The people & ideas that taught us.

Mentors & Teachers

The practitioners, researchers, and elders whose work and words we return to again and again.

Documentaries

Films that expanded our view of food, medicine, nature, and what's possible for a single person's life.

• What the HealthA frank look at the connection between diet, chronic disease, and the American food system.
• HealThe science and stories behind the mind-body connection and self-directed healing.
• My Octopus TeacherA year-long friendship with a wild octopus and the power of showing up daily in nature.
• The Biggest Little FarmRebuilding a depleted piece of land into a thriving, biodiverse, regenerative farm.
• 14 PeaksOn discipline, faith, and what a human body is actually capable of.
• The AlpinistA meditation on flow, solitude, and the nature of a meaningful life.
• SeaspiracyA hard look at the health of our oceans and the industries shaping them.
• CowspiracyThe environmental footprint of animal agriculture, told in plain terms.
• Forks Over KnivesLandmark case for whole-food, plant-based eating as medicine.
• The SecretAn introduction to the idea that attention, belief, and action shape a life.
• ThriveWhere we are, how we got here, and what's possible next.

Books on the Shelf

The short list — the ones we've underlined, bought twice, and pressed into other people's hands.

• Breath — James NestorA journalist's deep dive into the lost art and modern science of breathing.
• Breathe — Dr. Belisa VranichA practical, clinical guide to retraining how you breathe.
• You Are the Placebo — Dr. Joe DispenzaThe science of belief, mind, and physical change.
• Becoming Supernatural — Dr. Joe DispenzaMeditation as an embodied, daily practice.
• The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari — Robin SharmaA short parable on meaning, simplicity, and the life we actually want.
• The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross — John AllegroA provocative scholarly read on the roots of religious experience.
• Can't Hurt Me — David GogginsA manual on mental callus and what a trained mind can do.
• The Noticer — Andy AndrewsA quiet book about perspective and how it changes everything.
• Inner Engineering — SadhguruA modern introduction to yogic self-study, made practical.
• The Untethered Soul — Michael SingerOn the voice in your head and how to live with it well.
• The Four Agreements — Don Miguel RuizA pocket-sized code for living with less suffering.
• Into the Wild — Jon KrakauerA study of idealism, wildness, and the pull toward truth.
• Non-Violent Communication — Marshall RosenbergA language of observation and feeling that changes relationships.
• The Alchemist — Paulo CoelhoA small novel about listening to the life you're meant to live.

Plant Medicines & Traditions

Ancient plants, each with their own lineage, practitioners, and ceremonial context. Approach with respect, preparation, and guidance — never alone.

Centers & Retreats

The physical places — centers and intensives — where we've studied, rested, and come back changed.

• Esalen InstituteBig Sur cliffs, hot springs, and five decades of body-mind work.
• Rythmia Life Advancement CenterGuanacaste, Costa Rica — plant-medicine retreat built around transformation.
• Soltara Healing CenterIntegrative ceremonial retreats on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
• Hippocrates Health InstituteFlorida-based residential program centered on raw, living foods.
• Sadhguru's Inner EngineeringWeeklong intensives for breath, meditation, and yogic practice.
• Tony Robbins — Date With DestinyA multi-day immersion for rewriting the story you're living by.
• Joe Dispenza — Advanced RetreatsWeek-long applied meditation intensives.
• XPT ExperienceBreath, cold, heat, and movement — Laird Hamilton & Gabby Reece's method in person.