Podcast S1E1

Radikal Life S1E1: What is Radikal Life?

Thu, Aug 11, 2022 4:31PM • 25:58

SUMMARY KEYWORDS
life, module, project, people, share, creating, healing, destination, inspiration, rest, radical, folks, functional, podcast, feel, related, offering, individuals, living, virtual

SPEAKERS
Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP), Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  00:06
Hello and welcome to the Radikal Life podcast. My name is Marina Patrice Vare.  My pronouns are they/them and MP, and I have with me

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  00:19
Sat Nam. I’m Manjot Singh Khalsa, MP and I are the radikal co-creators of Radikal Life.

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  00:28
And so in this first episode of our podcast, we’re going to talk about What is Radikal Life? So I’m wondering if you would share with us what’s in the name, and also why the k in Radikal?

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  00:42
Sure, radical has different meanings. Some of those that resonate most with me is radical relating to the fundamental nature of something describing it as an adjective, radical is revolutionary. Not usual or ordinary, profound, thorough, comprehensive. Choosing the K versus the C. K has more of an intensity, a charge, more crystallization and sharpness of cutting through and feels more radikal than C is cozy, and soft and round. And has beautiful qualities. But K is more radikal.

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  01:56
That makes sense to me. And, you know, I recently also saw something on Facebook, or maybe it was an Instagram, an image of the word radical and roots. And I did not know that the root of the word radical is actually the word [root]. And I really felt the resonance of that, especially in thinking about this project, because we’ll share a little bit in a moment exactly about what it is. But this idea of like, roots going down, and I really love trees. And so this idea of like roots, drawing up and receiving nourishment from trees really added a lot to me, in terms of the sense of stability in creating this work.

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  02:44
Yes, yeah. Yes. So that concept of the roots of radical is roots.

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  02:51
Yeah. I really enjoyed learning that. Yes, yes. So what is Radikal Life, the project?

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  03:01
Yeah, Radikal Life. The project is the manual for optimal being-ness. And it’s a collaboration of leaders in wholeness and wellness coming together to deliver content in a virtual platform related to optimal beingness. Do you want to share some more details about the project? 

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  03:34
Absolutely. So the project is designed to be 14 modules. And each of these modules is delivered as three classes and these classes are 40 to 60 minutes long, and have interactive components. I really love the way that we’ve put this together, I’m very proud of this project, as a thing that is self paced, and where folks can choose where they want to start in terms of with which module they’re most interested in. So I’ll share also about what the modules are. We have Breathe,  Clear, Connect, Cleanse, Do, my favorite, because it’s mine, Rest. And also because Do always makes me think of Rest. Meditate, which is your module. We have Intuit, Move, Nourish, Strengthen, Stretch, Think. Did I miss any? Create and create. Thank you. That’s a great one to remember, especially as we’re creating this project. So we’ve got a variety of topic areas that folks might be interested in cultivating in terms of building their sense of optimal beingness. Yes. I am curious if there’s anything else you want to share specifically about Radikal Life, the project?

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  05:03
We could share that the content, in addition to self paced classes, many module leaders are also offering individualized one-on-one coaching in the same virtual format. There will also be live, meaning and live time, virtual workshops. And embedded into the Radikal Life community is the opportunity for participants to be in communication, and community with others who are interested in being on this journey of living a Radikal Life.

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  05:51
Yeah, thanks for those additions. And so we’re here with the Radikal podcast with the desire and enthusiasm to introduce you to our module leaders. So each of them are offering teachings within the program. But what I really wanted to give a sense of is the people behind that, right, because I think that our folks are really people that we brought into the project because they deeply embody the verb of their module. And I’m excited to get to offer you insights into how they’re living this in their own life. I really enjoy learning. And I also have, sort of often like, interest in like, knowing what happened for folks when they were learning the things that they’re teaching. And so, for me, this is an opportunity to dive deeper into the minds of creators, and I’m excited to share that with you. Yeah. So I wonder if you would tell us about sort of how this project came to be, the Radikal Life, how was it born? What happened?

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  06:59
Yeah, yeah. About five or so years ago, I was involved in a small group, book, coaching, self initiated with some people in my life. We were working in a book by John Assaraf, and Murray Smith, a lot of people know those individuals in different ways. But in some ways related to people that were featured in The Secret. The Secret has become or became very popular. So those two individuals wrote a book called The Answer. And The Answer was stories, anecdotes, anecdotes, and a work book, if you will, on creating extraordinary businesses, particularly for entrepreneurs and lives. So yeah, out of that working and related to which we’ll get into a little bit today, other business ventures in wellness that I’ve been involved with. This inspiration was born. I have a very strong personal connection to God to spirit. So this inspiration was born through a communication with spirit, about something that could be beneficial to share with others on a larger scale.

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  08:51
Nice. Thank you. Appreciate that. Tell me why you think this project is important now. I know that this project has been percolating for you for some time.

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  09:02
Yes. Yeah, um, projects, as as many viewers might know, if they are creatives or have had that experience of inspiration or have things brewing internally. From inspiration to delivery out in the world can take the time it takes. I as a wellness entrepreneur for 25 years. I actually have never been attached to timelines. That’s just I’m more into organic flow. And I’ve been blessed with the experience that when I’ve had an inspiration come at some juncture, it actually comes to fruition and delivery. So this came for me because it is a project that involves a lot of people, as you said, 14 module leaders two co- creators behind the scenes folks. People have different things happening in their lives. So there’s been some flow in and out. And I had an international move. I had, you know, I have three kids. One, that’s 27. One, that seven one, that’s three, the two more recent ones came along. And really, once I got settled, in this past year, of like, okay, this has to come forth, let’s, let’s get more energy. When our collaboration began, which you can share about that, really, that confluence of energies of inspiration of motivation of connection, has really assisted it being brought forth. Also, you know, what’s been happening on the planet, these last couple years, the real need for community, for living in different ways for connecting with people being more comfortable that we can actually connect in a virtual way. It seems really timely and poignant for this to be being brought forth at this time. 

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  11:39
Yeah. So yeah, you said I’ll share about how we met. So I had been creating a back to school series of rest meditations with Philadelphia Family Pride, and Manjot reached out to me in a message on Facebook and said, Hey, I saw in their newsletter, that you are doing some, some work around rest, and I’m creating a project. And I really need someone to, you know, facilitate the rest experience related to that. And I don’t, I don’t know that I normally trust strangers on the internet. So I think it was just like, a moment that I was in where I was really enthusiastic about the possibility of rest and, and getting the idea to more people. And they also was sort of like, okay, you know, this, like, we have a connection through an organization that I really respect and admire. So we connected, right, had a conversation, and I agreed to be the rest module creator. And I think that was probably in September or October of 2021. And then you had said, hey, we’ll get all the module leaders together in the new year. And so, like, a series of questions came to me in the middle of October, and I just, like, opened my notebook and wrote them all down, and then put it away and sort of forgot about it until you said, Hey, let’s have this meeting. And we were organizing it. And I reached out and I was like, wow, I have a looked at my questions. And it’s like, I have a lot of questions. I don’t know this person terribly well, yet. I don’t want to bombard them with questions like on a group call. So I’ll just shoot a quick email with all of my, you know, ideas and questions. And so you reach back out to me and said, Hey, can I talk to you today? And I was like, I was like, oh, either Manjot’s really excited about my questions, or I’m getting fired from the project. And I don’t know which either is fine, right? Like, at that moment, I was like, Okay, I’m not attached to this yet. You know, when you said like, hey, it sounds like you really have some ideas about logistics and some questions that I haven’t considered. And I wonder if you might be willing to co-create with. And so that is how we came to be working together. We also, you know, as you mentioned, you had an international move, you’re living in Sweden, I’m living in Philadelphia, and it’s been fun to collaborate across space and time and to see what’s happening in your life. And I still think of the internet as magic. Like, I get that, you know, like, I look oh, it’s the magic of the internet. Like we really are able to connect with people in ways that I certainly had never imagined like as a child, and I think it’s very cool. Yeah, and it’s really a delight. Like you can see we’re here together in person. So you’re here visiting the States for a couple of weeks. And it was an absolute joy for me last week when we got to meet in person for first time.  So fun.  I’m also having a little like, where do I look so. Cool. So what’s next? What else would you like to share? Is it, are we on to What’s Radikal Life the idealogy? Yeah,

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  14:50
yeah. One of the businesses that I’ve been running since 1997 is called Radikal Healing. And Radikal Healing, that concept or ideology, is related to assisting individuals in their discovery back to their Sat Nam, the truth of their identity. And many times individuals have experiences in life that take them far away from that innate knowing of themselves. So Radikal Healing is a combination of holistic psychotherapy, and also other holistic healing methodologies, in assisting individuals in that transformation, of healing, and ripening, for embarking upon a radikal life. And you’ll share a little bit more about that piece and ideas of healing. And moving from a space of healing to optimization. And yeah, so this space of a Radikal Life, and I guess I’ll I’ll share a little bit here, before turning over to you. Because it feels like a good spot to share. Who are we sharing and looking to share? And who might be really interested in radical life? is people who are seeking an optimized experience of being human?

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  17:14
I love that. Say that just one more time. Yeah, I really like the way that that lands, for me in my body?

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  17:19
Yeah, people who are seeking an experience, an optimal experience an optimized experience of being human. And that’s really what Radikal Life and it looks different for different people. And each of the areas of focus, right, some people may have a greater need or draw, or pull towards the different areas we’re offering. But yeah, this is what we have crafted through wisdom, experience, intuitive guidance to bring forth, you know, this full package of aspects of what we feel make up a Radikal Life.

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  18:17
So I, you know, when I first came onto the project, right, I’m very, like, practical, like, how can we get this out into the world? And, you know, I remember asking you like, well, so who is it for? And we did a little clarifying about this sort of relationship, specifically that you have to clients as a therapist, right, where folks are sort of meeting their needs for immediate treatment, and are ready to, you know, go back to living with less guidance and support from a therapist, right, but still have areas of support and skill building that they need. So we talked about this not really being a program for folks that are in crisis, but really being a program for some folks who have done some healing work already, right, either on their own with a healer or with a therapist, and are pretty well, like grounded and feeling stable, but really want to like sort of grow into their next iteration of themselves. Right. And I shared with you that my friend Andrea, uses this phrase when she talks about coaching, where she talks about therapy being for when you’re going from dysfunctional to functional, and coaching being for when you want to go from functional to fabulous, and that has really always like stuck with me as like, you know, how do you choose who to work with, at what time and how do you know what would be of greatest service to you? And I just have really always enjoyed that like functional fabulous because I really, it took a long time in my own life, right to feel like stable and functional. And I knew that that wasn’t the stopping point. Right? And so it’s really fun for me to be at a place in my life where I’m choosing what I want to be cultivating, as opposed to, like really needing support to be like, you know, functional in the world. Right? And so, yes, that relationship between therapy and self guidance, and then also having support for a longer term joyful life. Yeah. Yeah. And I am wondering if you want to, you had initially posed to me when I said, Hey, let’s have a podcast, and you were like, I don’t really listen to podcasts. And I was like, that’s cool we can do it on video, too. Right. And I knew that you had come around to the idea when you sent me a message and said, Oh, you know, we got to talk about Radikal Life, journey or destination? Yeah, I want to I want to know if you want to weigh in on that now.

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  20:46
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, we were chatting about this a bit. And right, the, the answer is going to look different for everyone. But I for myself has have also come to this place, because I know based on our previous chat, you have your own answer. But there’s this similar sense that Radikal Life absolutely can be a destination. I mean, I claim that I’m living a radikal life. And I feel that and I embody that. And I claim that for myself. And the way that looks for me, right is different than it looks for anyone else, because I’m a unique individual, as everybody is. It’s also a journey, you know, you know, the journey of life in and of itself. And also, specifically, when I, which I do take my personal inventory at junctures of time throughout the year, and look at the different arenas, or in this project, we call modules. You know, there are some modules that I’m like, wow, I really am at a prime destination on that one. Slaying that one. Yeah. And then others that it’s like, this is absolutely a journey. Absolutely. A journey. Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  22:29
I love that. And I, you know, when we first started talking about this idea, for me, it’s this. It’s both, right, it’s journeys. And I would say destinations, right? I have needed different guidance at different times. And I would say, I do feel it as well, like, I’m living a radikal life. And I’m really satisfied with my life, and also feel really well aligned with my values and how I’m moving through the world. And I’m also still growing and unlearning, and, you know, skill building. And so I was thinking about this, about how there was a time in my life where like the Do module, right would have been really powerful and helpful when I was, you know, working through my education and building my career. And I get that that’s not like a focus for everyone. But there was a time in my life where that really was the drive and what I was creating. And that’s not where I feel like my energy is right now, right? Right now I’m in a more restful place after having had a baby and just sort of leaving a long term high powered career like resettling into what I want to be offering in the world. And there’s some fun things where I’m just like, Oh, I could really be having more fun and play I was, I’m like, I love, love, love what we have in our Create Module. And so I’m just thinking about, I love all of our modules, as I don’t like I just looked at that one, most recently. Just how we have different needs at different times. And like, we can arrive at the destination of Do right, and then need to journey on to the destination of Rest. And then there will be another time in my life, I’m certain where that do energy will be very important. And so I don’t know, until we started working on this project that I would have thought about it specifically in these modules. But I have started like, because we’ve spent so much time steeped in it started organizing my thinking around that. And it really has been fun to explore, like, hey, which journey do I want to take next? You know, and also that that destination, even on the journey will look different for everyone that participates on the project. Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I would love to tell folks how they can keep in touch. But I’m wondering if you’re called at this moment to share anything else about the project or anything that is on your mind?

Manjot Singh Khalsa (he/him)  24:48
No find us on… 

Marina Patrice Vare (they/them/MP)  24:50
So you can connect with us first by subscribing to this podcast on whatever your favorite distribution method is. And then we’re also going to be be releasing in the next few weeks a free Radikal Life Starter Kit. So I would love for you to join us over on Instagram or Facebook so that you’ll be in the know when that’s available. So our Instagram account is Radikal R A D I K A L underscore Life L I F E underscore 22 [Radikal_Life_22] and you can search for our Facebook page just using the name Radikal Life. I’ll also drop those in our show notes. So thank you so much for joining us for hearing out this idea that we’re very enthusiastic and excited about and I hope that it has sparked an interest for you as well.  Thank you for joining us. The Radikal Life podcast is produced by me, Marina Patrice Vare, and edited by Cassidy Vare. Our theme music was created by Mark MeeZy. Radikal Life is a co-creation with Manjot Singh Khalsa and Radikal Healing.

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