Juneteenth invites reflection on freedom, justice, resilience, and the ongoing work of collective liberation.
At Esalen, we believe that listening can be a transformative practice. Through the Voices of Esalen podcast, we've had the privilege of engaging with artists, educators, healers, scholars, community leaders, and visionaries whose work expands our understanding of what it means to embody the raw essence of being and deeply connect to one another.
We invite you to spend time with a collection of conversations featuring Black voices from the Voices of Esalen archive. These guests bring their perspectives on healing, mindfulness, creativity, leadership, community, belonging, and social transformation. Their insights challenge us to think more deeply, listen more carefully, and imagine new possibilities for ourselves and our world.
Each conversation is an opportunity to explore the relationship between personal and collective healing, to cultivate greater presence and compassion, to reimagine systems and structures, and to engage more fully with the complexities of our shared humanity.
We offer these episodes as an opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect. Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is an ongoing practice.
Darnell Lamont Walker is a writer, filmmaker, children’s television creator, and death doula whose work explores healing, storytelling, and social justice. In this conversation, he reflects on supporting people at the end of life, speaking honestly about death with families and children, the power of legacy work and ritual, and the near-death experience that transformed his own path.
Tamala Floyd is an Internal Family Systems therapist specializing in ancestral healing and the release of inherited “legacy burdens.” In this conversation, she explains how IFS helps integrate protective, exiled, and wounded parts of the self, and describes how retreat settings, collective witnessing, and compassionate presence can deepen unburdening and support healing that is felt in both body and spirit.
Dr. Tia Ukpe-Wallace is an orthopedic and pelvic health physical therapist, yoga teacher, and founder of Self-Care Physio whose own experiences with pelvic floor challenges and pregnancy loss shaped her commitment to women’s health. In this conversation also featuring Krishna Dholakia, she explores pelvic health, reproductive wellness, self-care practices, and the importance of knowledge, community, and embodied healing throughout every stage of life.
Dr. Elizabeth Philipose is a scholar, educator, and advocate for decolonial wellness whose work examines the intersections of power, trauma, and healing. In this conversation, she traces the colonial roots of modern patriarchy, explores how historical trauma lives in the body, and shares practices for reclaiming the Divine Feminine, cultivating radical self-love, and imagining more peaceful, life-affirming ways of being.
Kamilah Majied is a contemplative inclusivity and equity consultant, therapist, educator, and author whose work bridges Buddhist practice and Black wisdom traditions. In this conversation, she explores themes from her book Joyfully Just, examining joy as a form of resistance, the role of interdependence in liberation, and how art, language, and contemplative practice can help cultivate compassion while confronting bias and injustice.
Jan Batiste Adkins is a historian and author whose work documents the often-overlooked history of Black communities in California. In this conversation, she explores the experiences, contributions, and resilience of African Americans in the Bay Area from the state's earliest years, while reflecting on the importance of preserving historical narratives at a time when many histories face renewed challenges and erasure.
Bayo Akomolafe is an author, teacher, and modern philosopher whose work challenges conventional thought and fixed boundaries. Born into a Yoruba family in Nigeria and raised between Germany and Africa, he experienced early loss that shaped his inquiry into trauma and healing. He later studied psychology and engaged with traditional shamans, developing decolonial, ‘trickster’-informed philosophy centered on emergence and becoming.
Laraaji is often regarded as a progenitor of New Age music, known for his luminous, meditative sound and joyful, trickster-like presence. Discovered by Brian Eno in Washington Square Park in the early 1980s, he blends music, comedy, and spiritual practice into a contemplative art form. Recorded before a live audience at Esalen in December 2023, the episode opens with a micro concert with Arji Ocenanada and explores presence, interconnection, and music as a pathway into expanded awareness.
Rahshaana Green is Director of Equity and Contemplative Psychotherapy at the Nalanda Institute, bringing a background in biophysical chemistry, business, and over 15 years in life sciences marketing. After a car accident led her to yoga and embodied healing practices, she trained in Forrest yoga and expanded into meditation and compassion work. In this conversation, she explores what makes diversity and equity efforts truly effective, the dynamics of code switching, and the qualities of inclusive leadership.
Sadia Bruce is Director of Product at Esalen Institute, where she works as a creative strategist and embodied teacher, designing transformative experiences that bridge Esalen’s legacy with contemporary relevance. A master yoga teacher with decades of study in breathwork and somatic practices, she integrates classical yoga with modern inquiry and ancestral wisdom. Recorded in October 2023, this conversation explores presence, innovation, and embodied learning.
Rhonda Magee is a law professor, mindfulness teacher, and author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice, known for integrating contemplative practice with social justice. In this conversation, she explores how inner transformation can support societal change through recognizing bias, navigating privilege, and meeting discomfort with compassion. She also reflects on shared humanity, institutional change, and a shift toward a more collective vision of equity and well-being.
Akuyoe Graham is founder of the Spirit Awakening Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit supporting underserved and systems-involved youth through arts-based, trauma-informed, restorative programs. In this conversation, she reflects on the challenges of the juvenile justice system and the healing tools she offers—meditation, writing, and dramatic arts—alongside stories of youth leadership retreats at Esalen. This episode includes bonus material from a follow-up to the original 2021 interview.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Listen to the Voices of Esalen podcast and explore the full archive of conversations.
Juneteenth invites reflection on freedom, justice, resilience, and the ongoing work of collective liberation.
At Esalen, we believe that listening can be a transformative practice. Through the Voices of Esalen podcast, we've had the privilege of engaging with artists, educators, healers, scholars, community leaders, and visionaries whose work expands our understanding of what it means to embody the raw essence of being and deeply connect to one another.
We invite you to spend time with a collection of conversations featuring Black voices from the Voices of Esalen archive. These guests bring their perspectives on healing, mindfulness, creativity, leadership, community, belonging, and social transformation. Their insights challenge us to think more deeply, listen more carefully, and imagine new possibilities for ourselves and our world.
Each conversation is an opportunity to explore the relationship between personal and collective healing, to cultivate greater presence and compassion, to reimagine systems and structures, and to engage more fully with the complexities of our shared humanity.
We offer these episodes as an opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect. Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is an ongoing practice.
Darnell Lamont Walker is a writer, filmmaker, children’s television creator, and death doula whose work explores healing, storytelling, and social justice. In this conversation, he reflects on supporting people at the end of life, speaking honestly about death with families and children, the power of legacy work and ritual, and the near-death experience that transformed his own path.
Tamala Floyd is an Internal Family Systems therapist specializing in ancestral healing and the release of inherited “legacy burdens.” In this conversation, she explains how IFS helps integrate protective, exiled, and wounded parts of the self, and describes how retreat settings, collective witnessing, and compassionate presence can deepen unburdening and support healing that is felt in both body and spirit.
Dr. Tia Ukpe-Wallace is an orthopedic and pelvic health physical therapist, yoga teacher, and founder of Self-Care Physio whose own experiences with pelvic floor challenges and pregnancy loss shaped her commitment to women’s health. In this conversation also featuring Krishna Dholakia, she explores pelvic health, reproductive wellness, self-care practices, and the importance of knowledge, community, and embodied healing throughout every stage of life.
Dr. Elizabeth Philipose is a scholar, educator, and advocate for decolonial wellness whose work examines the intersections of power, trauma, and healing. In this conversation, she traces the colonial roots of modern patriarchy, explores how historical trauma lives in the body, and shares practices for reclaiming the Divine Feminine, cultivating radical self-love, and imagining more peaceful, life-affirming ways of being.
Kamilah Majied is a contemplative inclusivity and equity consultant, therapist, educator, and author whose work bridges Buddhist practice and Black wisdom traditions. In this conversation, she explores themes from her book Joyfully Just, examining joy as a form of resistance, the role of interdependence in liberation, and how art, language, and contemplative practice can help cultivate compassion while confronting bias and injustice.
Jan Batiste Adkins is a historian and author whose work documents the often-overlooked history of Black communities in California. In this conversation, she explores the experiences, contributions, and resilience of African Americans in the Bay Area from the state's earliest years, while reflecting on the importance of preserving historical narratives at a time when many histories face renewed challenges and erasure.
Bayo Akomolafe is an author, teacher, and modern philosopher whose work challenges conventional thought and fixed boundaries. Born into a Yoruba family in Nigeria and raised between Germany and Africa, he experienced early loss that shaped his inquiry into trauma and healing. He later studied psychology and engaged with traditional shamans, developing decolonial, ‘trickster’-informed philosophy centered on emergence and becoming.
Laraaji is often regarded as a progenitor of New Age music, known for his luminous, meditative sound and joyful, trickster-like presence. Discovered by Brian Eno in Washington Square Park in the early 1980s, he blends music, comedy, and spiritual practice into a contemplative art form. Recorded before a live audience at Esalen in December 2023, the episode opens with a micro concert with Arji Ocenanada and explores presence, interconnection, and music as a pathway into expanded awareness.
Rahshaana Green is Director of Equity and Contemplative Psychotherapy at the Nalanda Institute, bringing a background in biophysical chemistry, business, and over 15 years in life sciences marketing. After a car accident led her to yoga and embodied healing practices, she trained in Forrest yoga and expanded into meditation and compassion work. In this conversation, she explores what makes diversity and equity efforts truly effective, the dynamics of code switching, and the qualities of inclusive leadership.
Sadia Bruce is Director of Product at Esalen Institute, where she works as a creative strategist and embodied teacher, designing transformative experiences that bridge Esalen’s legacy with contemporary relevance. A master yoga teacher with decades of study in breathwork and somatic practices, she integrates classical yoga with modern inquiry and ancestral wisdom. Recorded in October 2023, this conversation explores presence, innovation, and embodied learning.
Rhonda Magee is a law professor, mindfulness teacher, and author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice, known for integrating contemplative practice with social justice. In this conversation, she explores how inner transformation can support societal change through recognizing bias, navigating privilege, and meeting discomfort with compassion. She also reflects on shared humanity, institutional change, and a shift toward a more collective vision of equity and well-being.
Akuyoe Graham is founder of the Spirit Awakening Foundation, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit supporting underserved and systems-involved youth through arts-based, trauma-informed, restorative programs. In this conversation, she reflects on the challenges of the juvenile justice system and the healing tools she offers—meditation, writing, and dramatic arts—alongside stories of youth leadership retreats at Esalen. This episode includes bonus material from a follow-up to the original 2021 interview.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Listen to the Voices of Esalen podcast and explore the full archive of conversations.
Juneteenth invites reflection on freedom, justice, resilience, and the ongoing work of collective liberation.
At Esalen, we believe that listening can be a transformative practice. Through the Voices of Esalen podcast, we've had the privilege of engaging with artists, educators, healers, scholars, community leaders, and visionaries whose work expands our understanding of what it means to embody the raw essence of being and deeply connect to one another.
We invite you to spend time with a collection of conversations featuring Black voices from the Voices of Esalen archive. These guests bring their perspectives on healing, mindfulness, creativity, leadership, community, belonging, and social transformation. Their insights challenge us to think more deeply, listen more carefully, and imagine new possibilities for ourselves and our world.
Each conversation is an opportunity to explore the relationship between personal and collective healing, to cultivate greater presence and compassion, to reimagine systems and structures, and to engage more fully with the complexities of our shared humanity.
We offer these episodes as an opportunity to listen, learn, and reflect. Juneteenth reminds us that freedom is an ongoing practice.
“Remembering to be as self compassionate as I can and praying to the divine that we're all a part of.”
–Aaron
“Prayer, reading, meditation, walking.”
–Karen
“Erratically — which is an ongoing stream of practice to find peace.”
–Charles
“Try on a daily basis to be kind to myself and to realize that making mistakes is a part of the human condition. Learning from our mistakes is a journey. But it starts with compassion and caring. First for oneself.”
–Steve
“Physically: aerobic exercise, volleyball, ice hockey, cycling, sailing. Emotionally: unfortunately I have to work to ‘not care’ about people or situations which may end painfully. Along the lines of ‘attachment is the source of suffering’, so best to avoid it or limit its scope. Sad though because it could also be the source of great joy. Is it worth the risk?“
–Rainer
“It's time for my heart to be nurtured on one level yet contained on another. To go easy on me and to allow my feelings to be validated, not judged harshly. On the other hand, to let the heart rule with equanimity and not lead the mind and body around like a master.”
–Suzanne
“I spend time thinking of everything I am grateful for, and I try to develop my ability to express compassion for myself and others without reservation. I take time to do the things I need to do to keep myself healthy and happy. This includes taking experiential workshops, fostering relationships, and participating within groups which have a similar interest to become a more compassionate and fulfilled being.“
–Peter
“Self-forgiveness for my own judgments. And oh yeah, coming to Esalen.”
–David B.
“Hmm, this is a tough one! I guess I take care of my heart through fostering relationships with people I feel connected to. Spending quality time with them (whether we're on the phone, through messages/letters, on Zoom, or in-person). Being there for them, listening to them, sharing what's going on with me, my struggles and my successes... like we do in the Esalen weekly Friends of Esalen Zoom sessions!”
–Lori
“I remind myself in many ways of the fact that " Love is all there is!" LOVE is the prize and this one precious life is the stage we get to learn our lessons. I get out into nature, hike, camp, river kayak, fly fish, garden, I create, I dance (not enough!), and I remain grateful for each day, each breath, each moment. Being in the moment, awake, and remembering the gift of life and my feeling of gratitude for all of creation.”
–Steven
“My physical heart by limiting stress and eating a heart-healthy diet. My emotional heart by staying in love with the world and by knowing that all disappointment and loss will pass.“
–David Z.
Today, September 29, is World Heart Day. Strike up a conversation with your own heart and as you feel comfortable, encourage others to do the same. As part of our own transformations and self-care, we sometimes ask for others to illuminate and enliven our hearts or speak our love language.
What if we could do this for ourselves too, even if just for today… or to start a heart practice, forever?
Listen to the Voices of Esalen podcast and explore the full archive of conversations.
Esalen Institute
55000 Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
US: 1-831-667-3000
info@esalen.org
