The Hoffman Podcast Hoffman Institute Foundation

Neuroanatomist, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, joins Drew on the podcast to share her latest insights on the brain, from the inside out. Occasionally, we host guests who are not Hoffman Process graduates. Dr. Taylor is not a Process graduate but shares vital science and insights about the human journey of transformation. Her knowledge of the brain can guide us to a deep sense of peace through active, personal choice.



With her profound expertise in brain anatomy, Dr. Taylor was able to study her own stroke while it was happening. Over eight years, she slowly worked her way back to full brain functioning. She has come to understand the four parts, or characters (as she calls them) of the brain. Dr. Taylor suggests we get to know each of these characters intimately. She suggests we name them and listen to their needs. When each part is heard, it can lead us to inner peace because every part is understood and valued for what it does and how it feels. This can replace our stress, fear, and anxiety with feelings of joy and peace.



Our brain is designed to help us grow and meet challenges. When we know our brain from the inside out, we can find the deep peace we yearn for. And, we can be part of the change toward lasting peace for everyone. We hope you find this fascinating and insightful conversation with Dr. Taylor and her wisdom a useful tool as you navigate your life.

More about Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor:

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist now affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine. In 1996, she experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain causing her to lose the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Her memoir, My Stroke of Insight, documenting her experience with stroke and eight-year recovery spent 63 weeks on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list. Her most recent 2021 book is WHOLE BRAIN LIVING: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life.



Dr. Taylor loves educating everyone about the beauty and resiliency of our human brain, and how we can live a more peaceful and satisfying life. In 2008, she gave the first TED talk to go viral on the Internet. Her talk now has well over 29 million views. In  2008, Dr. Taylor was chosen as one of TIME Magazine's “100 Most Influential People in the World.” Furthermore, she was the premiere guest on Oprah Winfrey’s “Soul Series” webcast that same year.



Learn more about Dr. Taylor and listen to her many talks on the brain here on her website. Follow her on Facebook. Watch reels on the four parts of the whole brain living on Instagram.





As mentioned in this episode:

Schizophrenia



Neuroanatomy



Craniotomy



Left and right Hemispheres - talk by Dr. Taylor



2008 TED talk by Dr. Taylor



Your Left Brain is a Bully - talk by Dr. Taylor



Unleash Your Right Brain - talk by Dr. Taylor

Globally recognized Executive Chef, consultant, and author, Doug McNish, began his amazing career when he was 15 years old. Decades later, after winning numerous accolades and awards, Doug yearned to come to know his true self. When he arrived in Petaluma to do the Hoffman Process in 2023, his highest intention was to find out who he truly is.



Doug's journey is a story of the transformative power of self-love, determination, and persistence we find within when we are serious about making changes in our lives. Once weighed down by insecurities and unhealthy habits, in his darkest moments, Doug found solace in food and substances, leading to a struggle with obesity and addiction. Even though he didn't know where it would take him, Doug was serious about changing his life. His work before, at, and after the Process has led him to a place of strength, sobriety, and unwavering self-acceptance.



Doug shares, "No matter how far we've strayed from our true selves, redemption is always within reach. With courage, self-love, and a willingness to change, we can rewrite our stories and emerge stronger, happier, and more authentic. We are worthy of a life filled with joy, purpose, and fulfillment."

Content Warning:

Please note that this episode mentions childhood traumatic experiences, addictions, and disordered eating. It is marked explicit for a few f-bombs. It might not be suitable for all listeners.

More about Doug McNish:





Doug McNish began honing his skills at the age of 15, quickly learning all the intricacies of the food service industry. Adept in his field, by the age of 20, Doug knew that he needed to make a change after

watching footage of a slaughterhouse. He went vegetarian, and months later adopted a fully vegan lifestyle. He positioned himself as a pioneer in the vegan food movement, courageously aligning his career path with his morals at a time when veganism was relatively unknown.



Since then, Doug has become a globally recognized Executive Chef, consultant, and author. He’s been featured on national and international television, regularly consults, inspires, and educates international audiences, and has authored multiple cookbooks. His bestselling Eat Raw, Eat Well, won a Gourmand Award for the Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the world. Raw, Quick, Delicious, Vegan Everyday, and Comfort Food Recipes for a Vegan Lifestyle all won the Gourmand Award for Best Vegan Cookbook in the World.



In 2017, Now Magazine’s Reader's Choice Awards awarded Doug the title of Best Chef in the City in his hometown of Toronto, Ontario. As a pioneer in the vegan movement, Doug’s work has helped make vegan cuisine go mainstream, devoting himself to his vocation and activism in the name of ethics, health, and the environment. Follow Doug on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.





As mentioned in this episode:

Jamie Oliver



Gordon Ramsey



Kimberly Carroll



Scooter Braun



Jay Shetty



Eckhart Tolle



 



 

You're most likely familiar with Dr. Dan Siegel and his pioneering work to understand the mind and help us live more joyfully. You probably aren't familiar with his childhood story in which his joy and innocence set in motion the death of something he dearly loved.



When Dan arrived at the Hoffman Process retreat site and stepped out of his car, he was immediately greeted by one of the rabbits who lives on the over 180 acres there. When he saw this rabbit, an array of feelings and sensations swept through his body. A few days later, as Dan's Process was well underway, a fawn and its mother would open the door wider into the deep work of Dan's Process.



The Hoffman Process offers a science-based, courageous week of transformation. It's a week of experiential learning incorporating everything, including the land and everything alive. It opens the door to what Dan calls "the plane of possibility," also referred to as Love by Dan. With one foot in the practical science and the other in the world that opens us to the spiritual aspects of our nature, we step into the possibility and opportunity to heal what has often followed us nearly our entire lives.



In this nearly-an-hour conversation, Dan shares his journey of studying the mind and the results and insights of his decades of research and practice with his clients. Drew, our host, and Hoffman teacher Marc Kaplan join in for this amazing conversation. Marc was Dan's teacher at the Process and together they share insights into much of what transpired for Dan. Dan's deeply delightful and joyful qualities thread their way through this conversation. What a gift.

More about Dr. Dan Siegel:









Dr. Dan Siegel is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and the founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA. He is also the Executive Director of the Mindsight Institute which focuses on the development of mindsight and teaches insight, empathy, and integration in individuals, families, and communities.



Dr. Siegel has published extensively for both the professional and lay audiences. His five New York Times bestsellers are: Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence, Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human, Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, and two books with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.: The Whole-Brain Child, and No-Drama Discipline. His other books include Personality and Wholeness in Therapy (coming November 2024), IntraConnected, The Developing Mind, The Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight, The Mindful Brain, The Mindful Therapist, and Becoming Aware. He's also written The Yes Brain and The Power of Showing Up with Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D. Parenting from the Inside Out with Mary Hartzell, and NowMaps with Deena Margolin, LMFT, and NowMaps, Jr.



Dr. Siegel also serves as the Founding Editor for the Norton Professional Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology which currently contains over eighty textbooks.



For more information about his educational programs and resources, please visit, DrDanSiegel.com and MindsightInstitute.com. Follow Dr. Siegel on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.







More about Marc Kaplan:













Marc’s life purpose is to support people in finding and using their authentic voice. In addition to teaching the Hoffman process, Marc is an esteemed music educator, producer, conductor, and coach. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Political Science from The George Washington University.



“The Hoffman methodology is the foundation of my spiritual practice. It helped me discover that I have choices, enabling me to step into my dignity, and live my life from a place of love.”

When Marc first did the Process in 2011, he envisioned being a father,

Darla Murray Loomis has been a seeker for much of her life, traveling the world to find what she longed to find. Each place she went, she found something meaningful. But, Darla didn't find what she was looking for out in the world - she found it within, what Darla calls this treasure inside herself.



When Darla came to the Hoffman Process, she'd already found this treasure. What brought her to the Process was the realization that she had emotions stuck inside ready to be set free. Darla was ready to free herself through the work of the Process!



Through the work of the Process, the cathartic work, especially, Darla found the freedom she was looking for. She took the opportunity afforded by the strong container of the Process to acknowledge, feel, and express her anger. Darla came to respect her anger and know that it has a purpose.



Darla shares how doing the Hoffman Process "unclogged the channel", the channel through which the divine source expresses itself through her. As an artist and creative, she keenly knows the need to keep this channel open.



This is a truth-telling conversation about how difficult it can be to live a surrendered life, be authentic, and speak the truth of your being. This is Darla's intention. She speaks of it with sincerity and humility.

More about Darla Murray Loomis:

Darla Murray Loomis has created nurturing, creative spaces and places in the beauty and spa industry in small businesses for over three decades. She's a third-generation entrepreneur in her family. As a successful business owner, author and artist Darla has been a leader, teacher, and mentor inspiring other women to honor their feminine heart to guide a profitable business, and to create workplaces that create harmony between people, the planet, and profits for the business of life. Darla lives by the clarity of her example, demonstrating a balance between work, family, self-care, fun, and exploration.



Darla is a teacher and mentor empowering women creatives and entrepreneurs. She has traveled the world studying different spiritual traditions to continue her transformation and healing. She loves sharing the way, through her personal adventures and transformational journey to inspire others to create a life they can call their own, while authentically recovering our voices and self-expression. Darla explores her deepest and truest self through the art of play and creativity. Darla believes all that nurtures strengthens. She lives in Telluride, Colorado, with Peter, her husband of 23 years. She loves art, mountain biking, hiking, and traveling. Find out more about Darla at TruthBeautySpirit.com.





As mentioned in this episode:

Ah Haa School for the Arts in Telluride, CO



The movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe



The Feminine/Masculine or Yin/Yang Sides of Creativity



Quote Drew references:

“There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost. The world will not have it.



"It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” ― Martha Graham, American modern dancer, and choreographer.



Flow-state, named by the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1970.

Patricia Martin, a 1998 graduate of the Hoffman Process, has spent 30 years studying people and ideas that change the culture. She is the podcast host of Jung in the World. and is at the forefront of curating ideas of technology, culture, and humanity. Listen in as Patricia and Liz converse about the Hoffman Process, the healing that happens when we bend toward the Light, and how resiliency is the medicine for our chaotic times.



Patricia came to the Process because she saw, firsthand, how a friend had changed by doing the Process. She saw her friend's radiance and wanted to "have what she was having." She says she arrived at the Process "on her knees."



Using a metaphor of growth and photosynthesis, Patricia speaks eloquently of the nature of the Process and the Light. When enough patterns, stories, beliefs, and identities are transformed, the true nature of who we are can find the Light again. What Patricia recalls was the most healing during her Process was finally being able to grieve the death of her father who died when she was 10. Her mother became very depressed and Patricia became a parentified child - expected to take on parental duties at too young an age.



As someone who has studied ideas that change the culture for decades, Patricia notes the chaotic nature of these times. She says that we are going through "the death of meaning" right now. This is what happens right before a renaissance - or re-birth - takes place. Patricia suggests that we can navigate these times with more serenity if we clear away the debris from our inner world. In short, what we do at the Process, is this clearing away. It is this death and rebirth that paves the way for a personal renaissance in our lives.

More about Patricia Martin:

Patricia Martin has spent 30 years studying people and ideas that change the culture. Currently, her focus is on the digital culture and our changing sense of self. She is the author of three non-fiction books on cultural trends and holds an MFA in writing from Bennington College and an MA in Irish Culture and Literature from the University College, Dublin. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Slate, PBS, and Huffington Post. She is certified in medical narrative from Duke University.



Patricia is a graduate of the Jungian Studies Program at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago where she teaches writing and hosts the popular podcast Jung in the World.



You can discover more about Patricia at Patricia-Martin.com and Wikipedia, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter(X).



Patricia's Books:

Made Possible By: Succeeding with Sponsorship (2003)

RenGen: Renaissance Generation - The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What it Means to Your Business (2007)

Tipping the Culture: How engaging Millennials will change things (2010)



 





As mentioned in this episode:

Parentification (Parentized)



Bob Hoffman's Negative Love (Download PDF)



Grief and Children



Photosynthesis



Cultural Archetypes



American Library Association

•   The Network of Public Libraries in America (larger than McDonalds franchise)

•   Installed base of information exchange



Vinton (Vint) Cerf: A father of the Internet



Al Gore



Bill Gates



25 Communities - Bringing Main Street to the Information SuperHighway

NY Times 1994 article

1994 Research Paper Information SuperHighways



European Renaissance:

The Last Mass Cultural Outpouring of Creativity before now, according to Patricia Martin.



Rome, Italy

Sistine Chapel



Social Conditions that existed just before the Renaissance

One of the rules of a Renaissance: Death comes first -

•   The Dark Ages

When Os Alvarez speaks of the newfound emotional intimacy he now knows in his relationships and the power of living from his heart, you can feel the depth of his heart as he speaks. Os had a profoundly life-changing experience at the Hoffman Process in 2019. As he saw the effect that his childhood patterns had on his childhood and adult life, he came to find great compassion for the beauty of the child that still lives within him. Os now brings the power of this intimacy to his work as a personal and business strategist.



The son of a prominent Venezuelan politician whose name he was given, Os shares stories of the difficulties he experienced growing up in this environment. While his family was very loving and supportive, life was challenging growing up under these circumstances. As an adult, these patterns eventually caused what Os calls existential suffering.



In 2014, Os divorced. In 2015, his best friend and business partner, a person he loved and was very close to, died from cancer. Before these events, he experienced a panic attack for the first time. But these two losses pushed Os to start on a journey. He began to meditate. He went to Costa Rica to try Ahyuasca. And then, he found the Hoffman Process. Os shares that during the weekend after the Process, he felt his heart fully open. But even more than this, the Process gave him a framework and tools to take into his life moving forward so he could continue the work to transform patterns and come to appreciate seeing his blind spots.



If you ask Os what the most profound change is in his life now, it is his relationships - the people and the intimacy in them. He recently married again, and on that day he felt gratitude for these beautiful, emotionally intimate relationships.



This podcast is about bringing the transformation we experienced during the Process into our lives so that this transformation can radiate into the greater world. Os' story is a beautiful example of Love's Everyday Radius.

More about Os Alvarez:

Os Alvarez is more than just a personal and business strategist; he's a companion on your journey to success and fulfillment. With a deep-seated commitment to helping founders and entrepreneurs flourish both in business and in life, Os brings a unique blend of authenticity and expertise to the table. His own transformative experience, transitioning from a scripted life fueled by ambition to one imbued with meaning and purpose, catalyzed by the loss of his closest friend, ignited a passion for guiding others toward their truest selves. As co-founder of The Real Authentic Way, Goodness Education, and The Local Leaders Collective, Os creates spaces where individuals can authentically connect and thrive.



Os serves as a trusted coach for members of esteemed organizations like Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), while also lending his guidance as an Endeavor Miami Mentor. A graduate of Yale University with an MBA in Finance and Strategy, Os resides in Miami, where his dedication to holistic growth and genuine connection permeates every aspect of his work.



Follow Os on Instagram and LinkedIn.



 





As mentioned in this episode:

Psychedelics



Ayahuasca



Costa Rica



Os' Father



Panic attack



Victim Consciousness (Mentality) -

•   Unraveling the Mindset of Victimhood



Chopra Center



Meditation



Rhythmia Center, Costa Rica





Quote Os mentioned:

“I inherited half my father’s friends and all his enemies.” — George W. Bush



The Local Leaders Collective in Miami



Brené Brown



Ian Salvage, Os' Hoffman teacher/coach





Hoffman Tools Mentioned:

Trigger and going within.