Michael Murphy | Integral Transformative Practice

Michael Murphy is co-founder of Integral Transformative Practice®, co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Esalen Institute and serves as Director of Esalen’s Center for Theory and Research (CTR). He has authored four novels: Golf in the Kingdom, The Kingdom of Shivas Irons, Jacob Atabet and An End to Ordinary History.

His nonfiction works, in addition to The Life We Are Given, include In the Zone, an anthology of extraordinary sports experience, co-authored with Rhea White, and The Future of the Body: Explorations Into the Further Evolution of Human Nature. Golf in the Kingdom, still a bestseller 50 years after it was published, has spawned the Shivas Irons Society, a nonprofit organization with members in the U.S. and in 20 countries as well.

Murphy was born in Salinas, California, graduated from Stanford University and lived at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, India for one year. In 1980, he helped initiate Esalen’s Soviet-American Exchange Program, which was a premiere diplomacy vehicle for citizen-to-citizen relations.

During his long involvement in the human potential movement, Murphy and his work have been profiled in The New Yorker and featured in many magazines and journals worldwide.

The Human Potential Movement Then & Now with Michael Murphy

By Michael Murphy

Michael Murphy, author, co-founder of the world-famous Esalen Institute, cofounder of ITP, and pioneer of the Human Potential Movement starting in the 60s, relates a wealth of intimate experience, knowledge, and wisdom covering his decades of living at the leading edge of transformative practice and the realization of human potential. Michael talks about Esalen’s latest research, our current crisis of belief, and the anchoring question that has guided Esalen (and Michael) all along: how best to serve?

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Summer 2022

Our potential for realizing extraordinary capacities for personal and social transformation This third issue of our 2022 quarterly newsletter centers on the theme of our potential for realizing extraordinary capacities for personal and social transformation.

Video

Inspiring Words From "The Life We Are Given"

By George Leonard, Michael Murphy

Get a deeper sense of the core practices that form the foundation of ITP in this 24-minute audio excerpt from the book, The Life We Are Given, read by co-authors and founders George Leonard and Michael Murphy.

Video

Evolutionary Panentheism in Practice

By Michael Murphy, Roger Marsh

ITP co-founder Michael Murphy and ITP Mastery teacher Roger Marsh discuss how ITP as a practice is coherent with the underlying theory and philosophy of Evolutionary Panentheism.

Supernormalities of Everyday Life

By Michael Murphy

This section is drawn from Chapter Four of The Future of the Body by Michael Murphy entitled The Supernormalities of Everyday Life. Included in this document, is an inventory that can help you bring to consciousness unusual events you may have dismissed without recognizing them as the glimmering of potential extraordinary capacities.

Video

Using Pleasure as a Guide in Our Meditation Practice

By Michael Murphy

In this video, ITP co-founder Michael Murphy shares how we can use pleasure as an indicator we are on the right path within our meditation practice in pursuit of ever-evolving transformative experiences.

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Winter 2022

Personal, community and global evolution This first issue of our 2022 quarterly newsletter touches on the theme of personal, community and global evolution. Our integral transformation inevitably inspires a ripple effect to include our relationships and beyond.

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Autumn 2021

The power of inquiry and research In this issue, read about the spirit of possibility that launched ITP's first experimental class and the research our co-founders employed to verify ITP efficacy, along with subjective findings.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - November 2021

This month's newsletter features a number of resources to support a practice embodied in gratitude, for ourselves, each other and the gifts and "hits" we experience each day. We hope the tools below inspire you to approach this transformative journey with a sense of this heartfelt joy.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - September 2021

This month's newsletter features a number of resources to explore and build upon the philosophy of embracing what is possible within your own ongoing transformation. We hope the tools below inspire "aha" moments and invigorate your practice and worldview.

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Summer 2021

In our Summer issue, we honor ways community nurtures our ongoing growth and breathes new life into us. Enjoy viewing the videos and reading the articles about the riches found in our community. This may be an ideal moment to pause and reflect on what community means to you and to experience gratitude for the blessings of it in your life.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - July 2021

This month's newsletter features a number of resources to explore and inspire consistent exercise within our personal practice. We hope the tools below offer ways to deepen your connection and commitment to moving your body not just for the goals of a faster running time or weight loss, but "for its own sake."

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - June 2021

Exploring the Power of the ITP Kata – This month's newsletter features a number of resources to explore the power within our ITP Kata practice. We hope the tools below offer ways to deepen your connection to the Kata in its entirety, the physical movements and the imaging and meditation segments. For so many of us that have not been able to enjoy being guided through the Kata this past year, you'll also enjoy a video from ITP president and Mastery Teacher, Pam Kramer, leading us through the Kata in its entirety.

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Spring 2021

In our Spring issue, we continue to explore what makes ITP distinctive, generative and ever-evolving. Imagine the practice of ITP as a 4-legged stool with these sturdy legs: theory, practice, community and research. These components are designed to provide a balanced approach for our transformative journey. Let's take a peek at those elements now.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - May 2021

Blending Personal Authority and Community Engagement – This month's newsletter features a number of resources to explore this balance of autonomy and community in everyday experiences. We hope the tools below offer ways to honor your personal journey while engaging with your family, friends and community more deeply. As always, thank you for your wholehearted participation in this community. Your support and enthusiasm help to shape and evolve this practice in profound ways.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - April 2021

Transformative Power of Affirmations – This month's newsletter features a number of resources to support you throughout your own affirmation process and ways to keep your affirmations alive in your daily life. We hope the tools below can empower you in your practice and purpose. As always, thank you for your wholehearted participation in this community. Your own journey has a profound ripple effect on our ever-evolving global family.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - March 2021

Extending Our Practice Outward in Service – This month's newsletter features a number of resources to inspire you to find your own unique way to extend your practice outward into the world. Whether it is stepping on a path of Mastery in deepening your relationships or nurturing a collaborative community endeavor, we hope the tools below can empower you in your practice and purpose. As always, thank you for your wholehearted participation in this community. Your own journey has a profound ripple effect on our ever-evolving global family.

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Winter 2021

This Quarterly issue focuses on the power of vision and the worldview that informs our practice. The stories below honor our roots and illustrate how the four legs of ITP - Vision, Practice, Community and Research - continue to inform and evolve our pioneering endeavor.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - February 2021

A Practice Rooted in Love – This month's newsletter is an opportunity to return to the theory and vision that informs ITP. In these exciting and critically important times in human history, we hope the resources below help you embody a practice inspired by love to inspire the ongoing advancement of our selves and the world.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - December 2020

Moments of Stillness and Peace – This month's practice resource hopes to inspire you to "open yourself to the magic of grace, that mysterious, seemingly unearned mediation that often comes when least expected." In a time of year that can often be a frenzy of to-do lists and obligations, we encourage you to lean in to your practice and enjoy the extraordinary that comes from exercises like Focused Surrender, transformational imaging and immersing yourself in the beauty of nature.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - November 2020

Embodying a Sense of Gratitude – As we come into the holiday season, we encourage you to explore and embrace gratitude in your daily experiences. We hope this month’s newsletter revitalizes you with practices in noticing the magic in the everyday moments of life. Enjoy a conversation with Tomas Marconi and Michael Murphy on food as a vehicle for experiencing the divine; a poem to keep us tuned toward possibility and a LET practice to tune in to the shared energy of our family, friends and community.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - October 2020

A Deeper Look at the Worldview that Informs Our Practice – Understanding the underlying foundation of Integral Transformative Practice can be helpful in staying on the path of personal growth, as well as course correcting when necessary. This month’s Practice Resources Newsletter sheds light on the worldview or theory that informs our practice, as described in the white paper written by Michael Murphy, The Emergence of Evolutionary Panentheism. This worldview, that the divine is both immanent and transcendent, sets the stage for awareness of our extraordinary capacities - that we, and all life forms, are evolving towards a greater realization of our divine, inherent nature.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - September 2020

Exploring the Extraordinary through Energy Awareness – There’s never been a more important time to reconnect with the extraordinary. We hope that this month’s resources help reinforce the power of greater awareness found through Leonard Energy Training and the body as teacher. Perhaps even more exciting, are the possibilities that unfold in this practice that lead us toward the next stage of human evolution.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - June 2020

Being the author of our own life – Understanding what it means to be the author of our own life is the first step in finding ways to be of service to the larger community, and this month's newsletter focuses on resources to reflect and review our own practice and how we can empower ourselves to live more authentically.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - April 2020

Our extraordinary potential – In this month's practice resources newsletter, we share an article written by our Stanford University partners on the significance of affirmations in realizing our personal evolution. We also explore the emergence of supernormal capacities in history and ways we can notice and embody our extraordinary potential.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - March 2020

Changing The World By Changing Your Own Heart – In this month's newsletter, we share inspiration for integrating this service element into your daily practice and offer a sense of hope in what feels like very dark times. Each of us has the potential to create a positive ripple effect, often by just being present and listening deeply to each other. As an anonymous, but very wise person reminds us, "In a world where you can be anything, be kind."

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - January 2020

Integral change – This month's Practice Resources revisits the theory of evolution itself and offers a few journaling prompts to help lay the groundwork for integral change. We hope that as you reflect on the past year, and visualize an amazing 2020, you feel a sense of excitement at the potential for the extraordinary that awaits.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - October 2019

The transformative power of affirmations – Autumn is a season of school-day nostalgia, often motivating us to take on new projects and goals. In honor of the importance of ongoing learning, this month's theme focuses on the mind and the transformative power of affirmations. Have you already experienced positive results by affirming your personal evolution? We'd love to hear from you about what's unfolding.

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Summer 2019

This newsletter features the mental aspects of the integral, with our contributors sharing personal takeaways from their recent learning experiences at ITP events. Enjoy soaking up gems for your practice.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - June 2019

Your integral nature through mindful movement – Step on the path and enjoy your practice! This month's theme focuses on the body and your integral nature through mindful movement. We hope you find the information below helpful and inspiring.

ITPI Newsletter Articles - Spring 2019

This newsletter showcases the physical aspect of the integral and ways to explore body-based fitness through our practice. Enjoy reading articles from our contributors on the power of Aikido, strength training, aerobics and ways to nourish the body.

ITPI Practice Resources for Lasting Change - May 2019

The body - "a handy model of the universe" – This month's theme focuses on the body - what George Leonard calls "a handy model of the universe." We hope you enjoy this first issue that highlights the physical aspects of your practice and that the information below is both helpful and inspiring.

The Two Souls

In this talk, given during the 2011 Seekers and Sages Evening Program series, Michael Murphy discusses how various traditions, mystics and writers have pointed to a relationship between our “individual evolving souls” and “the ultimate source of our being” and how we can be alert to clues about our evolving soul’s purpose.

The Birth of Evolutionary Panentheism Part II: Fredric Myers

In this talk, given during the 2012 Seekers and Sages Evening Program series, Michael Murphy discusses Frederic Myers’ “Scheme of Human Faculty in its Relation to Time,” and how this model points to practices that can reach into our extraordinary capacities.

The Birth of Evolutionary Panentheism Part I: German Idealism

In this talk, given during the 2012 Seekers and Sages Evening Program series, Michael Murphy discusses the contributions made by great thinkers such as Sri Aurobindo, Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, Jung and William James, offering a grounding philosophy in our practice.

Dialogue with Michael Murphy, Tim Boyd and Emanuel Kuntzelman

Gain insight on evolutionary theory, esoteric anatomies and spiritual practice through this lively dialogue between Michael Murphy, Tim Boyd, president of the Theosophical Society and president of Greenheart International, Emanuel Kuntzelman, originally recorded at the March 2015 Falkirk Lecture Series.