Nestled amidst the tranquil mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, Francesco Garri Garripoli stands as a beacon of light, guiding seekers on a profound journey of self-discovery and healing. As an author, Qigong and meditation instructor, and the visionary founder of CommunityAwake, Francesco has dedicated his life to fostering cultural sensitivity, awareness, and empowerment on a global scale. With nearly 1,000 attendees drawn to his international healing retreats, Francesco’s mission transcends geographical boundaries, bridging the realms of healthcare and spirituality. Through transformative experiences, he cultivates not only personal growth but also a deep-rooted sense of community and interconnectedness. At the heart of Francesco’s endeavors lies the Wuji Mountain project, an ambitious endeavor to establish a sanctuary for spiritual rejuvenation amidst the pristine landscapes of Asheville. Join Mystic Mag as we delve into the wisdom and vision of Francesco Garri Garripoli, exploring the transformative power of Qigong, meditation, and community in the pursuit of personal and collective awakening.
What inspired you to found CommunityAwake, and how does its mission align with your personal values and beliefs?
It’s a good question, and I appreciate you asking about the origin because people don’t always inquire about origins. CommunityAwake has actually been around for 25 years, you know, so it’s been two and a half decades of bringing services to communities. I deeply care about the health, wellness, and spiritual well-being of people. So, my entire life has been one of searching. I started studying with my first elder master when I was 18 years old. At that time, I had dropped out of pre-medical school because I realized that wasn’t the path to healing people. So, I sought guidance from elder Masters, which was a wonderful experience. As an Italian young man, meeting Asian teachers and elders from other cultures broadened my perspective on healing. I realized that healing truly begins with self-reflection and understanding who we are as spiritual beings, not just as physical bodies.
My disillusionment with Western medicine stemmed from its reductionist view of the body as a machine that could be fixed with surgery and medication. While these interventions have their place, I believe that true healing occurs in the heart and spirit. Thus, I founded CommunityAwake as a platform to share these insights and awaken the community to the importance of holistic well-being. Rather than only focusing on our core modalities like Qigong, Tai Chi, Reiki, or yoga, CommunityAwake embraces all positive practices that can help individuals discover their true selves.
My own life serves as a reflection of CommunityAwake’s ethos, advocating for the integration of various healing practices to uncover the truth of who we are. At its core, CommunityAwake is about bringing people together and fostering healing through community connections.
How do you envision CommunityAwake contributing to cultural sensitivity and awareness, particularly in the realms of healthcare and spirituality?
If this isn’t the most important question in the world, I don’t know what is, because cultural sensitivity means embracing our sovereignty as individuals. While some may think cultural sensitivity pertains to nations or genders, it truly encompasses the culture within our hearts. When we realize the significance of being sensitive to our inner culture, what I call heart resonance, we understand that we can connect with anyone on a deep level. It transcends external factors such as language, origin, economic status, or age. Instead, it’s about connecting at the level of the heart.
This is the mission of CommunityAwake. Through workshops, personal coaching, and treatments like Watsu water therapy, I aim to provide opportunities for individuals to discover their own healing potential within themselves. Additionally, I’m proud to offer a teacher certification program, through which hundreds of teachers around the world are certified to teach these principles in their communities.
It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact of these teachings firsthand. Whether it’s traveling to Poland and witnessing people practicing what I’ve taught, or hearing about teachers who have brought these practices back to their own communities, it’s evident that this work opens hearts and fosters connections. This, ultimately, is what CommunityAwake is all about.
What type of services do you offer?
Because the world has evolved into what it is, we have many online courses available. I’ve implemented this because individuals from other countries expressed their desire to attend Zoom classes, but due to time differences, it was challenging. Despite our Zoom classes covering 12 time zones, there are still 12 more below the planet where people may find it inconvenient to wake up at 4:00 or 3:00 in the morning. Therefore, I developed a series of self-guided online courses, which have been well-received by participants, and I am pleased with their success.
In addition to online courses, I also travel worldwide to conduct workshops. These workshops, along with the online courses and other resources like books, contribute to supporting CommunityAwake. It brings me immense pride to know that every penny earned goes towards supporting the nonprofit organization. We are constantly expanding our offerings to cater to the needs of our community.
As an author, Qigong, and Meditation Instructor, how do you integrate these practices into the programs and offerings provided by CommunityAwake?
As the oldest of nine children in a large Italian family, I’m accustomed to multitasking and caring for others while surrounded by people. Despite currently living as a hermit on a mountain and focusing on the Wuji Mountain project, my efforts in the outside world involve diligently bringing various elements together to facilitate integration into people’s lives. These endeavors encompass providing information, wisdom, and facilitating emotional, spiritual, and health transformations. This is essentially the essence of what CommunityAwake strives to achieve—reaching out and serving people in this manner.
Having a book, for example, serves as a means to connect with individuals who may then explore further by participating in online courses. Through this journey, they come to realize that their engagement supports broader initiatives, such as veteran programs and scholarships for underserved communities. Moreover, teaching individuals who speak diverse languages contributes to the expansion of our outreach efforts. All these aspects are integral to the mission of CommunityAwake.
Could you tell us more about the Wuji Mountain project and its significance in the context of CommunityAwake’s mission?
Wuji Mountain represents one of my heartfelt endeavors, challenging the notion of the impossible. Instead of succumbing to the idea that only those with abundant resources can make significant changes, I chose to embark on a bold project—purchasing a mountain. The vision is to establish a nonprofit sanctuary where people can not only attend workshops but also retreat to a serene spiritual haven nestled in the picturesque forests adjacent to a river in North Carolina. Carefully selecting this sacred location, I envisioned it as a place for spiritual rejuvenation.
Moreover, Wuji Mountain will have its own state of the art video production studio—a culmination of my diverse experiences, including winning an Emmy Award and working in Hollywood. Despite moments of frustration in my spiritual quest, I remained committed to sharing my discoveries with others. Wuji Mountain embodies this ethos of sharing, offering a platform to create programming focused on health, healing, and spirituality, to be broadcast globally.
Much like Mystic Mag gathers diverse voices to reach a broader audience, Wuji Mountain materializes this concept in a tangible setting—a mountaintop oasis complete with a Watsu pool, spacious classroom, and studio. Perhaps one day, a Mystic Mag program will emanate from this very place.
This initiative epitomizes thinking outside the box, embracing the belief that anything is possible. As one of my esteemed teachers once remarked, “Expect the unexpected.” Opening our hearts to possibilities is at the core of true healing.
Read more at https://www.communityawake.com/
