance amid shifts sparked by her parents’ divorce. She channeled insights into her screenwriting, weaving in Thomas Hübl‘s epigenetic work, Peter Levine‘s somatics, EMDR, and tapping.
Learning meditation in the early ’90s from spiritual mentor Jack Kornfield offered Nicole a model of benevolent leadership. In the film world, this was echoed by dear friend and mentor, Tom Luddy, founder of the Telluride Film Festival. Working alongside Christine Aylward, CEO of the former filmmakers’ forum, MakingOf, co-founded by Natalie Portman, underlined the importance of connecting with positive, values-based people.
Caring for her wise, vibrant mother after a stroke in San Francisco until her peaceful passing nearly four years later inspired Nicole’s next screenplay, honoring the life of this heroic, service-oriented dynamo.
Nicole welcomes new connections with creative allies and benefactors drawn to champion female filmmakers writing with levity about love, courage, and intergenerational healing.
Follow and connect with Nicole:You can connect with Nicole on Facebook and LinkedIn, or by writing to her at writenicoleolivier {at} gmail {dot} com.
As mentioned in this episode:The Hoffman Q2 Intensive
White Sulphur Springs, Hoffman retreat site, lost in the Glass fire.
WW2 Resistance
The Bolshevik Revolution
“Your issues are in your tissues.”
A definition of Epigenetics
Somatics
Scarlet Fever
Nice, France
Palo Alto, California
• Silicon Valley
• IBM (International Business Machines)
Fight, Flight, Freeze
YouTube videos of fainting’ goats.
Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974
• Editorial Correction (13:40): Nicole Olivier intended to reference 1974.
Airline policy for unaccompanied minors
“Everything is either love or a call for love.” A Course in Miracles
Have recommended the Hoffman Process:
• Dave Richo, book: When the Past Is Present
• Pawan Bareja, PhD, Somatic Therapist
Expression:
Expression (also called cathartic work or bashing) in the Hoffman Process is about “claiming” our life. It’s about taking a stand. Sometimes that includes anger, but it can also be about joy, love, commitment, and empowerment.
The Hoffman Centering Practice
Hoffman Coaching
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Coit Tower, San Francisco
“Just like I can choose to stop making that line on that canvas,
I have choice to stop making that pattern in life.” – Veta McFall
Professional artist and Hoffman Process graduate Veta McFall felt a growing call for change within as she approached her 40th birthday. Until then, she’d been a commissioned portrait painter of people and animals. This was a call for deeper creativity. It started a mysterious process as she began to paint with her hands and watch the abstract art appear without any expectations. Veta had no idea what the paintings would eventually become. These new abstract paintings “would literally be a visual representation of her personal inner transformation.”
More than Veta’s painting changed; her relationship with her husband changed, too. As a couple, they had been in a multi-year cycle of tumultuous upheaval. Veta felt compelled to stop that cycle. That was “the most difficult winter of our, and our whole family’s, life.” This was when both Veta and her husband came to the Hoffman Process. Veta attended in April 2025, and her husband came seven months later. They now have a shared Hoffman experience and profound spiritual connection.
As Veta tells us, “It’s like the artwork started, and the artwork had to be this catalyst for change for me, and I thought it was just in the artwork, but it led to change within me as a person. It led to change within my relationship. It’s like I understand all of it now.” Listen in to hear the lessons Veta’s art taught her post-Hoffman.
We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation with Veta and Sadie.
More about Veta McFall:“What’s my medium? Life.”
For Veta McFall, art is the act of bringing something into existence that did not exist before, allowing creation to emerge directly from the soul.
Veta is a lifelong professional artist who built a thriving career creating large-scale, black-and-white commissioned portraits of people and animals. Known for their precision and emotional depth, her dramatic works, where every eyelash and reflection mattered, moved audiences deeply. Alongside her studio practice, she taught portrait drawing and painting at a Waldorf high school for over a decade.
As she approached 40, Veta felt a growing call for change. While her work was successful, she realized it was shaped largely by the expectations of others rather than her own inner truth. This pivotal moment coincided with her discovery of the Hoffman Process, marking the beginning of a profound personal and artistic transformation.
Out of this shift emerged The 1985 Series, a collection of 100 large-scale paintings defined by color, freedom, and expression. Each piece is titled only by the number in which it was created, intentionally leaving meaning open to the viewer. Midway through the project, after completing Painting Fifty, Veta traveled alone to the woods of rural Canada, an experience that became a turning point in her life and work.
After completing the Hoffman Process in April 2025, her art evolved again, revealing deeper coherence and clarity, as if the messages within the work had finally been fully understood.
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and raised in the Waldorf education system, Veta comes from a multigenerational family of artists. Today, her work reflects an integrated life, where inner transformation and creative freedom meet, and where life itself becomes the medium.
Learn more at www.vetaart.com. Follow Veta on Instagram.
Listen on Apple PodcastsAs mentioned in this episode:Hoffman’s Canada site: Sanctum Retreat, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
“By doing this work, we know there’s something powerful about how
the human heart opens in the presence of other open-hearted humans.”
– Matt Brannagan, CEO, Hoffman Institute Foundation
Photo by Sam ComenWe open season 12 of The Hoffman Podcast with Matt Brannagan, Hoffman Process teacher and Hoffman Institute’s new CEO. In conversation with Drew, Matt reflects on this moment of transition and the thoughtful leadership handoff shaped by Raz and Liza Ingrasci. Their generosity, wisdom, and long-term vision laid the foundation for what Matt terms “Hoffman 3.0.” It’s an evolution rooted in continuity, care, and purpose.
Hoffman 1.0 was the creation and first few phases of this powerful work by Bob Hoffman. The Hoffman Process started in Bob’s office in Oakland, California, in 1967. He shepherded it through its first iterations, beginning with one-on-one clients, then a series of weekly group classes, and finally the week-long Process we know today. Hoffman 2.0 began with Raz and Liza establishing the Hoffman Institute and creating the non-profit it is today, increasing capacity so more people could attend the Hoffman Process. They laid the foundation for incredible growth and transformation. Now, on that strong foundation, Hoffman 3.0 takes flight.
Matt steps into this role after 18 years at the Hoffman Institute, serving as both teacher and leader. Before Hoffman, Matt served in the military. He deployed to Iraq shortly after completing the Process in 2004. For more than two decades with Hoffman, Matt has lived and honed a life of service and leadership. Currently, he’s a doctoral candidate pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Matt brings a steady, embodied presence to this new Hoffman era.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Matt and Drew, the first of this season. We have many great guests ahead that we know you’ll love.
Setting an important context:We offer this context to help frame the conversation you’re about to hear. In this episode, Drew and Matt discuss the legacy of Raz Ingrasci, founder of the Hoffman Institute Foundation. We recorded this conversation on December 19. With great sadness, we share that Raz passed away unexpectedly on December 31. This was the same day he formally stepped back from his day-to-day role at Hoffman, alongside his wife, Liza.
Watch and listen to Matt & Drew:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03FNQBZKBeM
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Matt Brannagan:Matt Brannagan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Hoffman Institute Foundation. He joined the Institute in 2007 and has previously held the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Director of Faculty, in addition to serving as a Teacher and Coach. Matt is a retired veteran and former Master Resilience Trainer for the U.S. Army. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Clinical Psychology and holds both a B.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in Transpersonal Psychology.
Matt learned of the Hoffman Process at the age of 20 after recently completing three years of active military duty. While examining his direction in life, he was inspired by those he met who had attended Hoffman. It became the logical next step on his growth journey, and he completed the Hoffman Process in 2004, unexpectedly being deployed to Iraq shortly after graduation. While holding a senior role in his unit, it was his Hoffman community that challenged him to continue his personal work during that crucial time, and he enrolled in Hoffman teacher training shortly after returning home.
Extensive leadership training allows Matt’s work as a Hoffman faculty member to be grounded in clarity, compassion, and accountability, led by the belief that organizational culture is strengthened when people feel empowered, supported, and connected to purpose. In his work with students, “I love that moment when it all clicks, and the students begin to take on the tools and practices for themselves. They offer such great insights, and I get to deepen my learning as I teach.”
Committed to guiding Hoffman’s evolution, Matt is focused on ensuring sustainable long-term growth. He is honored to usher the Institute into its next chapter and holds deep gratitude for the opportunity to carry forward the work stewarded for decades by Liza and Raz Ingrasci.
As mentioned in this episode:Listen to Matt on The Hoffman Podcast: S2e22: Communities of Meaning.
Our new California retreat site is Santa Sabina. Our first Process at Santa Sabina will be in April 2026.
The Q2: Beyond Mom and Dad – Our 3-day Hoffman graduate program.
Listen to Tim Callan on The Hoffman Podcast: S2e14: A Journey Through Grief to New Love
“In the Process, I came to realize … how nature in my own life had been such a healing force.”
– James Bonilla
We wrap up season 11 with New York-born Puerto Rican writer and retired professor emeritus, James Bonilla.
James’s story is filled with transformation, healing, and wisdom. Born with congenital cataracts, at the age of nine, his right eye was injured in school by a fellow student’s actions. For over ten years, James was blind. At the age of 19, doctors removed the cataracts (although the childhood injury remained). On his way home from the hospital, he remembers seeing the world in Technicolor through his own eyes.
As a writer, James was comfortable writing about his identities as a Puerto Rican and a person with impaired sight. But it wasn’t until he did the Process that he could accept his family’s struggle with mental illness. He released patterns of shame that stemmed from his experiences of abandonment as a young child. In accepting his own mental illness, James found deeper healing of those issues through the power of nature. He realized that nature had been a constant source of healing throughout his life. Upon graduating, James felt called to share his experience healing mental illness with others. Because of his work at the Process, James emerged emboldened to share this experience in his new memoir, An Eye for An I.
We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation with James and Drew. We’ll be back in early 2026 with season 12 of the Hoffman Podcast.
Content Warning: This episode mentions suicide and includes intense emotional content and targeted racism. Please use your discretion. If you or someone you know is suicidal, reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), or message the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
More about James BonillaJames Francisco Bonilla is a New York-born Puerto Rican writer and retired professor emeritus of cultural competence and leadership at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. James was born with congenital cataracts and has never had sight in his left eye. Following a racially-motivated assault at age nine, he lost much of his remaining sight in the right eye. Ten years later, a medical breakthrough restored sight to his right eye. Seeking relief and inspiration, he found unexpected solace in the natural world. This discovery led him toward both personal healing and advocacy work. Due to his experiences, James was drawn into the early disability rights movement and community organizing. This helped shape his work as a nationally recognized social justice educator and environmentalist.
James received his doctoral degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, School of Education in Organizational Leadership. He is a former Chair of the Faculty Advisory Committee to the National Conference on Racial & Ethnic Diversity in American Higher Education. He has made hundreds of presentations to universities, conferences, and human service organizations in the area of diversity, including outdoor education and environmental programs.
His memoir, An Eye for An I: Growing Up With Blindness, Bigotry, and Family Mental Illness, was just released by the University of Minnesota Press. In it, he invites readers to empathize and consider their own potential to be of service in a broken, yet beautiful world. Read more about James’ memoir on Hamline University’s site.
Follow James on Facebook and LinkedIn. Learn more about James here.
Listen on Apple PodcastsAs mentioned in this episode:Nuyorican:
“The Nuyorican movement is a cultural and intellectual movement involving poets, writers, musicians, and artists who are Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent, who live in or near New York City, and either call themselves or are known as Nuyoricans.” Read more…
Congenital Cataracts
New York Association for the Blind
Lisa Wenger, Hoffman teacher and coach
• Listen to Lisa on the Hoffman Podcast – The Sparkle in Her Eyes
Judy (Judith) Heumann
• Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
• Judy Heumann interview on YouTube
Crip Camp Documentary
Barack and Michelle Obama were executive producers under Higher Ground Productions.
Jerry Brown, CA Governor
White Sulphur Springs – Hoffman’s old retreat site
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Hoffman Webclass Calendar
Quad-Check, and Appreciation and Gratitude Instagram Lives:Join our virtual community, Quadrinity Check, at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. A Quad Check is a practice to support you in integrating and honoring all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body.
Be a part of our daily Appreciation and Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. You’ll find the Appreciation and Gratitude practice to be a beautiful way to reflect on your day. This practice will support your Spiritual Self’s natural desire to appreciate and give thanks for all that life brings you.
“So much of what I was trying to address was so buried deep within me. It was like scratching an impossible itch, and then, finally, I got to Hoffman, and I was like, Oh my gosh, I can reach the spot. Wow.”
– Emma Swift
Singer-songwriter Emma Swift sits down with Sadie to talk about her time at the Hoffman Process, a time she says was “utterly magical.”
Emma’s story incorporates many lands. Her homeland is Australia. Her new home is Nashville, Tennessee. The rolling hills of Northern California and White Sulphur Springs are where Emma did her Process. And, then, the land within Emma – a deep interior she would need to excavate to heal.
Living among highly creative musicians, and as a singer-songwriter, Emma’s career counts on her creativity and ability to feel deeply. Before Hoffman, she felt repressed. She would go to write songs, sitting with her guitar, singing them, and feel very uncomfortable. She felt sad and longed to do what she saw other songwriters doing. Emma now realizes that what she saw in others provoked a deep longing in herself.
Emma enrolled in the Process to break through her writer’s block. But once there, she realized she had come for a deeper issue – her relationship with her father. He had passed away, and Emma had been carrying a feeling inside that something was not right and couldn’t be set right. It was an “unresolved tension” that she feared was “never going to go away.” Through the power of the Process and Emma’s deep work, she was finally able to have a healing conversation with her father.
When we’re willing to travel to unexplored lands, beautiful and even unexpected, healing can occur. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Emma and Sadie.
More about Emma Swift:Emma Swift is an Australian-born singer-songwriter. She lives in Nashville, TN. Emma describes her music as indie-folk, with her biggest influences being Marianne Faithfull and Sandy Denny. Her new album, “The Resurrection Game,” was released in September this year. It explores themes of love, loss, and transcendence.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:The Resurrection Game: Album and Song
Calistoga, California
Indie Folk Genre
• Bob Dylan
• Joan Baez
Nashville, Tennessee
Sydney, Australia
Eucalyptus trees
Brian James Daly, somatic healer, men’s team leader, and addiction coach, shares his Process journey and his following journey of embodiment. Embodiment is where it’s at for Brian. He calls it the ground game because it took him deep into himself to see those parts of himself that he’d been carrying hidden for so long. And once seen, they can be integrated and somatically expressed.
Brian shares that where he came from, “everything looked really good on the outside.” Often, it is hard to comprehend that people from a good-looking life can have traumatic experiences. When he arrived at the Process, he realized he felt out of place because others in his class had seemingly experienced greater trauma. Brian’s teacher helped him see that he did, too, but that Brian was never able to acknowledge and own it.
When Brian was young, he kept everything inside but wore a mask that told the world he was okay. His escape was going into creative realms through writing and creating his own reality. During and after Brian’s Process, he followed the ground game that brought him back into his body. This journey of embodiment helped him reconnect with parts of himself he had lost and learn to express those parts in a creative way. Now, after years of full-time transformation work, he can express his true nature in the world without needing to escape. He’s being who he truly is, doing what comes from that embodiment, to have what his Spiritual Self has designed. This mirrors the Be-Do-Have practice he learned at his Process.
Listen in as Brian shares many powerful experiences of his journey. We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation with Brian and Sadie.
More about Brian James Daly:Brian James Daly is a guide and leader devoted to helping people break free from limiting patterns and beliefs to find authenticity, purpose, and freedom. After two decades in the entertainment industry as a successful entrepreneur and award-winning creative and seven years in a think tank focused on systemic transformation in education and health, Brian felt called to bring his lifelong journey in wellness and spirituality to others ready to live lives beyond their dreams.
Brian is a trained somatic healer, men’s team leader, addiction coach, retreat facilitator, writer, and speaker. With a grounded and spiritual presence, Brian creates safe spaces for deep healing and personal awakening. He says every engagement is unique, and that you should reach out if you’d like to learn more.
Discover more about Brian at brianjamesdaly.com and follow him on Instagram.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Be-Do-Have vs. Do-Have-Be:
The life we long for comes from Be-Do-Have; the life we are taught we should strive for comes from Do-Have-Be.
Somatics
Sound Baths
Ecstatic Dance
Chakra System
Kundalini
Alchemy, Alchemize
“It is my life that I claim. That sense of empowerment wouldn’t have happened without the Process.” Ana Bok
Today’s conversation with Hoffman graduate Ana Bok begins with Ana sharing a story that happened three years after her Process. Her week at Hoffman provided a powerful foundation that would come to help guide her through a tough time.
Since childhood, Ana’s dream has been to become a doctor. At age fourteen, she came to the United States. After graduating with her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience with a concentration in Behavioral Studies, Ana planned to attend Yale Medical School. But first, she was a post-graduate research associate at a child psychiatry research lab at the Yale Child Study Center. She was on her way to her long-held dream. But there, Ana found herself in inner turmoil and conflict. Already a Hoffman grad, Ana had thought to herself that after the Process, she was on her “right road” and that everything was “supposed to work.” She didn’t know what was wrong, but she knew her Quadrinity was out of alignment.
Listen in to hear Ana tell about this pivotal moment along the journey of her life. The Process offers a powerful foundation for navigating life. Ana found hope at the Process. Hope and her Spiritual Self guided Ana through this difficult time.
Ana’s story is powerful because it reminds us that after doing the Process, life is still life. How life works hasn’t changed, but we have. We hope you enjoy this deeply vulnerable and moving conversation with Ana and Drew.
More about Ana Bok:Ana was born in Korea, raised in China, and moved to the U.S. alone at age fourteen. She studied Neuroscience with a concentration in Behavioral Studies at Columbia University and spent five years researching molecular pathobiology and pain mechanisms during and after college. In 2022, Ana attended the Hoffman Process, which affirmed her deep interest in child and adolescent mental health.
Ana recently completed two years of postgraduate training at the Yale Child Study Center. She continues her research on obsessive-compulsive disorder at the Yale School of Medicine. Fascinated by the intersection of science and spirituality, Ana hopes to one day integrate spirituality into early mental health interventions. Alongside her research, Ana has mentored middle and high school students, supporting their academic and personal growth.
Ana served as a NYC Hoffman Graduate Group Leader in 2022–2023 before her fellowship at Yale and recently returned as a co-facilitator for the NYC Uptown Hoffman group. She welcomes connections from fellow Hoffman graduates and can be reached at dianabok.connect@gmail.com.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Left Road/Right Road:
The left road represents repeating patterns from your past, while the right road is the path of authenticity, choice, and self-responsibility.
The Quadrinity™ Symbol
Bob Hoffman designed the Hoffman Quadrinity™ Symbol in 1967 to represent the wholeness of Self. The circle represents the Body; the large vertical diamond in the middle represents the Spirit; the 2 smaller horizontal diamond shapes represent the Intellect and Emotions. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Korean fortune-telling:
“Saju” is a traditional Korean fortune-telling system that analyzes an individual’s birth year, month, day, and hour to create a personal profile. It is a widely practiced cultural tradition for seeking guidance on personality, relationships, career, and life path. It is often used for entertainment as well as for serious life decisions. Rooted in ancient Chinese metaphysics, saju calculates cosmic energy at the time of birth to provide insights into one’s destiny.
Welcome to today’s episode with host Sadie and a medical panel of three Hoffman Process graduates who are also esteemed medical practitioners. Our host, Sadie, Carrie Levine, Dr. David Hanscom, and Dr. Kash Trivedi engage in this powerful conversation. They cover the connection between emotional health and physical health, the mind-body connection, finding the safety within needed to heal, and so much more.
With her background as a licensed Nurse Practitioner, Sadie guides the panel with insightful questions. Our guests answer through their embodied learning from both the Process and their many years of medical practice. They share insights on what it means to practice medicine with awareness, compassion, and the knowledge that can help guide their patients to deeper healing.
As the conversation goes deeper into the idea of healing needing a sense of safety, Sadie then asks the panel if we each can “take responsibility for our inner experience of safety?” Carrie responds, saying, “I think we have to. I don’t know that anybody else can do that for us. … I think it’s on us.”
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Carrie, Davide, Kash, and Sadie.
Please note:
While this conversation is about medicine, healing, and health, please note that what is shared here is strictly for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please always seek the guidance of your physician or any other qualified health professional with any questions you have regarding your health or medical condition.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyMore about Carrie E. Levine:Carrie E. Levine, CNM, IFMCP, is the founder of the Whole Woman Health clinic. She is the author of Whole Woman Health: A Guide to Creating Wellness for Any Age and Stage. A certified nurse midwife and Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner, Carrie evaluates and treats the most common women’s health concerns by integrating gynecology and functional medicine. For more than two decades, Carrie has worked to help women find wholeness, connecting physical symptoms and test results with lifestyle choices and daily practices.
Previously, Carrie practiced gynecology and functional medicine at the renowned Women to Women clinic in Maine (2006–2014). Before that, she provided full-scope midwifery at Miles Memorial Hospital (now Maine Health Lincoln) in Damariscotta, Maine. Patients know Carrie for her deep listening, “connecting the dots” among seemingly unrelated symptoms and emotions, and breaking personal health goals into attainable steps so clients can thrive emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Carrie earned a BS from Syracuse University. She has an RN and MSN from Case Western Reserve University. Carrie earned a Nurse-Midwifery certificate from what is now the Frontier Nursing University. She is a member of ACNM (national and Maine chapters), the Maine Nurse Practitioners Association, and the Institute for Functional Medicine.
Sign up for Carrie’s free weekly newsletters featuring recipes, podcasts, articles, and more at https://carrielevine.com. Follow Carrie on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
More about Dr. David Hanscom:David Hanscom, MD, practiced complex orthopedic spine surgery for 32 years. He quit his practice in Seattle, WA, to present his insights into solving chronic mental and physical pain. They evolved from his own 15-year battle. David escaped from the ordeal and discovered that mental pain was the biggest issue. Anxiety is the pain. His new book, Calm Your Body, Heal Your Mind: Transcend Pain, Anxiety, Anger, and Repetitive Unwanted Thoughts, is scheduled for release in June 2026. By understanding the neurophysiology driving unwanted thoughts and stimulating neuroplastic changes, they can be addressed and resolved.
David’s book, Back in Control: A Surgeon’s Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain, systematically presents well-documented treatments for chronic pain. His self-directed action plan, which reflects the journeys of many successful patients, is available at www.thedocjourney.com.
David launched a movement called “Dynamic Healing.” This movement recognizes the interactions between stress and one’s coping capacity, which leads to sustained threat physiology. Dealing with stress more effectively and increasing the nervous system’s resilience promotes healing. David is an active speaker, author, and consultant. Discover more about his work and resources at www.backincontrol.com.
David’s articles:
• Why I’m Leaving Spine Surgery
• Dynamic Healing – The New Paradigm Medicine Needs
More about Dr. Kash Trivedi:Dr. Kash Trivedi is a gastroenterologist in private practice. His interest is in the intricate relationship between the gut and the brain—how that connection contributes not only to physical symptoms but also to overall well-being. Kash completed his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego. He went on to do his fellowship training at the University of California, Irvine. With over a decade of experience in clinical medicine, he often sees how stress, trauma, and emotional health may influence gastrointestinal disease.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Trivedi has long been drawn to personal growth and self-inquiry, an interest that began in his teenage years. In January 2025, he completed the Hoffman Process, which he describes as the most transformational experience of his life. Kash lives in Southern California with his wife of over 20 years and their 10-year-old son. He continues to explore how emotional and psychological insight can enrich both his personal life and professional practice.
Kash Trivedi on the Hoffman Podcast: I Am My Own Resource
More about Sadie Hannah (Host):Sadie Hannah, MS, CPNP-AC, is a licensed Nurse Practitioner and a member of the medical staff at Stanford University with a background in pediatric oncology, pediatric end-of-life, and children’s cancer research. She is also a Hoffman Process teacher, coach, and podcast host. Sadie Hannah holds a Master’s in Science from the University of California, San Francisco. After a 20-year history in Western medicine, she is now committed to helping clients move past their most fundamental challenges (learned behavior). Where neuroscience meets heart, Sadie works with individuals and groups. She guides her clients not outward but inward, toward the depths of their own being as they navigate important transitions in life, relationships, careers, and culture.
As mentioned in this episode:HeartMath
Broken Heart Syndrome
The mind-body connection
Psycho somatic symptoms
MUS – Medically unexplained symptoms
The Way to Love: The Last Meditations of Anthony de Mello
Therapeutic Reciprocity
SOAP Notes:
SOAP notes are a four-part, structured format for documenting patient visits. The acronym stands for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan. They are used by healthcare providers to consistently and clearly record a patient’s health encounter. This format ensures all members of the care team have the same information about a patient’s condition and progress.
Hoffman terminology:Right Road/Left Road Visualization
The Quadrinity:“I coined the word Quadrinity to represent the four aspects of a human being: the Emotional, Intellectual, Physical, and Spiritual. The unique capacities and functions of each aspect can be considered separately, but it is the balance of all aspects working together harmoniously that fulfills us as human beings.” – Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process
“I can only describe the Process in poetry, because it’s that spiritual for me.” Jessica Harjo
In July 2022, Jessica Harjo came to the Hoffman Process to learn how to parent after realizing the coping mechanisms she’d developed to help her manage the weight of motherhood and career no longer worked for her. And of course, she came for so much more than she could imagine.
As a Native woman with a complex multicultural ancestry – Indigenous, San Carlos Apache, Indigenous, Chicana, Mexican, Filipina, Japanese, and European – Jessica found the Process to be deeply spiritual. She shares that she likens her Process experience to a sweat lodge.
“Finding that moment where you’re in it and you’re closing your eyes, and you hear the songs, you can hear the prayers, and then you start to connect. You start to remember; you start to heal. And then when the flaps of that sweat lodge open, you crawl out on your knees, and when you come out into the life, you feel like you’re born again into the world. That was the experience of my Process. It reconnected me to my spirit in that way. It lit my inner fire.”
Before the Process, Jessica realized that stress had caused her to forget her past and past self. Coming out of the Process, feeling born again, she realized she now had “new eyes.” Going home, Jessica saw each member of her family as a spiritual being. She saw the light in nature. She’d found herself. A little over two years later, Jessica attended the inaugural BIPOC Q2, a weekend retreat. She worked to heal ancestral wounds. Over this powerful Q2 weekend, Jessica says she came home.
We hope you enjoy this powerful conversation with Jessica and Sadie.
More about Jessica Harjo:Jessica, daughter Rulan, and husband Tim.Jessica Harjo is a soul embodied human being and lifelong learner. She’s a proud homemaker and mother of three daughters, three stepchildren, and four grandchildren. For the past eighteen years, Jessica has worked in the nonprofit sector as the Director of Operations for the Tribal Law and Policy Institute. Her multicultural ancestry (Indigenous/San Carlos Apache, Indigenous/Chicana/Mexican, Filipina, Japanese, and European) has been a source of strength in her life and is reflected in her work to recognize and uplift multicultural and Indigenous knowledge.
As a nonprofit leader, Jessica specializes in policy development, administrative infrastructure and team development, project management, HR implementation, business, and financial operations management. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Film, Media, and Social Justice and a minor in Business Administration. Jessica also holds an MBA from Mount Saint Mary’s University. Mount Saint Mary’s is the only women’s university in Los Angeles, and is known for their annual report on the Status of Women and Girls in California.
Jessica has volunteered on numerous nonprofit boards that serve Indigenous communities. She’s an active volunteer for the Hoffman Inner Work for Indigenous Leaders Advisory Circle and the Indigenous outreach team. She provides support for other Indigenous Process fellows and graduates.
A student of Yoga philosophy, Nichiren Buddhism, and Indigenous Mindfulness, Jessica is currently working on her RYT500 Yoga Teacher Training. She regularly uses her Hoffman tools to continue healing, visualizing, and growing. This has been the journey of her lifetime. The Process brought her to herself, and the BIPOC Q2 brought her home.
Jessica and her husband, Tim Harjo, live in Oklahoma, where they balance their careers, family life, and running Sovereign Ranch, a first-generation, Native owned bison ranch.
Follow Jessica on Instagram.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Tim Harjo, Jessica’s husband. Listen to Tim on the Hoffman Podcast: Amplifying Native Voices
Asanas and The Eight Limbs of Yoga
The Conscious Parent, by Dr. Shefali Tsabary
Be-Do-Have vs. Do-Have-Be:
The life we long for comes from Be-Do-Have; the life we are taught we should strive for comes from Do-Have-Be.
Bruno Madrigal from Encanto
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr
Apache Coming of Age Ceremony
Hoffman Scholarships
“I reclaimed my Power to create. …
There’s no amount of suffering that is beyond what can’t be healed.”
Dr. Angela Le
Dr. Angela Le specializes in women’s reproductive and hormonal health through acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and Somatic Experiencing.
In 2014, Angela was going through a Dark Night of the Soul. She was desperate. She then remembered hearing about the Hoffman Process twenty years earlier. Feeling great relief to finally ask for help, she registered and then arrived for her Process three weeks later.
In hindsight, Angela shares she “would have had a miserable life” if she hadn’t done the Process. But she wanted something more.
Angela as a baby“There was just this fortitude in me that wanted more and actually knew I could have more, but I was just in this cycle and this pattern that needed major disruption, and that’s really what Hoffman was, for me. It just disrupted patterns in a way that allowed for tremendous change and transformation.”
On the other side of the Process, Angela found that one of the gifts of doing the Process was that it “opened up the permission field to have a different experience.” She learned that she had the power within her to change her own experience. These many years later, Angela has come to embrace the mystery of life. Letting go of the need to control, to be good, to be “all the things,” has ushered in a new way to live. The change she found through the Process brought a reclamation of her power to create.
At its root, the work Angela does supports and heals the deepest of creativity – that of women’s reproduction. Angela, a healer, experienced healing through her Process, and she, in turn, deepened her ability to heal others through her love’s everyday radius.
More about Dr. Angela Le:Dr. Angela Le is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, biohacking and longevity coach, specializing in women’s reproductive and hormonal health. With over two decades of clinical experience, she has supported thousands of women through fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause. She trained in Chinese medicine and Taoist philosophy under Master Ni and his sons, esteemed healers with a lineage dating back to the Han Dynasty. This foundation in ancient wisdom shapes her approach to medicine, human potential, and consciousness.
Dr. Le has long been drawn to spiritual exploration and self-inquiry, an interest that began in her childhood. A committed meditation practitioner for decades, she has studied across Eastern, indigenous, and contemplative traditions. In 2014, she completed the Hoffman Process, which she describes as a profound milestone in her lifelong journey of healing and self-discovery. Based in New York City, learn more about Angela at www.fafwellness.com.
Follow Angela on Instagram.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Hoffman Graduate Groups
• New York Hoffman Grad Group
Dark Night of the Soul
Vipassana Meditation
Parentification or Parentified Child
Hero/Victim Dynamic – The Karpman drama triangle
Spiritual Bypass
Liza Ingrasci, Hoffman Institute Foundation CEO and President
The Shadow
Share the Process with someone
What is fertility?
Perimenopause
Mystic Crone Years:
• ” The Crone represents the ability to see, more than just with one’s eyes alone, but to see with the heart’s eyes, with the soul’s eyes, through the eyes of the creative force and the animating force of the psyche.” Clarissa Pinkola Estés
• Crone years are typically from 50 on.
“We’re 100% Divine and 100% human. It’s in that shared common connection between the two of those that real magic happens.” Drew Horning
Hoffman teacher, coach, and podcast host, Drew Horning, sits in the guest chair today to share about his time in the Process and so much more.
Drew originally came to the Process in 2013 for support with marital relationship issues, having heard about Hoffman from someone in his men’s group. Looking back, Drew says Hoffman was one of the most profound experiences of his life. Just a year later, in 2014, he began his training to become a Hoffman teacher.
Drew shares two vulnerable moments from his week. He shares about the profound student-teacher relationship he experienced with his teacher, Raz. More like a mentor or coach than a teacher, Drew knew Raz had his back all the way through the Process.
Drew, age 4The deeper story here, though, is how the Process opens the way for us to experience the full range of being human. Drew sees the Process as an exploration into what it means to be human, both the light and the dark within us. In one experiential exercise, Drew says he “touched this part, this base part of being human,” and it “caused him to recoil.” In the very next moment, he and his group were led directly into a compassion exercise. And what transpired was the transformation so key to the Hoffman Process. Moments after he touched into this darkness, he found himself held in love. Love is always embracing us, even in our darkest moments as human beings.
Here we witness Drew’s vulnerability and wisdom as a human being and a Hoffman teacher. He holds the human heart with gentleness, dignity, and respect. We hope you enjoy this conversation.
More about Drew Horning:A former licensed private practice psychotherapist, Drew has a Master’s degree in clinical work from the University of Michigan. He is trained in EMDR, Mediation and Dispute Resolution, Gottman Couples Counseling, and Brené Brown’s Daring Way. He hosts his own podcast on relationships. Drew has also coached high school basketball.
Drew published his book, Grappling: White Men’s Journey from Fragile to Agile, in May 2021. He is currently a manager of the faculty as a core faculty member of the Hoffman Institute.
Drew is on the board of his extended family’s real estate business. He is committed to his own family, his two adult children, and his wife of nearly 25 years.
Drew is committed to his own personal growth work and supporting others on their own journey towards wellness. Healing requires incredible courage and a commitment to kindness. The alchemy of these is what Hoffman and Drew are all about!
Follow Drew on Instagram.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Raz Ingrasci, Founder of the Hoffman Institute and Hoffman teacher, was Drew’s teacher.
• Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast: Husband, Father, Son
The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk MD
White Sulphur Springs
• “All things change when we do.” This is the quote Drew mentions from the fountain at White Sulphur Springs, our former retreat site.
Dr. Dan Siegel, “feeling felt”
• “Wonderful things happen when people feel felt, when they sense that their minds are held within another’s mind.” Dan Siegel
• Listen to Dr. Dan Siegel on the Hoffman Podcast: A Rabbit, Doe, & Fawn Become Partners in Transformation
Listen to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor on the Hoffman Podcast: Your Brain From the Inside Out
• Dr Bolte Taylor’s 90-second rule
“Ed” McClune, retired Hoffman teacher and coach:• Listen to Ed on the Hoffman Podcast: A Good Hoffman Geek Out
“I close my eyes so that I may see.” Paul Gauguin, French painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramist, and writer…
“This will grow inside you.” Liza Ingrasci, CEO of the Hoffman Institute Foundation. She has been with the Hoffman Institute since 1990.
Drew speaks of “the surprising power of Self-compassion,” also called Inner-Compassion by Dan Siegel.
Carl Jung and the power of Paradox
“…only paradox “… comes anywhere near to comprehending the fullness of life.” Read more…
Original Sin
• Drew shares that for him, the Hoffman Process is the story of original love.
Hoffman Terminology and Tools:Vindictiveness – “…part of what it means to be human.”
• Definition: a strong desire for revenge or to punish someone who has wronged you. It is characterized by holding grudges, a vengeful spirit, and the tendency to seek retaliation. Synonyms include vengefulness, spitefulness, and rancor.
The Cycle of Transformation:The four steps in the cycle are Awareness, Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
“You can act yourself into a new way of thinking, but you cannot think yourself into a new way of acting.” Quote from the Hoffman Process
Left Road, Right Road
• Hoffman tool
• Spirit and Human, Spirit Embodied
Process Integration Weekend:
Two days following the Process, graduates take time alone to integrate the deep work they’ve just accomplished. Listen to our panel speak about the Integration weekend on the Hoffman Podcast.
The Ceremony of Integration:
A guided, experiential ritual during the Process to bring everything together and integrate the Quadrinity.
Hoffman Pre-calls:
Each student attending the Hoffman Process has a pre-call with their Hoffman teacher before coming to the retreat site.
What is Transference?
The Quadrinity:“I coined the word Quadrinity to represent the four aspects of a human being: the Emotional, Intellectual, Physical, and Spiritual. The unique capacities and functions of each aspect can be considered separately, but it is the balance of all aspects working together harmoniously that fulfills us as human beings.” – Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process
Hoffman Feelings and Body Sensations List (PDF)
Essence
Be-Do-Have vs. Do-Have-Be:
The life we long for comes from Be-Do-Have; the life we are taught we should strive for comes from Do-Have-Be.
“I am love, loving, and lovable.” The Hoffman Process
“If the age of AI is anything, it’s the age of relationship.” Nichol Bradford
Nichol Bradford shares her love’s everyday radius with us – the arc of how the deep work she’s done throughout her life now informs the impactful work she’s doing in the world. At the forefront of human potential and AI, Nichol’s work is accelerating human transformation through technology investments, research, and global thought leadership. In this conversation with Drew, she weaves together technology, AI, and the Hoffman Process.
Nichol has done a great deal of transformational work. The Hoffman Process was one of her chosen healing modalities. Nichol is passionate about her quest to advance human potential through ethical and empowering AI. In this conversation, she calls us forth to the inner work necessary so we can each be part of a movement to create technology that supports the thriving of humanity and the greater world.
“…where we’re going is that work is going to be about human beings creating things together. That’s what jobs will be. That’s where we’ll be. And in that place, like, you know, the way to be irreplaceable is it’s really all about, are you adaptable? Can you adapt? Can you change? … it has everything to do with who you are being and who you’re being stands right on top of the types of things that Hoffman gets right at, as well as other deep work.”
This aligns with the impetus behind Love’s Everyday Radius. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to attend Hoffman have experienced profound personal change. That change now ripples out into the world through how we share our gifts with others. And it will ripple out in how we create the future together.
We hope you enjoy this inspiring conversation with Nichol and Drew.
More about Nichol Bradford:Nichol Bradford stands at the forefront of human potential and AI, accelerating human transformation through technology investments, research, and global thought leadership.
Currently, Nichol serves as Executive-in-Residence for AI + HI at The Society for Human Resource Management, shaping global thinking on human-AI collaboration. She is also Co-Founder and Partner of Niremia Collective, an early-stage venture fund focused on human potential technologies, and she co-founded TransformativeTech.org, the largest global ecosystem of founders, investors, and innovators building tech for human flourishing.
Previously, as a senior interactive entertainment executive, Nichol held strategy, operations, marketing, and production roles at major brands including Epic Games, Activision-Blizzard, Vivendi Games, and Disney. She led operations for World of Warcraft China and Blizzard properties in China, played a key role on the Vivendi team responsible for the landmark $18B Activision-Blizzard merger deal, and helped produce record-breaking events in the metaverse at Epic Games.
Nichol has an MBA from The Wharton School, is on the Faculty at Singularity University, a Trustee at CIIS, and has been a Lecturer and Adjunct Professor at Stanford University.
Moving forward, Nichol is focused on advancing human potential through ethical and empowering AI — catalyzing a global ecosystem of innovators to create technology for human thriving.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Human tech is the evolution of transformative tech:Human + Tech Week – Where Human Potential and AI Innovation Converge.
• Human Tech Week 2026: April 27 – May 2, San Francisco
– How do we help humans heal, grow, and thrive? Six focus areas:
- Vital – Preventive health and wellness, “because you can’t separate the mind of the body.”
- Mesh – Mental, emotional, and social health.
- Peak – Individual and organizational performance.
- Sync – Collective intelligence, collaborative collaboration at scale, digital well-being, “How can we make sure that we can be well with all of these tools that we have?”
- Soul – Purpose, meaning, and consciousness, both from a scientific, neuroscience standpoint, and from a spiritual standpoint. “(Spiritual defined as a better relationship to self, other, and the environment).”
- City – The built environment, both physically and metaphorically. “How can we leverage technology in the spaces around us to enable and empower all of the areas that I described before?”
Other mentions in this episode:The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
“We build our cities, and then our cities build us.” Mike Frost
“To whom much is given, much is expected.” Proverb from Luke 12:48 in the New Testament.
A Brief History of Aluminum.
Human Microbiome: “The human microbiome, often called the ‘forgotten organ.’
Snow Leopard:
“What are the trends and happenings going on right now that may turn out to be more significant than they seem to us at this moment? The Atlantic Council, an American Think Tank headquartered in Washington, D.C., has coined the term “Snow Leopards” to classify these phenomena that may have world-changing impact, but seem ordinary to us now.” Read more…
Utopia and Dystopia
Pattie Maes, MIT
Your Brain on ChatGPT study at MIT
Khan Academy‘s Khanamigo
The Socratic Method
Self-optimization
The Art of Accomplishment with Joe Hudson
Conscious Leadership Group
• CLG Coaching Training
Diana Chapman – Listen to Diana on the Hoffman Podcast: Experiencing More Heaven on Earth
Myanmar (formerly Burma)
Mahasi Sayadaw
Dr. Dan (Daniel) Brown, Western Tibetan Bön teacher
Hunger Games or Star Trek
“I can’t say that in 34 years I have enjoyed my life in the way that I do now. That is the shift. That’s the shift post-Hoffman. It’s the shift of doing this work. It’s the shift of my life.”
Six months before Madison Utendahl arrived at the Hoffman Process, she closed her business. The immediate question that came to her in the wake of closing it was, Who am I without this job? She’d realized that her company and her work had become part of her identity. Feeling a complete disconnect from herself without this company she’d worked so hard to build, Madison realized she needed to do something different. Therapy, something she’d done a lot of, wasn’t going to cut it. She needed a serious change. She turned to Hoffman.
In this engaging and spirited conversation, Madison leads us through the before, during, and after periods of her Hoffman Process experience. As we listen in, we’re able to glimpse not only her journey, but some of the Process journey itself as seen through Madison’s eyes.
One of the significant negative patterns that Madison transformed was “control,” one that plagues so many of us. In her brilliant words, she shares the big Aha! she had behind the transformation of this pattern, wisdom that’s true for many patterns. Madison explains, “I learned at Hoffman that control was a survival instinct. If it was a survival instinct that meant I could unlearn it. … I learned that young Madison, to no fault of her own, developed control to deal with her childhood.”
A major takeaway from Madison’s Process transformation is the realization that the Universe, or whatever you want to call it, has your back. As she says, “the unlock for me, post-Hoffman, is like realizing that God, the universe, whomever, has your back.” So, go enjoy your life!
More about Madison Utendahl:Madison Utendahl is a multi-hyphenate: founder, CCO, writer, and creative director who, above all, is tired of faking fine. She’s the Founder of Utendahl Creative, a Brooklyn-based creative agency that has built brands for a lot of cool people. She’s also the creator of BURNT, her popular Substack where she writes about burnout with equal parts humor and truth-telling. Madison is a two-time Webby Award winner, AdWeek 100, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and has been on the founding teams of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Refinery29’s 29Rooms, and Museum of Ice Cream.
These days, she’s less about chasing accolades and more about dismantling hustle culture’s nonsense, one candid essay, brand, or conversation at a time. She lives in New York City with her husband, two dogs, and a cat who runs the household.
Follow Madison on Instagram. Read her writing at Burnt on Substack. Find out more at madisonutendahl.com.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Madison’s IG post about the closing of Utendahl Creative.
April McDaniel – Listen to April on the Hoffman Podcast: Being Real With Yourself
Hoffman Retreat Site in Connecticut – Guest House
Hoffman Faculty:
• Claus Radlberger
• Marc Kaplan
Ketamine Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Somatic Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
The Quadrinity…
…is a simple yet powerful model for understanding ourselves and our behavior, encompassing all four aspects of self: body, emotions, intellect, and spiritual self. The Quadrinity is our whole, integrated, balanced self, embodying all four aspects.
Madison mentions the “Hoffman Questionnaire.”
This is the pre-Process assignment, required homework for attending Process. Our pre-Process assignment is due three weeks before the start of your scheduled Process. The assignment materials take approximately 10 hours to complete.
Listen to Blake Mycoskie, Toms Founder, on the Hoffman Podcast: A Deep Surrender to Spirit
Quad Check:
A practice to support you in checking in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and 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 daily at 6:00 pm on Instagram.
Ricola cough drops are available to students during the Process.
Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree
Hotel Tonight
Integration Weekend
It’s highly suggested that each graduate take two days after their Process to integrate the deep work they’ve done. As Madison shares, it is an important time before re-entering their lives.
Gabor Mate – Addiction Expert, Speaker, Bestselling Author
• “No Two Children Have the Same Parents” – YouTube short video
“I see you and I love you.” – the Hoffman Process
Award-winning and celebrated filmmaker Jeff Orlowski-Yang is a masterful storyteller who documents the profound stories of our time. Founder and Creative Director of Exposure Labs, Jeff came to the Hoffman Process after hearing about it through many friends. One of Jeff’s friends knew a woman who was offering to pay for anyone ready to step into parenthood to attend the Process. Jeff was curious about and deeply moved by the nature of her offer. He felt there must be something important about the Process he’d heard so much about.
A key theme in this conversation is the power and nature of the stories we tell. The ones we carry on our backs, feeling like we cannot let them go, even knowing they are weighing us down. The ones we tell in hopes of changing hearts and minds. And the ones we create anew in our hopes for a different future. As a documentarian, Jeff knows both how to tell a great story and to listen to others telling their story. At his Process, he was able to listen deeply to the stories being shared around the classroom by his classmates. This helped him realize the nature of the story he has carried within.
In recounting his Process experience, Jeff weaves in the wisdom he’s gained from his work. He highlights the difference between communication and connection, a distinction that became clear to him while directing The Social Dilemma. And he speaks to the nature of change and how powerful stories can be great catalysts of change, both personally and collectively.
We hope you enjoy this illuminating conversation with Jeff and Drew.
More about Jeff Orlowski-Yang:Photo by Larissa RhodesJeff Orlowski-Yang is the Founder and Creative Director of Exposure Labs, a film and impact production studio that uses stories to change the world. Most recently, he directed Chasing Time (2024), a 40-minute short documentary currently screening at festivals around the world. Previously, he directed one of the most-watched documentaries on Netflix, The Social Dilemma(2020), which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for seven primetime Emmy awards, winning two. He was the director, producer, and cinematographer of the award-winning feature documentaries Chasing Coral(2017) and Chasing Ice(2012), both of which screened at Congress and the United Nations and have garnered awards and accolades worldwide.
Jeff has several directorial projects currently in development and continues to support other filmmakers from concept to impact campaign as an executive producer and mentor. Orlowski-Yang won the 2017 Champion of the Earth Award, the UN’s highest environmental honor, and serves on the boards of Green 2.0 and Netflix’s Sustainability Advisory Group. He has traveled on tour representing the Sundance Institute, President Obama’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts, among many other speaking and press engagements.
Jeff lives in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about or get in touch with him at JeffOrlowski-Yang.com.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:eTown Studios• Take a video tour of eTown Studios.
Staten Island, New York
National Geographic Magazine
James Balog, National Geographic Photographer
Guinness World Record
• Greenland – Largest calving event ever filmed: “CHASING ICE” Official Video
Coral bleaching in Australia – Coral turns white due to heat
The Adventure of Jason and the Argonauts from the Argonautica
Chasing Ice Trailer at Sundance
• Nominated for an Academy Award
Existential Crisis
Tristan Harris – Tech ethicist and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology (CHT).
Thoreau quote, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately…”
Sundance Film Festival is moving from Sundance, Utah, to Boulder, Colorado.
The Unpredictable Award and Dopamine Addiction.
• Article: Hooked: The Psychology of Variable Rewards
• Article: Online Marketers Take Note Of Brains Wired For Rewards
Instagram Lives:Each day, we host two Instagram Lives.
Join our virtual community Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. A Quad Check is a practice to support you in integrating and honoring all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body.
Join our daily Appreciation and Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. You’ll find the Appreciation and Gratitude practice to be a beautiful way to reflect on your day. This practice will support your Spiritual Self’s natural desire to appreciate and give thanks for all that life brings you.
“We understand each other, and we are saying we share the same humanity.“
In this episode, Drew sits down just outside Shanghai with Rao Rao, Hoffman China teacher trainee, co-founder and CEO of the Hoffman China Center, and seasoned business leader.
In June of 2024, life pushed Rao Rao in the direction of Hoffman. She’d been doing healing work after a series of events that caused her to turn inward. Already immersed in the world of Vipassana meditation when she came to the Process, she was determined to end her suffering and felt that would happen if she could get to the ego-less state. But at her Process, her teacher told her she needed to be messier. That she needed to let herself grow, to speak up for herself, to do what she wants rather than what she thinks she should do. This was the beginning of her big internal transformation.
Listen in to hear the beautiful, embodied stories of this transformational shift, including a moment with a hawk while seated on Guardian Rock at the Petaluma retreat site.
This is exciting news about the establishment of the first Hoffman Process center in China. Rao Rao describes why there is a great need for Hoffman in China at this time. She shares that we are all the same in our capacity to feel and be present in our hearts.
You can discover more about China Hoffman in this article:
Hoffman Process, First Launch in China: For those who are serious about change
or
活满历程，中国首发 —— 为了决心改变的你
More about Rao Rao:Rao Rao holds an M.Sc. in Management Research from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. She also holds master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University. She is the co-founder and CEO of the Hoffman China Center and a Hoffman teacher trainee. She is a seasoned business leader with nearly two decades of experience in consulting, marketing, strategy, and operations across industries such as consumer goods, TMT, and internet ventures. Driven by her passion for human consciousness and organizational transformation, she transitioned from corporate leadership in 2022 to pursue this mission. Since April 2024, she has served as a consultant for Evolve Foundation Fund and has spearheaded the launch of the Hoffman Process in China.
Rao Rao resides in Shanghai with her husband, Yuekui, their two daughters, Yaoyao and Nannan, and their golden hamster, Xiaobai.
Listen on Apple PodcastsAs mentioned in this episode:About Bo Shao:
Bo Shao is a successful serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. In 2018, he stepped away from all commercial activities to devote himself entirely to philanthropy. Bo invested his own money to start the Evolve Foundation. Evolve aims to increase the happiness of the entire society and raise the consciousness level of humanity.
Hoffman teachers:
Raz Ingrasci – Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast: Husband, Father, Son
Volker Krohn – Listen to Volker on the Hoffman Podcast: Re-Initiated Into the Family of Humanity
Caroline Guan – General Manager for Evolve Institute in China
More on the research done on the Hoffman Process
Vipassana meditation and retreat
Ego death
“The way out is through.”
(From the Hoffman Process Integration Manual)
Guardian Rock, photo by Drew HorningGuardian Rock
Hoffman Process Retreat Center, Petaluma, California
Guardian Rock can be accessed by following a hiking trail up one of the hills on the site. It overlooks a stunning valley.
Petaluma’s name originates from the Miwok village of Péta Lúuma, located on the banks of the Petaluma River. read more…
Eagles in Petaluma, California –
Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles.
“The goal is freedom. The goal is your own happiness. The goal is joy, and it’s hard to have as much joy and lightness as you can if you’re holding onto old resentments.”
Simbi Hall, Storyteller, Screenwriter, Director, and Producer, sits down with Hoffman Podcast host Sadie Hannah to share her life journey of healing.
While Simbi completed the Process in 2022, her journey of self-reflection began at the age of seven, when she had her own subscription to Psychology Today. From a young age, she tried to analyze things in her head and figure things out. Somewhere within her, she felt there was something she needed to address.
For Simbi, one of the main transformations at the Process was the shift in her relationship with her father. Raised by her mom, her nana (technically her step-great-grandmother), and a dog “who helped raise” her, her father was absent. Simbi felt abandoned by him. She could count on her hands the number of times she’s seen him in her life. As Simbi says, you idealize what you don’t have. She grew to resent him and what she could never have. It’s been “the homework of her life” to attempt to resolve the pain of her childhood. Her birthday is always right around Father’s Day. Each year, this has been a big trigger for Simbi. This past year, just a few years after doing the Process, Simbi had a very different birthday experience. She discovered that she had let go of her deep resentment toward her father.
Listen in as Simbi shares wisdom learned from doing the homework of a lifetime. Be sure to listen for Simbi’s mic-drop moment at the end.
More about Simbi Hall:Simbiat Hall is an award-winning Nigerian-American filmmaker who divides her time between LA and NYC.
Born in Chicago and raised in Virginia, Simbi graduated from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts with a double major in film and dramatic writing. She is also a graduate of AFI’s “Directing Workshop for Women” and the Bill Cosby-sponsored “Guy Hanks/Marvin Miller Screenwriting Fellowship at USC.
Simbi is well-known for Long Story Short (2004), Bring It! Vegas Dreams and Disney Parks’ Magical Christmas Celebration (2016).
Follow Simbi on Instagram at @simbihall.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Daily Buddhist Practice
Buddha-nature
Buddha-nature in Hoffman terms: The Spiritual Self, or the Light that’s within you. This is the foundation from which growth can evolve.
The Divine Mother
Positive Legacy:
While much of the work of the Hoffman Process involves disconnecting from negative parental patterns, we also receive a positive legacy from our parents. This is also addressed during the 7-day retreat.
Black woman tropes/stereotypes –
What is Transference?
A couple of great quotes from Simbi:
“If you’re open and seeking, you can get guidance from a stop sign.”
“If you don’t do the work, life adds Miracle-Gro to the belief systems.”
Shirin Oreizy, engineer and coach, found herself hindered by a pattern of perfectionism as she embarked on a career transition. She’d known about the Hoffman Process for five years, but she didn’t think she needed it. When she saw the effects of this pattern of perfectionism and how it was blocking her from creating her dream and vision, she knew it was time.
Concurrently, over these five years, Shirin and her husband had been on a long, painful IVF journey. At the time of her Process, Shirin was beginning to recover from the trauma of this journey and the grief of loss from four miscarriages. She was in the process of accepting that she and her husband would never be parents.
NamakiDuring her Process, everyone knew Shirin as Namaki, which was her childhood name. Since no one in her Process knew her given name, her classmates and teachers called her Namaki. As her week at the Process unfolded, Shirin found that rekindling her relationship with Namaki was the path back to her true self and self-love. As she tells Drew:
“I think what I really love about Hoffman specifically was that there’s this imprint. There’s this somatic, felt, body-sense imprint of love in me. That it will never go away; and you know, the patterns come … and I forget myself, but I have access to come back to this deep imprint of self-love.”
At the Process, Shirin worked with Namaki’s moments when she felt deeply unsafe. Through this, Shirin was able to experience a “falling back into trust with my place in the world.” She realized there’s a larger arc to her life story than she had been holding onto through control.
Content Warning: Before you begin, please know that this conversation contains descriptions of “reproductive trauma, loss, and grief.” Please use your discretion.
More about Shirin Oreizy:My journey began as an engineer at Nvidia, where I learned the art of solving complex problems. Later, I founded and led a behavior design agency, partnering with both scrappy startups and Fortune 500 giants for two decades. Along the way, I became fascinated by how people truly transform. How real change happens within both teams and individuals.
Today, I focus on coaching and speaking because I know how pivotal life’s transitions can be. My work draws on a lifelong passion for understanding what drives us as humans, shaped by years of hands-on experience with leaders, teams, and individuals. I weave together insights from a range of disciplines:
- Personality Profiling: Enneagram & Big Five (self-understanding and connection)
- Hoffman Process (healing old patterns, renewing a sense of “enough”)
- Neuroscience (building resilience and hope)
- Positive Psychology (cultivating optimism and curiosity)
- Behavioral Science (creating sustainable habits and agency)
- Conscious Leadership Group (leading with awareness and presence)
Outside of coaching, I’ve shared my work on human behavior with audiences at TechCrunch Disrupt (Audience Choice Award), as a guest lecturer at NYU, Columbia, and Stanford, and as a keynote speaker at major industry events.
I live in San Francisco with my husband—also a Hoffman grad—and our dog, Pickles, a Hoffman grad in spirit (he’s mastered the art of welcoming love, especially when treats are involved). We love exploring stunning landscapes around the world that challenge us physically and mentally. Since Hoffman, we’ve launched a passion project, Life of Adventure and Change, where we’re mapping out a decade of travel adventures to share with friends. Our goal is to build a community of conscious travelers who inspire each other to embrace new adventures and experiences.
Learn more about Shirin at her personal website.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Conscious Leadership Group
• Diana Chapman, Co-Founder
• Listen to Diana Chapman on The Hoffman Podcast: Experiencing More Heaven on Earth
The Enneagram
• Enneagram type 3: “Threes try to deny their shame, and are potentially the most out of touch with underlying feelings of inadequacy. Threes learn to cope with shame by trying to become what they believe a valuable, successful person is like.” Read more about the Enneagram 3 and other types.
Core shame messages
• Read more about how students work with shame at the Hoffman Process.
Experts on shame on the Hoffman Podcast
• Chris Germer on the Hoffman Podcast: The Antidote to Shame
• David Bedrick on the Hoffman Podcast: Unshaming Your Shame
Farsi, or the Persian language
In vitro fertilization (IVF)
• Thaw, the documentary on egg freezing that Shirin participated in.
Positive psychology
Neuroscience
The Hero’s Journey
Denali National Park, Alaska
• Maintaining the Character of the Denali Park Road Beyond Mile 15
Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt quote from his Citizenship in a Republic speech given on April 23, 1910:
• The quote is from this passage called “The Man in the Arena.“
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds;…” Read more…
Shirin, her grandfather, and family:
Welcome to the podcast, Dr. Kash Trivedi, gastroenterologist, father, and Hoffman Process grad.
Kash arrived for his week at the Hoffman Process at age 50. What brought him to Hoffman was the experience of “a deep state of constant disconnectedness and anxiety.” Kash didn’t really like himself. He felt disconnected from his inner child, and nothing he did seemed to touch the pain of that.
In conversation with Sadie, Kash explores his Process experiences that led to a profound healing of his relationship with his inner child. As a father to a young son, Kash’s work with his inner child led to a transformation of his relationship with his own son.
Kash came to the Process for personal healing, but since graduating, he has found that much of what he learned has now flowed into his professional work. As a gastroenterologist, Kash can make the connection between holding our emotions in and a physical manifestation of that. When we heal our ability to feel, our mental health, and physical health can begin to heal.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Kash and Sadie. Thank you for listening to The Hoffman Podcast.
More about Dr. Kash Trivedi:Dr. Kash Trivedi is a gastroenterologist in private practice. His interest is in the intricate relationship between the gut and the brain—how that connection contributes not only to physical symptoms but also to overall well-being. Kash completed his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego. He went on to do his fellowship training at the University of California, Irvine. With over a decade of experience in clinical medicine, he often sees how stress, trauma, and emotional health may influence gastrointestinal disease.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Trivedi has long been drawn to personal growth and self-inquiry, an interest that began in his teenage years. In January 2025, he completed the Hoffman Process, which he describes as the most transformational experience of his life. Kash lives in Southern California with his wife of over 20 years and their 10-year-old son. He continues to explore how emotional and psychological insight can enrich both his personal life and professional practice.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Different kinds of therapy:
• Somatic Therapy
• CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Trauma or Stress Responses:
• Flight, Fight, Freeze, or Fawn
Vipassana Meditation Retreats
Jo Mattoon, Hoffman teacher and coach
Listen to Jo on the Hoffman Podcast – “I Am the Driver of My Life”
Shaman/Shamanism
Welcome to Season 11 of The Hoffman Podcast. We begin our new season with Suleika Jaouad, an extraordinary writer, artist, and author – and deeply soulful human. Suleika is not a graduate of the Hoffman Process, but many in her circle have attended, and her work deeply reflects its spirit.
Suleika Jaouad :: Photo by Nadia AlbanoSuleika speaks and writes about creative alchemy. Her recent bestselling memoir is The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life.
An alchemical life is one where we learn to take the more challenging lead weights (events and experiences) of our lives and work with them. We alchemize them into something new, as the alchemists of old called them, the gold.
Suleika has been doing exactly this since she was diagnosed with leukemia at 22. She spent the next year of her life shuttling between her childhood bedroom and chemo rooms instead of embarking on a traditional adult life. As she worked with what she was facing and brought it closer to her, her relationship with it and with herself transformed, alchemized.
As Suleika shares in this conversation with Drew, “that’s maybe our collective, forever work, what we do when things fall apart. For me, reconceiving of survival as a creative act of taking those moments where things fall apart and re-fastening them into something has been my way of finding my way.”
We hope you enjoy this soulful, inspiring conversation with Suleika and Drew. It’s a beautiful beginning to our new season.
More about Suleika Jaouad:Suleika Jaouad is a writer, artist, and author of the New York Times bestselling memoirs The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life and Between Two Kingdoms, which has been translated into over twenty languages. She writes the #1 Literature newsletter on Substack, the Isolation Journals, home to a creative community of over 230,000 readers from around the world.
A three-time cancer survivor, she launched her career from her hospital bed at age 22 with the New York Times column and Emmy Award-winning video series “Life, Interrupted.” Her essays and reporting have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and Vogue, among others. A sought-after speaker, her TED Talk, “What Almost Dying Taught Me About Living,” has more than five million views.
Along with husband Jon Batiste, Jaouad is the subject of the Oscar-nominated and Grammy Award-winning documentary American Symphony, produced by the Obamas—a portrait of two artists during a year of extreme highs and lows. When her leukemia returned in 2022 and treatment complications temporarily compromised her vision, she turned to painting to transcribe her fever dreams and medication-induced hallucinations. This vibrant, visceral record of grief and desire has since expanded to include large-scale watercolors, exhibited in The Alchemy of Blood, a joint show with Jaouad’s mother, the artist Anne Francey, at ArtYard. Most recently, she was commissioned to paint a grand piano for the 2024 Super Bowl in New Orleans, now on display at the New Orleans Museum of Art.
She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and trio of rescue dogs.
Find out more about Suleika at suleikajaouad.com. Follow Suleika on Instagram and the Isolation Journals Newsletter on Substack.
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyAs mentioned in this episode:Matt Heineman, Director of American Symphony and Hoffman grad.
Jon Batiste
• Winner of 7 Grammy Awards
• Bandleader and musical director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2015 to 2022.
Eudora Welty quote:
“I don’t think we often see life resolving itself, not in any sort of perfect way, but I like the fiction writer’s feeling of being able to confront an experience and resolve it as art, however imperfectly and briefly—to give it a form and try to embody it—to hold it and express it in a story’s terms.” Eudora Welty
Terry Tempest Williams
Review of Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, read by Suleika:
“I want to describe Suleika Jaouad with words like ‘courageous,’ ‘resilient,’ ‘vulnerable,’ and ‘inspiring’—but I understand that, for cancer survivors, these words can feel like empty clichés.
The problem is, these words are true. Suleika Jaouad is courageous, resilient, vulnerable, and inspiring. And her memoir about her cancer journey is a work of breathtaking creativity and heart-stopping humanity. Jaouad’s story goes where you never expect it to go—not only into the depths of her own pain and lost years, but into the spirits of countless strangers (sick and well) she meets along the highway of own her life and illuminates with rare generosity and grace. This is a deeply moving and passionate work of art, quite unlike anything I’ve ever read. I will remember these stories for years to come, because Suleika Jaouad has imprinted them on my heart.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love
We Can Do Hard Things, the Podcast
Richard Rohr
We’re thrilled to host Diana Chapman for our final episode of Season 10. A highly sought-after and trusted advisor, in her own words, Diana is an environmentalist at heart.
Diana came to the Hoffman Process in July 2024 with one desire. She’d already done a lot of personal growth work. She’d even sent many people to Hoffman. But it wasn’t until this one desire became clear to her that she decided to go through the Process. Diana realized just how much creative energy she was spending each day on judging her body. Although she’d already made peace with her parents, Diana knew her judgment came from her parents’ patterns. She wondered if the Hoffman Process could help, and it did.
Diana shares that she often uses light-heartedness to work with her patterns. While that has worked well for her for some time, in the end, Diana has found that heartbreak is often necessary to transform some patterns. She shares that she’s found liberation in a broken heart.
In the work Diana does with teams and individuals, she leads them to work with the intelligence of the body and heart. She speaks of the sensuality of the body and how she wants to experience more heaven on earth, and guides others to experience this, too.
We hope you enjoy this episode with Diana and Drew. Thank you for tuning in to season 10 of Love’s Everyday Radius. We’ll be back in August for season 11.
More about Diana Chapman:Diana is a highly sought-after and trusted advisor, celebrated for her ability to deliver swift, impactful results while driving sustainable change. She has guided over a thousand CEOs and hundreds of executive teams. Renowned clients—from Genentech to Asana—praise her unique blend of clarity, compassion, boldness, and playfulness. As a facilitator for the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Diana works with forums and chapters worldwide.
Diana is a co-founder of The Conscious Leadership Group and co-author of the widely acclaimed book The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. She’s helped ignite a movement redefining what leadership looks like when it’s rooted in awareness, integrity, and deep presence. Be on the lookout for Diana’s new book, No Drama Teams, in 2027.
She teaches at Stanford and with the Kauffman Fellows, and has been a featured speaker on stages such as TEDx, Wisdom 2.0, and Conscious Company Media. When she’s not guiding top leaders, Diana’s living the good life on her ranch in Aptos, California.
Find out more about Diana here and follow her on LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:Tim Ferriss’ podcast with Diana Chapman
Gay and Katie Hendrix
• The Hendrix Institute
Byron Katie and the Four Liberating Questions
The Drama Triangle by Karpman
The Enneagram:
• Type 8, The Challenger
• Type 1, The Reformer
Ken Wilber
Meet today’s guest, Helen Valleau, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach. Helen completed the Hoffman Process in March 1992 and began teaching the Process in November 1995. Now, three decades later, Helen sits down with Drew for a beautiful conversation about how the Process changed both her and the trajectory of her life.
Growing up in Edmonton, Alberta, Helen’s childhood was very different from the other kids she knew. Her parents were corporate bush pilots who flew in the Arctic. Helen’s mother loved to fly, daring to dream and follow her passion. She was the first woman inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame and was a recipient of the Amelia Earhart award. When Helen was 13, her mother was diagnosed with cancer and started on a long healing journey. Eventually, Helen lost her mother when Helen was nearing her 20th birthday. She shares what an incredible experience it was to witness her mother’s fierce determination and strength, but also how hard it was to miss out on a softer, warmer experience of her mother.
Her mother’s imprinting left her with a lot of pain and confusion, as well as the determination to emulate her mother. But as we know from doing the Process, that doesn’t work. When Helen came to the Process at 32, she was “ready to lay it all out and be done with it.” She knew she was messing up her life because of her patterns. At the Process, Helen realized she had “this Essence of eternal love and grace and wisdom and peace within her.” She knew, beyond a doubt, that the trajectory of her life had changed.
Helen is a light-filled force of nature full of inspiration, positivity, and profound wisdom. We hope you enjoy this rich, vibrant, and tender conversation with Helen and Drew.
More about Helen Valleau:As a certified HeartMath facilitator and long-standing Supervising Teacher with the Hoffman Institute, Helen helps others shed old stories, heal emotional wounds, and awaken to a more vibrant, heart-aligned life. Her inspirational books, A Year of Possibilities and 100 Minutes of Inspiration, offer daily nourishment for the soul—reminders that every stage of life holds the potential for joy, creativity, and reinvention. Her forthcoming work, Inner Power Aging, promises to deepen this journey, guiding readers to discover the strength, freedom, and fulfillment that come with embracing age as a sacred evolution.
Rooted in Toronto, Helen shares her voice through writing, teaching, and social media—inviting others to walk boldly into each new chapter with passion, purpose, and self-love. Her work is a call to live fully, love deeply, and age elegantly—from the inside out.
Follow Helen on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Edmonton, Alberta
Corporate Pilots/Bush Pilots
Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame
Tim Laurence, Hoffman UK founder and teacher
• Listen to Tim on the Hoffman Podcast
Emerson Theological Institute
Quantum Physics
Hoffman Expression Work
Hoffman Process – Compassion
Homeopathy
Science of Mind, or Religious Science
• New Thought
• Center for Spiritual Living
Affirmative Prayer
HeartMath Training
Beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Corey Campbell, had no thought of becoming a Hoffman teacher when he arrived for his week at the Process. Rather, he came because he was exhausted and didn’t know why. He hoped to find something that would help him change his approach to life.
Often, people believe that if they have good parents and/or a happy childhood, there is nothing to be gained from looking at their parents’ or caregivers’ behaviors. But Corey’s story is a beautiful example of that not being true. When he came, Corey was sure most of the patterns he needed to release didn’t come from his mother. It turns out that the exhaustion he was experiencing from serving others could be directly traced to his mother’s patterns. Often, even ‘good’ behavior is driven by unconscious needs not being met. What matters is what’s driving the behavior. When driven by patterns, we will attempt to meet that need in a way that doesn’t work.
At the Process, Corey saw through the patterns and opened to deep Presence. Lying in the cold creek water, staring up at the sunlight through the trees, he had a moment of realization. Corey realized that he is enough just as he is. This pure clarity has changed his approach to life. He now understands that loving and caring for his wife and son, Cayden, is enough. If he does other things in his life, great. But he no longer lets his patterns convince him he needs to be more because he is enough. (Listen in to hear why Corey was lying in the cold water!)
We hope you enjoy this insightful and loving conversation with Corey and Sadie.
Content warning: This conversation references grief and loss.
More about Corey Campbell:Corey Campbell is a Hoffman Process Teacher & Coach. He is also the CEO and Founder of Akamai Training & Consulting, where he serves as a nationally recognized executive coach and leadership consultant. Through Akamai, Corey builds high-performance cultures rooted in mindset, emotional intelligence, and authentic leadership. His coaching and training programs challenge people to be open, real, and courageous. They learn to embrace the tough conversations that foster genuine trust, alignment, and unity.
Corey brings a personalized, insight-driven approach to every engagement. He is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and a certified practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®), the iEQ9 Integrative Enneagram, and Tracom’s Social Styles & Versatility. He has over 20 years of experience transforming people and teams across hospitality, healthcare, finance, and government.
Corey resides in Honolulu with his wife, Cherise, their son Cayden, and their dog, Scooby. He enjoys being outdoors, hiking, traveling, and reading. Corey has a special affinity for Japanese culture after spending three years teaching English there after college. He wakes up every day fueled by his purpose: to help others live a more energized, engaged, and inspired life.
“I came to Hoffman totally burnt out on life – exhausted from trying to make everyone else around me happy while feeling empty inside and trying to mask it. During my Process, I realized how deeply set and unconscious my childhood patterns were around playing the role of helper and, ultimately, people pleaser. The Process allowed me to get in touch with my authentic self, for perhaps the first time ever, and to start to love myself simply for who I am, not for what I do. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Teaching Hoffman now is an honor to walk alongside others as they discover or reconnect to their own light and sense of self-love.”
Social Media:Follow Corey on Instagram and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
Jon Kabat-Zinn – Wherever You Go, There You Are
White Sulphur Springs in St. Helena, CA
• The Hoffman Process was held at Whilte Sulphur Springs for two decades. In September 2020, the retreat site burned in the Glass Fire.
Hoffman Process TerminologyNegative Love Syndrome
• Read about the Negative Love Syndrome in A Path to Personal Freedom and Love
• Explaining the Negative Love Syndrome
Shame statement –• Shame is an early felt sense, which gives rise to our very first patterned belief that we take on to survive the pain, disconnection, and emptiness we experience within our environment and with our caretakers. It is a universal experience.
• A shame statement is an “I am____” statement – a false identity, such as I am unlovable, I am bad, I am unworthy, etc.
Vicious Cycles
Attunement:“When we attune with others we allow our own internal state to shift, to come to resonate with the inner world of another. This resonance is at the heart of the important sense of “feeling felt” that emerges in close relationships. Children need attunement to feel secure and to develop well, and throughout our lives we need attunement to feel close and connected.” – Dr. Dan Siegel
Listen to Hoffman graduate, Dr. Dan Siegel, on the Hoffman Podcast
Ade and Claudette Faison have worked in the field of human development for more than 50 years and 40 years, respectively. Together, that’s more than 90 combined years working to support others in transformation and lives of possibility. It’s no surprise, then, that they both came to do the Hoffman Process along the way.
Yet, it’s all still fresh in their minds. They remember specific instances from their Process. Claudette shares her experience at the Process when she was having a conversation – a quad talk – with her intellect and Spiritual Self. She was asking her Spiritual Self, “Are you Buddha, are you God?” And then she began to laugh and laugh. She says it was like finally solving a mystery.
For Ade, he remembers coming home having just completed the Process. He walked into a party that Claudette was hosting for her friends. Usually, Ade would hold back, waiting for an opening to join a party like that. But fresh out of the Process, he jumped right into the mix without hesitation. He had changed at the Process, and it was noticeable to everyone.
Through Unlocking Futures, Ade and Claudette’s company, they work with people on the margins of life. The work they do supports people in unlocking a better future for themselves, their families, and their communities. In the past, Ade and Claudette, and Unlocking Futures, partnered with the Hoffman Institute to create an advanced course called “The Quantum Leap Process.” Drew taught alongside Ade in one of these courses.
Listen in as Ade and Claudette share powerful stories of the work they do to unlock futures for many. We hope you enjoy this lively conversation with Ade, Claudette, and Drew.
More about Ade:For more than half a century, Ade has functioned as a highly skilled facilitator in Human Development. His work extends globally, including the United States, Africa, the Caribbean, Mexico, Europe, and South America. He works with youth from 8 years old to senior adults. In the first 25 years, he became a featured performer and leader of transformational workshops at the National Black Theatre in Harlem. This was followed by 35 years at Youth At Risk, Inc., aka Unlocking Futures, Inc.
Ade earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Howard University, a Certificate of Completion from the Institute for Not-For-Profit Management from Columbia University‘s Graduate Business School, a Master of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University, and membership in Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education.
Ade’s non-traditional studies began with Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, founder of the National Black Theatre. He credits his competence to participation with Landmark Education, Practices in Siddha Yoga and Vipassana Meditation, Courses in Ontological Design, the Hoffman Quadrinity Process, courses from the Hoffman Institute, and 21 years of global travel with Circles of Light Ministries. Ade acknowledges his 42-year marriage with Claudette C. Faison as the continuing catalyst that ignites his vision, work ethic, and stand for excellence and equanimity.
More about Claudette:Hailing from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Claudette Anita C’Faison is a master at delivering transformational and spiritual programs. With a mission to bring healing to generational trauma and poverty, she leaves people empowered to create and be accountable for their reality and the lives they have made for themselves.
For more than 40 years, Claudette has made a difference for over 15,000 marginalized families and children on every continent except Antarctica. In partnerships with family court, juvenile and adult justice programs, she creates and produces programs for inmates, returning citizens, and children of incarcerated parents. Claudette has been doing this work alongside her husband for 41 years.
Claudette has been educated both traditionally and non-traditionally. She completed the traditional path in the seminary. She was initiated into the non-traditional path in Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, and Peru. Claudette’s journey continues as she fulfills her life’s purpose, making a difference that makes the difference.
Follow Claudette on Facebook.
Follow Unlocking Futures on Facebook and Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Mike Wick:
Mike is a past Chairman of Hoffman’s Board of Directors.
Raz Ingrasci
• Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast
A Course in Miracles
The Negative Love Syndrome:
Read A Path to Personal Freedom and Love
Graduate Groups
• BIPOC Grad Group
BIPOC Q2:
New! BIPOC Q2: Beyond Mom and DadWe invite Hoffman Process graduates who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) to a first-of-its-kind offering – a Q2 for BIPOC grads. This Q2 will cultivate an environment that builds community and brings the transformative power of Hoffman tools and practices to your lived experiences as they are today – beyond Mom and Dad. Using mindful awareness, you’ll explore how “othering” and other forms of bias show up in your life today. Join this shared, safe space to focus on healing, find freedom, and celebrate this vibrant and diverse community!
Diana C. Toman is a global legal and strategy consultant. She’s also a heart-driven badass – the mantra she coined during her week at the Hoffman Process.
For much of Diana’s career, she hid her softness and kindness, fearing she’d be seen as weak. She would hide her generous heart at work, fearing she would be seen as soft in her role at work. But because she is generous and caring, she would continue to act on her generosity outside of work as long as the recipients kept it quiet.
Misalignment causes tension and takes its toll. This is why Diana came to the Process. During her week there, Diana was able to claim her softness and marry it with her badass business acumen. What a powerful combination!
The Process, though, brought more healing into Diana’s life. Her husband has done the Process, and together they’ve completed the Hoffman Couples Retreat. Through this work and using the tools regularly, they’ve come through a rough time, and out the other side of a rough time, they are closer and better able to navigate the life challenges they face together.
We hope you enjoy this powerful episode with Diana and Sadie.
More about Diana C. Toman:Diana Toman is a seasoned global legal and strategy consultant, founder of Toman Advisory Group, LLC, and a former Fortune 500 Chief Legal Officer. As a trusted advisor to boards of directors, C-suite executives, and functional teams, Diana guides clients through a myriad of global business, legal, and governance issues while also leading their organic and acquisitive growth. She is an influential, solutions-oriented leader who actively partners with clients to achieve their corporate objectives and reduce risks. Leveraging years of experience building high-achieving teams and inspiring the best in people through a foundation of integrity, trust, communication, and purpose, Diana serves as an executive coach to accomplished leaders and board of directors.
Married and a mother of two, Diana is a Hoffman graduate and resides in Overland Park, Kansas. She is deeply committed to community service and has served on various boards of directors. She volunteers with numerous nonprofit organizations focused on education, human needs, and art. A commitment to empowering individuals and organizations, while balancing strategic insights with a dedication to ethical leadership, guides Diana’s professional and volunteer work. While at the Hoffman Process, Diana coined the mantra, “Heart Driven Badass.” At the Process, she aligned her heart and intellect. That balance has been instrumental in her personal growth journey.
Follow Diana on LinkedIn and Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Dr. Michelle Robin
• Listen to Dr. Robin on the Hoffman Podcast – A Vision of Well-Being
Hoffman Couples Retreat
Lee Klinger Lesser is our guest today. A graduate of the Hoffman Process, Lee has led Sensory Awareness somatic workshops worldwide for many decades. She teaches workshops to diverse groups, including veterans and wildland firefighters.
Lee led and co-founded a non-profit organization to work with military veterans: Veteran’s PATH. While she no longer leads this organization, Lee still works with Veterans, many of whom have graduated from the Hoffman Process.
As a Hoffman grad, Lee is familiar with the “Left Road, Right Road” tool, a choice point that occurs many times each day of our lives. Lee speaks to how crucial presence is in choosing the steps of our lives and the direction our lives take. The question she often holds is, What does this moment ask of me? In each moment, we can ask ourselves this powerful question. It’s a way to slow down and realize that everything that exists is here and only here. Each moment asks us to stop and sense our next step, or in Hoffman terms, whether or not we will go down the Left Road or Right Road.
The capacity Lee has to express the power of an embodied life in words is extraordinary. Listen in as she offers an articulated path to conscious choice in each moment of our lives. She says, “If we keep offering what we can offer, and we have confidence in our own possibility to have impact and our capacity to respond, then we’re not going to have regret. We may not be able to change things, maybe we’re not going to be able to change what we want, but the way we’re living and what we offer is coming from our own love and our own vitality and our own ability to respond.”
We hope you enjoy this deep and rich conversation with Lee and Drew.
Content warning: This episode references suicide. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, you can call the US National Suicide Prevention Program at 800-273-8255 (or simply 988), or message the crisis text hotline at 741741.
More about Lee Klinger Lesser:Lee studied Sensory Awareness for 33 years in the United States with Charlotte Selver, the founder of this practice. Through Return to Our Senses, she’s been leading workshops since 1976, in English and Spanish. Lee sees over and over again the gift that this practice brings into the lives of so many people and into our world, which is in such great need of people living with awareness, resilience, and presence. She has reached into communities facing significant challenges to offer the resource and refuge of this practice.
Lee led and co-founded a non-profit organization to work with military veterans: Veteran’s PATH —Peace, Acceptance, Transformation, Honor. She led this work for 12 years, stepping away from a formal role in the organization in Fall 2019. Under new leadership, the organization dissolved in 2023. Lee still facilitates programs for veterans and honors this work as some of the most meaningful and life-changing work she has had the privilege to do. She witnessed veterans open to devastating experiences, face, and transform pain into new possibilities. Lee continues to be inspired by the profound commitment to service and the loving dedication to community that she experienced in her work with veterans.
Lee’s work and the Climate Crisis:Over the past six years, Lee has been helping to develop programs for Wildland firefighters on the front lines of the Climate Crisis. These firefighters are seeking support to meet the overwhelming challenges they are facing.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all on the frontlines of the Climate Crisis. This has led Lee to develop programs to integrate the practice of Sensory Awareness with responding to the Climate Crisis. She is dedicated to bringing forward the core lesson she has learned from her years of practice: “There is no place to run, there is no escape from being with what is.” This is especially poignant and true as we realize that this Earth is the only home we have. We cannot run from what is happening. There is no escape from what is happening. So, it is up to each of us to find how to contribute to healing and caring for this precious home.
As mentioned in this episode:Sensory Awareness and Charlotte Selver
Return to Our Senses
• Return to Our Senses Veterans Programs
• Return to Our Senses & the Climate Crisis
Wildland Firefighters
“Despair is never a solution. It is the ultimate failure. If the rope breaks nine times, we must splice it together a tenth time. Even if we ultimately do fail, at least we will have no feelings of regret. And when we combine this insight with a clear appreciation of our potential to benefit others, we can begin to restore our hope and confidence.” The 14th Dalai Lama
Listen to the poem “Lost,” by David Wagoner
Elsa Gindler
• The history of Sensory Awareness
Listen to Megan Lowry on the Hoffman Podcast.
Learn more about various Hoffman Process Scholarships
Watch the Greta Thunberg and Dalai Lama video
“I sleep nine hours every night and I sleep very peacefully.” The 14th Dalai Lama
Jake Reisch, a 2024 Hoffman Process graduate, is passionate about building impactful companies from the ground up. He’s also an authentic speaker and storyteller, as you’ll hear in this conversation with Jake and Sadie. At the heart of Jake’s story is authenticity, courage, and a willingness to stay present to himself.
At the start, Sadie asks Jake to share his bio – a seemingly quick and easy task. In Jake’s case, though, he has realized that his bio and how he shares about himself and his life have radically changed since his time at the Hoffman Process.
It was after completing the Process that things started to click for Jake. He found he could witness his patterns in real-time and consciously make different choices in his daily life. At one point, as he shares, he found himself publicly speaking about his experience in childhood. He told his audience about his mistakes when he was young and his successes as an adult, building very successful startups. Both were, and are, true. Jake then told his audience that in his successes, he’d been “leaning into the gifts that he was given that he just didn’t know how to use when he was younger.” Jake was able to share publicly all of himself and his history. He’s found that sharing hard things with others permits them to share their hard things, too. That’s how deep relationships become possible.
One more thing about today’s episode: as mentioned, Sadie Hannah, Hoffman teacher and coach, hosts this conversation with Jake. Sadie is our newest Hoffman Podcast host. She and Drew will share the role of host moving forward. Congratulations, Sadie!
Thank you, Jake, for telling us your whole story. We hope you enjoy this authentic and intimate conversation with Jake and Sadie.
More about Jake Reisch:Jake is a Forbes 30 Under 30 startup founder with a passion for building impactful companies from the ground up. He is currently the Executive Director at the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction while actively coaching and investing in high-potential, impact-oriented startup CEOs. He completed the Hoffman Process in March 2024. Jake currently lives in Panama City, Panama, with his wife Isabella and small dog Barry.
Follow Jake on Instagram and LinkedIn.As mentioned in this episode:ADHD – Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder
Cornell University – Office of Entrepreneurship at Cornell
Neurodivergent/Neurodiversity
AeroFarms – Aeroponics
EverSound
Post-exit Founders Group on LinkedIn
Today’s guest, our 200th guest on the Hoffman Podcast, is Brad Keywell. As you’ll soon hear, Brad is expansively curious and always moving toward more aliveness. An entrepreneur, investor, professor, author, artist, philanthropist, and Hoffman graduate, he shares his personal experience of the Process with us. In addition, Brad reflects upon the Hoffman Process through his lens of entrepreneurship and his essentially curious nature.
Brad sees life as two forks in the road: one of curiosity (fully alive) and the other of stagnation (not yet dead). While he says these are extremes, Brad suggests it is important to know which fork we find ourselves on and then consciously consider if we’re happy where we are.
For Brad, this choice is to live the path of being fully alive. He suggests that the Process is a tool to help us grow in greater aliveness, curiosity, and vulnerability. We can consciously choose to continue to move forward into a life of greater aliveness and expansive curiosity.
Join us in celebrating Brad and his journey to and through the Hoffman Process. We are grateful for this conversation with Brad and Drew. We hope you enjoy exploring the nature of change, curiosity, and a life of more aliveness.
More about Brad Keywell:Brad is an American entrepreneur, investor, professor, author, artist, and philanthropist. He has founded or co-founded nine technology companies (three of which have gone public on NASDAQ), an early-stage VC firm, a global ideas platform, an immersive museum, and several nonprofit organizations. Brad was named the overall 2019 EY World Entrepreneur of the Year. This is the highest global honor (selected from 44 country winners in the global EY Entrepreneur of the Year program). He was also awarded the 2018 overall EY Entrepreneur of the Year in the United States.
He is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Uptake Technologies. Uptake is an Industrial AI software company that delivers insights that increase productivity and reliability for industrial operators in twenty-one countries. In addition, Uptake, a Technology Pioneer of the World Economic Forum, was Forbes Startup of the Year in 2015. In addition, Uptake is a three-time CNBC Disruptor, a three-time Forbes Cloud 100 member, and was ranked third on the Forbes AI 50 list.
Brad signed The Giving Pledge in 2015. By doing so, he committed to giving the majority of his wealth to charitable causes. He is the chairman of Future Founders, a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship education to students in underserved communities throughout Chicagoland.
Follow Brad on LinkedIn and X(Twitter).
As mentioned in this episode:Bob Hoffman:
Bob Hoffman, founder of the Hoffman Process, had an innate and highly gifted ability to listen to deeper truths and wisdom. Read more…
University of Michigan Ross Commencement 2022 Speaker: Brad Keywell
• Bo Schembechler, Football Coach, University of Michigan
Today, we’ve brought together our Hoffman pre-Process Panel. Hoffman teachers Jason, Marc, Regina, and our host, Drew, share personal and professional insights into how the time leading up to the Hoffman Process solidly prepares you for your week at the Process.
Regina offers wisdom on the pattern of perfection and how it doesn’t serve you when you come to the Process. Allowing ourselves to be messy in the container of the Process supports the deeper transformation that’s possible during the week. Regina calls us to trust the Process, saying, “The moment you commit, it’s the opportunity to lean into the edge of Spirit…”
Marc talks about the power of choice. Oftentimes, students come to work on something happening in the present. But the work of the Process is to heal the pain of your past, which in turn affects things happening now, because the healing is within you. As Marc shares, at the Process, “You are stepping into your own childhood pain.” He goes on to say, “You are choosing that. That is a choice, whether there’s resistance, whether you’re scared…but you’re choosing that on some very, very big level.”
A compassionate moment comes when Jason shares about the pre-work each student must complete. He mentions how hard it can be to complete the work because often students feel the pain as it is laid out on the page. Jason shares that the “homework is not who you are. It’s a story of what happened to you. And the more information you can get into that, the more connections you can make in that exploration of what happened to you and who you had to become, the greater your awareness will be stepping into the work at your Process.” In other words, the homework can lay a powerful foundation for your Process week.
And, of course, Regina, Marc, and Jason share more insights, suggestions, and wisdom to help support you as you prepare for your week at the Process. We hope you enjoy this conversation about how your pre-Process time is integral to supporting your transformational week at the Process.
Our Pre-Process PanelRegina Louise:Regina Louise holds a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from California Institute of Integral Studies. In addition, she holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performative Arts from the University of California, Riverside.
Regina has canvassed the U.S. extensively as a national spokesperson and child advocate, and is excited to be a Hoffman teacher! Read more about Regina here.
Listen to Regina share her story on The Hoffman Podcast.Marc Kaplan:Marc’s life purpose is to support people in finding and using their authentic voice. In addition to teaching the Hoffman process, Marc is an esteemed music educator, producer, conductor, and coach. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Political Science from The George Washington University.
“The Hoffman methodology is the foundation of my spiritual practice. It helped me discover that I have choices, enabling me to step into my dignity and live my life from a place of love.”
When Marc first did the Process in 2011, he envisioned being a father, and now he is one. He lives in Westchester County, NY with his wife and two daughters.
Listen to Marc, along with Dan Siegel, on the Hoffman Podcast.
Jason Beegle:Jason holds a BA in Psychology from John F. Kennedy University and an MA in Religion from the University of Hawaii. As a certified NLP coach and intuitive healer, he brings a warm, heart-centered presence to the work of transformation.
Jason first experienced the Hoffman Process in 2017. It was a profound turning point that deepened his connection to spirit, purpose, and inner freedom. He is devoted to helping others reconnect with their true selves through compassion, presence, and spiritual insight. “Teaching the Process fills me with hope. It’s a sacred privilege to witness people return to themselves with love, truth, and tenderness.”
Jason lives in the Bay Area, where spending time in nature offers him the space to reflect, ground, and renew.
As mentioned in this episode:Pre-Process work/Homework
Once enrolled in the Process, you’ll receive the homework. As Jason says, completion takes about 8 -10 hours and is a foundational piece of your week at the Process.
Negative Love Syndrome
Read Bob Hoffman‘s A Path to Personal Freedom and Love
Listen to the Post-Process Panel on the Hoffman Podcast
Dr. Dan Siegel shares his Process story on the Hoffman Podcast
Mementos and a childhood photo
Once enrolled, you will learn more about what you are asked to bring to your Process, including these mementos and a childhood photo of yourself.
The Quadrinity™ Symbol
The Hoffman Quadrinity™ Symbol was designed by Bob Hoffman in 1967 to represent the wholeness of Self: The circle represents the Body; the large vertical diamond in the middle represents the Spirit; the 2 smaller horizontal diamond shapes represent the Intellect and Emotions. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Retired trial judge, Rusty Duke, came to the Hoffman Process on the advice of his wise, eleven-year-old granddaughter. Her father, Rusty’s son, had returned home happier after his time in California.
While swinging on a porch swing together, Rusty and his granddaughter were talking. She said she thought that Rusty, her grandfather, was happy, but Rusty would return from California even happier, just like her dad had. Rusty listened to her wise counsel. Just two days later, he registered for the Process.
The prominent theme running through Rusty’s story is happiness. He was a happy child. He has a good life. And, Rusty did, indeed, return home even happier.
One of the most important realizations students have during the Process is that we are not our patterns. Before coming to the Process, Rusty didn’t know he had patterns. Realizing that we have patterns and that we aren’t those patterns can open the door to a deeper discovery of life and who we are. In Rusty’s words, Hoffman “brings a reality to life. It helps you to stop and listen and consider where you are, who you are, and what you are.”
During his week at the Process, Rusty crossed the ‘bridge’ into a newfound sense of self-love, shepherded by the love he felt from his Process-mates. He’d never really heard anyone talk about self-love before. Rusty left California and returned home, leaving behind the negative voices in his head that can keep self-love at bay.
We hope you enjoy this heartwarming conversation with Judge Rusty Duke and Drew.
More about Rusty Duke:Rusty Duke is a retired trial judge, married 52 years, with three children and nine grandchildren. He lives in Greenville, North Carolina, and is ‘Of Counsel’ at a local law firm.
Duke enjoys visiting with his children and grandchildren and traveling with his family and friends. He enjoys being involved in community activities and service. Rusty enjoys speaking to various local civic groups and caring for a local camp. He recently published his first book, “Call Your Next Case: My Stories.”
As mentioned in this episode:Blackbeard the Pirate
Edward Teach (or Thatch), better known as Blackbeard (c. 1680 – 22 November 1718)
Blackbird’s buried treasure chest
Blackbeard House in Beaufort, NC, circa 1700
The Algonquian Peoples
Hoffman tools mentioned:The QuadrinitySpiritual Self, the body, the intellect, and the emotional self.
Patterns:
Patterns are typically negative, compulsive, automatic, and emotionally charged. They can be direct copies of parental behaviors, rebellions against them, or reactions to them. Read more about patterns here.
Recylcing
Transforming negative patterns into positive alternatives requires following the Cycle of Transformation. The tool used to transform patterns is recycling.
The Hoffman AppYour journey to discover your authentic self does not end after completing a Hoffman course. Rather, it is just the beginning. The Hoffman App is here to support you as you continue this journey, today and far into the future. The app is full of guidance, practices, and visualizations to inspire and help you achieve your personal goals. We like to think of this app as “Hoffman in your pocket.” It’s available at the App Store.
Entrepreneur and business owner, Carol Frank, came to the Hoffman Process for one clear reason: she wanted to find a life partner. In her early fifties and never married, Carol had just ended a year-long relationship. The beautiful thing was that Carol was ready. She knew that if she wanted a lasting partnership, she had to make a change. Carol shared this with a friend who happened to be a Hoffman graduate. Although this friend had mentioned Hoffman prior, it wasn’t until this moment that Carol said, Yes, to the lasting change that would happen for her at the Hoffman Process.
Within a week of this conversation, Carol had signed up. Within two weeks, she was in the classroom at White Sulphur Springs. This was in 2011. One year later, Carol ran into someone she had dated prior. This time, though, was different. They decided to have another date. After a bit, he said to her, “You are different. What’s changed?” It was her week at the Hoffman Process. In the years since, Carol and her partner married, and he attended the Hoffman Process.
Carol’s transformation, during her Process and in the months and years after, has been profound. She healed deep family patterns. Carol came to understand why her parents were the way they were and found peace and forgiveness for them. She shares some beautiful moments with her mother directly following her Process. Carol’s mother died just a short time later. These moments were a precious gift.
Hoffman’s tagline is, “When you’re serious about change.” And we mean it. People must truly be ready for the deep change that can happen in their lives. Carol was ready, and life was ready and waiting for her on the other side of her transformative week. We hope you enjoy this heart-warming conversation with Carol and Drew.
More about Carol Frank:Carol is passionate about business, animals, and the intersection of the two. After starting her career as a CPA, she founded and operated three pet companies– a retail pet store, a wholesale distribution company, and a pet product manufacturing company. Carol then leveraged her experience in both finance and entrepreneurship to start BirdsEye Advisory Group.This M&A Advisory firm helps pet company founders and entrepreneurs when they are ready to sell their business. She has a BBA in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.
Over the years, Carol has served in leadership roles within the pet industry. She’s also served on the board of over a dozen nonprofit and business organizations, including the Dallas Zoo, the Denver Zoo Leadership Council, and Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation. Carol is a Trustee for The University of Colorado Foundation. She is also a member of the Colorado Chapter of the International Women’s Forum. Her biggest passion is animals. Carol shares her life with her Eclectus parrot, Peri, and Daphne, a sweet, energetic Whoodle. She loves skiing, biking, and birding.
Follow Carol on LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:White Sulphur Springs:
The Hoffman Institute’s past retreat site was lost in the Glass fire, which started in the early morning hours of September 27, 2020.
Hoffman Refresher Course
Raz Ingrasci, Hoffman teacher and Coach
Listen to Raz on The Hoffman Podcast:
- Husband, Father, Son
- Hoffman and the Enneagram with Raz and Ward Ashman
- Spiritual Lineage & the Hoffman Process with Raz and Marissa Ingrasci
Hoffman Couples Retreat
Our post-Process panel, Kevin, Steve, and Zeina, gathers together with Drew to share both personal and professional insights into why your days after the Hoffman Process are so important to the journey that lies ahead. As Hoffman teacher and coach, Zeina Mobassaleh, says about leaving the Process, “You’re not done, you’ve just begun.”
Why is this time immediately post-Process so important? Listen in as our delightful post-Process panel of teachers shines a light on the gifts that lie ahead over the days, weeks, and after completing the Hoffman Process.
Kevin offers insights into the Hoffman tools and practices. As he says, “We get good at what we practice.” Hoffman Practices are offered through the Hoffman App and daily on Instagram, where you can practice with the Hoffman community.
Steve underscores the importance of the weekend after the Process. He explains that a large part of the Process is becoming Spirit embodied. Steve shares that we can “settle in and allow the work just completed to percolate down and in where the Spirit meets the bones” during the integration weekend.
Zeina generously shares a beautiful quote that her Hoffman Process teacher told her upon graduation about the sun and clouds, and how to flow with our internal weather. Zeina reminds us that during our Process week, we’ve come to see the sun. Clouds will come again, but the tools and practices that can clear the clouds away.
You can return to this conversation to refresh your memories of your Process and reset your daily Hoffman practices. We hope you enjoy this conversation and use it to stay grounded in your Hoffman transformation.
Our Post-Process PanelKevin Eyres:“I am passionate about supporting people on their healing journey, facing what is blocking them, finding their full range of emotions, and embodying self-love. My Process showed me how to face my shame, self-doubt, and destructive patterns from a fundamentally different perspective – self-compassion.”
Kevin Eyres holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is a seasoned technology executive and a YPO member since 2002. Kevin is also an executive coach and speaker. Kevin, his wife, and daughter live in Los Altos Hills, California.
Listen to Kevin on The Hoffman Podcast
Steve Granville:“I so enjoy witnessing the changes in students as they move through the Process. It is such an honor and privilege.” When Steve did his Process, he discovered, “A profound sense of who I really am. I finally understood that I was not my patterns and that by simply being honest about what was true for me, I could cultivate the intimacy with myself and others that I always wanted.”
Steve Granville holds a Master’s degree in International Management. He is a Restorative Justice facilitator and trainer, and executive leadership consultant in clinical healthcare. He loves helping people grow into their potential. Steve lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two kids. They love playing together outside, especially in fresh powder.
Zeina Mobassaleh:Zenia Mobassaleh holds a B.A. from Brown University, a J.D. from Columbia University, and diplomas from Sciences Po and the Sorbonne in Paris. She is a certified Parenting Coach, and has written the book, Your Children Are Not Your Children: 100 Mindful Baby Steps to a More Joyful Home.
The Hoffman Process was a gift in Zeina’s life, putting her on the path to responding rather than reacting in life, and to leading with love and living with joy. It is a gift that she feels lucky to be able to share with others as she supports them on their own paths and journeys to healing.
As mentioned in this episode:The Hoffman App
Your journey to discover your authentic self does not end after the completion of a Hoffman course. Rather, it is just the beginning. The Hoffman App is here to support you as you continue this journey, today and far into the future. The app is full of guidance, practices, and visualizations to inspire and help you achieve your personal goals. We like to think of this app as “Hoffman in your pocket.” It’s available at the App Store.
Instagram Lives:Join our virtual community Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. A Quad Check is a practice to support you in integrating and honoring all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body.
Come be a part of our daily Appreciation and Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. You’ll find the Appreciation and Gratitude practice to be a beautiful way to reflect on your day. This practice will support your Spiritual Self’s natural desire to appreciate and give thanks for all that life brings you.
The Integration Manual:
This is passed out to Hoffman graduates on the final day of their Process. The Self-love, Self-forgiveness walk, and the reading, My Life is My Responsibility, are found in the Integrational Manual.
The Four F’s:
Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn.
The Role of Sleep in Emotional Brain Function:
“Assessed using functional MRI (fMRI), one night of sleep deprivation triggers a 60% amplification in reactivity of the amygdala in response to emotionally negative pictures, relative to a normal night of sleep…” (continue reading)
For Process Grads link:
For more courses, tools, practices, and ways to stay in touch, check out the For Process Grads…link on our website.
Patrick Belisle, Director of Philanthropy at the Hoffman Institute Foundation, is our guest today. A self-described practical mystic, Patrick embarked upon a spiritual journey that took him around the world and the country. In 2022, he participated in what he calls the pinnacle of his spiritual journey, the Hoffman Process.
In this conversation with Drew, Patrick shares his unique perspective on money as “financial energy.” He explains how philanthropic giving is a win-win; a way to fulfill both parties’ goals and dreams.
Patrick’s approach to money will inspire you to craft your own financial story. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Patrick and Drew.
More about Patrick Belisle:Patrick Belisle is a self-described “practical mystic” who studied theology with Benedictine monks at his college in Minnesota, meditated with Buddhist monks in Thailand, and had a powerful spiritual awakening at the Osho Commune in Pune, India. He and his wife Jane, also a Hoffman graduate, traveled around the world for a year, and around North America for another three years, in search of the meaning of life. They live happily and authentically in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Over the years, Patrick has worn many hats: He is a longtime student and teacher of famous psychic Edgar Cayce’s readings. Patrick had a 15-year tenure as a Director at Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in Virginia Beach, VA. He’s also worked for Dr. Ian Stevenson’s Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia for many years. UVADOPS.org applies rigorous scientific research to Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), children who seem to remember past lives, psychic phenomena, and other consciousness-related topics. Patrick has practiced hypnotherapy for many years. He has worked with young people in many capacities, facilitated various relationship workshops, and officiated over 60 weddings, baby blessings, and celebrations of life.
Patrick currently serves as Director of Philanthropy at the Hoffman Institute Foundation. He helps raise over $2 million annually for student scholarships and teacher training. Beginning in 2025, Patrick and Hoffman’s Board has set a goal to raise $25 million to purchase and renovate Hoffman’s new Santa Sabina campus in San Rafael, CA. Santa Sabina will open in 2026. His unique perspective on money as “financial energy” will inspire you to think of your financial energy in a whole new way; how it comes to you, how you use it, and how it all works.
As mentioned in this episode:Ways to Donate to Hoffman
Catholic Benedictine monks
Eastern Philosophy
Mysticism
Breathwork
David Brooks
• How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
• The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life
The Post-Process Weekend Integration:
Participants often feel very different after completing their Process, almost like a new self inhabiting a new life. It is important to orient and synthesize everything you have experienced and learned. We strongly recommend taking the weekend to complete this quiet integration.
Raz Ingrasci & Liza Ingrasci, Founders of the Hoffman Institute Foundation
• Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast
Hoffman Scholarships
Hoffman tools mentionedThe Hoffman App
Join Hoffman’s Instagram Daily Quad Checks at 8:00 am PT
Hoffman 1-Day Graduate Refreshers in the US and Canada
The Hand-on-Heart Practice
Left Road/Right Road – Making a Choice
Negative Love Patterns
• Pattern tools: Pre-Cycling, Vicious Cycle, Recycling
Nita Gage, Hoffman teacher and Director of Faculty, worked closely with Dr. Lipsenthal, M.D., for several years before his death. He was an internationally recognized leader, teacher, and author in integrative medicine and physician wellness. And he loved the Hoffman Process.
The vision, care, and understanding that Dr. Lipsenthal brought to the world of medicine and medical doctors has changed how doctors care for themselves. Through his own time in the medical profession, Dr. Lipsenthal observed that the health, morale, and work satisfaction of many physicians were often worse than that of their patients. He found a way to support physicians in improving these areas of their lives. Like both Dr. Lipsenthal and Nita, many physicians they worked with eventually came to do the Hoffman Process, which gave them additional tools to change their lives for the better.
Listen in as Nita shares her experience of working with Lee, the physician, and Lee the man. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Nita and Drew.
More about Lee Lipsenthal, M.D.:Lee Lipsenthal, MDLee Lipsenthal, M.D., was an internationally recognized leader, teacher, and author in integrative medicine and physician wellness. He was the medical director with Dean Ornish of the Preventative Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, for ten years, and has also served as president of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine and on the American Medical Association’s Physician Wellness Committee. Through his years in the medical profession, Dr. Lipsenthal observed that the health, morale, and work satisfaction of many physicians were often worse than that of their patients.
Inspired by his personal and professional experience, he developed the “Finding Balance in a Medical Life” program, which has been adapted by major medical groups and is being delivered at medical schools and residency programs nationwide. Lee was a 2006 graduate of the Hoffman Process. He died in September 2011. His wife, Kathy, also a physician, and his two children live in California.
Lee Lipsenthal authored, Enjoy Every Sandwich: Living Each Day as If It Were Your Last.
More about Nita Gage:From 1970 to 1980, Nita trained in psychoanalysis with R.D. Laing in London. Upon returning to the United States, she pursued graduate degrees in clinical psychology and a doctorate in shamanic psychology.
Nita has been leading transformational healing retreats for over 25 years and the last 10 years recently with the Hoffman Institute. She is now the Director of Faculty for Hoffman Institute. Before Hoffman, she founded the Healer Within Retreats, with Lee Lipsenthal, MD, offering physician wellness retreats. She also served clinical and executive positions in hospitals and treatment centers over the 50 years of her career.
Listen to Nita on The Hoffman Podcast – A Courageous RippleNita has authored two books: Soul Whispering: The Art of Awakening Shamanic Consciousness and Women in Storage: How to Reimagine Your Life.
As mentioned in this episode:Dean Ornish
Ornish.com
ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences
Sausalito, CA
Moloka’i, Hawaii
• Hui Ho’olana Retreat Center
Buddhist Fundamental Teachings
Co-Dependency
Work addiction
Chronic Illness/Disease
IONS – Institute of Noetic Sciences, Established by Hoffman Graduate, Astronaut, Dr. Edgar Mitchell.
“I realized that the story of ourselves as told by science—our cosmology, our religion—was incomplete and likely flawed. I recognized that the Newtonian idea of separate, independent, discrete things in the universe wasn’t a fully accurate description. What was needed was a new story of who we are and what we are capable of becoming.” Dr. Edgar Mitchell
HeartMath
Recycling – Hoffman tool
Self-Compassion
• Kristen Neff and self-compassion on the Hoffman Podcast – Goodwill & Intention, the Magic Ingredients
• Chris Germer and self-compassion on the Hoffman Podcast – The Antidote to Shame
Randy Perkins – previous Hoffman Institute Foundation Board Member
“Today is a good day to die.”
Lee’s book, Enjoy Every Sandwich: Living Each Day as If It Were Your Last
Warren Zevon’s final appearance on the David Letterman Show
The iPod
The Shadow
• “Do you want to be good or do you want to be whole?” Carl Jung
John Lennon
Miranda Barnhart Domenico, a mom of two, came to the Hoffman Process wanting to heal from a recent, painful breakup. Even before arriving at the retreat site, Miranda realized that she was coming for so much more.
With two difficult relationships behind her, Miranda discovered that blaming her ex-partners wasn’t helping. Instead, she found that by looking back to her childhood she could heal what was driving the difficulties in her relationships.
As she joyfully recounts, Miranda was reunited with her young self at the Process. Her story gives us deep insight into the nature of negative patterns and the Negative Love Syndrome. Miranda can now talk about her painful childhood story without being nearly as triggered.
From the time she was young, Miranda had lived her life disconnected from both her emotional self and her Spiritual Self. Learning about the Quadrinity reconnected Miranda back to her Spirit and her emotions. Now, one of the most important things she wants to impart to her daughters is the understanding that feeling, and talking about, their emotions is vital to healthy relating.
We hope you enjoy this powerful Love’s Everyday Raidus conversation with Miranda and Drew.
More about Miranda Barnhart Domenico:Miranda Barnhart Domenico, a mom of two, moved to Colorado, on her own, directly after high school, balancing college and work while building a tech career. She embraced travel, outdoor adventures, and her career until building a family shifted her focus in her 30s. Though Miranda stepped back from some of the outdoor pursuits she loved, her dedication to being an athlete, an exceptional mom, and a driven professional never wavered. She hadn’t realized that she wasn’t doing any of those three things wholly as she had fallen prey to trying to master all three without emotion and a deeper purpose.
It wasn’t until Miranda’s divorce and other personal challenges led her to the Hoffman Process in 2019, that she rediscovered her authentic self. Now, she leads with vulnerability, inspiring others through connection. Once ultra-independent, Miranda channels that strength into leadership, mentoring at work, coaching young athletes, and finding purpose in empowering others. Her mission is clear: to show up authentically and create spaces where others feel inspired to do the same.
Follow Miranda on Instagram and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:The Quadrinity – Symbol of the Process
Quad checks for grads and non-grads alike daily on Instagram at 6:00 pm PT
White Sulphur Springs, Hoffman’s old retreat site
Bashing day:
Bashing is one form of Expression done in the Process. to help students somatically release the negative patterns. To let go of our patterns, we must exercise our free will – choose to step out of a pattern and take action using our Voice, Body, and Intention. Expression is not necessarily about anger – it’s about “claiming” your life. It’s about taking a stand. Sometimes that includes anger, but it can also be about joy, love, commitment, and empowerment. Read more…
Growth Mindset
• Developing a Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck, Stanford Professor
Recycling – Hoffman transformation tool
Brené Brown – Shame Resilience
Sarah Hernholm, the Founder and President of Whatever It Takes (WIT), is our guest today. Through WIT, Sarah supports teens and young adults in using their voices, launching businesses, and creating sustainable impact in their communities.
Feeling “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” Sarah came to our retreat site in Connecticut to attend the Process. During the Process, students face the pain of the past and learn to take responsibility for their lives. It’s challenging work. As a writer, podcast host, and three-time TEDx speaker, Sarah is used to speaking honestly and eloquently. While at the Process, she voiced her feelings of wanting to leave. In response, her coach, Drew, suggested she take it one session at a time. Sarah was able to do that and stayed. She’s glad she did.
Sarah beautifully expresses that she found it “really overwhelming to take on the history of being yourself and of what that has been.” This is what the Process is about. It is where you learn to face yourself, your past, and your behaviors. And it’s where you discover deep compassion and forgiveness for yourself and others.
We’re grateful to her for sharing her experience and insights from her week at the Process. We hope you enjoy this engaging, enlightening conversation with Sarah and Drew.
More about Sarah Hernholm:Sarah Hernholm is the Founder and President of Whatever It Takes (WIT). She hosts both the DO WIT podcast and the Just Start podcast. Sarah focuses on creating platforms for teens and young adults to use their voices, launch businesses, and create sustainable impact in their communities.
Sarah champions young entrepreneurs committed to innovation and doing “whatever it takes to make the world a better place.” She’s a three-time TEDx speaker, a contributor to FORBES, a Today Show blogger, editor of WIT Magazine, a WSB speaker, and, one of these days, she will finally finish her book “The 11 Tips for Doing WIT.”
Follow Sarah (Miss WIT), Doing Wit, and the WIT Podcast.
As mentioned in this episode:Hoffman Retreat Site Connecticut – Guest House
• Donate to Guest House
Hoffman Tools
Gratitude –
• “Focus on the Give, not the Get”
• Gratitude Sandwich – Always focus on something good first, then on what needs improvement, and then close with something good.
Hoffman Tool – A Practice of Appreciation and Gratitude
Awareness Hell –
In awareness hell, we use the intellect to create awareness so the body and Spirit lag behind. In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
Tweener –
A child who is between the stages of childhood and adolescence. The term “tween” comes from this “in-between” stage
Megan Lowry, Marine Corps Veteran, Veteran Wellness Specialist, and citizen of the Muscogee Nation is our guest today on the Podcast.
Megan’s story is one of hope. She held ‘a kernel of hope’ when she came to the Hoffman Process in 2015. As a Native American, Megan wasn’t sure how she would navigate the week of the Process. She shares, “Being Native, there’s things that we do to grieve and things that we never show and never talk about just, culturally, and so just bringing all of that to the Hoffman process, it was intimidating.”
Megan served our country in the Marine Corps and then in the Secret Service for President George W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. The military was where Megan gained so much, yet it was a place that also caused her great harm. She grew and learned to “adapt and overcome,” but she suffered both sexual and emotional abuse during those years. After leaving the service, she found herself having a difficult time. Then she was fortunate to meet Lee Lesser, founder of Veteran’s PATH. Lee became a mentor to Megan, helping Megan find a path of healing that included the Hoffman Process.
Now a PhD student, Megan continues to heal her significant PTSD while bringing her many skills and wisdom to serve as the commander of the Muscogee Creek Nation women’s honor guard and support Veterans in finding healing and well-being. For her dissertation, Megan intends to highlight the need for a blend of healing modalities, such as talk and recreational therapies, and ties to the community to give you purpose. Megan says, “It’s not just one thing or another, it’s a blend of so many things, of so many pieces to create the human experience.”
Content warning: This episode references sexual assault, emotional trauma, and suicide. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, you can call the US National Suicide Prevention Program at 800-273-8255 (or simply 988), or message the crisis text hotline at 741741. If you are a veteran, you can also reach out to the Veterans Crisis Line.
More about Megan Lowry:Megan is a Marine Corps Veteran who served as a military police officer and presidential security. She resides in Oklahoma on the Muscogee Creek Nation Reservation with her family, caring for her aging mother and two special needs stepdaughters. Her partner builds hot rods! Megan is also serving as the commander for the Muscogee Creek Nation women’s honor guard, where they are asked to travel the country providing tribal veteran representation for ceremonies.
Megan received her sociology degree and her Master’s in Social Work. She is working on her PhD in Psychology while also working full time as a Veteran Wellness Specialist. She covers the state of Oklahoma for Aetna and is also on the national leadership team for veterans and native resource groups. Megan has 10 dogs, 7 chickens, 2 ducks, a pig named Pumba, and a bunny named Iggy Hop.
In her free time, Megan likes to garden, be outside, cycle, and meditate.
As mentioned in this episode:Mvto – “Thank you.” in Muscogee Creek
• More on the Muscogee Creek language
Read and watch more about Megan and her life at the University of Tulsa website.
Lee Lesser
• Sensory Awareness Retreat
• Veteran’s Path
Secret Service, serving President George W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush
• Interview with Megan about the process of applying to the Secret Service
• Megan received the Marcy Lawless Service Award
Marine Corps Military Police
• Military Sexual Trauma
PTSD – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Conex Box
Muscogee Creek Nation Reservation
Muscogee Creek Nation women’s honor guard
Suicide in the Military
Veteran’s Mental Health
Congresswoman Jackie Speier
Invisible Wounds Documentary
Vanessa Guillen
Service dog, Therapy dog, vs. Emotional Support dog
PTSD Dysregulation
“It’s literally … your ordinary brain trying to cope with an extraordinary situation, and that is human. That is in essence human nature.” Megan Lowry
Native Sweat Lodge
Wisdom 2.0 Conference
Hoffman Process tools and practices mentioned:• Play and Celebration
• Recycling
Welcome to Season 10 of the Hoffman Podcast! We’re glad to be back with you and a new season of conversations.
Marissa and Raz IngrasciMarissa Ingrasci and Raz Ingrasci, Hoffman Process teachers, join Drew for this deep dive into the many layers of spiritual lineage running through the Process, and their own journeys to becoming Process teachers. There’s also a familial lineage, as Marissa is Raz’s daughter.
Raz and Marissa came to teach the Hoffman Process through the lens of theatre. For Raz, this meant studying classic Greek theater; for Marissa, it meant studying and living the art of acting. In this conversation, they share fascinating ways theatre, in its many forms, illuminates the Process’s inner workings.
Within the Hoffman Institute and the Process are layers of spiritual lineage. The spiritual lineage of teaching the Process is passed down as each new teacher takes their seat, teacher to teacher. Bob Hoffman passed the Process lineage down to Raz and Liza, Hoffman’s CEO and President and Raz’s wife when they established the Institute in the United States. Over recent years, Raz and Liza have been working to ensure the lineage continues.
Raz and Marissa share a deeper understanding of the spiritual dimension in the design of the Hoffman Process. Marissa highlights the nature of the Hero’s Journey and how the week of the Process is remarkably similar. Raz, who has studied multiple Eastern spiritual traditions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, highlights how Bob Hoffman brought the Process into being in the West. We don’t have to travel to distant lands to benefit from this spiritual lineage of the Hoffman Process.
We hope you enjoy this deep, delightful conversation.
More about Marissa Ingrasci:Marissa Ingrasci holds a B.A. from Emerson College. She received her coaching training through the ICF-approved, Academy of Leadership Coaching and is also a certified NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) coach. Marissa did the Hoffman Process when she was 23 years old.
Marissa says, “The Hoffman Process changed my relationship with me, quieting critical voices and allowing me greater access to my inner knowing and wisdom. In short – it gave me freedom! It’s inspiring and a joy to walk alongside and support others doing this work.”
More episodes with Marissa:
• Ready to Step Into the Mystery
More about Raz Ingrasci:Marissa, Raz, and Liza IngrasciRaz Ingrasci graduated from UC Berkeley and has been an executive, consultant, and facilitator within the Human Potential Movement since 1972. He is also a Hoffman teacher and founded the Hoffman Institute Foundation in 1998. Raz took the Process in July 1989. From that experience, he had three major takeaways: “I knew my marriage would last; I could be a great dad to my young children, and I’d found work worthy of devoting my life to.”
“The Hoffman Process is the most highly effective method for people to heal, discover their true nature, and live a more free, open, loving, and spontaneous life,” Raz shares. His passion for teaching the Hoffman Process is both professional and personal; it brings him into the depths of human experience where he learns at least as much as he teaches.
Raz lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife of over 40 years, Liza.
More episodes with Raz:
• Husband, Father, Son
• Hoffman and the Enneagram with Raz and Ward Ashman
As mentioned in this episode:Bob Hoffman, founder of the Hoffman Process
Theatre and Performing Arts
Greek Theatre
• Greek Mythology
• Greek Tragedy
Spiritual Modalities:
• Tibetan Buddhism
• Hinduism
Joseph Campbell’s and the Hero’s Journey
Quote shared by Raz:
“Even the truth, when believed, is a lie. You must experience the truth, not believe it.” Werner Erhard (Referring to the spiritual truth which can only be known through experience, not through belief.)
Gift from Raz to Marissa – Lucite Buddha
Hoffman Institute International
Jochen Windhausen:
Hoffman teacher, Hoffman Affiliate License holder for Germany. Jochen was married to Christiane Windhausen. Jochen was a close friend of Bob Hoffman and a Buddhist practitioner.
The Hoffman Process as a 13-week program:
In the early ’80s, the Quadrinity Process (as it was known then) was a 13-week, non-residential course. Students would come to class one night a week for 13 weeks.
Giles Bateman
First Chairman of the Board, Hoffman Institute Foundation (1998 – 2008)
Maria Montessori
• Follow the Child
Greek God – Dionysus- the destroyer God.
Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Sustainer, Shiva the Destroyer
Hoffman Process TerminologyEmbodiment:
“Embodiment is the state of being connected to your body and senses. It’s an active process of living life through your body’s experiences.” Read more...
Patterns or Negative Love Patterns:
“Negative love patterns” refer to recurring, unhealthy behaviors or dynamics within a romantic relationship that can lead to conflict, dissatisfaction, and ultimately, a breakdown in the partnership; these patterns often stem from past experiences, poor communication, or an imbalance of power, and can include behaviors like constant criticism, emotional manipulation, codependency, stonewalling, and the inability to express needs openly.” Read more…
Spiritual Self:
The Spiritual aspect of your Quadrinity
A Right Road Human:
Someone who chooses from the unconditioned part of oneself rather than from conditioning.
BE DO HAVE – the cycle for manifesting spirituality in the world.
Quad checks:Participate in Instagram Live Daily Quad-checks and Appreciation & Gratitude Practices with Hoffman teachers and teacher candidates.
Welcome to our season 9 finale, this generous, vulnerable conversation with Hoffman grad, Kevjorik Jones, and host, Drew Horning.
There are many reasons why people come to the Hoffman Process — as many reasons as people who have graduated from the Process. Kevjorik, a self-described consummate student of the human condition, came because he felt he was falling short. He was aware of the powers and opportunities he had. He was aware of the great relationships in his life. And yet, Kevjorik sensed he was falling short of living up to all he sensed he could become.
In October 2024, Kevjorik completed his Process at the Guest House, the Hoffman Retreat Site in Chester, CT. Nature and the labyrinth on site provided a lot of healing. Rising early in the morning, Kevjorik would walk the labyrinth. One morning, he entered the labyrinth feeling shame. He emerged feeling connected to his child within.
The beauty of this conversation lies in the generous stories Kevjorik shares with us. He offers stories of his childhood, the trauma he experienced, and the courage he found to do the deep work of the Process to heal the pain of his past.
We hope you enjoy this moving, enlightening, uplifting conversation with Kevjorik and Drew. Thank you for listening to the Hoffman Podcast. We will be back for season 10 in early 2025. Happy New Year!
More about Kevjorik Jones:Kevjorik is a real estate finance professional based in Washington, DC. From a young age, he developed a profound curiosity about the human spirit, the nature of existence, and the pursuit of enlightenment. Raised in a broken home, his adult life has been devoted to understanding the lasting impacts of social suppression—shaped by colonialism, racism, and polarization—on community, family, and personal achievement.
During college, Kevjorik founded an organization to teach students entrepreneurial skills while pursuing careers in technology and real estate. Around this time, he discovered a spiritual connection to his African roots when he traveled to Ghana, West Africa. There, Kevjorik deepened his curiosity about the consequences of being uprooted and the maladaptations that emerge from being disconnected from one’s origins through this experience.
Today, Kevjorik is focused on village-building as a solution to the challenges posed by the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) parenting model, which isolates the individual from the collective whole. He believes that fostering interconnected communities can alleviate these strains. Kevjorik is blessed to have met his soulmate, now his wife of 15 years, just before his trip to Ghana. Together, they have built a loving family of four and a supportive network of like-minded individuals committed to growth, healing, and mutual care.
Kevjorik’s relationships have been deeply affected by the legacy of his childhood trauma. This eventually led him to the Hoffman Process. Before embarking on his Hoffman week, Kevjorik’s primary goal was to break free from limiting thoughts and behaviors. Patterns of self-doubt and indecision had kept him from fully embracing life. Kevjorik has integrated tools from the Process into his daily life. He is committed to keeping his heart open, loving deeply, and living in alignment with his true purpose.
Social:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevjorikjones/
As mentioned in this episode:Rancho La Puerta
Watsu
Healthy Deviant
George Floyd and the Summer of 2020 Protests
My Grandmother’s Hands, by Dr. Resmaa Menakem
• Epigenetics
• Intergenerational trauma
Somatic Therapy
Functional Nutrition
Tapping World Summit –
• Meridian Tapping
The Great Migration
Surrogate Parents in the Process:
Working with people/groups who were like our parents. In Kevjorik’s case, these were his Grandmother/Aunt and the church.
Inner Child / Parenting
Attachment Styles
Labyrinth
Wade in the Water
• Listen to Wade in the Water
Hoffman Retreat Site in Chester, CT
Ferry across the Connecticut River to Gilette Castle State Park
• William Gilette’s Castle
Christy Foley is a dynamic connector, life explorer, and philanthropist. She’s also Vice-Chair of the Hoffman Board of Directors. Christy attended the Process two decades ago, just two weeks after her father graduated.
The Hoffman Process was the first step in Christy’s spiritual journey. To this day, Hoffman remains one of the three most profound experiences that completely transformed her life. She shares that a transformation happens at the Process that “you can’t go back from.” In doing the work of the Process, we leave our week there with an awareness we didn’t have before. This profound awareness allows us to see situations or patterns more clearly and respond wisely with a more conscious choice. If we get caught in the pattern, we can forgive ourselves, choose again, and move on.
After the Process, Christy embarked on a spiritual journey that has taken her to many places, but most importantly deeper into her inner world. She tears up as she talks about living in the presence of the unknown. It’s living from her heart. In her words, it is “where the magic happens.”
In this generous conversation, Christy speaks of the trap of our attempts at perfection. As she says, to be human is to be imperfect. There’s a great relief in that. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Christy and Drew.
More about Christy Foley:Christy is a dynamic connector, life explorer, and philanthropist. She participates in the global community as an accelerator of ideas and vision and is passionate about our interconnectedness to all life on this planet. With her consulting and philanthropic efforts, Christy supports projects that foster spiritual development, social justice, and community building. She serves as Vice-Chair of the board of The Hoffman Institute and is a board member of Las Cumbres Ranch Educational Fund. Previous board services include A Sense of Home and Veterans Path. Christy is also a member of Forward Global.
Christy is a marketing, communications, and business development veteran having spent her career immersed in the technology, media, natural food products, and nonprofit industries. She holds a bachelor’s in Industrial Organizational Psychology from Pepperdine University. When Christy is not exploring the world, she spends her time between Santa Barbara, CA, and Bend, OR.
Learn more about Christy at TheFoleyConnection.com. Follow Christy on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Negative Love Syndrome:Find out more about the Negative Love Syndrome in A Path to Personal Freedom and Love
Liza Ingrasci, President and CEO of the Hoffman Institute
Raz Ingrasci, Founder of Hoffman International and Hoffman teacher and coach
July 2009 Forgiveness GardenWhite Sulphur Springs
• Fire at White Sulphur Springs
• The Forgiveness Garden at White Sulphur Springs, dedicated to Christy’s Dad, Ted Foley.
After the Glass Fire of 2020, the Forgiveness Garden remained despite the destruction of the land around it.
Oprah’s Wildest Dreams tour
Picadilly Circus
Mount Kailash
Tanzania
Pamela Anderson
• The Last Showgirl Trailer
• Cookbook
Joe Dispenza
Right Road
Visioning at Hoffman
Hoffman Q2 Intensive
Arielle Ford, author, and love and relationship expert, joins Drew for this episode centered on change, truth-telling, and having as much fun as possible.
Arielle came to the Hoffman Process in the early ’90s on recommendations from her sister Debbie Ford and her friend Joan Borysenko. Seventeen students were at the Process alongside Arielle. Their Process was held in the Big House at Esalen Institute in Big Sur. Raz Ingrasci was one of their teachers.
One of the most powerful takeaways from this conversation is Arielle’s realization of the need to have as much fun as possible. People she meets ask her how she became so happy. As Arielle shares, she learned to be a happy person at Hoffman.
As someone who has worked in the personal growth world for decades, working with many well-known experts in the field, Arielle has stories to tell. She shares some fascinating ones in this conversation. Arielle is now in an in-between place with her career. Her life story helps us understand how she has learned to relax in a new unknown place.
Arielle shares much life wisdom in this engaging, joyful conversation. We hope you enjoy it.
More about Arielle Ford:Arielle Ford is a love and relationship expert and a leading personality in the personal growth and contemporary spirituality movement. For the past 25 years, she has been living, teaching, and promoting consciousness through all forms of media. Her mission is to help people find love, keep love, and most importantly, be love.
Arielle is a gifted writer and the author of 11 books including the international bestseller, THE SOULMATE SECRET: Manifest the Love of Your Life With the Law of Attraction. She is also the author of TURN YOUR MATE INTO YOUR SOULMATE: A Practical Guide to Happily Ever After, devoted to exploring a simple, fun, and effective way to attain groundbreaking shifts in perception so that you can embrace and find the beauty and perfection in yourself and your mate. Arielle has been called “The Cupid of Consciousness” and “The Fairy Godmother of Love.” She lives in La Jolla, CA with her husband/soul mate, Brian Hilliard, and their feline friends.
Join her newsletter at www.soulmatesecret.com. Discover more at ArielleFord.com. Get her free online dating guide at www.arielleford.com/kiss. Follow Arielle on Instagram and Facebook.
As mentioned in this episode:Raz Ingrasci: Founder of Hoffman Institute and Hoffman International, and a Hoffman teacher.
• Listen to Raz Ingrasci on the Hoffman Podcast
Liza Ingrasci: CEO and President of the Hoffman Institute.
Esalen Institute
Quote that Drew shared:
“In losing the sense of the unseen, people have come to fear the unknown.” Michael Meade
Debbie Ford: The Dark Side of the Light Chasers
Deepak Chopra
• The Chopra Center
Wayne Dyer
Marianne Williamson
Louise Hay
Joan Borysenko, PhD, Bestselling author, and Hoffman Advisory Council Chair
• Listen to Joan Borysenko on the Hoffman Podcast
Jungian Shadow Work
JFK University
12-Step Meetings
Omega Institute
Jimmy Kimmel and Aunt Chippy on YouTube
Chemicals released when we laugh:
• Oxytocin
• Dopamine
The Four Agreements
Roanne Adams, founder and Chief Creative Director of RoAndCo Studio, is our guest today. In this wide-ranging conversation, Roanne and Sharon cover many topics. You’ll hear them speak of self-care, the spiritual journey, relationships, and business, to name a few. What stands out is Roanne’s commitment to putting her Process into practice, personally and professionally.
It’s often fascinating how people learn about the Hoffman Process. Frequently, it comes through word of mouth. In Roanne’s case, she heard about it from her financial advisor after receiving difficult news. Roanne walks us through this moment with candor and grace, a moment that brought her to the Hoffman Process.
As a visionary business owner in the design world, Roanne knows the creative and often turbulent world of entrepreneurship well. Through her Process, she found clarity. She also realized that part of her purpose is to serve others. Roanne deepened her capacity for self-care and her ability to pass this knowledge on to others through her work.
We hope you enjoy this conversation and learning about Roanne’s journey of change through her rich life stories.
More about Roanne Adams:Entrepreneur, visionary, and holistic thinker, Roanne Adams is the founder and Chief Creative Director of RoAndCo Studio, a creative agency based in New York and Los Angeles known for its artful and strategic approach to branding and design. Founded in 2006, the studio quickly gained recognition for Roanne’s intrepid ability to build scalable brands from the ground up. Over the past two decades, Roanne and her team have launched a myriad of brands across various industries, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, including Google, Estée Lauder Companies, Kin Euphorics, and many more.
As one of the few female Creative Directors and studio owners in the industry, she prioritizes nurturing opportunities for women leaders—working with nonprofits and being honored as a UN Women’s Champion for Change. Throughout her career, Roanne has won numerous awards, served on the AIGA New York chapter board, and was named one of New York’s most outstanding design professionals by T Magazine. In 2016, she created Romance Journal, a magazine devoted to raising collective consciousness through the female lens, donating 100% of the proceeds to charities.
Roanne just launched State of Feeling, a transformative curriculum delivered through retreats and workshops for women founders and leaders, helping them align their personal purpose with their businesses. She is also embarking on a new regenerative hotel project in Todos Santos, Mexico called Oraphae with her husband, Johnny Wahba (also a Hoffman graduate). With a passion for healing, sustainability, and regeneration, Roanne infuses beauty and meaning into every endeavor.
Social Media:Instagram:
Roanne
RoAndCo
State of Feeling
Oraphae Hospitality
LinkedIn:
Roanne
RoAndCo
As mentioned in this episode:Quad Check: A practice to support you in checking in with all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and 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 daily at 6:00 pm on Instagram.
Todos Santos, Mexico
Anna Switzer, PhD, outdoor educator, science educator, and educator of educators, shares her Hoffman Process experience and her deep expertise in partnering with Nature’s innate processes for healing and connection.
In 2012, on the recommendation of her medical doctor, Anna came to the Process. Due to the high level of stress Anna was experiencing, her doctor said she should consider doing some emotional work. Within a few months, Anna was at the Hoffman Process. She loved the camaraderie of her Process cohort and remembers many ‘anchor moments’ in her group and alone as she spent time outdoors on the grounds around White Sulphur Springs.
Anna’s mission statement is, “Helping heal the human spirit and natural world through facilitation of mutually positive experiences between the two.” The focus of her work is to try to bring herself and others back into “right relationship” with the natural world.
Anna shares some practical practices you can use to help heal your relationship with the natural world. We hope you enjoy this rich and healing conversation with Anna and Liz.
More about Anna Switzer, PhD:Anna Switzer, PhD is an outdoor educator, science educator, and educator of educators. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics, a master’s in Oceanography, and a PhD in Education. Alongside teaching, Anna derives her most consistent inspiration from the outdoors. She has spent thousands of hours exploring diverse landscapes and waterways; including incalculable time with students of all ages. Anna has worked for several prominent organizations including National Geographic Society and Outward Bound. At National Geographic, she was the Program Manager for Outdoor and Experiential Education. She is also certified as a Nature-Connected Life Coach. Anna’s mission relates to helping heal the human spirit and the natural world through the facilitation of mutually positive experiences between the two and creating and utilizing tools for reflection that invite new behavior.
Anna loves sharing life-enhancing ideas, tools, and practices with others. Her first book is License to Learn: Elevating Discomfort in Service of Lifelong Learning (Atmosphere Press, 2021). She is writing a second book now that includes a big portion on the processes of nature connection: a big topic in this interview. Anna is also progressing toward ‘owning’ the artist title; watercolor and mixed media are her favorites, especially as whimsical expressions of her love of the outdoors. You can see her artwork at annaswitzer.com.
Follow Anna on Instagram and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:Hoffman tool: Recycling
White Sulphur Springs, Hoffman’s old retreat site
Current Hoffman Retreat Sites:
Hoffman Retreat Center in Petaluma, CA
Guest House in Chester, CT
Sanctum, Alberta, Canada
Speaking about Nature and the Hoffman Process:• Dr. Dan Siegel on the Hoffman Podcast
• Trecey Chittenden on the Hoffman Podcast
Quote shared:
“There is more in us than we know if we could be made to see it; perhaps, for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less.” ― Kurt Hahn
The Natural Intelligence Toolkit by Anna
• Practices: Feel the Pull and Wander With a Question
Nature Connection Life Coach
We welcome Lori Raudnask, Operations Manager for Hoffman Institute, Canada, and an international speaker, entrepreneur, and author in her own right, to the Hoffman Podcast.
Lori guides Canadian students through their pre-Process journey and oversees Hoffman Process, Canada operations. She has coached, trained, and mentored thousands worldwide and received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
Lori came to the Process at the suggestion of an acquaintance who had a great experience there. Lori shares how the Hoffman Process was “like a bulldozer going through” her garden, “getting to the root of” her patterns.” It was that life-changing.
As operations manager, Lori is all in on supporting students through the journey of the Process working with them to make sure they’re ready. She’s worked for many years with Canadian graduates through groups she named, Continuing Your Journey. Lori held group meetings in her living room, bringing together graduates of the Process, some of whom hadn’t been contacted for more than twenty-five years. Some even drove two hours to get to these monthly meetings. Hoffman USA has called these meetings Hoffman graduate groups. Hoffman Canada now does the same.
What drives Lori is the desire to serve people and to help them win big in their lives. We hope you enjoy this delightful and informative conversation with Lori and Drew. If you decide to take the Process in Canada, you’ll meet Lori and be glad you have.
More about Lori Raudnask:Lori is an international speaker, entrepreneur, and author who has coached, trained, and mentored thousands worldwide. She has mastered the sales process building a team that generated well over 100 million dollars in direct sales. Lori has launched the careers of hundreds of successful entrepreneurs worldwide. For decades, she has dedicated her life to helping others win big. Lori has produced and hosted the TV, show Persistence Pays, and is the author of Persistence Pays: How getting what you want is easier than you think. She received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and was chosen as Stoney Creek’s Citizen of the Year for her community service. Lori believes that if we are persistent, we can have anything we want; she does mean everything!
Lori’s ultimate goal is to help people live happy, fulfilled lives and bring out the best in themselves. Her role as Operations Manager for Hoffman Institute, Canada, fulfills that dream. She has been married for 42 years has two children Megan and Kyle and is blessed with four grandchildren.
Discover more about Lori and Persistence Pays, here.
As mentioned in this episode:Site of the Canadian Hoffman Process: Sanctum Retreat, Canada
Caroline, Alberta
Calgary, Alberta
The Raven River by Sanctum Retreat
Peter and Maureen Kolassa, previous owners of the Hoffman Process Canada
Grad groups – Canada
Grad groups – US
Liza Ingrasci:
Liza is the CEO of the Hoffman Institute Foundation. She received her BA in Developmental Psychology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1974. Throughout her career, she has held executive positions in national seminar companies, where she was responsible for enrollment and alumni participation. She has been with the Hoffman Institute since 1990.
Ongoing support for graduates of the Process:
US, Canada
1-Day Graduate Refreshers
Toronto, ON: Living Your Vision, November 30, 2024, with Hoffman teachers Barbara Burke and Jamie MacRae.
Single Choice Motherhood
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 hello@thestarfishconnection.org.
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
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.
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…”
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
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.
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
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
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
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
University of San Francisco
The Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco’s Tenderloin District
The Esalen Institute
Joie de Vivre Hotels
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Collective Effervescence
• coined by Émile Durkheim
• Dacher Keltner on Collective Effervescence
The Togetherness Tour
• with Michael Franti, Steven Marley, Trevor Hall, Trombone Shorty, Bombargo
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
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 Brittany, 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 CheckThe 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
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
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
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
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 WeinerMindful 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.
SuperEgo: the part of a person’s mind that acts as a self-critical conscience, reflecting social standards learned from parents and teachers.
Hoffman Terminology:Awareness Hell:
In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. 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.
The Hoffman App (on iPhone):
Your journey to discover your authentic self does not end after the Hoffman course. Rather, it is just the beginning. The Hoffman App is here to support you as you continue this journey, today and far into the future. The app contains guidance, practices, and visualizations to inspire and help you achieve your goals. We like to think of this app as, “Hoffman in your pocket.” It’s available at the App Store.
Right Road, Left Road & the awkward feeling of your new path:Those first steps onto the right road can feel awkward like first learning to ride a bike. Even so, we have to keep stepping forward onto the Right Road as we navigate this new unfamiliar place of connecting to and living from, our Essence, our Spiritual Self. Too often we stay on the Left Road, hanging onto the known familiarity of it despite its cost in our lives.
Visual thinker, author, and Hoffman Process grad Brandy Agerbeck shares her ideas on creativity, visual thinking, and innovative ways to get what’s rustling inside us out onto paper.
Brandy speaks with light-hearted wisdom on creativity: what it is, tools to apply in service to it, and the challenge we face from what she calls the ‘inner and outer critic.’ She’s been in touch with her creative spirit from a very young age, so she holds an approach to creativity stemming from a vast archive of lived experience.
Brandy came to the Process to unload the heavy baggage she carried from her childhood, her mother’s death, and the relationship she had with her father. As an atheist, she had no idea what to make of the idea of a spirit guide. But in the spirit of the Process, she said, “Well, this is uncomfortable. I don’t have an answer for this. So, let’s see who shows up.” This is the openness that Brandy brought to her Process and that she brings to the classes she teaches. You’ll love hearing who showed up in response to this open invitation.
If you’re looking for some great tools, powerful insights, and a generous spirit around creativity and learning to move forward with your creative ideas and dreams, pull out a piece of paper, grab a pen, and settle in for this conversation with Brandy and Liz. You’ll come away with useful, practical tools and nourishment for your Spiritual Self.
More about Brandy Agerbeck:As a child, Brandy immersed herself in drawing for hours. Back then, she drew anything her bucking bronco of a brain could dream up, creating a safe escape between herself and the piece of paper.
Decades later, Brandy Agerbeck still delights in drawing, now as an international speaker and visual thinking pioneer. Built off her 2013 TEDx talk, Shape Your Thinking, Brandy broke down the complex and conceptual skill set into learnable pieces. Bundled together in her latest book, The Idea Shapers: The power of putting your thinking into your own hands, she teaches you visual thinking as your lifelong tool to shush your inner critic, organize your thoughts, and erase overwhelm.
Curious to learn more? Join Brandy at her monthly visual thinking Q+A, Drawing as a Verb.
Discover more about Brandy here. Follow her on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:OTTO
The symbol for OTTO, Brandy’s Spirit Guide, that she had tattooed on her wrist after graduating from the Process.
Visual Thinking
Baby Butler –
Read one woman’s experience with a baby butler.
Graphic Facilitation
Spatial Reasoning
Kinesthetic Learning
Doodle/Doodling
Inner Critic
Quadrinity Check-in/Morning Quad Checks and Evening Appreciation and Gratitude: Join us on Instagram for a daily Quadrinity Check at 8:00 a.m. PT and an Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 p.m. PT.
Neuroanatomist, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, joins Drew on the podcast to share her latest insights on the brain, from the inside out. Occasionally, we host guests who are not Hoffman Process graduates. Dr. Taylor is not a Process graduate but shares vital science and insights about the human journey of transformation. Her knowledge of the brain can guide us to a deep sense of peace through active, personal choice.
With her profound expertise in brain anatomy, Dr. Taylor was able to study her own stroke while it was happening. Over eight years, she slowly worked her way back to full brain functioning. She has come to understand the four parts, or characters (as she calls them) of the brain. Dr. Taylor suggests we get to know each of these characters intimately. She suggests we name them and listen to their needs. When each part is heard, it can lead us to inner peace because every part is understood and valued for what it does and how it feels. This can replace our stress, fear, and anxiety with feelings of joy and peace.
Our brain is designed to help us grow and meet challenges. When we know our brain from the inside out, we can find the deep peace we yearn for. And, we can be part of the change toward lasting peace for everyone. We hope you find this fascinating and insightful conversation with Dr. Taylor and her wisdom a useful tool as you navigate your life.
More about Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor:Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist now affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine. In 1996, she experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Her memoir, My Stroke of Insight, documenting her experience with stroke and eight-year recovery spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list. Her most recent 2021 book is WHOLE BRAIN LIVING: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life.
Dr. Taylor loves educating everyone about the beauty and resiliency of our human brain, and how we can live a more peaceful and satisfying life. In 2008, she gave the first TED talk to go viral on the Internet. Her talk now has well over 29 million views. In 2008, Dr. Taylor was chosen as one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Furthermore, she was the premiere guest on Oprah Winfrey’s “Soul Series” webcast that same year.
Learn more about Dr. Taylor and listen to her many talks on the brain here on her website. Follow her on Facebook. Watch reels on the four parts of the whole brain living on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Schizophrenia
Neuroanatomy
Craniotomy
Left and right Hemispheres – talk by Dr. Taylor
2008 TED talk by Dr. Taylor
Your Left Brain is a Bully – talk by Dr. Taylor
Unleash Your Right Brain – talk by Dr. Taylor
Globally recognized Executive Chef, consultant, and author, Doug McNish, began his amazing career when he was 15 years old. Decades later, after winning numerous accolades and awards, Doug yearned to come to know his true self. When he arrived in Petaluma to do the Hoffman Process in 2023, his highest intention was to find out who he truly is.
Doug’s journey is a story of the transformative power of self-love, determination, and persistence we find within when we are serious about making changes in our lives. Once weighed down by insecurities and unhealthy habits, in his darkest moments, Doug found solace in food and substances, leading to a struggle with obesity and addiction. Even though he didn’t know where it would take him, Doug was serious about changing his life. His work before, at, and after the Process has led him to a place of strength, sobriety, and unwavering self-acceptance.
Doug shares, “No matter how far we’ve strayed from our true selves, redemption is always within reach. With courage, self-love, and a willingness to change, we can rewrite our stories and emerge stronger, happier, and more authentic. We are worthy of a life filled with joy, purpose, and fulfillment.”
Content Warning:Please note that this episode mentions childhood traumatic experiences, addictions, and disordered eating. It is marked explicit for a few f-bombs. It might not be suitable for all listeners.
More about Doug McNish:Doug McNish began honing his skills at the age of 15, quickly learning all the intricacies of the food service industry. Adept in his field, by the age of 20, Doug knew that he needed to make a change after
watching footage of a slaughterhouse. He went vegetarian, and months later adopted a fully vegan lifestyle. He positioned himself as a pioneer in the vegan food movement, courageously aligning his career path with his morals at a time when veganism was relatively unknown.
Since then, Doug has become a globally recognized Executive Chef, consultant, and author. He’s been featured on national and international television, regularly consults, inspires, and educates international audiences, and has authored multiple cookbooks. His bestselling Eat Raw, Eat Well, won a Gourmand Award for the Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the world. Raw, Quick, Delicious, Vegan Everyday, and Comfort Food Recipes for a Vegan Lifestyle all won the Gourmand Award for Best Vegan Cookbook in the World.
In 2017, Now Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards awarded Doug the title of Best Chef in the City in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario. As a pioneer in the vegan movement, Doug’s work has helped make vegan cuisine go mainstream, devoting himself to his vocation and activism in the name of ethics, health, and the environment. Follow Doug on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
As mentioned in this episode:Jamie Oliver
Gordon Ramsey
Kimberly Carroll
Scooter Braun
Jay Shetty
Eckhart Tolle
You’re most likely familiar with Dr. Dan Siegel and his pioneering work to understand the mind and help us live more joyfully. You probably aren’t familiar with his childhood story in which his joy and innocence set in motion the death of something he dearly loved.
When Dan arrived at the Hoffman Process retreat site and stepped out of his car, he was immediately greeted by one of the rabbits who lives on the over 180 acres there. When he saw this rabbit, an array of feelings and sensations swept through his body. A few days later, as Dan’s Process was well underway, a fawn and its mother would open the door wider into the deep work of Dan’s Process.
The Hoffman Process offers a science-based, courageous week of transformation. It’s a week of experiential learning incorporating everything, including the land and everything alive. It opens the door to what Dan calls “the plane of possibility,” also referred to as Love by Dan. With one foot in the practical science and the other in the world that opens us to the spiritual aspects of our nature, we step into the possibility and opportunity to heal what has often followed us nearly our entire lives.
In this nearly-an-hour conversation, Dan shares his journey of studying the mind and the results and insights of his decades of research and practice with his clients. Drew, our host, and Hoffman teacher Marc Kaplan join in for this amazing conversation. Marc was Dan’s teacher at the Process and together they share insights into much of what transpired for Dan. Dan’s deeply delightful and joyful qualities thread their way through this conversation. What a gift.
More about Dr. Dan Siegel:Dr. Dan Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. He is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute which focuses on the development of mindsight and teaches insight, empathy, and integration in individuals, families, and communities.
Dr. Siegel has published extensively for both the professional and lay audiences. His five New York Times bestsellers are: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.: The Whole-Brain Child, and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include Personality and Wholeness in Therapy (coming November 2024), IntraConnected, The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, and Becoming Aware. He’s also written The Yes Brain and The Power of Showing Up with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. Parenting from the Inside Out with Mary Hartzell, and NowMaps with Deena Margolin, LMFT, and NowMaps, Jr.
Dr. Siegel also serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which currently contains over eighty textbooks.
For more information about his educational programs and resources, please visit, DrDanSiegel.com and MindsightInstitute.com. Follow Dr. Siegel on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
More about Marc Kaplan:Marc’s life purpose is to support people in finding and using their authentic voice. In addition to teaching the Hoffman process, Marc is an esteemed music educator, producer, conductor, and coach. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Political Science from The George Washington University.
“The Hoffman methodology is the foundation of my spiritual practice. It helped me discover that I have choices, enabling me to step into my dignity, and live my life from a place of love.”
When Marc first did the Process in 2011, he envisioned being a father, and now he is one. He lives in Westchester County, NY with his wife and two daughters.
As mentioned in this episode:Consilience
• Edward Osborne Wilson “used the term “consilience” to describe the synthesis of knowledge from different specialized fields of human endeavor.”
• E. O. Wilson is the author of Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Attachment Theory
Narrative Scientist
The Role of Narrative in Science
Neuroscience
Dr. Siegel brought 40 scientists together to study and discuss the true nature of Mind.
What’s the difference between the brain and mind?
Mental Chaos, Rigidity, and Integration
• Finding Flow Between Chaos and Rigidity
• Exploring Chaos and Rigidity in the Self
Complex Systems
Emergent Properties
Systems Thinking
Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)
John O’Donohue, Poet and Philosopher
The Wheel of Awareness
• The Hub Practice
• The Plane of Possibility and Childhood Trauma
Dan’s book about the Process – Soul and Synapse – is not yet published.
Darla Murray Loomis has been a seeker for much of her life, traveling the world to find what she longed to find. Each place she went, she found something meaningful. But, Darla didn’t find what she was looking for out in the world – she found it within, what Darla calls this treasure inside herself.
When Darla came to the Hoffman Process, she’d already found this treasure. What brought her to the Process was the realization that she had emotions stuck inside ready to be set free. Darla was ready to free herself through the work of the Process!
Through the work of the Process, the cathartic work, especially, Darla found the freedom she was looking for. She took the opportunity afforded by the strong container of the Process to acknowledge, feel, and express her anger. Darla came to respect her anger and know that it has a purpose.
Darla shares how doing the Hoffman Process “unclogged the channel“, the channel through which the divine source expresses itself through her. As an artist and creative, she keenly knows the need to keep this channel open.
This is a truth-telling conversation about how difficult it can be to live a surrendered life, be authentic, and speak the truth of your being. This is Darla’s intention. She speaks of it with sincerity and humility.
More about Darla Murray Loomis:Darla Murray Loomis has created nurturing, creative spaces and places in the beauty and spa industry in small businesses for over three decades. She’s a third-generation entrepreneur in her family. As a successful business owner, author and artist Darla has been a leader, teacher, and mentor inspiring other women to honor their feminine heart to guide a profitable business, and to create workplaces that create harmony between people, the planet, and profits for the business of life. Darla lives by the clarity of her example, demonstrating a balance between work, family, self-care, fun, and exploration.
Darla is a teacher and mentor empowering women creatives and entrepreneurs. She has traveled the world studying different spiritual traditions to continue her transformation and healing. She loves sharing the way, through her personal adventures and transformational journey to inspire others to create a life they can call their own, while authentically recovering our voices and self-expression. Darla explores her deepest and truest self through the art of play and creativity. Darla believes all that nurtures strengthens. She lives in Telluride, Colorado, with Peter, her husband of 23 years. She loves art, mountain biking, hiking, and traveling. Find out more about Darla at TruthBeautySpirit.com.
As mentioned in this episode:Ah Haa School for the Arts in Telluride, CO
The movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Feminine/Masculine or Yin/Yang Sides of Creativity
Quote Drew references:
“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it.
“It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” ― Martha Graham, American modern dancer, and choreographer.
Flow-state, named by the psychologistMihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1970.
“Surrendering to the arms of the creative.“
Writing that came out of Darla’s meditation.
A Blended Family
Shamanism
Mother Meera and the Power of Silence:
Our Lady of Medjugorje, Bosnia Herzegovina.
• Virgin Mother apparitions
Darla’s Art:Darla refers to this image called River of Tears in the episode.
Patricia Martin, a 1998 graduate of the Hoffman Process, has spent 30 years studying people and ideas that change the culture. She is the podcast host of Jung in the World. and is at the forefront of curating ideas of technology, culture, and humanity. Listen in as Patricia and Liz converse about the Hoffman Process, the healing that happens when we bend toward the Light, and how resiliency is the medicine for our chaotic times.
Patricia came to the Process because she saw, firsthand, how a friend had changed by doing the Process. She saw her friend’s radiance and wanted to “have what she was having.” She says she arrived at the Process “on her knees.”
Using a metaphor of growth and photosynthesis, Patricia speaks eloquently of the nature of the Process and the Light. When enough patterns, stories, beliefs, and identities are transformed, the true nature of who we are can find the Light again. What Patricia recalls was the most healing during her Process was finally being able to grieve the death of her father who died when she was 10. Her mother became very depressed and Patricia became a parentified child – expected to take on parental duties at too young an age.
As someone who has studied ideas that change the culture for decades, Patricia notes the chaotic nature of these times. She says that we are going through “the death of meaning” right now. This is what happens right before a renaissance – or re-birth – takes place. Patricia suggests that we can navigate these times with more serenity if we clear away the debris from our inner world. In short, what we do at the Process, is this clearing away. It is this death and rebirth that paves the way for a personal renaissance in our lives.
More about Patricia Martin:Patricia Martin has spent 30 years studying people and ideas that change the culture. Currently, her focus is on the digital culture and our changing sense of self. She is the author of three non-fiction books on cultural trends and holds an MFA in writing from Bennington College and an MA in Irish Culture and Literature from the University College, Dublin. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Slate, PBS, and Huffington Post. She is certified in medical narrative from Duke University.
Patricia is a graduate of the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago where she teaches writing and hosts the popular podcast Jung in the World.
You can discover more about Patricia at Patricia-Martin.com and Wikipedia, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter(X).
Patricia’s Books:
Made Possible By: Succeeding with Sponsorship (2003)
RenGen: Renaissance Generation – The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What it Means to Your Business (2007)
Tipping the Culture: How engaging Millennials will change things (2010)
As mentioned in this episode:Parentification (Parentized)
Bob Hoffman’s Negative Love (Download PDF)
Grief and Children
Photosynthesis
Cultural Archetypes
American Library Association
• The Network of Public Libraries in America (larger than McDonalds franchise)
• Installed base of information exchange
Vinton (Vint) Cerf: A father of the Internet
Al Gore
Bill Gates
25 Communities – Bringing Main Street to the Information SuperHighway
NY Times 1994 article
1994 Research Paper Information SuperHighways
European Renaissance:
The Last Mass Cultural Outpouring of Creativity before now, according to Patricia Martin.
Rome, Italy
Sistine Chapel
Social Conditions that existed just before the Renaissance
One of the rules of a Renaissance: Death comes first –
• The Dark Ages
• The Plague
Systems of Meaning
The Ancient Layers of Rome
Christopher Lasch, author of The Culture of Narcissism
Jung Quote:
“At the bottom of every life there is a task and when we address it our lives can move in a new direction.” CC Jung
When Os Alvarez speaks of the newfound emotional intimacy he now knows in his relationships and the power of living from his heart, you can feel the depth of his heart as he speaks. Os had a profoundly life-changing experience at the Hoffman Process in 2019. As he saw the effect that his childhood patterns had on his childhood and adult life, he came to find great compassion for the beauty of the child that still lives within him. Os now brings the power of this intimacy to his work as a personal and business strategist.
The son of a prominent Venezuelan politician whose name he was given, Os shares stories of the difficulties he experienced growing up in this environment. While his family was very loving and supportive, life was challenging growing up under these circumstances. As an adult, these patterns eventually caused what Os calls existential suffering.
In 2014, Os divorced. In 2015, his best friend and business partner, a person he loved and was very close to, died from cancer. Before these events, he experienced a panic attack for the first time. But these two losses pushed Os to start on a journey. He began to meditate. He went to Costa Rica to try Ahyuasca. And then, he found the Hoffman Process. Os shares that during the weekend after the Process, he felt his heart fully open. But even more than this, the Process gave him a framework and tools to take into his life moving forward so he could continue the work to transform patterns and come to appreciate seeing his blind spots.
If you ask Os what the most profound change is in his life now, it is his relationships – the people and the intimacy in them. He recently married again, and on that day he felt gratitude for these beautiful, emotionally intimate relationships.
This podcast is about bringing the transformation we experienced during the Process into our lives so that this transformation can radiate into the greater world. Os’ story is a beautiful example of Love’s Everyday Radius.
More about Os Alvarez:Os Alvarez is more than just a personal and business strategist; he’s a companion on your journey to success and fulfillment. With a deep-seated commitment to helping founders and entrepreneurs flourish both in business and in life, Os brings a unique blend of authenticity and expertise to the table. His own transformative experience, transitioning from a scripted life fueled by ambition to one imbued with meaning and purpose, catalyzed by the loss of his closest friend, ignited a passion for guiding others toward their truest selves. As co-founder of The Real Authentic Way, Goodness Education, and The Local Leaders Collective, Os creates spaces where individuals can authentically connect and thrive.
Os serves as a trusted coach for members of esteemed organizations like Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), while also lending his guidance as an Endeavor Miami Mentor. A graduate of Yale University with an MBA in Finance and Strategy, Os resides in Miami, where his dedication to holistic growth and genuine connection permeates every aspect of his work.
Follow Os on Instagram and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:Psychedelics
Ayahuasca
Costa Rica
Os’ Father
Panic attack
Victim Consciousness (Mentality) –
• Unraveling the Mindset of Victimhood
Chopra Center
Meditation
Rhythmia Center, Costa Rica
Quote Os mentioned:
“I inherited half my father’s friends and all his enemies.” — George W. Bush
The Local Leaders Collective in Miami
Brené Brown
Ian Salvage, Os’ Hoffman teacher/coach
Hoffman Tools Mentioned:
Trigger and going within.
Compassion and Non-Judgment.
Contraction and Dark Side -Using a flashlight within.
Check out these Hoffman tools, practices, and audio tools
Kevin Rempel, 2014 Paralympic bronze medalist in sledge hockey, is today’s guest. Listen in as Kevin shares his incredible life story and the wisdom he’s gained.
Kevin was paralyzed in a Motocross accident when he was 23. He was never supposed to walk again, but, as he says, he made it to his feet to walk again with a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work. Four years earlier, his father, was paralyzed in a hunting accident. His father severed his spinal cord, making it impossible for him to walk again. Kevin thought that he and his father would draw closer together after his accident; instead, it drove them further apart. Kevin came to understand that what was happening was a negative love relationship with his father. This discovery prompted him to attend and complete the Hoffman Process.
Driven to be different from his father, Kevin worked hard in his drive to walk again. It ultimately took him four years to fully stand and walk on his own, day in and day out. You’ll hear a lot of love, understanding, and wisdom in Kevin’s story about his father. He shares how his attitude toward and understanding of his father changed after the Process. Kevin’s transformation comes from seeing that his father was a good Dad, yet he had patterns. It is a testament to Bob Hoffman’s words, “Everyone is guilty, no one is to blame.”
Kevin realized his second chance at life wasn’t from learning to walk again. Instead, his second chance came when he learned to love himself and live as someone who truly loves himself.
Discover more about Kevin Rempel:Kevin Rempel is a 2014 Paralympic bronze medalist in sledge hockey.
After being paralyzed at the age of 23, Kevin not only learned how to walk again, but overcame the mental battle of both depression and living with a disability to rebuild his life, and eventually reach the Paralympic podium in sledge hockey.
Kevin is an expert in change management, mental health, and resilience, delivering his inspirational message about adopting The Hero Mindset, where you focus on small things that make a big difference to help you too, become a hero in your own story. Kevin is the author of, Still Standing: When You Have Every Reason To Give Up, Keep Going.
In addition to corporate presentations, Kevin is also a business coach for athletes and leaders using strategies from The Hero Mindset Blueprint to help build confidence, adopt healthy and predictable patterns, and accept radical responsibility in cultivating a confident and empowered mindset to drive results and embrace change.
Discover more about Kevin here. Follow Kevin on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:David Neagle, Business Coach
Motocross
Negative Love Relationship with Parents:
Described in A Path to Personal Freedom and Love. Download PDF.
Kevin’s Valentine’s Day post on Instagram.
Kevin shares his full-sleeve tattoo on Instagram, which contains themes from his Process.
Kevin’s experience at the Hoffman Process:
https://kevinrempel.com/blog/the-hoffman-process-seven-days-to-change-a-lifetime/
In 1991, James Flaherty, MCC, founder of New Ventures West, graduated from the Hoffman Process in Virginia.
After completing the Process, both James and his wife, Stacy, began to sponsor the Process in Virginia. They found the retreat site, enrolled people, scheduled the teachers, and transported them to the retreat site. They did this for six Processes over a few years. As James says, they were, and still are, deeply committed to the Hoffman Process.
Often, our hosts ask our guests if there was a pivotal moment in the Process that has stayed with them. For James, it was when he had an epiphany about the gifts he knew he had to offer to this world. When he heard his teacher tell him that he was a powerful person, he felt a weight drop from his shoulders. He realized he could give his gifts to the world in a “better way.”
James walks us through the kind of coaching training that New Ventures West offers. He articulates beautifully what happens to our hearts when we are young, how heartache can squash our innate goodness, scarring us so our goodness can not get out into the world. James offers how healing it is when we act for the sake of others. In doing so, we receive much in return. With loving generosity, James thanks Hoffman staff and faculty for all they do to support this powerfully transformative work offered through the Hoffman Institute. Thank you, James.
We hope you enjoy this heart-opening conversation with James and Sharon.
More about James Flaherty:James Flaherty, MCC, founder of New Ventures West, is the author of the seminal text, Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others. He has developed a uniquely effective approach to adult education by integrating discoveries in linguistics, developmental psychology, sociology, philosophy, and biology into the practical and customized methodology known as Integral Coaching®. He coaches executives, managers, and leaders throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
James lives in San Francisco with his wife and has an adult daughter whom he adores. In addition to being a voracious reader, he practices yoga and qigong. James owns a large collection of CDs, mostly in the classical, rock, and jazz genres. He enjoys theatre and travel. He is a longtime Zen student, studying with Norman Fischer of Everyday Zen.
You can find out more about James on his website and on LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:New Ventures West, founded in 1987
The Vagus Nerve
Some research from Boston College about mentors and mentoring and people dedicated to assisting others had much more happen for them than those who were not. (10:39 marker)
Fernando Flores, Chilean engineer, entrepreneur, and politician.
Chelsea Javier, actor, writer, and filmmaker, has always been a creative person and visual artist. But she was also risk averse. She stayed in jobs that were close to what she wanted rather than the real thing – until she did the Hoffman Process in May 2018.
In her early to mid-twenties, Chelsea went through what she calls a dark period.* During this time, she moved back to her family home and sought the help she needed. As she began to transition to a new life, in one of those ‘sliding door’ moments as she calls it, she met her now-husband, Paul. He had, just two days prior, completed the Hoffman Process.
Two years later, Chelsea did the Process. There’s a beautiful back-and-forth between Chelsea and Drew about the Process itself, and the experience of trusting yourself. As Chelsea shares, through her work at the Process, she discovered that there truly is no limit to how deeply you can feel, heal, and live. She knows how to handle rejection with strength and resiliency and she’s not afraid to reach for what she wants.
Chelsea is also a past Hoffman Mandala contest winner. The 2024 Mandala Contest is currently open until February, 29th. If you’re interested in submitting your art, check out the Mandala Contest theme, rules, and submission guidelines.
*Content warning, please use discretion:
In this episode, our guest speaks about her history of depression and periods of suicidal ideation. We understand that this sensitive topic may not be right for all listeners. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out to a local mental health hotline or emergency services. Remember, you are not alone, and there is help available.
Suicide Resources* National 988 Crisis Line – call or text 988, or chat 988lifeline.org * Crisis Textline: text TALK to 741741 * Trevor Project: text START to 678-678, call 866-488-7368 (support for LGBTQ youth) * Veterans Crisis Line: Call 800-273-8255 or text 838255 * Disaster Distress Helpline: Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746
More about Chelsea Javier:Chelsea Javier is an actor, writer, and filmmaker living in Los Angeles with her husband Paul Sprangers, their rescue bunnies Hammy and Yoshi, and their giant sulcata tortoise Lou. They co-run their production company American Lagomorph and released their first feature film, Smile or Hug, (starring Chelsea opposite Danny Trejo, directed by Paul), on Amazon, Apple TV, and Tubi, last year. Chelsea recently appeared on the CW show Walker and dreams of being a series regular on a dramedy TV show like Six Feet Under (her favorite show!).
Chelsea completed the Hoffman Process in 2018 and was not working in entertainment (aka following her dreams!) before doing the Process. She previously worked as an art teacher and often writes about art and teaching life in her scripts now. Outside of work, she loves spending time with family and friends at the beach, roller skating, traveling, and conversing about mental health.
Follow Chelsea on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Hoffman Q2 Intensive: Beyond Mom & Dad
Lou:
• Chelsea’s Giant Sulcata Tortoise named Lou.
• anthropomorphize: verb, attribute human characteristics or behavior to (a god, animal, or object).
Hoffman Process teachers mentioned:
• Jane Biondi, Retired
• Barbara Comstock – Listen to Barbara on the Hoffman Podcast
Couples Coaching:
Flexible, one-to-one phone or Zoom coaching with a certified Hoffman Coach.
Brené Brown on joy being the most difficult and terrifying emotion to feel.
Graduate Groups:
Glendale/Pasadena/Montrose Area, California
Leader: Monica Lomenzo
Danny Trejo in Chelsea and Paul’s first feature film, Smile or Hug.
Danny plays the role of Dr. Hoffman Garcia. (Chelsea’s Easter egg leading to Hoffman)
We kick off season 8 of the podcast with an uplifting, truth-telling conversation with Brooke Baldwin. TV host, documentary director, journalist, bestselling author, and Hoffman grad, Brooke finally shares the truth of what happened when she left CNN and the transformational journey she embarked on shortly thereafter.
When Brooke left CNN, her heart cracked open and she set off on a transformational journey. She found her way to the Hoffman Process in January 2023. Brooke describes her experience at Hoffman as the Big KaBANG of her transformation. Now, she can see that things happened, and are happening, for her rather than to her.
Just shy of two months after Brooke left Hoffman, she traveled to the Dominican Republic to shoot her new reality TV show, The Trust. With her Hoffman experience still fresh, Brooke showed up with Light streaming from her chest and found herself bringing the language of Hoffman and patterns directly to reality TV.
One lovely highlight of this episode is how, together, Brooke and Sharon explore and reframe recurring patterns in Brooke’s life. Listen in as Brooke beautifully reframes her patterns in real-time with Sharon.
Welcome to season 8 of the Hoffman Podcast. We hope you enjoy this dynamic episode.
**Please note that this episode is marked explicit because it contains a couple of F-bombs and might not be right for everyone.
More about Brooke Baldwin:Brooke Baldwin is a TV host, documentary director, journalist, bestselling author, and Hoffman grad. Brooke most recently hosted a TV series called The Trust which you can currently watch on Netflix. For over a decade, she anchored her own live daily news show on CNN. She was renowned for her versatility, authenticity, and humanity at the news desk. Brooke is also the author of the bestselling book Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power, redefining the ‘huddle’ to explore how women lean on one another to provide support, empowerment, inspiration, and the strength to enact meaningful change.
Brooke splits her time between New York City and Los Angeles. She is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a dual degree in Journalism and Spanish.
Follow Brooke on Instagram and TikTok.
As mentioned in this episode:CNN
Dominican Republic
The Trust, Netflix
Brooke’s Book, Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power
Brené Brown
• Candle Blower-Outers
For our season 7 finale episode, we’re taking you behind the scenes with co-host Drew Horning and executive producer Julie Daley. The idea came about when Drew and Julie met in person for the first time the day after Thanksgiving – over three and a half years after starting this podcast together. It’s pretty amazing that people can work together so closely to create something near and dear to them, and have never met in person.
But the real story is why the podcast came into being, to begin with. It has to do with you, our listeners, graduates of the Process. In the first few months of the pandemic, the podcast was just one of a slew of new projects initiated by the Institute in service of staying connected to and supporting our graduate community. Along with others, Drew and Julie came together to brainstorm how to create the first Hoffman Institute podcast in April 2020. Sound engineer, Walt Hubis, joined us and in the middle of May 2020, after releasing our first three episodes of the Podcast, we were off and running with the release of our fourth episode. In time, both Sharon Mor and Liz Severin joined as co-hosts. We’d found our team.
We hope you enjoy learning a bit about how all this came together and the “why” behind what makes doing this so meaningful for us. Happy New Year to you and yours. The Hoffman Podcast will return with season 8 in February 2024. We look forward to sharing conversations with a whole new group of graduates with you.
About Drew Horning:Drew Horning is a former licensed private practice psychotherapist with a Master’s in clinical work from the University of Michigan. He is trained in EMDR, Mediation and Dispute Resolution, Gottman Couples Counseling, and Brené Brown’s Daring Way. He also hosts a podcast on relationships and coached high school basketball. Drew published his book, Grappling: White Men’s Journey from Fragile to Agile, in May 2021.
Drew values his role in calling forth students’ courage and supporting them on their healing journey. He recalls how amazed he was at the speed of change during the week of his Process. “Sure, there was work to do once the week was over; but I was able to tap into parts of myself and what I wanted for my life in ways that I had never experienced before … despite years of therapy.”
Drew lives in Boulder, CO with his wife of over 20 years, Genny, and their two children.
About Julie Daley:Julie Daley is the executive producer of the Hoffman Podcast. It is her great joy to work in support of the Hoffman Process. Julie did her Process in August 2002. There, she experienced deep, abiding love and boundless joy. Julie left knowing she had been deeply transformed.
A graduate of Stanford University, Julie is also a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) and a certified teacher of Creativity in Business, a course originally taught at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Julie loves supporting others in coming home to their Essence and finding their courage to share this essential, creative nature with the world. Julie enjoys artistic expression through writing prose and poetry, dancing, painting, and photography. She is the author of Here: Poems, Prose, and Photography.
Julie lives in the Bay Area and is a grandmother to six beautiful, treasured human beings.
As mentioned in this episode:Walt Hubis, Sound Engineer for the Hoffman Podcast
• Listen to Walt on the Hoffman Podcast
Sharon Mor, Hoffman Podcast co-host
• Listen to Sharon and Drew on the Hoffman Podcast
Liz Severin, Hoffman Podcast co-host
• Listen to Liz on the Hoffman Podcast
Jason-Aeric Huenecke, Hoffman Process Graduate, and Podcast guest
• Listen to Jason-Aeric on the Hoffman Podcast
Jack Rafferty, Hoffman Process Graduate, and Podcast guest
• Listen to Jack on the Hoffman Podcast
Ian Salvage, Hoffman Process teacher, and coach; Hoffman Podcast 100th episode guest
• Listen to Ian on the Hoffman Podcast
Hoffman Essentials 2-Day Virtual course
• Listen to the Hoffman Essentials Podcast Episode
Sadie Hannah, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, shares with us her experience of profound transformation in the Hoffman Process as well as navigating the transformation she has continued to experience since. Her story reveals the richness, beauty, and possibility available on the other side of suffering.
Content Warning: this episode contains sensitive content that details the near death of a child. It may not be suitable for all listeners.
As a 31-year-old mother of two when she came to the Hoffman Process, Sadie felt broken. She’d experienced the life-changing near death of her four-year-old son and her resuscitation of him by doing CPR. As she tells us, her son survived, but the experience shattered her sense of self as a mother. In one pivotal moment during the Process while deep in her expressive work, Sadie experienced the profound realization that no matter how angry, uncontrolled, and messy she got, the Light remained. Regardless of how upset and disappointed she was with herself, she knew she was worthy of love and knew she remained connected to the Light.
Sadie connects her realizations about the nature of suffering with her early days of training to be a nurse practitioner. Then, she hoped to avoid feeling others’ suffering. Now, through the transformation she’s experienced, she opens to the suffering in our world as a conscious decision. As a Hoffman Process teacher, Sadie guides her students with the same vulnerability and love she so clearly embodies in this conversation. We hope this heartfelt conversation with Sadie and Drew opens you to a more conscious relationship with what lies on the other side of suffering.
More about Sadie Hannah:Sadie Hannah holds a Masters in Science from the University of California, San Francisco. After a 20-year history in Western medicine, she is committed to helping clients move beyond their most fundamental challenges (learned behavior). Sadie is a member of the teaching faculty at the Hoffman Institute and medical staff at Stanford Children’s Hospital. She works with groups and individuals to bring about transformational change on a personal and organizational level.
As mentioned in this episode:Stanford Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oncology
PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Costa Rica
• Monkeys of Costa Rica
Hoffman Institute teacher training
Today, we change things up a bit. While we usually focus on the full Hoffman Process, today’s episode illuminates our 2-day Hoffman Essentials program. Join Drew and Jessie, Tiffany, Katy, and Marta, for this in-depth reflection on their journey through the Hoffman Essentials program. They each have a moving story that brought them to the Essentials program and each came for different reasons. What you will hear from them is how this powerful virtual work brings profound gifts of healing we hadn’t yet heard articulated in such beautiful ways.
In the early days of the Pandemic, Hoffman faculty and staff got to work creating. We were clear that the work of transformation afforded by the Process must continue even as the world was shutting down. But, after over 5o years of the Process being done in person, could elements of the Process and the promise of transformation they hold, work in a virtual setting? Could people, strangers in real life, come together and, after two days, realize how much they have in common and lean on the essentials of the Hoffman Process and their commonality for personal inner growth? As you’ll hear Drew say, the answer is a resounding, YES!
Our guests speak to many of these. They mention the Quadrinity and how to access each of the four parts. They share how they’ve transformed conditioned ways of reacting and thinking. Self-compassion is a key piece to this weekend of learning and growing. Some speak of the healing they found in the specific places in their home where they did the course, or outside during the Self-forgiveness guided exercise they were given. You can hear self-kindness and self-acceptance in their stories. There is a clear sense of love for where they are in their healing journey and their lives.
The Hoffman Essentials programHoffman Essentials is a live, virtual 2-day Hoffman Essentials program where Hoffman teachers guide students through experiential activities, individual assignments, and engaging discussions to bring more understanding, love, and aliveness to your life. The experiences and learning from this program are designed to provide useful tools and practices you can carry with you for a lifetime. As Marta shares, the Essentials program is a “great way to ask for help.”
With a consistent 5-6 month waiting list to attend the week-long Process in the US, our Hoffman Essentials program supports those who cannot or don’t want to wait to begin the work of change. We are grateful to our guests for sharing their stories of transformation through this program.
Discover more about the 2-day Hoffman Essentials virtual program.
Meet our guests:Jessie WeiDr. Jessie Wei is a mother to two amazing sons. She’s also an integrative and functional medicine doctor and a former OB/GYN who had the great privilege and honor of taking care of thousands of women over seventeen years. Jessie is the author of two books about returning to wholeness and true love.
Tiffany KomasaraRev. Tiffany Komasara, J.D., M. Div. is a non-profit professional with over 25 years of experience leading, advising, and working for religious and social service groups, schools, and arts organizations. Tiffany currently serves as pastor of Boulevard Presbyterian Church in Grandview Heights, Ohio. There, she regularly uses mindfulness practices, self-awareness, and cognitive therapies in her ministry.
Katy GraingerKaty is a mother of two adult daughters and is married to her high school sweetheart. She lives in Hawaii. Five years ago, Katy lost both her lower legs and seven fingertips to septic shock. Katy now shares her story to spread sepsis awareness.
Marta CampanellaMarta Campanella, whose friends describe her as sunshine, is a mom to her 10-year-old son. She loves her job selling Real Estate in Naples, FL; her other passion is teaching and practicing yoga. Marta is always up for adventure and travel, and if she can bring her sweet dog Harold along, it’s a bonus.
As mentioned in this episode:A Medium article by Duncan Riach where he mentions the Hoffman Process.
Sepsis and Amputation Information (shared on Katy’s website).
It takes 90 seconds for an emotion to pass.
Compassion fatigue during Covid in the caring professions.
Tibetan Buddhism
Pema Chödrön
Hoffman tools and vocabulary:Hoffman Tools
The Quadrinity – The intellect, emotional self, body, and Spiritual Self.
Left Road/Right Road – Making a choice (download the PDF).
Hoffman’s Cycle of Transformation
Morning Quad Checks and Evening Appreciation and Gratitude: Join us on Instagram for a daily Quadrinity Check at 8:00 a.m. PT and an Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 p.m. PT.
Recycling – a tool to transform a negative pattern into a positive alternative.
Guided Imagery – words and music to bring forward imagery to bring about some beneficial effect.
The Hoffman App: Hoffman Daily Practice Meditations and Visualizations
Hoffman webclass calendar
The Parenting class mentioned by Marta:
Parenting with Mindfulness (a two-part series) In this two-part parenting webclass series, the first session focuses on awareness and identifying patterns and challenges that sabotage your intentions as a parent, and taking power from the undermining voice of your Dark Side. In the second session, we explore how you can take care of your own needs with self-love and compassion so that you can meet the challenges of parenting as a resilient adult.
Stella Horgan, beloved UK Hoffman Process teacher and so much more, shares with us this wide-arching, panoramic view of her singular life. Stella calls upon us to heal and find our full glorious potential as human beings, reminding us we are valid and that we are in the driver’s seat of our lives.
Content warning: This episode contains explicit material and may not be suitable for all listeners.
Stella takes us across time, lands, cultures, and the many lives she has lived all in this one lifetime. She begins in South Africa, her beloved homeland in the painful years of apartheid and the way those years shaped her.
Stella travels to Australia and shares with us a bit about her ten years living there. While there, Stella found the Hoffman Process. She came to the Process in the early ’00s with a desire to heal. Stella shares with us the powerful, transformational apex of her Process when she experienced knowing she is loved and valid exactly as she is. She left the Process knowing she wanted to become a Hoffman teacher, which she did there in Australia, beginning her journey to be a part of the healing of this world.
We then journey with Stella back to her beloved South Africa and the majestic white lions, women’s healing and empowerment, and permaculture education. Since becoming a teacher, Stella has taught the Process in Australia, the UK, Canada, and the US.
Stella shares stories about the era of apartheid in South Africa and how it affected her and her future life trajectory. She has dedicated her life, personally and professionally, to healing trauma and shame. You will be deeply moved by Stella’s stories and words of hard-won wisdom about the inherent worth and validity of every human being.
More about Stella Horgan:Stella Horgan is an artist, Director of South African impact NPO Zingela Ulwazi Trust (ZUT), a Senior Supervising Facilitator of the Hoffman Process (UK), a board member of the Australian wildlife advocacy group For the Love of Wildlife,and a coach, facilitator of groups, and workshops. She lives between the UK and South Africa.
In 2022, Stella and the ZUT team created the first Centre for Women’s Independence in Acornhoek, Mpumalanga, South Africa, offering learning experiences to rural women in Food Security (permaculture/regenerative practice), Livelihood Security (small enterprise development), Personal Security (self-defense skills to respond to and prevent harassment and assault), all woven through with Stress Reduction techniques. They formed a thrilling partnership in 2022 with American Zach Bush and his Farmer’s Footprint addressing food security, nutritional diversity, and regenerative practice, through permaculture and planting a food and medicine forest of 2000 trees in a denuded local village.
Stella has worked with dozens of Civil Society organizations in urban and rural contexts addressing environmental and human rights issues. She is fuelled by her love of nature and guided and enriched by her work with the Hoffman Process. Her main mission is to find ways to rebalance human life with nature to create regenerative, happy ways of living where all may thrive.
Enjoy Stella Horgan’s artwork here. Discover more about Stella and Zingela Ulwazi Trust (ZUT). Follow Stella on Instagram and Facebook.
As mentioned in this episode:Stella has taught the Hoffman Process in Australia, the UK, Canada, and the US. (Pictured is a US Hoffman teaching team with (bottom row, L-R) Lecia Arye, Stella, Amy Thompson, Aerin Lim, Searl Vetter, and Drew Horning (top).
Johannesburg, South Africa
Apartheid
Apartheid, the History
White Supremacy
Christian Nationalism
Bright Blue “Weeping” Original Music Video
“It wasn’t roaring, it was weeping.”
Hillbrow, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa
The Anti-Apartheid Movement in the 1990s
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The Soul’s Code, by James Hillman
Thembisa, South Africa
Hoffman Process Australia Team
Volker Krohn – Founder, Director, Supervising Facilitator, Hoffman Australia
– Listen to Volker on the Hoffman Podcast
Craig Tunnell – Supervising Facilitator, Hoffman Australia
Kerri Chinner – Supervising Facilitator, Hoffman Australia
The Dandenongs (and the old-growth forest) outside Melbourne, Australia
Bob Hoffman
School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE), Australia
Hoffman Teacher Training
Interspecies Communication
Global White Lion Protection Trust
Kruger National Park, Timbavati Game Reserve
Linda Tucker – Keeper of the White Lions
White Lions – the Guardians of Life, An Apex Predator
Acornhoek, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Permaculture
Sekwannele Self-defense – “Enough is Enough”10 Trees – Zach Bush – Regenerative Agriculture
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Calico fabric, Embroidery thread
Baboons of the African Bush
Drakensberge (Dragon’s) Mountains:
“The Afrikaans name Drakensberge comes from the name the earliest Dutch settlers gave to the escarpment, namely Drakensbergen, or Dragons’ Mountains.”
The Blyde River Canyon
(aka Motlatse): “The name Motlatse is said to predate the name Blyde and means ‘a river that is always full’ in the sePulana dialect of Northern Sotho.”
Zingela Ulwazi Team (ZUT):
Trygive Nxumalo, Permaculture Educator
Lillian Marule, Community Liaison, Manager of the Centre for Women’s Independence
Agnes Rapau, Education Program Manager
Becky Harmon, Special Projects Co-ordinator
Hoffman Institute, UK
Hoffman UK and Anti-Racism: Our Statement of Intent
Serena Gordan, Hoffman UK Managing Director, co-founder and Process facilitator
– Listen to Serena on the Hoffman Podcast
Diversity and Inclusion
Horgan: “… is a surname of Irish origin. The origins of the name lie in County Cork, Ireland; the name translates to Warrior or Champion.”
David Fishof is an American music producer, sports agent, and the founder and CEO of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Listen in as David weaves his stories, shares his big heart, and guides us through his Hoffman Process transformation.
In 1999, David came to the Process to understand why he couldn’t “keep his marriage.” He was successful in his career and knew, in his heart, that he was a good guy. His parents had been married for 50 years and yet, he’d been unable to save his marriage. David wanted answers and he was willing to do whatever it took to find those answers.
Between the time he turned in his pre-work and arrived for his Process, David’s father passed away. Upon Raz Ingrasci’s urging (David’s Process teacher), David decided not to postpone his Process knowing that it would be a potent time to do the deep work he was ready for. David had a wonderful relationship with his father. Even so, he was able to come up with a large number of traits that he’d adopted from his dad. Transforming these helped guide him closer to the answers he was seeking.
Eventually, David came to see and know more clearly the passionate man he has always been. By healing the pain of his past, the confusion that had clouded his true passions cleared. He stepped into work that fed his passion and started the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. And, he deepened his faith, discovering he could weave his Quadrinity Check into his daily prayers.
A fabulous storyteller, boy does David have stories to tell about the world of Rock and Roll, the power of the element of surprise, and so much more. Please enjoy this conversation steeped in the power of storytelling and vibrant vulnerability.
Discover more about David Fishof:David Fishof is an American music producer, sports agent, and the founder and CEO of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. Born and raised in New York City, David began his career representing acts in the Catskill Mountains. He became a sports agent, representing Phil Simms, Lou Piniella, Randy Myers, among others. While he was working as a sports agent, David began to also produce live rock and roll tours working with Ringo Starr, The Monkees, Roger Daltrey, and many other popular acts.
David has been recognized as a creative and innovative force in the entertainment industry with a career spanning over four decades. David’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp allows everyday people to play alongside world-renowned rock stars. His camp reflects David’s deep passion and appreciation for the transformative power of music in people’s lives, both personally and professionally. Rock Camp: The Movie, illustrates David’s impact on the world of rock music.
David has written three books, Putting It on The Line, a book about his experiences in the world of sports and entertainment, Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn From The Business of Rock and Roll, and Rock Camp: An Oral History: 25 Years of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp.
Learn more about David and Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Read more about David here and here. You can learn more about Comedy Fantasy Camp on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Rock and Roll Tours:
Happy Together,
Dirty Dancing,
The Monkees – ’86, and
Ringo’s All-Star Band
Comedy Fantasy Camp with Jay Leno, Adam Carolla
Practical joke (on YouTube) played on David Fishof by the All-Starr Band.
Rockers and actors mentioned:
Ringo Starr (All-Starr Band) (Yellow Submarine)
Joe Walsh (the Eagles)
Bruce Springsteen
Mickey Dolenz
Nils Lofgren (E Street Band)
Clarence Clemons, aka The Big Man
“Levon” Helm (the Band)
Jim Keltner
John Denver
Billy Preston
Nick Mason (Pink Floyd)
Paul McCartney (Something)
The Living Years:
Listen to The Living Years
Mike and the Mechanics
Paul Carrack, lead singer
Bournemouth, England
Abbey Road
Doug Blush, Director Rock Camp: The Movie
Amidha – Jewish daily prayer
Rabbi
Cantor
The Holocaust:
Auschwitz
Buchenwald
Hoffman and David through the years:David with Raz Ingrasci and Ed McClune in 2012 on VoiceAmerica.
• Other guests on Hoffman’s Radio Shows
Read Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul:
Interview with David Fishof for our October 2008 newsletter, the Light News.
Hoffman tools, teachers, and terminology as mentioned in this episode:Hoffman graduate retreats:
Graduate (weekend) Q2 Intensive
Hoffman Couples Retreat
Relationship Intensive
Liza Ingrasci, Hoffman CEO and Board Member
Raz Ingrasci, Founder, HIF, Board Member, Hoffman teacher (listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast)
Ed McClune, Hoffman teacher and coach (listen to Ed McClune on the Hoffman Podcast)
Hoffman Tools:
Quadrinity Check-in
Recycling
Dorothy Holden, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, did the Hoffman Process in 2004 and became a teacher in 2007. In this conversation with Drew, Dorothy shares her journey from the reactive patterns she learned as a child to the wisdom she’s developed over the years of serving others and teaching the Process.
Growing up, Dorothy was the 3rd of 5 kids and the only girl. Her home life was stable. At the same time, there were no rules to speak of, which could be both fun and very chaotic. At a very early age, Dorothy developed a pattern of self-responsibility and learned to take care of herself. And, through this, she developed a sense of rigidity and judgment. As a deep core reactive pattern, this has both helped her and hindered her in her life. After doing the deep healing work of the Process, Dorothy’s main takeaway was she fell in love with herself, without reservation.
Dorothy speaks of what she’s learned from teaching over 100 Processes. She helps her students release fear and anxiety-based resistance to go deeper into their Process so they can drop into their essential nature during this transformative week. Dorothy shares about how to continue practices consciously so that life doesn’t get in the way. Finally, she speaks to the power of somatic knowing as an embodied sense. This knowing can guide our lives, as is often explained through the core Hoffman tool, Be-Do-Have.
More about Dorothy Holden:Dorothy Holden is a Registered Clinical Counselor with a therapy practice that specializes in helping people navigate transitions and find meaning in their lives. She strives to support each person on their unique journey toward self-awareness and personal fulfillment. Dorothy has an MS in Counseling Psychology (University of Calgary), a B-Ed (Dalhousie University), and a BA in Psychology (McGill University). She lives in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia.
Dorothy has supported hundreds of Olympic and national athletes in Canada with personal development and career planning. She also volunteers as a counselor and support group facilitator for an integrative cancer care agency.
In Dorothy’s own words:I love teaching the Hoffman Process and other Hoffman programs. The Hoffman vision is creating world peace, one person at a time.”
I live in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia with my husband, who is a retired lawyer and a Hoffman graduate. We have 2 adult children and 4 grandchildren. Our daughter’s family lives near us, so I get lots of opportunities to chase those rascals around. Our son has just moved his family to Switzerland, and so we are learning how to stay connected while living on different continents.
I am an active hiker, swimmer, reader, and traveler, and still have a small private practice as a therapist. My passion is supporting people in navigating the transitions in their lives…including health, relationship, and career issues.As mentioned in this episode:White Sulphur Springs:For over two decades, the Hoffman Process was held in St. Helena at White Sulphur Springs. The retreat site burned in the Glass fire of 2020. The Hoffman Process retreat site was relocated to our current home in Petaluma, CA.
Read a love letter from White Sulphur Springs written in the early days of the pandemic.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• University of Calgary
Right Livelihood:
“According to the Buddha’s teachings, Right Livelihood is a way to earn a living that doesn’t harm others or oneself. In defining Right Livelihood, the Buddha named five types of businesses that lay people should not engage in.” Read more
Shifting perspective
Canadian Olympic and national athletes.
The San Juan Islands
Hoffman terminology mentioned in this episode:Hoffman Tools and Practices:
Vicious Cycle
Left Road: Part of the Left Road/Right Road perspective
Presence
Vulnerability
Authenticity
Reactivity
Self-love
Transference
Be-Do-Have
Patterns and the Negative Love Syndrome:
To learn more about patterns and the Negative Love Syndrome, download A Path to Personal Freedom and Love.
Self-compassion:Based on work from Dr. Kristin Neff and Chris Germer, PhD, there are two types of self-compassion.
Listen to Kristin Neff on the Hoffman Podcast.
Listen to Chris Germer on the Hoffman Podcast.
Somatic knowledge – a felt sense of knowingness:
Out of this, we know what to do in any instance.
Article: A Brief Into the World of Somatics
This is a remarkable conversation with Blake Mycoskie, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and best-selling author. Blake graduated from the Hoffman Process in 2017. Before his Process, Blake had been a hard-driving athlete and a highly successful entrepreneur. He came to the Process because life had suddenly become more complex for him. He felt ‘untethered’ on the heels of a lot of recent life changes. Often old patterns make it hard to move with the change that comes, even when we’ve chosen those changes.
Blake felt a lot of resistance at the beginning of his Process. He knew that he had achieved great success in the world and believed that his patterns had helped him get there. However, through the Process, with the guidance of his teacher, Blake eventually came to see that his patterns were keeping him from living a truly authentic life guided by his Spiritual Self. Since graduating, Blake has sent many friends to the Process, as well as hundreds of people he didn’t know personally but supported financially to attend.
As you’ll discover, Blake vulnerably shares the truth of what he is experiencing in his life right now. He tells us that the Process was his jumping off place into spiritual work. After he graduated, he began to do many retreats and became active in the world of plant medicine. As you’ll hear, Blake is in the immediate experience of a deeper call to go within. He refers to this moment in his life as a dark night of the soul. Blake knows something is here for him and he’s determined to live following his Spiritual Self no matter where it takes him, despite how uncomfortable this is.
We hope you enjoy this profound conversation with Blake and Sharon.
Discover more about Blake Mycoskie:Blake Mycoskie is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and best-selling author most known for founding TOMS Shoes and is the person behind the idea of One for One®, a business model that helps a person in need with every product purchased.
A simple idea grew into a global movement: While traveling in Argentina in 2006, Blake witnessed the hardships faced by children growing up without shoes. His solution to the problem was simple, yet revolutionary: to create a for-profit business that was sustainable and not reliant on donations. Blake’s vision soon turned into the simple business idea that provided the powerful foundation for TOMS. Since its inception, TOMS Shoes has provided almost 96 million pairs of shoes to children around the globe.
Blake’s latest philanthropy passion has taken him into the world of psychedelics. He’s giving about 25% of his net worth to support research into the medical and mental health potential of psychedelic drugs.
Born and raised in Texas, Blake currently resides in Marin County with his wife, kids, dog, and cat. In his free time, you can find him outside enjoying nature. Discover more about Blake here.
As mentioned in this episode:Blake’s adopted son, Wubetu
Blake mentions his adopted son Wubetu and an article. Read the story of how Blake and Wubetu met and the amazing journey Wubetu took to reconnect with Blake and open his life to something new.
Venture Capital
Psychedelic medicine
• Psychedelic vs. Plant medicine
Dark night of the soul
Hoffman terminology mentioned in this episode:The Negative Love Syndrome:
• To find out more about the Negative Love Syndrome, download A Path to Personal Freedom and Love.
Hoffman Tools:
• Vicious Cycle
• Right Road
Self-compassion:Based on work from Dr. Kristin Neff and Chris Germer, PhD, there are two types of self-compassion.
Listen to Kristin Neff on the Hoffman Podcast.
Listen to Chris Germer on the Hoffman Podcast.
Jen Davis, beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach, sits down with Drew to share her journey from a heartbreaking loss to celebrating a whole new life and a brand new love.
Jen did the Process in 2016 at White Sulphur Springs. What brought her to the Process was the shocking divorce she was going through due to her soon-to-be-ex husband’s heartbreaking infidelity. Jen was in great pain. She shares that her life at that time felt like a Lifetime movie, but the pain she was feeling was very real.
The Process helped Jen turn away from the details of the situation she found herself in and turn toward herself for healing. As she says, it would have been much easier to continue to blame her ex for cheating and getting someone else pregnant. But in her week at the Process, Jen was able to see her part in what had happened and then take responsibility for her own life. Through her deep and dedicated work during the Process, Jen was able to find compassion and forgiveness for both herself and her ex. By the end of the week, she had found her way back to herself and was ready to move on with her life.
After leaving the Process, Jen divorced, moved into a new home, and began to live a new life. She decided to start dating again, but this time from an empowered place of joy and self-love. Eventually, she found love, She married her new love, Mitchell, just this past summer.
Toward the end of this rich conversation, Jen shares her journey to becoming a Hoffman teacher. Her certification came at a deeply painful time when her father was dying. She was able to share with him that she was a newly certified teacher and share with him the joy she felt in her new life. We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation with Jen and Drew.
Discover more about Jen Davis:Jen lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband (and Hoffman grad), Mitchell, and her dog, Allie. She cultivates joy through hiking, baking, live music, and a regular gratitude and compassion practice. Jen is a Midwesterner at heart, loving anything with cheese and summers on the lake. She has a passion for spiritual and personal growth, animal-assisted therapies, and women’s empowerment.
Jen received her Master’s of Clinical Social Work from the University of St. Thomas specializing in youth and families. She worked for five years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Madison Metropolitan School District providing mental health crisis stabilization for youth and families. Jen hopes to continue building her private practice as a Child and Adolescent Therapist.
Currently, Jen works as a Hoffman Teacher and Coach, as well as a coordinator of the Hoffman Graduate Group Programs. Jen first attended The Process in 2016 at White Sulphur Springs.
As mentioned in this episode:White Sulphur Springs:For over two decades, the Hoffman Process was held in St. Helena at White Sulphur Springs. The retreat site burned in the Glass fire of 2020. The Hoffman Process retreat site was relocated to our current home in Petaluma, CA.
Read a love letter from White Sulphur Springs written in the early days of the pandemic.
The Peace Garden (forgiveness garden) at White Sulphur Springs
Hoffman Faculty:
• Jo Mattoon, Listen to Jo on the Hoffman Podcast
• Crystal Jenkins
Hoffman Process Teacher Training
Awareness Hell:In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation. Learn more about Hoffman tools.
Attachment Styles and Theory
The Golden Gate Bridge
Attorney, Junior (Elbert) Smith, generously shares his journey to, and at, the Hoffman Process. In doing so, he gives us a view into how patterns and trauma affect how we see ourselves and how we journey through the world.
Content Warning:
This episode contains graphic descriptions of trauma. Please use your discretion.
Junior shares his life story beginning with his parents’ journey to a better life taking them from Mississippi to Compton, California. With great fondness, he shares his memories of those early years growing up in Compton. These times were filled with connectedness, community, and joy. In the ’70s, though, things changed in his hometown. There was more discord and violence in his community and he began to take in that trauma. He responded by going more into his schoolwork and joining the ROTC, eventually, years later, graduating from law school.
Through the process of sharing his stories, Junior weaves his way to coming to Hoffman. He then takes us to the heart of his time at the Hoffman Process when, in a profound moment, “Spirit was able to enter into him.” After doing deep, hard work to release the patterns and trauma, he found joy and radiant light. And, as he says, he felt love, real love, for the first time. Junior articulates this profoundly intimate moment of opening to his Spiritual Self in such a way that you can feel the depth of his transformation.
We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation with Junior and Drew.
Discover more about Junior (Elbert) Smith:Elbert Smith, better known as Junior, was born and raised in Hub City, Compton, California. Junior cultivated grit, resilience, and the dream of a better life while growing up in Compton. His lifelong spiritual journey inward led him to the Hoffman Process, where he was able to heal his intergenerational trauma and reclaim his life and joy.
Junior is a licensed attorney and serves as a senior advisor for a technology company in Southern California. He enjoys caring for his three cats (POTUS 44, Kenya, and Pelusa), reading poetry, learning to play the electric guitar, and his newfound appreciation for nature.
Follow Junior on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:The South, Mississippi, in the 1950’s
Jim Crow
Ku Klux Klan
Slavery
Racism
Compton, California, aka Hub City:
Compton is known as the “Hub City” because of its position as almost the exact geographical center of Los Angeles County.
Changes in Compton during the ’70s
Colorism:
The brown paper bag test
White Supremacy
A Near-Life Experience:
“We’ve all heard of near-death experiences, but what is a near-life experience? I would define it as a life characterized by distraction, disconnection, and dissatisfaction. It’s a life that doesn’t feel fully lived; a life that we are not completely engaged in and present with; a life that leaves us feeling that something is missing, despite how relentlessly busy we are.” Chris Kresser. Read more…
JROTC – Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
“JROTC offers valuable lessons in leadership, character-building, and citizenship.” read more…
Tony Robbins
Firewalk
Funnel Cake
Vania, Coach, and Jeremiah, Therapist
The murder of George Floyd
Ron Settles
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Janelle Martin, Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT, | EMDR
Reiki
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Philando Castile
Modern Elder Academy (MEA)
Listen to Chip Conley on the Hoffman Podcast
Transitional Intelligence (TQ) – Workshop by MEA on YouTube:
Esalen Institute
Center for Mindful Self-Compassion
Listen to Kristin Neff on the Hoffman Podcast
Jazz
John Coltrane: “American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.”
More about the Hoffman Process as mentioned in this episode:2-Day Hoffman Essentials
Faculty (mentioned by Junior):
Danny Kim
Barbara Comstock, Listen to Barbara’s story on the Hoffman Podcast
Dorothy Holden
Ian Salvage, Listen to Ian’s story on the Hoffman Podcast
Regina Louise, Listen to Regina’s story on the Hoffman Podcast
Dominique Samari, Teacher Candidate
Kevin Eyres, Listen to Kevin’s story on the Hoffman Podcast
Nita Gage, Listen to Nita’s story on the Hoffman Podcast
Liza Ingrasci, Hoffman Institute CEO
The Cycle of Transformation:The cycle consists of four steps (see below). Each step is completed in the order of the cycle. Moving through the cycle transforms the pattern from a negative way of being to a new, positive way of being.
Process Graduate Groups
Hoffman Process Small Group:
When you attend the Hoffman Process, you will be part of a small group for the week, within the larger group attending your Process. A Process teacher leads each small group and is the teacher for each person in that small group.
Cathartic Release Work (Bashing)
Daily Instagram Check-ins:
• Join us on Instagram for a daily Quadrinity Check at 8:00 a.m. PT and an Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 p.m. PT.
Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process
Hoffman Teacher Training Program
Technology and finance executive, Carsten Sorensen, had a powerful transformation during his Process in 2014. Over the next five years, Carsten worked diligently to transform his core negative patterns. Using his Process tools and doing the deep work, Carsten was able to profoundly shift his life.
The Hoffman Process was recommended to Carsten by his therapist, Rick Hanson. Rick said this was a way to take that last step of moving down from the head to the heart. Carsten shares that he had achieved everything in his life through “pure intellect and raw power.” He would just power through it and get it done.” But in mid-life, he knew this way was no longer working for him. And so, he signed up to attend.
A few years after his Process, as a CEO, Carsten began to invite employees to attend the Process to experience their own transformation. He knew for certain that the Hoffman Process is a great leadership development tool.
Listen in to hear this powerful, articulate, promising conversation about what it takes to be a great leader and how you go about doing so. Some of the areas that Carsten and Liz discuss are how to create safety at work, how to invite employees to attend the Process without pressuring them, his own journey to become more authentic and vulnerable, what he says are the two most necessary qualities and capabilities as a leader, and how you can’t separate work life and home life if you want to be a great leader and happily successful.
Carsten is interested in having a conversation with other leaders on how best to use the Hoffman Process as a leadership development tool in the corporate setting. If you’d like to converse with Carsten about this, please reach out to him at carsten@xaccorp.com.
Discover more about Carsten Sorensen:Carsten Sorensen is a technology and finance executive with a broad background in a variety of industries and extensive European work experience. A former software engineer, he has over 25 years of experience combining Technology, Mergers, Acquisitions, and Finance, as well as a deep operating background in the organizations he works with. Carsten has worked as a senior executive in fast-growing companies, both private and public, and is comfortable balancing the conflicting needs of high-growth and long-term strategy within the organizations he runs. He is a keen steward of a company’s culture and understands its importance for long-term financial and strategic results.
Carsten spent a decade as a partner in private equity, where he was a member of the team overseeing portfolio companies. While working in the private equity field, his responsibilities included turnarounds and technology strategy development. Carsten holds a B.S. from the University of California at Berkeley in Business and Finance and lives with his family in San Francisco.
Discover more about Carsten on LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:University of California at Berkeley
“The last foot and a half are always the hardest.” Rick Hanson, Therapist
(the distance from the head to the heart.)
Lisa Wenger, Hoffman Teacher and Coach, Founder of the Istituto Hoffman Italia, Milan, in 1990.
• Listen to Lisa on the Hoffman Podcast
IDEO, a global design company
• Read articles on introverts from IDEO.
Hoffman Leadership Path at Harvard
Simon Sinek
Brené Brown, Professor and Writer
Entrepreneur and Mediator, Sisi Maw Takaki, completed the Hoffman Process in February 2019. As a child of parents who immigrated to the US for a better life, Sisi shares with Sharon how the sacrifice her parents made for her affected her and the patterns it created in her. As Sisi shares, we can both adopt and rebel against our parents’ patterns. For Sisi, rebellion was how she reacted to her parents’ expectations of her and her future.
What really stands out from this conversation, though, is how deep a transformation Sisi made in how she relates to others and to what now brings her happiness. What used to be a more transactional way of relating transformed into relationships that are based upon mutual dignity and equality. When meeting new people, Sisi now consciously listens and wonders what larger force has brought them together. When she meets people, she now wonders, “How can we help each other?”
In the spirit of Love’s Everyday Radius, the name of our podcast, Sisi became a mediator as a way to bring this new relational way of being into her work and her life. She no longer defines success in the same way. Rather than trying to find happiness through material things and financial success, she now finds it through serving others and relating to fellow human beings through her heart. Sisi speaks so beautifully of her experience of work through this new way of human-to-human relationship.
More about Sisi Takaki:Sisi Maw Takaki is an Entrepreneur with a few businesses. She is a Residential Real Estate Broker in Hawaii, a Real Estate Investor in Hawaii and on the Mainland, and a Mediator and Founder of Mindful Mediation Matters (M3).
Everyone has a story and here’s Sisi’s in her words:
“Sisi was born in Myanmar and immigrated to the East Coast in the late 70s and grew up in a household with two parents who were both Physicians. They worked long hours and Sisi was an only child so she stayed at after-school care or was a latchkey kid when she got older. Their family moved from Staten Island, Virginia, to Washington DC, Maryland, and back to NYC where she lived in all the Boroughs except the Bronx. Sisi finally found stability at the United Nations International School in Manhattan. She only applied to one school for college, the State University of NY in Binghamton. She went there after her parents realized Harvard might be a reach for her. Sisi moved to Hawaii one year after she graduated college and met her “wasband” to whom she was married for 17 years.
In February 2019, she decided to go to Hoffman because she felt completely empty even though professionally and materially things were better than ever. It was the emptiest existence she had felt and from the outside things were amazing. Her journey to and through Hoffman was really when she felt she started connecting to who she truly is. Sisi wonders how she survived those years of unconsciousness for so long.”
You can follow Sisi on Instagram at Mindful Mediation Matters.
As mentioned in this episode:Hoffman’s definition of a Surrogate Parent:
• A surrogate parent is somebody who provided significant parental responsibility for you prior to the age of 13. These responsibilities may have included:
- Providing emotional or physical care
- Disciplining
- Providing safety, supervision, or control
- Being a role model
These responsibilities may have been in addition to or in place of the care provided by your birth parent(s). Examples of surrogates can include stepparent, grandparent, relative, nanny, boarding school, significantly older sibling, full-time daycare, live-in partner of parent, etc.
• Read this Hoffman grad’s story about how the Church was a surrogate parent in her life.
Pre-Process Homework Packet:
• The homework packet consists of a Confidential Enrollment Agreement and a Pre-Process assignment. A Hoffman enrollment counselor will contact you to explain the required paperwork upon enrollment. You will need to complete these to attend your Process.
Gratitude Journal:
• Hoffman’s “What I Know” Gratitude Journal can be purchased here.
The Quadrinity Check-In• Learn more about the Quad-Check and other Hoffman Process tools here.
• Join us on Instagram for a daily Quadrinity Check at 8:00 a.m. PT and an Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 p.m. PT.
The Feelings/Sensations Sheet:
• A full-page sheet of feelings and sensations to help guide you to name the feelings and/or sensations you are experiencing in the moment. (Download here.)
Mediation:
• Mediation Center of the Pacific
Amy Thompson is a beloved Hoffman Teacher and Coach. In today’s episode, she shares her story of recovery, losing her father, the grief she experienced from his loss, and her experience going through cancer treatment while training to become a Hoffman Process teacher. And, really, Amy shares so much more.
Listen in as Amy shares about learning she was accepted into the Hoffman teacher training program at the same time she received her cancer diagnosis. She knew she needed to care for both her body and her spirit. With an assured Yes to both, Amy embarked on a powerful journey of healing all of her Quadrinity through chemotherapy infusions and the work of the Process.
Amy and Drew talk about the need to be responsible for our lives. One beautiful thing Amy got from the Process was realizing that her patterns were the source of feeling over-responsible for everyone else. By transforming these patterns into a more positive way of being through her work at the Process, she reclaimed her power. With this power, found she could step more fully into what she calls intense self-responsibility for how she shows up in every moment. Amy says, “Hoffman, for me, was not the end of my journey but definitely a huge milestone in my own recovery, in my own kind of recognition for who I am and this whole being able to be a good human.”
Hoffman is a part of Amy’s family. Many in her family have done the Process. Amy’s mother-in-law, Nita Gage, is also a Hoffman Process teacher.
Listen in as Amy shares so much more of her life and her Hoffman journey. We hope you enjoy this conversation.
Discover more about Amy Thompson:Amy Thompson is a gifted and intuitive mentor and coach with over 20 years of experience as a counselor, retreat facilitator, and teacher. She has a passion for guiding people through transformational change with both groups and individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. She holds a BA in Literature from Dominican University.
An artist, Amy is also a sacred ceremony designer and public speaker. She brings with her a lifetime of training, teachings, and knowledge from an eclectic background of work in the field of human holistic mental health. She empowers those who work with her with mindful self-compassion and radical acceptance.
Amy shares, “I’ve spent my career in service to others, working with adults and children in multiple arenas, including groups, workshops, coaching, and retreats for personal transformation. There is nothing else in the world as satisfying as watching a student/client create the change in their life that they long for and then thrive in it!”
Follow Amy on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Buddhist term:
Not-self/Non-self or Anattā
Recovery:Definitions and more
Marin AIDS Project (PDF)
Harm Reduction Counseling
Harm Reduction Therapy
Needle Exchange Program (PDF)
Stinson Beach
Hoffman Institute Teacher Training
Graduate Groups:
Hoffman graduate groups are held fairly regularly. The primary purpose of grad groups is for graduates to do their Hoffman tools work together. Each group has a Hoffman-trained volunteer group leader. This leader oversees and leads the programs in alignment with the principles of the Process and Hoffman grad group protocols and standards.
Chemotherapy
• Chemo port
Nita Gage – Hoffman teacher and Coach
Burning Man
• Burning of the Man
• Art Cars
Hoffman terminology:Expression and The Cycle of Transformation:
The four steps in the cycle are Awareness, Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
Hoffman Tools:
• Vicious Cycle – Patterns don’t just come at us one by one. They are clustered in “vicious cycles,” where one pattern can lead to another and then another, forming this “familiar” sequence of feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Download the PDF found here for more information.
• Victorious Cycle – A cycle of patterns that have been transformed into positive alternatives and a positive cycle.
As a young boy, award-winning artist Darieus Legg came to love the ocean. He grew up on a sailboat, eventually sailing to his new home on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. At the age of nine, Darieus saw his first surfer magazine and the images of surfers reminded him of the dolphins that had followed along his family’s boat. He felt inspired to become a surfer.
As time passed, Darieus realized he wasn’t cut out for competitive surfing and began to focus on making art. Eventually, he realized that whatever he was going to be doing needed to be less of “a means to an end” and more of “doing it for its own sake.” With this realization, what began to drive his work were both the pure love of creating and the opportunity to learn more about both making art and himself.
Always a sensitive child, Darieus could feel things that seemed really unusual. He tried to toughen up and hide these feelings as he got older but when he was fifteen and his parents divorced, the experience felt ‘life-shattering.’ Later into adulthood, Darieus realized these painful feelings he’d stuffed away were causing him great suffering. Both his work and relationships were suffering, too. It was at this time that Darieus heard about the Hoffman Process from two different sources. What he heard resonated with his experience enough that he enrolled. Darieus had already done many different modalities of deeply spiritual work but they’d mostly been rooted in a solitary practice. For Darieus, being in a community during his Process was deeply healing.
We hope you enjoy this animated, soulful conversation with Darieus and Liz.
Discover more about Darieus Legg:Darieus Legg is an award-winning artist in five different disciplines of filmmaking. He creates live-action documentaries that use his hand-drawn 2D animations. His animated characters Uncle Wally and Aunty Mai play a vital role in educating the audience. As the featured artist in the 2023 Hawaiʻi International Film Festival, Darieus created the poster, key art, and trailer that plays before every film. His recent short film, Stoker Machine, serves as a proof of concept for asking people what makes them Stoked, and sharing the response through film and animation.
Darieus creates aspirational content that explores human ingenuity, creativity, and resilience. He’s directed and executively produced Telly and AAF Gold award-winning content. His work has covered feature film, live-action documentary, commercial, professional learning, and animation. Darieus is the featured artist at this year’s Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. This festival runs from Oct 12-22 on O‘ahu – through Nov 5 on neighboring islands,
Half Persian and half Irish, Darieus Legg grew up on a sailboat and on the big island of Hawaiʻi. Under the tutelage of Shane Dorian, Darieus excelled in surfing and competed professionally until he transitioned from surfing full-time to filmmaking in his early twenties. Next, he spent a decade in Hollywood learning from the best storytellers in the world. Still an avid surfer, he loves learning about and being in the ocean. He also loves reading and the magic of the movies.
Find out more about Darieus through his website and follow him on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Stoker Machine, Darieus’ film.
Professional Surfing:
• World Surf League
• The history and meaning of Stoked: “So, when you hear an action sports enthusiast saying, “I’m stoked!” it means he/she is excited, euphoric, thrilled, ecstatic, exhilarated, pleased, delighted, exultant, happy, and overjoyed. According to surf historians, the expression became fashionable in California in the 1950s. A bit like the shaka, the “stoke” is strongly linked with surfers and wave riders.”
• Surfing Magazine
• Skegs (skags/fins on the surfboard)
• Shane Dorian, Big Wave Surfer
• World Tour Qualifying Series
Big Island Hawai’i – Island of Hawaiʻi
The Billabong House on the North Shore – tour with Shane Dorian
Dolphins:
Everything you need to know
United States Merchant Marine
Vietnam War
The Vietnam anti-war movement
Persians of Iran
Minimalism (the ’80s)
John Grisham, Author
• The Firm
• The Pelican Brief
Illustration/Animation
New Age
Seth Speaks, by Jane Roberts
Firewalking on coals
TM – Transcendental Meditation
Ashtanga Yoga
Vipassana Meditation
Dzogchen
Tim Ferris podcast with Blake Mycoskie of TOMS shoes
Neil Strauss
The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships
Listen to Neil on the Hoffman Podcast: Healing as a Path of Honor
Certified executive coach and leadership consultant Kristen Esquivias sits down with Sharon for this intimate conversation about deep personal change, difficult times, and inner growth.
Personal work offered through the Hoffman Institute invites students to step into real change in their lives. Wholeheartedly accepting this invitation, Kristen dove into the transformation awaiting her. She has done both the Hoffman Essentials course (2020) and the Hoffman Process (2021).
Patterns of perfectionism can be very painful. Kristen describes the heaviness, suffering, and isolation that come from her experience of her perfectionist patterns. They can make life painful and lonely. She shares with us a moment during her Process when she realized that all of her patterns were completely absent. In those moments, she experienced freedom and a profound sense of possibility. Now embodied, Kristen carries this experience forward in her work with clients.
Kristen shares how her work in both Hoffman Essentials and the Hoffman Process has helped her navigate the big changes she’s been through over the past three years. These changes have included her parents moving away, her divorce, the pandemic, her kids doing school at home through Covid, and setting out on a new career path as an entrepreneur. She also shares a somatic ritual she uses to bring herself back to the present moment, to give herself comfort and touch, and to give her a sense of belonging and rootedness.
We hope you enjoy this insightful episode with Kristen and Sharon.
Discover more about Kristen Esquivias:Kristen Esquivias is a certified executive coach and leadership consultant. She has nearly 15 years of experience in Strategy and Analytics roles in Corporate Retail in the SF Bay Area. She now works with individuals, teams, and organizations on personal growth, leadership development, and team dynamics. Kristen draws upon a variety of modalities to support her clients in leading and living a more fully expressed version of their authentic selves. She guides them as they upgrade their inner operating system in support of their growth and expansion. Kristen has an uncanny ability to create a compassionate, safe space for her clients. She brings levity to the depths and fullness of the human experience. She holds deep reverence for the sacred inner work her clients courageously navigate on their journey toward achieving their goals, vision, and greater impact in their world.
A mom of two, Kristin is also a certified yoga teacher, a self-proclaimed personal growth junkie, a beach lover, and a sunset chaser. She values connection, authenticity, and growth. Kristen holds a Master’s and an Undergraduate degree in Statistics. She also has a minor in Psychology. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the ICF. She’s received certifications from the Coactive Training Institute and the Institute for Coaching Mastery. Kristen is also trained in the Enneagram and Leadership Circle 360 assessment.
Find out more about Kristen and her work, here. Follow Kristen on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:2-Day Hoffman Essentials (H. E.)
In this live virtual 2-day Hoffman Essentials program, Hoffman teachers will guide you through experiential activities, individual assignments, and engaging discussions to bring more understanding, love, and aliveness to your life. Become aware of and dismantle the barriers that stand in the way of living your best life. (Please note: This program is for people who have not participated in the Hoffman Process.) The experiences and learning from this program are designed to provide useful tools and practices that you can carry with you for a lifetime. Find out more here.
Inner Child Work
The Hoffman Quadrinity Process® helps participants identify negative behaviors, moods, and ways of thinking that developed unconsciously and were conditioned in childhood.
Working with a Hoffman Coach
Hoffman Life Coaches are certified, experienced Hoffman Process teachers. You can work with a Hoffman coach you already know or someone new.
Hoffman terminology:Positive Legacy:The positive gifts we receive from our parents. Read a post on our blog that speaks to the power of positive legacy.
Awareness Hell:
In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns. We’re aware of the things we do that we wish we didn’t do. Yet, we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
Our guest today, Ezy Finkel, did the Hoffman Process in March of 2023. Ezy shares with us his intimate story of recovery from addiction with honesty, humility, and light.
Ezy grew up in an Orthodox Jewish community and shares his difficulties living within this community. Eventually, he was asked to leave. Then, years later, he was asked to come back to be a source of healing there.
Ezy’s story touches on many points of the human experience and reflects a journey of recovering his true nature, his Spiritual Self. His family had a strong pattern of perfectionism. During his Process, he discovered that he also rebelled against this pattern, needing to be different. One day at the Process, Ezy discovered a stand of trees on the land. One tree was still bare while the others were evergreen. He realized that he was like that bare tree, that he was uniquely himself. Ezy sees now that he has seasons and that change is ongoing in a human life.
One thing Ezy wanted to gain from the Process was rediscovering his playful, fun-loving nature. After his Process when his daughters noticed that he now is like a little kid, he realized that he had gained exactly that. As Ezy shares this story with us, you can hear the love and joy in his voice.
Sharing about his life in recovery, Ezy says that his life now with his wife and children is a whole different life and is “chaos-free.” What really stands out is Ezy’s love and humility as he shares about working with others in recovery.
Content Warning:This episode mentions substance abuse. Please use your discretion.
Discover more about substance abuse at the Substance Abuse Hotline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish,..
Discover more about Ezy Finkel:A creative, friendly, and passionate person, Ezy Finkel is deeply committed to his family, making a positive impact in the world, and conducting business with honesty and integrity. He is a managing member of Gem Consulting Group, a firm specializing in investing in behavioral health real estate and operations.
Ezy grew up in Lakewood, NJ, and now lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and children. He cherishes his family life in which they love to play and engage in various sports activities. Dedicated to making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need, Ezy spends a significant amount of time volunteering at local organizations and utilizing his professional skills to drive positive change.
As mentioned in this episode:The Quadrinity Check-InLearn more about the Quad-Check and other Hoffman Process tools here.
Join us on Instagram for a daily Quadrinity Check at 8:00 a.m. PT and an Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 p.m. PT.
Chip Conley, a co-founder of Modern Elder Academy (MEA), joins us today in conversation with Drew. Chip is not a graduate of the Hoffman Process, but the work of MEA and the work of the Process both beautifully support growth and change within. ** (See below for the next community conversation with MEA and Hoffman.)
Content warning: This episode mentions suicide. Please use your discretion. If you or someone you know is suicidal, please reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), or message the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
Listen in as Chip shares his life journey of learning on many levels. In mid-life, Chip’s world was rocked when he lost friends to suicide. He had his own suicidal thoughts. Realizing that the human changes we go through in mid-life are not supported by our culture, he began to consider what humans really need to navigate the twists and turns of life. Out of this, Modern Elder Academy was born.
In his exploration of mid-life, elderhood, and growing wisdom, Chip has come to see that the ultimate spirituality is one that “actually helps you to show up with the most humanity in this lifetime.” Our humanity can be deepened and ripened through life if we engage in an exploration of and conversation in an understanding of our own spiritual nature. As Chip wisely says, wisdom isn’t taught, it’s shared.
**While the vast majority of our guests are Process graduates, we occasionally host experts in other modalities of healing that align with the work of the Process.
Join Chip in conversation with Liza and Raz Ingrasci:Chip, along with Liza and Raz Ingrasci of the Hoffman Institute, hosted another live event – a community conversation with MEA and the Hoffman Institute. These conversations offer insights and powerful approaches for deepening our spirituality and humanity.
Please watch the replay here.
Discover more about Chip Conley:Chip Conley is on a midlife mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry twice, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second-largest operator of boutique hotels in the U.S., and then as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, leading a worldwide revolution in travel, Conley co-founded MEA (Modern Elder Academy) in January 2018 in Baja California, Mexico.
Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a ‘modern elder’ at Airbnb, where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary transformation from a fast-growing start-up to the world’s most valuable hospitality brand, MEA is the world’s first ‘midlife wisdom school’ and has a campus opening on a 2,600-acre regenerative horse ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico in early 2024.
Dedicated to reframing the concept of aging, MEA supports students to navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. A New York Times bestselling author, Conley’s 7th book “Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age” is about rebranding midlife to help people understand the upside of this often-misunderstood life stage and he was asked to give a 2023 TED talk on the “midlife chrysalis.”
Discover more about Chip here. Follow Chip on Instagram and LinkedIn; and follow MEA on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
Mentioned in this episode:Three founders of Airbnb
Blake Mycoskie, MEA Faculty
Lynne Twist, MEA Faculty
Liza Ingrasci, CEO Hoffman Institute Foundation
Esalen Institute
Omega Institute
Blue Spirit, Costa Rica
Kripalu Yoga Center
Appreciative Inquiry
Quote:
“The purpose of life is to find your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give it away.” David Viscott
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Stanford University
• Stanford Graduate School of Business
AIDS Epidemic
Arthur Brooks: From Strength to Strength
Burning Man
Brian Chesky
ROI: Return on Investment —> Ripples of Impact
Prostate Cancer
• Symptoms
• Hormone Depletion Therapy
The Hero Archetype
Oprah interviews David Brooks
Dacher Keltner, Berkeley & MEA Faculty
Dacher Keltner’s Awe Walk (on YouTube with The OnBeing Project)
BJ Fogg, Stanford & MEA Faculty
Mantra
Wisdom Well, Chip’s Daily Blog
Esther Perel, Psychotherapist and Best-selling Author
Matthieu Ricard, French writer, photographer, translator and Buddhist Monk
Dan Buettner, Author, National Geographic Fellow, Founder of Blue Zones
Michael Franti, Musician & MEA Faculty
Pico Iyer, Writer & MEA faculty
Aaron Taylor, Football Player & MEA faculty
Essence (Your Essential Nature)
Imposter Syndrome
Growth Mindset
• Carol Dweck, Stanford
The Enneagram
• Helen Palmer
• More about the Enneagram: S3e27: Raz Ingrasci & Ward Ashman – Hoffman and the Enneagram on the Hoffman Podcast
US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, on the Epidemic of Loneliness
• Download PDF Report
Robert Putnam, American Political Scientist
• Harvard Kennedy School of Government
• Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert Putnam
Emotional Insurance, Chip Conley
Dr. Richard (Dick) Schwartz, founder of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, kicks off our new season 7. While Dick is not a graduate of the Hoffman Process, we asked him to be on the podcast because his life’s work of IFS aligns beautifully with the work of the Process.**
IFS was born in the 1980s when Dick began to work with clients in his therapy practice. Dick shares his story of how he came to see and work with the family system we each have within us. His discoveries about the inner landscape of human beings have helped thousands of people heal. You will hear Dick talk about parts and burdens. Parts are sub-personalities that, combined with the Self, make up who we are. Burdens consist of “extreme beliefs and emotions accumulated during intense experiences,” particularly in childhood. When parts are ready to release these burdens, hence the term unburdening, “they transform into their naturally valuable states.” This is akin to what happens in the Cycle of Transformation during the Hoffman Process.
While developing IFS, Dick realized that at the heart of each person is the Self. He discovered that the Self is not a part like he was used to working with. The Self is the core Self of a human being. Eventually, the Self appears as the IFS work deepens. This is when healing truly begins to take place.
Dick and Drew reference the Self, parts, the eight ‘C’s, exiles, protectors, and firefighters. Find out more about these terms in the As mentioned in this episode section below.
**While the vast majority of our guests are Process graduates, we occasionally host experts in other modalities of healing that align with the work of the Process.
Discover more about Dick Schwartz :Richard (Dick) Schwartz began his career as a family therapist and an academic at the University of Illinois at Chicago. While there, he discovered that family therapy alone did not achieve full symptom relief, and in asking patients why, he learned that they were plagued by what they called “parts.” His patients became his teachers as they described how their parts formed networks of inner relationships that resembled the families he had been working with. Dick also found that as they focused on and, thereby, separated from their parts, they would shift into a state characterized by qualities like curiosity, calm, confidence, and compassion. He called that inner essence the Self and was amazed to find it even in severely diagnosed and traumatized patients.
From these explorations, the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model was born in the early 1980s. IFS is now evidence-based and has become a widely used form of psychotherapy, particularly with trauma. It provides a non-pathologizing, optimistic, and empowering perspective and a practical and effective set of techniques for working with individuals, couples, families, and more recently, corporations and classrooms.
Currently on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, Dick has published five books, including No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. Dick lives with his wife Jeanne near Chicago, close to his three daughters and his growing number of grandchildren.
Follow IFS on Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:Family Therapy
Systems Thinking
Attachment Theory
IFS Terminology
The Self: “One other key aspect of the IFS Model also differentiates it from other models. This is the belief that, in addition to these parts, everyone is at their core a Self, containing many crucial leadership qualities such as perspective, confidence, compassion, and acceptance.” Read more…
The 8 ‘C’s: “The eight Cs of self-leadership include: calmness, curiosity, clarity, compassion, confidence, creativity, courage, and connectedness.” Read more…
IFS Videos
Shamanism
Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process
Kristin Neff
• Listen to Drew and Kristin on the Hoffman Podcast
Brené Brown
Psychedelics
• MAPS
• Michael Mithoefer, MD
Parentified Child or Parentification
Myth of the Mono-Mind
Fractal Systems
Alters in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
In our season 6 finale, we host producer, songwriter, musician, author, and keeper of the American blues music flame, Shawn Amos.
Shawn came to the Hoffman Process feeling like he was living his life while “… at the whim of all of these unseen forces and past traumas, and unconscious reactions to my parents…” A couple of days into the Process, Shawn realized he had to stop being cynical of the work if he was going to get the most out of his week there. He went all in, which opened him to the profound possibilities available for lasting change.
Through the work of the Process, Shawn says he was able to “get control over” himself. He realized that the Process offered him an owner’s manual to himself, to his unique way of being. He shares that the tools and transformation he found at his Process have stayed with him over these 15 years since. In his words, the transformation from healing the pain of his past “was profound.” He now operates from a more grounded, conscious aware presence.
Shawn also shares his inner conflict around race and identity. For many years, Shawn played the Saxophone. Then, he started playing the blues harp and singing blues music. It was then he felt a profound reconnection with his Blackness and his lineage, both backward and forward. At around 22:00, Shawn plays a bit of the blues harp for us. Listen in for a taste of the music he creates as Rev. Shawn Amos.
Content Warning: This episode mentions child sexual abuse and might not be suitable for all listeners.
More about Shawn Amos:For Shawn Amos, it’s about the story. He’s made a name as both a teller of tales and an astute shaper of others’ stories.
He comes by the storytelling chops naturally. The only child of William Morris agent-turned-cookie entrepreneur, Wally “Famous” Amos, and singer Shirley “Shirl-ee May” Ellis, young Shawn spent hours in shadowy nightclubs, on the funky streets of 70s Hollywood, and in his own broken home, listening intently to people’s stories. He helped make his father’s cookie hustle real. In young adulthood, he jumped from screenwriting for A & M Films to the stage, crafting acclaimed Americana music that wrestled with race and identity. On the other side of the microphone, Shawn oversaw soul icon Solomon Burke’s last three albums, and produced seminal CD collections Q: The Musical Biography of Quincy Jones, and Grammy-nominated box set Rhapsodies in Black: Music and Words from the Harlem Renaissance, among others.
Since 2014, as the Reverend Shawn Amos, with harmonica in hand, Shawn has brought blues to audiences from LA to Amsterdam, delivering unbridled joy – both live and through recordings. Blue Sky, the 2020 release by his band, The Reverend Shawn Amos & the Brotherhood, hit Number 6 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart and scored four out of five stars from American Songwriter magazine.
For his 2022 debut novel, Cookies & Milk, Shawn delves into his past to concoct a wildly entertaining story about the strength of family and the power of forgiveness – plus just the right amount of semisweet chocolate – to mend hearts. Shawn’s doppelganger, Ellis, embarks on hilarious and sometimes harrowing misadventures as he helps his dad open the world’s first chocolate chip cookie store in the multi-hued 70s landscape of music, ambition, and often-challenging elders. The book was awarded the NAACP Image Award in 2023.
Discover more about Shawn:At his website, Facebook and Instagram, and YouTube.As mentioned in this episode:William Morris Agency
Simon & Garfunkel
The Animals
Rona Elliot and Roger Brossy, Shawn’s dear friends.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Buddhism
Taoism
The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
Hillsong Church
Documentary: The Secrets of Hillsong
In America, the Richter-tuned Harmonica is called the Blues Harp.
Bob Dylan
Paul Simon
Joan Armatrading
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Shawn_Amos_Podcast.mp3
Eighteen years ago, faced with a painful change coming in his life, Erik Larson knew it was time for change within himself. He came to the Hoffman Process. Eight days later, upon his return home, he told his two small children he had been at Better Daddy School. He told them things were going to be different. From that day forward, they were because he had changed. This was the beginning of his new life, a life Erik now deeply loves.
In this conversation, Erik and Drew go deep into the transformation that is possible through the work of the Process. Erik takes us through his experience of taking a painful moment of his life and using it to do the work to become the man and father he knew in his heart he could be.
In one of two pivotal moments of Erik's Process, a few of his fellow Process mates offered reflections on what they saw when they looked at him. He had seen a similar image when looking at himself and wanted to change it, but did not know how. It was then that something amazing happened, something he could not explain but knew was profound. The other pivotal moment was during a Hands-on-Heart exercise. Suddenly, his confusion and feelings of 'not getting it' disappeared and he began to Erik apply himself completely to the work.
Hundreds of people found their way to the Hoffman Process through Erik's recommendation and how he speaks of the change that is possible. Life is a process of coming back to the Right Road again and again, and as for each of us, Erik's is no exception. He speaks of his life, including the hard parts, with honesty, gratitude, and love.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Erik and Drew. More about Erik Larson: Erik grew up in the Pacific Northwest where he learned to love the outdoors. After graduating from the business school at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, he moved to San Francisco where he began his first career with Ernst & Young. He raced Sailboats on a national champion yacht for 5 years before relocating to Aspen, Colorado for the next 27 years. Erik became a partner in a firm in Aspen. He was married and has two magnificent children who are thriving in university life in Sydney, Australia where Erik lives part of the year. Erik loves to be an inspiration and motivating force for people to become the best they can be. His tagline at Aspen CrossFit was “Igniting Human Potential” and Erik did just that for thousands of people along the way.
Now, Erik is in the process of figuring out what his next chapter in life holds. He is obsessed with photography and is self-taught. Take a look at Erik's photography on Instagram to see what he has accomplished. Erik’s favorite mantra is “I LOVE MY LIFE!!! And it certainly is evident. As mentioned in this episode: SealFit
US Tactical CrossFit
CrossFit Kettlebell swings Thrusters Burpees
Hoffman Graduate Groups The primary purpose of grad groups is for graduates to do their Hoffman tools work together. Each group has a Hoffman-trained volunteer group leader who oversees and leads the programs in alignment with the principles of the Process and Hoffman grad group protocols and standards.
Daily Instagram Live Quad-checks and Appreciation & Gratitude Practices with Hoffman teachers and teacher candidates.
Hoffman Q2 Intensive: Beyond Mom and Dad
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Erik_Larson_Podcast_Final.mp3
Britt Lightning, the lead guitarist for the all-female, Platinum-selling, 80's rock band Vixen, is our guest this week on the Hoffman Podcast. Listen in as Britt regales us with stories of how the guitar and playing music came to be her life's work. Her journey to playing guitar was supported by many, including her parents, and spotlights many synchronistic moments. In wonderfully uplifting ways, her story highlights how when we follow our inner calling, we find that the Universe is indeed conspiring on our behalf.
Britt came to the Hoffman Process because she was feeling creatively stifled and felt a sense of stuckness in her life. She heard herself thinking, "This can't be it" about her life. And even though she'd been on stage for years, Britt still wasn't comfortable expressing herself with her voice. As she tells Liz, expressing herself through music has always been easier than through words. At the end of her Process after doing all of the cathartic expressive work, Britt shares how her voice finally broke through in a wholly authentic way. This capped off her Process journey and carried her forward into her life post-Process. A few days later, directly following the Process, Britt and her band played on stage. She shares how she stood on stage with complete self-confidence and ease. A few days later, Britt found her creativity renewed and flowing in powerful ways.
Finding her Spiritual Self in the Process is something that now guides Britt in her life. Her image of her Spiritual Self is a beautiful being, goddess-like, dressed all in white. Now when Britt is faced with life choices, she thinks of her Spiritual Self's goodness and makes her choices accordingly. She chooses not to do things that she cannot envision her Spiritual Self doing.
We hope you enjoy this wonderful conversation with Britt and Liz. Our creativity is a vital aspect of living joyful lives. And as Britt shares, it's all within you. More about Britt Lightning: Britt Lightning is the lead guitarist for the all-female Platinum-selling 80's rock band Vixen. She is also the Musical Director at Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp. During COVID Britt hosted and helped to produce over 160 online Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp masterclasses with legendary artists including Roger Daltrey (The Who), Alice Cooper, Dave Mustaine (Megadeth), and more.
From 2015 to 2016, Britt played guitar for Rachel Platten, performing live at festivals and on national TV shows promoting the single "Fight Song", which charted at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Britt performed live on Good Morning America, the Today Show, Live with Kelly and Michael, VH1, the Teen Choice Awards, and Nickelodeon. She also performed on the 2016 finale of America's Got Talent, which took place at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall. Britt also performed on Live with Kelly and Michael with Jason Derulo to promote his new album “Tattoos”.
From 2012-2015 Britt performed for 22-time Grammy Award-winning artist Alejandro Sanz in his stadium-level world tour. She is featured in Sanz’s "La Musica No Se Toca – En Vivo" CD/DVD. Britt joined Sanz at the 2013 Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas performing the single “No Me Compares”, and performed with the band at prestigious festivals, venues, and international TV specials. Britt recorded “Live At The Roxy”, a live CD/DVD with Alejandra Guzman, an iconic Latin artist who has sold over 30 million records.
Labeled the “Closer” by Lady Gaga, Britt has followed her dreams by striving to grow and evolve as a musician while simultaneously earning a degree in Music Business from Northeastern University. She graduated Summa Cum Laude. Britt continued her education at the Berklee School of Music. She also has experience working in the music industry with Live Nation and Universal Music Group.
Follow Britt on Instagram and Facebook. Follow Vixen on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp
Van Halen
Alejandro Sanz
Barcelona,
A world-renowned expert in the mind-body connection, Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., completed the Hoffman Process in 1990.
This conversation with Joan and Sharon is a deep exploration into the nature of callings through the lens of Joan's life. The callings of her Spirit first showed up early in her life.
At the age of ten, Joan experienced a very difficult journey through childhood OCD. At one point, she had profound realizations of how she could help heal herself and did so. Through this, as a child, she realized she would become someone who could help others heal from similar challenges.
Through her Spiritual Self, Joan has been guided into and along a life of both self-discovery and deep service to the world. Joan became one of the first to work directly with AIDS patients, even when we didn't yet know much about AIDS itself. She tells us that her courage to step into this role without medically knowing the risks came from listening to Spirit. Her story is a moving recollection of this time when so many were suffering greatly from this epidemic.
Joan has been on the cutting edge of scientific inquiry into Mind-Body well-being. With clarity and candor, she shares how her journey has been a labor of both science and Spirit. As Joan shares, our calling isn't a single thing. Our calling changes as life changes. Our job is to listen deeply and to allow our Spiritual Self to flow through us into the world.
As she has for many years, Joan leads Hoffman's Advisory Council acting as its Chair. Content warning: This episode mentions experiences with OCD and suicide, and may not be suitable for all listeners. If you or someone you know is suicidal, please reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255), or message the Crisis Text Line at 741741. More about Joan Borysenko, Ph.D.: Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and Harvard Medical School trained cell biologist with postdoctoral fellowships in cancer cell biology, psychoneuroimmunology, and behavioral medicine. She synthesizes cutting-edge science and practical tools for well-being with deep humanity. Joan, a sought-after international speaker, is a New York Times bestselling author of 17 books. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Public Television, and on numerous websites.
She is president of Mind-Body Health Sciences, LLC in Santa Fe, NM -the Land of Enchantment- where she lives and tends her outdoor gardens, indoor gardens, and gardens of the heart with her husband Gordon Dveirin, EdD, and their two standard poodles, Mitzi and Lola. You can register for her live online course series, the Gifts of Spiritual Memoir, and find out about other courses and appearances at her website, www.joanborysenko.com.
Joan is also Chair of the Hoffman Institute's Advisory Council; learn more about Hoffman's Advisory Council here. As mentioned in this episode: Advaita Vedanta
Hinduism
Buddhism
Mind Body Medicine at Harvard Medical School
Herbert Benson (the first person to introduce meditation into medicine) Meditation Goes Mainstream, Washington Post - 1987
Jon Kabat-Zin, His mindfulness mind-body meditation clinic.
1982 AIDS Epidemic
Positive Psychology and Character Strengths
LGBTQ Community
OCD
Aldous Huxley, The Doors of Perception
Lisa Miller, Psychologist at Columbia University
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Jane_Borysenko_Podcast_Final.mp3
A nationally recognized thought leader, Bernard Franklin completed the Hoffman Process in June 2022.
As Bernard shares, he was a man who had blocked his emotions, feelings, and energy, and "all of those channels were ready to explode." He was shaky. He wasn't comfortable in his own skin. And having arrived at the world's best educational institution and at the height of his career, he found himself profoundly needing something he could not yet name. He found it at the Hoffman Process. At Bernard's Process: Bernard beautifully shares a story from the first night of his Process. In the first few hours, something did not sit right with him. Old childhood memories were triggered. At that moment, Bernard spoke up from his belly. He said what he couldn't say as a child. And at this moment, he was met by his Process teacher with kindness, gentleness, and the invitation to look deeper. Bernard stayed and had a profoundly transformative experience. His story is an example of how surrender to the Process does not imply or insist on acquiescence.
The recurring theme woven throughout this rich conversation with Bernard and Sharon is that of healing the wound left by a father who could not love his son in the way his son needed. Bernard takes us into the journey of healing his relationship with his father and in turn with his own masculinity.
Through his Process, Bernard was able to truly embrace the reality of his parents' lives as they were, not as he'd wished they'd been. In this embrace, he found a deep and lasting compassion for both his parents. Consequently, the direction of his life's work has changed. After integrating the work of the Process, Bernard realized he must follow a new path. He is now bringing his lifetime of work and his open, vulnerable heart to what he names "our world's toughest men."
Content Warning: This episode does mention abuse and might not be suitable for all audiences. More about Bernard Franklin: Dr. Bernard Franklin is a nationally recognized thought leader on issues confronting urban trauma and violence, mental health, resilience, boys' and mens' development, and K-12 and higher education issues. His 40-year career includes leadership at five higher education institutions and a Kansas City philanthropy.
In 2022, Bernard completed a Fellowship with Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative focused on urban mental health research, specifically on violent and marginalized urban individuals. He is the Managing Director of Uncornered, a Boston-based organization transforming urban communities into violence-free neighborhoods.
Bernard earned an MS in Counseling and Behavioral Studies from the University of South Alabama. He obtained a Ph.D. in Counseling and Higher Education Administration, with an outside emphasis in family studies from Kansas State University. Bernard earned a master's Professional Training Certificate focused on the trauma/resilience theory model of Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) from Texas Christian University. He has been a speaker, taught courses, and consulted K-12 and higher education organizations on social-emotional teaching and learning, trauma, attachment disorder, resilience, and neuroscience. Bernard served as Chaplin and a member of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs professional counseling team. He is a member of the distinguished advisory board of The Center for Law, Brain & Behavior at Harvard.
Bernard is a widowed and proud father of a daughter and three sons; and has seven adorable grandchildren.
Discover more about and connect with Bernard on LinkedIn. Among Bernard's many awards and honors: Bernard was twice honored among the 100 Most Influential African Americans in Kansas City (1998, 2009). The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce honored him with the Distinguished Leadership Award for contributions to urban education. The Kansas City Downtown Council awarded him “Urban Hero” for his urban public education work.
Natalie Lumpkin, the creative force behind Finding You, a gathering dedicated to Anti-Oppression work for Black Women, completed the Hoffman Process in early 2020.
Content warning: This episode does contain a discussion of racial violence and the use of the N-word and may not be suitable for all audiences.
After experiencing betrayal and doing the work to heal this betrayal, she came to the Process to understand the patterns of her relationships. Indeed, Natalie was serious about change.
On day one of the Process, Natalie felt the deep and painful experience of entering an unknown group and seeing, after scanning, that she was the only Black person there. Even though she was part of a group of people doing their deep work together, as the only Black person present, Natalie immediately knew she would be doing her personal work alone in a way she was all too familiar with.
Then, on the second day after doing her morning check-in, she received a powerful message. “I am carrying the weight of my ancestors and it’s embedded in my bones. This is deeper than just your parents.” She drew a visual picture of the message (see below). After sharing this message with her teacher, Natalie followed their guidance to focus on the parental patterns. Upon completion of the Process, she came away with a new sense of who she really is. Natalie then began the journey of healing the patterns of her ancestors.
After her Hoffman work and the events of 2020, Natalie’s work in the world deepened. She honed her ability to create and hold gatherings for Black women to awaken, heal and see their conditioning. This work is the most important way she can use her voice and the most powerful work she can do.
More about Natalie Lumpkin:Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Natalie worked for some of the most iconic brands of our generation. Natalie uses her life and career experience to inform the arc of her program, Finding You. She creates a space for Black Women to explore the ways we are prepared for racial oppression, and uncover survival tactics learned early in life. They spend time identifying social narratives, orientating their own internalized conditioned biases, and naming invisible generational traumas carried and passed forward in their lives.
With a foundation in various wellness modalities and continuous education, Natalie equips attendees with valuable tools for regaining balance and a sense of their truth when they complete this deep work and re-enter the ongoing systems of oppression. Gatherings are held a few times per year. Participants are curated through an interactive registration process. Groups are kept small so attendees are safely able to create new ways of seeing themselves and seeing each other. The objective of Finding You is to create a safe space for internal reflection, group connection, and deep awakening that allows Black women to take their intended shape, and share their unique gifts in the world. We collectively heal our past while simultaneously establishing a legacy for future generations by identifying and deprogramming the effects of conditioned oppression.
Natalie lives in the Seattle area. When she’s not working one on one with clients in her coaching practice The Art of Whole Being, or guiding small groups of women through Finding You, she’s most likely traveling, spending time with family or friends. She enjoys the natural beauty of her surroundings, writing, and making pottery in one of her local art studios.
Discover more: Natalie on Instagram, Btrayed on Instagram, The Art of Whole Being on Instagram, and Finding You on Instagram.
As mentioned in this episode:Natalie’s message from her Spirit Guide on Day 2 of the Hoffman Process.
Umi – Mother of Mothers, origin: Arabic, Japanese
Tara Brach, Meditation Teacher, Psychologist, and Author
The Office TV show
Jen Atkin, Hairstylist, Influencer, and Entrepreneur
Jen on the Hoffman Podcast: My Rise to the Top
The Infidelity Project, Anonymous sharing for those who are experiencing betrayal.
George Floyd
Kwanzaa
Arful Belonging,
Natalie’s mission at Artful Belonging is “to strengthen the sense of belonging we have to each other and to ourselves through the creation of safe spaces for honest conversations about our collective Black experience, which includes celebrating the beauty of our culture. Through the study and creation of art, we instill a deeper sense of self that results in true belonging for Black youth.”
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Natalie_Lumpkin_Podcast_Final.mp3
Sheila Ohlsson Walker, Ph.D., who graduated from the Hoffman Process in 2019, shares her sense of what purpose is and how we can come to know it.
Content warning: this episode does contain references to child sexual abuse and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Sheila shares how purpose can change over time, meaning we can have many purposes in our lifetime. In this warm and uplifting conversation, Sheila gives tangible examples of what she means by this definition by sharing her own personal and professional life story with all of the twists and turns that a human lifetime contains.
It is clear that Sheila is passionate about guiding children through the power of sports to find their YODA code (Your Own Decision Advisor) so they can grow into adulthood and live their lives with this ‘personal GPS.’ When we have our own YODA code, we can find our way back home when we get off track in life, something that happened to Sheila at a young age. In response to this event, through her own resilience and the help of caring adults, she found her way.
Sheila lives a purposeful life of service, learning, and joy. Accordingly, her work is focused on parents, sports coaches, teachers, and other adults who impact youth during powerful developmental chapters when lifelong habits are most seamlessly embedded. Relatedly, she seeks to empower young people with mindsets, knowledge, and skills that support them in building self-narratives that catalyze holistic flourishing across life.
More about Sheila Ohlsson Walker, CFA, Ph.D. :A competitive tennis player since childhood, Sheila Ohlsson Walker, CFA, Ph.D. knows first-hand the power of sport to embed life skills and mindsets that transfer into careers, relationships, and wellness habits that foster health and well-being across life. She knows that adults, through the relationships they form, can activate passion, possibility, and a sense of purpose in young people.
Dr. Walker received a B.S. in Finance at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and after a career as a portfolio manager for a buy-side investment firm in Denver, she pivoted to academia. She earned a doctorate in Behavioral Genetics from the Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at Kings College London, where she learned that the headline of biosocial science was clear: nurture (the environment) shapes nature (DNA) across life.
Dr. Walker is a Senior Scientist at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University, a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. She serves on the boards of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation and the Youth Performance Institute, is a trustee of the Kent Denver School, and is a member of the United States Tennis Association’s Sport Science Committee. Sheila lives in Denver. Her greatest pride and joy is being a mother to her three sons, Jack, Charlie, and Wyatt.
www.sheilaohlssonwalker.com
As mentioned in this episode:Joan Borysenko Ph.D., Chair of Hoffman’s Advisory Council
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk MD
Quote:
“Don’t worry that your child isn’t listening to you; worry that they are always watching you.” Robert Fulghum
Pretoria, South Africa
Apartheid
Outward Bound
PsyD Program, University of Colorado at Denver
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Protective and Compensatory Experiences (PACEs)
Wise Decisions: A Science-Based Approach to Making Better Choices by Dr. Jim Loehr and Dr. Sheila Ohlsson Walker
Human Performance Institute
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Sheila_Ohlsson_Walker_Podcast_Final.mp3
In the Fall of 2022, Richard Raymond, British Filmmaker, graduated from the Hoffman Process. Yes, Richard is a filmmaker, but as you’ll discover listening to this conversation with Liz, Richard is a masterful storyteller. and boy does he have stories to tell.
From a very young age, films enthralled Richard. When he realized he wanted to be involved in making films, he took action. To that end, he made his own introduction to the world of filmmaking. Then, as he followed his heart’s vision, he learned from amazing actors, directors, and other filmmaking artists (see some listed below). Eventually, his vision led him to Australia and then America.
Two main threads weave this conversation together. The threads are finding where we belong and learning to trust one’s creative voice enough to give it free rein. Through his rich storytelling, Richard takes us along on his journey of finding belonging from childhood to those seven days at the Process. Eventually, at the end of this conversation, you’ll hear the wisdom of belonging Richard has discovered. You’ll also hear how he came to trust in himself and his voice as an artist through the deep work of the Process. This was one of the biggest gifts and takeaways from Richard’s week at the Hoffman Process.
More about Richard Raymond:Richard Raymond is a British filmmaker known for his visually striking and emotionally impactful works. Born and raised in London, to a Jewish Indian family, Raymond developed a love for film from a young age and began making his own short films at the age of 15.
In 2015, he made his feature film debut with “Desert Dancer,” starring Freida Pinto, a biographical drama about the Iranian dancer Afshin Ghaffarian, which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and received critical acclaim. Raymond’s follow-up film, “Souls of Totality”, was released in 2018 and starred Tatiana Maslany. It was the first film in history to be shot during a real solar eclipse. The film won awards at 12 International Film Festivals and was long-listed for the Oscar. In 2020, Raymond directed “A Million Eyes”, which was released to widespread praise for its thought-provoking and visually stunning portrayal of a young gifted photographer.
As a filmmaker, Raymond is not only dedicated to his craft but also to giving back to the community. Through organizations such as YoungArts, he is a fierce advocate for arts education for young people in underprivileged areas and has taken on the role of mentor to many young artists who may not have had access to guidance and support otherwise. Additionally, Raymond has made a significant impact in the autism community through the creation of the Celebrity Chef Gala for Autism Speaks. Over the past 15 years, this event has raised $16 million to support its efforts to provide solutions for individuals with autism and their families throughout all stages of life.
Richard Raymond resides in Malibu with his better half, Nousha, and their two children, Rumi and Bodhi. Learn more about Richard and his work here. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Richard_Raymond_Podcast_Final.mp3As mentioned in this episode:Bhagdadi Jews:
“The former communities of Jewish migrants and their descendants from Baghdad and elsewhere in the Middle East are traditionally called Baghdadi Jews or Iraqi Jews. They settled primarily in the ports and along the trade routes around the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.” Wikipedia
Bombay/Mumbai, India
Hertfordshire Countryside
Pinewood Film Studios / Shepperton Studios – London, England
Fox Studios Australia /now Disney Studios Australia
Sundance Film Festival
Paravision Film Equipment
Akram Kahn, Choreographer
Hoffman Part 2:
Toward the end of this conversation, Richard mentions that he is looking forward to doing “Part Two.” The next step for Hoffman graduates is to do the Hoffman Q2 Intensive- Beyond Mom and Dad, a three-day retreat that takes you beyond the Mom and Dad patterns and into a deeper vision for your life. The Q2 is also offered in a virtual format.
Hoffman terminology:Awareness Hell:
In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
Actors, Directors, and movies Richard has worked with:Blake Edwards (Pink Panther Movies)
Roberto Benigni (Son of the Pink Panther, Life is Beautiful)
Dick Pope, Director of Photography
Neil Jordan, Interview With the Vampire
Agnieszka Holland, The Secret Garden
Derby (Luc) Besson, The Fifth Element
Anthony Hopkins, Richard Attenborough, Shadowlands
James Cameron
Richard Donner, Superman Movies
Tim Burton, Batman
Tom Harvey
Benedict Cumberbatch
Evan Rachel Wood
Things in Richard’s USA Box:Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum
MC Hammer Stickers
Vanilla Ice
Mary Arden, a beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach, taught the Process for nearly 30 years. In this spirited and delightful conversation with Drew, Mary shares her experience taking the Process, teaching the Process, and working directly with Bob Hoffman. She also, lovingly, shares her experience of being with her beloved partner, Jim, while he was alive and now after his passing.
Mary bridges Earth and Spirit as she speaks of her life, relationships, and work to help facilitate wellness and healing in people so that our world can know this profound and practical relationship between the two, between Earth and Spirit. One of Mary’s profound experiences during her own Process was feeling deeply rooted in the Earth. The work she did there brought her into her own body and a direct embodied relationship with Earth. Mary also shares that the Process teaches us “that there is a whole realm that is a spiritual realm and we get to be in that by choosing.”
From an early age, Mary learned that we are here to be of service. Her older sister had an intellectual disability. (Mary uses the term, mentally retarded, which was the predominant term used in Mary’s early years as a child in the 1940s.) She shares how very different things were then and how remarkable her parents were in their response to how to raise Mary’s sister, during this time. Her parents’ response had a direct impact on Mary and her life. Those of us who know Mary, and truly all who have taken the Process since Mary started teaching and working to help shape the Process into what it is today, have deeply benefited from her dedication to serving her students and this beautiful relationship between Life and Spirit.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Mary and Drew.
More about Mary Arden:Mary Amrita Arden holds a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities, a certificate in Secondary Education, and a Master’s degree in public health. She is also a certified Neuro-Lingustic Programming coach.
Mary taught the Hoffman Process from 1991 to 2019. She once shared that what was most meaningful for her about teaching the Hoffman Process was “facilitating people to a healthy way of holding their life – listening to their inner wisdom, finding strength in their essence/spirit, learning true self-compassion, and living a fulfilling life of connection, love, and presence.”
In Mary’s own words, what she got from taking the Process was “a deep sense of my essential worthiness, separate from any role or achievement, and a way to live passionately with an open heart, connected to spirit.”
Mary is now retired and lives in California.
As mentioned in this episode:1970 Book, Diet for a Small Planet
Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process
The Negative Love Syndrome:
Watch this video Describing the Negative Love Syndrome
Download A Path to Personal Freedom and Love, which describes the Negative Love Syndrome
Book by Bob Hoffman: No One is to Blame
Human Potential MovementAn awakening to the understanding that… “we are more than just these human beings who have a job and raise a family. That we’re spiritual beings having a human experience.” Mary Arden
Enneagram (Type2):
THE HELPER
The Caring, Interpersonal Type: Generous, Demonstrative, People-Pleasing, and Possessive
Francis Weller
Francis Weller, MFT, “is a psychotherapist, writer, and soul activist. He is a master of synthesizing diverse streams of thought from psychology, anthropology, mythology, alchemy, indigenous cultures, and poetic traditions.”
The Wild Edge of Sorrow and the First Gate of Grief:
Mary reads a section on the first gate of grief from Francis’ book, The Wild Edge of Sorrow. You can learn more about these stages of grief from Francis Weller here.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Mary_Arden_Podcast_Final.mp3
B David Cisneros, professor and author, shares that the Hoffman Process, without question, was the single most impactful thing I’ve ever done for myself.” The Process put David on a “path to happiness, to joy, to finding joy.”
When speaking of his childhood, David shares with Sharon that blame was a deep familial pattern. In his family, “any problem you had was someone else’s fault.” But in the Process, David quickly came to see that blame was no longer an option if he truly wanted to meet the challenges he was facing. He credits the Process with opening him to the power of taking responsibility for his own life, one of the cornerstones of the foundational work of the Hoffman Process.
After the Process, David followed his heart and found his new career teaching at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). It was his work at the Process that gave him the confidence to apply for this job even though he was sure didn’t have what they were looking for. He followed the guidance he got and was hired. David did in fact have what they were looking for.
David also speaks of the beautiful angels in our lives. He shares a story about his roommate at the Process who helped him through a difficult moment during the week. David expands on this, sharing how others are angels for us and we can be angels for others as we navigate life. He highlights this wisdom in his book about reincarnation, “Between Here and There.” This beautiful book was the result of a spirit-led dream he had years after completing the Process.
More about B David Cisneros:David grew up in a small farming town along the Central Coast of California. Then and there, he learned about hard work by watching family members rise before the sun to break their backs in the fields. Spiritual but not religious, David somehow found his faith by surfing up and down California’s coastlines, searching for the perfect wave.
David received a degree in economics from San Diego State University. After college, he worked in the tech and gaming industries at companies like Oracle and IGT. All the while, David struggled to connect the corporate world with his spirituality. Today, he considers himself a Silicon Valley refugee. He lives in the high desert of Northern Nevada, teaches at the University of Nevada, Reno, writes as much as possible, and spends his free time cycling on the road and mountain trails, playing with his Vizsla, listening to his vinyl collection, sipping fine tequila, and laughing with friends and family. And David is still searching for that perfect wave.
More about David’s book:David’s recently published book, “Between Here and There,” is a tale of a hero’s journey of spiritual growth … about a boy searching for the meaning of life. He learns about Love, forgiveness, and trust. But he also discovers what happens to us in the afterlife. David shares that the story came to him in a dream. However, he could never have written it without the emotional and spiritual growth he developed from the Process. And he still remembers the Love and the support he received all those years ago.
As mentioned in this episode:The Dark Side –
Learn about the Dark Side and Hoffman Tools and Practices here.
Larry Ellison, Founder of Oracle
The Gaming Industry
Rate My Professors
Gratitude
Tune into Hoffman’s daily Gratitude and Appreciation practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_B_David_Cisneros_Podcast.mp3
Natalie Kuhn is Co-CEO and a founding teacher of The Class. Listen in as she shares about spirituality, the human body, and the incredible healing power of expression.
While Natalie grew up with Catholicism and Buddhism, it was in her biology class that she realized the profound power of the spiritual nature of life. Natalie saw the power of the human body to heal as a doorway to the mystery of the unseen power of spirituality. In her work today, the power of her spiritual insight has come full circle in her work in The Class. It truly is a physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual expression of the reach of Natalie’s love’s everyday radius.
In this conversation with Liz, Natalie speaks a lot about the power of expression. During her week at the Process, she discovered that all of her emotions were finally set free when she was able to express the fullness of her anger through her cathartic work there. She goes on to tell us how expression frees emotion, which frees our vitality, life force, and creativity. In other words, it frees our Spirit. Natalie found that her work at the Process brought even more of her vitality and joy to her work with people and The Class.
Tag along on this joyful ride with Natalie and Liz, and stay with them to the end. You’ll be glad you did.
More about Natlie Kuhn:Natalie is Co-CEO and a founding teacher of The Class, a global digital wellness company whose innovative workout combines fitness and mindfulness in order to strengthen the body, become aware of the mind, and create a deeper connection to self. As the first employee of the business, she helped grow it from its inception in 2013 when it was originally taught in the founder’s apartment building to what it is today. Natalie is known for being the category creator of mindful movement, practiced in-person in NY & LA, and digitally in 71 countries across the globe.
As mentioned in this episode:The Cycle of Transformation
Expression:
“To let go of our patterns, we must exercise our free will – choose to step out of a pattern and take action using our Voice, Body, and Intention. We use our Voice to say “No” to the pattern and “Yes” to what we are moving toward. We use our Body to physically express ourselves. All the while, our Intention is to free ourselves of the pattern(s) we are working with and get back in touch with our aliveness and authenticity. Our expression is not necessarily about anger – it’s about “claiming” your life. It’s about taking a stand. Sometimes that includes anger, but it can also be about joy, love, commitment, and empowerment.”
Learn more about the power of Expression through the Hoffman Process by downloading this PDF.
Qigong
Yoga
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Natalie_Kuhn_Podcast_Final.mp3
In his youth, Bobby Africa, business mentor and ultra-endurance athlete, earned his nickname “Too Fast Africa” racing motocross for Kawasaki. Ironically, and perfectly, it was Regina‘s (his Process teacher) loving invitation to, “Slow it down, Bobby” that opened the door, even wider, to the healing that took place during his Process.
In the first few days of his Process, Bobby (Bob’s childhood nickname) began to feel safe and content. He realized he didn’t have to be anything or anyone but simply himself. It was in this safety that he began to slow things down, feel his feelings, and dig into this profound healing work. Bobby courageously and vulnerably began to shine a bit of light into what was and what is in his words, “very dark.” As he shares his story, you can hear, feel, and sense the profound Light within him that he re-discovered through the work of the Process.
Bobby goes on to share with us how in his post-Process life he is using the Process tools to heal trauma and the associated patterns. Some of the deep understanding he came to realize at the Process – safety, loveable exactly as he is, and deep contentment – now support him as he heals even more within himself.
Content warning: This conversation mentions violence and sexual abuse, and while not explicit in nature, may not be suitable for all audiences.”
More about Bobby Africa:Bobby Africa has been moving fast most of his life. Born in Pennsylvania as the youngest of three, he spent most of his time outside or playing competitive ice hockey, soccer, and racing motocross. His love for the outdoors took him to Colorado, where he earned degrees in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Planning to attend medical school, Bobby deferred to travel the world for a year, spending nine months climbing, surfing, and working as a mountain guide in Africa and another three months in Europe. While in Europe, he visited Salomon, a company he was product testing for, and, as they say, the rest is history. He moved to France to work for Salomon and race professionally as a mountain athlete finding himself on a new path combining his love for playing in the mountains, product creation, and business. Bobby went on to hold key positions and lead companies such as Pearl Izumi, Kidrobot, Roofnest, and PopSockets. While at PopSockets, he was instrumental in their extraordinary growth from a small garage operation to the second fastest-growing company in the country in 2018. After leaving PopSockets in 2020, he had his “kitchen coffee moment” that ultimately led him to the Hoffman Process.
Bobby continues leading businesses, mentoring leaders, and fostering authentic connections through TFA (TooFastAfrica) Strategy Partners. In addition, he co-founded Suffer Better, a Colorado-based nonprofit offering the endurance athlete community opportunities to preserve and protect their natural environment and support local communities. Most importantly, he continues to play in the mountains and be a dad to his daughter Sophia.
Discover more about Bobby:Bob Africa on LinkedIn
Interview with Bob at PodiumRunner.com
Life Lessons with Boulder Athletes at DailyRunner.com
Leadville Race Series: Meet your run camp guides with Bob Africa
As mentioned in this episode:Leadville Race Series
Safety
Bobby and other Process graduates talk often about how safe they felt at Hoffman Process. Safety in healing work is absolutely necessary. Often, people haven’t ever really felt safe in their lives. Read more about psychological safety here…
ContentmentA quote from Bobby about the contentment he found…
“Contentment is a practice. It’s not a feeling of accomplishment from doing something. Contentment is just being complete in the moment. In the moment there is just presence, no future, no past – just happy to be here, in the moment. Contentment is an attitude of the soul.” ~ Ram Dass
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Bobby_Africa_Podcast_Final.mp3
Linda Hartka, a retired Hoffman Process teacher, shares her story of how doing the work of the Process healed her seemingly intractable self-loathing. As a therapist for years, Linda did many workshops and types of training to deepen her capacity and ability to hold others in their healing. And yet, her tendency to feel self-loathing didn’t budge. Through the Process, she was able to finally melt away the patterns that held it in place. This same outcome has been true for so many who do the Process. The tendency to feel self-loathing is common. The Process can get to the heart of it.
Linda grew up during the rise of the human consciousness movement. As a young girl, she was deeply religious until she had a realization that caused her to leave religion at eleven years old. Something didn’t sit right with her big, compassionate heart and she said no and walked away. As she grew into adulthood, her heart took her deeper into compassion and spirituality, leading her to a beautiful life in service to the healing and realization of many human beings. In 1998, Linda became a Process teacher. She led students through the Process until she retired at the end of 2022.
This episode gives us a glimpse into the deep love that Linda has for her family as well as for those she has worked with and continues to support. She’s worked with many different communities, including women at the City of Hope in the Congo. Linda is not only a natural facilitator of healing but also a storyteller extraordinaire.
Listen in as she shares fascinating, heart-opening stories about her life and the lives of those she has been fortunate to know and work with, both at the Hoffman Process and other places around the world.
More about Linda HartkaLinda has been with the Hoffman Institute since beginning her training in 1998, as a teacher, coach, and program designer. She holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychotherapy and has studied and worked in psychology and spirituality for over forty years. Before she found Hoffman, she began her career as a childbirth educator and doula, trained as a Waldorf Education teacher, and settled into a private transpersonal therapy practice specializing in Psychosynthesis until taking the Process in 1996. The transformative impact of the Process was so life-changing, that Linda wanted nothing more than to bring that change to as many as possible. Her years as a teacher have been filled with love, joy, and miracles!
Linda lives in rural upstate New York, surrounded by her large family of five children, their spouses, eight grandchildren, and abundant birds and wildlife. She retired in December 2022, to enjoy her family and artistic endeavors. She continues with her private practice, and as an occasional guest teacher for the Hoffman Institute.
As mentioned in this episode:Consciousness Revolution
Doula
Transpersonal Psychology and Psychosynthesis
Unlocking Futures (previously Youth At Risk)
John Bradshaw
Sharon Kennedy, Hoffman teacher/coach
Barbara Comstock, Hoffman teacher/coach
Listen to Barbara on the Hoffman Podcast
Kani Comstock, Retired Hoffman teacher/coach
Listen to Kani on the Hoffman Podcast
Negative Love Syndrome:
The Negative Love Syndrome is the adoption of the negative behaviors, moods, attitudes, and admonitions (overt and silent) of our parents to secure their love. It includes the subsequent compulsive acting out or rebellion against those negative traits throughout our adult lives.
Download: The Negative Love Syndrome: A Path to Personal Freedom and Love
Self-Realization Fellowship
Buddhism
Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach
City of Joy, Congo
The Alternatives to Violence Project – USA
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Linda_Hartka_Podcast.mp3
Susan Beaulieu, Healing Justice Director, is Anishinaabe and an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation. Listen in as Susan shares her powerful healing journey, including her journey at the Hoffman Process. Content warning: this episode mentions suicide.
Susan has worked directly with Indigenous communities for over 17 years. For the last seven years, her focus has been helping others understand the impacts of unresolved individual, ancestral, and collective trauma, and developing strategies to support healing. When Susan came to the Hoffman Process, she was well-versed in the ways to heal trauma.
Susan’s Experience during the Process:What called Susan to come to the Process? She heard Hoffman grad Tim Harjo speak about healing our connection with our child within. When she heard his words, she felt a deep longing to reconnect with this child within her. At this moment, she could see that it was “a critical next step” in her healing journey. In the Process, Susan did reconnect with this little one within her. She didn’t expect to find her in the ways she did. This little one was carrying so much rage and terror within her. The cathartic work was a doorway to a new relationship with her little one within.
Susan also experienced a pivotal moment in the Process when she found herself drumming and singing back her Spirit. Susan was given her Spirit name when she was about twelve. She shares with us, “I could feel my Spirit starting to come back in as I was drumming and singing that name, Niigaani-Binesi-Ikwe, Niigaani-Binesi-Ikwe.
This is a beautiful, rich conversation with someone who has done a great amount of work to heal herself and now shares not only her own experience but her vast knowledge about healing. Susan shares that her work at Hoffman helped give her a more grounded healing language to share with those she serves. We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation with Susan and Drew.
More about Susan Beaulieu:Susan Beaulieu (She/Her), Healing Justice Director, is Anishinaabe and an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation. Susan has worked directly with Indigenous communities for over 17 years in a variety of capacities including project development, training, and facilitation. Her primary focus for the last seven years has been helping communities, organizations, and individuals understand the impacts of unresolved individual, ancestral and collective trauma, and develop strategies to support healing.
Susan is passionate about creating opportunities and encouraging processes for reconnecting to the mind, body, heart, and spirit to support well-being. She was a 2016 Bush Leadership Fellow, is an ACE Interface Master Trainer, and is a certified Mind-Body Medicine Facilitator. She has a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota. Discover more about Susan on LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:Susan’s Spirit name:
Niigaani-Binesi-Ikwe or Niigaanibinesiikwe (Leading Thunderbird Woman)
ACE Interface:
Dr. Robert Anda, Co-founder ACE Interface
Laura Porter, Co-Founder Ace Interface
Dr. Bruce Perry, Child Trauma Academy
University of Minnesota, Humphrey Public Policy Institute
Zero Foundation The Horizon’s Program/Project
Tim Harjo – Listen to Tim’s episode on the Hoffman Podcast
Susan’s earrings:
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Susan_Beaulieu_Podcast.mp3
Eliot Wajskol did the Process in 2022. Listen in as he shares an intergenerational story of hardship, a desire to build a better life, and the hope to one day live fully alive.
Eliot’s grandparents’ and parents’ lives were filled with persecution and hardship during the holocaust beyond anything most of us will ever know. Somehow, his father and mother, and her mother, survived. Eventually, they made the journey to America as refugees in 1968, with no money and very few belongings.
Growing up in Ohio, one of the things Eliot struggled with in his youth was the feeling of not belonging. He realizes his parents had this feeling, too. Here in America, there was no place where they could fit in. Their experiences prior to coming were so different than everyone around them. Eliot shares that one thing he learned from Hoffman was that no matter how unique your story we all share similar feelings and emotions that are like threads through our lives.
Eliot came to the Process because he felt like he had never truly lived. He shares that on the surface, everything in his life looked wonderful. But underneath the surface, there was turmoil. He was going through a divorce, hadn’t been able to foster strong relationships with his two children, and was trying to rebuild his business after the Covid lockdown. Eliot shares that “…the more he was trying to hold everything together, the more he was losing absolutely everything.”
Just before coming to the Process, Eliot immersed himself in things that could support him in what he was feeling. He had a vision of who he knew he was deep inside but couldn’t find a way to actually be. At one point, three things happened that all pointed him to the Hoffman Process. Listen in to discover more about Eliot’s journey to, through, and after the Process.
More about Eliot Wajskol:Eliot lives in Portland, Oregon. Woven into his weeks, you can find him at 6 am cross fit workouts, hiking, catching special moments with his high school daughter, traveling, and living life more and more fully. You can learn more about Eliot and his work helping businesses implement the Entrepreneurial Operating System here and follow him on LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:The USSR:
“The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.”
The Lódz Ghetto: History & Overview (1939 – 1945)
Auschwitz and Bergen Belson
Escaping 1968 PolandIn 1968, Poland’s communist government forced Jews to leave. Eliot’s parents had to leave with only a few belongings, no passport, no documents, and were stateless. Relatives sponsored them and his Dad had to begin again in obtaining his medical license as an anesthesiologist.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Eliot_Wajskol_Podcast.mp3
Barbara Burke, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, is committed to helping people reconnect to their authentic selves.
Content warning: This conversation makes reference to self-harm, eating disorders, child sexual abuse, and contains explicit language, and may not be suitable for all audiences.
Barbara took the Process in 1996. She credits her work at the Process as a major contributor to rediscovering her creativity. Also an author, multimedia artist, and educator, Barbara became a Hoffman teacher in 2007. She says, “My Process changed the trajectory of my life, and I feel so privileged to witness others on this journey of a lifetime.”
As so often happens with graduates’ Process journeys, the story of how Barbara came to Hoffman in the first place is a story of sibling love and care. How Barbara was able to do the Process is a story of a mother’s love.
Barbara’s sister, Sally, did the Process first. Sally’s healing led to Barbara’s own Process journey and healing, which eventually became a family healing when their mother, then multiple siblings and spouses found their way to the Process as well.
Listen to this beautiful story of a family’s healing that came through doing the powerful healing work of the Process.
**Barabara’s sister, Sally, has given her express permission to share her story here on the podcast.
More about Barbara Burke:Barbara earned a BA and B-Ed from the University of Toronto. She taught for 29 years in the Toronto school system before becoming a Hoffman Process facilitator, initially for The Hoffman Institute Canada. In her lifelong pursuit of spiritual wholeness, Barbara has pursued a wide range of interests. Her experiences studying various modalities inform her current work. Her studies have included Dr. Helen Schucman’s A Course in Miracles (Temecula, CA: Foundation for Inner Peace, 1976), mindfulness meditation, energy healing, and most profoundly her work with the Hoffman Institute.
In addition to enjoying words, she appreciates the intrinsic healing power of color. She is the author and illustrator of I Am Divine, a boxed set of 52 beautifully illustrated cards. The accompanying book of meditations expands on the affirmations from the cards. I Am Divine is now available through the Apple iTunes Store as an app that will work on the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. Barbara’s also published an inspiring 12-month journal titled, “A Year of Living Your Divinity“. This unique journal includes beautiful watercolor mandalas, prose, and poetry to support each person to connect more fully to their divine essence.
Barbara’s most recent creation is a set of children’s I Am Divine Cards, which are now available for purchase. Each set contains 32 beautifully illustrated cards and an accompanying booklet with a meditation for each one. These cards are guaranteed to bring a sense of wonder, spirituality, and mindfulness into the lives of children. Barbara has created an app for the children’s edition as well.
Barbara lives in Toronto, Canada.
As Mentioned in this Episode:A Course in Miracles
“This course can be summed up very simply in this way:
Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.Herein lies the peace of God
Discover more here: A Course In Miracles Text
Eckhart Tolle
Spiritual teacher and NYTimes Best-selling Author. “Eckhart’s profound, yet simple teachings have helped countless people around the globe experience a state of vibrantly alive inner peace in their daily lives.” Read more…
High Park, Toronto
Hoffman Tools & Practices:
Bashing/Expression
Transference
The need for Self-compassion Also: Listen to Self-Compassion with Kristin Neff on the Hoffman Podcast
Working with Shame Listen to The Antidote to Shame with Chris Germer on the Hoffman Podcast
Family photos and the Note From Barbara’s Mother:
As Barbara shares, she supported her sister, Sally, in coming to accept there she needed healing. Sally learned about the Hoffman Process and was the first to do it in their family. Barbara’s mother paid for Barbara to attend the Process, in spite of their relationship difficulties at the time.
This is the card Barbara’s Mother sent her. It contained payment for Barbara’s Process as well as her wishes for Barbara. Later, Barbara’s mother did the Process, too. Eventually, more of Barbara’s siblings and some spouses of their spouses completed the Process.
A Sample of Barbara’s Photography:https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Barbara_Burke_Podcast_Final.mp3
Kurt “Big Boy” Alexander, The Voice of L.A. and the host of the wildly successful “Big Boy’s Neighborhood,” did the Hoffman Process in July of 2022.
There are many themes in this beautiful conversation with Kurt and Drew. One theme is Kurt’s realization that he knew very well who “Big Boy” is but didn’t know who Kurt really is. He continues to be determined to do the deep work to come to know Kurt.
Another theme is the power of coming to see the unconscious and compulsive patterns we adopt to navigate our family systems and survive the difficulties of childhood. Kurt never knew his father so logically it would make sense that he didn’t even know where to begin to name the patterns he adopted from his dad. As you’ll hear, the very nature of absence creates deep unconscious patterning. Kurt’s story of how he came to see these patterns in his Process is poignant and tender.
This conversation spirals through layers of understanding, echoing the nature of transformational work. As it goes deeper, the understanding Kurt shares about his life and who he is does, too. His generosity of Spirit shines through as his vulnerability gives us a glimpse into both his inner child and his Spiritual Self.
More About Kurt “Big Boy” Alexander:“Big Boy” was born in Chicago and moved to California at the age of two. He became acquainted with the music world while DJing at parties. Today, “Big Boy” is The Voice of L.A. and the host of the wildly successful “Big Boy’s Neighborhood,” every morning on iHeart Media’s Real 92.3 the home of Hip Hop music in Los Angeles. He has dominated the ratings in all of the timeslots he has occupied ever since he first started his career in radio, from nights, afternoons, and mornings. The National Association of Broadcasters has recognized “Big Boy”s exceptional talent with the Marconi Award, a very rare three times. He is also an awarded member of the Radio Hall of Fame.
“Big Boy” has been featured on many television shows including “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” and “HBO’s Entourage.” He also debuted his own radio station in the wildly successful “Grand Theft Auto” video game and his YouTube channel, “BigBoyTV” has more than 200 million views of celebrity interviews. Along with various other charity work, “Big Boy” stepped up for his community during the COVID-19 pandemic. He fed hundreds of frontline essential workers at hospitals all over Los Angeles.
As Mentioned in this Episode:Augie Johnson & Side Effect
“Side Effect was an American disco and jazz-funk band that recorded between 1972 and 1982. The group was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1972 by Augie Johnson who became their leader.”
Rick Dees
“Rigdon Osmond Dees III…, best known as Rick Dees, is an American entertainer, radio personality, comedian, actor, and voice artist, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the 1976 satirical novelty song “Disco Duck“.
Scooter Braun
“Scott Samuel “Scooter” Braun…, is an American record executive, talent agent, and entrepreneur. Known as the manager for artists such as Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber…”
Listen to Scott ‘Scooter’ Braun on the Hoffman Podcast
The Hoffman App
The transformational journey to discovering your authentic self does not end after the completion of a Hoffman program. Rather, it is just beginning. That is why we created this app, full of guidance, practices, and visualizations to inspire and help you achieve your personal goals. We like to think of it as “Hoffman in your pocket. Version one of our app is only available in the iOS App Store for all devices, but the same 30-day integration program is available here, on a mobile-optimized page, for all operating systems.
Coming off the hill…
Kurt is referring to our beautiful new retreat site in Petaluma, California. Our center sits atop a hill on 180 acres. Surrounded by nature, Hoffman Process students spend their seven days held deeply by the land. You can learn more about how the land at our retreat site creates a container for transformation from this beautiful episode with Trecey Chittenden, “Land as a Container of Transformation.” (We also hold the Process in Connecticut.)
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Kurt_Alexander_Podcast.mp3
Kani on the Yangze RiverKani Comstock, beloved Hoffman teacher, first learned about the Process in 1985 from her brother who was working with Bob Hoffman. Her brother gave her Bob’s book to read. She was ‘blown away‘ by what she learned and did the Process in January of 1986. Kani went on to become the Hoffman Institute’s Director shortly after and, together with Bob, started Hoffman International a few years later. Following this, she became a Hoffman teacher and taught until her retirement almost three decades later.
Kani’s whole family has done the Process, including her mother, her three siblings, and some of her in-laws. She shares a particular moment from her Process when she fully realized the powerful hold negative patterns have on us. As she worked to release the patterns she had taken on from her mother, she realized they kept trying to reassert themselves within her. She was able to see and feel their tenacity. She came away realizing just how important the work of the Process is in helping people find the freedom to live from their own essential nature.
Kani’s effervescent spirit and joy are evident in this conversation with Sharon. Kani has loved the Hoffman Process from the day she first learned of it. She loves that the Process offers a place where we can come to know ourselves as our true selves. Educated as a scientist, Kani shares how she has learned to listen to and follow the voice of her Spiritual Self or Essence as she sometimes refers to it.
More about Kani Comstock in her own words:Kani and Bob HoffmanAs a driven workaholic, I discovered an ease I had never known before when I completed the Hoffman Process. It was February 1986, within just months of the new 7-day Process residential format. Soon after that, I was asked by Bob Hoffman to direct the Institute, organize its growth, bringing it to other countries around the world. In 1990, I also became a Process teacher which became my true love. I slowly transitioned into full-time teaching and coaching. Bob was delighted when Marisa Thame, Director of Hoffman Institute in Brazil, and I collaborated to write, Journey into Love: Ten Steps to Wholeness. Journey into love is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Later in collaboration with my sister, Barbara Comstock, also a Hoffman Teacher, we wrote, Honoring Missed Motherhood: Loss, Choice, and Creativity.
Initially, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and a Master’s in cell physiology and biochemistry. I was working on my Ph.D. when a personal tragedy led me to dramatically change my path. I moved to Tokyo to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) and eventually became the first non-Japanese to direct the Japanese school. Four years later and back in the United States, I founded a college-based ESL center and internationalized the college curriculum. Next, as Vice-President of a student exchange organization, I designed programs and traveled regularly to Asia, finally experiencing China, a childhood dream
As mentioned in this episode:Barbara Comstock, Kani’s sister and Hoffman teacher
Ashland, Oregon
What is Hospice?
Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Kani_Comstock_Podcast.mp3
Chris Germer, Ph.D. was terrified of public speaking and thought he had an anxiety disorder. He soon discovered, though, that what he had was a shame disorder. Through developing a self-compassion practice, Chris was able to heal his fear of public speaking and the shame that was behind it.
While Chris’ personal story is remarkable, what is even more so is what he came to learn about healing shame. He shares that healing our negative core beliefs (like we do in the work of the Process) heals shame because they are one and the same. Healing our relationship with love and with ourselves and others leads to self-compassion. By developing this practice of self-compassion, we can know again our natural joy and playfulness.
As a renowned clinical psychologist specializing in self-compassion, Chris’ work with self-compassion is well-aligned with the work done at the Hoffman Process. Prior to this conversation with Drew, he studied the research that has been done on the efficacy of the Process and the amazing results the Process brings about. Chris shares with us a bit about why the Process is so effective at healing what gets in the way of our relationship with love.
More about Chris Germer:Chris Germer, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program with Kristin Neff in 2010. Together, they wrote two books, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. MSC has been taught to over 250,000 people worldwide.
Dr. Germer is also the author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion and a co-editor of two influential volumes on therapy, Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, and Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy. He is a founding faculty member of the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, at Harvard Medical School, and the Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, Cambridge MA. Dr. Germer also maintains a small psychotherapy practice in Arlington, Massachusetts, USA.
Learn more about Chris, here. Follow Chris on Instagram and the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion on Facebook and LinkedIn.
As mentioned in this episode:Compassionate Friend exercise:
You’ll find the Compassionate Friend exercise Chris mentions, along with other meditations you can use to deepen your self-compassion practice, here. The instructions can also be found in The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, pages 134-137.
Kristin Neff:
“Kristin Neff is an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin’s department of educational psychology. Dr. Neff received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, studying moral development. Read more…
Listen to Kristin Neff on the Hoffman Podcast
Harry Harlow:
“…an American psychologist best known for his maternal-separation, dependency needs, and social isolation experiments on rhesus monkeys…” Learn more…
Brené Brown podcast with Chris Germer
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Chris_Germer_Podcast.mp3
Beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Chris Sansone, completed the Hoffman Process in November 2013. Chris came to the Process feeling challenged in every area of his life, except for his good health. After doing deep work in the Process, Chris experienced a profound simplicity in the way he was able to heal his past and forgive his parents.
Prior to Hoffman, Chris was in commercial real estate. He was well-educated and highly qualified and experienced great financial success. But, he wasn’t happy. As Chris thought about his career moving forward, he remembered back to the calling he felt when he first started working – helping guide people through transformational growth in some way. Once he landed at the Process, he felt that call again and answered by applying to become a Hoffman teacher.
Now, Chris lives connecting to the frequency of his Soul. He shares with us that we each have a longing that can feel like melancholy, loneliness, and even wistfulness. As he says, we must attune to our Soul by attuning to this longing. By doing so, we learn to follow the call of our Soul. Listen in to hear how Chris connects with this longing and to a poem he wrote while in deep contemplation with his Soul.
More about Chris Sansone:As a Hoffman teacher, Chris says, “To serve and see others open up to who they truly are is a remarkable experience. Students reach inside and find answers within themselves for living fully and authentically.”
As for his own Process experience, Chris shares: “I unearthed two gifts – knowing that my own happiness truly is a personal choice, and deep forgiveness for both my parents and, of myself. These have opened me to loving and living as I had only previously imagined possible.” He adds, “Years ago I had a personal awakening about my role, as a highly advantaged cis-gendered white male in racial and gender inequities. That has broadened my own sense of responsibility and spawned greater personal and spiritual growth in my life.”
Chris holds a doctoral degree in Human and Organization Development. He is blessed with his life partner and wife, Maria Velasco, two sons Kellen and Andrew, and stepdaughter Carina. He lives in Longmont, Colorado, where he enjoys the outdoors, especially fly fishing.
As mentioned in this episode:*Rejuvenated Process:
Originally, Bob Hoffman did the work that happens at the Process with people in individual sessions. Then, in the early ’70s, the Process was done in a group setting for the first time, with participants meeting weekly as they did the work of the Process. A few decades later, the Process became an in-person retreat with participants coming together for eight days. In 2013, the Hoffman Process was rejuvenated into the seven-day Process it is today.
Hoffman Process Visioning:
Visioning is a powerful aspect of the work you do at the Process. “Visioning can transform your life. Your life can expand and become more vibrant than you thought possible. You can call forth a vision for your life from your Spiritual Self – your essence.” continue reading and download here.
CTI (Co-Active) Model of Coaching:“Since 1992 CTI has been working with coaches and leaders around the world, helping them navigate toward stronger relationships, integral solutions, and creating meaningful impact in the world.” Read more here.
Sicilian:A Sicilian is a native or inhabitant of Sicily or a person of Sicilian descent. Sicily is one of the twenty regions of Italy. An island in the Mediterranean, it is located near the “toe of the boot” of Italy. Learn more…
Fielding Institute Doctoral Program:Chris mentions the Fielding Institute where he earned his Doctorate in Human and Organization Systems. Discover more here.
Myers-Briggs:“The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives.” Discover more about Myers-Briggs here.
I Ching:“The I Ching or Yi Jing … is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics.” Learn more here.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Chris_Sansone_Podcast.mp3
A leading researcher on self-compassion, Kristin Neff’s work is closely aligned with the work of the Hoffman Process. In this engaging, inspiring, and educational conversation, Kristin shares her research, deep knowledge, and life experience with us to illuminate why self-compassion is such a powerful practice for human beings.
Drew and Kristin speak to the understanding that what happens to us when we are young isn’t our fault, but our healing is our responsibility. As Kristin shares, “…there’s no other body/mind and particular point in time and space that’s in the right position to take responsibility other than you.” This succinctly and clearly sums up the practical reason why it is up to each of us to take responsibility for our own lives.
Going deeper into Self-Compassion:Listen in as Kristin shares a powerful story about her son who is autistic. He was in a very emotional state while on an overseas flight with her. Through this story, Kristin explains how the neuroscience of emotional regulation helped her to help him regulate his emotional state.
Kristin shares that compassion has three components: kindness, mindfulness, and humanity. “Compassion is grounded in a sense of shared humanity.” At its core, compassion is the understanding that we are doing the best we can, moment to moment. That we are human beings. We are part of a much larger whole. Moment by moment, we are doing the best we can, learning and trying with care and love. If we learn this, things become much easier to deal with.
Drew and Kristin then move into a discussion of how self-compassion supports us in the areas of global challenges such as climate change and social justice work. This is where Kristin begins to speak about the two aspects of compassion – tender compassion and fierce compassion. Fierce compassion is needed in all of us to help create a world that is just, safe, and supportive for all.
More about Kristin Neff:Kristin Neff is currently an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion nearly twenty years ago. Kristin has been recognized as one of the most influential researchers in psychology worldwide. She is the author of the bestselling book Self-Compassion. Along with her colleague Chris Germer, she developed the empirically-supported Mindful Self-Compassion program and co-wrote The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook. Her latest book is Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive. For more info go to www.self-compassion.org.
As mentioned in this episode:Thich Nhat Hahn:
“Ordained as a monk aged 16 in Vietnam, Thich Nhat Hanh soon envisioned a kind of engaged Buddhism that could respond directly to the needs of society. He was a prominent teacher and social activist in his home country before finding himself exiled for calling for peace. In the West, he played a key role in introducing mindfulness and created mindful communities (sanghas) around the world. His teachings have impacted politicians, business leaders, activists, teachers, and countless others.” read more…
Internal Family Systems:
“Internal Family Systems is a powerfully transformative, evidence-based model of psychotherapy. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Our inner parts contain valuable qualities and our core Self knows how to heal, allowing us to become integrated and whole. In IFS all parts are welcome.” Continue reading…
Kevin Eyres:
Kevin Eyres is a Hoffman Process teacher and coach. Discover more about Kevin here and listen to his Hoffman Podcast episode with Drew, Beyond the Intellect.
Chris Germer, Ph.D.:Chris, who will be on the podcast in a few weeks, is “a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program with Kristin Neff in 2010 and MSC has since been taught to over 250,000 people worldwide. They co-authored two books on MSC, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program.” Continue reading…
The fierce self-compassion graphic that Drew and Kristin mention.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Kristin_Neff_Podcast.mp3
We wrap up season five with A Taste of 2022!
Co-hosts, Drew Horning, Sharon Mor, and Liz Severin come together to reflect on magical moments from the episodes they hosted this year. Together, they share the podcast moments that shine a light on the magic that so often happens during the Process.
In A Taste of 2022, our co-hosts weave together Process memories our guests shared with the wisdom our co-hosts have gleaned from teaching the Hoffman Process and hosting this podcast.
Specifically, Drew, Sharon, and Liz touch on various subjects, such as the power of cathartic expression, the need to clear away what gets in the way of living as our true nature, and the reclaiming of lost parts of ourselves. They even highlight one graduate’s fearless reckoning with God. Like every episode of The Hoffman Podcast, these stories highlight how graduates’ lives and the lives of those around them are changed as a result of their work in the Process. In listening, we bear witness to how change ripples out into the world through the everyday radius of one person’s life. Our podcast offers beautiful windows into the healing that happens in the Process.
Intrigued by what you’ve heard in the clips? Then listen to the full episode of each Hoffman graduate highlighted. Meander through this list of episodes to discover more about graduates of the Process and how taking the Process supports the kind of change within you that transforms your life and the lives of those around you.
The Hoffman Podcast will be back for season 6 on February 16th. **See you in 2023!****
Clips shared in ‘A TASTE OF 2022’S5e7: Amanda de Cadenet – A Vegan Protein Bar in a Snickers Wrapper
S4e13: Arielle D’Angelo – Coming Out and Coming Into Self-Love
S5e11: Monique Petrov – Waking Up With New Eyes
S5e13: Anne Hockett – The Body Expresses What We Repress
S4e04: Ken Druck – Leaving a Legacy of Love
S5e5: Ian Salvage – Aligned in the Goodness That I Am
S5e9: Jeff Snipes – Awakening Spirit, Reimagining Education
S5e3: Ryan Miles – Love is a Birthright
S4e02: Katie – My Sobriety & The Hoffman Process
S4e01: Liz Severin – I Know We Will Get Through This
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Taste_of_2022_Podcast.mp3
Dr. Michelle Robin, chiropractor, author, and healer, completed the Hoffman Process in 1997. After decades of a life of service to humanity’s well-being, Michelle has a lot of wisdom to share.
In this conversation with Liz, Michelle reflects back on her time at the Process and the 25 years since. Michelle came to the Process because she realized she’d lost her sense of joy. She left with the profound realization that she isn’t broken and never was. She shares that she left no longer carrying that dark cloud of not-enoughness.
Michelle shares her sense of and vision for a life of well-being. One of the beautiful takeaways from Michelle is how vitally important it is to be part of a community, especially one that is vibrantly alive and caring.
Listen in to hear this wisdom about living a vibrant life. And listen all the way to the end to hear Michelle’s wishes for you and the coming year.
More about Michelle Robin:Michelle is the founder of Small Changes Big Shifts®, Big Shifts Foundation®, and the Kansas City Wellness Consortium®, but more importantly, she is a visionary for the well-being of many generations.
With a 30-year chiropractic practice in Kansas City, Michelle has become a national influence and memorable leader in the wellness industry. Her simple framework – called the Quadrants of Well-Being – is the key to what many people have been looking for when it comes to discovering their best life. Michelle has spent the majority of her career helping people make small changes that ultimately create the biggest shifts in their well-being.
As a chiropractor, author, teacher, holistic healer, podcast host, unshakable optimist, international speaker, and passionate advocate for generational change, Michelle has left an impression on thousands of lives by helping them find their unique path to wellness and enriching their purpose in life.
Learn more about Michelle on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Find out more about Your Wellness Connection on LinkedIn and Facebook.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Michelle_Robin_Podcast.mp3As mentioned in this episode:Crystal Jenkins:
Michelle’s partner is Crystal Jenkins, Hoffman teacher and coach. Crystal holds a B.S. in education and a Master’s degree in counseling. She is trained in EMDR and the Enneagram and is a certified Daring WayTM facilitator. Read more about Crystal here.
A Path to Personal Freedom & Love:
Written by Bob Hoffman, this booklet offers substantial insight into the principles upon which The Hoffman Process is based.
Read or download the booklet here.
Chiropractic:
In the chiropractic model, people are sick for three reasons: Thoughts, Trauma, and Toxins. Read more about these here.
Dr. Richard Yennie:
“In 1968, Dr. Yennie founded the Acupuncture Society of America, which was the first professional acupuncture association in the USA (NCCAOM was founded in 1982.) During the 1960s and 1970s, Dr. Yennie brought in the best teachers and healers from China, Japan, and Korea to teach acupuncture classes to healthcare professionals in the chiropractic, medical, osteopathic, and veterinary fields.” – Miridiatech.com
Chinese Medicine & Three Sources of Chi (or Qi):Original Lifestyle Chi, Soul Chi, and Chi from our parents. Learn more about Chi/Qi here.
Qigong:
“Qigong, pronounced “chi gong,” was developed in China thousands of years ago as part of traditional Chinese medicine. It involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind, and spirit, with the goal of improving and maintaining health and well-being.” – National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health
Feng Shui:
“Feng shui, sometimes called Chinese geomancy, is an ancient Chinese traditional practice that claims to use energy forces to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment. The term feng shui means, literally, “wind-water”.” Wikipedia
Pickleball:
“Pickleball is an indoor or outdoor racket/paddle sport where players hit a perforated hollow polymer ball over a 36-inch-high net using solid-faced paddles.” – Wikipedia
Devi Cavitt RazoHoffman Grad and former Hoffman teacher, Devi Cavitt Razo, did the Hoffman Process in 1996. She went on to teach the Process for 17 years. During her time at Hoffman, Devi also served as Process and Faculty Director, VP, and Director of Teacher Training.
In this episode, Devi shares a pivotal moment from her Process. It was a particularly difficult day during her time there. Devi noticed that she wasn’t crying nearly as much as her Process mates. They all seemed to be shedding many tears. Then, later that day, Devi fell to her knees weeping deeply as she realized how much she wanted things to be different in her life and how much she loved her parents. This was a huge breakthrough for her as she realized that our feelings don’t come when we think they should. Rather, if we stay open with the intention to heal, things move and change in their own time.
How did she first hear about the Process? Upon leaving the Process, Devi’s friend came to visit her to tell her she just had to do the Process. Hearing this, Devi immediately knew it was right for her and signed up. In the Process, it became clear to her that she was meant to teach the Process.
Fast forward about 20 years later, although Devi was happy and felt fulfilled in this work, she began to hear the small voice within telling her there was something new on the horizon. The only thing was – she loved her work teaching the Process. How do we decide to go when we love something so much? That’s a question so many of us ask at least once in our lives.
Devi did indeed follow her inner voice to set out to create something brand new. Listen in as Devi shares how she views change and our relationship with it. Although we often fear change and the unknown it brings, with self-trust, self-knowledge, and support from others, we can step out into action on the path to our vision.
More about Devi Cavitt Razo:Devi Cavitt RazoDevi Cavitt Razo is the president and co-founder of Aurum Leadership. An international consulting, training, and coaching firm, Aurum is focused on bringing greater aliveness, human connection, and creativity to organizations, teams, and leaders. Devi’s work spans the globe, from the US to Europe and Asia, with offices in California and the Netherlands. Devi created Aurum to bring to life her vision of leaders, organizations, and teams where trust, respect, and relationality are the norms. Her vision to create Aurum grew during her 17 years as a Hoffman Teacher.
Devi holds degrees in psychology and organizational systems. She has a passion for doing transformative work with mission-driven groups, teams, and organizations, starting with the leaders. Devi’s worked with leaders and organizations from around the world, ranging from tech startups to global accounting firms to non-profits, to spiritual communities. Her work is dedicated to creating organizations where both mission and humans can thrive.
Devi lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, with her husband and three beloved stepdaughters. When she’s not traveling, facilitating, envisioning, and creating, you will find her hiking in the redwoods of Northern California. You can learn more about Devi on LinkedIn. Learn more about Aurum on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. Learn about Aurum’s EoS – Essentials of Self: A Breakthrough Training for Leaders.
As mentioned in this episode:Hoffman Teacher Training:Here you’ll find general information about being a Hoffman teacher and what a typical teacher training program entails, as well as information on how to apply when we begin our next hiring process. Please note: You must be a graduate of the week-long Hoffman Process to apply to the Teacher Training Program.
Hoffman Leads Harvard
Graduate Students Explore the Inner Side of Leadership:
For several years, a diverse group of Harvard Graduate students participated in the Hoffman Leadership Path, with outstanding results. In 2005, Harvard’s world-renowned Kennedy School of Government (KSG), in conjunction with U.S. News & World Report, conducted a study that concluded that the majority of today’s leaders are poised to work well within the system, rather than being poised to exceptionally lead the system for the common good. Continue reading here.
The Hyde Schools and Hoffman
Transforming Lives & Building Community:
Joey (Gauld) completed the Hoffman Process in 2007, at age 80. Since then, many Hyde parents, administrators, and teachers have become Process graduates. Hoffman teacher Linda Hartka-Reiss spoke with Joey and Hyde School administrators/staff members Pam Hardy, Laura Gauld, and Joanne Goubourn (each of whom is a Process graduate) about the positive changes at Hyde since the Process was introduced. Continue reading here.
Listen to Joey Gauld on the Hoffman Podcast.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Devi_Cavitt_Razo_Podcast.mp3
Frankie OlivieriFrankie Olivieri is a third-generation Italian-American and third-generation owner of historical Pat’s King of Steaks. Listen in as Frankie and Drew talk about family history and doing the Hoffman Process.
People come to the Process when they are serious about change and Frankie is no exception. He believes in the importance of wanting to better oneself and the power of surrounding oneself with those who want to do that, too. In the Process, Frankie saw that his life could take two very different paths. In his work through the Process, Frankie chose, and continues to choose, the Right Road, the road of compassion and taking responsibility for one’s life. This is the life he wants to embrace.
Frankie also shares with us the fascinating family history behind the birth of the Philly Steak and Cheese Steak Sandwiches and his famous restaurant.
More about Frankie Olivieri:Pat’s King of Steaks was established in 1930 by Pat Olivieri. A humble hotdog vendor who wanted something different for lunch, Pat Olivieri made a sandwich of chopped steak and onions on a crusty roll. When a cab driver said he wanted to give it a try, Pat gave him half of his sandwich. The cab driver loved it and the Philly Steak sandwich was born in South Philadelphia.
President Obama orders a Philly Steak Sandwich from Frankie.Over 90 years old, Frankie’s Great Uncle Pat’s legacy lives on in Pat’s King of Steaks. This famous restaurant has been owned and operated by the original Olivieri family since its inception. Frankie E. Olivieri is the current owner of Pat’s King of Steaks.
After graduating from Friends Select School in 1982, Frank was accepted to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He was ready to follow his dreams of a culinary degree and four years in Paris, but he got sidetracked. Frankie went on to manage his family’s business. With still unfulfilled dreams of being a Chef, Frankie enrolled in The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. There, he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts and Sciences.
Next time you’re in Philadelphia, stop by Pat’s King of Steaks, 1237 E. Passyunk Ave (at 9th & Wharton Sts), and say Hi to Frankie!
As mentioned in this episode:Pat Olivieri: Along with his brother, Harry Olivieri, Pat Olivieri created the Philly cheesesteak. The brothers opened Pat’s King of Steaks in 1930. Pat Olivieri died in 1970. Harry’s grandson Frank Jr. (Frankie!) now runs the business.
The 1st Rocky Movie and the Orange Toss:
When Rocky runs through the Italian Market, one of the vendors tosses Rocky an orange. This was a completely spontaneous moment. Read more about it here.
World Famous Italian market, continuously running for 127 years.
Quaker School, Friends Select, est. 1869
Frankie and his wife NancyThe Hoffman High:
Spending seven days in the Hoffman Process is quite powerful. There are no phones and there is no driving in cars. Guided by teachers, you’re engaged in many immersive, outdoor, and deep experiences that can change your nervous system. By the last day, the physical, emotional, and spiritual effects of the work have an impact. Often, the result is the sense of a peak experience. While that Hoffman high realistically cannot last forever, it does provide the impetus to continue the work once you leave the Process.
Post-Process weekend:
Participants often feel very different after completing their Process, almost like a new self who is inhabiting a new life. In order to orient and synthesize everything you have experienced and learned, we strongly recommend taking the weekend for yourself as a time for quiet integration.
Hoffman Process tools: Recycling/Pre-cycling
The Q2 Intensive Retreat:
In the Q2: Beyond Mom & Dad, we meet you where you are today. The Q2 is all about your current life, looking at and transforming the challenges that hold you back from what you want now. We’ll also look at what’s in the way of being fully alive and living your vision.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Frank_Olivieri_Podcast_Final.mp3
Award-winning chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, Seamus Mullen, is our guest today. Seamus shares how realizing he is not his patterns led to profound healing. Identification with our patterns can perpetuate suffering. When we realize our Spiritual Self can never be patterned we find freedom and a genuine willingness to take responsibility for our lives.
Growing up on a rural farm in Vermont, both Seamus and his brother cooked meals alongside the rest of the family. Seamus learned early on that he could make others happy if he cooked good food for them. Eventually, his career became an extension of this early learned pattern and belief.
When he arrived at the Hoffman Process classroom, one of the things Seamus first noticed was a poster on the wall that says, “I am not my patterns.” Seamus really took this in as he looked back over his life. Twelve years earlier when he was working to heal from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Seamus’ new functional doctor helped him see that “he wasn’t sick but he had this illness.” This is the difference between identifying with sickness – I am sick – versus having an illness. Through the Process, Seamus worked to heal through the cycle of transformation.
Another big learning at the Process for Seamus was how compassion must be the precursor to forgiveness. Through doing the Process, he was able to forgive his parents, which brought him freedom and peace. Listen in as Seamus shares with us a beautiful story of healing and forgiveness that happened post-Process with his father and family.
More about Seamus Mullen:Seamus Mullen is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. A health crisis nearly ended his career in 2012. A dramatic re-evaluation of his lifestyle and relationship with food led to a total transformation. In twelve months, he reversed an “incurable auto-immune disease, lost over 80 pounds, and returned to being an active and healthy human. As a nationally recognized leading authority on health and wellness, Seamus is on a mission to help as many people as possible take control of their own health and embrace the remarkable healing power of Real Food!
Seamus can often be seen as a featured judge on the popular Food Network series “Chopped” and “Beat Bobby Flay,” and is a frequent guest on programs such as The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, and CBS This Morning where he shares his knowledge of cooking and nutrition. In 2012, Seamus published his first cookbook, Hero Food. In 2017, he released his second cookbook, Real Food Heals.
Seamus lives in sunny Malibu, California, and is the Culinary Director for the Rosewood Sandhill Hotel. You can find him swinging kettlebells, riding bikes, and hiking in the coastal mountains when he’s not cooking or writing. You can learn more about Seamus here, and follow him on Instagram and Twitter.
As mentioned in this episode:Pattern Ping Pong:
Patterns feed off each other and reactions lead to escalation.
Functional Medicine:
“The functional medicine model is an individualized, patient-centered, science-based approach. This approach empowers patients and practitioners to work together to address the underlying causes of disease and promote optimal wellness.”
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Seamus_Mullen_Podcast_Final.mp3
Wonder why the Hoffman Process works so well on many levels? Listen in as Volker Krohn, psychotherapist, Director of Hoffman Centre Australia/Singapore, and Director of Hoffman International shares his experience of and insights into the Process. Born in Germany, Volker found his way to Australia after spending a short time in the United States. In the late '80s, he attended the second Process ever held in Byron Bay, New South Wales. Bob Hoffman was his Process teacher as well as his Process teacher trainer. In this conversation between Volker and Drew, we learn some fascinating things about the Process. Volker reminds us that the Hoffman Process is a psycho-spiritual process. As such, it supports the integration of the psychological and spiritual natures within us. With a background as a psychologist as well as his studies in spirituality, Volker shares his sense of what happens underneath the surface of the Process.
Through his experience of decades of teaching the Process, Volker speaks to the heart of what the Process does. He says the Process helps each of us come to live in accordance with the intrinsic values of our hearts. He goes on to add that we aren't our thinking and we're not our feelings, rather these are aspects of our ego structure. Ultimately, the Process helps us come back into Presence and back into peace with ourselves. Volker beautifully encapsulates the Process as one that re-initiates us into our own humanity and into the family of humanity.
Settle in for this beautiful conversation. Be prepared to come away with a deeper sense of your place in the family of humanity. More about Volker Krohn: Volker Krohn is an accomplished psychotherapist and has been the director of the Hoffman Centre Australia/Singapore since 1991. He is also the director of Hoffman International. He was personally trained by Robert Hoffman in the late 1980s and is a senior supervising facilitator of the Process.
Volker’s extensive professional background includes Family Therapy, Self-Psychology, and Creative Arts Therapy as well as organizational development. He also speaks and writes widely on emotional healing, re-education, and spiritual renewal, through the exploration of early childhood conditioning. Volker is passionate about helping people to improve their emotional and spiritual intelligence and has inspired thousands of Hoffman graduates in Australia and worldwide to live from a place of self-acceptance and gratitude claiming compassionate leadership in their life. As mentioned in this episode: The Arakwal and Bundialung Nation: Hoffman Centre Australia's retreat site is part of the Arakwal national park. The Arakwal are part of the Bundialung Nation.
Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young The lyrics that Volker mentions: Teach your children well Their father's hell did slowly go byAnd feed them on your dreamsThe one they pick's the one you'll know by Read the full lyrics here and listen on YouTube.
Two Spiritual Paths: The Yana Path - the path of understanding. For instance, Zen Buddhism follows the Yana path. The Bhakti Path - the path of devotion. For instance, Sufism follows the Bhakti path through prayer, dancing
The Enneagram: 3 basic human instinctual drives, Claudio Naranjo, and the 27 Enneagram sub-types.
How climate change is affecting us: Climate Anxiety and Climate Depression
University of California research on the Hoffman Process: Several different scientific research studies have been conducted about the Process – on the methodology and its aftereffects. One of the most significant studies was done by Professors Michael R. Levenson and Carolyn M. Aldwin, of the University of California, Davis. Their three-year, grant-funded research study shows that Hoffman Process participants experienced lasting significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and obsessive/compulsive tendencies, coupled with lasting significant increases in emotional intelligence,
Anne Hockett calls herself a gut geek and a lifelong learner - and, she is so much more than that. Anne's story is a powerful testament to our spiritually human capacities of resiliency, adaptability, and deep capacity to return to trusting in the unknown and the knowing that comes from deep within.
Anne's background is in public health and medicine. She is a proponent of western medicine. But when she found herself diagnosed with a major cardiac diagnosis and prognosis with little hope for a long life, she turned toward eastern medicine and alternative modalities. With these, she began to heal. Anne found herself with a new capacity for knowing things about people just by looking at them, things that one hundred percent of the time turned out to be true and supportive of that person's healing.
Anne did the Hoffman Process in 2016. Through doing the Process, she found the ability to love herself. She left the Process with a deep understanding of who she is without the degree of shame she had around her shadow patterns. Anne tells us her experience of open-heartedness and lack of judgment during the Process allowed her to be able to know them much more than simply as ideas. She now feels them because she received them during her Process. One other big result from doing the Process was solidifying her knowledge of her life purpose. More about Anne Hockett: For over four decades, Anne’s work has concentrated on the healthcare field. She has applied her work experience, research, and teaching skills in Asia to better understand how modern medicine and traditional, gentle, natural approaches can be most effectively integrated. Since 1983, Anne has worked in a variety of capacities with children and adults with physical and emotional needs. She specializes in the care of those managing cancer and heart disease, but her practice has broadened considerably over the years.
Prior to moving to Asia in 1989, Anne worked with the Ford Foundation, The U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. She has a Master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Anne also has a variety of training and certification credentials in other health care and healing modalities including homeopathy, Bach Flowers, therapeutic yoga, plant-based medicine, healing breath work, meditation, guided imagery, past life regression, hypnotherapy, and Reiki. She's years into a Ph.D. she might never complete in plant-based medicine and also halfway through excelled training in Functional Medicine. You can learn more about Anne at YouHealing.org. As mentioned in this episode: Shadow patterns
Rishikesh is a city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, located in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India.
Pacemakers and 'pacing'
Near Death Experience (NDE)
Other healing modalities explored by Anne: Reiki BodyTalk
Harvard Study on crying and good health
Anne's exercise: "In a world without judgment, what is the most self-loving thing for you to do, right here, right now?"
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Anne_Hockett_Podcast.mp3
You don't want to miss this episode with Neil Strauss, ten-time New York Times best-selling author, contributing editor at Rolling Stone, and a former music critic, cultural reporter, and columnist at The New York Times.
Neil did the Hoffman Process just before the pandemic hit in very early 2020. In this conversation, he weaves together pivotal moments of and insights of his Process with his deeper life insights. Neil talks about how doing personal healing work is often stigmatized. For him, doing healing work such as the Process is something important to share with others, something to wear as a badge of honor.
In this conversation with Neil and Drew, they cover lots of territory on relationships, healing, writing, and the creative process. A prolific writer, Neil generously shares his writing process in depth. He also speaks to how the creative process can be informed by all four aspects of our Quadrinity. Listening to this conversation is almost like taking a short writing class.
Toward the end, Neil turns the tables a bit on Drew and asks Drew questions. Be sure to listen to the end for this fun back-and-forth between them. More about Neil Strauss: Neil Strauss is a ten-time New York Times best-selling author; a contributing editor at Rolling Stone; and a former music critic, cultural reporter, and columnist at The New York Times where he won the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award for excellence in music journalism. In 2018, he was honored with the Los Angeles Press Club’s Journalist Award for his Rolling Stone 50th anniversary cover story, “Elon Musk: The Architect of Tomorrow.”
Coaching and mentoring have always been a passion for Strauss. His love of learning and teaching propels him to speak at conferences all over the world. He formed an exclusive, high-level, international personal growth, networking, and mastermind group called The Society International in 2011. The Society International continues to grow as a one-of-a-kind global group of like-minded people. Neil personally mentors its members, which comprise award-winning artists, international entrepreneurs, tech CEOs, professional athletes, and visionaries who defy categorization.
Neil resides in Malibu, California. You can learn more about Neil here and here. More about Neil's Writing and Books: Hollywood hails him as one of the most sought-after ghostwriters in town. His books include The Dirt with Motley Crue, which was hailed by Q magazine as “the most unputdownable rock book of the year, or possibly any year,” while Publishers Weekly cited The Long Hard Road Out of Hell with Marilyn Manson as “possibly the highest-selling rock biography of all time.” A feature-length film of The Dirt was recently released on Netflix, directed by Jeff Tremaine, which propelled the book back into the New York Times bestseller list. His recent book collaboration, Kevin Hart's I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons was both a #1 New York Times best seller and topped the most downloaded audiobooks list at the same time.
In his own books, Strauss is renowned for going undercover to explore controversial subcultures. The Game and Rules of The Game, for which he went undercover in a secret society of pick-up artists for two years, topped The New York Times best-selling list and were #1 on Amazon. He then completely revamped his perceptions of dating and relationships when he went undercover to explore trauma, healing, and intimacy disorders with The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book about Relationships. In this best-selling book, he explores the hidden forces that cause people to choose each other, stay together, and break up. As mentioned in this episode: Letters Neil received from Process Graduates: In the Process, students have an opportunity to express gratitude to those who have supported them in their healing journey. Often this gratitude is expressed through writing letters.
Carl R. Rogers: American psychologist and one of the founders of the humanistic approac...
Monique Petrov is a former All-American triathlete. She qualified for five Ironman World Championships and ranked among the top female age-group triathletes worldwide. Just three weeks before what was to be her ninth Ironman, a disastrous accident ended her career.
What brought Monique to the Hoffman Process? As she shares with Drew, the physical trauma she has endured would become emotional trauma, which would sneak into how she related to those she was most intimate with. Through the Process, Monique found the healing she was looking for. She found the playful, curious, loving, kind soul that she'd hidden away inside her a long time ago. Since the Process, Monique now makes time in her life for this fun-loving part of herself.
Listen in as Monique shares her story of the tragic accident that happened just three weeks prior to what was to be her 9th Ironman. Monique has been reluctant to share her story, never wanting the accident to define her. But today she shares all that she's been through, the depth of her healing, and the incredible journey her life has been and continues to be. Be sure to listen all the way to the end. Monique shares her story about how she healed a big ball of shame in the Process. More about Monique Petrov:
Monique had a serious accident three weeks before the Hawaii Ironman World Championships, which was to be her 9th Ironman. She was struck almost head-on by a van while finishing a long training ride a few miles from home. After six days in a coma, followed by six weeks in a hospital, Monique underwent eighteen hours of surgery to stabilize her vertebrae which burst upon impact. Suffering a traumatic brain injury, shattered knee, leg, arm, scapula, ribs, and blood-filled punctured lungs, she needed more surgery to piece her body (bones) back together. Monique had no idea how surviving this near-death experience would alter her life. The following thirteen months - and thirteen years - took her through a journey of recovery that has taught her more about resilience and strength than her entire career as a world-class athlete. Oddly, she forgave the driver almost immediately. It was herself she could not forgive because of shame. Splitting open more than her physical body, she eventually discovered it was the deep reflexive shame (which controlled her) or (within her) that needed to heal. Monique Petrov is a former All-American triathlete. She qualified for five Ironman World Championships, ranking amongst the top female age-group triathletes worldwide. Monique had been a triathlon and strength & conditioning coach. She became a NICU (neonatal intensive care) nurse after her life-threatening accident. Monique has a passion for using her life experience and relationships as data. She examines them for clues - even amid anguish, isolation, loneliness, and shame. Looking for hope, inspiration, and the ultimate connection with one’s own self, while developing and emerging with a brand new level of self-trust and security to step forward more boldly in the world. She delves into her ongoing recovery, researching how she was able to survive, heal, rebuild and continually reinvent herself.
As mentioned in this episode: Intubation and Extubataion
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
2-Day Hoffman Essentials program
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Monique_Petrov_Podcast.mp3
Monique Petrov is a former All-American triathlete. She qualified for five Ironman World Championships and ranked among the top female age-group triathletes worldwide. Just three weeks before what was to be her ninth Ironman, a disastrous accident ended her career.
What brought Monique to the Hoffman Process? As she shares with Drew, the physical trauma she has endured would become emotional trauma, which would sneak into how she related to those she was most intimate with. Through the Process, Monique found the healing she was looking for. She found the playful, curious, loving, kind soul that she'd hidden away inside her a long time ago. Since the Process, Monique now makes time in her life for this fun-loving part of herself.
Listen in as Monique shares her story of the tragic accident that happened just three weeks prior to what was to be her 9th Ironman. Monique has been reluctant to share her story, never wanting the accident to define her. But today she shares all that she's been through, the depth of her healing, and the incredible journey her life has been and continues to be. Be sure to listen all the way to the end. Monique shares her story about how she healed a big ball of shame in the Process. More about Monique Petrov:
Monique had a serious accident three weeks before the Hawaii Ironman World Championships, which was to be her 9th Ironman. She was struck almost head-on by a van while finishing a long training ride a few miles from home. After six days in a coma, followed by six weeks in a hospital, Monique underwent eighteen hours of surgery to stabilize her vertebrae which burst upon impact. Suffering a traumatic brain injury, shattered knee, leg, arm, scapula, ribs, and blood-filled punctured lungs, she needed more surgery to piece her body (bones) back together. Monique had no idea how surviving this near-death experience would alter her life. The following thirteen months - and thirteen years - took her through a journey of recovery that has taught her more about resilience and strength than her entire career as a world-class athlete. Oddly, she forgave the driver almost immediately. It was herself she could not forgive because of shame. Splitting open more than her physical body, she eventually discovered it was the deep reflexive shame (which controlled her) or (within her) that needed to heal. Monique Petrov is a former All-American triathlete. She qualified for five Ironman World Championships, ranking amongst the top female age-group triathletes worldwide. Monique had been a triathlon and strength & conditioning coach. She became a NICU (neonatal intensive care) nurse after her life-threatening accident. Monique has a passion for using her life experience and relationships as data. She examines them for clues - even amid anguish, isolation, loneliness, and shame. Looking for hope, inspiration, and the ultimate connection with one’s own self, while developing and emerging with a brand new level of self-trust and security to step forward more boldly in the world. She delves into her ongoing recovery, researching how she was able to survive, heal, rebuild and continually reinvent herself.
As mentioned in this episode: Intubation and Extubataion
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
2-Day Hoffman Essentials program
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Monique_Petrov_Podcast.mp3
Just five months ago, Jack Rafferty did the Hoffman Process, graduating only weeks shy of his 91st birthday. Jack shows us that you're never too old to do the Process. Listen in to hear this beautiful sharing of love, friendship, and what it means to be real with each other.
Over the last 50 years, while Jack had done a lot of work on himself but procrastinated on coming to the Process. Eventually, he felt the call to go and jumped in. Jack felt he was in really good shape but thought he might tweak some things while he was there. As he shares, though, that idea went out the window in the first minutes of the Process. Jack now says the Process changed his life and that he is a different person for having done it.
Jack speaks to living in a posture of love and how the Hoffman Process helped him deepen his capacity for awareness, vulnerability, and even more love. This phrase, the Posture of Love, describes the work Jack has been involved with over the many decades of his career. We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation with Jack and Drew. More about Jack Rafferty: As an innovator with forty-two years of experience as a relationship guide and course facilitator, Jack has developed simple techniques that are easy to understand and put into practice. He has worked with thousands of people who have an interest in creating more conscious, fulfilling relationships.
Jack’s mission has been to expand the horizons of this knowledge.
In 1971 Jack was one of the founders of est, a preeminent organization in the human potential movement. In 1980, Jack turned his focus to relationships. Through years of research, presenting courses, and coaching, he has developed a unique approach that produces results that make a difference in people's lives. Jack has taught his course, The Art of Relating, for 42 years. Now, together with a fellow Hoffman graduate, he is offering a new course, Born to Love. As mentioned in this episode: Psycho-Cybernetics, by Matthew Maltz.
Loneliness and Health: Jack and Drew talk about the importance of having lasting, deep friends. Drew mentions how loneliness can be deadly, but connection creates longevity. Read more about the correlation between loneliness and health at Nature, the CDC, and the Campaign to End Loneliness.
Creating Deep Friendships: An abundance of articles can be found on how to create deep friendships. Here are a few: Tiny Buddha: 7 Ways to Form Deep Meaningful Friendships The Atlantic: The Best Friends Can do Nothing For You NYTimes: How to Have Closer Friends (and Why You Need Them)
Charles "Raz" Ingrasci, Hoffman teacher and Founder of the Hoffman Institute Foundation
Liza Ingrasci, CEO of the Hoffman Institute Foundation, has been with the Hoffman Institute since 1990.
Hoffman Scholarships: The Hoffman Institute provides over $400,000 in scholarships annually, with over 22% of Hoffman graduates being scholarship recipients. You can apply for a scholarship here and donate to the scholarship fund here.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Jack_Rafferty_Podcast_Final.mp3
Just five months ago, Jack Rafferty did the Hoffman Process, graduating only weeks shy of his 91st birthday. Jack shows us that you're never too old to do the Process. Listen in to hear this beautiful sharing of love, friendship, and what it means to be real with each other.
Over the last 50 years, while Jack had done a lot of work on himself but procrastinated on coming to the Process. Eventually, he felt the call to go and jumped in. Jack felt he was in really good shape but thought he might tweak some things while he was there. As he shares, though, that idea went out the window in the first minutes of the Process. Jack now says the Process changed his life and that he is a different person for having done it.
Jack speaks to living in a posture of love and how the Hoffman Process helped him deepen his capacity for awareness, vulnerability, and even more love. This phrase, the Posture of Love, describes the work Jack has been involved with over the many decades of his career. We hope you enjoy this beautiful conversation with Jack and Drew. More about Jack Rafferty: As an innovator with forty-two years of experience as a relationship guide and course facilitator, Jack has developed simple techniques that are easy to understand and put into practice. He has worked with thousands of people who have an interest in creating more conscious, fulfilling relationships.
Jack’s mission has been to expand the horizons of this knowledge.
In 1971 Jack was one of the founders of est, a preeminent organization in the human potential movement. In 1980, Jack turned his focus to relationships. Through years of research, presenting courses, and coaching, he has developed a unique approach that produces results that make a difference in people's lives. Jack has taught his course, The Art of Relating, for 42 years. Now, together with a fellow Hoffman graduate, he is offering a new course, Born to Love. As mentioned in this episode: Psycho-Cybernetics, by Matthew Maltz.
Loneliness and Health: Jack and Drew talk about the importance of having lasting, deep friends. Drew mentions how loneliness can be deadly, but connection creates longevity. Read more about the correlation between loneliness and health at Nature, the CDC, and the Campaign to End Loneliness.
Creating Deep Friendships: An abundance of articles can be found on how to create deep friendships. Here are a few: Tiny Buddha: 7 Ways to Form Deep Meaningful Friendships The Atlantic: The Best Friends Can do Nothing For You NYTimes: How to Have Closer Friends (and Why You Need Them)
Charles "Raz" Ingrasci, Hoffman teacher and Founder of the Hoffman Institute Foundation
Liza Ingrasci, CEO of the Hoffman Institute Foundation, has been with the Hoffman Institute since 1990.
Hoffman Scholarships: The Hoffman Institute provides over $400,000 in scholarships annually, with over 22% of Hoffman graduates being scholarship recipients. You can apply for a scholarship here and donate to the scholarship fund here.
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Jack_Rafferty_Podcast_Final.mp3
Jeff Snipes' experience, during the Hoffman Process and after, shines a beautiful light on why we call this podcast, Love's Everyday Radius. As a result of doing the Process, love's extension and enlargement into the world can be unlimited in possibility and scope. Jeff's story is one vivid example of this.
In his early forties, Jeff experienced what he calls a 'starburst of awakening.' He couldn't satisfy his hunger for books, podcasts, retreats - anything he could find - on spirituality and awakening. He followed every impulse within him as made this spiritual journey. The Hoffman Process was one stop on this journey. But it was more than that, too. The Process was a catalyst that would launch Jeff into the new direction his life was asking him to take.
Jeff wondered why we aren't taught to live filled with love, self-awareness, and a sense of purpose. Eventually, he created a new way to educate, one filled with spirituality, love, and purpose. Listen in as Jeff recounts his journey with Sharon in this remarkable episode of Love's Everyday Radius. More About Jeff Snipes: Jeff is most passionate about the intersection of spirituality and education. He believes the current system of education has abandoned what’s needed most: cultivating the inner life of students. So together with a truly inspired group of educators, he serves as the Founder & Chairman of Millennium.org, a non-profit lab school and teaching institute advancing conscious well-being.
Jeff and Whiskey
In a previous life, Jeff spent 20 years in corporate leadership development. He served as the CEO of Ninth House and Co-Founder of PDI Ninth House (now Korn Ferry Organizational Consulting), the largest leadership assessment, consulting, and development business in the US. Over the years, he has been grateful to learn from many others who knew what they were doing. These include the boards of Mindful Schools, The Fetzer Institute, Challenge Success, the Learning for Well-Being Foundation, the Collaborative for Spirituality in Education, Education Superhighway, The Tugboat Institute, Circl.es, and Marin Montessori School.
Along the way, he told bedtime stories, helped with homework, and sat in countless bleachers, doing his best to assist his indefatigable wife in raising three amazing young adults. Most mornings today, he's likely to be found recovering by wandering among the redwoods on Mt. Tam, only slightly lost, and chasing after their dog Whiskey.
You can learn more about Jeff on LinkedIn. As mentioned in this episode: Millennium School in San Francisco
Hoffman tools and practices:
Left Road, Right Road Quadrinity Check-In
YPO: A global leadership community of chief executives driven by the shared belief that the world needs better leaders. YPO Forum practice
Circle Method
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Jeff_Snipes_Podcast.mp3
Jeff Snipes' experience, during the Hoffman Process and after, shines a beautiful light on why we call this podcast, Love's Everyday Radius. As a result of doing the Process, love's extension and enlargement into the world can be unlimited in possibility and scope. Jeff's story is one vivid example of this.
In his early forties, Jeff experienced what he calls a 'starburst of awakening.' He couldn't satisfy his hunger for books, podcasts, retreats - anything he could find - on spirituality and awakening. He followed every impulse within him as made this spiritual journey. The Hoffman Process was one stop on this journey. But it was more than that, too. The Process was a catalyst that would launch Jeff into the new direction his life was asking him to take.
Jeff wondered why we aren't taught to live filled with love, self-awareness, and a sense of purpose. Eventually, he created a new way to educate, one filled with spirituality, love, and purpose. Listen in as Jeff recounts his journey with Sharon in this remarkable episode of Love's Everyday Radius. More About Jeff Snipes: Jeff is most passionate about the intersection of spirituality and education. He believes the current system of education has abandoned what’s needed most: cultivating the inner life of students. So together with a truly inspired group of educators, he serves as the Founder & Chairman of Millennium.org, a non-profit lab school and teaching institute advancing conscious well-being.
Jeff and Whiskey
In a previous life, Jeff spent 20 years in corporate leadership development. He served as the CEO of Ninth House and Co-Founder of PDI Ninth House (now Korn Ferry Organizational Consulting), the largest leadership assessment, consulting, and development business in the US. Over the years, he has been grateful to learn from many others who knew what they were doing. These include the boards of Mindful Schools, The Fetzer Institute, Challenge Success, the Learning for Well-Being Foundation, the Collaborative for Spirituality in Education, Education Superhighway, The Tugboat Institute, Circl.es, and Marin Montessori School.
Along the way, he told bedtime stories, helped with homework, and sat in countless bleachers, doing his best to assist his indefatigable wife in raising three amazing young adults. Most mornings today, he's likely to be found recovering by wandering among the redwoods on Mt. Tam, only slightly lost, and chasing after their dog Whiskey.
You can learn more about Jeff on LinkedIn. As mentioned in this episode: Millennium School in San Francisco
Hoffman tools and practices:
Left Road, Right Road Quadrinity Check-In
YPO: A global leadership community of chief executives driven by the shared belief that the world needs better leaders. YPO Forum practice
Circle Method
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Sharon_and_Jeff_Snipes_Podcast.mp3
Andy Milberg, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, has been teaching the Hoffman Process since August 1991. Bob Hoffman taught in Andy's Process and trained Andy to become a teacher.
Andy tells us it is a privilege and an honor to stand beside students who are committed to making a lasting change in their lives. As he says, "They've made a serious commitment in preparing for the Process." He goes on to add that most of the time people get "more than they even know they want" from the Process.
While the Hoffman Process is deeply grounded in science, something we know from scientific studies, the spiritual part of the Process can be difficult to define. Andy shares that the structure of the Process supports things to happen that he cannot explain or understand. The Process structure also supports him as a teacher to show up in a way that he can neither strategize nor plan for. Andy calls it the "magic of the moment." This magic, mystery, and the miraculous go hand in hand with science to produce the amazing results we experience during the Process.
In the late '90s, Andy wrote a portion of the Process that happens at the very end as we say goodbye to those we've become so close with. He refers to it as, "I Am, We Are."
Listen to this beautiful conversation with Andy and Drew to learn more about what it's been like for Andy to teach the Process.
More about Andy Milberg: Andy did the Hoffman Process in July of 1990. He was immediately inspired to become a teacher, completing his training in August of 1991.
“Although I had done a lot of personal growth work before”, he says, “the Process went deeper in so many ways, showing me my blind spots and then teaching me how to move beyond them into my authenticity. It was an amazing gift I wanted to share with others, and still do, 32 years later.”
Four years ago, Andy moved from California to Ajijic, Mexico, with his wife and dog. He commutes to teach several times a year, while also coaching and leading online courses. Andy is a writer and has written his first book, Inspiration for Writers Who Don't Write, and Want To.
As mentioned in this episode: Ajijic, Mexico: A small town on the north shore of Lake Chapala, just 35 miles (56 km) south of Guadalajara.
Bob Hoffman was the founder of the Hoffman Process. Andy describes Bob's teaching style as "fearless and totally committed to helping people get free of their patterning." Bob's mission was "Peace on Earth, one person at a time." Learn more about Bob here.
Introversion and Extroversion: Andy speaks of being an Introvert at his core, but having had patterns of extroversion.
Johanina Wikoff, Ph.D.
The Dark Side: Andy describes the Dark Side as "the energy system of all the patterns that takes us back to the past, and doesn't change, learn, or grow."
Kani Comstock, Retired Hoffman Teacher: Kani taught the Process for many years after training directly with Bob Hoffman. She co-authored Journey Into Love, a book about the Hoffman Process, with Marisa Thame
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Andy_Milberg_Podcast.mp3
Our conversation with Amanda de Cadenet is deeply nourishing and a swim upstream against the status quo. Amanda and Drew touch on many different topics in this rich, hour-long conversation. As you'll discover, Amanda's work touches many areas of life and so many lives.
After becoming sober from alcohol and drugs at twenty, ten years later, Amanda did the Hoffman Process. Today, ten years later again, Amanda says her Process work has been an integral part of her recovery journey. It can be hard to put tangible results to recovery work, yet Amanda's Hoffman work has helped give her the tangibility she was looking for.
Amanda's work at the Process allowed her to own that she has beautiful, big feelings. As she shares, big feelings are often frowned upon by the culture. But in the Process, we learn that our feelings are an absolutely vital part of living our humanity.
As the host of many conversations over decades, Amanda creates a safe space where challenging the status quo is possible. Listeners can feel their own feelings in response. These conversations are ripple-like in nature making them conversations that are changing our world. Amanda says she learned to really talk to people when she was in Juvie (the English Juvenile Justice system) at fifteen. This survival skill turned into a great asset as she started her first job as the host of "The Word." She would become famous for interviewing the biggest names in music at an incredibly young age.
We hope you enjoy this compelling, dynamic, love-filled conversation with Amanda de Cadenet. More about Amanda de Cadenet: Amanda de Cadenet is a multifaceted talent, celebrated global media personality, and was named one of Fast Company’s “Most Creative People in Business.”
de Cadenet became a household name at age 15 as host of “The Word,” the UK’s hit late-night music show, interviewing the biggest names in music. She is the creator, host, and executive producer of “The Conversation,” an interview series best known for interviewing bold women with boldface names, such as Vice President Kamala Harris, Lady Gaga, Hillary Clinton, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tarana Burke, and the 3x best-selling author of “It’s Messy: On Boys, Boobs and Bad Ass Women,” “Girlgaze - How Girls See the World,” and “Rare Birds.” de Cadenet is also a founding member of the new Victoria’s Secret VS Collective, and proudly sits as an ambassador alongside Naomi Osaka, Stella McCartney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Megan Rapinoe, Hailey Beiber, Bella Hadid, and others.
She hosted Victoria's Secret's first-ever podcast, “Voices” (June 2022), where she connected with trailblazing women around the world to celebrate the multifaceted nature of the female experience. Following that, de Cadenet launched two additional podcasts exclusive to iHeart Radio, “The Conversation: About The Men” and a new season of “The Conversation” (Fall 2022.)
de Cadenet is also the Founder of Girlgaze, a media and jobs platform that connects a network of female-identifying and non-binary creatives with companies who want to hire diverse creative teams. She is also involved in a number of efforts to protect women’s rights. She frequently collaborates with the #MeTooMvmt around initiatives focused on ending sexual violence toward women.
de Cadenet lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Nick, and her three children. Find out more about Amanda de Cadenet here. Her online community is called The Conversation Community. You can also find Amanda on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. As mentioned in this episode: 'Juvie' is the slang word for a Juvenile Detention Center. Find out more about both the British and American juvenile justice systems.
Quad Check and Tools
Amanda mentions Q1, which = The Hoffman Process
Q2 = Hoffman's Q2 Intensive: Beyond Mom and Dad
When Amanda says 'OG,' she's referring to our old retreat site, White Sulphur Springs, which burned in the Glass Fire of 2020.
Recovery
Mike Robbins was twenty-five years old when he was injured playing in the Minor Leagues, an injury that ended his dream of making it to the Majors. He'd been playing since he was eight years old, eventually playing at Stanford University. The loss of Mike's dream was devastating, but, step by step, he found his way to the work he does now as a speaker, consultant, coach, and author. He learned early how to prepare for the game of life. Listen in as Mike shares his hard-earned life wisdom with humility, vulnerability, and candidness.
Mike heard about the Process many years ago, but it wasn't until he experienced a great amount of loss and pain in a compressed period of time that he came to the Process in 2016. He lost both his mother and sister to cancer and realized that the Process was exactly what he needed to address his grief and the family of origin healing he was looking for.
Through beautiful, generous storytelling, Mike shares stories of great loss in his life while speaking to the power of many aspects of the Process. He talks about the importance of having places of safety in which to do this kind of healing work so that can feel safe telling the truth about ourselves and our lives. He considers how to care for all aspects of his Quadrinity and speaks to the nature of growth and being human.
Mike hasn't pitched in a game for twenty-five years, but he still, to this day, considers himself an athlete. Through this lens, he considers what he needs to do to prepare to be in this game of life. More about Mike Robbins: Mike Robbins is the author of five books, including Nothing Changes Until You Do, and his latest, We’re All in This Together. He’s a sought-after speaker who delivers keynotes and seminars all over the world. Some of his clients include Google, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Gap, Schwab, eBay, the NBA, the Oakland A’s, and many others. Mike and his work have been featured in the New York Times and Harvard Business Review, as well as on NPR and ABC News. He’s a regular contributor to Forbes. Mike hosts a weekly podcast and has given three TED talks. His books have been translated into 15 different languages.
Mike did the Hoffman Process in December of 2016. He has been a student of personal/spiritual growth for his entire adult life. Mike and his wife, Michelle, along with their two daughters, Samantha and Rosie, live in Novato, CA. As mentioned in this episode: Baseball: Major League and Minor League
Stanford University
The Enneagram: Type 3
Rich and Yvonne St. John-Dutra "Founded in 1987 by Rich and Yvonne St. John-Dutra, Challenge Day started as a Bay Area organization. Now Challenge Day serves over 49 U.S. states, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands, Challenge Day is on a mission to create a world where every person in our communities feels safe, loved, and celebrated." Read more...
Elizabeth 'Liz' Gilbert: Mike shares Elizabeth's quote: "You have to take care of your animal." Read Elizabeth Gilbert's article here...
Psychological Safety "Psychological safety is the ability to show and employ oneself without fear of negative consequences of self-image, status, or career. It can be defined as a shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. In psychologically safe teams, team members feel accepted and respected." Wikipedia
Brene Brown's new book, Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Liz_and_Mike_Robbins_Podcast.mp3
Ian Salvage, beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, is our 100th guest on the Hoffman Podcast. What better way could we celebrate reaching our 100-episode milestone than with this vulnerable, wise, and insightful conversation with Ian and Drew?
Ian completed the Process three different times, the first time when he was twenty-four years old. Listen in to discover why he did the Process two more times.
Ian shares about his journey to healing the 'shame message that he was bad." As a child, he felt bad. As he explains, children internalize their experiences. Since he felt bad, he came to believe he must be bad.
One of Ian's main survival strategies as a young child was to disassociate from his body because the emotions he was feeling were just too big for him to feel. As an adult, he found it hard to be present and connected to others. Ian shares that childhood strategies are very helpful, but as adults, they really get in our way. He discovered had to come back into his body and to know he is safe there. In other words, Ian says he needed to come back into "an adult nervous system."
In doing the physical work of expression at the Process, Ian heard his body come to understand that he is, "to his bones," innately good. Through this, he allowed his body to "align and connect to what his intellect thought and knew, to what his emotional self felt, and to what his Spiritual Self is." Through his work at the Process, Ian's Quadrinity became aligned in the goodness that he now knows he is. We can all learn a great deal about our own journey from Ian's very human experience of healing. More about Ian Salvage: Ian Salvage holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the Wright Institute and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in trauma-informed Somatic Therapy.
Before being certified as a Hoffman Teacher in 2019, Ian began working in the Hoffman Institute's Enrollment Department in 2011. Ian holds a small private practice where he works with clients remotely from Maui.
You can learn more about Ian here. As mentioned in this episode: Two of Ian's sisters have been guests on the podcast: Katie Salvage: Episode 4: Katie Salvage Oliveyah Fisch: S3e14: Oliveyah Fisch – Lean Into Your Courage
Dōjō: "A dōjō is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts... The term literally means "place of the Way" in Japanese." Wikipedia
William Lewis: Spiritual Teacher, Lightworker and Energy Channel
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk
Quote shared by Ian: "We are hurt in relationship and we heal in relationship." - Unknown
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Ian_Salvage_Podcast.mp3
Gerald Harris, Father, Hoffman Board Chair emeritus, and Energy Economist is our guest today. Gerald shares his journey from growing up in rural south Georgia to his current life with his sons in Northern California. He shares his Hoffman Journey of transformation. Listen all the way to the end for Gerald's powerful reflections on forgiveness and transformation.
Born and raised in Hapeville, Georgia until he was six years old, Gerald talks about what it was like to grow up in a village of extended family. His family was poor but he didn't know it. At the age of six, he and his mother moved to Chicago for work. Suddenly, it was just Gerald and his mother.
Gerald shares how he suffered abuse from his single mother. The Process helped him take his mother down off of the pedestal he'd learned to put her on as a child so he could squarely look at what had really happened in his childhood. He was able to see the patterns he adopted from her and release them through the Process. By completing the Hoffman Process, Gerald was able to heal the pain of his childhood so that this past pain would not affect his sons. Generational healing releases generational patterns and the painful emotions they cause. When patterns are released, our own lives and our children's lives can hold more Light and Love. Gerald's world at the Process made it possible for his sons' lives to be freer of generational patterning.
One of the other places the Process supported Gerald through transformation was in his sense of spirituality. As a child, he grew up Christian. Prior to doing the Process, Gerald was reading Buddhist thought and other kinds of thought as well. After the Process, Gerald came to understand that spirituality is not about any particular religion. He found it is about love, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, and justice. The Process supported Gerald in discovering a heart-centered way of communicating that he uses in all his relationships, both personal and professional. More about Gerald Harris: Gerald Harris is president of the Quantum Planning Group (QPG), which he founded in 2009. His company specializes in assisting businesses and non-profit organizations in strategic and business planning using the tools of scenario analysis. He works extensively with companies in the energy sector, particularly gas and electricity. Gerald received his BA in economics from Morehouse College, where he graduated as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and an MBA in finance and business economics from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Gerald’s first book, The Art of Quantum Planning, Seven Ideas from Quantum Physics for Breakthroughs in Creativity, Innovation, and Leadership, was published by Berrett Koehler Publishing in August 2009.
Gerald joined the Board of the Hoffman Institute in 2007, after completing the Process in December 2002. From mid-year 2012 until April of 2022 Gerald served as Board Chair, working cooperatively with the entire leadership team. Gerald currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Club of California. There, he leads the Technology and Society member-led forum where he produces programs for the Club. He is the father of two adult sons. More is available at his website: www.artofquantumplanning.com. As mentioned in this episode: Download The Quadrinity Process paper Gerald mentions: A Path to Personal Freedom and Love.
Projection: "The process of displacing one’s feelings onto a different person, animal, or object." - Psychology Today
The Great Migration: "The Great Migration was one of the largest movements of people in United States history. Approximately six million Black people moved from the American South to Northern, Midwestern, and Western states roughly from the 1910s until the 1970s. The driving force behind the mass movement was to escape racial violence, pursue economic and educational opportunities, and obtain freedom from the oppression of Jim Crow.
This conversation with Ryan Miles and Drew is not to be missed. Ryan is vulnerable, raw, and so deeply grounded within himself as he shares his experience before, during, and after graduating from the Hoffman Process.
Ryan tells us the big pain point that brought him to the Process - the inability to feel empathy for others, including family and friends. He felt very alone, didn't know why he felt so alone, and had no idea what was causing him to feel that way. He wanted to care about people and didn't know how to.
When you listen to Ryan talk about his experience post-Process, you can sense the immense transformation that took place during his seven days at our California Hoffman Retreat Center in Petaluma. During his Process, Ryan did indeed come to understand why he could not find empathy for others; he felt no empathy, or love, for himself.
Ryan considered himself selfish, but he discovered something ironic about this belief. He says he now sees that selfishness is that "your self-view is so small that all you can see is yourself." By day two of the Process, he realized that his whole idea of love had been backward for most of his life. Ryan realized that Love is indeed a birthright. He found that love is waiting for us within. All we need to do is come home to that Love. More about Ryan Miles: Ryan was raised on a dairy farm near the small town of Weippe in northern Idaho. His parents, Grant and Sharon, ran the dairy as second-generation owners. Ryan was the youngest of four boys. He grew up in an environment of a strong work ethic and a conservative Christian belief system through the Wesleyan church. After graduating high school in 1996, Ryan moved away from home and into the world at large, which was the custom of his family. Thus began his adventure of survival and personal development. In 1999, Ryan married his life companion Elissa. In 2010 they had a son Cash followed by a daughter Sunny in 2013. Ryan started a business in the European Auto Repair world called Peak Euro in 2007. Today, they have 12 employees and are experiencing strong growth. However, the pursuit of perfectionism and financial success didn't lead to attaining Joy and Inner Peace. Ryan began to think there has to be more to life. The world of auto repair led Ryan to Hoffman through industry coaching and other personal development workshops. One such workshop was the Hoffman Process. At the Process, Ryan did the life-changing work that can be done in just one week. Ryan's favorite authors include Eckhart Tolle, Anthony de Mello, Richard Rohr, Michael Singer, and Paulo Coelho.
As mentioned in this episode: Eckhart Tolle
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Ryan_Miles_Podcast.mp3
This episode with Felipe Jain, M.D. is so full of amazing things, it's hard to know how to describe all that you'll hear.
Felipe did the Hoffman Process when he was twenty-five. He was in his third year as a medical student at Harvard Medical School. He was driven and ambitious, but found relationships to be a challenge for him. One of the wonderful moments Felipe remembers from his Process is when his emotional self finally got to speak up for himself and stand up to his intellect. He shares how amazing it was to just experience the magic of this child within himself - a child who is wonderful, beautiful, and fun.
Now, many years later, Felipe is a Psychiatrist, a Researcher, a Neuroscientist, and a Professor at Harvard Medical School. As you'll hear in this episode, Felipe, through the Process, found and continues to develop a beautiful balance between all four aspects of his Quadrinity. He also has been able to use aspects of his Process experience as well as some of what he learned there in his work as a Psychiatrist.
One magical part of this episode is how Felipe describes his experience of Being. A meditator for over thirty years (he started at age 13 or 14), he has deepened his relationship with people and nature by coming to know how to shift perspectives and learn to truly take in what another is experiencing. Felipe describes the evolution of Being and the nature of Being through metaphor and physics. You've got to listen to and feel what he shares.
Be sure to take time to discover more about Felipe's work and the resources he's made available to us all. More About Dr. Felipe Jain, M.D.:
Originally from San Rafael, CA, Dr. Felipe Jain, M.D., is Director of Healthy Aging Studies at the Depression Clinical Research Program of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. His research group aims to develop new guided imagery and mindfulness tools for people caring for loved ones with chronic illness. Additionally, his lab studies objective brain connectivity, stress hormones, and other biological markers of psychotherapy treatment. This research is funded by competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health and private foundations.
Dr. Jain also treats patients – predominantly with treatment-resistant depression – in private practice. He is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Felipe teaches medical students tools for resilience and serves on the MD Advisory Board of the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. He also supervises psychiatry trainees in the number one ranked Massachusetts General Hospital-McLean psychiatry residency program.
Dr. Jain’s most recent endeavors include studying smartphone delivery of psychotherapy, researching brain activity occasioned by psychedelics, writing a book on guided imagery and mindfulness, and creating a startup based on his mobile application platform development. When not working, he enjoys meditating, crafting poetry, reading sci-fi, playing tennis with his two children (ages 7 and 9), hiking in the Middlesex Fells, and laughing for no reason on his back porch.
Dr. Jain is also a Hoffman Institute Foundation Board Member. We are grateful for his willingness to share his expertise, experience, and love to further Hoffman's goal of bringing peace to the world one person at a time. As mentioned in this episode: 14 Billion years: the age of the Universe
Quark: "A quark (/kwɔːrk, kwɑːrk/) is a type of elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter." Wikipedia
Lao Tzu (or Laozi): 6th-century BC ancient Chinese philosopher and writer Lao Tzu, is believed to be the author of the Tao Te Ching. He is also "the founder of philosophical Taoism and a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions." Wikipedia
The Tao Te Ching: "The Tao Te Ching, along with the Zhuangzi, is a fundamental text for both philosophical and religious Taoism." Wikipedia
FernHillCenter.org:
Photo by Bradford Rogne Photography
We begin season five with Scott "Scooter" Braun. You might know him as Scooter Braun, one of the most prolific entrepreneurs and innovators in entertainment, music, tech, and beyond. Yet, during the Hoffman Process, Scooter reclaimed himself as Scott, the young boy he once was and the person he has always been.
Scooter shares that both sides of his familial line experienced great trauma and struggles. He was aware enough to know that his life as a child was good. Through the Process, he came to realize that he felt guilt for having struggles because his paled in comparison to those his parents and grandparents experienced. Through the Process, Scott was able to heal the pain of his past, understanding that we all face human trauma and challenges. Sharing about his upbringing, his loving parents, and what he learned through his Process, Scott cogently shines a light on the Path to Personal Freedom and Love.
One beautiful thing Scott offers to us in this episode is the understanding that once we do the deep healing work of childhood, we can then step forward to discover who we really are, now, in the present day. From this present moment, we can continue to reclaim more and more of who we truly are.
Scott recommends the Process to many of those he knows. When people remark about how much he has changed and want to know how this happened, he suggests they attend. More about Scooter Braun: Scooter Braun is one of the most prolific entrepreneurs and innovators in entertainment, music, tech, and beyond. Braun is the Founder and Chairman of Ithaca Holdings LLC., now a part of the HYBE America portfolio, a wholly owned subsidiary of HYBE, a South Korean entertainment lifestyle platform company. Braun is CEO and board member of HYBE. Ithaca Holdings LLC. is a fully integrated holding company, which invests in some of the largest management, media, and rights companies in the industry. Ithaca Holdings LLC has built an elite portfolio of acquisitions and partnerships including Big Machine Label Group, Mythos Studios, unscripted content studio GoodStory Entertainment and Atlas Publishing, among others. chine Label Group, Mythos Studios, unscripted content studio GoodStory Entertainment, and Atlas Publishing, among others. In addition, Braun is co-founder and partner of TQ Ventures, a leading investment firm focused on early-stage and growth-stage companies.
Braun is also the Founder of SB Projects, a diversified entertainment, and media company with ventures at the intersection of music, film, technology, brands, culture, and social good. In addition to managing a robust roster of some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, J Balvin, Idina Menzel, Ashley Graham, and Tori Kelly, SB Projects has grown its film and television division to include a prolific slate of projects including the FX Network’s most-watched comedy series “Dave,” YouTube’s record-breaking docuseries “Justin Bieber: Seasons,” CBS’s “Scorpion,” Ariana Grande feature documentary “Excuse Me, I Love You” with Netflix, “Never Say Never,” which remains the highest grossing music documentary in domestic box-office history and most recently, YouTube’s critically acclaimed four-part docuseries “Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil.” The company also has a multitude of projects in active development. As mentioned in the episode: The Holocaust:
Scott's paternal grandparents survived the Holocaust. His grandmother survived Auschwitz while his grandfather survived Dachau.
Cheshta Buckley:
Cheshta is a Hoffman teacher and coach. Find out more about Cheshta here.
Liza Ingrasci:
Liza is CEO and President of the Hoffman Institute Foundation. She hosts a free, 45-minute live weekly Intro Call for those who want to know more about the Process.
Rashi:
"Rashi's surname, Yitzhaki, derives from his father's name, Yitzhak.
We complete season four with this lively conversation between Drew and beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Marissa Ingrasci.
Marissa grew up in a Hoffman home. Her parents, Raz and Liza Ingrasci, founded the Hoffman Institute. Marissa shares a sweet memory of when she was first taught about the Light and the capacity we have to claim our own agency and connection to the Light.
Fifteen years ago, Marissa came to the Process feeling lost and disconnected from herself. At the end of her Process, she felt happy and bursting with love for her parents in a way she didn’t know she could. Through the Process, Marissa connected to herself and the Light in a deeper way.
Marissa shares some deep wisdom about how to live a Right Road life with compassion for self and others, as well as equanimity and joy. In living on the Right Road, we still have challenges. Days will be hard, but with access to Process tools and an integrated Quadrinity, we can meet any challenge with love.
Marissa touches on the dramatic creative change and growth the Hoffman Institute went through when Covid hit in March 2020. She was teaching the last Process before everything shut down for Covid. Marissa shares how it was clear that the students in that Process were going to be released into a very different world than the one they left behind when they entered the Process.
What might it mean to be ready to do the Process, or in Marissa’s words, “step into the mystery?” It might not mean what you think. Take a listen to hear more about what readiness looks like, especially in these times of great change.
We’ll be back with season five in August! More About Marissa Ingrasci: Marissa Ingrasci is a Hoffman Process teacher and coach. She manages the Marketing department at Hoffman and is a Faculty Manager. Marissa holds a BA from Emerson College and received her coaching training through the ICF-approved, Academy of Leadership Coaching & NLP. She is also a certified NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) coach. As Mentioned in This Episode: Matt Brannagan: Matt is Vice-President and Director of Faculty at Hoffman Institute Foundation. Discover more about Matt in his Hoffman podcast episode, Communities of Meaning.
Left Road/Right Road: Marissa shares a unique way she often works with the Left Road/Right Road practice.
Hoffman Essentials: A live, virtual 2-Day Hoffman Essentials program. Hoffman teachers will guide you in an insightful and interactive intensive. Through experiential activities, individual assignments, engaging discussions, and connection with a community of learners, you will have the experience of bringing more love and aliveness to yourself and your life while increasing your awareness of, and ability to dismantle, the barriers that stand in the way of living your best life. The experiences and learnings from this program are designed to provide useful tools and practices that you can carry with you for a lifetime.(Please note: This course is for people who have not participated in the Hoffman Process.)
Instagram Lives: Each day, we host two Instagram lives.
Join our virtual community Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. A Quad Check is a practice to support you in integrating and honoring all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body.
Come be a part of our daily Appreciation and Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. You’ll find the Appreciation and Gratitude practice to be a beautiful way to reflect on your day. This practice will support your Spiritual Self’s natural desire to appreciate and give thanks for all that life brings you.
Quote on change mentioned by Drew: “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”― Tony Robbins
https://media.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/p/content.blubrry.com/the_hoffman_podcast/Drew_and_Marissa_Ingrasci_Podcast.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:09 — ...
We complete season four with this lively conversation between Drew and beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Marissa Ingrasci.
Marissa grew up in a Hoffman home. Her parents, Raz and Liza Ingrasci, founded the Hoffman Institute. Marissa shares a sweet memory of when she was first taught about the Light and the capacity we have to claim our own agency and connection to the Light.
Fifteen years ago, Marissa came to the Process feeling lost and disconnected from herself. At the end of her Process, she felt happy and bursting with love for her parents in a way she didn't know she could. Through the Process, Marissa connected to herself and the Light in a deeper way.
Marissa shares some deep wisdom about how to live a Right Road life with compassion for self and others, as well as equanimity and joy. In living on the Right Road, we still have challenges. Days will be hard, but with access to Process tools and an integrated Quadrinity, we can meet any challenge with love.
Marissa touches on the dramatic creative change and growth the Hoffman Institute went through when Covid hit in March 2020. She was teaching the last Process before everything shut down for Covid. Marissa shares how it was clear that the students in that Process were going to be released into a very different world than the one they left behind when they entered the Process.
What might it mean to be ready to do the Process, or in Marissa's words, "step into the mystery?" It might not mean what you think. Take a listen to hear more about what readiness looks like, especially in these times of great change.
We'll be back with season five in August! More about Marissa Ingrasci: Marissa Ingrasci is a Hoffman Process teacher and coach. She manages the Marketing department at Hoffman and is a Faculty Manager. Marissa holds a BA from Emerson College and received her coaching training through the ICF-approved, Academy of Leadership Coaching & NLP. She is also a certified NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming) coach. As mentioned in this episode: Matt Brannagan: Matt is Vice-President and Director of Faculty at Hoffman Institute Foundation. Discover more about Matt in his Hoffman podcast episode, Communities of Meaning.
Left Road/Right Road: Marissa shares a unique way she often works with the Left Road/Right Road practice.
Hoffman Essentials: A live, virtual 2-Day Hoffman Essentials program. Hoffman teachers will guide you in an insightful and interactive intensive. Through experiential activities, individual assignments, engaging discussions, and connection with a community of learners, you will have the experience of bringing more love and aliveness to yourself and your life while increasing your awareness of, and ability to dismantle, the barriers that stand in the way of living your best life. The experiences and learnings from this program are designed to provide useful tools and practices that you can carry with you for a lifetime.(Please note: This course is for people who have not participated in the Hoffman Process.)
Instagram Lives: Each day, we host two Instagram lives.
Join our virtual community Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. A Quad Check is a practice to support you in integrating and honoring all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body.
Come be a part of our daily Appreciation and Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. You'll find the Appreciation and Gratitude practice to be a beautiful way to reflect on your day. This practice will support your Spiritual Self's natural desire to appreciate and give thanks for all that life brings you.
Quote on change mentioned by Drew: “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.”― Tony Robbins
Discover if the Process is right for you.
How to share the Process with loved ones.
Subscribe on Apple/iTunes
Alana Hadid - designer, business owner, and social media influencer - completed the Hoffman Process in the Fall of 2021. Listen in as she shares her experience during the Process as well as her life after the Process with Hoffman teacher and coach, Liz Severin.
People decide to do the Process when they are serious about making changes in their lives. For Alana, it was wanting to do the 'self-work' that would bring about healthier romantic relationships in her life. She'd been in a relationship that didn't feel healthy and knew that the change she was seeking had to happen within her. Listen in to see how doing this deeply transformational work within and for herself is improving how she relates to everyone.
As a designer, Alana found that doing the Process helped strengthen her creative capacity. As a result, Alana now hears her creative ideas more clearly with less negative inner talk. Toward the end of her Process, Alana had a creative idea spark in her. She pursued it and as a result, she has designed clothing merchandise in partnership with the Hoffman Institute. When you come to do the Process or the Q2 weekend intensive, you'll be able to purchase these bright and colorful tee shirts, sweatshirts, and sweatpants.
Toward the end of the conversation, on a really lovely note, Alana speaks about her mother attending the Process. In preparation for her mother's own Process, Alana helped guide her mother through her pre-Process work. Truly knowing that "everyone is guilty and no one is to blame" transforms families and transforms our world. The healing that happens in families due to doing the Process is truly foundational familial healing. More about Alana Hadid From a young age, Alana loved fashion and wore and constructed crazy and unique clothes. After studying political science in college, she moved to Los Angeles where she had many jobs, including a T-shirt line, Better Bacon, and running her father's art gallery. In 2013, Alana began styling and personal shopping and found her true passion in design. She came up with the idea for La Detresse after an interesting dream and a difficult client fitting.
Alana works as a designer and co-owner of her label, La Detresse. In addition, she's on the board of Shroomboom as well as a consultant for multiple businesses. A social media influencer, Alana has been featured as a designer, influencer, and contributor in Vogue Japan, Grazia, Who What Wear, WWD, Angelina Magazine, and W Magazine.
Head over to Instagram to discover more about Alana and La Detresse. As mentioned in this episode: Hoffman Process Retreat Center, Petaluma CA
Narnia (the Hoffman Process Retreat Site): If you listen closely, you'll notice that Alana refers to our new retreat site as Narnia. It is a beautiful and magical place.
Liza Ingrasci and Hoffman Live Weekly Intro Calls: Alana shares that she had wonderfully productive calls with Liza Ingrasci, President and CEO of the Hoffman Institute Foundation. At the time, Alana was unaware she was speaking with the CEO.
Liza holds free live weekly intro calls to learn more about the Process. Find out more here.
Ways to keep the Process alive:
Physical Expression: Physical Expression is used in the Process as part of the Cycle of Transformation. Expression is a necessary part of disconnecting from Negative Love patterns in order to heal the pain of the past. There are many ways to physically express the patterns in order to disconnect from them.
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. Visualization: A practice used often during the Process, you'll find audio recordings of various visualizations for download here. Recycling: Recycling is a powerful tool that’s part of the Cycle of Transform...
There's so much goodness in this conversation with Brian Buckley, Executive Director of The Southwest Native-American Foundation. From varied points of view, Brian focuses on the fullness of what it means to be human. From the practical to the sublime, he takes us along as he recounts his life story. As he talks about his life path and the wisdom he's gained as a result of reflection and contemplation, it's easy to sense the depth and vastness of Brian's heart.
Consistent throughout this conversation is the sense that Brian was deeply impacted by his Irish immigrant roots. His grandparents emigrated to the United States. Raised in an Irish enclave in a Boston neighborhood, Brian shares his childhood experience of being in a clan of children of Irish immigrants. This theme recurs again when Brian shares a poem by Seamus Heaney. Brian had an opportunity to experience Buddhism and meditation when overseas as a volunteer for the Peace Corps. He speaks about the contrast in his experience between Buddhism and Irish Catholicism.
The Hoffman Process helped Brian discover the depth of his emotional self and the impact of his Irish-rooted emotional patterns. Brian speaks about both the spiritual and practical aspects of the Process. He shares about the nature of his Spiritual Self and also speaks about the practical nature of the gifts of the Hoffman Process. He came home with learning skills for day-to-day that he can bring to the dinner table, both literally and metaphorically. More about Brian Buckley: Brian, the son of Cathy and Paul Buckley, was born in West Roxbury, MA. As a young child, he witnessed Boston tear itself apart over issues of race and equality. These themes would inform much of his later life. After attending the Roxbury Latin School and graduating from Harvard College with a degree in psychology, Brian began teaching social studies at Franklin K.Lane High School in Brooklyn.
Following his time teaching, Brian served in the United States Peace Corps in Udon Thani, Thailand. Upon returning to the States, he instructed at Harvard University as a Teaching Fellow for Dr. Robert Coles' course, The Literature of Social Reflection. Brian received the Derek Bok Award for Excellence in Teaching. He received an Ed.M from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and an M.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts. Poetry informs much of his inner landscape.
Brian continues to teach as an elementary school special education teacher at a public Montessori school. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brian founded the Barbara Henry Courage in Teaching Award to honor the work of Barbara Henry. Barbara was the only teacher to report to work to welcome and teach Ruby Bridges. Ruby, a six-year-old first-grade student of African-American descent, was the only child to come to school on the first day of de-segregation in 1960 New Orleans. Fulfilling a personal call: Brian served as a high school teacher and United States Peace Corps Fellow on the Navajo Nation. At the end of this time, he founded the Southwest Native-American Foundation (SWNAF). The Foundation assists students of the tribes of the Southwest in gaining greater access to higher education. As Executive Director of SWNAF, Brian, along with the SWNAF Board and Donors, has assisted in the matriculation of 500 students to college and graduate school. Learn more about The Southwest Native American Foundation here, and on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. As mentioned in this episode: Ruby Bridges and Barbara Henry: Read more about Ruby Bridges at RubyBridges.Foundation.
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day: Discover more about Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.
United States Peace Corp: The Peace Corps was started by President John F. Kennedy in the early sixties. The Peace Corps the opportunity to serve others through immersion in a community abroad. Working side by side with local leaders, they work on the most pressing challenges of these times Volu...
Beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Max Gaenslen, holds this question as the focus for his life and life's work: "What is the difference between people who really connect to that divine spark within them and find fertile soil for that seed to grow in the world - and people who don't?" The question first came to him in 2004 while riding on a Greyhound bus. Once it hit him, he immediately knew he needed to live this question.
Today, the common thread running through all that Max does is the belief that the Light exists in everything and that we all have innate genius and gifts.
In conversation with Sharon, Max explores what lights him up - human potential and the journey of awakening into the body. He shares a multitude of viewpoints from which to look at the process of spiritual awakening and emphasizes awakening our body and heart. You will hear Max's infectious love of his life's work.
One of Max's other joys is drumming. At the age of eleven, Max first heard the drum solo in All the World's a Stage, by Rush. It was then that he decided he wanted to become a drummer. More about Max Gaenslen:
Along with being a Hoffman teacher and coach, Max Gaenslen is a Senior teacher and trainer of George Leonard and Michael Murphy’s Integral Transformative Practice and George Leonard’s Leonard Energy Training. He is the Coordinator of Esalen Institute’s Center for Theory & Research. Max is also a California state-certified “Education Specialist.”
Max is also a drummer and percussionist.
After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in creativity and entrepreneurship, Max began his career in business consulting. Max did the Hoffman Process in 2005, then shifted his career direction to focus on transformative education and workshops for adults, as well as working extensively with adolescents in a therapeutic context. He worked for thirteen years in San Mateo County’s Therapeutic Day School program and has taught workshops and programs for such organizations as Esalen Institute, ITP-International, Greenheart Transforms, and The Institute of Noetic Sciences. As mentioned in this episode: The Future of the Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution of Human Nature, by Michael Murphy. Quotes Max shares: "The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail." -- Ramakrishna "The flesh, itself, is waking up." -- Michael Murphy
Transcendence ("Up and out"): When we transcend, we move up and out of the body.
Embodiment ("Down and in"): Moving down into the body and deeper into its interior.
Drumming as a way to bash! Max talks about drumming as a way to bash negative patterns. Bashing is one told to use during Expression, how we let go of our patterns. We exercise our free will – choose to step out of a pattern, and take action using our Voice, Body, and Intention.
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April McDaniel, Founder of woman-owned and minority-led, Crown + Conquer, came to the Process to do the deep work she knew she was ready for. In this conversation with Drew, April speaks candidly about needing to be honest with herself. She touches on this many times.
What brought April to the Process? April shares that she saw she had a pattern of being cold when relating with others. She felt closed off and wanted to do something that would help to open her up again. Being 'cold' with others is often a pattern learned in childhood that helps us feel safe and secure. In the Process, April learned a lot about trauma and witnessed how each everyone has work to do to heal. As a result of her work there, the Process helped her find empathy for herself and for others.
April chose to be more vulnerable at work as a way to integrate her Process experience. She shares that showing vulnerability, especially in the Black community, is viewed as weak. April showed her strength by being vulnerable and says it was well-received. More about April McDaniel:
April McDaniel is the owner and founder of Crown + Conquer, a trailblazing agency partner to global brands with a current client roster that includes Spotify, Amazon Studios, and Google. Woman-owned and minority-led, Crown + Conquer has quickly and quietly made a name for itself, scaling rapidly in just five short years to 32 employees plus numerous freelancers. April’s team at Crown + Conquer is unapologetically authentic. They push brands outside their comfort zone, connecting brand truths with human truths to bring them to life and forge real connections with consumers. April began her career at Strategic Group. While there, she worked directly for Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg as they built the company into one of the most powerful brands in hospitality. With an innate ability to find the through-line that resonates with audiences, April drove event strategy for clients including Nike, Coca Cola, and Sprite; executed pioneering brand collaborations including Hennessy Artistry and Heineken Red Star; and played a key role in the grand openings of Las Vegas Tao, Tao Beach, LAVO, and Marquee Nightclub & Day Club at the Cosmopolitan. Subsequently, she led the nationwide expansion of Game Seven as Director of Operations. April also served as point person for influencer and experiential strategy on the Beats by Dre account. April is fiercely private and passionate about giving back. Recently, she launched the Chase the Crown Business Summit. Through the summit, small businesses and innovative brands have the opportunity to win seed money and gain unparalleled exposure. April lives in Southern California with her two sons. She earned her BA from Temple University. Find out more about April on Instagram. Learn more about Crown and Conquer here and on Instagram. HOFFMAN PROCESS TERMINOLOGY: Awareness Hell: In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation. As mentioned in this episode: Trauma: In the Process, you learn about trauma as you do the work to heal the pain of the past. If you'd like to hear more, listen to this in-depth podcast episode with Cynthia Merchant on Trauma and the Process of Healing. Cynthia was a Hoffman teacher for twenty years.
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Coach and consultant, Natalie Vanderpump, is our guest today. Natalie's process of getting to the Process was a journey in and of itself. She registered in February of 2020 for the May Process, which was postponed after the outbreak of Covid. Determined she was going to begin her work, Natalie signed up for the very first Hoffman Essentials virtual course. When the Hoffman Institute resumed offering the Process in person the following September, Natalie was there to finally begin her Process. Life had other plans as our beloved retreat site, White Sulphur Springs burned and Natalie's group was evacuated. She had to return home to wait, again. Natalie was finally able to complete her Process in person as part of the first graduating class at Hoffman's new retreat site in Petaluma.
What kept Natalie so motivated? When she completed the initial homework early that Spring, she felt a jolt to her being. All through the months of waiting, Natalie had a heightened awareness of her patterns and how they had affected her life to that point. Once she arrived in Petaluma, she was really ready to do the deeply impactful work of healing the pain of her past.
Natalie came to the Process because she felt like she'd done everything she was 'supposed to do' to be happy, but she wasn't. For twenty-five years, she'd been on a journey to find a place of peace in herself that she knew was possible but she didn't know how to find. Doing the Process helped support Natalie in finding the peace she was looking for, as well as much more. More about Natalie Vanderpump: Natalie was born in the West Indies on the island of Jamaica. As a child, she lived in many places, finally settling in Miami, Florida for college. After seventeen years, a failed marriage, two engineering degrees, and an MBA, she moved to the Pacific Northwest with her son. In addition to her corporate career in Fortune 100 companies, Natalie has a passion for supporting people in organizing their time, finances, and their physical space.
Today, Natalie is a Holistic Wellness Coach and a KonMari-certified organizational consultant. As a coach and consultant, she helps people manage the stuff that impacts our ability to thrive. This includes what we put in our bodies, allow into our hearts and minds, and accumulate in our homes. Everyone’s path to wellness has twists and turns. Natalie loves helping others progress on their unique journey while continuing on her own.
You can learn more about Natalie and her work here. Follow Natalie on Instagram and LinkedIn. As mentioned in this episode Hoffman Essentials 2-Day Virtual program: Through experiential activities, individual assignments, engaging discussions, and connection with a community of learners, you will have the experience of bringing more love and aliveness to yourself and your life while increasing your awareness of, and ability to dismantle, the barriers that stand in the way of living your best life.
Practices & Tools: Quad Check: Join our virtual Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram. 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.
Appreciation & Gratitude: Join our virtual Appreciation & Gratitude practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram. The Appreciation and Gratitude practice supports you in dropping into your heart. From here, you can see and realize what you are truly grateful for and what you appreciate in and about your life. This practice deepens your connection to your body and your Spiritual Self.
Recycling Recycling is a powerful tool that's part of the Cycle of Transformation. It's used to recycle a negative pattern that you've identified, traced, and disconnected from and into a new way of being. This new way is in alignment with your Spiritual Self.
Vicious Cycle A collection of negative patterns that keep you in a cycle of negativity.
Tim Laurence, Hoffman teacher and author, did the Process in 1989 with Bob Hoffman as his teacher. Tim's journey to finding and completing the Hoffman Process is a fascinating story.
As a child, Tim was very curious. As a young adult, he traveled the world looking to learn from both the East and the West. The burning questions within him were, "How does this system work? How are we as human or spiritual beings meant to look at it? Am I missing something?"
Eventually, after years of travel and inquiry, life led Tim to the Hoffman Process. "It wasn't just a vale of tears, it was also a hill of laughter." is one way Tim describes his time during the Process, reflecting the profound rage of human emotions we get to experience thru the Process.
Six years later, after being trained by Bob to be a Hoffman teacher himself, Tim co-founded Hoffman Institute UK.
Tim shares stories about what Bob was like, and how the whole of who he was shines a light on how we are as human beings. He tells stories about the earlier times of the Hoffman Process when Bob still played an active role in 'bringing peace to the world one person at a time.' And, Tim offers insights into the different ways people from around the world approach doing the Process, including a difference he sees between people from the U.S. and Britain. More about Tim Laurence: Tim Laurence is the Founder of Hoffman Institute UK and former Chairman of Hoffman International. Tim is also the author of The Hoffman Process: The World-Famous Technique That Empowers You to Forgive Your Past, Heal Your Present, and Transform Your Future.
Photo of Bob by Tim As mentioned in this episode: Bob Hoffman
Tim shares about the time he traveled to Wales with Bob after they finished teaching a Process. This was when the Hoffman Process was still called the Quadrinity Process. Listen in to hear what Bob considered calling the Process instead.
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Arielle D'Angelo, LGBTQ+ Self-Love and Empowerment Coach and Founder of WeTheRainbow, serves up wisdom, kindness, and really helpful guidance for the journey of coming out.
Arielle was fighting the idea that she was queer. She came to the Hoffman Process in 2016 hoping to find a way to not be gay. In a pivotal moment of her Process, Arielle remembers standing under the redwood trees at White Sulphur Spring, on the bridge looking out at the water and feeling, for the first time in her life, full acceptance for all that she is. She left the Process with complete self-acceptance and self-love for all of who she is.
Arielle's message is for all of us. As Sharon, Arielle's host for this conversation offers, this is a message that can be helpful for anyone. So many of us are on a journey to complete self-acceptance and self-love. This is a process of coming out to ourselves first and then to others.
Prioritizing Spirit leads to self-love
Coming out and coming into self-love
My Struggle Has Become My Superpower More about Arielle D'Angelo
Arielle is an LGBTQ+ Self-Love and Empowerment Coach, Multi-Media Creator, and Founder of WeTheRainbow, an LGBTQ+ Personal Development Organization. Her mission is to help LGBTQ+ humans live empowered and liberated lives that are rooted in radical self-love and authenticity.
After graduating from Tulane University in 2017, Arielle went on to get certified as a Master Practitioner in Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), Clinical Hypnotherapy, EFT & Time Techniques. Additionally, she is a Trauma-Informed Practitioner, Certified Reiki Practitioner, and Certified Holistic Health Coach.
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Arielle is passionate about guiding others to speak, live, and embody their truth. Furthermore, she believes that everyone deserves to live a joyful life where they can live and love authentically.
Arielle founded WeTheRainbow to bring connection and healing to the LGBTQ+ community through transformational events, coaching, and community. Through the wide range of her work, Arielle inspires queer humans to live with more compassion, acceptance, and love, while embracing every aspect of their LGBTQ+ identity.
Find out more about Arielle on Instagram and TikTok, and more about WeTheRainbow on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: LGBTQ, LBGTQ+, and Queer - Arielle mentions both in this conversation. Read more about these and their meanings here at ok2beme.ca.
Coming Out - "Coming out is a lifelong process that has both intrapersonal and interpersonal components, although most people have an initial phase where they are first coming out to themselves." - https://lgbtq.unc.edu/
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Chris Pan has already led a full life. When asked about his fascinating journey from a young boy in Taiwan who moved to the US without knowing English, to Harvard Business School, and to working as an early employee of Facebook, he references the game, Zelda. Chris goes on to explain that life is a journey in which you pick up a tool with each chapter you live. Eventually, all the tools support you in the ultimate purpose you are here to live. Chris now joyfully engages in his life purpose. As a result, he uses the tools he found along the way in service to the joyful, powerful work he does in the world.
Chris attended the Hoffman Process in 2013 after a difficult relationship breakup. A friend told him about the Process and that it can provide deep healing, quickly. Wanting to be out of the pain he was in, Chris registered right away. Post-Process, Chris started this new life of spreading joy and healing.
This episode of Love's Everyday Radius is full of delights. Chris' engaging life story, his commitment to bringing more joy and play into the world, and his generous singing and guitar playing (you'll hear him sing two songs), are examples of how the change that happens within each of us as a result of doing the Process can ripple out into the everyday radius of our lives. More About Chris Pan: What's Your WORD?
Chris Pan is the founder of MyIntent.org. He has helped millions of people find their intention, including Beyonce, Elon, and Melania. VOMO (VOICE MOVEMENT), Chris' new project, is making group singing fun, uplifting, and cathartic. His vision is to have the world sing together and live with intent. Chris has an MBA from Harvard. He started his career as a senior consultant at McKinsey, marketing director at PepsiCo, and an early employee at Facebook. He attended the Hoffman Process in 2013 and realized how emotionally constipated and spiritually disconnected he was. After graduating, he set the intention to help others become more emotionally and spiritually connected. Find out more about Chris on Instagram and Linkedin. Find out more about VOMO on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: The quote Chris refers to: "In many shamanic societies, if you came to a shaman or medicine person complaining of being disheartened, dispirited, or depressed, they would ask one of four questions. When did you stop dancing? When did you stop singing? When did you stop being enchanted by stories? When did you stop finding comfort in the sweet territory of silence? Where we have stopped dancing, singing, being enchanted by stories, or finding comfort in silence is where we have experienced the loss of soul. Dancing, singing, storytelling, and silence are the four universal healing salves."― Gabrielle Roth
Healing Rain: One of the songs Chris sings comes from a popular song by Prince. Chris changed the title and lyrics to reflect the healing that happens during the Process and in his work.
International School of Beijing
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Trecey Chittenden, Hoffman grad and the previous Facilities Director at Earthrise retreat center, now Hoffman Process Retreat Center, shares a bounty of stories about the land and history of our new retreat site. Trecey found out about the Process while working at Earthrise long before it became Hoffman's new home. Three years later, when she was really struggling, she decided to do the Process. It had a profound effect on her.
Two eventful years ago, Trecey reached out to the Hoffman Institue to share that Earthrise was available for the Process after White Sulphur Springs was lost in the Glass fire. Listen in as Trecey shares with us the amazing connection and synchronicity between the Hoffman Process, Astronaut Edgar Mitchell (a Hoffman grad), and Earthrise/IONS. Thank you, Trecey, for your help in bringing Hoffman to Earthrise.
Something amazing to witness is how Hoffman students transform over the week during the Process. Trecey shares with Liz the joy she experienced witnessing their transformation. When new students would arrive, Trecey would help to get them settled into their rooms for the week ahead. As she says, often during the first two days, people can look sort of stiff and unsure. By day three, students begin to relax and find their footing. And by day seven, it's hard to recognize them they've changed so much. Trecey wonders if all the different kinds of work and the energy of the land both play a role in students' transformation. More about Trecey Chittenden: Born in Los Angeles in 1969, Trecey moved with her family to Hawaii when she was six months old. At eight, Trecey moved to New Hampshire where she lived until she was eighteen. She attended Waldorf schools from pre-K thru 12th grade, which set the stage for her to be a more creative and imaginative person. After graduating High School, Trecey traveled around Europe and the Caribbean for the next few years before moving to San Francisco for work. Three years later, she moved to Stinson Beach, a small town outside of San Francisco, to raise her son. She came to work in the kitchen at EarthRise IONS through her work in restaurants.
Trecey worked for IONS on the retreat center side for fourteen years as the Executive Chef for nine years, then as the retreat center Assistant Director, then the facilities Director. This is how she came to hear about the Hoffman Process. You won't be seeing Trecey at the Hoffman retreat site in the future. She's moved to Maine to be closer to family. As mentioned in this episode: White Sulphur Springs and the Glass Fire
Astronaut, Edgar Mitchell: A crewmember of Apollo 14, Edgar Mitchell was the 6th man to walk on the moon. On his return to Earth during the Apollo 14 flight, it is said that Mitchell had a powerful savikalpa samādhi experience. Mitchell did the Hoffman Process in 1987.
IONS: Institute of Noetic Sciences
Waldorf Education
The Hoffman Q2:
A three day residential, or virtual, retreat to continue the deep transformational work you did at the Process.
Norse Mythology
Hoffman Process Retreat Center Legacy Labyrinth
The legacy labyrinth at Hoffman's retreat site is one of six labyrinths around the world named to be a legacy labyrinth.
Trecey mentions the beautiful oak trees at our Hoffman Retreat Center, sharing that they have amazing personalities, are full of wisdom, and are great partners in healing.
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Wait till you hear this conversation with Drew and Elle Newlands, actor, voice-over artist, musician, and Hoffman graduate. This is both a deep and delightful episode. Elle offers a vulnerability that is a gift to all who hear her story.
Elle's past trauma made it difficult to surrender to the Process. She was anxious in the beginning so her teacher worked with her to do specific exercises to release what was in the way. The Process is like this. Student and teacher work together to ensure that as the week progresses, the student's Process holds the best outcome for their transformation.
Elle and her Process mates experienced a flood during their Process. They were asked to evacuate by the fire department and did so, ending up at a hotel. If you've done the Process, you can imagine how disruptive this was, considering the very open state students are experiencing during the Process. With skillful organization and care, the students continued their Process work together at the hotel.
When Elle did the Q2 - the graduate intensive weekend, there was a wildfire close by to White Sulphur Springs. The winds were so strong that the area needed to be evacuated, so Elle and everyone left to go home early. Upon returning home to the Los Angeles area after her Q2, she was evacuated from her home. There was a wildfire in that area, too. Listen in to hear how Elle, after realizing what life was showing her, was able to listen and learn from these experiences. More about Elle: Elle Newlands is a hybrid, which makes her complicated, but she is okay with that. An actress, photographer, and writer, she spends her days juggling characters, words, and pictures. Originally from Scotland, she is currently enjoying the sunshine of California. Here in her new home, she hikes with her dog, rides her horse in the mountains, and talks to nature. Elle moved from Scotland to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music and acting. She began her voice career as a classically trained vocalist, before moving into the voiceover booth. In addition to working in commercials, animation, performance capture, narration, and audiobooks, Elle has voiced various roles in video games. She is currently the voice of Horizon in the award-winning battle royale game Apex Legends and has multiple characters in World of Warcraft, DOOM Eternal, Hearthstone, and Skylanders. Other game titles include Star Wars, The Old Republic, Lego Star Wars, Halo 4, Assassins Creed, Skyrim, Call of Duty, Asgard’s Wrath, Counterstrike - Global Offensive, Bioshock, and Darksider’s 2 and 3. Animated shows include Looney Tunes, Adventure Time, Regular Show, Lego Friends, Curious George, Hot Streets, and The Adventures of Puss in Boots.
In addition to acting, Elle is also going through certification to become an equine-assisted life coach. “Notes from the Ether,” her soon-to-be-released podcast, connects to the many ways in which the universe sends clear messages that we are all connected. Elle enjoys learning and speaking about the various paths to healing.
You'll find more about Elle on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.
As mentioned in the episode: Edinburgh, Scotland
Video Gaming Voice-over Casting
Equine Coaching
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Beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach, Maria Cámara, is our guest this week. A pivotal moment in Maria's Process was when she realized that whatever she had never gotten from her Mom and Dad, she would never get. A moment of true acceptance like this can be life-changing. Maria shares how liberating this moment was. The Process helped her realize that her life is her own and that she is the one responsible for it.
Maria became interested in and a practitioner of Buddhism at the age of fifteen after meeting a Tibetan Buddhist lama for the first time when she was seven. She says Buddhism is "a medicine for today's crazy world."
Being a Buddhist practitioner has supported Maria in many ways. One way has been her practice to contemplate death and to be able to be with those who are dying. Listen in as Maria shares a tender story of a loved one's passing. More about Maria Cámara: Maria Cámara holds a Ph.D. in Family and Health Psychology from the University of Deusto, Spain. She also holds a Master in Health Psychology from the University of Middlesex, UK, and a B.A. in Psychology from the UPV, Spain. Maria is a Certified Gestalt Psychotherapist. Additionally, Maria has trained in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy and Emotion-focused Therapy.
Maria is co-director of Hoffman International and co-director of the Hoffman Institute in Spain. She is also a Supervising Teacher of the Hoffman Process.
A founding member of Bodhi Salud, a health and meditation retreat in Valencia, Spain, Maria is in private practice both in-person and virtually. As part of her spiritual path, Maria has studied extensively with renowned Buddhist meditation masters for more than 20 years in Europe, North America, and India, She has a personal daily practice on that path. As mentioned in this episode: Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Lama: Lama is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru. Maraṇasati: Contemplating Death as a Buddhist practice
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Beloved Hoffman teacher, Barbara Comstock, has been teaching the Hoffman Process for 34 years. Teaching an average of ten Processes per year means Barbara has taught well over 300 Processes.
Two and a half years ago, Barbara's husband, Jimmy, died, just three months after his diagnosis. Her journey has been rough. And yet, as you'll hear in this conversation, Barbara's depth of presence and ability to let go into life continue to support her through this journey of both life and death.
Barbara shares that "teaching the Hoffman Process is a practice of love." Barbara shares what this practice is to her and how it guides her both personally and professionally.
As you'll hear at the end, Drew and Barbara will meet up again for part two of this conversation. Watch for it in Season Four. If you have any questions you'd like Drew to ask Barbara when they next sit down together to record, let us know at podcasts@hoffmaninstitute.org!
More About Barbara Comstock:
Barbara holds a B.A. in East Asian Studies, an M.S. in Textile Arts, and an MFA in Sculpture & Textiles. She is a Hoffman teacher and supervisor, as well as a life coach, art teacher, author, and dancer.
Barbara believes, “The act of teaching the Process is a practice of love and presence. I love working with individuals in this environment. Human beings are fascinating and I am lucky to be able to support individuals to grow, to know themselves, and forgive and love themselves.”
When Barbara did the Process, she found radical self-acceptance and acceptance of life and others. “I like myself and I can acknowledge mistakes (sometimes).”
Barbara lives in Ashland, Oregon. As Mentioned in this Episode: Barbara's Sister and fellow Hoffman teacher, Kani Comstock.
City of Hope cancer treatment center
Oregon's Death with Dignity Act
Self-compassion break (from Kristin Neff): This is a moment of suffering. All human beings suffer. May I be kind to myself.
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Bridget Hilton's company LSTN has helped over 50,000 people hear for the first time! Listen in to hear how following what you naturally love can serve the world in amazing ways.
In this illuminating episode, Bridget and Liz converse about the power of listening, the dance between music and Spirit, and the healing of the pain of the past through the Hoffman Process.
Two things have captivated Bridget Hilton from the time she was young: music and the idea of starting her own company. Amazingly, these two things have guided her life of social entrepreneurship.
Music is central to Bridget's experience in many ways. One of her pivotal moments at the Process was during the exercise where the song, In the Living Years, is played. In hearing those lyrics, everything broke open for Bridget. More About Bridget Hilton Bridget Hilton is a social entrepreneur who creates purpose-driven brands. In 2012, she started LSTN to become the world's first social good electronics company. Since its inception, LSTN has sold millions of eco-friendly headphones and speakers. Through their partnership with Starkey Hearing Foundation, LSTN has helped over 50,000 people hear for the first time. Working on the ground in places such as Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Peru, Sri Lanka, Mexico, China, Indonesia, and the U.S. Access to hearing aids has improved the lives of these individuals, their families, and communities. This, in turn, has since created a positive ripple effect with millions of people around the world.
Bridget is a previous recipient of both Forbes and Inc Magazine's 30 Under 30 awards, and has been interviewed on the Today Show, Good Morning America, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more. She sits on advisory boards at UCLA and UCSB. Bridget is currently writing her first book. Publication will be in Fall, 2022.
Bridget grew up in Flint, MI. She now lives in Malibu, CA, and is an avid reader, home chef, and adventure junkie. Bridget and a Goldendoodle named Taco are best friends.
You can find out more about Bridget here, as well as on Instagram. As Mentioned in this Episode: Hoffman Essentials: The Hoffman Essentials is a 2-day virtual intensive, experiential program where students are immersed in the essential concepts of the Hoffman Process.
Conscious Capitalism: Whole Foods co-founder John Mackey and marketing professor and speaker Raj Sisodia conceived of and popularized the concept of conscious capitalism in their book, Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business. The nonprofit organization, Conscious Capitalism, has chapters in more than two dozen U.S. cities and 10 other countries.
Social Enterprise: "A social enterprise or social business is defined as a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose." - definition from Investopedia
Sloan Churman hears herself for the first time.
In the Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics
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Andy Tennant, screenwriter, actor, and film and television director, experienced a profound rebirth during his week at the Hoffman Process. Listen in as Andy shares with Drew about his Process and about working in Hollywood as a director and writer.
Everyone who does the Process works with their relationship with their parents. From the start of his Process, it was clear that a part of Andy's Process would also be to work with his relationship with his sister.
Andy calls his week at the Process "revelatory." He shares with us the power of the expressive, cathartic work of the Process. For Andy, the opportunity to express what had long been stored in his body was a great gift. He felt so much relief from releasing the grief, shame, anger, and more. Andy was able to forgive his father - something he never thought he would be able to do.
Andy offers that the Process is like "going back into the womb." He shares that his healing wasn't like a lightning bolt but rather more like a soufflé in its lightness. Now, as Andy talks about his life post-Process, he says he is more open to embracing his mortality, and overall feels lucky and lighter. More about Andy Tennant A native of Chicago, Andy studied theatre at USC. His first job in the business was as a dancer named Artie in the blockbuster musical, “Grease.” He followed that by directing hit television shows, "The Wonder Years” and “Sliders.” Andy has directed some of the most successful romantic comedies of all time. These include “Hitch,” starring Will Smith and Kevin James; “Sweet Home Alabama,” starring Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas. Prior to that, he co-wrote and directed the romantic fable “Ever After,” with Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston. He then directed the epic drama “Anna and the King,” starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat. Andy's last two action comedies, “Fool’s Gold,” starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, which he co-wrote, and “The Bounty Hunter,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler, brought his total worldwide box office to over a billion dollars. His latest feature, ‘The Secret,’ based on Rhonda Byrne’s international best-seller, starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas, began streaming on Amazon Prime in July 2020. For the last three years, Tennant has been directing and producing Chuck Lorre’s hit Netflix comedy, ‘The Kominsky Method,’ starring Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. Andy lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children, three of whom are triplets.
As mentioned in the episode: The Uses of Enchantment: Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, by Bruno Bettelheim
Preston Sturges: American playwright, screenwriter, and film director who wrote Sullivan's Travels and other Great Depression Comedies.
Joseph Campbell and the Hero's Journey
The Berlin Film Festival & Hitch
Daily Gratitude and Appreciation Practice at 6:00 pm PT on Instagram
Death of Andy's friend, Bob Saget
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Jess Rona, dog groomer extraordinaire, star of Haute Dog on HBOMax, comedienne, and new Process graduate talks with Drew about self-compassion, vindictiveness toward self, and something Jess calls the Hoffman Flip. When Jess first came to the Process, she heard only whispers from her Spiritual Self. Now, her Dark Side is only a whisper while her Spiritual Self is guiding her life. Jess calls this flip that happens between the Spiritual Self and the Dark Side, The Hoffman Flip.
One of the most valuable things Jess took away from the Process is her ability to be compassionate with herself. Jess shares with Drew how she softened into her own humanity. When she came to understand where her patterns came from, she realized that of course, she's like this. This realization opened the door even wider to deep self-compassion.
Listen in on this vulnerable, engaging, and funny conversation with Drew and Jess.
More about Jess Rona:
Jess Rona is the most influential dog groomer today. She's built a devoted following on social media with her signature musical slow-mo blowout videos and her impressive celebrity pet clientele.
As a skilled groomer, content creator, and comedian, Jess has created a multi-dimensional grooming empire. After releasing her digital grooming courses, she has solidified her position as a leader and expert in the grooming industry.
Jess is the executive producer and star of the most adorable competition series of all time: Haute Dog on HBOMax inspired by her life and brand. When she's not creating poodle content, you can find her at her unique flagship brick and mortar in Larchmont Village in Los Angeles. Or you might find her snuggling with her husband, actor Eric Edelstein, and their two rescue mutts, Meemu and Chupie.
You'll find more about Jess and her products and services here, as well as on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. As mentioned in this episode: Kristen Neff: The three steps of self-compassion.
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor & 90 seconds: When we simply feel and witness the physiological sensations in our body without reacting, the emotion dissipates within 90 seconds. If we continue to feel it after 90 seconds, it's because we're choosing to ruminate on and stay connected to the thoughts. Hoffman Process Terminology: Awareness Hell: In awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn't do, but we are still unable to change. We understand but feel stuck in this place of hell even though our awareness keeps expanding. Our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. After Awareness comes Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.
Right Road, Left Road & the awkward feeling of your new path: Those first steps onto the right road can feel awkward like first learning to ride a bike. Even so, we have to keep stepping forward onto the Right Road as we navigate this new unfamiliar place of connecting to, and living from, our Essence, our Spiritual Self. Too often we stay on the Left Road, hanging onto the known familiarity of it despite its cost in our lives.
Be. Do. Have.: We live in a world that puts the BE at the end. Our parent's patterns and the patterns and messages we get from society tell us that we must always be doing something. Generally, that means working: working to make money or working on ourselves. “Don’t just sit there, do something!” Then, if we DO those things, we will HAVE the right job, enough money, the right relationship, the right group of friends, live in the right neighborhood, etc. Only when those first two are in place will we BE happy and content.
Well, that messaging is a pattern. And it's not the truth.
We actually have to put BE first and focus on our being, feed our being. We need to engage in the tools and practices that support our being. When we are not in our patterns and are more connec...
There are so many possible titles for this amazing conversation with best-selling author and internationally-known thought leader, Ken Druck. Grief Literacy; The Harm in Superficial Positive Thinking; Hope Loves Company. Ken ties all of this brilliant wisdom he shares with us into, "Leaving a Legacy of Love."
The Hoffman Process heals us so that love can flow and flourish within us and through us. Healing such as this is possible at the Process when we surrender to the Process. Listen in as Ken shares a pivotal moment from his Process when he deeply surrendered. That moment was a point of transformation for Ken and is a profoundly moving experience to witness.
A Hoffman grad of many years and a member of Hoffman's Advisory Council, Ken's life and his work of service in the world are a testament to how one's incredibly hard challenges can alchemize into a blossoming legacy of love. More About Ken Druck: Dr. Ken Druck is a best-selling author, Executive Coach/Consultant, and internationally known thought leader. He has helped countless individuals, families, organizations, and communities turn their greatest losses and challenges into opportunities for becoming the best version of themselves.
Ken has inspired and guided his clients, readers, audiences, and the general public for over 45 years. This inspiring work with people all over has earned him the prestigious Distinguished Contribution to Psychology and Visionary Leadership award. His work in healing after loss, parenting, civility, relationships, and aging has helped shape our world views. Ken's groundbreaking books and CD’s are The Real Rules of Life, Secrets Men Keep, Healing Your Life After the Loss of a Loved One, Courageous Aging, Raising an Aging Parent, and The Self-Care Handbook.
Ken founded the Jenna Druck Center in 1996 to honor his daughter, Jenna. The Center’s award-winning Families Helping Families program provided free grief support services to those who lost loved ones at 9-11, Sandy Hook, and Columbine, to name a few. Ken speaks, conducts trainings and classes for distinguished audiences worldwide. These include The United Nations, Harvard School of Public Health, Young Presidents Organization, and the University of California, San Diego, Medical School. His work is featured regularly on CNN, in PBS specials, top newspapers, and social media sites.
Ken lives, is a community leader, and maintains a coaching/consulting practice in San Diego, California. You can find out more about Ken and his many programs here. Also, listen in on a conversation with Ken on YouTube where he speaks of leaving a legacy of love rather than a legacy of chaos. As Mentioned in this Episode: How we go on after a loss: The Six Honorings
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Today's episode with Barbara Arrowsmith-Young and Drew will open your mind to new possibilities in how you can change your brain.
Barbara is an innovator and author in the field of neuroeducation. Used worldwide, her work utilizing the principles of neuroplasticity to enhance cognitive functioning was begun in 1978.
Barbara's vision is to put the brain into the education equation. She is passionate about enhancing "the learner's ability to engage with what is out there in the external world."
In order to support herself in bringing this gift she'd created into the world, Barbara came to the Hoffman Process in 1996. In other words, she had a vision but needed to clear the negative behaviors, moods, and ways of thinking standing in her way.
As a result, Barbara has made and continues to make her vision a reality. Looking forward, she sees promise in her work to help addicts rewire their brains, as well as helping those with the cognitive impact of long-haul Covid.
Through fierce dedication, Barbara has transformed the considerable challenges she was born with into the gift she now shares with the world. She says she won't ever retire; that she'll continue to work in this area until she is "no longer here." More About Barbara and her work:
As the Director of the Arrowsmith Program, others have recognized Barbara's work as one of the first examples of the practical application of neuroplasticity to address learning difficulties. Barbara continues to engage in research to understand how we can drive neuroplastic change in the brain to benefit learners worldwide.
Born with severe learning disabilities, Barbara received the diagnosis of having a mental block in grade one. Another way of saying this in today's world would be multiple learning disabilities. Barbara read and wrote everything backward. In addition, processing concepts in language was difficult for her, she continuously got lost, and was physically uncoordinated. Through heroic effort, Barbara eventually learned to read and write from left to right and mask a number of the symptoms of her learning disabilities. Relying on her formidable memory and iron will, she made her way to graduate school. There she chanced upon research that inspired her to invent cognitive exercises to “fix” her own brain.
Barbara's book, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain, interweaves her personal tale with riveting case histories from her more than thirty years of working with both children and adults. You can learn more about Barbara here and at the links below. Links to discover more about Barbara Arrowsmith-Young:
TEDx talk: The Woman Who Changed Her Brain: Barbara Arrowsmith-Young at TEDxToronto
Presentation: Changing Brains, Exploring a New Reality: Neuroplasticity and Learning.
Research Overview (downloadable PDF)
Free Webinar Series: Shaping Our Brain: How Neuroplasticity Can Enrich Our Lives
Free Book Downloads: The Brain Pioneer, by Howard Eaton (a children’s book) Brain School, by Howard Eaton As Mentioned in this Episode: Barbara Burke, beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach.
Alexander Romanovich Luria: Neuropsychologist, often said to be the father of modern neuropsychology. It was Luria's book, The Man with the Shattered World, that changed Barbara's world.
Mark Richard Rosenzweig: Research psychologist at Berkeley.
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Katie and Liz engage in this insightful conversation about the intersection of sobriety and the Hoffman Process. How can the Process support the journey of sobriety? And, how can the journey of sobriety deepen one's engagement in the Process itself and one's post-Process experience? After getting sober in 2014, Katie did the Process in the Spring of 2016. After completing the Process, Katie found a way to integrate her Hoffman work into her program of sobriety. Katie came to the Process to help heal her relationship with her mother whom Katie was caring for. Her mother was facing end-stage liver failure due to alcoholism. As an alcoholic herself, Katie was deeply compassionate toward others who working a program of sobriety. But, it was different with her mother. She resented her drinking and other behaviors. Through the Process, Katie was able to heal her relationship with her mother as well as her resentment toward her mother's drinking by exploring what her mother's life was prior to Katie being born. This helped Katie see her mother as a person whole unto herself and see her mother's pain separate from her own. One of the big things Katie gained from the Process is a sense of neutrality - that people aren't doing things to her and she doesn't have to assume bad intent.
Katie calls herself a liberal atheist, and as such, she found the 'God concept' hard. However, in the Process, it wasn't hard at all for her to tap into her Spiritual Self. She realizes now that it was her Spiritual Self that brought her to that first Twelve Step meeting, that guided her to ask for a sponsor, and that ultimately brought her to the Process.
On a very happy note, Katie's mother's health is much better. More about Katie: Katie is a Jane of all trades who embodies self-awareness and conscientiousness in everything she does. Her background in art led her to a career in the design tech space where she gets to combine her hunger for business and creativity in San Francisco. As an ex-gymnast, the Hoffman Process helped Katie separate her perfectionism from her innate love for movement. As a result, she now does acrobatics at a local circus gym.
When she's not working or doing backflips, Katie is working on her latest woodworking project, training her deaf dog Ruby, cooking up her favorite vegetarian dishes, and enjoying the city's best coffee. As mentioned in this episode: The Twelve Steps and A.A.
The Dark Side: Katie and Liz engage in conversation about the Dark Side (the aggregate of one's negative patterns). Katie had related her alcoholism to something like the Dark Side, but when she learned about the Dark Side at the Process and was no longer drinking, she came to see that the Dark Side wasn't just her alcoholism. It was also her anxiety and all the ways she tries to soothe herself in moments when life gets difficult.
H.A.L.T.: An acronym from the recovery community. Am I hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? As Katie says, it's like a mini-quad check.
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We begin Season four with a powerful conversation with Liz Severin, Hoffman teacher and coach, and our newest podcast co-host. Welcome to the Show, Liz!
Liz completed the Hoffman Process about five years ago. Living in a small town in Texas at the time, she'd never heard of the Process but found it through a Google search. Feeling a deep sense of loss of Self and hearing a question inside, "Who am I?" that she didn't know how to answer, she enrolled. Liz says she truly had no idea what she was getting into.
Liz talks at length about how working with our Negative Love patterns helps us know ourselves better. She specifically mentions a pattern of being fiercely independent and feeling like she had to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. After doing the Process, she now sees that fierce independence is a quality of her Spiritual Self. Liz honors her resilience and openness, chooses independence, and also knows when to ask for help. She explains this as the difference between being pattern-led and Spirit-led.
The Process can heal so much within us if we are committed to doing the work. Liz shares a very tender experience that highlights how deep the healing can go. As a Hoffman teacher, Liz has dedicated her life to helping others in navigating the darkness within in service of finding themselves and their inner light. As Liz often says, "I don't know how we're going to get through this, but I know we're going to get through this." More about Liz Severin:
With a master's degree in Communication Disorders, Liz also works as a hospital-based speech-language pathologist where she helps neurological patients recover their cognitive and language skills, as well as their swallowing abilities after various traumas. As a Hoffman teacher, her same loving presence guides students to rediscover their own inner-knowing, cultivate self-love, and rediscover their purpose.
Born in Norway, Liz lived all around the world before moving to the US for high school. Growing up overseas opened Liz's eyes to a diversity of languages and cultures. It also gave her a deep sense of curiosity about life and people.
When she is not teaching the Process, seeing patients, or hosting guests on the podcast, Liz leads a busy life. She runs a small embroidery business, moonlights at a venture capital firm, coaches clients, explores outside, and loves chatting-up strangers. Liz enjoys the cold beaches and quiet foggy mornings of her home away from home, the San Francisco Bay Area. Mentioned in this Episode: Spirit-led: Liz describes her sense of being spirit-led as surrender to life - "tapping into the deepest layers of my inner being, and trusting and allowing that to take form."
Patterns: Negative Love patterns that form the Dark Side and can keep us from living our lives from a place of love and respect for all of Life.
Dark Side: The collection of all of our Negative Love Patterns.
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We wrap up our abundant season three with A Taste of 2021! Our co-hosts, Sharon Mor and Drew Horning, came together to reflect on season three of The Hoffman Process. They listened to many rich moments sprinkled throughout this season and shared with each other the moments that particularly touched them in some way.
In A Taste of 2021, Sharon and Drew weave these memories together with the experiences they've had and the wisdom they've gleaned from both hosting this podcast, as well as teaching the Hoffman Process.
Each episode of The Hoffman Podcast is filled with heartwarming stories of how Hoffman Process graduates' lives and the lives of those around them are changed as a result of their work in the Process. These stories offer a glimpse of how change ripples out into the world through the everyday radius of our lives.
People come to The Hoffman Process when they are serious about change. The Process has supported such change in the lives of over 100,000 graduates, as well as the lives that each graduate touches.
The Hoffman Podcast will be on hiatus until mid-February, 2022. We look forward to creating a new season full of stories with you that tell tales of love's everyday radius. Intrigued by 'A Taste of 2021' short clips? If you are intrigued by what you've heard, take a listen to the full episode of each Hoffman graduate highlighted. Meander through this list to discover more about the Process and how taking it can bring change to you, your life, and the lives of those you love. These are a sampling of season three's 32 episodes.
You'll find all of the episodes from all three seasons of our podcast offer one beautiful window into the experience of what it is to be human.
Listed in order of mention: Hope Edelman: More Vulnerable, More Fierce Julio Alvarez: The Gifts of Forgiveness Wilma Mae Basta: From Patterns to SuperPowers Marlene McNab: Healing Intergenerational Trauma Indigenous Wisdom: Anita Sanchez, Elizabeth Lindsey, Tim Harjo Hilary Illick: Accepting Our Imperfection Cynthia Merchant: Trauma and the Process of Healing Dan Sterling: I Live in Massive Forgiveness Eboni Williams: Spirit of Disruption Jason-Aeric Huenecke: A Joy For Living Paula and Tim Floyd: Living the Process, Together Busy Philipps: A Beautiful Space for Peace and Freedom to Exist See you in 2022!
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Canadian Hoffman teacher and visual artist, Jamie MacRae, is our guest this week. Jamie has been teaching the Hoffman Process for 30 years. He taught middle and high school for 42 years, while also heading an art department. He knows about creativity as a way of life.
Jamie did the Process in 1990 in Ontario. It was only the second Process to be held in Canada, Just two years later, he trained to become a Hoffman teacher, becoming the first Canadian Hoffman certified teacher.
The gifts of the Process were many for Jamie. In doing the deep work that week, he found his truths. He also found the tools and practices he has used to live a life of authenticity, a life lived on his own terms.
In this conversation with Drew, Jamie shares many wise words of experience about creativity he's learned from both teaching and making art. Listen in as Jamie shares what every child (and adult) needs. Knowing this one thing can fundamentally shift our human relationships.
More about Jamie MacRae My City 426 24x24 Mixed Media on Wooden Panel with Resin
For 41 years, Jamie was an Art Educator and Head of Visual and Media Art. Immersed in an environment implementing technology in the various teaching formats available to students, he became interested in digital photography and the ability to transform his images in a digital darkroom instead of a traditional darkroom.
Jamie originally trained in printmaking. Therefore, keeping his design background within the framework of his pieces is important. Now retired from teaching, he is following his artistic path.
Jamie's artwork attempts to make a connection between the vibrant urban energy of Toronto and its iconic symbols and locations. The images play with the juxtaposition of abstraction and urbanity, with a realistic undertone.
My City 84 24x 48 Mixed Media on Wooden Panel with Resin
Starting with the Hoffman Process 30 years ago, Jamie's journey has led him to where he finds himself today. In the trio of awareness, will, and action, Jamie finds action to be the most important step to take. Taking action truly has fostered his growth in the area of his creativity and personal life.
Discover Jamie MacRae's art and his cityscapes of Toronto. Learn more about his artist's journey. Learn more about Jamie MacRae's journey through the Process and beyond as a Process teacher.
As mentioned in the episode: Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs moved from the US to Toronto in 1968, bringing her vision and many skills as an urban planner to Toronto. Her work helped shape the city in numerous ways
Hoffman Tools and Practices Use Hoffman Process tools, practices, and audio tools to deepen your connection to your Quadrinity. Jamie offers a distinction between Hoffman Process tools and practices. He finds tools useful in fixing something that isn't working. Alternately, he shares that, "Practices are things I do on a daily basis that keep me connected to my authentic Spiritual Self."
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Beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Lisa Wenger, is our guest this week. Lisa has been a part of the Hoffman world since 1989 when she did the Process in Austria.
What brought Lisa to the Process? Her brother had taken the Process and afterward, Lisa saw that he sparkle in his eyes. Lisa realized that she wanted that same sparkle back. After her Process, she knew her sparkle had returned because she could feel it in her Being.
While in the middle of her Process, Lisa realized she wanted to start a Hoffman center in Italy. Once she completed that, Lisa realized she wanted to teach the Process. She feels very fortunate to have trained directly with Bob Hoffman. Listen in as she shares stories of the early days of the Hoffman Process in Europe. More About Lisa Wenger Born as the middle child between two brothers, Lisa grew up in an intellectually active family where the psychoanalyst C.G.Jung was like an "invisible" presence. Psychology was often a topic of conversation. She rebelled (silently...) and went off to live in Italy to work in fashion.
Lisa took the Hoffman Process in 1989. Immediately during her Process, she felt driven to make it available in Italy. With the support of Bob Hoffman, she created the Italian Hoffman Institute and staged the first process in August 1990 where Bob was teaching. She then trained to become a Hoffman Teacher. She trained partly with Bob Hoffman, and also attended processes in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France.
Lisa spent ten years serving as the Director. She left the Italian Institute in the good hands of her brother and sister-in-law in order to dedicate herself to teaching and supervising more internationally - in the aforementioned countries as well as the UK, Ireland, Canada, the US.
Vienna, Aug '90, 1st Intl. Hoffman Congress. Lisa (far L), Bob (front 4th from L), Raz (top far R), Kani Comstock, Barbara Comstock, Michael Wenger, Béatrice Haab.
Aug '90: 1st Process in Italy. L to R: Michael Wenger, Bob Hoffman, Lisa, Béatrice Wenger Haab
Since 2003, Lisa has been a part of the US Institute's faculty. Recently, she stopped teaching the 7-day in-person Process. She wants to be more available to her family and her work handling the Estate of her artist aunt Méret Oppenheim (see below). You can still find Lisa teaching virtually and coaching.
Lisa lives with her husband Douglas in a small village above Lake Lugano in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.
As mentioned in this episode Méret wearing a paper coat she made. Photo: Claude LeAnh
Lisa now handles the Estate of her artist aunt, Méret Oppenheim. Méret was a Swiss Surrealist artist and photographer. She has been recognized as a figure of the women's movement.
In 1982, Méret Oppenheim won the Berlin Art Prize. In 2019, the city of Basel inaugurated a plaza, road, fountain, and a high-rise apartment building in the city center, all named after her. The large fountain features her sculpture Spirale (der Gang der Natur). Recently in 2018, Oppenheim was the subject of a short documentary, Gloria's Call.
Méret's works are currently being exhibited in Switzerland at Kunst Museum Bern. Read more about this current exhibit.
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Photo by Autumn De Wilde
Busy Philipps, New York Times Best-Selling author, actor, activist, and mother, is our guest today on the Hoffman Podcast. Listen in as Busy speaks with Drew about her time at the Process.
Busy tells us that through the Process she found her way out of awareness hell, something we learn about at the Process. (Listen in to learn about awareness hell.) She also gained Process tools and practices she now uses each day. Busy now experiences a beautiful space where peace and freedom exist.
Passionate and articulate, Busy also shares about her activism around reproductive justice.
We are grateful for this conversation. More About Busy Philipps Busy currently stars in the comedy series GIRLS5EVA, produced by Tina Fey, now streaming on Peacock. The series centers on a one-hit-wonder girl group from the '90s who try for another chance at pop stardom.
In 2020, Philipps launched her podcast Busy Philipps Is Doing Her Best. The show features conversations between Philipps and her creative partner, Caissie St. Onge, and their guests, who reflect on times in their lives when a setback led to better opportunities.
From 2018 to 2019, Philipps was the host of the late-night talk show BUSY TONIGHT. Philipps served as executive producer on the show, alongside Tina Fey. In 2018, Philipps released a collection of humorous autobiographical essays in her book THIS WILL ONLY HURT A LITTLE that was immediately a New York Times Best Seller the first week. The book offers unfiltered and candid stories and was published by Simon and Schuster’s Touchstone division.
Philipps has also used her voice as an advocate and activist. In 2019, she joined the Advisory Board of SeeHer, testified before Congress on reproductive rights after publicly discussing her own abortion, and launched the #youknowme campaign on social media.
On the big screen, Philipps was in the STX romantic comedy, I FEEL PRETTY, opposite Amy Schumer and Michelle Williams. She also appeared in Joel Edgerton’s thriller THE GIFT, alongside Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall. On television, Philipps was seen in HBO’s VICE PRINCIPALS, an 18-episode comedy from the creators Danny McBride and Jody Hill. She also starred opposite Courteney Cox on the popular TBS comedy COUGAR TOWN where she played ‘Laurie Keller.’ As mentioned in this episode Bashing:
Bashing is a form of cathartic release. It’s a powerful and pivotal experience in the Process week. This kind of release supports us in acknowledging, expressing, and transforming strong emotions which may have previously been denied. Expressing emotions like anger or disappointment in this way, we release them from the body. We use the body and our voice to express what we no longer want to hold within us. The more deeply we move into expression, the more space we clear. This creates room to experience forgiveness and compassion. Release work also allows us to feel calm and be able to deal with situations in a manner. It can stop us from taking our ‘stuff’ out on others, too! In so doing, we claim our power and freedom. (See more at HoffmanUK)
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Deep in a career in technology, Kevin Eyres, now beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, realized he wanted to grow "beyond the intellect." As a result, he took the Hoffman Process. Taking the Process supported him in journeying beyond his intellect to a deeper embodiment of his whole Quadrinity - body, emotional self, intellect, and Spiritual Self.
Kevin loves to grow through new experiences. Even with this innate love, Kevin's path to becoming a Hoffman teacher was, in his words, "a rocky road." With a beautiful heart, Kevin shares how he came up against plenty of negative patterns within himself around status, title, and identity as he followed his desire to become a teacher.
One thing Kevin knows from a career in tech and entrepreneurship is that failure is more a state of mind than a static single event. Listen in as Kevin shares a powerful way to reframe failure.
If you haven't yet heard, the Hoffman Institute has a new app. Kevin is the project lead and shares with Drew the process of designing and creating the app. The entire project was and continues to be community-minded. More About Kevin Eyres With an agile heart, Kevin Eyres helps executive leaders be fearlessly human. He helps them discover that the real challenge often lies in limiting beliefs, and the lack of emotional connection within. He combines his deep business leadership experience with spirituality, mindfulness, and psychology. This supports him to amplify love and self-kindness which ultimately results in leading with courage, agency, and purpose.
Previously, Kevin has led the international hyper-growth strategy and operations as the Managing Director of LinkedIn Europe as well as MD for AltaVista International and SideStep/Kayak. He has been a long-time member of YPO and is a top-rated Forum facilitator and trainer. Kevin's work has a deep common thread of helping others realize the best in themselves. He expresses his talent at guiding others through his work as a teacher at the Hoffman Institute, an executive coach, as well as through his service on corporate and non-profit boards.
Kevin loves being husband and dad most of all. Extra fun activities are ice hockey, singing, cycling, meditation, and geeking out on all things tech and design. As mentioned in the episode
The Hoffman App
Your journey to discover your authentic self does not end after the completion of a Hoffman course. Rather, it is just the beginning. The Hoffman App is here to support you as you continue this journey, today and far into the future. The app is full of guidance, practices, and visualizations to inspire and help you achieve your personal goals. We like to think of this app as, “Hoffman in your pocket.” It's available at the App Store.
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Ward Ashman and Raz Ingrasci are our guests today. In this conversation with Drew, they share a little history and some deep understanding of these two living traditions - the Hoffman Process and the Enneagram. The Hoffman Process and the Enneagram share a common root.
Together, Ward and Raz explore the nature of transformational work through both the Hoffman Process and the Enneagram. Ward shares with us the work he does with the Nine Doors of the Enneagram in corporate settings. He sees the nine Enneagram points as doors rather than types. Through this new understanding, Ward has guided many in the corporate world to a greater understanding of themselves, those they love, and those they work with.
Raz tells the story of how the Hoffman Process came to be with the support of Claudio Naranjo. Naranjo was one of the early pioneers of the Enneagram in the United States. Claudio also worked with Bob Hoffman to refashion the early Process done with individuals into the group setting that it is today. More about Ward Ashman
As the founder of Trimergence LLC, a San Francisco Bay Area consulting firm, Ward leverages a lifetime of broad, deep, and unusual life experiences. Ward invented and patented the Trimergence® Turbo Evolution Platform which combines a tightly coordinated matrix of self-awareness and interpersonal tools to address all aspects of human relationships. Trimergence enables leaders, teams, and entire organizations to build collaborative, innovative, creative partnerships based on the required bedrock of mutually evolving trust. The hallmark of the Trimergence system is to enable people to develop sophisticated, precise, and in-depth awareness of themselves and others as a required navigational map to fulfill maximum interpersonal effectiveness and collaboration.
Ward finished college, majoring in psychology at the University of Colorado – Boulder, in the late ’60s. Inspired by the intrinsic spirit of cross-cultural adventure and seeking his life purpose, he traveled much of the world for six years. As a result, he had a wide variety of life experiences ranging from performing as a rock star in Prophecy, a band well-known throughout Indonesia and Southeast Asia, to being a yogic monk in India.
Once home, Ward pursued his love of psychology, completing a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling at the University of Santa Clara in 1978. He immediately launched his Ph.D. studies in Clinical Psychology at Temple University, graduating in 1983. His internship at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center at the University of Pennsylvania gave him an extraordinary background in family systems theory and therapy. These serve as the fundamentals of his work in business and organizations.
Ward is a member of the Hoffman Institute’s Advisory Council. He has three children and is married to his wife Diane. Ward loves living in Mountain View, CA, the epicenter of Silicon Valley. More about Raz Ingrasci
Raz is a UC Berkeley graduate. He's been an executive, consultant, and facilitator within the “Human Potential Movement” since 1972. He founded the Hoffman Institute Foundation in 1998. Raz is also a Hoffman teacher and Chairman of Hoffman International.
Raz's passion for teaching the Hoffman Process is both professional and personal. The Process brings him into the depths of human experience where he learns at least as much as he teaches.
Raz took the Process in July of 1989. From that experience, he had three major take-aways: “I knew my marriage would last; I could be a great dad to my young children; and that I’d found work worthy of devoting my life.” Raz lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Liza.
Listen to a solo conversation with Raz on the podcast. As Mentioned in the Episode The Enneagram: Merriam Webster defines the Enneagram as a system of classifying personality types. This system is based on a nine-pointed starlike figure inscribed within a circle.
Today's episode is a dynamic conversation with Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey, and Tim Harjo about Indigenous Wisdom.
Our guests initially came together as a panel to speak about the Hoffman Process during our first-ever virtual Hoffman Conference in April 2021. Their panel discussion titled, Indigenous Voices: Answering the Call to Mend Our World, offered profound wisdom for all of us to heed in these times. Each has been a solo guest on our podcast (links below). Now, we've invited them back to share this wisdom with you.
A beautiful part of this conversation is how the Hoffman Process overlaps with Native culture. All three of our guests find the Process to be aligned, and even the same, as elements of their culture. What they share is truly beautiful about what it means to do the inner work in order to realize who we really are.
Tim, Elizabeth, and Anita share these core beliefs: separation is an illusion, we are never alone, we must remember who we are, and our modern lives are in need of indigenous wisdom.
As Anita suggests, we invite you to "listen with soft ears and expanded heart." More About Our Guests Tim Harjo Timothy Harjo
Tim is a member of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. As a child, he was a student at an Indian Boarding school, as were other members of his family. He did his Process as part of Hoffman Institute's Leadership Path while a student at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
As the General Manager of KNMQ Television in Albuquerque, NM, his vision is to amplify Native voices into the mainstream conversation around how we live with each other and with our Mother Earth. Tim earned a B.S. degree in Management from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. He then earned his Juris Doctorate is from Arizona State University. Tim received his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge.
Hear more of Tim's story on the Hoffman Podcast. Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey
Dr. Elizabeth Kapuʻuwailani Lindsey is the first Polynesian Explorer and female Fellow in the history of the National Geographic Society. Growing up on a remote part of the north shore of Oahu, Elizabeth spent a great deal of time with her indigenous elders. She learned a love for the land early on and shares stories from this time. A cultural anthropologist and award-winning filmmaker, Elizabeth travels to the world’s most remote regions as a conservationist of indigenous wisdom and an advocate for social, environmental, and cultural justice. Her keen insights and first-hand accounts from the world's most fragile regions are reshaping Western perspectives on global leadership.
Hear more of Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey's story on the Hoffman Podcast. Anita Sanchez, Ph.D. Anita Sanchez, PhD
Aztec and Latina, Anita is devoted to bridging Indigenous wisdom and modern times. An author, trainer, and speaker, she works with Fortune 500 corporations, businesses, educators, and non-profit organizations. Her work focuses on cultural transformation, diversity and inclusion, and the empowerment of women. She also focuses on bridging indigenous wisdom and science for business and societal renewal. Anita’s international award-winning book, The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times, is published by Simon & Schuster. Anita leads an annual journey into the sacred headwaters of the Amazon to learn from the Achuar and Sapara people, and reconnect to nature.
Hear more of Anita Sanchez' story on the Hoffman Podcast.
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Beloved Hoffman teacher and coach, Hilary Illick, is our guest this week. On the first night of her Process in 2000, Hilary experienced a life-changing moment as she first put her bat to the pillow. In those first few moments of bashing, she found permission to feel her emotions and use her voice and body to release in a way she'd longed to. She felt euphoric when done. The Process gave her the permission she'd been waiting for her whole life to no longer constrain her vibrant, vital Spirit. The next morning, Hilary realized she wanted to become a Hoffman Process teacher. Eight years later, her vision became a reality.
The main thread throughout this conversation is how healing brings us the ability and opportunity to accept our imperfection. It's a vitally important point. The Process doesn't fix. The Process heals. As Hilary says, "We come to be healed and in that healing, we accept that we're imperfect and then we're less defensive about our imperfections."
Hilary feels deeply that healing work must be available to all. She raises an important question: "Who gets to do this expensive healing work?" She acknowledges that it is a privilege to be able to take time off of work and go away to heal oneself. It's something that she would love to see available to all. More About Hilary Illick Hilary completed the Hoffman Process in 2000. She then became a Hoffman graduate group facilitator in 2001. In 2008, her vision became reality when she was certified as a Hoffman Process teacher. Over her years as a Hoffman teacher, Hilary has contributed to the development of many Hoffman programs, including being a member of the Rejuvenation Team in 2013. She is currently a Supervising teacher of the Hoffman Process.
Hilary is the mother of four young adults and a new grandmother to twin boys. She and her partner Pierre Valette are dual citizens of the U.S. and France and raised their children in the international school system. Hilary is deeply proud of and moved by her children’s paths of contribution, as they pursue careers in social work, social justice, and sustainability initiatives. Her home base is in the Boston area where she has a private practice as a life coach, executive coach, and personal transformation facilitator.
Hilary received her BA in Philosophy from Stanford University. Her MFA in creative writing is from San Francisco State University (SFSU). Hilary trained as a life coach through Coaches Training Institute (CTI). She is certified through the International Coach Federation (ICF). As Mentioned in the Episode
The off-broadway play Hilary co-wrote: Venus De Minivan -> EVE-olution
From Hilary's site: "This two-woman play was originally entitled Venus De Minivan, starring the authors themselves, Illick and Krier, in Cambridge, MA. Performed for sold-out audiences, Venus De Minivan was 100% autobiographical. Published by DPS as “EVE-olution,” the play appeared off-Broadway at The Cherry Lane Theater. Illick and Krier made an appearance on NBC’s Today Show airing of 'Come Back Moms.'”
You can purchase the published play in paperback here.
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
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Listen in to this deep conversation with Cynthia Merchant and Drew about the Hoffman Process, trauma and trauma-healing, Somatic Experiencing®, and the basic goodness that underlies all things. Cynthia's vast knowledge and many decades of experience in working with people to heal trauma have helped her realize that the essential self is "ever-intending toward wholeness."
Cynthia is a Marriage Family Therapist and Somatic Experiencing® practitioner. She first completed the Hoffman Process when it was still in the three-month format. A few years later, she was asked to teach the Process. For seventeen years, she taught and supervised the teaching of the Hoffman Quadrinity Process in the US and abroad. Cynthia was fortunate to work and teach closely with Bob Hoffman for many years.
Cynthia has an eclectic, embodied, soulful approach to healing and change. She has over thirty years of international experience facilitating psycho-educational, transformational groups. More about Cynthia Merchant Since 1988, Cynthia has trained directly with Dr. Peter Levine, the developer of the trauma resolution approach, Somatic Experiencing ® (SE™.) She has collaborated with him in many professional, master-level trainings.
Cynthia has also taught the Enneagram, as well as trauma-informed somatic approaches to professionals. She facilitates experiential groups throughout the US, Europe, South America, Asia, and Canada.
L-R: Cynthia, Reza Leah Landman, Bob Hoffman, Dr. Claudio Naranjo
From 1989 until his death in 2019, Cynthia has been a dedicated student, collaborator, and friend of consciousness, Enneagram, and Hoffman Process pioneer of Dr. Claudio Naranjo and his Seekers After Truth (SAT) programs. She is the Executive Director of SAT Institute — USA, an educational non-profit, delivering the Naranjo Seeker After Truth programs in the US.
In her private practice, Cynthia works with individuals, couples, children, & families to facilitate the resolution of accumulated, traumatic, and/or developmental stress and nervous system dis-regulation, resolve limiting attachment conditioning, and catalyze and stabilize resilience.
Cynthia approaches the human transformational adventure with kindness & gusto. She encourages attitudes of self-acceptance, compassion, and love in her clients and students as they cultivate more robust, satisfying lives. As mentioned in this episode Peter Levine, PhD: As Cynthia recounts, Dr. Levine developed Somatic Experiencing ® (SE™.) Over the years since, he "taught it to anyone who would listen and mentored thousands of therapists and healers worldwide."
Dr. Claudio Naranjo: Claudio Naranjo, M.D., was trained as a medical doctor. He came to the US from Chile, being one of the very first people to bring the Enneagram to the world. He also supported Bob Hoffman in bringing the work Bob was doing one-on-one with people into the group setting that became the Hoffman Process. Claudio was also the author of several books.
The Enneagram or Enneagram of Personality: is a model of the human psyche largely taught as a designation of nine interconnected personality types.
Reza Leah Landman: Reza Leah was an early Hoffman Process teacher, a therapist, and founder of The Institute for the Telling of Teaching Tales, Berkeley, CA. She was a master storyteller and was actively involved with spiritually-inspired actions the world over.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, MD: The author of The New York Times bestseller, The Body Keeps the Score. Dr. van der Kolk is a psychiatrist, author, researcher, and educator. Since the 1970s, his research has been in the area of post-traumatic stress.
Orienting Exercise: At minutes 51:33 - 54:47, Cynthia offers an exercise in orienting oneself back to the here and now, especially re-orienting after an inner-world experience. Try it out below!
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Linda and Charlie Bloom each did the Hoffman Process thirty years ago. The powerful transformations they experienced at the Process continue to be alive in them today. Charlie tells us how he learned of the freedom and joy in taking responsibility for his own life. Linda shares about grieving the image of 'parents charming,' the perfect parents she didn't get so that she could come to accept and honor the parents she did have.
Listen in as Linda and Charlie offer decades of learning, experience, and insight around partnership as a laboratory. In their work, they guide clients to see relationships as a way to learn how to be in and grow into partnership, as well as a path to wellness.
The Blooms originally became psychotherapists because they came from difficult families and wanted to understand what functional families look like. With that understanding, they could create a better family for their children. Along the same lines, they started working with couples after going through a rocky time themselves in their marriage. More about the Blooms Married since 1972, Linda and Charlie Bloom have been working with groups, individuals, couples, and organizations since 1975. Their work is to support clients in enhancing the quality of their relationships and communication skills. Linda and Charlie both have Master’s degrees in Clinical Social Work. They've lectured, led seminars, and provided consultation at universities and learning institutes nationally and internationally.
The Blooms' organization, Bloomwork, is dedicated to promoting healthy, fulfilling, and successful relationships for individuals, couples, and organizations. Linda and Charlie have served as psychotherapists, marriage counselors, consultants, and seminar leaders since 1975. In addition to their academic and professional training, the Blooms’ expertise in the field of relationships stems from experience in the crucible of their own committed partnership of over 52 years.
The Blooms have written and published four books: Happily Ever After…and 39 Other Myths about Love: Breaking Through to the Relationship of Your Dreams, 101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married: Simple Lessons to Make Love Last, Secrets of Great Marriages: Real Stories from Real Couples about Lasting Love, and That Which Doesn’t Kill Us: How One Couple Became Stronger in the Broken Places.
Linda and Charlie offer many complimentary e-books as well as great content on YouTube. You can find out more about them at Bloomwork, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
As mentioned in this episode Enlightened Self-Interest You don't have to choose between your needs and your partner's needs or the relationship's needs. Everything you put into your relationship will come back to you.
John Gottman of the Gottman Institute
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Eleanor and her grandson
Eleanor Cyrce offers us a profound conversation about the nature and benefits of innate play and the journey she undertook to learn to play again. Initially trained as a computer scientist, Eleanor now devotes her life and work to play. This shift wasn't something she was looking for. She wasn't even comfortable playing. But her Spiritual Self found a way to guide Eleanor through this huge life change.
Deeply harmed at school by this behavior, Eleanor has always wanted to put an end to bullying, cliques, and people harming each other. She realized she could begin to work with kids to understand how to support them to stay "pure and connected to life." When she made herself available to them they asked her to play. She had to be willing to let go of any limitation on her part that got in the way. It wasn't an easy journey. Through a deep commitment to learning and changing, Eleanor came to discover that "Play that doesn't harm is actually the giving and receiving of love."
Eleanor's life story is one of deep transformation. When life wants us to transform, we find a way to make the 'serious' change feel compelled to make. The Hoffman Process has been a part of the large amount of healing work Eleanor has done to heal her past trauma and transform her life. By doing this, she has broadened the arc of her love's everyday radius. Eleanor Cyrce in Her own words I was born and raised in the South. As a result of a history of trauma, post-traumatic stress creates limitations that I work continually to surmount so that I can fulfill my dreams. I remember deciding when I was a pre-teen that my goal in life was to never harm anyone, especially a child or a woman. The healing work I do with children is supported by The Foundation for Compassionate Connection, a non-profit created years ago. I really want to know what these young people need to feel happy, connected, whole. I want to make sure they get it. Over the years, I donated my time working with the children of Haitian women who were dying from AIDS; with homeless, parentless children in the streets; and with children in the schools, including Magnolia School, Esalen’s Gazebo School, and Full Flower Education Center.
I‘m trained in CranioSacral therapy for people and horses. I've also trained in lymphatics, Nonviolent Communication, various types of trauma release, and watsu (Japanese water therapy). Every day, I am nurtured by the time I spend in nature. I love swimming long distances in the warm waters of Florida. I love especially spending time near wild horses and manatees.
Learn more about Eleanor her work at InnatePlay.org. The Foundation for Compassionate Connection welcomes donations to help with our work with innate play with children. If you are moved to do so, you can donate here. As mentioned in this episode Innate Play "It is well established now that when we are born, we interact and relate to our world through a "state of being" that is safe, loving, kind, spontaneous, non-competitive, and non-judgmental. In this state, children feel totally loved and secure and have a sense of belonging to the world. Interacting to others in this state through play is the safest, kindest way of being in the world and what can be called innate play. Unfortunately, at a very young age, children are taught "cultural play" and are deprived of innate play that keeps them whole, healthy, and cooperative. ..." read more at InnatePlay.org
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Aimee Song, fashion icon, designer, and influencer, is our guest this week. She shares a powerful story of how she moved from what she calls 'fake' confidence to real confidence. When she was younger, she found that wearing clothes of style made her feel better about herself and helped her feel more confident. Eventually, Aimee began to see that this confidence wasn't sustainable because it wasn't authentic. She realized she had to go within to find the genuine confidence she now knows. The Hoffman Process was pivotal in her journey.
Aimee shares a story about one of her patterns, one she discovered at the Process. She found herself envying the transformations she witnessed others having. Deep in her own week at the Hoffman Process, she noticed that everyone else seemed to be having big breakthroughs - except her. Her realization helped her name and let go of the pattern. Aimee realized how different she was post-Process while doing her forgiveness walk. She realized she had indeed transformed. She tells Drew that it was "so beautiful" to be present in a way she'd never been before. More About Aimee Song Aimee Song — pronounced [Ah-Meeh] like Mommy, not Amy — is a social media influencer** as well as an interior architect by trade. She runs one of the largest fashion and lifestyle sites in the world, Song of Style. Aimee has amassed a huge audience on social media and has become an influencer with an audience of over six million followers on Instagram.
Based in her hometown of Los Angeles, Aimee's content ranges from what she wears and where she travels, to design inspiration and personal topics. Aimee has worked with countless venerable companies, including Dior, Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co., SKII, Giorgio Armani, and Volvo. In addition, she has served as the first digital ambassador for global beauty brand Laura Mercier.
Named one of Forbes 30 Under 30, Aimee has been included in the Business of Fashion’s prestigious BOF 500. This is a professional index of influencers who shape the global fashion industry. In 2016, she released her first book Capture Your Style, now a New York Times bestseller. Her second book, World of Style, followed in October 2018.
Aimee has focused increasingly on sharing her philanthropic work as well as more personal aspects of her life with her audience, including her personal experience of starting therapy and doing the Hoffman Process. Most recently, she launched the long-awaited apparel brand, Song of Style Collection, to immense success. Find out more about Aimee at Song of Style, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Amazon. As mentioned in this episode "World peace, one person at a time." Bob Hoffman
**Influencer - "A social media influencer is someone who has established credibility in a specific industry, has access to a huge audience, and can persuade others to act based on their recommendations."
Jen Atkin on the Hoffman Podcast
The Forgiveness Walk: This is a Hoffman Process ritual done on the weekend after the Process to help complete the deep transformation that happens during the Process. It is a self-love and self-forgiveness experience reflecting the heart work done at the Process. During the Process, students do the deep work to find forgiveness for their parents. The Forgiveness Walk deepens forgiveness and love of oneself.
Accountability Buddies: At the end of your Process, you choose a few other graduates with whom you wish to be buddies. As you re-enter your everyday life and find challenges along the way, you have a buddy to reach out to. Your buddies were there with you in all the beautiful and challenging moments of transformation. A buddy is someone you've developed trust and rapport with, and someone who understands.
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Walt Hubis is a man who wears many hats. But more than this, Walt is someone who always considers how the work he does can be part of the solution to mend our world.
One hat Walt wears is that of Sound Engineer for the Hoffman Podcast. It's because of Walt's generosity and engineering skills that our podcast sounds great. He donates his time to support Love's Everyday Radius.
By trade, Walt is an engineer and an artist. He is the father of two daughters, a grandfather, and the husband of Hoffman teacher and coach, Jo Mattoon.
At the suggestion of his therapist at the time, Walt completed a vision quest first, prior to doing the Hoffman Process. He shares that the vision quest first helped him to really free up his intellect so he could get more out of the Process.
Walt started out in photography at nine years old when he discovered his grandfather's photography equipment. He's always had this 'yin and yang' of art and engineering playing out in him. We all benefit from his joy of both with his work on our podcast. Walt is responsible for the amazing sound quality of our podcast, as well as the intro music that he composes to complement each guest's conversation.
Walt gives us some insight into what it's like to be married to a Hoffman teacher. Together, both Walt and Jo want to work to create a better world as a couple - extending their love's everyday radius. Walt holds down the home while Jo travels to lead the Hoffman Process. This way they both feel they are tending to the betterment of our world. More About Walt Hubis Walt and Jo live in the Denver Colorado area. He is a father to two daughters. Walt works for Micron Technology as a computer storage security architect. He enjoys producing electronic music and provides audio recording and editing services for the Hoffman Institute, including engineering for this Hoffman podcast.
Walt has worked as a professional photographer, earning his Electrical Engineering degree while working as a photographer for Colorado State University. His work includes travel photography of Europe and the US Southwest. Most recently he has been working on completing a photo essay of the prairie and the Sandhills of western Nebraska.
Learn more about Walt's photography, and his creativity and technology work. As mentioned in this episode Hoffman Couple's Retreat
Las Animas Institute
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Paula and Tim Floyd are both graduates of the Hoffman Process. What's it like to be a couple who've both done the Process? Listen in as Paula and Tim Floyd share their experiences of the Process, and of life together, post-Process.
Paula was first to attend the Process about three years ago. When she returned home, Tim saw an immediate shift in Paula's presence and vulnerability. Six months later, Tim did his Process. Now, a few years post-Process, Paula shares that she had no idea that life could be so beautiful. Tim shares how he now connects with his Spiritual Self on a daily basis, a relationship he used to long for when he saw it in others.
While their childhood stories are different in many ways, their Process experiences of forgiveness share a similar theme. To experience true forgiveness for their mothers, both Paula and Tim needed to acknowledge and feel the anger they held inside. Once acknowledged, fully felt, and released, the anger became a doorway into deep and abiding forgiveness.
Paula and Tim recently moved to Bend Oregon. They live there with daughter Sally, daughter-in-law Mackenzie, and puppy Bean. MORE ABOUT PAULA & TIM FLOYD After her extensive career in the beauty industry, Paula realized she had the formula that would benefit so many companies. She founded Headkount, an outsourced national field organization for beauty brands, inspired by her mentors, employees, colleagues, recruiters, customers, and even her competitors. Headkount is a consumer-driven, cost-effective, and fast way to improve brand awareness, increase brick and mortar sales, and grow at scale.
As Headkount CEO, Paula’s favorite part of working in beauty is being in the field, hands-on with her sales team and customers. Paula is bringing her spirituality and influence to the beauty industry. Found out more about Paula here.
Tim grew up middle-class in Belmont CA. When his parents divorced when he was eight, he lived back and forth between Mom’s house to Dad’s house with little supervision. Tim played sports through grade school and high school. Then, realizing he didn’t have the discipline to continue college/ sports at a higher level, he joined the Navy at nineteen. Looking back, he sees the Military as the best thing that could have happened to him. It gave him the structure he was lacking at home. Tim excelled in training and his job as an aircraft mechanic and Naval Flight Engineer. He received multiple awards for carrying out combat missions during the gulf war and other conflicts.
Tim and Paula met while Tim was on deployment. Soon after, he began his career in the mortgage business. Tim recently opened a mortgage branch in his new home of Central Oregon for his company. His goals are to help as many people as possible become homeowners. He also returned to civilian flight school and now has his pilot’s license. Follow Tim on Instagram.
Mentioned in this Episode:
Coping With a Parent's Suicide
Left Road/Right Road Visualization
The New Hoffman App!
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Virgil Roberson came to the Hoffman Process just one month before he was to be married. One month later, Virgil broke into a spontaneous song while saying his wedding vows. The Process was profoundly transformative for Virgil. There, he released his song, and also found his joy, laughter, and generously compassionate presence. Listen in as Virgil shares his childhood story of trauma with vulnerability and an open heart. Virgil was adopted at three weeks old. In his adoptive family, he experienced the family disease of alcoholism, which also included infidelity and keeping secrets. The Process supported him in not holding back from finally releasing the pain of his childhood. Now, Virgil says he is able to truly be present with his clients in a way he was not able to be prior to the Process. How did this happen? While at the Process, he was finally able to be truly present with himself. In a moment of this episode, Virgil recounts what it feels like to connect with an open heart full of love to people you have only just met. It's the feeling of "I see you and I love you." You don't want to miss the power of this moment. More about Virgil Roberson Virgil Roberson, M.Div., L.P., and NCPsyA Executive Director, is a New York state-licensed and certified Psychoanalyst, Psychotherapist, Couples Counselor, and Group Psychotherapist. He holds a Master of Divinity in Psychiatry and Religion from Union Theological Seminary. He also trained at the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. Virgil has been in private practice for over 30 years. In his practice, he works with individuals, couples, and groups to resolve complex life circumstances. Virgil has expertise in working with addiction, relationship and marital problems, and divorce. He also treats people struggling with anxiety and depression, adoption issues, and difficulties in the workplace. Virgil helps people gain clarity about and diminish the obstacles in their lives that may be impeding growth and fulfillment. In his work, Virgil's awareness, guidance, and compassion allow people to transform and heal. As mentioned in this episode Open vs Closed Adoptions Keeping Secrets The Lion King: The Circle of Life On the Street Where You Live Discover if the Process is right for you. Subscribe on Apple/iTunes
David Stobbe / StobbePhoto.ca
Marlene McNab is our guest this week. Many years before Marlene came to the Process, she found sobriety. She came to see, though, that her underlying intergenerational trauma still needed to be healed. This healing was profoundly supported by her work at the Hoffman Process. After the Process, Marlene felt she had "mended a broken link in her family chain."
A Nêhiýawak (Plains Cree) member of the George Gordon First Nation, Marlene first learned about the Hoffman Process from an ad in a health store magazine. She saw the Hoffman Quadrinity symbol and became curious about it. It appealed to her because of her Indigenous background and how they use the Medicine Wheel. Subsequently, she found it easier to relate to the Process work through this similarity.
Marlene attended an Indian Residential School, as did her mother and grandmother. With deep compassion, Marlene shares the painful truth about the horrors of these institutions and the pain they have caused for generations of Indigenous peoples. One of the most profound processes she had to heal was learning how to grieve because "this grief is real." Marlene adds, "It's a living energy I need to consistently release." MORE ABOUT MARLENE McNAB Marlene McNab teaches Indigenous Social Work at the First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Saskatchewan. Her personal and professional paths have culminated in a desire to share what she has experienced in her healing process and in the reclaiming and remembering of her Nêhiýawak (Plains Cree) identity.
Currently, a Ph.D. candidate at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, Marlene's research focuses on studying the recovery process from intergenerational trauma and addictions. She's also developing a recovery-oriented framework for substance use interventions.
In her 30-year career as a community-based trauma therapist and professor of Indigenous social work, Marlene has witnessed first-hand the impacts of historical trauma in Canada's Indigenous communities. As a result, she has been steadfast in helping others' break intergenerational cycles, create awareness, and heal trauma responses. As mentioned in this episode The Medicine Wheel and The Four Directions
Canadian Residential Schools
History of the Nêhiýawak (Plains Cree)
First Nations University of Canada in Regina, Saskatchewan
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Jason-Aeric Huenecke is our guest this week. He did the Hoffman Process in July of 2005 and tells us the remarkable, profound, and lasting effect on him. He shares that through his work as a Homeopathic Practitioner and Spiritual Director, the effect of the Process has 'cascaded like nectar' to the world around him and continues to 'nourish' the people he works with.
As a result of doing the Process, Jason-Aeric now has a joy for living and the courage to be himself. This wasn't always the case. Jason-Aeric shares that he was not a typical child but was misunderstood and feared by his peers. He was verbally and physically assaulted at school. As he grew older, he began to try to understand why these things were happening to him, why he was caught in this cycle. He explored this through the lens of his religious upbringing as well as Tibetan Buddhism. Eventually, someone told him about the Hoffman Process.
Jason-Aeric shares that in his work as the co-founder of his Classical Homeopathy training program, he and his fellow co-founder say, "The first remedy is love." MORE ABOUT JASON-AERIC HUENECKE Jason-Aeric is a thriving Classical Homeopathic Practitioner and Astrologer who works with a sense of curiosity, wonder, and gratitude for the cosmos. His mastery of two different and profound healing arts was possible because he began studying at a very early age. Mystically inclined as a child, he loved nature, art, and creative play. He read everything he could find regarding mythology, world religions, and a variety of spiritual traditions. The concept of the Field, the Vital Force of the cosmos, and of the interconnectivity of all beings and the cosmos absolutely thrilled him. In March 2021, Jason-Aeric co-founded the Prometheus Homeopathic Institute, a Classical Homeopathy training program. He is the Lead Faculty for their training program based on the Spiral Learning Theory, Growth Mindset, and the healing power of the Life Force. In addition, Jason-Aeric is also the Principal Investigator in the Field Provings. He works with an international team researching substances that are prepared as homeopathic medicines to heal the sick. Jason-Aeric is the Hoffman Institute Graduate Group leader for the Twin Cities in Minnesota. He lives and works in Stillwater, Minnesota.
As mentioned in this episode Homeopathy
Tibetan Buddhism
Stillwater Lift Bridge
Hoffman Graduate Group Leader If you’d like more information about becoming a Hoffman graduate community leader, please contact us at 415-485-5220 (or 800-506-5253) or email gradsupport@hoffmaninstitute.org.
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Tim Harjo, General Manager of KNMQ Television in Albuquerque, NM, is our guest today. Tim's vision is to amplify Native voices into the mainstream conversation around how we live with each other and with our Mother Earth. He sees Native voices as a voice for how to live more sustainably and beneficially with our Earth.
Tim did his Process as part of Hoffman Institute's Leadership Path while a student at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. The Institute worked with the Kennedy School to support graduate students from around the world to deepen their leadership capacities. Tim found the Process to be life-changing. He says, "as great as an experience Harvard was for me personally, it was even better because of Hoffman."
Tim is a member of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe. As a child, he was a student at an Indian Boarding school, as were other members of his family. The Process helped him heal the pain of his past. The tools Tim discovered at the Process have helped him stay on track toward the positive outcomes he set for his life. Tim works with Raz Ingrasci, Hoffman teacher and founder, to help broadcast the powerful benefits of the Process to other Native Americans. MORE ABOUT TIM HARJO Tim earned a B.S. degree in Management from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. His Juris Doctorate is from Arizona State University. Tim received his Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Northridge.
Before his current role at KNMQ, Tim was the Director of the Central New Mexico Community College as the Small Business Development Center. Tim also served as the Chairman of Prairie Band LLC, a tribally-owned economic development company of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. For several years, Tim was an Adjunct Professor in the College of Business and Economics Marketing Department, California State University, Northridge.
Tim has served on various government and non-profit boards, commissions, and working groups. These include the National Race and Ethnicity Advisory Committee for the US Census Bureau, Department of Commerce from 2012 to 2016. These groups and organizations all serve American Indian and Alaska Native economic development, education, and healthcare issues. AS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE KNMQ Television
Fort Sill Apache Tribe
Native American Boarding Schools: Native American History & Culture: Boarding Schools Unspoken: America's Native American Boarding Schools US to review Native American boarding schools' dark history Hoffman's Leadership Program at Harvard
Harvard Kennedy School of Government
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Oliveyah Fisch, Health and Life Coach, is our guest this week. Listen in as she shares how the Hoffman Process brought her the serious change she was longing for.
Before the Process, Oliveyah (also known as Liv) tells us she didn't know how to take responsibility for how her life was going to unfold. She was waiting for someone else to fix things and she would often blame others rather than step up herself. Through the work of the Process, Oliveyah learned how to listen to her Spirit and lean into her courage.
One of Oliveyah's big AHAs at the Process revolved around exercise. Oliveyah grew up in a martial arts studio that her father owned. She tells us she learned how to make a proper fist to punch before she learned her ABCs. Oliveyah's career was in fitness before she attended the Process. When she was told she could not exercise while there, she agreed to follow the rules. Very quickly she realized she'd been using exercise to solve nearly every problem in her life. This was a huge breakthrough for her and it now informs how she coaches her clients. After launching her fitness career in 2005, she now runs one of the most successful health and coaching businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. MORE ABOUT OLIVEYAH FISCH Oliveyah has a Master's in Exercise Science and Health Promotion from the University of California. She is an accredited performance enhancement specialist and certified personal trainer through NASM. A certified yoga instructor through the Yoga Alliance Association, she is also certified in health and life coaching through both the CHEK Institute and Health Coach Institute.
Oliveyah has helped hundreds of people transform their lives and achieve lasting change through healthy habits and fostering joy. She works with many corporate partners, including Forager Project, YouTube, SalesForce, Allbirds, and Google. She also holds small group and 1:1 coaching year-round inspiring people to amplify their life and LIV Empowered. In 2020, she received the achievement and service award from Kaboom Coaching.
Discover more about Oliveyah. Follow Oliveyah on Instagram.
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This is a beautiful episode with Ethan Sawyer, a nationally recognized college essay expert. Ethan is able to articulate things that are often hard to put into words. It makes sense he would be an expert at helping students to do just that.
People come to the Hoffman Process for many different reasons. Ethan didn't have a thing he was particularly struggling with and didn't feel particularly blocked. He came because he "was ready." Ethan was really excited to dig deep into himself. He came wanting to learn about himself and as he shares, he "certainly did." As he tells Sharon, Ethan finds the students he works with also often wish to dig deeper into the question of who they really are.
At the time of the Process, Ethan and his wife had a new six-month-old baby. Ethan shares that he had been making his living as more of an artist in the past, but had just begun his new journey of entrepreneurship. As you listen to Ethan, you'll hear how the artist in him is a big part of his successful company. As is true with so many of our guests, Ethan's story shows how the thread of one's Spiritual Self runs through our lives in ways we can often only see in hindsight. MORE ABOUT ETHAN SAWYER Ethan Sawyer is the author of the Amazon bestsellers College Essay Essentials and College Admission Essentials. Each year he and his team reach more than one million students and counselors through the College Essay Guy blog, online pay-what-you-can courses, workshops, books, and one-on-one work.
When you peruse The College Essay Guy website, you find resources (many free) for students, parents, and counselors. Much of what Ethan and his team offer are on a pay-what-you-can basis. As he explains to Sharon, a goal of his work is to not only make a living but to also expand his reach so that more students (and parents) get the help they need during such an important right of passage in their lives.
Raised in Spain, Ecuador, and Colombia, Ethan has studied at seventeen different schools and has worked as a teacher, curriculum writer, voice actor, community organizer, and truck driver. A graduate of Northwestern University, Ethan holds an MFA from UC Irvine and lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife and their amazing daughter. As mentioned in this episode: Writing a Personal Statement
Performance Studies Degree
Cornerstone Theater Company
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Hope Edelman, a 2015 graduate, credits the Hoffman Process with changing the course of her life. She's traversed much heartache and loss in her life and she's been a guiding light to many others who have traversed the same.
As Hope shares the tale of her life journey, you can't help but see the throughline of her life. When Hope was seventeen her mother passed away. After that day, Hope had always sensed that part of her was stuck back at that point. During a transformational moment at the Process, she took the hand of her seventeen-year-old self and walked her into the future so she could be an integrated adult.
One of the beautiful statements Hope makes about her life is her shift from wanting to be exceptional to wanting to be helpful. In guiding others through the landscape of loss, Hope has greatly expanded the reach of her love's everyday radius.
As Hope shares what she's up to now, she shares with us the power of the liminal* space. When we are between what has ended and what has yet to begin, between what we knew and what we are yet to know, we are more our essential selves than any other time. Rather than fear these times, we can come to see how alive and vital we are in them. MORE ABOUT HOPE EDELMAN Hope Edelman has been writing, speaking, and leading retreats and workshops in the bereavement field for more than 25 years. She was 17 when she lost her mother to breast cancer and 40 when her father died, an event that inspired her to offer grief education and support to those who need it now and especially those who did not receive it in the past.
Hope's first book, Motherless Daughters, became a #1 New York Times Bestseller. Her newest book, The AfterGrief, offers an innovative new way to talk about the long arc of loss. She has written six additional books, including Motherless Mothers and the memoir, The Possibility of Everything. Hope holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a graduate degree in nonfiction writing from The University of Iowa. She is a certified Martha Beck Life Coach who helps clients revisit and revise their life stories. As mentioned in this episode *Liminal/Liminality
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Taylor Gardner is a passionate person with a big heart who feels deeply. In this episode, she vulnerably shares how she navigated the Process with so much passion.
Taylor describes herself as a driven, compassionate, and goal-oriented entrepreneur. The focus of her work in the world changed when she found herself frustrated with the lack of resources and limited opportunities for her sister Lindsay and Lindsay's peers.
Lindsay has Downs Syndrome. As a young adult just out of school, there were few opportunities awaiting Lindsay. Taylor decided to do something about it. In April of 2017, she planted the seeds of The Garden Foundation - a non-profit that serves those with disabilities.
The story of Taylors' Process is also one of deep grief. At the Process, Taylor was able to fully grieve her father's death. Through her deep work there, she found a sense of peace for the first time since her father's passing. She allowed herself to 'go to that place' we both fear and long for because we know we will find healing there. MORE ABOUT TAYLOR GARDNER Taylor is the Founder and CEO of both The Garden Foundation and Tribe Inclusive. The Garden Foundation supports and enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing a place of education, inspiration, independence, and inclusion.! is while Tribe Inclusive is a national online learning platform.
Taylor has served on boards for the Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada and the Young Professional Board for Opportunity Village. She's also served as the Inclusion Officer for Local for All. Taylor also managed the Las Vegas Learning Program for the Down Syndrome Organization of Southern Nevada, a supplemental educational program for children with Down Syndrome.
Taylor, through The Garden Foundation LV, founded World Inclusion Day on October 10th. She continues to provide a place of inspiration, education, independence, and inclusion* for those with different abilities and their families.
The National Association of Women Business Owners in Southern Nevada recognized Taylor as a ‘Woman of Distinction.’ She currently serves on the Nevada Governor’s Council for Developmental Disabilities. More on Themes From the Show: What is Down's Syndrome?
If you're wondering how to relate to kids/people with special needs or disabilities: How to Help Your Child Relate to Kids With Special Needs Just Say Hi: Communicating Effectively with People Who Have Disabilities Video: How to not be awkward when interacting with those with disabilities. Symptoms & Stages of Grief
- Inclusion: "Inclusion is bigger than just disabilities. It's accepting and celebrating differences of cultures, backgrounds, races, sexes, religions, and differences in perspectives."
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Ed McClune, beloved Hoffman Process teacher and coach since, the '80s, is our guest today. As Ed and Drew share at the end, this conversation is a good Hoffman geek-out. Even though they geek out over all things Hoffman, Ed's whole Quadrinity shows up in this one. His love shines through as he speaks about the Process, and about how those who come to do this deeply transformational work are courageous heroes.
Ed also shares a bit about how the Process now appears in his everyday life. He speaks to the reason he feels we come to this life - to enjoy life in a human body. Ed calls this the sensuality of spirituality. An entire swath of experience has been denied to us because of our patterns; the Process opens us back up to a truly luscious embodied life. MORE ABOUT ED Ed & Bob
Ed holds a Master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of San Francisco and is a licensed marriage and family therapist.
What Ed likes about teaching the Process is: “Over and over again, through the years of teaching the Hoffman Process, I get to be present as people come into a greater experience of the Light that has always lived ‘far inside’ them.”
“The summation of all the gifts of the Process comes down to self-love and self-compassion. I don’t need to be different, more refined, or successful to be lovable. The Light is the Light, and Ed is Ed. Falling down isn’t evidence that there’s something wrong with me, only evidence that I’m still alive.”
Ed is the father of two sons and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. MORE ABOUT THE SHOW * Geek out: to become excited or enthusiastic about a favored subject or activity. First known use of geek out: circa 1990
- Quadrinity: "I coined the word Quadrinity to represent the four aspects of a human being: the Emotional, Intellectual, Physical and Spiritual. The unique capacities and functions of each aspect can be considered separately, but it is the balance of all aspects working together harmoniously that fulfills us as human beings." - Bob Hoffman
Check out The Hoffman Connection, Hoffman's radio show (2012) with Ed and Raz on Voice America.
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Dan Sterling and his story will open your heart in untold ways. A warm, vulnerable, caring man, Dan grew up in a very conservative family in Alberta, Canada where discipline and life were harsh.
Two months before Dan came to the Process, he knew he "had a big problem." In his job as a Canadian police officer, Dan was investigating a case that caused him stress. He realized he was having a breakdown - a silent, stoic one. He came to realize he couldn't cry in spite of feeling great distress.
At the start of the Process, Dan says he, "...almost felt like a pit-bull rescue."
Note: Dan speaks about the suicide of his friend and the attempted suicide of others. Please call the US National Suicide Prevention Program at 800-273-8255 if you need someone to speak with. DAN'S STORY Dan's family was directly affected by the 1980s National Energy Program when the Canadian Government (Liberal) nationalized energy resources, causing great harm to the Alberta economy. His father’s service station was not able to stay open. His family was plunged into poverty in a region with few opportunities. Kids picked on Dan in school because they were visibly poor. As a result, he learned to cope by fighting and hanging out with other poor kids.
Often reminded by his parents that Liberals did this to his family, Dan grew up with disdain for anyone who looked well off because they had a secure public sector job. By the time Dan finished high school, his parents had healed and clawed their way back to some semblance of prosperity. But Dan remained bitter, blaming his parents, treating them poorly, and talking down to them. One day, Dan's father offered him an "olive branch with dollars on it," meaning that the gift was valuable beyond words. Dan couldn't accept it; but, after the Process, he found "massive forgiveness."
While at university, Dan joined the army reserve. After completing his degree and while waiting to become a police officer, he went into the army full time. Dan left the military in 2006 and in 2007, started his career as a police officer in the north. After twelve years of busy police work as a frontline investigator, he now serves as a plainclothes investigator, starting three months after attending the Process in August 2019. Topics Mentioned in this episode: Canadian Government 1980s National Energy Program
Tim McGraw: Humble and Kind
Tim McGraw: Live Like You Were Dying "...And I loved deeper, And I spoke sweeter, And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying"
If you or anyone you know is dealing with issues of suicide, please reach out to the US National Suicide Prevention Program at 800-273-8255.
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Hoffman grad, Julie Faupel, the founder of REALM, a technology platform in luxury real estate, is delightful, warm, and open. Julie came to the Hoffman Process to heal her fear that there was something terribly wrong with her. As a member of YPO, she discovered many other YPO members had also completed the Process so she thought she'd give it a try. But, Julie really wasn't sure what she was getting into. Her biggest fear was that she'd have to share her feelings and deepest secret with everyone else - her fear of unlovability.
Once at the Process, Julie experienced a huge revelation. She shares: "I have wasted so much time dying for people to love me and they don't even know me." The grief of this made her feel physically sick. She realized that all the things she was doing to keep herself safe were really only keeping her small. The healing of this very human fear of unlovability is one of the profound outcomes of doing the Hoffman Process.
After both Julie and her husband completed the Process, they hosted a reunion to bring their two Process classes together. Years later, they are still hosting this reunion. It has grown to include many other Process graduates who want the Hoffman connection. For someone who never felt she belonged, Julie now celebrates the "incredible fraternity of people" she calls her Hoffman family. MORE ABOUT JULIE Realm helps elite real estate professionals connect through a virtual community with properties throughout the world. She's also the co-founder of Jackson Hole Real Estate Associates, the largest Real Estate Company in the Teton Region. Julie is a two-time recipient of the coveted Christie's International Real Estate Global Affiliate of the Year award.
Before founding Realm, Julie enjoyed a twenty-plus-year career in the luxury space working in operations at 5-star luxury hotels. As a result of her unique insight into what shapes consumer psychology in luxury buying, Julie is a frequent media expert and has been interviewed by: Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Times, Luxury Daily, Leaders.
Julie is a dedicated philanthropist. She serves on several boards, and along with her husband is an avid supporter of entrepreneurship. She participates in various organizations including the Jackson Hole Community Foundation Board, Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce Board, and the National Museum of Wildlife Art.
Julie enjoys Jackson’s active lifestyle with her husband and their dogs Irving and George. She loves to ski, hike, bike, and paddleboard. Follow Julie on Instagram.
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Meet Jon Hurry. Jon's story is moving. His story of recovery and healing is captivating. His willingness to be vulnerable is inspiring.
Jon's story is one of loss and heartache, but also perseverance and resiliency. He admits he has had a lot of loss but he also reminds us that his life is a normal one, too - a different normal. Jon's desired outcome from the Process was to trust in his wife's love for him. During his Process, Jon came to see he is, indeed, loveable, and in seeing this he finally felt trust in his wife's love for him.
Jon had already done a great deal of work to heal the pain of his past and the habits he'd acquired to deal with that pain when he arrived at the Hoffman Process. After the Process, he now says, "Rehab was a necessity. EMDR was phenomenal. The Hoffman's [Process] definitely the cherry on the top. It really helped me to build up my confidence and see the good that I've done and the good things in my life."
Both Jon and his wife have done the Process. A few months after Jon's Process, they participated in the Hoffman Couple's Retreat. MORE ABOUT JON Jon Hurry is a father, husband, son, brother, and friend to many. He's the founder of Propitious Technologies, BizBoxes, and Vice-President of Strategic Partnerships at Linear Labs. Jon has spent twenty-five years as a strategic thinker and problem solver primarily in the automotive field. Jon is currently focused on building global relationships within the automotive industry. He's helping to bring disruptive electric motor/generator/actuator technologies to the market to reduce the carbon footprint.
Discover if the Process is right for you. Topics mentioned in the show: HeartMath
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Julio Alvarez is a first-generation Latin American from the suburbs of New York. At age thirty-three, the Hoffman Process changed the course of Julio's life. Julio came out as gay in high school and was ultimately kicked out of the house by his father. The President of the local Rotary Club took Julio into his home.
In this episode, Julio shares his Process story with the kind of compassion and understanding that comes from doing deep transformational work. He shares with us his story of forgiveness. In doing so, we come to see the beautiful gifts that forgiveness has to offer. Julio didn't speak to his father for more than ten years. Now he and his father are in a new and healthy relationship.
Listen in as Julio shares some beautiful wisdom like: "Life is always speaking to us so pay attention to the whispers." He has learned how to shift his inner dialogue back to self-worthiness and self-love. This is the change that the Hoffman Process makes possible. MORE ABOUT JULIO Julio earned a full scholarship to NYU. He has now spent more than a decade helping tech brands share their story, bringing products to life like Google Drive, Airbnb Plus, and Lyft Self-Driving cars. This year, Julio's family members fell ill to the anxieties and realities of COVID. In response, Julio turned to his Hoffman process work and tools in order to gain a deeper understanding of himself and what matters most in life.
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Eboni K. Williams talks about the spirit of disruption in this week's episode. Her work disrupts long and deeply seeded cultural norms and expectations. She shares with us how rewarding her work is as disruption is an essential part of change and change is constant. And yet, she also speaks of how heavy her work can be. "...people, we, don't like change and aren't comfortable around disruption."
Eboni came to the Process because she, "wanted family more than I was afraid of doing the work that it would take to get there." She shares about her own Process and how her teacher, Regina Louise, was able to help her breakthrough her resistance that showed up at the very first assignment on the first day of her Process.
As Hoffman grads, we know change is vital to personal transformation. The Process itself is disruptive. The Process takes us out of our comfort zone and disrupts patterns. It opens us to the pain of our past so we can heal that same pain. Eboni is unapologetically driven to give voice to the voiceless through her platform - a tapestry of television, law, social justice, and entertainment. She knows her presence is power in the rooms where she has often been the first and only Black person. Positioned for disruption, Eboni enters these opportunities representing Black excellence intent on demonstrating and inspiring what is possible for Black people in America. Eboni is the newest and first Black cast member on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of New York. She's also excited about her new iHeart Media podcast on the intersection of law and pop culture, Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams. Uppity Productions, Eboni's production company, produces the podcast.
MORE ABOUT EBONI Williams educates and inspires audiences with the lens of a legal scholar. She exposes institutional racism, breaks down controversial issues such as judicial discretion, and expertly analyzes culturally relevant topics. She has served as the Host & Executive Producer of REVOLT Black News, which airs on REVOLT TV founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs. Eboni has also co-hosted REVOLT’S hip hop talk show State of the Culture. Eboni is the best-selling author of her memoir, Pretty Powerful: Appearance, Substance, and Success. She holds a B.A. in Communications and African-American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also holds a J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Eboni clerked for the Louisiana Secretary of State and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. She later specialized in family law and civil litigation. Eboni then transitioned into practicing as a public defender and a private defense lawyer in North Carolina, and throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Eboni also serves on the Board of Directors for Safe Horizon, which is the nation’s leading victims assistance organization. Find out more about Eboni here. Follow Eboni on Instagram.
Topics mentioned in the show: Tulsa/Greenwood Massacre Naomi Osaka speaking out Hand on Heart: A Hoffman Process practice of placing your hand on your heart center to bring you into presence and connection with yourself. Ally or Co-conspirator "If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." Jack Kornfield
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We are so fortunate to have Serena Gordon on Love's Everyday Radius. Serena has dedicated herself to bringing the powerful healing work of the Hoffman Process to the world since 1995. A friend of Bob Hoffman, the Hoffman UK Managing Director and Co-Founder, and a Process Teacher, Serena offers us some profound insights about the Process.
At the young age of five, Serena had lost trust in her parents. "I used to carry my own little suitcase with an A-Z map of London in case I got lost and I could find my own way home." She tells us that she "fought for that little girl" at her own Process.
Serena shares that the Process allows for you to "bring all the boxes of your past out into the open and have people around you as you open the boxes. And sort through the treasures that you love and will hold onto until you are an old person or the ones that actually fill you with sadness or loss or anger or frustration - whatever it is - and allow the Process tools to help you let go of those."
The power and simplicity of the Process can reach people from many different cultures. Teachers from Hoffman UK have taught the Process in Ireland, South Africa, and the Middle East with great success. Serena shares this is a testament to the power and simplicity of the Process itself.
MORE ABOUT SERENA GORDON Serena Gordon formally trained as an actress at the UK’s prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. After graduating, she enjoyed a successful career as a stage and screen actress. You might recognize her from her role in the James Bond film, Goldeneye.
Along with her ex-husband, Hoffman teacher Tim Laurence, Serena brought Hoffman to the UK from California in 1995. At the time, the British attitude towards therapy and personal development was a lot less accepting than it is today. Hoffman UK is now recognized as one of the UK’s leading personal development providers.
In her personal time, Serena enjoys time with family and friends and grounding in nature in the English countryside in her downtime. Find out more about Serena here.
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Chasing Wonders, Adelaide Film Festival Photo by: Naomi Jellicoe
Hilton Nathanson, entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, is our guest this week. While not a graduate of the Process, Hilton's life, and life pursuits have been deeply touched by the everyday radius of many Hoffman graduates' love. It's amazing to see just how wide a radius our graduates' love and healing travels. The ripple effect of the Hoffman Process worked through Hilton in a wonder-filled, tangible way.
In this episode, Hilton shares the effect of witnessing the profound change the Hoffman Process engendered in people close to him. So much so, that what he witnessed became the inspiration for a film that took seven years to complete. CHASING WONDERS
In 2020 Hilton's production company, Hianlo Films premiered this feature film called Chasing Wonders at the Adelaide Film Festival. Hoffman Institute's research inspired Hilton's original idea for the film. The foundational underpinnings of the Process shine through the film's storyline.
Chasing Wonders is the heart-warming story of a young boy who is encouraged by his grandfather to take off on the adventure of a lifetime, leading him to the heart of the human condition - understanding our parents’ past but not being defined by it. This is something Hilton speaks to in today's episode - how important it is for us to share with our children when they are ready, stories about our lives before they were born.
Chasing Wonders premieres in the United States on June 4th, 2021, on Amazon, VUDU, and Google TV. The Hoffman Institute's scholarship fund will receive a portion of the proceeds from the film as part of the US release, bringing Love's Everyday Radius full circle. MORE ABOUT HILTON Originally from Perth, Australia, Hilton arrived in London in 1992. There, he spent his first years working in financial markets before embarking on a career in asset management. Subsequently, he founded Marble Bar Asset Management where he has been Chairman since 2013.
Throughout his career, Hilton has taken an active interest in the psychology of decision-making. This prompted him to pursue an Executive Masters in Consulting and Coaching for Change from Insead Business School in 2015.
In 2004, Hilton founded the Rosemarie Nathanson Charitable Trust. The trust supports organizations that advance the welfare and education of young people. Hilton lives in London with his wife and children and is an avid cricket fan, a keen sailor, and a ferocious reader.
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Regina Louise, a beloved Hoffman teacher, is our guest this week on Love's Everyday Radius. Listen in as Regina shares with us about her time at the Process and how she wanted so badly to leave...but stayed. As a child, Regina lived in over 30 foster homes, group homes, and psychiatric facilities before age 18. She never had the chance to emotionally process the traumas she faced. The Process gave her this opportunity and so much more.
One of the most powerful insights Regina shares with us is with regard to hope. She says, "We can’t tell people to have hope. We have to tell people the truth of who they are - to BE hope.” Rather than a passive sense of waiting for good to happen, Regina invites us to BE hope in the form of real action in the world, being Spirit not just talking about Spirit.
Regina speaks about and coaches organizations and individuals on trauma and personal development. She is also a foster care abolitionist and an author.
Regina Louise’s real-life story is the subject of the Lifetime movie, I Am Somebody's Child: The Regina Louise Story. She is the author of three books: Somebody's Someone, Someone Has Led This Child to Believe, and her new book to be released June 8th, Permission Granted.
Find out more about Regina here. You can also follow her on Instagram.
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We begin season 3 with Wilma Mae Basta, entrepreneur and founder of DRK Beauty. Listen in as Wilma Mae shares how profound both the Process and her healing journey have been.
Originally from Philadelphia, Wilma Mae did her Process in the UK where she lived and worked at the time. When she arrived at the Process, she knew she was at the point where she couldn't think her way "out of a paper bag." She made the very conscious decision to "allow Hoffman to catch" her.
Wilma Mae had been told that as a strong Black woman, she needed to stay strong and figure things out on her own. When she faced severe depression, however, none of that worked for her. She realized that what she really needed to do was ask for and receive the help she needed. The Process helped Wilma Mae heal her patterns and discover her superpowers. DRK BEAUTY: A UNIQUE WELL-BEING JOURNEY Wilma Mae's experience of finding it difficult to locate the right kind of help to support her as a woman of color led to searching for and testing out different modalities. Ultimately, these discoveries helped her build her own unique mental health and wellness journey that transformed her life. As a direct result of this experience, Wilma Mae moved back to the States in 2017 to create DRK Beauty, her well-being and mental health digital platform. Wilma Mae's everyday radius now ripples out to "help womxn of color discover and craft their own unique well-being journey."
Wilma Mae Basta is the mother of two adult children and the daughter of a civil rights leader. In the early 90s, she built a career in film, TV, consumer, and consumer tech PR in the UK. She then launched and built the successful luxury vintage fashion brand, The Gathering Goddess. Known for its high-end collectibles, The Gathering Goddess' collectible garments could often be seen on the red carpet.
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Matt Brannagan, Hoffman teacher and coach, is our guest today in this delightful finale for season two. Matt shares about his time in the Process and in the military and speaks to what it is he loves about both. He also shares with us what it was like to help lead the Institute through the rough waters of 2020, which included the pandemic and the fire at White Sulphur Springs. Matt has found support and connection through many communities of meaning.
Matt was twenty-five years old when he did the Process. He'd been in the military but was in a kind of funk, looking for a sense of purpose. So, Matt came to the Process to get a better sense of his life's vision.
One of the most valuable things for Matt in his Process was the recognition of how much time and energy he was wasting being stuck in patterns. “I was aware of them and trying to think my way out of them, which was both frustrating and self-defeating. The Process helped me shift my approach and my point of emphasis. I feel more efficient with my energy and as a result, more present throughout my day.” One year after completing the Process, and just after 9/11, Matt was deployed to Kuwait. While serving in that region, Matt learned how to not hold back as a leader out of fear. It was a high-stakes environment and he rose to leadership because people were counting on him. It was there that he began to integrate the work he'd done at the Process. ABOUT MATT Matt Brannagan also serves as the Director of Faculty for the Hoffman Institute. It is exactly Matt's dynamic leadership presence that has helped support Hoffman's powerful pivot through this past year. As a core part of Hoffman's leadership team, he has helped guide the Institute to create a bundle of new virtual offerings, find and settle into a new temporary home at Earthrise, and support other new creations, including this podcast.
Matt holds a B.A. in sociology from Sacramento State University; and an M.A. in transpersonal psychology from Naropa University. He is a retired U.S. Army veteran, a Professional Certified Coach, a psychology professor, and formerly a Master Resilience Trainer for the Army. “I love when the process really clicks for the students, and they begin to take on the tools and practices themselves. It is great to see that what we provide really works. Students often offer such great insights. I really get to take on learning even as I am teaching.” Matt lives in Los Angeles with his wife Nicole and dog Wilver. Hoffman Virtual Conference Join us at Hoffman's first-ever virtual conference, Embodying the Spirit of Change, April 1-3, 2021. To find out more about the conference and register, click here. Registration is by pay-what-you-can donation. We'd love to have you there!
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Jo Mattoon, a beloved Hoffman Process Teacher and Coach, supports people in developing their whole selves. In her transformational work, both with Hoffman and as an executive coach, Jo sees just how hungry we are to reclaim our whole personhood. At her own Process seventeen years ago, Jo reclaimed her whole personhood. About that week she says, "I actually felt like for the first time in my life I was the driver of my life."
In addition to her work at Hoffman, Jo Mattoon is Principal of Jo Mattoon Associates. She is masterful at guiding individual transformation as an executive coach. For twenty years, Jo provided organizational leadership as a human resources executive for three companies.
Known for her strategic leadership, exceptional interpersonal skills, and analytical ability, Jo also has a wonderful sense of humor. She holds a Bachelor's degree in the Humanities from the University of Colorado and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Syracuse University. Jo is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation.
A fourth-generation Coloradoan, Jo loves the outdoors, travel, good food, coyotes, tattoos, and the arts.
At Hoffman's upcoming first-ever virtual conference, Embodying the Spirit of Change, Jo will be leading an experiential session. Jo's session, Learning to Lead Teams from your Authenticity, 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Saturday, April 3, 2021, is just one of a variety of powerful sessions. To find out more about the conference and register, click here. Registration is by donation. We'd love to have you there!
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Get to know Nita Gage, a beloved Hoffman Teacher and Coach. Before becoming a Hoffman teacher at 63, Nita had a long and distinguished career as a psychoanalyst and transformational retreat leader. Listen in as Nita shares about growing up on Native land and the many gifts of that time. She learned so much from her friends' Grandmother, Grandma Wilson.
Nita also speaks of how we must all stand up against the status quo and speak the truth. We can be part of a courageous ripple that brings good and necessary change to our world.
One thing Nita offers is how she first came to the Process, "kicking and screaming," so to speak. She laughs as she shares that she totally gets how it feels to be a student on the first day of the Process and have great resistance. More about Nita: Nita trained in psychoanalysis with R.D. Laing in London from 1970 to 1980. Upon returning to the United States, she pursued graduate degrees in clinical psychology and a doctorate in shamanic psychology.
Nita has been leading transformational healing retreats for over 25 years, most recently with the Hoffman Institute. Prior to Hoffman, she founded the NeuroImaginal Institute and Healer Within Retreats, primarily working with physicians. She was Executive Director of the American Board of Holistic Medicine. She also served clinical and executive positions in hospitals and treatment centers over the 40 years of her career.
Growing up on a reservation in Arizona gave Nita a unique understanding of diversity. For many years, she worked in rural Arizona and Hawaii with diverse populations in addictions and mental health, initiating many innovation programs to address underserved populations.
Nita has authored two books: Soul Whispering: The Art of Awakening Shamanic Consciousness and Women in Storage: How to Reimagine Your Life.
Hoffman's hosting our first-ever virtual conference, Embodying the Spirit of Change from April 1-3, 2021. Nita will be the panel moderator for our Indigenous Voices: Answering the Call to Mend Our World panel on Saturday, April 3rd from 9:30 to 11:00 am PT. We'll have a variety of panels, experiential sessions, and fireside chats. To find out more about the conference and register, click here. Registration is by donation. We'd love to have you there!
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Karen DeGannes came to the Process when she realized she was not showing up for her life. She discovered just how capable she is of showing up after taking the Process when she faced serious life health challenges. Karen discovered a quiet, gentle, persistent life-force within herself that when surrendered to supported her to meet the most difficult life moments.
Karen's story is one of learning to take responsibility for one's life with a gentle and persistent resilience. Prior to the Process, she had lost touch with religion and spirituality. At the Process, Karen was reunited with her Spiritual Self. She realized that Spirit had never left her; instead, she had turned away from her Spiritual Self.
Karen Degannes is most passionate about resilient and adaptive infrastructure business models that center communities while sustaining and regenerating ecological and just socioeconomic systems. She works as a natural resource and environmental scientist; an organizational sociologist; energy, climate, and environmental justice expert; a strategist, innovator, and trusted advisor to corporations, communities, and governments; and an entrepreneur.
Karen treasures her deepening self-awareness and understanding of what it means to be alive as a human being. After surviving grave illness, and in this age of the Covid-19 pandemic and social, economic, and ecological crises, she prizes her new-found courage to show up authentically and to have a voice in socially difficult spaces.
Karen is passionate about creating concrete, innovative, implementable, and scalable solutions to our most exciting challenges. To do so, she says we must develop operational solutions that jointly center people, communities, and ecosystems.
An aspiring meditator, Karen loves to read and write poetry. She's a connoisseur of art and long walks in nature. She is now reacquainting with her love of photography, dance, and laughter.
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Billy Bush is our guest today. Billy came to the Process four years ago when his life instantly plummeted into chaos. Listen in as Billy shares with us about his time at the Process and his life since. In his heartwarming and candid style, Billy tells his stories with vulnerability, humor, and a kind of confidence that comes when you've found your way back from being down. As Billy says, "There's a lot of value in knowing what it feels like to be down when you're talking to people because everybody is going to be down. I don't care who you are; if calamity has not struck yet, it will."
Billy's time at Hoffman proved to be a turning point. He survived it all by digging deep into himself, owning his flaws, and identifying the patterns in his life. There was a moment at the Process when he wanted to leave. But, he found by staying with himself long enough, he realized that the Process was indeed doing exactly what he came for. In Billy's words, "It was a successful reboot."
Billy Bush has had a long and successful career in radio and television. He currently is the host of Extra. Before that, he was the host of the Today Show's 3rd hour and the host of Access Hollywood. He is the father of three girls aged 16, 20, and 22 which means "his hands are full."
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Dr. Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey is our guest today. Listen in as she articulates, in breathtaking ways, what it means to be human, to be sovereign, and to be one's own authority. A Polynesian explorer, Elizabeth has spent her life exploring some of the world’s most remote regions. She shares with us just how important it is to also courageously explore one's internal terrain.
Elizabeth took the Process over a dozen years ago. She says that the Process was, "quite profound", and offers that it invited her "into deep and sacred places."
Growing up on a remote part of the north shore of Oahu, Elizabeth spent a great deal of time with her indigenous elders. She learned a love for the land early on and shares stories from this time. More About Dr. Elizabeth Lindsey
Elizabeth is the first Polynesian Explorer and female Fellow in the history of the National Geographic Society. A cultural anthropologist and award-winning filmmaker, Elizabeth travels to the world’s most remote regions as a conservationist of indigenous wisdom and an advocate for social, environmental, and cultural justice. Her keen insights and first-hand accounts from the world's most fragile regions are reshaping Western perspectives on global leadership.
Elizabeth is also a filmmaker and an actor. In 1996, she directed and produced Then There Were None, a documentary chronicling the plight of native Hawaiians. She starred in Star Trek - The Next Generation and Magnum P.I., as well as many other shows.
In 1978, Elizabeth was crowned Miss Hawai'i. She was "Woman of the Year" for The Big Island of Hawai'i in 2004. And in 2010, she was awarded the United Nations Visionary Award. Discover out more about Dr. Lindsey here and here.
Elizabeth will be a panelist on our Indigenous Voices: Answering the Call to Mend Our World panel at our upcoming, first-ever Hoffman Virtual Conference, April 1-3.
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Listen in as Karen Tiber Leland shares with us about the power of being tapped into your Spiritual Self. Karen went through a very rough time after doing the Process. Through this time, she realized that her connection to her Spiritual Self was "hardwired in." She realizes how this being so helped her to navigate such a hard time in her life.
Karen also speaks about the power of being able to name your emotions in business. She tells us, "The Process isn't about indulging your feelings and dramatizing them. It's about the recognition and the clear expression of them. And the responsible expression of them."
Karen Tiber Leland is the best-selling author of The Brand Mapping Strategy: Design, Build and Accelerate Your Brand. Karen is also president of Sterling Marketing Group, a boutique branding & marketing firm working on personal, business, and CEO branding. Her clients include LinkedIn, Google, American Express, and Marriott, among others.
Karen is a best-selling author of ten traditionally published books. Her books have sold more than 450,000 copies. Karen writes for Inc.com. and has spoken at Harvard, Stanford, and TedX. She's also a frequent guest of the media and has been interviewed by CNN, CNBC, Fox, and Oprah.
Karen currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Hoffman Institute. She's a former board member and has facilitated board and staff retreats. Karen has also led leadership development programs and advised on Hoffman branding and marketing. Find out more about Karen, here.
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photo by John Shearer
Ross Copperman is a singer/songwriter and music producer. In today's episode, listen in as Ross shares his experiences at the Process and what it has been like to integrate the work he did at the Process over time. The main themes from today's episode are authenticity, balance, fame, voice, artistry, and learning to trust and love your own way of living in your love's everyday radius.
Ross Copperman was born in Roanoke, Virginia with a passion to create songs. After graduating college, Ross signed a record deal with Sony Records in the UK. Despite success as an artist, Ross moved to Nashville to focus on songwriting and production, recognizing this to be his specialty. MUSIC AWARDS Ross has written and produced upwards of thirty-three #1 singles, revolutionizing the sound of Nashville’s current country music. He's produced a wide range of country artists, including Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, and Eli Young Band, Jake Owen, and Brett Eldredge. Some of the #1 songs from these productions include, “I Hold On”, “Drunk On A Plane”, and “Say You Do.”
Blake Shelton’s “I Lived It” and Keith Urban’s “Female” demonstrate Ross’ talent for crafting sentimental ballads. In 2020, he topped the charts with hits “What She Wants Tonight” by Luke Bryan, “Catch” by Brett Young, and “I Hope” by debut artist Gabby Barrett.
Ross has received multiple CMA Awards and ACM nominations. He was awarded 2 CMA Triple Play Awards for co-writing six #1 songs in a 12-month period. This earned Ross the title ACM Songwriter of the Year in 2016. You can learn more about Ross and his career, hit songs, and awards won, here.
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Listen in as Tim Callan's shares his amazing journey through deep grief after the death of his wife, to find new love on the other side. Tim speaks of his experience of the power of grief willingly and fully met. He also tells us of the power of the Process to open our hearts to the life that our Spiritual Self wants us to live.
Tim shares that if he hadn't been willing to walk through it all, his life would have been an incomplete life. Listen closely as he tells how he invited grief to take him where he needed to go and what happened when he did. ABOUT TIM After completing the Process, Tim came to work for the Hoffman Institute. He took on several administrative functions and became a Process teacher. Tim served as VP/Chief Administrative Officer of the Hoffman Institute until he retired in 2010.
Prior to Hoffman, Tim served in the United States Army. He was a member of the California National Guard for 34 years. During his career, he had executive responsibility for the NATO Partnership for Peace/State Partnership Program with Ukraine and served as Military Aid to the Governor of California.
A co-founder of a community-based transformational workshop/retreat nonprofit corporation, Tim served as a trainer, teacher, and ropes course facilitator. Tim was also co-founder and President/CEO of the New Mexico Chapter of Illuman. An international nonprofit organization, Illuman is dedicated to fostering male spirituality and healthy masculinity.
Tim and his wife, Laurel, who was also a Hoffman teacher, now live in the high desert of Northern New Mexico.
In this conversation with Drew, Tim reads the following poem by David Whyte. The Well of Grief Those who will not slip beneath the still surface of the well of grief turning downward through its black water to the place we cannot breathe will never know the source from which we drink, the secret water, cold and clear, nor find in the darkness glimmering the small round coins thrown away by those who wished for something else.
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Listen in as Lorenzo Jones, business coach, facilitator, and speaker shares his Process experience with Sharon. Through the dialogue he had with his Mother at the Process, Lorenzo experienced deep healing. She's a very private person, he says, so through dialogue, he was able to answer questions he'd always held. Lorenzo also speaks to the power of forgiveness. He says that "forgiveness is like an arrow that goes both ways." To forgive requires one to also release oneself.
It was just this past year, though, that Lorenzo saw he was still playing a small game. In the midst of the racial upheaval in the Summer of 2020, he felt called to step forward. He knew he had to step up into a bigger game. Life responded with new opportunities to bring healing to others and his community by using his facilitation skills.
Compassionate, intuitive, and open-minded, Lorenzo has more than 20 years of experience in his field. He builds a high degree of connection and trust with his clients by creating a positive learning environment. Lorenzo’s clients include Marin County Government, Los Angeles Metropolitan Authority, The Boy’s and Girls Club, Nike, Levi’s Strauss, Wells Fargo, Hilton Hotels, and more. You can learn more about Lorenzo here.
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Ben Smith-Petersen is a stunt man who originally was a circus performer and flying trapeze teacher. He got his start in the stunt world after meeting a stunt coordinator who brought his children in to learn flying trapeze.
In this episode, Ben shares vulnerably and beautifully about his time at the Process. Specifically, he talks about the moment when he was holding his 'baby me.' It was a moment of magical realization for Ben. He says in this realization within himself, that he is the one cared for and also the carer. "It's like this real feeling of 'You've got this. You have it all here to handle anything.'"
Ben also shares about the healing he has experienced in relationships in general. He shares with us a bit about the stunt world and what it is like to be a stunt man. There is a real camaraderie in the stunt world and Ben shares how his Process work has already helped him draw closer to these colleagues.
Ben is originally from Australia and has been in the U.S. for the last seven years. He moved to the states after meeting his wife, Riley, on a film in South Africa.
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For New Year's Eve, 2020, we have an intimate conversation with our podcast co-hosts, Sharon Mor and Drew Horning. Listen in as they explore and share many aspects of their Hoffman experiences - as students, teachers-in-training, active teachers, and now as Hoffman Podcast co-hosts. TRANSFORMATION & LOVE What you'll come to know from listening to this soulful conversation is how much Sharon and Drew love each other. They are friends, yes, but more than that there is a palpable sense of family with these two. This love is the kind of love we experience at the Process with our fellow Process mates. When we do this deep work together we come to love each other in a profound way. Sharon and Drew were also in Hoffman teacher training together, which, as they reflect on here, grew them even closer. Sharon beautifully expresses her joy in realizing that, as teachers of the Process, they will grow old together.
Here, Drew speaks about how dangerous the Dark Side's use of 'weaponized awareness' is and how the power of self-compassion is vitally essential to counteract this Dark Side tactic. Sharon talks about how, through the transformation she experienced at the Process, she is now the person she always wanted to be. SHARON AND DREW ALSO TALK ABOUT:
The most powerful, pivotal moments in each of their Processes. Stories from their childhood years. How the transformation they experienced at the Process now looks in the day-to-day of their lives. What they would share with students as graduates on day six of the Process. A bit of what they've learned teaching the Process. Their insights and understandings about the power of the Process from the perspectives of both student and teacher. And...a little bit about podcasting!
Toward the end, Sharon and Drew consider what it was like to share this time with each other and with you. They discover that intimate, soulful conversations help us learn more about each other in new and amazing ways.
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Marni Battista is a dating and relationship coach and the author of Becoming Irresistible. How did she get into this line of work? Marni shares that her patterns, the way she was raised, and the way she experienced love, came together to create, what she calls, "a bad picker" when it comes to finding love. She came to the Process because she did not want to pass these patterns on to her three daughters.
Years later, Marni founded Dating With Dignity and the Institute for Living Courageously. Marni discovered that while people initially want to find dignity in dating, what it is really about is finding self-love. This requires, living courageously.
Marni is a certified professional Dating and Relationship Coach and Expert, writer, and nationally recognized print and online magazine expert. In her words, she's "the queen of making her clients irresistible to men in today’s dating environment." You can find out more about Marni, here.
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Joe Gauld enrolled in the Hoffman Process in 2007 at the age of 80. During his Process, he reclaimed his childhood nickname. Once home, he returned to work as headmaster of Hyde School in Bath, Maine, and asked his colleagues to call him Joey. In this episode, Joey shares wisdom gained from his long, full life. His laugh is infectious, his view on educating children inspiring, and his philosophy on how to move forward even when you aren't sure whether or not what you want to do will work enlightening.
Hyde School's founding principle was, and continues to be, "Every individual has a unique potential that defines their destiny." This clearly aligns with the Process. In fact, many of Hyde's educators, parents, and students have done the Process. An educator since 1951, Joey founded the Hyde Family Learning Center in Bath, Maine in 1966, and has been the headmaster then since that day. Joey founded Hyde Leadership Charter Schools in New Haven, CT, in 1994, Washington DC in 1999, and the Bronx, NY in 2006. He served his country in World War II as Quartermaster and Seaman 1st Class in the U. S. Navy.
Joey has written numerous books around kids, parenting, and in particular, character, including, What Kids Want –and Need—from Parents: How to Bond With and Mentor Children, published in 2012. He appeared on The Donahue Show, 1975; NBC The Today Show, 1975, 1979, 1986; CBS 60 Minutes, 1989; ABC 20/20, 1998.
Joey has a BA in Economics from Bowdoin College and an MA in Mathematics from Boston University. Joey is widowed with three children, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
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In today's episode, Cara Jones shares her powerful life story. Cara is a filmmaker, former Emmy Award-Winning journalist, and a story coach. She grew up in the Unification Church, often referred to as the 'Moonies', and adopted this spiritual belief system.
Cara's real journey began when she left this religious movement. As she did, everything she'd been taught and had come to believe in about the world fell out from under her. In completing the Hoffman Process, Cara found great healing. She came to see that, "You can't be haunted by a ghost you know." Listen in as Cara shares about finding her own inner messiah, healing her relationship with her family, and the freedom that comes when you own your story. Cara's Work In the World After completing the Process, Cara was able to finally tell her story to the world in her feature-length film, Blessed Child. Cara's film production company, Storytellers for Good, produced this personal journey documentary.
The seven-year journey of making the film inspires her current coaching work helping entrepreneurs untether their voices and get visible with their stories and bold messages. She works with people to guide them to own their stories. She invites you to "own your story so your story doesn't own you."
Cara is also a MOTH story slam winner. Her writing has been featured in the Washington Post, HuffPo, and the Boston Globe.
You can find out more about Cara here or follow her on Instagram.
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Jen Atkin is a hairstylist, influencer, and entrepreneur. Just over a year ago, she had a powerful Process that changed her life. Jen grew up in a religious family in a small town in Utah. Listen in as she shares about moving to Los Angeles and her rise to the top of her field. With candor and vulnerability, Jen tells us what she's discovered working in the world of fashion and celebrity.
Jen is building a beauty empire with her award-winning hair care line, OUAI, and editorial destination Mane Addicts. Named “the most influential hairstylist in the world" by The New York Times, Jen has more than four million social media followers.
Jen has worked for more than fifteen years in salons and backstage at Paris and New York Fashion Weeks. She's also worked on set with some of the world's biggest celebrities. These include the Kardashian-Jenners, the Hadids, Gwen Stefani, Chrissy Teigen, Katy Perry, and Jennifer Lopez.
Jen's new book, Blowing My Way to the Top: How to Break the Rules, Find Your Purpose, and Create the Life and Career You Deserve, was released on December 8th, 2020.
When she's not juggling clients and her thriving companies, Jen tries to maintain a personal life at home with her husband and dogs. She enjoys hiking, meditating, and using funny memes to inspire her followers not to lose their sh*t.
Photo of Jen by Mike Rosenthal.
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Our guest this week is Anat Baniel. Anat is a trained clinical psychologist, dancer, and was a close professional associate of Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais for over a decade. She is perhaps best known today as the founder of Anat Baniel Method®NeuroMovement®. Listen in as Anat shares a fascinating story of how she came to work closely with Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, as well as how she feels about the Hoffman Process.
Anat's work is at the forefront of movement sciences and brain change. Her work provides breakthrough outcomes to athletes, musicians, those suffering from pain and injury, and children with special needs. She worked closely with Dr. Moshé Feldenkrais, learning from him while planting the seeds of her own emerging work. Anat's work has evolved from over 30 years of her experience with thousands of clients using practical applications of brain plasticity principles.
Anat is the author of the bestselling books, Move Into Life: The Nine Essentials for Lifelong Vitality and Kids Beyond Limits: The Anat Baniel Method for Awakening the Brain and Transforming the Life of Your Child With Special Needs. She is a longtime member of The Hoffman Institute's Advisory Council.
Find out more about Anat here.
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Anita Sanchez, Ph.D., Aztec, and Latina, is devoted to bridging Indigenous wisdom and modern times. In this episode, Anita shares the four sacred gifts she offers in her book, The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times. Anita then tells a story from her childhood that shows the power of The Gift of the Power to Forgive the Unforgiveable. She also shares a big AHA moment during her Process when she learned of the power that a pattern of rebellion 'against' can hold. It takes a lot of energy to stay connected through rebellion.
Anita speaks of how we are all indigenous in the anthropological sense. We are all "from the Earth", she tells us. She goes on to say that "some of us have, for thousands of years, consistently lived the tradition of the original knowledge." She invites us to learn about who we are and where we came from.
Anita Sanchez is an author, trainer, speaker. She works with Fortune 500 corporations, businesses, educators, and non-profit organizations. Her work focuses on cultural transformation, diversity and inclusion, and empowerment of women. She also focuses on bridging indigenous wisdom and science for business and societal renewal.
Anita's international award-winning book, The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times, is published by Simon & Schuster. You can download the free song based on Anita's book at www.FourSacredGifts.com.
Anita leads an annual journey into the sacred headwaters of the Amazon to learn from the Achuar and Sapara people, and reconnect to nature. She is a member of the board of Directors of Evolutionary Business Council, Bioneers, and the Pachamama Alliance. Find out more about Anita here.
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Dr. Jennifer Ashby was raised between NYC and Appalachia by parents who were exotic animal trainers. She moved away from her family at the age of 14 and has been on her own ever since. She's now a city girl who's worked in traditional Chinese medicine in the medical, healing arts for 25 years.
In this episode, Jennifer shares her Process experience vulnerably and evocatively. In her words, the Process was the greatest gift that "has ever been afforded to me besides the birth of my kids. I found myself based on allowing myself to become empty...I just let it all go."
Jennifer is passionate about bringing humanism back to medicine. She's been very active fighting COVID since the pandemic first hit. In March, she was a front line worker screening for COVID cases. She shares her stories about treating people during this time and how Chinese medicine can help fight this disease. Jennifer finds she can be a grounding presence in her patient's lives.
Jennifer received her master's degree in traditional Chinese medicine in 1995 and has had her own private practice for 25 years. As part of her work, she's taught women’s health to masters students for 10 years. She also works as a clinician and in research at UCSF for the past six years. Jennifer's specialties are women’s health, oncology, and polycystic kidney disease.
Jennifer is a mother of three fabulous folks and a friend to all. She's lived in California since 1981 and has owned a bar, a nightclub, and a wine bar. She loves riding motorcycles and still likes good, ole punk music. Nature is her church. Jennifer says, "through it all, she remains 'counter to all culture.'
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Emmanuel Fortune grew up in the Little Haiti community of Miami Florida, a child of Haitian immigrants. His family was 12 - a single mom and 11 siblings (including him). He learned to work hard and to do whatever was needed to help his family. Listen in as Emmanuel shares stories of what this was like and how it impacted his childhood and adolescent years.
During a particular moment in his Process, Emmanuel could feel a breakthrough was possible. He stayed with himself as that moment unfolded into a profound understanding and deep healing took place. By transforming patterns deeply rooted since childhood, Emmanuel's vision for his life and his professional path is blossoming. His story reflects the power of the Process to create real change within ourselves and in our lives.
Emmanuel completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Florida. He completed his graduate studies at Stanford University. He is a lifelong educator with a belief in people’s ability to learn and grow. As you listen to this episode, you will see Emmanuel, himself, is a beautiful example of this.
Emmanuel's professional career spans time working in education, the social sector, management consulting, and most recently six years in philanthropy. He is passionate about economic justice. An educator at heart, his vision is to pursue a Ph.D. He plans to study a business-related discipline to research its relationship to justice and social change.
Emmanuel Fortune is a family man, in all its forms. A giving and compassionate man, Emmanuel knows the power of the heart. He sees the wisdom that lies within each of us.
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Enjoy this lively episode with Tamar Geller, dog trainer, behavior expert, and New York Times bestselling author, and our new co-host Sharon Mor, Hoffman teacher. Listen in as Tamar shares about living from Spirit and training dogs in a whole new way.
Tamar developed the "The Loved Dog" method of dog training. It's an innovative method based on the intersection of brain science, personal development, and a deep understanding of dogs' behavior. Tamar's work is popular with clients such as Oprah, Lady Gaga, the Kardashians, Tony Robbins, Reese Witherspoon, and many others. How It All Began After serving as an intelligence officer working with the Israeli Special Forces, Tamar spent time observing wolves in the wild. She studied the role of the leader as a parent and protector of his pack. By using similar techniques as the wolves, she created a method to train dogs that doesn't involve aggression, dominance, or choke chains. In her training, Tamar goes beyond positive reinforcement. She emphasizes building a solid relationship with the dog by understanding the dog as an individual. She coaches them through games and fun to become the best version of themselves.
Tamar helps PAWrents build a relationship with their dogs based on mutual devotion and love. She founded the first cage-free doggy boarding and daycare center in southern California, called The Loved Dog. Her first book of the same name teaches dog-owners how to train their dogs in a nonaggressive way.
Tamar works closely with the animal rights organizations Humane Society of the United States, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and various rescue organizations. She conducts programs for rescue organizations and offers lectures in dog behavior. She has appeared on a variety of television programs and media outlets, including The Today Show, Oprah, Ellen, and Animal Planet. You can find out more about Tamar and her method of training puppies and dogs here, as well as on Instagram.
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Welcome to Season Two! We are thrilled to open with Stan Stefancic, a retired Hoffman teacher and former Director of Special Projects for the Institute. Stan shares his stories of the Process (including working with Bob Hoffman), as well as his life's work in helping to create a more socially just and caring world. For Stan, "...the Hoffman Process was a life-changing experience. I made many profound discoveries. I also encountered my Spiritual Self, and my own intrinsic worth and value. This meant that I could enjoy what I was doing for its own sake rather than proving through achievement that I was lovable.”
Stan initially studied Civil Engineering while working as a bricklayer/stonemason apprentice. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, he changed direction, earning a BA in English and American Literature. Stan became active in politics and social change in college. He then earned an M.Div. degree at Harvard Divinity School.
While studying for a Ph.D., he began working with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King inspired Stan to leave his graduate study and become a Unitarian Universalist Minister. He was able to become deeply involved with the Civil Rights Movement and participate in meaningful social and political change. A minister for more than 40 years, Stan has served churches in six states. He served on many nonprofit Boards, including Common Cause, ACLU, and Planned Parenthood. Stan has also served as a citizen lobbyist focusing on Campaign Finance reform and ethics and conflict of interest legislation. Stan was honored as Citizen Activist of the Year in 1998 for his contributions to the passage of a Citizen's Initiative resulting in Arizona being one of four states to pass Public Funding of all elected State Officials.
Bob Hoffman & Stan Stefancic in 1986 A Major Life Turning Point A major turning point in Stan’s life occurred when he participated in the Hoffman Process. He had recently resigned his position as Senior Minister after five tumultuous years and was trying to determine what to do next. Then a friend introduced him to Bob Hoffman, who invited him to experience the first 8-day residential Process and become Vice-president of the Institute. Immediately after completing the Process, Stan also began training as a Teacher.
After teaching and training teachers for six years in the USA, Europe, and Australia, Stan left the Institute for a time to pursue other interests. He was a business consultant and did “crisis interventions” with churches where he was able to heal the wounds, repair the organizations, and stimulate growth. “I could not have been successful in those crisis situations had I not done the Process and learned how to stay present, authentic, focused, and deal with transference and projections.”
Stan rejoined the Institute in 2000 as Director of Special Projects and Process teacher. He retired in 2011. Presently, he is writing a Memoir. Stan and his wife Marianne, who is a psychotherapist, live in San Rafael, CA.
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In our finale episode of season one, Raz Ingrasci shares stories from many parts of his life. He offers some deeply moving stories about his own life as a husband, father, and son. Raz also shares an early history of, and fascinating wisdom about, the Hoffman Process. He speaks of his relationship with Bob Hoffman and the early days when the roots of the Process were first taking hold. You won't want to miss this one!
Listen in to find out why the Process is so effective in facilitating the change and transformation in people so needed in our world today. Raz shares about the Negative Love Syndrome and how doing the work in the Process, and in our new Hoffman Essentials, heals. Our times call for us to embody love and us to share it in our 'everyday radius'.
Raz began his spiritual journey as a new graduate of UC Berkeley. He founded the Hoffman Institute Foundation in 1998 and has been an executive, consultant, and facilitator within the “Human Potential Movement” since 1972. Raz is also a Hoffman teacher of many years and Chairman of Hoffman International.
Season two will begin in mid-October. In the meantime, make sure to catch up on all of our season one episodes.
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Jake had a profound spiritual experience during his Process. When he turned the light of forgiveness toward himself, something incredible occurred. As Jake says, what happened isn't 'on the menu' of the Process, but spiritual experiences and profound awakenings can and do happen at the Process. Listen in as Jake shares with us what happened and how it unfolded. Since his Process, this experience has deepened within him and has transformed his life and his relationships.
Jake is a Managing Director at Kinetic Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm. He received his BA from Roanoke College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Jake serves on the Hoffman Institute's Board of Directors. He is the former Board Chair of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington, one of the largest meditation communities in the country.
Jake and his wife, Carrington, both Hoffman graduates, live with their three children in Washington, DC. They both have several siblings and friends who have also done the Process.
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Lindsay is a 2-time entrepreneur, former venture capital analyst, ex-biotechie, and a 2017 TIME Person of the Year. Listen in as Lindsay shares with us some of the profound realizations that occurred for her during her Process, including the life-changing messages she received through dialoguing with her birth parents.
Linsday shares real-life examples of how when one is serious about change and does the work, deep change can happen. Since her Process in December 2019, she has witnessed the changes in her thinking, in her behavior, and in her choices. Others have noticed the changes in her and have wondered if they are a result of Hoffman. Lindsay tells them, Yes.
Lindsay is originally from Minneapolis by way of adoption from South Korea. She has spent the last 12 years living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Lindsay is an alum of the University of Notre Dame, a doting dog mother, enthusiastic home chef, and urban floral forager. You can find out more about Lindsay here.
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In this episode, Renda shares stories of her Process and life in Minneapolis during this time of great unrest. She also shares stories of her magical childhood growing up on a farm. Renda speaks of the many patterns she took on as a child that kept her from knowing who she is and what her true purpose is. In Renda's words, post-Process, "I've finally put 'My Who' and 'My Do' together. I’m not carrying shame around who I really am, what I stand for, and why it matters."
Renda shares her experience of mothering her beautiful adopted son and what it's like living as a family in Minneapolis during this time of protest and grief. Before the Process, Renda had a hard time acknowledging her feelings, let alone grief. Now, she can be present to all that is happening in her town for herself and her son so she can speak up for what she values and what matters to her.
Renda wants to share with graduates that "shining our light is what we are here to do."
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Marc Cooper shares both the story of his Process and what followed after - a healing of the negative love patterns with both his biological and adoptive mothers. Healing doesn't stop at the end of the Process - it continues after we return home. Our healing work radiates love out into our lives and in our relationships with those we love.
An entrepreneur, investor, and inventor, Marc is President of The Fiber Resource Group, Inc. Mark is passionate about the paper industry and finding innovative and effective solutions to business problems. Find out more about Marc here.
Marc lives in the Northeastern United States and has two daughters and a son. He is dedicated to health and wellness and enjoys skiing, trail running, paddle boarding, cycling, and writing.
Marc is currently working on completing his Integrative Positional Therapy (IPT) Certification. He's a supporter of many local and Jewish Community organizations on North Shore and in Israel.
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Raj Kapoor is the Chief Strategy Officer for Lyft, as well as the Head of Business for Lyft’s self-driving division. He joins Drew to talk about the inspiration and new purpose he found from his experience contracting and surviving COVID-19.
Once recovered, Raj created his new brainchild, World Without COVID, to empower others - COVID-positive or -negative - to come forward for testing and participating in clinical trials. He found there’s a stigma around having COVID-19. Now we all have an opportunity to fight this pandemic, together, by using World Without COVID.
Raj also shares his insights on the impact COVID-19 has had on him personally as well as for Lyft as a company. During these tumultuous times, he has witnessed how Spirit-led ideas and actions have sparked real change through these times.
Raj also serves as a board advisor for ClassPass and is a Venture Advisor at Mayfield Fund. Prior to Lyft, he was a co-founder and CEO of both Snapfish (acquired by HP in 2005) and Fitmob (acquired by ClassPass in 2015), as well as a managing director at Mayfield Fund. Raj holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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Erol Senel is a purposeful father of two, a creative professional, and the host of Success Shorts podcast. He's also Director, Planning & Product Integration at Fidelity Investments. In this episode, Erol shares mistakes he made in the months following his Process.
Erol found his life after the Process challenging. He actively used everything he learned at the Process to navigate these challenges. By doing so, Erol discovered a lot about himself, how he now wishes to be in the world, and what he wants for his life. What followed was a new, pro-active use of Hoffman tools to re-write the story of his future.
Success Shorts offers quick and impactful episodes focusing on successful individuals speaking to an intangible trait that's aided in their success. Each episode offers actionable takeaways for the listener.
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"It takes a lot of skill to be a human being." Debby Irving is a racial justice educator and the author of Waking Up White. In this episode, Debby shares the power of the Process and how it can change the trajectory of your life. Halfway through the Process, Debby had a recurring vision in which she saw how much love she has in her heart for others and how this love was meant to be shared with the world.
After leaving the Process, Debby's vision began to guide her life. She started graduate school where enrolled in a course called Racial and Cultural Identities. With all of the 'big-hearted-ness' she'd found at the Process, she opened to a new understanding of white identity, oppression, and racial injustice. Her heart grew heavy with this understanding. Upon leaving school, Debby knew she must heal the heaviness in her heart by diving into the work of anti-racism and activism.
Debby travels the country, leading workshops and presentations. She explores the impact white skin can have on perception. And, she guides people on how to help themselves and others change misconceptions and attitudes. Debby shares her journey of seeing the world through her own white-skewed belief system in order to question the racial disparities she could see and feel. Find out more about Debby and her work here.
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Lynne Twist is the founder of the Soul of Money Institute and author of the best-selling, award-winning book "The Soul of Money: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Life.” In this episode, Lynne shares stories of how love moves through her work and her life. She speaks to the immense power love holds to shift things on our planet.
Lynne calls herself a pro-activist: not an 'activist against' but an 'activist for'. She is a co-founder of The Pachamama Alliance. Their mission is to empower indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest to preserve their lands and culture.
Lynn has worked on-the-ground in Calcutta with Mother Teresa, the refugee camps in Ethiopia, and the threatened rainforests of the Amazon. She's developed a deep understanding of the social tapestry of the world and the historical landscape of the times we are living in.
Over the past 40 years, Lynne has worked with over 100,000 people in 50 countries. Lynne has presented for the United Nations Beijing Women’s Conference, State of the World Forum, and Synthesis Dialogues with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She's been an advisor to the Desmond Tutu Foundation, and The Nobel Women’s Initiative. Lynne is the recipient of numerous prestigious honors, including the "Woman of Distinction" award from the United Nations. You can find out more about Lynne here.
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Rebecca McLoughlin did the Process when she was 23, straight out of college. Not many are lucky enough to find the Process at such a young age, but Rebecca was and she shares how the Process "completely changed the trajectory of her life."
Rebecca shares with us an embodied experience she had at the Process in which she experienced her full aliveness for the first time in her life. Now, she sees how she lives life "plugged into a source of trust, a source of love" that companions her as she lives her life.
Rebecca is a Certified Life Coach with a Master’s in Counseling Psychology. She supports big energy women to do the deep inner work needed to gain personal wisdom so they can be freed from patterns of procrastination, self-sabotage, and burn out.
Rebecca is also a mother to two beautiful souls and endless student on the humbling, healing, and joyful path of conscious parenting. You can find out more about Rebecca here.
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Ryan Estis came to the Process looking for real change in his life. He found it at the end of those seven powerful days.
In this episode, Ryan shares candidly about his journey to live a more heart-centered life. He also shares his experience of guiding companies to make a meaningful impact in the world.
As a Management Consultant, Ryan helps his client companies navigate change, drive growth, and find meaning. He started his research and learning organization ten years ago.
As a Keynote Speaker, Ryan has been recognized as one of “the best keynote speakers ever heard” by Meetings & Conventions magazine. His writing has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, and Entrepreneur Magazines. Ryan publishes original research on sales and leadership trends and blogs regularly on business performance. You can find out more about Ryan here.
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"What Hoffman did was help me rewrite my own narrative. I realized the villains in my life weren't villains; they were wounded people doing the best they could."
In this episode, Shari shares some amazing insights into the process of writing a memoir—for personal growth or publication--and how writing your story can change your life.
As a memoir coach and purpose guide, Shari Caudron is passionate about the transformative power of personal narrative. Working with clients, she helps them understand the story of their lives--whether looking back at past events or looking forward toward new possibilities. Shari is very happily married (thanks in no small part to Hoffman). She's proud to call Boulder, Colorado, home. You can read more about Shari here.
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Jobi Manson is an artist and explorer, and the founder of a water healing practice she calls, Sēfari. She believes that “nature is the key to a creative life” and helps guide people into their creative expression through water immersions.
Jobi had a powerful realization at the Process. Listen in as she shares how what she realized now lives in her life today.
Jobi grew up along the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, on the eastern shores of Maryland. She learned how to swim before she could walk. She spent countless hours wandering beaches, collecting only green rocks (her favorite color), and listening to sounds of moving water.
For Jobi, water is the most powerful and essential element within all forms of life, one that helps us feel and move our emotions with ease. You can read more about Jobi and her work here.
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Shannon Cason has told stories all over the country with The Moth, Snap Judgment, and other popular storytelling platforms. Here, Shannon shares some of his powerful stories from his life before, during, and after the Process. He speaks eloquently and vulnerably of both joy and pain and growing up in Detroit.
We are also fortunate that Shannon's wife, Cindy, joined Drew to tell us a bit about her experience at the Process and how her work there has impacted her life, her parenting, and her relationship with Shannon.
Shannon hosts three podcasts of his own - Homemade Stories, In Good Co. Detroit, and The Trouble. He is the chief educator for the Brutally Honest Storytelling workshop series. Shannon is originally from Detroit. Find him at shannoncason.com.
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Joey Bellus has gathered many tools and insights through his education, but most importantly through his personal successes and failures. In this episode, Joey, who is of Native American descent, shares how his learning from the Process helped him lay the foundation for his practice of understanding his Native traditions. Listen in as Joey shares about traditions, race, and finding and living his life purpose. Joey also tells about his experience with Hoffman's new Virtual Graduate Intensive.
Joey has found the courage to heal from addiction, trauma, depression, and anxiety. Through all of this, he has discovered meaning and purpose in his life.
Joey aims to share his purpose with as many people as possible while on this planet. Using fitness, nutrition, and meditation, he helps people create positive habits to organize and structure their lives in a way that facilitates positive transformation. You can read more about Joey and his work here.
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Michael Fosberg has been working to create a national dialogue on race and identity since 2001 when he launched his one-man, autobiographical play, Incognito. The author-activist has used the arts as a means for social change in corporate and organizational cultures. In this episode, Michael talks about his profound experience in coming to know his true identity and history, as well as his experiences traveling the country performing Incognito. His work is touching many lives.
Michael is a frequent guest in the media speaking as an expert on race and identity issues. For the past fifteen years, his travels have taken him across the country facilitating meaningful conversations at educational institutions, corporations, government agencies, and military bases. His highly praised memoir, Incognito: An American Odyssey of Race and Self Discovery, was published in 2011. Michael is currently working on a second book about his efforts to provoke conversations about race over the past ten years. Learn more about Michael and Incognito here.
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Love the food at White Sulphur Springs? Meet Heidi Krahling! Food, community, and family are the cornerstones of Heidi Insalata Krahling’s life today as they have been throughout her life. In this episode, Heidi shares about food, community, and service; how her work at the Process and in the years since helped her to understand that her true Divine Self is in service to the community with food and her gifts. No wonder Heidi creates the incredibly delicious and healthy food for the Hoffman Process retreat site at White Sulphur Springs.
The owner of two successful restaurants in San Anselmo, Ca., Insalata’s and Marinitas (both Michelin rated Bib Gourmands), Heidi talks about what it was like to grow up in an Italian family where food was a foundational aspect of family life.
Active with many organizations and fundraisers throughout the year, Heidi uses her energy and commitment to serve her community. Heidi's passion for cooking is passed to others through cooking classes, mentoring cooks, and her two cookbooks, Insalatas’s Mediterranean Table and Insalata’s and Marinitas- A story of Two Restaurants. Heidi is active with many organizations and fundraisers throughout the year. Those closest to her heart are Lifehouse, where she has served as the culinary host for 28 years, Adopt a Family, and Extra Food serving on their board.
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Katie Salvage has always had a sense of urgency around wanting to impact change on this planet, and she believes, "the best way I can do that is by working with teens."
In this intimate and revealing episode, Katie talks about her powerful work helping teens find healthy ways to deal with their emotions in the work she does today, as well as stories of personal challenges she's faced in her life.
The oldest of seven children, Katie learned early on many of the lessons she would carry throughout her life: responsibility, compassion, street smarts, and taking care of those you love.
Katie graduated from the Hoffman process 12 years ago and currently resides in the Bay Area, California. As a facilitator for Challenge Day, Katie helps thousands of teenagers and adults practice healthy ways to deal with their emotions utilizing the tools and experiences from her time at Hoffman. In addition to facilitating the Challenge Day workshop, Katie works as a coach, as well as Director of Training and Programming.
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In this episode, you'll find a wonderfully engaging conversation between Jenni and Drew. Jenni is co-owner of the nation’s longest-running satirical comedy theatre, the Brave New Workshop, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Jenni shares what was meaningful for her at the Process as well as how the Process is alive in her life today. She touches on her business and how the work she did at the Process helped her to navigate a difficult experience, as well as parenting and even the current pandemic we're facing.
Find out more about Jenni here.
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Jason is a certified NLP coach and intuitive healer. He recently relocated to Hawaii with his husband, Perry, to pursue a Masters in Religion from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.
In this episode, Jason speaks with us from his new home in Hawaii. He shares how the Process changed his life and gave him the tools to move forward to make his vision a reality. Jason shares about the loss of his mother and how her death affected him deeply.
As he pursues his Master's degree, Jason will research energy medicines used in Eastern religions.
Jason spent the past two years working as an enrollment counselor at the Hoffman Institute. Find out more about Jason here.
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Erin Weed, creator of The Dig, talks with host, Drew Horning. In this uplifting conversation, Erin shares deeply personal stories of both great loss and great success.
Erin Weed helps people clarify their purpose, simplify their message, and amplify their truth. Erin created The Dig, a process for unearthing your purpose and distilling it to just one word. She also founded EVOSO, which trains conscious public leaders to be authentic public speakers. Formerly Erin founded Girls Fight Back, conducting women’s safety seminars across the world. Find out more about Erin here.
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