Library
Blog: Reflections on the Winter Solstice
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
I have what has become an annual ritual. I arrive at the Sacred Stream Center close to dawn on the morning of the winter solstice, after the longest night of the year. As I enter the garden, I see the silhouette of a great redwood tree. I remember the long, hot summer days and fogless nights where I fretted about its well-being and offered it water and prayers. The last of the leaves from a Japanese maple fall before me as I push the gate closed and start down the stone path to turn on the fountains. Immediately, hummingbirds arrive for their winter bath. Not far behind them is a mother raven with her beak full of dried bread, looking to soften it in the fountain’s waters. The light is dawning, and it touches the fat rose hips and the ripening lemons around me, a dance of pink and yellow in the semi-darkness.
Blog: Everybody Hurts: When Those You Love are Grieving
By Laura Chandler
As the REM song says, “Everybody hurts, sometimes.” It is the inescapable truth we all share as humans. We are going to experience pain. The holidays are a particular source of pain for people who have lost loved ones. Those celebratory holiday gatherings and fun parties can be a source of sorrow as they remind us of what is missing from our lives. Often times, for those who have lost a close friend or family member, the holidays are a time to withdraw, and a time to seek refuge in the quiet of solitude rather than the rush of holiday fervor. So, how do you help someone who is grieving?
Article: Interview: Plant Medicine as a Spiritually Transformative Experience: Challenges to Integration in the Modern Context
ACISTE recently had an opportunity to interview Isa about her views on the use of psychotropic plant medicine for psychological and spiritual transformation. Given the recent resurgence of clinical interest in the use of psychedelics for treating mental health concerns, we hope this two-part (Feb/Mar) interview will encourage therapists and others to further educate themselves about the unique integration needs of those who choose to engage plant medicine for healing and guidance.
Blog: The Life and Work of Albert Schweitzer
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Albert Schweitzer became one of my first heroes when I read his biography at 8 years old. It was the first time I understood that there were people in the world who did not have access to the help they needed when they were sick. This was very distressing to me. I wanted to go to Africa to help.
Article: Book Review: Tsongkhapa, a Buddha in the Land of Snows
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Tsongkhapa, a Buddha in the Land of Snows is Buddhist scholar Thupten Jinpa’s contribution to Shambhala Publications’ remarkable series, The Lives of the Masters, which seeks to memorialize the contributions of some of the most important thinkers in Buddhist philosophy. Tsongkhapa, who lived from 1357-1419, is considered one of the greatest Buddhist philosophers and teachers that ever lived.
Podcast: Episode 56: Isa Gucciardi: Oracle Traditions in Buddhism and Shamanism
This episode features a talk by Isa Gucciardi on the Oracle Traditions found in Buddhism and Shamanism. In this talk, originally given at the Science and Nonduality Conference in San Jose, CA, Isa gives an overview of some of the remarkable lineages found in Buddhism and Shamanism and the methods of accessing wisdom through channeling as described in these traditions.
Blog: How Depth Hypnosis Helped Me Become a Better Parent
By Melanie Robins
When I put my infant daughter onto the bed, my hands could not bear to hold her for one more second. It was as if the hot, bubbling rage ripping through my veins had thrust her from my arms to protect her from getting burned. As she landed on the bed with a giggle, the spell broke and I was slammed back to consciousness. While she thought we were playing an exhilarating game, I knew I needed help.
Regretfully, the story does not end there. I did this more times than I can stomach. As her will came forward, there was more resistance around sleep and more frustration for us both. The constant need since birth for me to participate in her sleep process took its toll. While not every day was horrible, there were some difficult and shameful moments where I blew my top and yelled, slammed doors, and shook with rage.
On the Air: The Myths That Make Us: Isa Gucciardi
The Myths That Make Us host, Erick Godsey, believes we each have an unconscious story about who we are and what kind of world we’re in. This story, our myth, influences our goals, desires, mindset, and happiness. On this podcast, his goal is to help people identify the myths that make them.
Special Announcement: Sacred Stream Listed as a Top Place to Try Shamanism on Head + Heart
We are thrilled that the Sacred Stream has been named one of the top places to explore Shamanic ceremonies in San Francisco by Head + Heart, an online platform that helps connect people with mindful events, experiences and community across the USA and Canada. The Sacred Stream offers classes and training programs in Applied Shamanism, including certification in Applied Shamanic Practice & Plant Medicine Integration. For more information about our classes and training programs, visit our Applied Shamanism website. Here you can find articles, videos, podcasts, and other resources to support you in your study of shamanism.
Blog: The Wisdom of Black Elk
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
As a child, the indigenous peoples of North America fascinated me. I lived in northern Mexico, home to a Native American people known as the Huichol. Their relationship to the land, kindness, and gentle strength spoke to me. The way they moved in their world seemed in perfect balance. Whenever I could sneak away from my parents, I would spend time with the locals who taught me about horses, plants, and generosity of spirit. Inspired by these friends, I made a study of all the great Native American chiefs and shamans by reading everything I could find on them in the local library. Red Cloud, Cochise, and Crazy Horse were all people I admired for the way they maintained their dignity and inspired their people despite overwhelming odds. One of my favorite of these leaders was the visionary Sioux medicine man, Black Elk.
Podcast: Episode 55: Rajeev Taranath: Sarod Master
On this episode, Laura Chandler interviews Rajeev Taranath, one of India’s foremost classical musicians and a master of the sarod. At 87 years old, his career has spanned over four decades and drawn accolades from critics and audiences throughout the world. Rajeev is a distinguished disciple of the late legendary maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and was part of Khan’s musical family that included the great sitarists Ravi Shankar and Shrimati Annapurna Devi. Laura and Rajeev talk about Rajeev’s expansive career, perspectives on music and creativity, and his call to Indian Classical Music.
Blog: Encountering the Self: My Journey with Depth Hypnosis
By Denise Colby, Ph.D.
The most critical choices I have made in my life have rarely been the ones that were researched, well thought-out, and intentional. At best, I’ve stumbled into them, and many times I’ve been full of resistance and struggle. These have been the watershed moments that could only be seen and understood in retrospect. Only after I’ve witnessed how a single, hesitant “Yes” could totally change the course of my life. There have been a handful of these critical moments, but perhaps the most significant has been my encounter with Depth Hypnosis.
Blog: The Sacred Land of Menla: A Season of Ceremony
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
The fall season is upon us and I am reminded how, for many people, now and in times past, this is a time for gathering together to mark the change of light and to give thanks. The act of ceremony brings us into deeper communion with ourselves, with others, and the natural world around us. To mark this season of the fall equinox, I gathered with a group of students for a drum circle in the sanctuary of the Sacred Stream Center. When the drumming began, the late afternoon light filled the wooden rafters that arched over us. It streamed in through the century-old stained glass, dimming bit by bit in much the same way the days will shorten and the light will continue to dim until we meet again at the winter solstice drum circle, when the cycle will reverse and the days will grow longer once more.
Blog: Creating a Value System for your Child
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
When you are a parent, it’s necessary to understand your own value system. As a parent, your responsibility is to guide your child to the best of your ability. One way you can guide them is by knowing what your values are and teaching them to your child by example. If you don’t know what your values are and what values you want to impart to your child, it is important to sit down and figure them out.
Podcast: Episode 54: Dawson Church: Mind to Matter
On this episode, Laura Chandler is joined by researcher and author, Dawson Church. Dawson is the author of the bestselling book and breakthrough in epigenetics, The Genie in Your Genes. His latest release, Mind to Matter: The Astonishing Science of How Your Brain Creates Material Reality, explores the cultivation of peak brain states in daily life.
In this lively interview, Laura and Dawson discuss the astonishing science behind how our minds create matter. Dawson points to numerous examples of studies demonstrating this, and offers ways of harnessing the power of our minds through meditation, EFT, and cultivating positive thoughts. He also shares some inspiring stories of people profoundly changing their lives by adopting the simple practices in his book.