For this episode, we spoke with five people who are engaging with AI in deeply human ways.
- One is using AI in the context of dating, helping them think through attraction and communication.
- Another has built a wellness app, powered by AI, and is exploring how these kind of systems can support self-inquiry and self-care.
- Another works closely with organizations—primarily nonprofits—using AI to streamline operations and reclaim time and energy for mission-driven work.
- The last are two documentary filmmakers who are currently making a film about people who are dating or in love with AIs.
AI has clearly graduated from its status as a speculative idea; now it’s something that’s often entangled in our lives, relationships, labor, and emotional well being. We hope these conversations simply offer a portrait of this moment.
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For this episode, we spoke with five people who are engaging with AI in deeply human ways.
- One is using AI in the context of dating, helping them think through attraction and communication.
- Another has built a wellness app, powered by AI, and is exploring how these kind of systems can support self-inquiry and self-care.
- Another works closely with organizations—primarily nonprofits—using AI to streamline operations and reclaim time and energy for mission-driven work.
- The last are two documentary filmmakers who are currently making a film about people who are dating or in love with AIs.
AI has clearly graduated from its status as a speculative idea; now it’s something that’s often entangled in our lives, relationships, labor, and emotional well being. We hope these conversations simply offer a portrait of this moment.
Living Authentically: A Non-Binary Dialogue with Sarah/Sawyer Lavelle and Abigail/Bo Barnes
Voices of Esalen
50 minutes 56 seconds
7 months ago
Living Authentically: A Non-Binary Dialogue with Sarah/Sawyer Lavelle and Abigail/Bo Barnes
In this episode of Voices of Esalen, host Sam Stern sits down with two members of the Esalen community, Sarah Lavelle (also known as Sawyer) and Abigail Barnes (also known as Bo), for a heartfelt conversation about non-binary identity, self-expression, and the journey of living beyond the binary.
Topics include personal stories, pronouns, the evolving language of gender, and the beauty and difficulty of being one’s authentic self in a world still learning how to understand.
Sawyer is a longtime full-spectrum doula, facilitator, and devoted practitioner of meditation, Buddha-dharma, and Relational Gestalt Practice in the tradition of Dick Price and Dorothy Charles. A seeker of liberation for all beings, they embody presence and compassion in all they do.
Abigail is a teacher at Big Sur Park School and a beloved presence in the Esalen lodge. Passionate about solitude, Kaula Tantric yoga, and the study of Gestalt, they will soon continue their journey in Stockholm, Sweden, exploring consciousness and education across cultures.
Whether you’re deeply familiar with non-binary experiences or just beginning to learn, this conversation offers something for everyone: insight, openness, and the radical courage of being.
Additional Resources:
https://www.assignedmedia.org/
https://bookshop.org/p/books/who-s-afraid-of-gender-judith-butler/19994814?ean=9781250371911&next=t
https://transequality.org/issues/resources/understanding-nonbinary-people-how-to-be-respectful-and-supportive
https://transequality.org/resources/supporting-transgender-people-your-life-guide-being-good-ally
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
https://www.hrc.org/resources/get-the-facts-about-transgender-non-binary-athletes
Voices of Esalen
For this episode, we spoke with five people who are engaging with AI in deeply human ways.
- One is using AI in the context of dating, helping them think through attraction and communication.
- Another has built a wellness app, powered by AI, and is exploring how these kind of systems can support self-inquiry and self-care.
- Another works closely with organizations—primarily nonprofits—using AI to streamline operations and reclaim time and energy for mission-driven work.
- The last are two documentary filmmakers who are currently making a film about people who are dating or in love with AIs.
AI has clearly graduated from its status as a speculative idea; now it’s something that’s often entangled in our lives, relationships, labor, and emotional well being. We hope these conversations simply offer a portrait of this moment.
