YOUnify takes a unique approach to reducing polarization and accelerating progress on the key challenges of our time. Inner development is just as important to our work as outward-facing action. We take an evidence-based approach grounded in modern behavioral and developmental science and ancient wisdom traditions to help our community embody and cultivate human flourishing. We consider human flourishing to be inclusive of the natural world.
Why this approach?
YOUnify CEO and co-founder Brandyn Keating has more than two decades of experience as a social entrepreneur working in non-profits, politics and government -- as well as more than two decades of experience studying ancient wisdom traditions, beginning with her undergraduate degree in philosophy, which allowed her to explore the Eastern wisdom traditions. For many years Brandyn encountered separate communities of people from these two worlds -- each yearning for the practices of the other. In YOUnify she saw the opportunity to bring the two worlds of civic engagement practice and internal development practice together.
John Kesler, YOUnify co-founder and chairman of the board, has an even longer history in each of the two worlds. John was one of the first to be certified as a large group facilitator by Zen master Genpo Roshi, the founder of the big mind process. The big mind process enables a person to access non-dual awareness or big mind and other transcendent states of awareness through an application of voice dialogue. John developed Integral Polarity Practice (IPP), a non-denominational spiritual and life practice intended to enhance interrelated individual and collective healing, integration, transformation and flourishing whether the collective is a family, an organization, a community, Nature or Spirit – ultimately including all of these dimensions in a comprehensive ecosystemic context. IPP provides a rich practice which can complement any approach to spiritual practice, life, and work in the world - all of which are inevitably deeply interconnected.
IPP reflects an understanding of human psychology and spirituality and eastern and western perspectives which appears to be unique. Ken Wilber is a philosopher and founder of the integral movement. He
has one of the most comprehensive grasps of the traditions of both East and West and has noted:
There is nobody doing more leading-edge work on the integration of Eastern and Western approaches to consciousness and growth than John Kesler. His fully integral approach includes
conventional and contemplative dimensions of psychology and spirituality, spanning body and mind and spirit and shadow, a truly remarkable and effective approach. I give his work my highest recommendation.
Keating and Kesler quickly found that many IPP principles and practices were already woven into the organizing, training, coaching and leadership development model that Keating designed for YOUnify.
What is the real world impact?
YOUnify develops citizen-leaders who are committed to be in service of human flourishing. YOUnify supports those in institutional leadership roles as they evolve their understanding and operationalization of leadership to also be in service of flourishing. We draw from a variety of evidence-based practices in order to integrate seamlessly inner development in the work in a manner that is accessible to all people, including those who might not see themselves as religious or spiritual and those who do. We cultivate the emotional intelligence, presence, resilience and self-awareness necessary for having conversations across differences that lead to transformative action by drawing from IPP practice and beyond, bringing in both Eastern and Western traditions, disciplines and practices; integrating modern and ancient.
Community members tell us that the practices they learn benefit not only their leadership and social change-making endeavors, but also their family and other relationships, sense of self, clarity, motivation and careers. This, we think, is the best testament to our holistic approach to human flourishing.
How to get involved
To get involved with YOUnify and learn more, please head over to our join page, which provides a variety of options for engagement. If you'd like to support our work with a financial contribution, please click here to be redirected to our donation page.