I am OPTimist

Kai and Monika engaged in a deep conversation about somatic mindful work, particularly Hakomi method, and its profound impact on personal growth and transformation. topics: 1- Playful Connection and Listening 2- on Somatic Exercises and Playfulness 3- Reconnecting with Inner Child and Self-Discovery 4- Building Trust and Setting Boundaries 5- Progress in Boundary Setting and Interpersonal Relation...

From ideas to experience * The voice note above is a deep dive into what I feel Jupiter in Gemini could be and mean to each one, so take time to listen to it. * I was re-listening to John Vervaeke's 50-hour seminal work on The Awakening of the Meaning Crisis, episode 4 about Marcus Aurelius and the Stoics, highlighting the importance of observing phenomena as a crucial psycho-technology - a tool f...

Another voice note! Please enjoy as I share thoughts on my latest contribution from a panel discussion I participated in at a Bitcoin conference in Miami yesterday. The panel focused on philosophy, sovereignty, and property rights, which are subjects close to my heart. “The Nature of my Reality: everything I need is in my body” Written + illustrated by Monika Bravo - Co-produced + Edited by Mari B...

Recommendations: * I listened to Lex and Vervaeke when this episode came out, but my mind wasn't fully there. I just finished it again, and I have to recommend it; it's fantastic, Vervaeke is a GEM, and Lex is like a kid with a new toy… * Some of you might be aware that I've been studying Austrian economics at Saifedean’s online academy since the summer. I often revisit an episode with Lex, becaus...

Note: after I recorded the audio, I checked and it is a bit low, next time I will do a better job… Polarities and the illusion of separateness I woke up inspired, a very Neptunian quality, tapping into the mutability of the zodiac. I have started feeling a lot of love expressed in others while simultaneously feeling a heavy burden on those who suffer when they stay in victim mode. How do we discer...

The shift: A voice note discussing the state of things... About my book: If you are still interested in pre-ordering, the time is now. I will only print the copies I sell beforehand. If you don’t want to pay for shipping or prefer to make a different arrangement, please message me This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

Hello friends, I will be brief: In recent weeks, I have focused my mind on creative tasks and projects that demand my timely attention. I have deliberately curated the information I expose myself to, engaging in deep meditations at times twice a day lasting 34 minutes each using the Gateway Experience. While I draw, I listen to historical and informative texts on economics and politics to extract...

They cannot scare me with their empty spaces Between stars—on stars where no human race is. I have it in me so much nearer home To scare myself with my own desert places. [Robert Frost, from "Desert Places," 1936] Everything is an illusion; somewhere, something is being projected by your mind or the minds of others. We are role players; our personas, or who we think we are or identify with, are li...

When one wishes to pause time for reflection, time continues its wave. What we remember is just a snapshot of an event, something that made an impression and prompted us to respond or react based on our level of awareness. All hidden intentions or events that have yet to see the light sometimes emerge suddenly, violently, or with no notice, triggering reactions. If one is aware, these reactions th...

Every March 7th, give or take, the light of the Sun shines on my vulnerable Chiron at 17°28’ Pisces, which over the years after my return, has allowed me to show up without armor and be myself. The fear of not being able to sustain my needs, or of being in codependent relationships, creating addictive behaviors because I may feel awkward when in the spotlight, as well as experiencing self-doubt es...

NOTE: I am stoked about this project, I have not been this excited in a long time, and I thank you for your time! When I feel disempowered, I secretly resent everyone and my inner chatter cries with, “Why me!?!”  I have been in shame and blame, but now, in my full power, if this image or thought enters my space, I pause, and I nurture a breath in the now with compassion: -Monika, why are we travel...

Click here to read this newsletter in your browser "And there's that freeway. We can only hear what we're willing to and capable of hearing in the moment. But if I can see someone and their struggles in life without a conflict in mind, if I can see with forgiveness, and if I can hold them in their power and actually deeply honor and respect the gift and the beauty of the healing process that they'...

Since I began my Substack in February 2022, one of its main themes, tied to individuation, has been exploring the concept of Value. As I conclude the last paragraphs of my book, ‘THE NATURE OF MY REALITY, EVERYTHING I NEED IS IN MY BODY' I'm reflecting on how my understanding of value has evolved. Initially, I was ignorant about how to spend money, either due to a lack of awareness of my spending...

-If you want to read this in your browser- There are NO more cookies in the cookie Jar…. Enough is enough! all the BS can lead to individual action, it is what triggers single individuals to R3-Volt. I am not enticing anything; I am just observing and rejoicing that the heavens are supporting this. In the meantime: I am reflecting on how best to handle the rapid pace of life. I've found myself inc...

Read this article in the browser At its core, synthesis is the ability to take information from multiple sources and distill it into a cohesive and actionable insight. ~Says the internet As expressed in my recent posts, my perception of time has undergone a profound shift. Rather than feeling constrained by it, I find myself immersed in its flow, not soaring aimlessly pushed by unseen forces, but...

“For those who pass it without entering, the city is one thing; it is another for those who are trapped by it and never leave. There is the city where you arrive for the first time, and there is another city which you leave never to return. Each deserves a different name; perhaps I have already spoken of Irene under other names; perhaps I have spoken only of Irene.” ― Italo Calvino, Invisible Citi...

Note: I took my time to listen and edit this long-form dialogue with Ellery that I cut into three parts. Initially, I did so because I wanted to take my time and create some visuals, but now, after weeks of listening and digesting, it is clear that I wanted to savor what I consider the remnants of a past way of relating. Times have changed On many levels, we have all grown since four years ago. Re...

Fire is the artificial light against Nature, as Consciousness is the light which Man has made against Nature. Nature herself is unconscious and the original Man is unconscious; his great achievement against nature is that he becomes conscious. ~ Carl Jung, Zarathustra Seminar, Page 128 Voices: The thin veil between passion and obsession Miami Beach, at this time of the year, embraces a notable hum...

Hello beautiful friends, as the year 2023 nears its end, I reflect on a year where I practiced the virtue of generosity, experienced my second Saturn return, and witnessed the peaceful passing of my amazing mother. I am extremely grateful for my life and the opportunities I both generated and embraced as part of my evolutionary journey. I read or heard once that once you lose both of your parents,...

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight, and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings, and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings. ~ WENDELL BERRY  Such things should never happen but we die The swallow finds an oak to nest her young Defenceless between the earth and the sky Uncounted beneath a vast, indifferent sun A mother holds her baby...

Note: I missed one week, so here it is, a bit long article, enjoy! Greetings, beautiful souls who graciously take the time to delve into my thoughts amidst the chaos that surrounds us, both internally and externally. I can’t recall another schizophrenic time like this, honestly; it feels like a whirlwind, evoking memories of surreal times when I was high on substances, navigating altered states, d...

Their Absence is my Presence I talk to my mom all the time. Even after her passing, I could hear and feel her deeply. Over time, the constant sense of her nearby presence would bring tears—tears of immense love, the same love I now have for myself. I knew that, with time, this feeling would subdue. Not fade away, but become a constant, integrated part of me. A few weeks ago, I asked her if she was...

Note: You don’t have to abide by my views; this article explores how delicate it is to show up, perhaps disagree, and yet leave space for non-aggression cultivating the emergence of dialogue. Inside your bones lies the marrow, akin to the earth beneath your feet—a grounding essence that defines your home. ~paraphrased from Sarah Blondin’s meditation Aiming towards truth [Liberty] Let me put it thi...

Note: As you have noticed through these articles, my writing is prompted by insights and these spur from periods of contemplation, and other times from feelings and sensations when I am actively responding to my environment. This article is a bit lengthy, so thank you for engaging. Time stamps: 02:29 - Is excellence a virtue? 05:35 - Purpose and environment: Vertical and horizontal parameters 07:4...

I must've been around 4 or 5 years old, already diving into the world of reading at an early age. My parents fueled my endless curiosity by encouraging my torrent of whys and hows. So, they figured, why not teach me to read and write, letting me explore things on my own? Before 7 am, the morning papers would arrive, El Tiempo and El Espectador, and both my parents would sit, exchanging sections. F...