In this first episode of the 6th season, Simon Marvell talks to blockchain pioneer and ISTA ally Jamie Ziegelbaum about how the evolution of digital governance models can help us create smarter organizations and communities. Jamie's insights come from his career as a researcher, artist, and from contributions to billion-dollar Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) projects. Most of his work has been carried out under an online pseudonym, so the name might be unfamiliar! His me...

It’s a situation straight out of the movies, or a teen magazine: jealousy causing a rift between two lovers. It could be as simple as your partner mentioning getting close to one of their co-workers, or as complex as negotiating the ups and downs of an open relationship. No matter how big or small the circumstance, or how experienced the people involved, jealousy can come on strong!In this episode, researcher and self-described relationship counsellor “for people who color outside the lines,”...

It’s one thing to summon the courage and create the safety to dive into an altered state of consciousness. It’s another thing entirely to know how best to care for ourselves, and be cared for, after the experience is over. But as our guest in this episode, psychedelic integration coach, Amánda Argot, explains, this post-experience phase is vital to being able to bring the gems we uncover in altered states into our non-altered reality. In this rich conversation, Simon and Amánda explore t...

What would it be like for us to use the tools that we learn in workshops to create a life, and a partnership, that is not just ordinary but extraordinary? This is the big question driving the work of this episode’s guest, relationship coach, Michael Gibson. For example, he says, fighting between partners is “ordinary.” This is not to judge the realities of relating between two humans. Difficulty is totally normal! But Michael is most interested in what we can do to digest that ordin...

Temple nights. They are popping up like wildfires! Some say there should be more of them. One of those people is Celeste Gonzalez, who runs some of the best in Berlin. For her, it is super important that they are deeply attuned events for sensual and soul connection. Not events even. Art pieces! In this episode, Celeste talks with Simon about what a Temple Night is and how you can best prepare for one. It’s all about care and intention. She shares what some of the key ingredie...

Asis Aviv is one of a kind, and the newest faculty member of the International School of Temple Arts. A self-described “rich witch, radical faerie, love priestexx, and shy-ning diva,” they are here for falling back in love with being humxn. In this conversation with Simon Marvell, Asis–a name which means “JUICE!” in Hebrew–shares their reflections on a vast array of topics, all anchored in the idea that we are so much more than our identity, whether influenced by parents, society or anyt...

It has become common to talk about creating safer spaces for healing work. And this is a good thing. Everyone in the field of conscious sensuality, embodiment, and healing work should be looking to improve their practice and rise to higher standards of care, support, awareness, and sensitivity.At the same time, it has also become common to resist this advancement in favour of the idea that self-development spaces should reflect the level of safety in the outside world. And sometimes, for some...

Over the last couple of years, Dave Boda has been really critical of ISTA. He’s composed blog-posts and spoken openly about how some of the people involved need to improve, and how some of the ways ISTA approaches its work need to fall away. In this episode, he talks with ISTA facilitator, the podcast founder, and his old friend, Ria Yoshida, about how important it is to not only have these frank conversations about improving the sacred sexuality space, but to do it in an engaged and lov...

There’s a lot of hot debate about the ethics of transformational spaces right now, driven by questions of how power should be held in these spaces. Who should be responsible if something goes wrong? Just what are the limits of what gets taught?Maybe it would be easier not to create spaces for transformational work, for looking at shadows and how power moves. Maybe making such spaces, if they are still to exist, should be made so anodyne as to neutralize whatever challenges people might feel a...

In this episode, Ria talks with Dr. Jen Howk about the collision of science and mysticism in the field of evolutionary psychology. With her feet planted firmly in both worlds, Dr. Jen delves into the how and why of our psychological quirks, revealing some of the mysteries of our development as a species.In particular, she tackles the intriguing phenomenon of cancel culture. In doing so, she explores the historical roots of our collective drive to create ‘in’-groups and ‘out’-groups, explainin...

Do you ever feel like you’re being held back in life by events and circumstances that are out of your control? Maybe you find yourself in uncomfortable, even terrible, circumstances thinking to yourself: how did I even get here? And, how do I get out? These are questions that arrived powerfully in the life of Carolyn Elliot, transformational guide and author of the book, Existential Kink. We won’t give too much away, but as she explains in this episode, she was really in a bind. And then, alm...

In this, his third episode with the Spiritual, Sexual, Shamanic Podcast, ISTA Lead Facilitator and member of ISTA’s governing council, Raffaello Manacorda, speaks about shamanic leadership. What is shamanic leadership? Raffa explains that it’s an essential component of taking responsibility within groups of people. Instead of competing for powerful positions within organizations and then ruling through domination and manipulation, he says, what we can do is understand the role of the lea...

ISTA Facilitator Nimai Sun Ra grew up without a father. As a result, he has felt, perhaps more urgently than most, the need to become his own father figure. To provide himself stability, guidance, and the strength that a biological father might often provide. In recent years, he has been on a journey of extending that experience of fatherhood from himself to his own two young sons. As he tells us in this conversation with Usha, the journey of fatherhood has been the best, most important,...

Growing up in rural Austria, ISTA facilitator Ashisha Arpana’s favorite toy was her imagination. She gleefully played with it, eventually turning what happened in her mind's eye into a career in film and media. The imagination, she tells us in this deep and exploratory episode, is one of the most important keys for us in letting go of the old, disempowering stories we tell ourselves and getting back into currency with life as it moves through us. Ashisha explains that we can spark o...

In this episode, Usha talks with ISTA Facilitator Aya Kamānakai about reclaiming sexuality as a pathway to personal empowerment and spiritual connection.Growing up in the Christian church, Aya was taught to shut down her sexuality. As she moved into adulthood, she found herself unable to access pleasure in her body and had resigned herself to a life without it. This was until, in desperation, she sought out a sexual healer who guided her into releasing her full, orgasmic potential. Almos...

Picture this: you’re in a long, long-term relationship with another person. You both have dynamic, ‘larger-than-life’ personalities. You have four kids together, and busy schedules full of big projects. It seems almost impossible to fit in time for each other. Life is interesting, but you’re realizing how easy it is to put off moments of deeper connection. Then, one day, almost out of nowhere, you decide together that you’re going to make love every day.Every. Single. Day.This is no imaginary...

If you've ever been to a spiritual retreat, you might know that they can be totally blissful places. Dancing, good food, vibrant people, deep teaching. Paradise! Yes, they can involve difficult emotions, and sometimes the teachings can be complex, but that's often part of the experience.So, what happens when it all comes to an end and you have to head back home and, somehow, put all you learned and experienced into action for real? Well, in this episode of the Spiritual, Sexual, Sha...

In this episode of the Spiritual, Sexual, Shamanic Podcast, ISTA facilitator Aaron Kleinerman delves into the topic of men's work and the importance of creating safe spaces for men to explore their vulnerability and receptivity.Through many years of holding these kinds of spaces, Aaron has found that there is great benefit in men embracing both their masculine and feminine energies. It can lead to a deeper sense of inner union and empowerment. He acknowledges that societal conditioning often ...

In this episode, Usha talks with s*x engineer, Elisa Caro. An Apprentice Facilitator with ISTA, Elisa dives into one of her favorite topics: the many different kinds of orgasm that people in femme bodies can experience. Elisa covers some of these juicy and, some may consider, controversial areas of discovery: how femme bodies are wired for pleasurethe importance of breast playthe difference between implosive and explosive orgasmhow you can turn waves of pleasure into states of orgas...

Dos conceptos que suelen encontrarse separados, pero ¿Cuál es la relacion entre ellos?En esta conversación con Luis, KamalaDevi McClure nos habla sobre:El uso del Eros como medicina sagrada, su experiencia como figura poliamorosa, coach y madre, y el potencial del chamanismo para sanar heridas sexuales.El matrimonio Interior, y cómo el cosmos está contenido dentro de cada uno de nosotros.El aprendizaje y estudio del chamanismo.Las experiencias "negativas" en los viajes chamánicos.Contenidos d...