Resourcing the Revolution

interview

Changemaker Q&A with Muffadal Saylawala

by Leave a Comment

This month, I am super thrilled to bring back both activity on the Rebel Yogi blog and the Changemaker Q&A series with a friend of mine that I met at last year’s… wait for it… World Domination Summit. Muffadel is one of those people who capture you, pretty much instantly upon meeting them, with their deep sense of the world around them and their place in it. When I put out a call for people to share their stories here and got a response from him, I knew that this was a story that you would all love, and that would resonate deeply with the Rebel Yogi community.

So, welcome back after a winter’s hibernation! Let’s shake off the weight of a season past (and passed) and open our eyes to the beautiful spring that is unfolding around us. I’m so happy to be back – I’ve missed you all dearly!

Without further ado… Muffadel Saylawala!

 

1. What is the world changing work that you are bringing into existence? (Tell us a bit about what your work means to you and why you think it’s important for the world.)

I am working on creating a regenerative ecosystem. It will be an eco-lodge that grows its own food and is built from natural/recyclable materials. I’m creating a space where can learn about living a holistic life through experience. My hope is to integrate all things good, sustainable, green, eco under one roof. I’m building a bridge between ecology, business and society. A place where hippie types and discerning parents co-create.

2. What was the moment or situation that made you realize the way you were previously approaching your work was unsustainable? And, how did you find your way back to balance out of those challenges?

I’ve been preparing my entire life, unconsciously. Consciously, I’ve been studying this idea for two years. I was stuck in a rut before this, a really bad one. Everything I tried failed – from startups to relationships – and I couldn’t stop beating myself up about everything. I couldn’t shake it, until I reached a breaking point.

I let go of all the expectations. I let go of trying so hard to make something fit, to impress someone. I was just going back to my own element. I was escaping into my ‘comfort zone’ which is ironically a journey to a foreign country to purposefully stretch my comfort zone. It fucking worked like magic.

I let myself wonder. We stayed at a few eco-lodges. It was something I had heard about before, but wasn’t so familiar with. Eco tourism began in Costa Rica. I was confused though, I didn’t understand what ‘eco lodge’ actually meant. I couldn’t figure out what was so eco about the places we saw. It started to bug me more and more, I felt like people were using this term eco and cheating or something. I started wondering about what it would be like if I made my own eco-lodge. I thought we’d grow our own food, have tours that connect with people in the community and be a place that serves travelers, decidedly not for tourists.

This seed had been waiting for me. It made so much sense. This is what I was meant to do. I was meant to become the person that created such a space. It was my unique calling. I had the business acumen, the passion, the green heart, the travel experience and the hippie life experiences. I stepped into my personal legend.

3. What are you doing differently now – how are you maintaining a balanced place moving forward?

I’m going with the flow. I’ve opened up into this space of perpetual happy coincidences. The more I let it happen, the more it keeps working.

One thing led to the next to the next to the next and I’ve been dancing my way through a synchronicity slipstream for the last two years.

I’m happy. Like really, truly happy.

I’ve stepped into myself. I’m not as ashamed anymore. I don’t raise my voice; I don’t get angry. I’m dancing around naked at the top of Maslow’s box for self actualization. I feel blessed every day. I gave it to myself and I let myself have it.

4. If you could give that past self one piece of advice or guidance, what would it be? Or, if you wouldn’t change anything, why not?

Who you’re going to be ‘when you grow up’ is not the same as a job or even a livelihood filled with passion. You will be remembered not for the things you were supposed to do, nor the things you ended up creating, but rather, for the human that you became. The key is wanting to be who you already are.

 

Muffadal Saylawala believes there are too many broken systems in the world and we, as a society, continue to perpetuate them because we don’t know any better. His purpose is to leave the world better than he came into it. Business is the greatest tool we have to create lasting change that makes a difference. He’s especially into things like permaculture, organic farming, urban farming, sustainable building, off the grid living, travel, exploration, experiences and slowing down to smell the roses. He can be found online at msayla.com

Changemaker Q&A with Amy Angelilli: The Adventure Project

by Leave a Comment

This month’s Changemaker Q&A comes to us from Amy Angelilli, Chief Adventure Officer of The Adventure Project. Amy also runs in the World Domination Summit (WDS) circles, and she and I connected online. Her dedication to making the world a better place through adventure and play, while also creating a sustainable life balance, means that hers is a story that I wanted to share with you.

Without further ado: take it away Amy!

 

1. What is the world changing work that you are bringing into existence? (Tell us a bit about what your work means to you and why you think it’s important for the world.)

When I was a kid, I was told I needed to major in accounting, graduate in 4 years, and get a desk job with benefits. I knew this wasn’t me, but I didn’t know what other options existed. Eventually – as my journey unfolded – I found my way to myself.

My message to a person, unsure of a path, is to find your own adventure. And by adventure, I don’t mean doing something that is the stereotypical definition of adventure – please no jumping out of airplanes! (Unless you really want to!)

I invite people into the adventure discovery process so as to open them up to authenticity with themselves, their relationships and their travel experiences. I do this via the simple tool of play. When we play, we are completely in the moment and we are our truest selves. Once we find this place, we’re able to interact with the world in a much richer way. And the end result is that goodness happens when we have meaningful interactions!

2. What was the moment or situation that made you realize the way you were approaching this work was unsustainable? And, how did you find your way back to balance out of those challenges?

It was when I was with a group of strangers revealing our lightness and darkness at Life of Yes! Sleepaway Camp. I am my own worst critic. I constantly compare myself to others. I’m never satisfied with my own output and want more and/or better. This is not sustainable.

If I chose to sabotage myself, how can I move forward and have a successful adventure? I can’t. I am enough. I am good enough. Because in reality, let’s remember, we’re all finding our own adventures. No one will be able to execute my adventure as my adventure is mine and mine alone. Only I can create it, so I need to be kinder to myself and practice better self care and acceptance. I am now dedicated to this practice although I may not always be successful.

3. What are you doing differently now – how are you maintaining a balanced place moving forward?

I’m not only putting together a self care plan for personal and professional development, but I’m also saying these pieces of the plan out loud so there’s accountability. I’m spending time with people who can validate my feelings, and also encourage me to continue forward on my journey … on my adventure. Being around positive energies spreads that positive energy. Sometimes we need more than what we are able to feed to ourselves.

I’m also seeking an accountability partner – this would be someone with whom I can have a weekly check in, so that both of us are supporting each other in personal and professional growth and development.

4. If you could give that past self one piece of advice or guidance, what would it be? Or, if you wouldn’t change anything, why not?

Yoga is a practice – so is self care. We will never be perfect. We can only be kind. Keep practicing what you want to be, do, achieve – and realize that practice may never make perfect … it can only make better. As long as we continue to move forward, we are succeeding.

 

Amy Angelilli’s own “Adventure Project” began when she turned 40 while on safari in South Africa. Realizing she had veered off the path of her “right life,” she returned determined to make major changes both personally and professionally. In the first half of 2012, she left her relationship, her house and her job. In the second half of 2012, she married the love of her life – one year to the day she unveiled an authentic, heartfelt profile on a dating website.
Her latest creation is The Adventure Project, which offers relationship, life and travel adventures to the “Every Person” via play. When not navigating adventures, she can be found enjoying meaningful travel, restorative yoga or improvisational theater. Her greatest performance is as herself in “It’s All About Amy” – the unscripted story of her life. She also created and produced the theater experience “3 Blind Dates” – Denver’s only unscripted romantic comedy that showcases the phenomenon of modern dating.
Follow her authentic adventures on twitter or via her personal essays.

Changemaker Q&A with Lisa Bryan: Downshiftology

by 2 Comments

This month, I am honored to bring you another amazing edition of the Changemaker Q&A series, featuring Lisa Bryan of Downshiftology. I was introduced to Lisa completely by chance during the closing party at this year’s WDS by a fellow attendee. I was standing in line for food, and had a great conversation with two of the people standing in line with me; it turned out that as I was talking about the work that’s going on with Rebel Yogi, Chad thought to introduce me to Lisa, who he had just met that weekend. In a word: serendipity.

It turns out that Lisa and I have quite a bit in common, and as I heard more about her story, I knew that I wanted to feature her for this series. The work she is doing is SO necessary, and so inspiring. I am seriously looking forward to following along as she brings Downshiftology to life, because I know that we can all gain real benefit from her work.

Take it away, Lisa!

 

1. What is the world changing work that you are bringing into existence? (Tell us a bit about what your work means to you and why you think it’s important for the world.)

My passion is to help busy women “take it down a notch” in our overloaded world. To simplify both their food and lifestyle choices for improved health and greater happiness.

I believe there’s a silent health epidemic among women today. We’re smart, educated and driven… but also working long hours, enduring high-stress, sacrificing sleep and making poor food choices. We look at sleep as a luxury and stress as a necessary part of life. We’ve forgotten how to prioritize self-care or sadly, feel guilty when we do.

And the statistics are staggering. Of those with autoimmune disease, more than 75% are women. That’s a whole lot of us! And that number does not include other general health issues such as depression, infertility and skin disorders.

 As science and research increases in the field of genetics, microbiome, hormones and immunity – we learn more about potential triggers of disease. I won’t deep dive into geeky science talk, but remember this one important fact: just because you have a gene for a disease (a predisposition), it does not necessarily mean you will get it.

Why is this great news? Because many times our triggers are related to diet, environment and lifestyle. Things we can control! And that’s why I’m so darn passionate about Downshiftology!

2. What was the moment or situation that made you realize your previous work and lifestyle was unsustainable? And, how did you find your way back to balance out of those challenges?

Starting at the age of 35, I received my first autoimmune diagnosis (Celiac). Within two years, I received three more autoimmune diagnoses (Hashimotos, Psoriasis and Endometriosis). At the time, I was heading up marketing for a biotech company and had high-stress, long hours and a horrible commute. In short, I was completely burned out!

But for far too long I wanted to blame my genes. I kept telling myself that my body was somehow a little mis-wired and that I wasn’t really that stressed-out. I minimized all the internal red warning lights that were flashing.

But soon, the lights became too bright to ignore. So I remember telling myself, with 100% certainty, that I would leave my job within the year to take some much needed time off.

And instantly, that one internal declaration altered me profoundly. I Immediately felt the enormous weight lift from my shoulders. The incessant jaw cracking I had been doing for the last year stopped. And I slept the best I had in months that night.

I should also mention that at the time, I had been battling scalp psoriasis for two years. Yet after making this internal declaration (and with making no other dietary changes) my psoriasis had virtually disappeared within 3 weeks! That was the first light-bulb moment that my body and brain were inextricably connected. And that my mental stress was affecting me physically.

But two months after my light-bulb moment came the real kicker – I was unexpectedly let-go from my job. Talk about the universe giving me a nudge!



So being newly unemployed, I had free time on my hands to figure out my next path. That’s when I felt magnetically pulled to leave the corporate world behind and start Downshiftology. To help other women restart their lives for improved health and happiness.

3. What are you doing differently now – how are you maintaining a balanced place moving forward?

I quickly learned after starting Downshiftology that I could replicate my burn-out pretty darn easily if I wasn’t careful. Even though I was now a passionate entrepreneur (and no longer a corporate warrior), my biggest challenge was me.

As a type-A, driven personality, I tend to push myself hard to succeed. And even though I had been eating a healthy, paleo-based diet for more than a year, I needed to do more. I needed to make self-care priority #1.

For me, self-care includes things like exercise, getting outside, meditating and traveling. It’s my time to completely disconnect from technology and gain clarity. But to ensure it doesn’t fall through the cracks, I now schedule my exercise and meditation on my calendar, just as I would a business meeting.

Travel and adventure are also big for me – I’m a heart-driven explorer and seeker. And this was one area that was massively compromised in my former life. But I’m happy to let you know I’ll be spending a few months in Southeast Asia later this year! I’m super excited. So watch the blog for some fun, crazy and global-paleo adventure posts in the near future!

4. If you could give your past self one piece of advice or guidance, what would it be? Or, if you wouldn’t change anything, why not?

Gosh, I would definitely say to not be so hard on myself. To be more kind and gentle. And to not worry about perception and perfection. Life is short. Embrace simplicity and live your one amazing life doing things that make your heart sing. Because life is way more fun when you’re healthy and happy!

 

Lisa Bryan is a writer, entrepreneur, real-food eater, world traveler and motivator for vibrant living. She believes that wellness is a journey and simplicity is not boring. After being diagnosed with four autoimmune diseases in two years, Lisa became an impassioned advocate for health and lifestyle transformations. She left her former life as a biotech marketing executive to inspire countless women to restart their lives, take action for positive change and make each day count. She can be found online at downshiftology.com

Changemaker Q&A with Kelly Connor: Sunrose Yoga

by Leave a Comment

I am so thrilled to revisit the Changemaker Q&A series with a new interview for the month of July! This month’s interview features Kelly Connor Sunrose, a fellow yoga instructor who lives in Portland. I first met Kelly as a student in one of her classes, and then had the pleasure of getting to know her better over the past year. She is an amazing being, and is doing beautiful work in this world. As soon as we sat down for tea last month to dig deep into what I am planning for Rebel Yogi, I knew that I had to share her story with you.

So, without further ado, here’s Kelly!

1. What is the world changing work that you are bringing into existence? (Tell us a bit about what your work means to you and why you think it’s important for the world.)

At this moment in time, what I am sharing is the spirit of exploration and curiosity. I’m sharing an approach that asks rather than answers. This has a way of emerging in all of the work that I do: as a yoga and meditation guide, as an advocate for peace, justice and the environment, as a writer and artist, as a mother.

It is tempting to harden around a sense of knowing. Knowing something ends a discussion, whereas asking or inviting begins one. To live in the spaciousness of mystery is counter-cultural, but perhaps necessary for our survival as a species. Hardening around a particular belief does not allow for community. And we are all in this together.

The work is at once simple, subtle and profound, gross. One thing leads to another and I’m letting myself be marked as I make marks myself.

2. What was the moment or situation that made you realize the way you were approaching this work was unsustainable? And, how did you find your way back to balance out of those challenges?

There was a time when I practiced law and yoga that assumed answers, adhered to a structure I had to follow, but believed to be damaging to most of the people involved with it. At the time, I felt as though real change had to come from within an organization, while respecting its structure. But that really took its toll on me and on my ability to do the work I knew I was put here to do. So for a while, I abandoned it all. I spent a lot of time in meditation. And that was important, but now I’m moving toward a place of integration.

I think allowing the process to unfold is absolutely necessary. Even if we sense that things will wind up a certain way, the unfolding is where life is happening. Jumping ahead to the cymbal crash at the end changes everything.

3. What are you doing differently now – how are you maintaining a balanced place moving forward?

I’m operating outside of “the law” now, in true rebel fashion. The work I do involves mediation, meditation, community radio and connection that makes sense to me. I’m doing the work that only I can do in the only way I can. By fitting into someone else’s mold, I could not do this.


4. If you could give that past self one piece of advice or guidance, what would it be? Or, if you wouldn’t change anything, why not?

I wouldn’t change anything, because the struggles that happened along the way seem important and even necessary. There was suffering, and a lot of it was “needless” in a sense, but those internal engagements brought me to this point; wherever that is!

 

Kelly Connor Sunrose, E-RYT, is a peace educator living in beautiful Portland, Oregon. Kelly’s uses art, yoga and meditation to remind people of their own brilliant gentleness. She spends her days mothering, making art, connecting with students and tending to her garden. Kelly shares her work online at http://sunroseyoga.com.

Changemaker Q&A with Andrea Bailey: Lightbox Communications

by 5 Comments

It’s hard to believe, but we’re already into our third week of Changemaker Q&A! This week we’re sitting down with Andrea Bailey of Lightbox Communications. I met Andrea on a chartered school bus that was headed to the Oregon Zoo for the opening party of the third… wait for it… World Domination Summit. Though the ride to the zoo was brief, I connected with her and a few of our fellow travelers along the way.

When I reached out into the Portland community for stories to share here, I was thrilled to hear from Andrea. She is one in the series who didn’t make it all the way to collapse before she realized that she was headed in an unsustainable direction, and I felt compelled to share all sides of the journey so that we can each find a marker along the way that more closely matches our own struggles and triumphs.

Here’s Andrea:

1. What is the world changing work that you are bringing into existence? (Tell us a bit about what your work means to you and why you think it’s important for the world.)

I am a marketing consultant for holistic health care professionals (think acupuncturists, naturopathic doctors, massage therapists, yoga teachers, holistic nutritionists…). My work is all about empowering them to cultivate a client community that will support their business for the long haul, and to feel authentic in the process.

As a society, we need holistic practitioners to have sustainable businesses so they can be around to help navigate the changes that are happening in our health care system and our living environments. To name just two of them, I think we need to take on more responsibility for our own health, and to really pay attention to balancing out deficiencies and toxins in our surroundings. Holistic medicine is excellent at that.

And personally, I am just thrilled every time I see someone let go of generic marketing scripts and formulas, and instead begins to communicate in a way that really suits them and lets their personality shine through.

2. What were the signs that made you realize you were off balance, or working in a way that was unsustainable in the long run?

My thoughts started to sound like a broken record. Am I working hard enough? Am I doing this right? Why didn’t x, y, and z happen already? At some point that loop got in the way of my eight hours of sleep, and that’s when I got really motivated to figure this out and change things.

3. What are you doing differently now – how are you maintaining a balanced place moving forward?

The single most important thing I changed was my perspective. I realized that I wasn’t overwhelmed by the work itself. Whenever I was stressed out, it was because if my interpretation of what was going in, because of expectations or fears. It dawned on me that that I had a choice to be worried/perfectionist or not, and that insight alone was super helpful.

And, as I’m sure you and many in your community have found, too, the yoga mat is a stellar training ground for letting go of stressful thought patterns. I would simply listen to my broken record during practice and it actually made me laugh after a while because I started to see so clearly that none of these thoughts had anything to do with who I am or what I’m worth.

4. If you could give that past self one piece of advice or guidance, what would it be? Or, if you wouldn’t change anything, why not?

I would tell myself to trust my own rhythms more, and to make the most of the right times for each activity. There are times when I am full of energy and creativity, and others when all I can do is clean up my desk. Now I don’t mind working long days when I’m inspired because I know I’ll get some R&R again soon enough, and I’m also OK with logging off and heading out for a walk at two in the afternoon because I know I’ll kick butt again when I’m back in that zone. It brings a lot of ease to my work.

 

Originally from Northern Germany, Andrea Bailey has been exploring what makes communication work across borders of all kinds in classrooms, offices, yoga studios and coffee shops in 22 countries. As the heart and mind of Lightbox Communications, Andrea is working with professionals from all areas of the holistic health field to clarify their message, uncover their own authentic marketing style, and grow their practices with confidence and ease. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Changemaker Q&A with Dave Ursillo

by Leave a Comment

For our second edition of Changemaker Q&A we’re sitting down with Dave Ursillo. I met Dave at the very first World Domination Summit (you might see a pattern forming), and have been honored to call him both friend and mentor for the past three years. He is a fellow yogi, and is also completing his teacher training this spring.

One of the things that has struck me the most about watching Dave’s journey unfold is his honesty toward how he approaches life. It was his story about reaching the breaking point in an earlier chapter of his life that caused me to initially reach out to him, but it turns out that even now he was in the middle of figuring out a new transition point with his writing community, the Literati Writers. His is a poignant reminder that life is a constant evolution, and even the most positive of projects can start to break you down if you’re not mindful of where you really want to be headed.

Take it away, Dave!

1. What is the world changing work that you are bringing into existence? (Tell us a bit about what your work means to you and why you think it’s important for the world.)

I help self-starters embrace the arts of writing and self-expression to become stronger, happier and healthier communicators. I’ve been a writer for most of my life and a self-employed entrepreneur since 2009, but I only began this iteration of my creative work in 2012 when I founded an online writers’ group and support system for creative people called The Literati Writers.

I founded this community to help writers who wanted to love their creative journeys and find a sense of alignment and integration with their values, rather than resort to the “tortured artist routine.” As a creative, I’ve learned the hard way that pursuit alone is not enough: pursuing dreams and goals never left me happy, only wanting more; it never helped me feel fulfilled, only empty.

I started to change by focusing on the journey, itself: finding artistic integrity on my path and heart-alignment in my work. It’s all about deeply honoring our callings while helping to serve and better the lives of others.

2. What was the moment or situation that made you realize the way you were approaching this work was unsustainable? And, how did you find your way back to balance out of those challenges?

Interestingly, I founded The Literati Writers in 2012 when I realized my business was starting to fail *and* that my own commitments to writing were falling by the wayside. My excuse was a very real one, and a very important one: the need to make money. That was my reality, and a circumstance of living in New York City. But, it was also my excuse to put writing on the side-burner.

Over the last two years, The Literati Writers has called home to more than eighty writers from seven countries. We published a book in 2013 that was scooped up by more than 3,000 readers. And yet, ironically, I realized in early 2014 that my own community, which was a saving grace for my business, has itself needed to evolve because it was no longer sustainable for me.

As our goals and needs change, we have to change the projects, visions and endeavors that we’ve made into our own saving graces. But in my heart I realized that I needed to make a serious change to help my work remain sustainable, while creating the impact for others that I desired.

3. What are you doing differently now – how are you maintaining a balanced place moving forward?

I’ll tell you how I decided to retool my own writers’ group: for the group to remain viable, growth was needed. I needed membership growth to be making more income from the community, and I saw the need for new members to infuse the community with new excitement, energy and peer-to-peer connections.

The problem was that relying upon pure membership growth to help sustain my business ran in direct contrast to what makes me feel alive–and what makes me truly love my work.

The community could have grown to more than 100 members as I had intended, but it would dilute the quality my work and ultimately dilute the communal feel of my writers’ group. That’s when I knew I had to change course.

4. If you could give that past self one piece of advice or guidance, what would it be? Or, if you wouldn’t change anything, why not?

First, give yourself twice as much time as you think to complete something.
Second, work twice as focused. Be diligent with your time, and mindful of your attention.
Third, emphasize three “things” that you want to be, or do. Leave the others by the wayside.

 

Dave Ursillo is a writer and creative entrepreneur who helps self-starters make their lives’ journeys more rewarding. As a former politico who has walked in the West Wing of The White House, Dave teaches the art of writing and self-expression to help men and women serve the world around them, everyday. He is the founder of communities like The Literati Writers and The U Crew, and teaches writing workshops across the US. As an eight-time published author, Dave has written over 350 essays at DaveUrsillo.com and has been seen on CBS News Sunday Morning, ZenHabits, Inc.com and Chicken Soup for the Soul.