The Hoffman Podcast

Hoffman Institute Foundation

Love’s Everyday Radius

  1. 5d ago

    S12e21 Mike Ingrasci - The Gifts That Come With Change

    “It was this conversation between three generations — but I was the only one who could speak. Someone wise told me to recognize the gifts that come with change. That was really a gift. There’s a connection there across generations. And that’s really what Hoffman does.” – Mike Ingrasci Drew and Mike/Hoffman Podcast Studio Hoffman’s Director of Marketing, Mike Ingrasci, sits down with Drew to talk marketing, brand, and his Hoffman experience. The son of Raz and Liza Ingrasci, founders of the Institute, Mike’s experience of Hoffman goes way back. He shares, “I think that I got Hoffman a bit through osmosis, whether it was like whispers in the house, teachers who came to visit at dinner, just the way in which my parents raised us as children. …They really let us be kids, and they were protective of that, because they had done the Process, and they knew what that meant.” Raz, Mike, and Leo Since Raz’s passing, Mike has reflected on the gifts that come with change. His friend suggested this as a way through the tough time ahead. Between the day Raz passed away, Dec 31, 2025, and the day of his Celebration of Life in March, Mike and Sara needed to take turns putting Leo to bed. Leo was going through a stage where he didn’t want to be left alone. So every other evening, Mike would lie on the floor by Leo, writing into his Notes app on his phone. One night, he realized that there were three generations linked – father, son, grandson – and only one of them – Mike – could speak. He continued to write the words from this generational connection, eventually sharing them with the over 1500 friends and family gathered. As Mike shares, this is a cornerstone of what Hoffman is about. Aligning and refining Hoffman’s Brand: As Director of Marketing, one of Mike’s goals is to align and refine Hoffman’s brand to accurately reflect the decades of powerful transformational experiences of well over 100,000 Process graduates. When young, Mike had a hard time knowing how to talk about the Process. He knew his parents were ‘helping people,’ and that they loved and wholeheartedly believed in the Process. Once Mike took the Process in 2009, he understood, as a lived experience, what he could never conceptualize. And now, it is perfect that he is the guide for this elevation of Hoffman’s brand into something that reflects what it is and makes it welcoming, understandable, and reflective of its organic coolness. Armed with a mood board, Instagram, and a lifetime surrounded by Hoffman, Mike is crafting an ever-evolving invitation into the profound beauty and magic of the Hoffman Process. For Mike, Brand = Promise + Experience + Reputation.  At Hoffman, these three things have always been incredibly strong. The Process delivers on its promise, the experience is transformative, and the reputation speaks for itself. Mike’s approach isn’t about changing any of that…it’s about building the world around it: creating an ecosystem that feels thoughtful, elevated, and welcoming for both people discovering Hoffman for the first time and graduates who continue to engage with it for years. His goal is simple: to make every touchpoint reflect the integrity of the Process, and elevate how Hoffman is experienced and perceived while remaining true to the work itself. We hope you feel the warmth and care of this invitation and conversation. https://youtu.be/OlvZy60Vjkc Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify More about Mike Ingrasci: Liza, Mike, Raz, and Marissa Long before joining the Hoffman Institute as Director of Marketing, Mike Ingrasci was embraced by the Process. His parents, Raz and Liza Ingrasci, served as its stewards for decades. Hoffman was woven into the fabric of Mike’s childhood. Mike earned a BFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts before beginning his career as Director of Video at Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp. He joined Barack Obama’s historic 2008 presidential campaign as an intern, then became a key member of the 2012 Obama campaign’s Chicago-based video team. He produced content for the President throughout his successful re-election campaign. This experience reinforced Mike’s belief in the power of storytelling to move people and create change. Leo, Mike, Sara Ingrasci Over twelve years, Mike helped build John Elliott into one of the world’s most respected independent fashion brands. He led sales and brand marketing while helping shape its creative voice. During Mike’s tenure, the brand earned accolades, including GQ’s Best New Menswear Designer, presented runway shows in New York and Paris, and collaborated with globally recognized brands Nike, Converse, Gap, and more. That experience shaped Mike’s approach to marketing: the best stories don’t sell — they connect. Although Mike grew up around Hoffman, the Process itself remained unknown until he attended in 2009. His biggest takeaway? While many of us spend our lives searching for love outside ourselves, we’re ultimately looking for the ability to give more love — and the openness to receive it. This realization underscores Mike’s work, relationships, approach to fatherhood, and the stories he tells. Mike lives in Northern California with his wife, Sara, and their two-year-old son, Leonardo “Leo” James. Leo’s middle name honors Raz, whose lifelong dedication to the human potential movement inspires Mike’s work and belief in the transformative power of the Process. Discover more: Follow Mike on Instagram and Facebook. As mentioned in this episode: Raz and Liza Ingrasci, Founders of the Hoffman Institute Foundation •   Liza is the former CEO and President. Raz was a Hoffman teacher and the former Chairman of Hoffman International. Listen to Raz on the Hoffman Podcast: Husband, Father, Son •   Liza and Raz Ingrasci’s stated mission: “Our mission is to provide people greater access to the wisdom and power of love in themselves, in each other, and in the world.” Mike filming during the Obama campaign. Mike was drawn to the message of hope and change. Oprah and Raz on the Oprah Podcast Maria Shriver shares her Process experience on the Oprah Podcast. Hoffman on Instagram: Daily 8 am PT Quad checks and 6 pm PT Appreciation and Gratitude posts Inside(r) Baseball New Age Hoffman Process Scholarships Ongoing Hoffman programs: The Q2 three-day intensive: Beyond Mom and Dad Webclasses One-day Refreshers The iPhone Notes App The Ingrasci Family photo, Thanksgiving, 2025 Charles “Raz” James Ingrasci Obituary Video recording of Charles “Raz” Ingrasci Celebration of Life, March 14, 2026 “Look at the hoop, close your eyes, and think of something you love, and it will go through.” – Raz Ingrasci “Love is a renewable resource.” – Raz Ingrasci

    30 min
  2. Jun 18

    S12e20 Sara Bissell Rubin - Living With the Human Experience of Pain

    “There was something about the Process that really allowed me to understand that there’s also a lot of healing that comes from pleasure and play and connection, and to really disentangle the parts of me that were so attached to being a sufferer, to being someone who struggled.” – Sara Bissell Rubin Sadie and Sara at the Hoffman Podcast Studio, Santa Sabina Medical Sociologist and Hoffman Process grad, Sara Bissell Rubin, holds a PhD in the neuroscience of pain and is a chronic pain educator. Sara joins Sadie to talk about the physical and emotional experience of pain, the science behind pain, and her experience in the Process as someone who lives with a chronic pain condition. Special note: Sara’s video episode is one of the first recorded in our new Hoffman Podcast Studio at Santa Sabina, our new retreat site. So, welcome, Sara, and welcome all to our new podcast studio home. This conversation is a warm doorway into a topic most of us would rather not discuss. With Sara’s wisdom and compassion, we can begin to change how we relate to our own pain. Sara shares that it can be hard to see our way out of pain when we’re in it. We learn to relate to pain in our childhood and take those patterns into adulthood. By disconnecting from these patterns through the Process, we can begin to relate to pain in a new way. During her Process, Sara did exactly this. She saw that she tended to relate to pain through suffering and struggle. Through the Process, Sara found that play, pleasure, and connection are powerful allies in healing. Sara says she trusts in love and compassion and is reclaiming self-trust in relation to pain. We hope you enjoy this healing conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPmSCfAfauM Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify More about Sara Bissell Rubin: Sara Bissell Rubin has spent a lot of her life thinking about pain. A medical sociologist and chronic pain educator, Sara received her PhD from UCSF. There, she studied how neuroscience makes sense of pain and how those understandings shape the way we think about and treat it. Before that, she was a clinical bodyworker providing hands-on care for people with severe chronic pain and PTSD. During grad school, Sara developed her own chronic pain condition. This lent a layer of urgency and fervent curiosity to her research topic. She brings these three ways of knowing – academic, somatic, and lived experience – to her work as she guides individuals and groups towards finding their own resolution from chronic pain. In part because of the nature of her work, which involves walking with people through the most difficult areas of their lives, Sara came to the Hoffman Process strongly identified with her dark side. She held a strong belief that life’s struggles were where the truth lay, and that embracing them was the only path to real healing. Sara also had a secret wish that the Process would finally fix her for good. Although she advocated in her research and her work for the human capacity for agency, she didn’t truly believe that change was possible because she hadn’t experienced any lasting change in herself. During her Process, Sara realized that the constant striving to be fixed was reinforcing the shame message that she was broken and in need of fixing in the first place, and that, for her, real growth comes from love, play, and connection. Discover more: Learn more about Sara at www.painfermata.com. Follow Sara on Instagram and Facebook. As mentioned in this episode: Michael Klein, PhD, Therapist and teacher of Mindfulness and Self-Compassion Chronic Daily Migraine Sara’s teacher, Jason Beegle. •   Listen to Jason on The Hoffman Podcast: Our Pre-Process Panel – with Regina, Marc, and Jason

    31 min
  3. Jun 11

    S12e19 Julie Shapiro - Bubba, Buddha, and a Bench

    “It was always in a weird way, I wouldn’t say triggering, but I just didn’t like it. And then by the end, I really did love it. It just felt really heartwarming when different people in the Process, even still, since we all – a lot of us still keep in touch, and they call me Bubba, it makes me smile.” – Julie Shapiro Hoffman grad, Julie Shapiro, found herself at a crossroads. She knew what she wanted to change in herself. Yet, she also felt unable to make that change. There’s change we can make through our choices, and then there’s change that must come from deeper within. The Hoffman Process works in this deeper place within us through the Cycle of Transformation. This is the place where the “magic” of the Process happens. Julie’s story is one of courage, desire, and willingness. She came to the Process with profound scepticism. But she also came with a willingness to fully enter into the Process to allow change to happen within her, even though she couldn’t understand how it would happen. In moments of silence in nature, time with a Buddha, and places where Julie knew she had to go deeper, the “magic” of transformation happened. She gained new insights and saw a deeply rooted pattern. In one moment that allowed her Process to go deeper, Julie realized she had to use the childhood nickname her father had given her on her name tag rather than her given name. She knew that, even though her nickname, Bubba, triggered her, using it would be important. And it turned out to be. As Julie shares, using Bubba “was the real way to connect with my childhood, connect with my parent relationship, work through some things that I may not have had the opportunity to do before he died, and just really connect with him.“ Connecting with her childhood unlocked something deeper within. Hearing fellow students call her Bubba began to bring her joy. Beautiful, ineffable things can happen when you surrender to the Process, as Julie did. We hope you enjoy this heartfelt conversation with Julie and Sadie. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify More about Julie Shapiro: Have you ever known exactly what you wanted to change about yourself — but felt unable actually to make the change? It was at that crossroads that Julie Shapiro signed up for the Hoffman Process. At 42, she felt that certain milestones, like marriage and starting a family, were out of reach. A lifelong New Yorker, she’d recently moved to Los Angeles and unexpectedly lost her dad within weeks of moving. A Stanford graduate, she set impossibly high standards for herself, both personally and professionally. Little Bubba Julie had spent years in therapy, taken meditation courses, and tried other modalities to reduce anxiety. She was self-aware and could name her patterns. But awareness alone wasn’t moving the needle to evoke the changes she wanted. The Hoffman Process was not something she ever would have considered. She expected it to be “woo woo” and couldn’t imagine that a one-week retreat had any long-term benefits. But despite her skepticism, she attended the Process in 2024, hoping it might unlock something within her. The Process did just that. Through the Cycle of Transformation, Julie was able to move beyond her lawyer-trained intellect and tap into her emotional and spiritual selves. She discovered a deeply rooted pattern of living in survival mode — pushing through things that made her unhappy just to achieve the end goal. As the Process week unfolded, she began to believe that a spirit-led life, focused on “being” rather than “having,” was not only possible, but available to her. One year later, in 2025, Julie returned for the Q2 graduate program to deepen her Hoffman toolkit. She is actively reorienting her life around who and what truly light her up — and redefining achievement along the way, from her tangible accomplishments to the person she is becoming. Follow Julie on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Hoffman’s Q2 is a three-day program for Process graduates. Early-onset Alzheimers Drew Horning: Julie’s Hoffman teacher and one of the Hoffman Podcast hosts. The Crossword Hoffman Terminology and Tools: Awareness Hell: In the Hoffman Process, when we’re in awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do that we wish we didn’t, but we are still unable to change. We understand, but feel stuck in this place of hell, even though our awareness keeps expanding.  To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation. The Cycle of Transformation: The four steps in the cycle are Awareness, Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation.               Be-Do-Have vs. Do-Have-Be: The life we long for comes from Be-Do-Have; the life we are taught we should strive for comes from Do-Have-Be. Recycling/pre-cycling is a tool and a practice for receiving wisdom from your own Spiritual Self, which gives you qualities that lead you directly to new behavior, authenticity, and the freedom to respond rather than react to patterns. You replace a pattern with an authentic quality of your Spiritual Self and embody that quality. You create new behavior from this embodiment. When recycling, you use a scene from your recent past when you acted out the pattern. In pre-cycling, you use an imagined scene when you act out the pattern at some point in the future. Your Spiritual Self ultimately guides you on how to BE so that you DO what supports your being and HAVE what you need to support your living. Read about Dark Side work in the Hoffman Q2.

    38 min
  4. Jun 4

    S12e18 Julia Bodkin - Nowhere Left to Go, Nothing Left to Lose

    “I often feel like the work is kind of a disintegrative work that we’re doing, we’re allowing the patterns and the structures to release, so that there’s sort of nowhere left to go, because there’s nothing left to lose.” – Julia Bodkin Beloved Hoffman Process facilitator and psychotherapist, Julia Bodkin, first took the Process in India in her very early adulthood. After living quite a bit of life, she took it again in Australia. Now, as a trained professional in many healing modalities, Julia facilitates the Process in the U.K. She brings a lifetime of experience, wisdom, and expertise, along with her generous, vulnerable heart. In her youth, Julia wondered if there could be more to life than just getting a job and settling down. She grew up in a middle-class British family that, to her, seemed very “dull.” So she left the U.K. and travelled around India until she came to Pune, India, where she studied on and off for ten years. Along her journey, having worked within many of the great schools of spiritual transformation, Julia knew she was seeking enlightenment and an “everlasting blissful state.” Through study, teaching, and much meditation, she’s, over time, found herself settling into an awakening and the embodiment of her true nature. Julia now sees it as “settling into what is.” In teaching the Process, Julia shares how beautiful it is to watch students soften into themselves. She shares that in shedding patterns, they start “to get familiar with something that they’ve been trying to avoid, and realize how beautiful it is, and how much more open, and how much sweeter it is to have that connection with themselves.“ We know you’ll love this conversation with Julia and Drew. It’s filled with many bits of Hoffman history that might be new to you. Listen on Apple Podcasts More about Julia Bodkin: Julia Bodkin has been a Hoffman Process facilitator since 2014. She completed the Process, trained in Australia, and is now based in Devon, in the U.K., where she has a private psychotherapy practice. Julia’s work is inspired by more than 35 years of personal and professional immersion in different schools of psychotherapy and meditation. She has a degree in psychotherapy and a long career as a therapist in private practice, individually and with groups. Julia has worked as an addiction therapist at the original Priory Hospital in London. For 15 years, Julia was a co-creator and a senior facilitator of The Path of Love process. She has been a senior teacher of the Diamond Logos Teaching since the late 1990’s. She has expertise and experience in Trauma Healing/SE®, Addiction Treatment, Gestalt Therapy, Group Therapy, Family Therapy & Family Constellation, and is also a Craniosacral Therapy practitioner. As a traveller, Julia has lived and worked on several continents and is passionate about supporting people in reconnecting with their true nature. As mentioned in this episode: County of Devon, South West England. •   Dartmoor, an upland area in southern Bob Hoffman, Founder of the Hoffman Process Osho Ashram, Pune, India Pokhara, Nepal •   White water rafting North of India, in the Tibetan Buddhist area of Ladakh The Path of Love Faisal Muqaddam Diamond Logos™ Teachings The Diamond Approach, Ridhwan School •   Ali Hameed Almaas (A. H. Almaas) •   Karen Johnson Claudio Naranjo •   Enneagram •   SAT: Seekers After Truth The Priory, London, England Negative Love •   A Path to Personal Freedom & Love: Written by Bob Hoffman. Download and read in PDF form. •   Listen to Drew and Andy Milberg, Hoffman teacher: Exploring the Negative Love Syndrome Zen Buddhist Koans •   How to practice Zen Koans. Spiritual Self •   Essence, the Essential Self, your True Nature

    37 min
  5. May 28

    S12e17 Markus Bihler - Intelligence Below the Neckline

    “At the very end, we’re all the same, and we want the same thing, which is we want to feel like we’re worthy of love and belonging.” — Markus Bihler Markus Bihler | Chairman, Hoffman South Africa The Chairman of Hoffman Institute South Africa, Markus Bihler, is a different person than he was before taking the Hoffman Process. One beautiful outcome of his Process was the journey he made from his head to his heart. Markus spent 35-plus years of his life as a “medical anomaly,” namely, “as somebody who had a head but no body.” He lived in his intellect. During the week of his Process, Markus cried more than he had ever cried in his adult life. Calling it a “liberating experience,” he now knows that all emotions are legitimate and have a reason for being. And he found deep empathy for young Markus, which led to empathy for his family and people in general. After his Process, not only did Markus change, but his life changed, too. He and his wife, Angelina, moved home to South Africa. Once there, one of the first things he did was look for a Hoffman grad group. When he realized there was no Hoffman Institute South Africa, he and Angelina rolled up their sleeves to create one. They have opened and now run the Hoffman Institute in South Africa. They held their first Process this past Spring. Using powerful metaphor and analogy, Markus shares his experience and knowledge of the Process in ways that bring its gifts into clear focus. He also speaks to the business side of Hoffman. For Markus and Angelina, the ‘business’ of Hoffman is not to make money. It is to “provide scale for this Process to permeate further into the world.” Their expertise and enthusiasm for the Process’s growth are helping to bring Bob Hoffman’s vision, “world peace, one person at a time,” more fully into reality. Listen on Apple Podcasts More about Markus Bihler: Markus and Angelina Bihler Angelina and Markus Bihler have started the Hoffman Institute South Africa, based in Cape Town, where they live with their two young sons after a global career in tech and finance, respectively. Markus Bihler is a director, investor, and former CEO with a background spanning global consumer and investment businesses. He has worked across Europe, Southeast Asia, and international markets, including leading two successful CEO-led exits and founding a global long/short hedge fund focused on consumer equities. Earlier in his career, he was with Blackstone and EQT in private equity. Markus is a graduate of Oxford University and a Professor of Finance at the University of Cape Town. Follow Markus on LinkedIn. Find out more about Hoffman South Africa’s upcoming Process dates here and their global press coverage here, and follow them on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Hoffman Institute UK •   Serena Gordon and the UK team •   Serena on the Hoffman Podcast: The Treasures of Your Past Read more about the new China Hoffman Center. •   Rao Rao, Hoffman China teacher, on the Hoffman Podcast: Across the World, We Share the Same Humanity Matt Brannagan, CEO of Hoffman Institute. •   Matt on the Hoffman Podcast: Our New CEO for Hoffman 3.0,  Communities of Meaning Read more about Bob Hoffman, founder of the Hoffman Process. Raz Ingrasci, Founder of the Hoffman Institute Foundation, USA. •   Raz on the Hoffman Podcast: Husband, Father, Son •   Raz and Marissia Ingrasci on the Hoffman Podcast: Spiritual Lineage and the Hoffman Process Hoffman South Africa Process venue: •   Mont Fleur Conference Venue in the heart of the Stellenbosch winelands. Nestled in the Blaauwklippen Valley, Mont Fleur is a small, family-run venue.  read more…

    31 min
  6. May 21

    S12e16 Tyson Fok - Wisdom, Wonder, and the Question of 'Why?'

    “Wisdom is a little bit more than just knowledge or experience; it’s a felt sense of truth and what reality is, and it’s a very tricky thing, because no one really has the final say on some of these things.” – Tyson Fok  When philosopher, designer, innovative creator, and Hoffman Process grad, Tyson Fok, tells his story, he weaves together his life experiences with his joyful pursuit of wisdom, an open sense of wonder, and a deeper quest for understanding. In doing so, he reveals a thoughtful retelling of a dynamic life path. There are many powerful threads to this conversation with Tyson and Sadie. What stands out is Tyson’s way of navigating the world and relationships with his fellow human beings. Since he was young, Tyson has explored his curiosity and sense of wonder. The question of ‘Why?’ has been at the heart of this exploration. He came to the Hoffman Process in 2019, having completed a ten-day silent retreat prior. Tyson touches on multiple outcomes from his Process. One is a deeper relationship with his wife. Another is the desire to leave awareness hell and venture into an active exploration of turning his ideas into reality. And a third is a profound understanding of his parents’ stories, separate and together, which helped him express his appreciation and love for them. Tyson shares, “My mother is an immigrant from Macau. My father’s family is from Hong Kong. And it’s such a different reality than what I grew up with. And to understand their story, where they came from, has given me just a whole different level of appreciation of my life. That was a huge shift for me that came out of Hoffman.” After the Process, and during COVID, Tyson decided to start a podcast. Eventually, his podcast morphed into what it is now, Mixtape Memories. The podcast has blossomed into a physical card game and an app. We hope you enjoy this wise and wonderful exploration of the question of ‘Why?’ with Tyson and Sadie. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify More about Tyson Fok: Tyson Fok is an interior designer, podcast host, and creative producer working at the intersection of space, story, and human connection. His design practice centers on creating environments that are not only visually compelling, but deeply aligned with the lives people want to live—spaces that function as both backdrop and catalyst for meaningful experience. He is the creator of Mixtape Memories, an ongoing storytelling project that explores identity through the music that shapes us. Through its podcast, Songversation card game, and companion app, the project invites people to reflect on their lives through song—transforming personal memory into a shared language of connection. Across his work, Tyson is driven by a core question: how do we design for a more intentional, connected life? This inquiry extends beyond interiors into the gatherings and communities he builds. As a community and event organizer, he creates spaces—both physical and social—where people can engage more honestly with themselves and each other, often blending elements of storytelling, design, and facilitated conversation. His approach is interdisciplinary but precise: remove noise, surface what matters, and design environments—whether a room, a conversation, or an experience—that make those priorities tangible and actionable. Follow Tyson on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: The Mormon Church The Boy Scouts, now called Scouting America Japanese Buddhist Temple in Sebastopol, California 10-Day Meditation Retreat: This is usually a reference to a Vipassana Meditation retreat taught by S.N. Goenka. Awareness Hell: At the Hoffman Process, when we’re in awareness hell, we know we are aware of our patterns and the things we do we wish we didn’t do, but we are still unable to change. We understand, but feel stuck in this place of hell, even though our awareness keeps expanding.  To get out of awareness hell, our work to grow and transform must include three additional steps for change to take place. These three steps are Expression, Compassion, and New Ways of Being. All four make up the Cycle of Transformation. Mixtape Memories: Mixtape Memories is an ongoing storytelling project that explores identity through the music that shapes us. This is Water, David Foster Wallace’s Commencement Speech A Songversation Game Mixtape Memories App 1980’s Culture Mixtape MTV Macau Hong Kong Peace Piece, by Bill Evans •   Listen to Peace Piece

    33 min
  7. May 14

    S12e15 Robin Linde - Santa Sabina, Our New Home

    “It’s not just a job. It’s really a mission, a purpose to be part of something that really does contribute to the rest of the world. It’s healing for people. It’s love for people. It’s Spirit for people.” – Robin Linde Today’s episode is an exciting two-for-one. Robin Linde, Senior Director of Operations – Infrastructure, joins Drew for a video walkabout of Santa Sabina, Hoffman’s new retreat site. A ’97 Hoffman grad, Robin also sits down with Drew for a conversation about her relationship to the Process and to Hoffman.  Robin and Drew After completing her Process, Robin worked for Hoffman for a short time before returning home to Minnesota to care for her aging grandparents. Her time at the Process helped her see that serving the world doesn’t have to be big and flashy. Robin’s service was to be with her grandparents, and ultimately with her grandmother, for ten years after her grandfather died. Upon her grandmother’s death, she returned to the Bay Area and to Hoffman for a second stint. Her timing impeccable, Robin returned to work for Hoffman for the fourth time in 2024. We were ready to renovate our newly acquired Santa Sabina. Someone with the right experience and a deep familiarity with Hoffman was needed to shepherd the renovation. Robin was perfect for the role. We’re excited to share Santa Sabina with you. Walk through Santa Sabina with us and hear some of its history and key features. Then, listen in to hear more of Robin’s story and why working for Hoffman is more of a mission than a job. We hope to welcome you into Santa Sabina one day soon, either for the Process or the Q2, our three-day graduate retreat. https://youtu.be/3tv1vL5qYKA Listen on Apple Podcasts More about Robin Linde Robin Linde is Senior Director of Operations – Infrastructure at the Hoffman Institute Foundation. She oversees retreat site operations across California, Connecticut, and Alberta, Canada. Robin also manages internal operations for Human Resources and IT. Robin brings a diverse professional background and unique operational experience supporting start-up companies and organizations going through periods of significant transition. She served as the primary liaison between Hoffman and the construction project team for the renovation and transition of Santa Sabina Center, overseeing the work from planning through execution and positioning the site for its next chapter of hosting Hoffman programs. More about Santa Sabina: Architect Arthur Constable Mother Raymond O’Connor, OP Nestled in the hills of San Rafael, California, historic Santa Sabina Retreat Center has roots dating back to 1939. It was named after the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill in Rome, the historic mother church of the Dominican Order. Santa Sabina was designed by architect Arthur Constable for Mother Raymond O’Connor, OP. The architecture is Tudor-Gothic, influenced by the Dominican Monastery at Stoke-on-Trent in England. It originally included a chapel, library, and courtyard garden. It served as a novitiate house of spiritual formation for women joining the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael until 1970. From 1970–2023, Santa Sabina was open to the public for retreats, fostering a space for meditation, reflection, and spiritual growth, serving thousands of guests of a variety of denominations. In 2024, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael sold the property to the Hoffman Institute. Renovating it into a modern retreat center, Hoffman maintained its historic character, such as the chapel painting by E. Charlton Fortune. Thoughtfully redesigned for the next generation of seekers, the campus features a light-filled classroom, a welcoming dining hall and kitchen, and 47 private bedrooms designed for rest and renewal. In April of 2026, the first Hoffman Process was held in the newly renovated Santa Sabina Retreat Center. The former chapel, now de-sanctified and free of religious iconography, has been transformed into The Sanctuary. Reimagined as a space for Hoffman’s non-religious spiritual work, The Sanctuary is where participants gather for reflection, transformation, and connection, a space that holds the essence of Hoffman’s mission to nurture healing and awakening. Set on two secluded acres of landscaped grounds, Santa Sabina provides an environment for the Hoffman Process to continue fostering growth, discovery, and profound personal change well into the future. As mentioned in this episode: Dominican University of California Drew and Robin

    21 min
  8. May 7

    S12e14 Jake Daigle - Weaving a Life and Work Into the Land

    “I feel like we are our own greatest science experiment.” – Jake Daigle As Hoffman’s Facility and Land Manager, Jake Daigle weaves his love and care for the land with his love and care for the Hoffman Process. He found an intimacy with the land and wildlife at the IONS site in Petaluma when he and his wife, Christine, were caretakers there for many years. Now, as we transition to Santa Sabina, Jake looks back on his time at the Hoffman Retreat Site in Petaluma, working for Hoffman and supporting the students who have transformed there over the years. There is something beautiful and yet understated in how Jake weaves these two together – the Process and the land. At the core, these are his deep values. When you look at who he is and how he embodies his love, you grasp that he truly is Farmer Jake, as he is known in his Instagram profile.  Rooted in the growth of life all around him, he tends and cultivates, holds and supports. Jake and Christine Jake took the Process at White Sulphur Springs, where his Process’s pivotal moments revolved around the land. The creek running through, the sulphur springs, and the redwood grove all supported his deep work. After his Process, Liza Ingrasci asked Jake and Christine to create a labyrinth there. So many of us came to know intimately. Jake now brings his care for and knowledge of White Sulpher Springs and our Petaluma site, his knowledge of both flora and fauna, and the sacred places they hold, to his tending of the Santa Sabina site. Referring to North America as Turtle Island, Jake shares that each place Hoffman calls home is a distinct part of the turtle’s back. All are connected.   Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify More about Jake Daigle: Jake Daigle is a farmer and consultant focused on organic agriculture, ecological stewardship, and the long-term vitality of working landscapes. After Hurricane Katrina flooded his home in New Orleans, he moved to the Bay Area, finding refuge in nature and discovered that a holistic approach to health and wellness began with the awareness of our interconnection with all beings. After graduating from the Hoffman Process, Jake put in years of hands-on experience in diversified organic farming. Jake has contributed to education and skill-building at the Indian Valley Organic Farm and Garden, where he supported both new and experienced growers through mentorship and practical training. He was also part of the founding of Live Oak Farm, helping shape a model that integrates agriculture, community, and place-based stewardship. This work reflects Jake’s view of farms as spaces not only for production, but for art, education, connection, and resilience. Young Jake Currently working with the Hoffman Institute at Santa Sabina, Jake is also developing Headwaters Farm at SOMO Village. The project is designed as a living example of regenerative organic agriculture, combining food production with education, community engagement, and local food systems. In partnership with Credo High School, he is also planning a culinary arts program set to launch in 2027. The program will connect students to the full cycle of food—from growing and harvesting to cooking and sales—offering hands-on learning that ties together agriculture, nutrition, and ecology. Through consulting, teaching, and fieldwork, Jake helps farmers and land stewards think strategically about soil health, crop planning, and whole-farm systems. His work emphasizes practical, economically viable approaches to building resilient agricultural operations. Across all his roles, Jake brings a collaborative, observant, and grounded approach, guided by a commitment to organic practices, continual learning, and the relationship between healthy land, food, and communities. Social Media: Follow Jake on Instagram. As mentioned in this episode: Christine Falcon-Daigle: Christine is the Assistant Retreat Site Manager for the Hoffman Institute. Jake and Christine with Aia-Jo. Aia-Jo recently passed away. Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) Frank Ferrante: •   Book: May I Be Frank? •   Documentary: May I Be Frank? Edgar Mitchell, Astronaut, Hoffman Graduate: •   The Overview Effect •   “Earthrise: Earthrise is a photograph of Earth taken from lunar orbit by astronaut William Anders on December 24, 1968, during the Apollo 8 mission…” read more… Olompali State Historic Park John Muir: “The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” – John Muir White Sulphur Springs, St Helena •   Hoffman Retreat Site at White Sulphur Springs Guardian rock: A large rock that stands on the land in Petaluma, which was the home of the Hoffman Process. Guardian Rock, photo by Drew Horning “As above, so below.” Shamanism (Shamanic work) Riparian zone Mount Burdell Preserve Mount Tamalpais “The turtle’s back…” refers to Turtle Island. Flora mentioned: Madrone Manzanita Valley Oak Live Oak Buckeye Bay tree Manzanita

    34 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
12 Ratings

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Love’s Everyday Radius

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