Shelly Tygielski is the author of Sit Down to Rise Up and founder of the global grassroots mutual aid organization Pandemic of Love.  Her work has been featured by over 100 media outlets, including CNN Heroes, The Tamron Hall Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, CBS This Morning, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. A trauma-mindfulness teacher and a Garrison Institute Fellow, she has been called one of the “12 Powerful Women of the Mindfulness Movement” By Mindful.org and teaches self-care and resilience at organizations around the world. Visit her online at shellytygielski.com.

Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.

Summary and Transcript of this interview

Interview recorded April 16, 2022

YouTube Video Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump

00:03:02 - A Life of Compassion and Service

00:06:37 - Women and Children in Need

00:10:18 - Collaborating with Other Organizations

00:14:33 - Embracing Discomfort in Meditation

00:18:40 - Confronting our Shadow Side

00:21:58 - Healing and Connection between Israelis and Palestinians

00:27:19 - The Connection Between Inner Work and the Outer World

00:31:44 - Loving Kindness Practice and Difficult People

00:35:16 - Sending Metta to World Leaders

00:40:48 - The Freedom to Explore Different Paths

00:44:30 - The Intersection of Faith: Jew and the Lotus, Boojews, and Hin-Jews

00:51:20 - The Power of Agency and a Good Samaritan

1:00:39 - The Power of Simple Gestures

01:08:58 - Embracing the Gift of Life

01:12:29 - Building a Meditation Community on the Beach

01:15:25 - Building Community Through Meditation

01:19:15 - Showing Up and Making a Difference

01:25:42 - Supporting Communities and Creating Change

01:29:39 - Becoming a Community Organizer

01:35:26 - Stories of Compassion and Judgment

01:42:37 - The Practice of RAIN

01:46:57 - The Global Impact of Pandemic of Love

01:49:24 - The Relationship between Financial Abundance and Spiritual Awakening

01:51:55 - The Intention Behind Material Wealth Acquisition and the Role of Self-Awareness in Spiritual Growth

01:54:20 - The Power of Self-Awareness in Meditation and Decision Making

01:56:43 - The Fortunate Access to Technology

01:58:37 - Learning from Traumas

02:00:27 - Optimism and the Power of Technology

02:02:52 - Connecting Inner Work to the Outer World

02:05:00 - Farewell and Closing Remarks