Today we’d like to introduce you to Gayle Van Gils.
Hi Gayle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I went to Boulder CO to attend the inaugural summer program of what became Naropa University and met the Tibetan meditation master Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche that summer. I became a student of his and a regular practitioner of meditation. The organization of meditation centers that he was the spiritual director for spanned all continents, and we attended one of his centers as our family moved over the years.
In 2000 we had just moved to St. Petersburg FL, where there was no center, and my husband Gerard and I felt that we should start a Shambhala center here in order to teach meditation and share the Shambhala Training programs with our new community. In those early days we were provided space in a Unity Church, A few years later we rented space from a yoga center, and then rented a building on 9th Ave. N where we resided until the building was sold during Covid.
During that unusual period, we moved our programs online which worked in a way, but we really missed the community experience which is so central to what we provide to those who practice meditation with us. We were fortunate to find a building we could afford to buy and renovate, and for the last several years, we have been welcoming new and seasoned practitioners to our space on Haines Road. One positive result of the years spent online is that we now offer all of our programs and meditation gatherings in a hybrid manner so anyone can join from anywhere, or come practice in person.
One of the guiding principles of Shambhala is that we are engaging with and helping others in our day to day lives as “meditation in action.” Personally, I do that as a leadership coach specializing in helping my clients to manage stress and integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence in their communication styles, My book, “Happier at Work: The Power of Love to Transform the Workplace” further integrates the compassion that arises naturally in us when we are practicing awareness. These types of topics come up often in our Sunday community discussions which take place every Sunday in our center at 11 am.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are always challenges to every endeavor, Our early struggles revolved around not having a permanent space and having very few individuals to guide the programs and growth of our center. However, we did have programs and we did grow! We made a huge leap when about two years into our existence, a third individual trained in our meditation tradition moved to our area and jumped in to help staff and teach. Since then other teachers have arrived and been trained as well.
Throughout our time as a center – finances have been a struggle as we rely on membership and donations for funding, Yet somehow with the generosity of donors large and small we have managed to thrive for the past 25 years.
In 2018 we faced a different challenge which was the publicity surrounding the alleged behavior of the spiritual head of our lineage – the son of Chogyam Trungpa. This situation caused a split within the community, and the departure of some of our treasured members. Nonetheless, the leaders of our local group have stayed united and committed to serving our community rather than taking sides. This central purpose has resulted in the growth and thriving of our center.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I have a business integrating the principles of mindfulness/awareness and compassion, central to our Shambhala meditation tradition, into the business world.
The core principle of the Shambhala tradition is to create conditions for a more awake or enlightened society to evolve. That possibility is based first on developing personal awareness, which leads to more interest in and awareness of others, and finally being able to respond to the needs of others so that society is lifted up. We offer weekend Shambhala Training retreats at our St. Petersburg Shambhala Meditation center that help to actualize this individually.
My work in Transform Your Culture is based on those principles as well. Emotional Intelligence is the name given to a very similar set of principles which every individual is capable of embodying. I specialize in coaching and mentoring leaders and emerging leaders to find personal and business success from the inside out. I offer training in mindfulness. emotional intelligence, personal development, and group dynamics based on empathy and authentic interaction. These are tools needed for our dynamic and challenging times.
My goal is to inspire confidence and growth in my clients, helping leaders align with their values and bring greater value to their teams, organizations, and the world. Beyond my work with individuals and companies, I am honored to reach thousands worldwide through my book, “Happier at Work: The Power of Love to Transform the Workplace,” and the popular and highly rated Udemy for Business courses, “Smart Tips: Wellness” and “Smart Tips: Navigating Change and Uncertainty.”
I aim to continue to help thousands of people to find more peace, energy, inspiration, joy and success in their lives and businesses.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
People can come to learn to meditate and practice with us at our Shambhala Meditation Center every Sunday from 10am – noon. That is a great place to start. We also have classes most weeknight evenings and occasional weekend retreats.
For my coaching/training work, I can be contacted at Gayle@TransformYourCulture.com and through my website – https://transformyourculture.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stpetersburg.shambhala.org/
Image Credits
The photo with the people looking at object arrangements is from a contemplative arts class which I led at our Shambhala center. I took the photo.
