The Evolver

The Evolver backroom has always been a bit of mystery to those outside. Now we pull back the curtain. Today you get to meet members of the Evolver content team based in NY. They talk about what led them into seeing the world through consciousness lenses, and what it’s like to help convene this transformational community. 

Ken is joined by Molly Suggs, Evolver’s General Manager, Faye Sakellaridis, the managing editor of Evolver content and Reality Sandwich, and Jose Alfaro, producer of this podcast. 

Check out Evolver Awakening at http://www.evolverawakening.com

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As more people speak openly about their spiritual experiences, and the challenges that come with waking up, the discussion about how society can appropriately acknowledge and support this shift is attracting the attention of professionals. One such group is the American Center for the Integration of Spiritually Transformative Experiences, or ACISTE (pronounced like “assist”). ACISTE is an association of professional therapists dedicated to educating their field about spiritual emergence. As Ken discusses on today’s episode with 3 people from ACISTE, often people will seek therapeutic help when they’re having an opening, and the therapists they speak with will interpret their spiritual epiphanies as signs of mental illness. Rather than getting validation and support, they get medication and condemnation. 

Ken is joined by: Katrina Michelle, PhD, LCSW, an holistic psychotherapist, and adjunct professor currently based in NYC. Katrina serves as the executive director for The ACISTE. Edy Nathan, MA, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience specializing in the integration of psychotherapy and the world of spirituality, and the author of It's Grief: The Dance of Self-Discovery through Trauma and Loss. Michael Garbe is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, specializing in working with individuals who would like to have spirituality integrated into their therapeutic process. He is currently engaged in doctoral research on spiritual emergencies at Rutgers University.

Learn more at aciste.org

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do our digital tools have encoded within them some of the most destructive and de-humanizing aspects of our society — the notion that a person is no more than what she buys, or how well he plays according the conventional rules of mainstream success? It’s a provocative point, which Douglas Rushkoff is well qualified to make. He’s the bestselling author of 20 books, many of them exploring the frontiers of computer culture — from Cyberia and Media Virus in the mid-90s, to the recent Throwing Rocks at The Google Bus. His new book, Team Human, is a manifesto for a post-digital society and a celebration of human connection. 

Douglas Rushkoff’s website: https://rushkoff.com 

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is consciousness culture ready to repair the disfunction in Washington? Congressman Tim Ryan thinks it’s possible. Tim was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 and is currently serving his 9th term representing Ohio's 13th Congressional district. He follows a daily mindfulness practice, and is an outspoken advocate for promoting mindfulness as a way to deal with a variety of complex problems facing the country. His book about meditation, Healing America, is now in its second edition, and he's also the author of The Real Food Revolution, a book about the joys, the health benefits, and the environmental advantages of growing and eating real food.

Tim and Ken talk about what would happen if the consciousness community got involved in politics. Can the meditators be mobilized? 

Follow Tim Ryan on both Instagram and Twitter: @reptimryan

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re seeing the emergence of a new kind of health care professional -- a healer who blends Western conventional medicine with Eastern and indigenous practices that look at your health through your whole being. Dr. Erica Matluck was trained in conventional medicine, as a nurse practitioner and Naturopathic Doctor. But her interest in healing, and a love of other cultures, led her to also study other unconventional approaches. She became a Reiki master, a massage therapist, a yoga and meditation teacher, and to develop her skills as a clairvoyant. 

Erica works with a wide range of health conditions including digestive issues, thyroid dysfunction, hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue, autoimmune conditions, and anxiety. She addresses the physical, mental, emotional and energetic barriers to health, combining functional lab testing and conventional diagnostics with integrative treatment plans and mind-body techniques.  Currently with the Center for Integrative Therapies in New York, Erica spent 7 years practicing at One Medical in San Francisco. In 2015 she served as the interim director of integrative medicine for One Medical. Erica is a clear, articulate and knowledgeable speaker about what's happening at the forefront of our changing medical paradigm.

Erica Matluck’s website: https://www.experiencesevensenses.com 

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Itzhak Beery is a respected shamanic practitioner and teacher who, after a career as an artist and in advertising, found himself called to the shamanic lineages of the Amazon rainforest and the Andes mountains. He was initiated into the Circle of 24 Yachaks by his Quechua teacher in Ecuador and by Amazonian Kanamari Pajè. He has also trained intensively with other elders from South and North America. Itzhak speaks with great clarity about shamanic practice from a contemporary western perspective -- not as a detached scholar, but as an accomplished practitioner. This is a deep episode, with much insight and gentle wisdom. You might want to listen to it twice, to catch all the jewels. 

Itzhak Beery is the author of 3 books, including The Gift of Shamanism: Visionary Power, Ayahuasca Dreams, and Journeys to Other Realms. For over 21 years he has bridged the spiritual and practical wisdom his indigenous teachers entrusted in him with a forthright contemporary approach relevant to our stressful and unbalanced modern times. Itzhak is the founder of ShamanPortal.org, The Andes Summit and co-founder of the New York Shamanic Circle. And he received the 'Ambassador for Peace Award’ from The Universal Peace Federation and the UN.

For more about Itzhak, visit http://www.itzhakbeery.com. 

Shaman Portal: Shamanportal.org 

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Psychedelics and empathogens are starting to see acceptance as part of the tool kit for treating mental illness. Julie Holland is one of the most articulate and fearless advocates for the appropriate use of consciousness expanding substances as part of mental health treatment. She is a psychiatrist specializing in psychopharmacology, with a private practice in New York City. In 1994, she received the Outstanding Resident Award from the National Institute of Mental Health. From 1996 until 2005 she worked weekends running Bellevue Hospital's psychiatric emergency room, and she wrote an autobiography of this time, Weekends at Bellevue: Nine Years on the Night Shift at the Psych ER. Julie is the editor of Ecstasy: The Complete Guide - A Comprehensive Look at the Risks and Benefits of MDMA, and The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis. Her most recent book is Moody Bitches: The Truth About the Drugs You're Taking, the Sleep You're Missing, the Sex You're Not Having, and What's Really Making You Crazy. 

Julie’s website: http://www.NaturalMood.com 

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You might not think of the strangely alien Blue Man as the product of a massive hit of nature consciousness, but for Chris Wink the line connecting the two is direct. Chris Wink is an award-winning writer, director, actor, designer and composer who co-founded Blue Man Group and the Blue School. Blue Man Group is one of the most recognizable theatrical creations of the past quarter century. The show is currently running in 6 cities around the globe, including Berlin, Vegas, and New York, its city of origin, plus touring companies coming to a city near you. They've made iconic commercials, won theater awards and a Grammy. Chris is currently developing several new multi-media theatrical experiences.

In this fun and wide ranging conversation, Ken and Chris discuss how to bring spiritual epiphanies into public expression through art. Along the way they talk about knowing when you're in alignment through the way your body feels, how the playfulness of Blue Man inspired an innovative approach to education, and the connection between that deep blue Blue Man color and the void. 

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're interested in the connection between yoga and consciousness expansion, you're in for a treat. You don't usually get to hear people who have Kevin Courtney's depth of understanding about the mystical tenants of yoga speak so openly about the true nature of these practices. It's a conversation that's happening more and more over cups of tea, but not often enough on the microphone. Today we're doing our own small bit to remedy that situation.

Kevin is considered one of the most influential yoga teachers in America. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Vogue, VICE, Well + Good, among other places. He is a featured teacher on Gaia online, and has been the curator for yoga practice at the Bonnaroo music festival. Kevin's music group, Nada Sadhana, produced one of the most listened to albums in yoga studios across the country.

Kevin is based in Brooklyn, NY. He offers workshops, classes and retreats worldwide and is also a featured teacher on GAIA online.  

To practice with Kevin online visit http://www.gaia.com/kevin.

To visit his website go to http://www.kevinjcourtney.com

IG @kevinjcourtney

FB @kevinjohncourtney

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charles Eisenstein first got attention for a self-published, brilliant philosophical book called The Ascent of Humanity, which critiques the idea of the separate self — and offers a coherent vision of a society based on the awareness of our interconnection. His next book was Sacred Economics, which flips much of our received wisdom about economics on its head, right down to its title. In his new book, Climate: A New and Ancient Story, Charles takes a similarly radical approach to the environmental crisis. As Ken and Charles discuss in today’s episode, neither the left nor right political perspective on climate is appropriate for addressing the real issues that we face. He makes important points that everyone who cares about the future of ecosystem needs to hear.  

Charles is widely acknowledged as one of our most original and influential thinkers in the emerging consciousness movement. But he didn’t get there by being a tenured professor, or following any standard career path. Ken and Charles touch on that in today’s episode, as well. 

Follow Charles Eisenstein here: https://charleseisenstein.org. And on his Facebook feed here: https://www.facebook.com/CharlesEisensteinOfficial. 

Follow us on Instagram @TheEvolverPodcast: https://www.instagram.com/theevolverpodcast

The Evolver is sponsored by The Alchemist’s Kitchen, a botanical dispensary dedicated to the power of plants, where you can ask an herbalist to recommend the herbal remedy that’s most right for you. Visit https://www.thealchemistskitchen.com. For a 20% discount off any online purchase, use the code: podcast20.  

Theme music is “Measure by Measure,” courtesy of DJ Spooky, aka Paul D. Miller (@djspooky), from his album The Secret Song, and interstitial music are tracks by The Human Experience: "Sunu" from the album Soul Visions with Rising Appalachia, and Here for a Moment on the album Gone Gone Beyond. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.