Recently, we connected and spoke with Stephanie Dickinson, a meditation and transformation coach. She shared her Zen Hustler adventures and is now living in Ubud, Bali. Below are many highlights from our talk and excited to share them with you.

What are some ways you stay connected and positive?

I love to dance and play music. Since I now live in Ubud, the Balinese culture here embraces lots of singing and cultural events that connects people.

Can you tell us more about your business?

In my company I'm a teacher, coach in mindfulness, meditation, many healing modalities and working 1:1 primarily with passionate social entrepreneurs. I like to engage with people doing important work for the greater good of us all, people who need a structure of support and who may be getting burn out. 

What are some unique ways you serve clients?

I help them realize their mental patterning - working within beliefs systems, where are these (thoughts/ideas/beliefs) really coming from. Once they can see them, others can see it and they can change them. People need to gain perspective and may never have had that kind of space before.

What have you noticed about your client's challenges?

People nowadays are very busy, hyper-productive, and this pattern is very North American and yet also found in places like; Asia, Canada, the Bay Area, New York and in Korea. I tend to work with clients from these areas of the world and help them realize this mindset is hurtful.
 

How has finding your zen changed your life?

Personally, I have been living in Bali and happily meditating for over 15 years now, plus practicing yoga. I started my yoga journey at just 9 or 10 years old, but I kept it a secret. I found a yoga video on VHS in high school, then found some local classes and luckily a cool teacher that was weaving wisdom into the yoga practice.

I noticed that my life would change when in and out of my yoga/meditation practice, I had more balance inside it and then more stress and anxiety if I feel out. Overall my life was more enjoyable and sweeter when I stayed practicing. When not doing these practices I would lose myself, impacting my sleep, adding more life stress and felt personally undernourished.

Meditation opened up for me and was juicer the more attention I gave it, so I fully opened up to it, I trusted it. I found that I wanted to wake up in the morning to meditate each day. It felt like I wanted this, it needed me, and I was making it happen, I would go inward, something inside was leading me.

What do you recommend to newbies?

I think people should really experiment with a variety of practices, methods, teachers, feelings, and listening for the inner experiences. Now I do a deep meditation from 45-60 minutes, but that is something to evolve into. I recommend people journal about it also, writing down their new experiences, as this helped me to keep practicing.  I believe deep wisdom and insight is a valuable part of my human experience, one that really matters the most in my life.

How did you weave these practices into a business?

I studied business, and also taught english in Korea. I always brought my practices into my work, my relationships, communities, my yoga and meditation practices. Sharing it with others came about slowly, by hosting meditation gatherings for fun at home for friends and their friends. I also studied massage, thai yoga, and practiced with other people, all connected via mindfulness, meditation as a playground with friends, who started to realized the value. 

Then my friends started to refer me... it was unplanned, I first thought then it could become a business, so I took donations after that and offered it free based on the context of the relationship. I realized... wow this really serves people, and it opened my eyes to the real need in the world. I know first hand what that feels like, people doing great things who need more inner support!

What are the business obstacles you face now?

For some people "this stuff is too woo-woo for them"... they are not into it, sadly.

People can be too resistant and "in their heads" a lot of the time, which is the case for many entrepreneurs. And they often listen to what they say to themselves internally. Many people (like to pretend they already know what works for them, but I don't take it personally). Many people are set in old routines and thinking patterns that might not serve them anymore, which they may not be aware of. 

I go to work with clients on their internal belief systems, for example, on beliefs surrounding control. In any business being in control is perceived as good, so alternatively, being out of control is bad, as a running belief. Loosing the control belief can become a break through point for many people. 

The belief of surrendering can mean war and loss as old belief programs. I ask clients if these beliefs serve them and then we may find a way to ease away from their stronghold in their life.

Tell us more about how this process works?

My first client meetings/sessions are a process of undoing, an exploration of what's there, explore their mental programming from external witness perspective. In meditation sessions, we are in 'theta brain wave state', so we can see it authentically and not react to them (beliefs), as pros and cons. Our subconscious governs 90% of our reality, our fears and worries, unplug the drain of the mind to learn. Getting to the witness consciousness, without coaching someone can do it naturally to connect these dots. I want them to gain perspective, new insights, to open them up with a natural ripple effect of their own mind.

Can you share a client transformation?

I had one client, a women, we can call her Lisa. She has Lyme disease, had a rough life with lots of traumas, was working but with no energy for life. Lisa was in emotional and physical pain, and wanted more energy, when she came to me. She simply wanted to be more productive and possess more energy. I found out soon that a lot of what was going on was a lack of love... a self-love, at the core of her issues. After this realization for us both, authentically for her she stated the following...

Lisa went on to say, "For the first time in my life I know what it feels like to be loved and supported." Our work gave her new energy, better relationships and has supported everything in her life. 

What's some more wisdom you can share?

I find that if you can encounter your inner demons inside your nightmares, if you can stop and face that monster, then it becomes less scary. Can you stop to ask this monster for a gift, to teach you something new, stop and really look at it. Then the fear dissipates and there is a gift of deep insight there, received as inner wisdom. 

My goal is that I want people to wake up, that's why I'm doing all of this this, helping people to have a new curiosity to make life shifts. 

What are some activities you do if feeling your feeling blocked or unproductive at work?

• I get grounded to earth, such as meditation outdoors nature, if possible. 

• I get barefoot, I swim, I immerse myself into nature, I welcome it into my body/mind.

• I move my body, do tantric shaking, yoga practice, ecstatic dance. 

 • Anywhere I am I can do breathe work, on a plane, subway, in a taxi, it's what I can control.

• I start each day with breath work for 10-20 minutes, meditation time and a yoga practice.

Learn more: As a curious truth-seeker, I am happily devoted to investigating and testing out how to live the optimal life. And I am grateful to share this wisdom and guide others to live their lives in the highest and best ways possible. I’m from sunny Southern California. I’ve lived in Asia for the past six years, and my current home is on the paradise island of Bali. My mission is to integrate and translate authentic eastern practices for western audiences at home.

I'm a certified ThetaHealing practitioner and trained meditation and yoga teacher. I’ve had a dedicated and purposeful yoga and meditation practice for the past 15 years. In addition, I have trained in Thai Yoga Massage in Northern Thailand. And, in Bali, I have delved into a full spectrum of body work and healing arts. Learn more at: stephanie-dickinson.com

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