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, ki...

David A. Robertson, two‑time Governor General’s Literary Award winner and celebrated author, speaker, and advocate, joins Banyen Books for a deeply personal and illuminating conversation on mental health, healing, and hope. In  All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety  he explores the struggles and small victories of living with chronic anxiety, panic attacks, and depression, sh...

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 pres...

In this episode, Judith Orloff, MD—bestselling author of  The Empath’s Survival Guide —returns to explore how to recognize, celebrate, and protect children’s sensitivity while nurturing resilience and healthy boundaries. Drawing from her new children’s book,  The Highly Sensitive Rabbit , Orloff shares the story of Aurora, a caring cottontail who learns to embrace her gifts as a highly sensitive b...

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...

In this episode, world-renowned herbalist, teacher, and author Rosemary Gladstar reflects on a lifetime of relationship with the plant world through her book  The Generosity of Plants: Shared Wisdom from the Community of Herb Lovers . Drawing on more than five decades of practice, Rosemary shares stories, insights, and teachings rooted in herbal healing, gardening, and wildcrafting, illuminating t...

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-aff...

In this episode, mythologist and storyteller Michael Meade reflects on the ancient sources of wisdom that continue to surface amid the polarization and rapid change of modern life. Drawing on his deep background in mythology, anthropology, and psychology, Meade weaves together timeless myths, cross-cultural ritual, and contemporary insight to illuminate the stories we are living now. Author of  Aw...

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...

In this episode of  Branches of Wisdom , guest host Tami Simon—founder and CEO of Sounds True—joins master shamanic healing practitioner Julie M. Kramer to explore the spiritual call to healing, which often arrives through dreams, illness, synchronicities, and life transitions. Julie, founding instructor of  The Art and Practice of Shamanic Healing professional training, shares how to recognize th...

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...

Stephen Jenkinson—author of the award-winning  Die Wise  and founder of the Orphan Wisdom School—presents his provocative new book,  Matrimony: Ritual, Culture, and the Heart’s Work . In a time of hollow ceremonies and self-congratulatory rites, Jenkinson calls for a return to the true purpose of matrimony and ritual as communal acts of meaning. Through vivid storytelling, cultural reflection, and...

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 th...

Fritjof Capra, physicist, systems theorist, and bestselling author, speaks on the the 50th anniversary of his groundbreaking work The Tao of Physics. This influential book brought the mystical implications of subatomic physics to popular consciousness for the very first time, bridging the worlds of science and spirituality. A message of timeless importance, The Tao of Physics continues to inspire...

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 practitione...

Valarie Kaur, author of See No Stranger and founder of the Revolutionary Love Project, shares profound inner wisdom for courageous action. In her book, Sage Warrior: Wake to Oneness, Practice Pleasure, Choose Courage, Become Victory, Valerie Kaur explores how to envision a new world and find the courage to fight for it, even in seemingly apocalyptic times. Drawing from the Sikh tradition of the sa...

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 t...

Dr. Samra Zafar, bestselling author of A Good Wife and one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Inspirational Women, speaks on her book, Unconditional: Break Through Past Limits to Transform Your Future. Blending personal experience with science, Unconditional reveals how unlearning deeply ingrained beliefs is the key to true freedom. After escaping an abusive child marriage, Samra built a new life—but discove...

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 &qu...

Cyndi Dale, bestselling author of the Subtle Body series, discusses her new book Transforming the Legacy and her powerful subtle body approach to healing ancestral and soul-based patterns. Cyndi Dale presents a transformative method for addressing inherited and soul-based issues through the energetic anatomy—your chakras, meridians, and auric fields. Cyndi brings her expertise in energy medicine t...

Jackie Morris and Nick Bantock, internationally renowned illustrators & authors, converse about art, the creative process, and their award-winning and bestselling books. Special focus is given to Jackie Morris' books The Lost Words and Song of the Golden Hare and Nick Bantock's The River Deck, The Corset & The Jellyfish and the Griffin & Sabine series. Nick Bantock, author of 30 books...

Karla McLaren shares insights and wisdom from The Language of Emotions Workbook to help us connect with our feelings and build better boundaries. Karla McLaren, M.Ed., is an award-winning author, social science researcher, and empathy innovator. She is CEO of Emotion Dynamics Inc., developer of Dynamic Emotional Integration®, and creator of the Empathy Academy. Karla is the author of 'The Lang...

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 person...

Richard Rudd, founder of the Gene Keys method, shares wisdom and practices from from his newly released book Gene Keys (Special Anniversary Edition).Gene Keys offers a powerful approach to unlocking your untapped potential by awakening the sleeping genius within. Combining Western astrology, the I Ching, and genetic archetypes, these transformative teachings guide you in decoding your Gene Keys Pr...

Mirabai Starr and Sr Greta Ronningon discuss Mirabai Starr's new book, Ordinary Mysticism, where she reveals how to discover the sacred in everyday life. In Ordinary Mysticism, Mirabai Starr invites us to embrace mysticism not as a distant or exclusive practice, but as a direct, personal experience of the divine woven into the fabric of our daily routines. Drawing on wisdom from spiritual luminari...