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we need each other. to center. to ground. to prepare for what is ahead for us & our communities.

we will need leadership precision for this political period.

we will need to fortify and then fortify again and again.

Individual & Collective Practice. Together.

January 20th, 2025 will mark a dark period in our political history, promising to deeply erode our deepest values towards justice, equity, and collective liberation. Now, more than ever, movement agents must prepare—not just to resist, but to sustain their leadership, clarity, and resilience amidst intensifying challenges. The #30DaysUP program offers an essential container for grounding, strategic reflection, and embodied practice, empowering participants to face this pivotal moment with courage, connection, and purpose.

Together, we can fortify ourselves to be the most grounded and centered we can be. Individually and collectively.

New Set Up. Same Powerful Results.

Virtual Collective Practice & Discussion
Every Saturday:
9:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM EST

Weekly Emails to Inspire & Guide Your Progression
Every Friday

Bi-monthly 1:1 Coaching
Optional Embodied Coaching Available

VIRTUAL SESSIONS EVERY SATURDAY

Topics & Descriptions

Friday, Jan 17th @ 6:00pm (EST)
Saturday, Jan 25th @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Feb 1st @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Feb 8th @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Feb 15th @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Feb 22nd @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Mar 1st @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Mar 8th @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Mar 15th @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Mar 22nd @ 12:00pm EST
Saturday, Mar 29th @ 12:00pm EST

#30DaysUP
what if i told you that changing you IS changing the world?

an invitation to learn to increase our awareness & focus by presencing ourselves to allow us to disrupt & shed old, embodied habits that have no place for the new world that’s is still unfolding.

cultivating the power to presence ourselves now will prepare us for whatever lies ahead as well as allowing us to remain in the moment without the overwhelm of the past and/or the future.

a virtual sangha that lets you get your sit on, in community, exactly where you are.
it’s as right as rain.

REGISTER TODAY

are you ready to learn to presence yourself in 60 days?

BEGINS Friday, January 17th, 2025

BENEFITS

what you get

instruction

video tutorial on how to meditate using a methodology created by rusia n. mohiuddin and narrated by Rev. angel Kyodo williams.

guidance

weekly emails that will that will support you, answer questions, and guide you through building a sustainable practice.

collective power

a private community for you to share your thoughts + questions + get support!

webinar

a formal check-in for all participants to share + get support via a group webinar.

embodied coaching

optional1:1 bi-monthly coaching sessions with your very own coach

FUNCTION

how the challenge works

1 + 1 = 2

the change process this challenge will catalyze is two-fold:

one

cultivating self-awareness will sharpen your focus, level your mood, + allow you to more accurately see what is, as it is happening. this is essential to powerful + impactful leadership that motivates + inspires others.

two

beginning to understand our own emotions + how we can cultivate self-compassion, will intentionally shape your leadership + your interactions with authentic compassion for self + others.

testimonials

like most things, there are many layers to these main takeaways. Lucia Gomez-Jimenez + Jaritza Geigel wrote about these many layers after participating in #30DaysUp.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO?

I NEED MORE INFO?

nothing. we want it to be about choice not absolutes. 🙂

bare bones, we want you to chose to complete 30 consecutive days of meditation in 60 days. this means, you can start on day 1 of the challenge, do 7 days of meditation, perhaps miss a day or two, + still have time to start over at 1 + be able to complete 30 straight days of meditation before the challenge ends.

dope.

essentially, there is one thing you will want to do to successfully complete the challenge… meditate at least 5 minutes every day for 30 consecutive days.

pretty easy, huh?

you can also chose to the following things, as well, that will dramatically enhance + solidify your practice towards embodying your new superpowers:

  • journal every day to log your progress + the many things that come up for you from day to day. since this challenge has a theme of growing happiness from our suffering, journaling your thoughts + experiences will be a healthy + healing way to progress throughout the 60 days.
  • share your progress with the #30DaysUP community or your own community. this is a great way to stay motivated + motivate others. inspiration is a big part of this work, both for you + for others. last round, many folks used the DayOne app publishing feature to post to twitter + facebook to share their progress + inspire many to join or renew their own meditation practice. it was quite the mini revolution!
  • invite others to sit with you! sharing is caring + sitting with others is something rather beautiful.

that’s cool. email us directly at rusia@universalpartnership.org

share your thoughts.
share your questions?
share your hopes + hesitancies.

we’re ready to sit with you to get your superpowers on!

how do you sit?

PRICING

diamond

what's your in between? what feels right to you in the context of where you are right now? choose your own tuition that's the right investment for you.

SELF-DETERMINED

paypal directJoin Now

Platinum

get you & someone (or two) else because you're able to pay it forward & create some balance & equity

$255

Gold

you know you… you want extra support to ensure you really unpack all that comes up and out of your practice. you want your own coach, who will support and guide you towards a sustainable practice. in addition to the Silver level benefits, you will be connected to a coach to support you in your practice, change process, + developing presencing practices. this can be an invaluable resource that offers 4 coaching sessions ($350+ savings), at less than $2.00 per day.

$180

Silver

nice and simple. you’re ready to be self-accountable and self-motivating in keeping to your daily practice. gain access to weekly guiding + instructional emails, weekly community practice webinar, & access to our private support group to share daily practice learnings + progress for a under a dollar per day.

$75

Bronze

can’t afford to pay and want to participate? we got you! access weekly emails & the private facebook community

FREE

email requestJoin Now

#30DaysUP: supplemental journaling practice

meditation is life

By #30DaysUP, Leadership Dev.

Meditation. It’s been like getting to know an old friend who I haven’t seen in awhile. My mind, my body, my spirit, I find sometimes wishes that it was all I did do most days. Alas, like all things, I simply settle for carving out increasing increments of my new found sitting pra

ctice and it has worked wonders in my life. I appreciate it so much I compassionately try not to starve myself of its magic on a daily basis whether it’s at home, on the train, or on a walk.

Before I was introduced to this practice in the words of Rusia I was, “vomiting my rage” all over the place. Most days I didn’t understand why I was doing it or why I was so easily triggered until I began to reflect on my shape.  The reality was that I did know where the sources of my junk stemmed from and it was time to begin to let a lot of that go.

Meditation has allowed me to calm the racing thoughts that always seem to be buzzing around in my head. It allowed me to see where in my body trauma was still being held and how to incorporate supporting practices that would help me to release a lot of the junk that tends to hold u

s back. I learned to breathe. I mean really breathe. You know, that breath that enters and fills your whole body that leaves you feeling wavy, a natural high.

When I do miss a sit I can feel the difference starting with how I mentally orient to the day. My thoughts will tend to lean more on the cynical side rather than being able to see the options that are available in front of me. When I miss a sit, I can feel the aggression seeping from my pores and my body is poised, ready for confrontation, instead of being able to take a step back and shrug it off. When I miss a sit, I realize that an obstacle that is trying to knock me off my foundation will get more energy from me when I should be walking away giving it none of my power.

Being in practiced as allowed me to see how other people show up and when I find myself laughing at an outburst it’s, because I see old me sometimes, and I realize that what is being thrown my way has nothing to do with me, but something they are internally dealing or not dealing with. I’ve learned it’s not personal, but I’ve also learned not internalize other folk’s issues that they may be dealing with. Meditation has also helped me navigate other people’s energy that for an introverted extrovert can feel not only mentally overwhelming, but physically as well. It’s a practice that reminds me every day that self-love and care is not and indulgence it is undeniably necessary and revolutionary.

The understanding that this will be a lifelong process isn’t scary to me if anything I find that I am running towards it with a ferocity that I often need to remind myself that it’s oki and I am where I need to be in this moment. I am reminded that every intentional choice, relationship, and internal growth is slowly but surely leading me to where I need to go next. I have learned to trust, be compassionate, extend love in a way that is true to my being so that I may move from that place of intentionality.  I have also learned to accepts truths when they are presented to me even when it may not be the words I necessarily want to hear but need to. I have accepted all the pieces that make up who I am and why they are important. I understand that in this moment I embrace change in all its forms and it has allowed me to cultivate more joy, more acceptance, and for more healing to take root in my life.

In the end it’s a choice. I decided that I wasn’t going to deny myself what I deserved and in order to get there I made the choice to step forward and put in the work necessary. It’s oki if I am afraid, it is a natural feeling, its when I choose to be brave and fight against that fear that I come out renewed each time on the other side. I only have this one mind, this one body, my one spirit and I chose to honor her in ways that allow light to shine through even when its hard. There’s nothing that I can say that I regret, but chose to learn from. I own my part, I recognize others part, and I move on. Trust me when I say it doesn’t mean you’re like a bed of roses all the time, hell no, that ain’t realistic. But I find instead of getting angry at myself when I fall off I am reminded it’s cool, reset, start over, every moment is a new moment to recognize what came up and begin again.

Meditation. It’s been a longtime friend of mine now and its one of the best friendships that I could have made for self and in turn others.

#30DaysUP: love must be one + two at the same time

By #30DaysUP

#30DaysUP day 38: love must be one + two at the same time
having one of those moments… one in which I have known something for so long and yet find it remarkably revelatory when applied to something new or seen with a new lens.

i forever preach the vital importance of cultivating values we hold necessary to the well being of humanity within ourselves first + to navigate with this level of authenticity in all the changes we give our life energy to through our work. yes!

and if love grounds all that we do, as Tagore so poetically wrote, our love must be one + two at the same time.

must be one bc it must include self-love.

must be two bc it must extend to another.

bc “only in love is unity + duality not in variance.”

#30DaysUP day 27: fleeting moments

By #30DaysUP

from my practice journal:
did i really just say i hate my life?

yet another way i create suffering in my life… letting myself become overwhelmed by superficially bad moments that i can make fleeting.

of course, i don’t hate my life. had a shitty day or more like shitty moments but hate my life bc of it? outrageous!

it didn’t even make me feel any relief to say it or think it or feel it or anything.

picking myself up from my moment of wackness + extending extra gratitude for my practice to bring up the awareness of it all.

Photo credit: “dichotomy” by Rusia N. Mohiuddin

#30DaysUP Day 22: un-f*@&ing-apologetic

By #30DaysUP

#30DaysUP Day 22: un-fucking-apologetic
pardon the profanity but it’s necessary to exorcise the demon of perpetual apologies.

maria asked why am i apologizing? is it necessary? aren’t just claiming what’s right for you? who + what are you apologizing to + for?

well, gangsta… def a doable + righteous topic to sit on. this is the week of kicking off the asking of ourselves on, “how do I create suffering in my life?”

internalized oppression is real. it takes on many, MANY forms + the perpetual reflex to be apologetic for, let’s face it, no reason at all is as real today for me as ever.

this is a real source of suffering in my life. sometimes i feel it. sometimes i am even aware of it. this is where i will stay in my practice until i can unpack it in a way where i may then shed it from my leadership.

love is gangsta, folks. g-a-n-g-s-t-a!

thanks for the love, maria.

Photo credit: “nature of love” by Rusia N. Mohiuddin

#30DaysUP Day 10: agitation is my friend

By #30DaysUP

#30DaysUP Day 10: agitation is my friend
so many discoveries leading up to, into, + after my early sit today.

typically, i prefer to sit in the evenings but today, something triggered some deep feelings of agitation + I decided to sit early.

too many lessons today, before, during, + after my meditation, peeling away to a deeper understand of myself. most notable is the cunningness of my ego as it lives in that almond shaped part of my brain, known as the amygdala.

i realized that agitation is my friend. in fact, a variety of energy, that is reactive + ultimately does not serve me or my leadership, is my closest + dearest friends. they tell me that i am off center. they scream to me that my intentional groundings are no longer supporting + motivating my actions. and now, i can discern, with keen awareness, when they are alive + pulsating within my soma. they intensely pulsate in various places in my body, telling that i am off my purpose + am navigating without the grounding I continuously cultivate for myself. and so, the agitation I felt this morning is my friend, reminding me that I am not as I want to be + that I best chose to do something about it.

so I sat.

during my sit, i caught myself squinting again. as the jaw has released, the squinting has begun + the why has pleasantly revealed itself as well. each time I am in a rhythm, my ego seeks to reassert itself, + i begin to squint as my attention bifurcates. in these moments, my ego tricks me into thinking that i am still on point when, in actuality, I am not.

the point is simple + multifold… all these things about ourselves that we attach morality to, that this is bad or i do this and it’s dope, it’s all just information. data. what I chose to do with the data is what it key. while my ego takes me off the point during my sit, it also offers a physical indicator to let me know I am doing what I am doing. it’s only unconscious if I am not cultivating a practice to truly know myself.

what is generated inside of me, for me, can be transformed to benefit me if I only pay attention.

Photo Credit: “Mystic” by Rusia N. Mohiuddin

#30DaysUP: forgiveness

By #30DaysUP, #30DaysUP Private

day 6…
we all can be stank from time to time. regular meditation doesn’t erase normal human emotions from your actions but it does offer choices + your ability to chose has more intent than the typical reaction we so often subject ourselves + others to.

I meditated… Felt good… Had a frustrating interaction, borne out of deep fear, + I vomited a bit of rage.

In it all, I chose. Even in choice, I felt so much remorse. Instantaneous remorse.

I walked away. Deep breaths. And then I went back + pleaded for forgiveness. For the hurt I caused to mtg loved one + to myself.

My practice gives me something I would not have otherwise… to be in the present, be accountable for my actions, without dwelling on any past transgressions as a way to justify my own bad behavior, + give voice to my wrongdoing + allow forgiveness to be given.

This is love in action.

Art by Rusia Mohiuddin

#30DaysUP: and so it begins…

By #30DaysUP, #30DaysUP Private

did you get your sit on today?

we have officially launched #30DaysUP with our first day of UP’s 30-day meditation challenge!

here’s my first share:

the sweetness of a sit made sweeter by those joining me across the country.

so simple, the rise + fall of the belly, with each magnificent breath.

i am fearless radical love. in glory. in splendor.

working on the subtle clenching of the jaw + learning to release.

day 1. so dope.

Photo: “unfurl” by Rusia N. Mohiuddin

#30DaysUP: a buck fifty a day

By #30DaysUP

snapshot: what’s #30DaysUP + what do you get?

reg_button30DaysUP

are you ready to change your life in 60 days?

we’re ready to take things up a notch in this next round of #30DaysUP! Like, before, we want to challenge + support you to develop superpowers that increase your self-awareness, your awareness or others, + now, unlike before, it’s all about growing happiness from the seeds of our suffering.

what will i get from engaging in this challenge?

other than serious superpowers (do I really need to go further…), here are the concrete offerings of this challenge:

  • the first 14 folks who register will get the DayOne app for free (Mac or iPhone versions), Apple Design 2014 Award winner + the best journaling app out there.
  • video tutorial on how to meditate, narrated by angel Kyodo williams.
  • weekly offerings that will help unpack areas of suffering in your life towards transforming them into happiness that will have a meaningful impact on you + your leadership.
  • a private community for you to share your thoughts + questions + get support!
  • a formal check-in for all participants to share + get support via a video (or audio, if you prefer) conference. will include some key tools to continue your practice.
  • one 1:1 session with Rusia Mohiuddin, by request within the 60 days of the challenge period.

how will this challenge transform my leadership?

the change process this challenge will catalyze is two-fold:

  1. cultivating self-awareness will sharpen your focus, level your mood, + allow you to more accurately see what is, as it is happening. this is essential to powerful + impactful leadership that motivates + inspires others.
  2. beginning to understand our own suffering + how we can create self-compassion from it, will intentionally shape your leadership + your interactions with authentic compassion for others.

like most things, there are many layers to these main takeaways. Lucia Gomez-Jimenez wrote about these many layers after the first round of #30DaysUp.

what do i have to do?

nothing. we want it to be about choice not absolutes. 🙂
bare bones, we want you to chose to complete 30 consecutive days of meditation in 60 days. this means, you can start on day 1 of the challenge, do 7 days of meditation, perhaps miss a day or two, + still have time to start over at 1 + be able to complete 30 straight days of meditation before the challenge ends.

dope.

essentially, there is one thing you will want to do to successfully complete the challenge… meditate at least 5 minutes every day for 30 consecutive days.
pretty easy, huh?
you can also chose to the following things, as well, that will dramatically enhance + solidify your practice towards embodying your new superpowers:

  • journal every day to log your progress + the many things that come up for you from day to day. since this challenge has a theme of growing happiness from our suffering, journaling your thoughts + experiences will be a healthy + healing way to progress throughout the 60 days.
  • share your progress with the #30DaysUP community or your own community. this is a great way to stay motivated + motivate others. inspiration is a big part of this work, both for you + for others. last round, many folks used the DayOne app publishing feature to post to twitter + facebook to share their progress + inspire many to join or renew their own meditation practice. it was quite the mini revolution!
  • invite others to sit with you! sharing is caring + sitting with others is something rather beautiful.

 need more info?

that’s cool. email us directly at rusia@universalpartnership.org

reg_button

Lucia Gomez-Jimenez + #30DaysUP

By #30DaysUP, Leadership Dev., Practice, UP

I admit that I enjoy and actually look for a good challenge. I thrive in challenging environments. I make the best of a given situation and feel comfortable assessing and navigating rough waters. Therefore when I saw Universal Partnership’s #30daysUP meditation challenge, I thought – why not? A challenge to sit, meditate, and clear my mind – let’s go! I knew I needed it, my mind was running game all over me!

I will admit, this challenge came in a good time for me – I was prime to do something to better manage my emotional and professional state of mind. I had just undergone quite a brutal beatdown when having to deal with extremely untrustworthy individuals and hoping they would do what is best for the people they represent. Unfortunately, my hopes were set too high and I entered full body, heart, mind and soul without the appropriate gear to manage it all. In the past, I had used meditation as a tool to help me cope with the daily strain on my body and heart when the daily job of LIFE took a toll on me. I will admit that during this time I had some other kinds of support. A friend of mine – let’s call him Smarty, really kicked into gear during this time. He helped me by listening, informally coaching, and highlighting aspects of my thought-process and communication skills that I had overlooked needed major work. Just imagine – I got two gifts from him, a book called Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity and the Mind-Map Book. Now, if that’s not an indication of the “troubles” he saw in my flow, than I’m not sure what else could be.

Along comes the #30daysUP challenge and I will admit – it really took me to the next level of my evolution. I started on April 7th and I am still going strong. I can’t lie, there was a moment that I sat up to 18 minutes…then I had to go back down to 3 minutes! I’m now back up to 11 minutes and every day working my way up to my goal of 15 minutes daily. I can see things in a way that I never had before. I’m more open and less reactive. I have noticed that when something is triggering me, I know that breathing can get me through it – so I inhale, take in the moment – and exhale. I then am ready to either respond, or simply let it go until I can really handle the reaction that will follow in a productive way.

Just last week, I knew that if I didn’t meditate every day, I wasn’t going to get through it all – but it was more than just the meditation. Its as if I started paying attention and being more present in all aspects of my life. I have not only kept meditating beyond the 30 days (sometimes more than once a day when I feel the need to reboot), but when I do miss a day – I’m not as hard on myself and immediately get back to it the next day. I have also started to write in my journal, listen to music, and read. It’s as if I’ve slowed down – but not necessarily my work flow or productivity, just what I prioritize and emphasize as needing immediate and stressful attention. Sometimes, my days are jammed with non-stop activity, but I can now stop, take a moment to take-in what is happening, and assess my next steps.

For example, one of the ways I used to manage relationships was going straight to the point without too much fluff or thought on who I was speaking to. So much so that at times I had no filter and it was as if I was interacting with objects that didn’t feel or react as a result of what I was saying and doing. My self-awareness was a bit off…to say the least. Am I 100% aware now? Not 100%, but definitely much more aware than I have ever been and working towards a much clearer and purpose-driven self. The #30daysUP challenge wasn’t the only time I started meditating. I had been doing it on and off for about two years. Yet, seeing the UP’s mind the gap video, the structure, the posts and the tweets got me excited to be a part of something with a community of individuals who were striving to simply become better for the sake of helping others be better. It’s what got me motivated to really try to stick to it and stay on course.

The idea that a daily practice could help re-train my mind to reconnect with my heart, my breath, my body, and ultimately with others is truly fascinating to me. So simple, yet it took me this long to get here.

Meditation was not like other stress-coping mechanisms like when I choose to write in my journal or swim, but it has helped me reflect and re-train my eyes to see, my heart to feel, and my mind to think about what is there in that present moment. I’ve learned to identify in much less time the things that make me happy, mad and those that take me off course and ultimately procrastinate. My mood is much less random, and I can actually feel and understand what is going on with my body and where my mind is. I value the present so much more than I ever have, and I know it can only get better. Thank you Rusia, #30daysUp and all who participated. Let’s keep it going!

Lucia is the Executive Director of La Fuente

Day 30 of #30DaysUP: wax on, wax off

By #30DaysUP, Practice, UP

for those who have kicked it with a sit every day from giddy up, this is day 30. so sweet.

how do you feel? what leadership superpowers surfaced for you? drop a comment + share with us how you did.

if you are still at it, that, too, is pretty awesome. keep going + get your 30 days in. I am with you + will continue my sits to keep this virtual sangha going.

if you have reached your 30 days, challenge number two is to join me + the others like you + continue your sit for another 30 days. let’s support those who are still going, sitting to reach 30 days of leadership excellence.

drop a comment + let us know how you are progressing.

getting my sit on…

20140506-181855.jpg

Day 15 of #30DaysUP: all is lost

By #30DaysUP, Practice, UP

we are officially on the other half of our 30-day challenge. fifteen days into cultivating our leadership superpowers. two weeks from changing ourselves + our world from, at minimum, 75 minutes of accumulated meditation. so simple, so incredible.

this is your work. this is the work of our virtual national sangha.

are you letting go of all that has held you back? are you letting go of your ego? doing so allows us to deepen our connections to ourselves + thereby allows you to be open to the vast connections available to you in each of your relationships + every single interaction you engage in. true beauty lies in our ability to show up, as we are, ready to be moved, ready to move others.

when all that contains us from reaching our vast potential is lost, we emerge transformed.

where in the world are you?

By #30DaysUP, Practice, UP

#30DaysUP is UP & running with 57 people across the country participating in our 30-Day meditation challenge. Surely, people are feeling & flexing their superpowers by now!

I want to ask each of you to take a quick moment to leave a comment on this post, indicating where you are in the world.

As you may know, #30DaysUP is a beta version for the kind of work we want to engage you & many more social change agents to continuously cultivate our individual & collective leadership. As such, we want to be able to tell the story of what we did here as the trailblazers.

Looking forward to hearing from you all here in the comments section & connecting with each of you, every day, on my zafu & zabuton!

Solidarity In Struggle
Rusia N. Mohiuddin
Principle, Universal Partnership (UP)