Daniel Shankin on Psychedelic Integration Truths: Episode 03, The Psychedelic Entrepreneur Podcast
What is psychedelic integration and what does it mean to be a psychedelic integration coach? In today’s episode, Beth Weinstein is joined by integration coach and coach trainer, Daniel Shankin, of Mount Tam Integration. Beth and Daniel dive deep into the joys and challenges of running a business focused on psychedelic integration and supporting people through “psychedelic assisted coaching”.
After a profound and intense awakening experience in 1998, Daniel dove deep into his yoga and meditation practice to stabilize his realization in his body and the world. He began teaching in 2002, and took over leadership of his neighborhood yoga studio in 2004. He’s directed several teacher training programs and taught on the faculty of even more.
His work evolved into a coaching practice based on deep inquiry, and the cultivation of clarity, resilience, and heart. With the recognition that our true nature is vast and generous, wise, he strives
to encourage his clients to find their own innate goodness and boundless strength.
In 2018 he founded Mt. Tam Psychedelic Integration, a community based organization focused on approaching psychedelic preparation and integration as a true spiritual practice. Tam integration offers circles, meditation classes worldwide. He is also the founder of the Psilocybin Summit and The Psychedelic Integration Jam.
In this episode, Daniel Shankin and Beth Weinstein speak about…
- His early spiritual realizations and the challenges of oscillating between touching into enlightened
states and recognizing his “crap” - How difficult it is to heal self-hatred
- Becoming a coach to help people who are getting their asses kicked by their own shadows
- The fact that our psychedelic visions rarely survive first contact with reality
- Integration as the art of the possible
- How people tend to repress their natural needs and need support unearthing and reclaiming their
creativity and other deep-seated gifts and desires - His “depth bias” – if you’re coming to him for help with superficial aspects of your life, he’s not the
coach for you; but if you want to “reach into your guts and pull out demons and brush them off and
let them fly and turn into angels”, he’s all in! - How people desperately want to be seen as humans, not commodities
- The fact that while there are many formal processes one can use with integration clients, doing is
much less important than simply being present and embodying empathy and compassion while
allowing clients’ insights to naturally emerge - The six streams in Buddhism and how medicine work can lead a person into a “hungry ghost” realm if
they are grasping for a psychedelic experience to ‘fix’ them but lack a concept of self-love - His perspective on training to be a psychedelic integration coach and the importance of having the
dedication and discipline to study under someone who will support you as you grow in your capacity
to hold space and guide clients through their integration process - How training to be a psychedelic integration coach also reflects care about your own development –
why wouldn’t you want to train? - Navigating a world from the place of the heart – what’s it like to walk a path of releasing fear?
- How he’s gotten clients and grown his business by showing up consistently for 20 years and finally
embracing having a ‘brand’ - The notion of “psychedelic assisted coaching” to help us go deeper within, find self-compassion and
integrate disparate parts of ourselves - How his business is built on giving and goodwill
- The power of integration circles and mutual support – it’s a web where everyone gets value and
support through everyone else – it’s not about him - The guru model has played out – the sex scandals, guru worship, patenting, etc. that were happening
in the yoga scene ten years ago are now happening in the psychedelic scene - An integration circle is a space of practice – it’s a meditation community, not a “woe is me” support
group - Psychedelic integration is new, and we’re all exploring and discovering different models together
- His passion about and efforts towards ending the drug war – dismantling oppressive systems of
control that are poisoning the planet and the people who live on it - You can do what you want! Follow your true passion! “Figure out what you want to do and figure out
how to pull it off” Psychedelics may help! 😉
Links & Resources
Daniel Shankin’s Websites: https://tamintegration.com/ and https://sitaramdas.com
Get Daniel’s Free gift here: https://tamintegration.com/beth-gifts/ Meditative preparation for a day of mushrooms — a free email class. When you sign up for this mini email course you’ll get daily lessons on how to c -ultivate a happy, calm mindset that will support you in a
psychedelic journey. You’ll get about 7 emails with a video and some links and instructions for a simple yet
profound practice.
And Daniel’s infamous psychedelic memes: https://psychedelicnft.xyz
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