Banyen Books ~ Branches of Wisdom

Dr. Stephen G. Post, bestselling author and expert on compassionate care, and Victor Chan, co‑author with the Dalai Lama and co‑founder of the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, discuss Pure Unlimited Love: Science and the Seven Paths to Inner Peace. Drawing on more than four decades of research in medicine, spirituality, and ethics, Post outlines seven practical paths—such as giving, kindness, honoring nature, and raising kind children—for cultivating inner peace, connection, and wellbeing in a divided world. Together with Chan, whose long collaboration with the Dalai Lama helped bring teachings of compassion and forgiveness to a global audience, they offer a grounded, hopeful vision for personal and cultural healing rooted in love, generosity, and deep human care.

Elena Brower, bestselling author, podcast host and Zen practitioner, and Carrie-Anne Moss, acclaimed actor (Trinity in The Matrix series) and founder of Annapurna Living, discuss Elena’s new book, Hold Nothing: An Invitation to Let Go and Come Home to Yourself (Shambhala Publications). They explore how slowing down, embracing emptiness, and practicing self‑empathy can help us reconnect with presence, stillness, and inner clarity in a changing world, weaving together insights from yoga, nonviolent communication, Zen teachings, and Brower’s own life experience. The conversation frames Hold Nothing as a gentle yet powerful companion for personal transformation, inviting listeners to attend to what truly matters beneath the noise of daily life.

In this episode, pioneering psychotherapist Andrew Feldmár joins Kolin Lymworth, founder of Banyen Books, for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving role of psychedelics in psychotherapy and the central importance of human relationship in healing. Drawing from his book Radical Adventure: An Inquiry Into Psychedelic Psychotherapy, Feldmár reflects on his early initiation into LSD therapy in the 1960s and decades of clinical practice, challenging standardized protocols in favor of deep, relational engagement between therapist and patient. A Vancouver-based psychologist trained by figures such as R. D. Laing and Stan Grof, Feldmár brings a lifetime of insight into psychedelic therapy, while Lymworth offers the perspective of a community-builder whose vision has helped make Banyen Books a gathering place for wisdom, inquiry, and healing.

In this episode, New York Times bestselling author and environmental thinker Paul Hawken explores the deeper story of carbon through his latest book, Carbon: The Book of Life. Moving beyond the familiar climate narrative, Hawken reveals carbon as the elemental force that animates all living systems—plants, animals, fungi, agriculture, and human life itself—and invites a more integrated, life-affirming relationship with the natural world. Founder of Project Drawdown and Regeneration, and author of influential works including The Ecology of Commerce, Blessed Unrest, and Regeneration, Hawken brings decades of insight into how re-imagining our relationship with nature can help shape a just, resilient, and hopeful future.

In this episode, renowned scholar Elaine Pagels explores the hidden histories behind the figure of Jesus, drawing from her groundbreaking new book Miracles and Wonder. Blending rigorous historical scholarship with vivid storytelling, Pagels examines how stories of Jesus’s miracles, resurrection, and divine birth emerged, evolved, and came to shape a world-changing movement. A longtime professor of religion at Princeton University and recipient of the National Humanities Medal, Pagels reflects on why these narratives proved so enduring and what they continue to reveal about the spiritual questions at the heart of Christianity today.

Beloved poet and philosopher Mark Nepo joins Joel Fotinos to discuss The Fifth Season, an inspiring reflection on the gifts and challenges of aging. Now in his seventies, Nepo explores how growing older can be a time of integration, creativity, and deeper clarity—a “fifth season” when life’s true colours begin to shine. A New York Times #1 bestselling author of more than 20 books, including The Book of Awakening and Surviving Storms, and a cancer survivor interviewed by Oprah Winfrey and Robin Roberts, Nepo offers this new work as a companion for making meaning, finding grace, and sharing the journey of living and dying.

Award-winning author and longtime As It Happens co-host Carol Off discusses her #1 national bestseller At a Loss for Words: Conversations in an Age of Rage, an urgent exploration of how words like democracy, freedom, and truth have been distorted and weaponized, eroding our shared political language. Drawing on decades of acclaimed reporting and over 25,000 interviews, Off shows how this loss of meaning silences dialogue, fuels division, and leaves us vulnerable to authoritarianism and greed. A celebrated journalist who has reported from war zones and political upheavals worldwide, Off is also the bestselling author of The Lion, the Fox, and the Eagle, Bitter Chocolate, The Ghosts of Medak Pocket, and All We Leave Behind—and the recipient of numerous honours including a Gemini Award, two New York Festival gold medals, ACTRA’s John Drainie Award, and the RTNDA Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dr. Steven Farmer, best-selling author and shamanic practitioner, speaks on his new book Healing Ancestral Family Patterns: A Practical Guide to Ending the Cycle of Intergenerational Trauma. Dr. Farmer explores how ancestral patterns shape our lives and provide practical tools to break free from inherited cycles of trauma. Dr. Steven Farmer is a world-renowned author, teacher, shamanic practitioner, and Soul Healer. A best-selling author of Animal Spirit Guides, Healing Ancestral Karma, and Earth Magic, Dr. Farmer is also a licensed psychotherapist, ordained minister, and former college professor with three collegiate degrees. His extensive knowledge and experience enable him to offer an exceptional and transformative experience to his clients.

Julia Cameron shares wisdom and tools to ignite your creativity from her new book, The Artist's Way Toolkit: How to Use the Creative Practices. Julia delves into the transformative philosophy behind The Artist’s Way, sharing insights into how its creative practices—from “morning pages” to artist dates—can unlock artistic potential for anyone. Through engaging stories and guidance, she’ll explore the power of consistent creative discipline and offer never-before-shared tips, answering questions to help participants connect more deeply with their creativity. Whether you’re new to The Artist’s Way or a longtime follower, this event and book will re-energize your creative journey with practical strategies and inspiration.Julia Cameron, hailed by the New York Times as “The Queen of Change,” is credited with starting a movement in 1992 that has brought creativity into the mainstream conversation—in the arts, in business, and in everyday life. She is the best-selling author of more than fifty books, fiction and nonfiction; a poet, songwriter, filmmaker and playwright. Commonly referred to as “The Godmother” or “High Priestess” of creativity, her tools are based in practice, not theory, and she considers herself “the floor sample of her own toolkit.” The Artist’s Way has been translated into fourty languages and sold over five million copies to date.Joel Fotinos has been a publishing professional for many years, as well as a minister and author. After 21 years as a Vice-President and Publisher at Penguin Random House, Joel joined Macmillan to start a new mind/body/spirit imprint called St. Martin's Essentials. He and Julia have worked together for 29 years so far, and hope for many years to come.

Susan Gillis Chapman shares helpful insights and wisdom from her new book, "Which Way Is Up?" She is joined in conversation with Jan Marie Martell.Drawing from her personal journey through cancer during the isolating years of the Covid pandemic, Susan offers a guide to navigating difficult times with mindfulness, compassion, and courage. Through the lens of Buddhist teachings on the "bardo"—a period of transition—she reveals how we can face our fears, transform suffering, and emerge stronger.Susan Gillis Chapman is a Buddhist teacher, retired family therapist, and author with decades of experience in contemplative psychology and meditation. She has trained under notable teachers like Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Pema Chodron, and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and her work emphasizes the power of mindfulness in times of personal crisis. Her first book, The Five Keys to Mindful Communication, has been widely praised. Her new book is Which Way Is Up? Finding Heart in the Hardest Times. Which Way is Up? offers practical and transformative guidance for facing life's greatest challenges.Jan Marie Martell is a poet, writer, photographer, botanical pharmacist, and former film teacher at Emily Carr University. She has been a student of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche since 1996 and member of his organization, Nalandabodhi, since its inception.

Ron Pevny, founder and director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, shares wisdom on living a fulfilling, purpose-driven second half of life.As today’s seniors redefine what it means to age, Conscious Living, Conscious Aging offers wisdom and practical tools for navigating this new chapter with vitality, engagement, and spiritual depth. Pevny introduces Conscious Eldering as a pathway to personal growth, service, and lifelong exploration, helping readers cultivate meaning, navigate life transitions, and embrace their elder years with intention. This conversation will explore how aging can be a time of transformation, contribution, and deep fulfillment.Ron Pevny, M.A., CSL has for forty years been dedicated to assisting people in negotiating life transitions as they create lives of purpose and passion. He is Founding Director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, based in Colorado, which for 20 years has presented workshops and retreats across North America to support people in bringing purpose, growth and commitment to service to their elder years. He is author of Conscious Living, Conscious Aging: Claiming the Gifts of Elderhood, published by Beyond Words/Atria Books in 2014, with a new, 10th Anniversary expanded and updated edition published this past July. Ron is also a Certified Sage-ing® Leader, and has served as the host/interviewer for three Transforming Aging Summits presented by The Shift Network and co-host for the Turning Points interview series presented by Sage-ing International.

Rob Wipond, author of Your Consent Is Not Required, discusses the alarming rise of psychiatric coercion—and how we can push for ethical, person-centred alternatives.Asylums may have closed, but their practices persist in troubling ways. More people than ever are being involuntarily committed and forcibly treated. In Your Consent Is Not Required, investigative journalist Rob Wipond exposes how psychiatric incarceration, forced medication, and coercive interventions extend beyond hospitals into homes, schools, prisons, and social services—impacting not only those deemed "dangerous" but also schoolchildren, the elderly, whistleblowers, and marginalized communities. While revealing these hidden injustices, the book also explores humane, consent-based alternatives for supporting people in crisis.Rob Wipond is a freelance investigative journalist who writes about the intersections of psychiatry, civil rights, policing, surveillance, and social change. His work has been nominated for seventeen magazine and journalism awards for reporting on science, medicine, law, business, and community issues.

Amy Tan, 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Joy Luck Club, discusses her new book, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Blending birdwatching, nature, and personal reflection, The Backyard Bird Chronicles features Tan’s original sketches and insights on finding peace in the natural world. Amy Tan is the bestselling author of several novels, including The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter. The Joy Luck Club spent over forty weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and was adapted into a critically acclaimed film, for which she served as co-producer and co-screenwriter. Her works have earned numerous accolades and have been translated into more than 35 languages. She lectures at prestigious universities internationally, delivered a TED talk on creativity, was featured on Sesame Street, and spoke at the White House. Tan is also an advocate for environmental conservation and serves on the board of the American Bird Conservancy.