In Presence We Trust: The Facilitation Podcast

"The abyss that we are so afraid of is actually our connection to the deep love that underlies everything." – Bruce Lyon

Bruce Lyon is a teacher, author and international facilitator who has spent over thirty years working in esoteric wisdom, the tantric arts, cosmology and universal spirituality. He is the founder of Shamballa School and Highden Temple, modern day mystery schools built to support human beings in remembering their essential embodied divinity, and the author of several books, including his newest, Our Dark Divinity.

His path has moved from marine biology to psychology to spiritual and esoteric study, and his work now centers on the yoga of relationship, humanity's collective initiation, and helping people live as fully, richly and freely as possible while empowering others to do the same.

In this episode, Bruce shares:

• How he holds the polarity between the way of fire, intensity and initiation, and the way of water, surrender and trauma informed care, after three decades of transformational work
• The trauma at the root of his own awakening at six years old, and how it shaped a lifetime of teaching through fire
• His move into eldership, stepping back from leading Highden Temple into a more participant role
• What he makes of the public scrutiny and cult accusations aimed at Highden Temple
• The cosmology behind his new book Our Dark Divinity, and what he calls humanity's planetary initiation

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Connect with Bruce Shamballa School: shamballaschool.org Highden Temple: highdentemple.org Our Dark Divinity (book): Amazon

Connect with Rachel Rachel's Email List: subscribe Rachel's Website: rachelrickards.com The Field Facilitator Training: www.the-field.com

Find us on Instagram The Field Facilitator Training: instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation Rachel Rickards: instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

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Bruce Lyon is a mystic, author, and initiatory guide, and founder of Highden Temple in New Zealand. He has spent decades teaching around the world on eros, power, embodiment, and collective awakening. His recent book Our Dark Divinity, co authored with Janine Ma-ree, explores the link between planetary initiation and the next expansion of the human psyche. After decades of intensity and global teaching, Bruce entered a sabbatical and a period of deep reflection, turning inwards toward what he calls his initiation into eldership. He has recently announced that he will return to facilitating at Highden in 2026, stepping back in from a different place inside himself.

• How he is exploring the razor's edge between nervous system safety and real initiation, and the ongoing question of how we hold water and fire together in the spaces we lead

• His transition into eldership as he moves from a life shaped by fire and intensity into a deeper orientation toward presence and the path of water

• His perspective on the controversies surrounding Highden Temple, the impact of visibility, and the importance of repair and staying human inside archetypal roles

• His cosmology of planetary initiation and the evolutionary forces he tracks within the collective field

• How he orients to the larger shift in consciousness unfolding on the planet and why personal initiation is inseparable from collective change

Highden Temple: https://www.highdentemple.org/

Rachel's Email List:

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Rachel's Website:

https://www.rachelrickards.com/

The Field Facilitator Training:

https://www.the-field.com/

The Field Facilitator Training

https://www.instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards

https://www.instagram.com/rachel.rickards

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"You cannot have meaningful change and integration if you do not bring your nervous system with you." – Dr. Stacy Ellis

Dr. Stacy Ellis is a trauma-informed psychologist and group facilitator who bridges clinical rigor with deep, embodied transformation. With over fifteen years of clinical practice, a decade of ongoing group work, and training in modalities like EMDR, somatic therapies, TRE, IFS, breathwork and sound healing, she helps people reprogram childhood imprints in the nervous system so they can live as their authentic adult selves.

In her work, Stacy weaves science, insight and somatic practice to create spaces where inner child work, group healing and nervous system literacy come together. She has a particular gift for helping people understand why they are the way they are, and then offering real, embodied pathways toward wholeness.

In this episode, Stacy shares:

• How her own journey from people-pleasing and caretaking into wholeness led her from conventional therapy into inner child and group work
• The story of a four-day intensive that "updated" her nervous system and transformed her relationship with her mother
• What actually happens inside well-held group containers, and why collective mirroring and co-regulation can create change that one-on-one work alone often cannot
• How she designs inner child workshops to keep the nervous system online, weaving teaching, tools, play and ritual for real integration
• Her working definitions of psychological safety and trauma-informed facilitation, and why they are about empowerment and depth, not coddling

Listener Survey! https://podcastsurvey.paperform.co/

Connect with Stacy Stacy's Website: drstacyellis.com

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: subscribe

Rachel's Website: rachelrickards.com

The Field Facilitator Training: www.the-field.com

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: Oana_flowingart

Etsy: Oana Flowing Art Etsy

"Treating people with just the smallest amount of dignity in a space where they're routinely gaslit and made feel small… it's amazing how people will respond." – Dave Booda

Dave Booda is a writer, musician and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of IntimacyFest and hosts the Darkness Experiment, a five day relational retreat in complete darkness. Over the last 15 years he has led more than 450 workshops on connection, touch and relationships, consulted for communities, festivals and companies, and published over 200 essays on boodaism.com. He also performs as his alter ego "Boodananda," a satirical spiritual sex shaman teaching about abuse and predator warning signs, and serves on the board of the Foundation for Intentional Community while living in rural San Diego, California.

• Why the word "transformation" is so often misused in our industry and how overpromising can leave participants feeling more broken, not more whole
• The difference between transformation, peak experience and community and what ethical containers for each actually require
• How to design intense workshops as if participants were on a medicine journey, including pacing, aftercare and integration once they go home
• Practical facilitation upgrades like real customer service, high touch pre event calls, end of retreat debriefs and asking the sharpest 10–20 percent of the group for honest feedback
• His own growth edge around service, moving from "making rich people feel good" toward work that serves communities and people who would not normally access retreats

Tell us what you think about the podcast!https://podcastsurvey.paperform.co/ Connect with Dave

Dave's essay on ethical ecstacy: https://boodaism.com/lgat/

Website and writings: https://boodaism.com

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: http://rachelrickards.myflodesk.com/subscribe

Rachel's Website: https://rachelrickards.com/

The Field Facilitator Training: https://www.the-field.com/

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: https://www.instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oana_flowingart

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OanaFlowingArt

"Embodiment is the subjective experience of the body. The body as subject, not object." – Mark Walsh

Mark Walsh has spent the last 20 years helping people get out of their heads and into their bodies, sometimes gracefully, sometimes not. He's the author of The Body in Coaching and Training and Embodied Meditation, hosts The Embodiment Coaching Podcast (3M+ downloads), and ran The Embodiment Conference with 1,000 teachers and 500,000 attendees. As founder of Embodiment Unlimited, he has trained over 2,000 coaches across 40+ countries.

In this episode, Mark shares:

• What embodiment actually is beyond trends and why understanding the body as "subject" is central for facilitators

• How embodiment helps us stay sane in a hypercognitive world

• The four elements model of facilitation and how to cultivate real range boundaries presence and humor

• What facilitators often get wrong about embodiment and the shadow side of our field around jealousy money and power

• Why simple everyday practices like nature connection community breath and prayer matter more than intense state chasing

If you are interested in deeper study and certification with Mark through Embodiment Unlimited- Where you can train as an Embodiment Coach (ICF CCE) 6 months online fine out more HERE: https://rachelrickards--embodimentunlimited.thrivecart.com/cec-feb-2026-super-early-bird/

Connect with Mark

https://markwalsh.info/

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: http://rachelrickards.myflodesk.com/subscribe

Rachel's Website: https://rachelrickards.com/

The Field Facilitator Training: https://www.the-field.com/

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: https://www.instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oana_flowingart

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/OanaFlowingArt

"Containment is the process of creating a permission field, a safe container, a somatic experience of being grounded and held." – Nadia Munla

Nadia Munla is an embodiment and intimacy coach known for her pioneering work bridging sensuality, power, and leadership. She's the creator of Embody by Nadia™, a movement method that brings women back into connection with their bodies, pleasure, and truth. With over a decade of experience as a coach and facilitator, Nadia weaves together somatic wisdom, kink-informed energetics, and feminine leadership to help people reclaim safety, depth, and aliveness in how they lead, love, and express.

In this episode, Nadia shares:

• How the worlds of embodiment, kink, and facilitation intersect through energy, trust, and consent.
• Why healing our relationship to power and control is central to personal and collective transformation.
• The difference between containment and penetration—and how these dynamics shape every relationship and facilitation space.
• What it means to lead from loving dominance instead of control.
• How facilitators can hold stronger containers without losing attunement or softness.
• Practical ways to build embodied resilience and nervous-system awareness as leaders.

Connect with Nadia

https://nadiamunla.com/

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: subscribe

Rachel's Website: rachelrickards.com

The Field Facilitator Training: www.the-field.com

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: Oana_flowingart

Etsy: Oana Flowing Art Etsy

People are here for aliveness. They're not here for the actual information you're saying - Jamie Catto

Jamie Catto is an author, filmmaker, musician, and transformational facilitator. He leads workshops such as Transforming Shadows, Insanely Gifted, and Bring It! teacher training, blending play, intimacy, and creativity to help people reclaim their wholeness. Known for his mix of humor and depth, Jamie creates spaces where our shadows, flaws, and brilliance all belong.

In this episode, Jamie shares:

• Why he believes evolution happens quicker when we treat inner work as entertainment rather than labor.
• The role of humor, play, and irreverence in creating authentic group spaces.
• What facilitators need to understand about power, projection, and responsibility.
• How to move gently with our "young parts" instead of pushing for breakthroughs.
• The importance of embracing our foolishness and fallibility as teachers and humans.

Connect with Jamie

…by the way… if you want more laughter and connection and less aloneness in your transformings and healings, Jamie's running a new Gamechanger in the new year (doors opening now) - a 4 month deep dive gentle adventure meeting on Thursdays (closed group) where you play with (and transform) your shadows, creativity and intimacy while making some life-long friends along the way - maybe it's for you :)

jamiecatto.com/gamechanger

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: subscribe

Rachel's Website: rachelrickards.com

The Field Facilitator Training: www.the-field.com

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: Oana_flowingart

Etsy: Oana Flowing Art Etsy

"There's a point where the only option left is to face everything you've been resisting, and that doorway becomes your freedom." – Nic Warner

Nic Warner is a transformational coach and facilitator working at the intersection of men's work, sacred intimacy, breathwork, and plant medicine. His approach weaves ancient and modern technologies to guide men back to truth and embodied purpose. Having walked his own path through addiction, collapse, and renewal, Nic now supports hundreds of men in peeling back the layers of conditioning to live from the heart—clear, connected, and awake.

In this episode, Nic shares:

• His journey through darkness and what it took to rebuild his life from the ground up.
• How pain and resistance can become doorways to freedom and growth.
• The power of men's circles as spaces for truth, brotherhood, and emotional liberation.
• What differentiates men's work from other forms of group healing.
• The inner practices that keep him grounded as a facilitator and father.
• How parenthood has become his next level of initiation and leadership training.

Connect with Nic

https://www.nicwarner.com/

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: subscribe

Rachel's Website: rachelrickards.com

The Field Facilitator Training: www.the-field.com

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: Oana_flowingart

Etsy: Oana Flowing Art Etsy

"When a group becomes coherent, something larger begins to think and breathe through us. We remember that we're part of a living field." – Kosha Joubert

Kosha Anja Joubert is the CEO of the Pocket Project, an organization devoted to healing personal, ancestral, and collective trauma. She grew up in South Africa under Apartheid and has dedicated her life to transformational and intercultural work. Formerly the head of the Global Ecovillage Network, Kosha now works closely with Thomas Hübl to bring trauma-informed leadership and collective healing into communities and organizations around the world.

In this episode, Kosha shares:

• How the Pocket Project works to restore coherence and connection in a fragmented world.
• The relationship between trauma, climate, and consciousness—and how inner work shapes outer action.
• What it takes to cultivate and sustain coherence in large-scale collective fields.
• How facilitators can sense and support the collective body in spaces of trauma healing.
• Why awareness, nervous-system literacy, and humility are essential for trauma-informed leadership.
• The vision behind the upcoming Climate Consciousness Summit

Connect with Kosha

Climate Consciousness Summit: https://climateconsciousness.net

Sacred Story Book: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/4d01e27a7c.html

International Labs here: https://pocketproject.org/international-labs-2023-24/

Pocket Project: https://pocketproject.org/

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: subscribe

Rachel's Website: rachelrickards.com

The Field Facilitator Training: www.the-field.com

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: Oana_flowingart

Etsy: Oana Flowing Art Etsy

"Ritual is magic—it opens the space for what we don't yet know to guide us." – Janine Ma-Ree

Janine Ma-Ree is a transformational facilitator of over 25 years whose work weaves spirit, heart, and embodiment. She is co-author of the book Our Dark Divinity and founder of Red Earth Temple, a 125-acre living temple in Australia where the land itself is teacher and co-creator. Janine is also the creator of the Shamanic Womb Journey, Ecstatic Menopause, Holy Ground, and currently guides a 9-month Dark Apprenticeship.

In this episode, Janine shares:

• The descent path, polarity, and how her book Our Dark Divinity came to life.
• The origins of the Shamanic Womb Journey and its impact for both women and men.
• How she listens through vibration and senses the group body as intelligence.
• Why ritual and land are central co-facilitators in her work.
• Her current devotion to eldership, subtle unseen work, and anchoring wisdom through the dark.

Connect with Janine

redearthtemple.com

Connect with Rachel

Rachel's Email List: subscribe

Rachel's Website: rachelrickards.com

The Field Facilitator Training: www.the-field.com

Find us on Instagram

The Field Facilitator Training: instagram.com/thefieldfacilitation

Rachel Rickards: instagram.com/rachel.rickards/

Our Cover Art was Designed by Oana Serbana

Instagram: Oana_flowingart

Etsy: Oana Flowing Art Etsy