Omsira Barry
My journey began as an energy-sensitive individual struggling to survive in a physical-centric environment.
In my formative years until I was 6, I was blessed to mostly stay with my paternal grandparents, who were Nichiren Buddhism devotees. They gifted me a loving, safe, and spiritual environment filled with much peace and happiness.
The passing of my father when I was 13 forced me to grow up and mature quickly and to take on the responsibilities as an elder brother, further suppressing my innate processes and feelings in order to “make things work” and survive school. Though I assumed leadership roles and was extremely creative and a resourceful problem solver, I was unhappy and miserable on the inside and mostly kept to myself for most of my school life.
At 19, a youth expedition trip to India became a pivotal moment for me. In extending my trip by a month, to be on my own after the expedition, I realized that the world we experience is a creation of our own beliefs and perceptions. This sparked the beginning of my deep dive into understanding the human experience and the workings of both the physical and energetic facets of being. I observed the misalignment of the world we live in and marked my deep dive into understanding the human experience and the workings of both the physical and energetic facets of being.
Upon returning from India, my quest was to understand myself through my own mind, voraciously reading books on psychology, spirituality, and consciousness. I learned brainwave entrainment techniques, AlphaMind, and the Silva Method. Influenced by works like “The Alchemist” and Tibetan Buddhism books, I began to see the mind as an energy expression and the brain as its physical counterpart.
Traveling extensively as a Singapore Airlines cabin crew member, I was always drawn to nature sites. At 25, I visited Stonehenge in the UK, where I felt the powerful brainwave patterns and physical sensations of being centered and grounded. This experience solidified my belief in the healing power of nature.
In my early years, I used affirmations to improve my mindset but found them to be too focused on the mind and physical aspects. My turning point came when I discovered Body Talk, Chi Gong, and Kundalini Yoga, which taught me to release trauma and become a Kundalini Yoga teacher and a practitioner of these practices.
By 28, I had discovered that different nature sites offered unique heightened energies. My annual trips to Nepal and other sacred sites around the world deepened my understanding of energy and its application in the physical world. I learned about the elements and their coinciding dragon energy and how to embody the “highest peak” perspective, always seeking universality and truth beyond a single doctrine.
My creative journey began with designing best-selling vintage t-shirts after National Service. I studied visual communication in polytechnic, eventually implementing sacred geometry designs to connect physical and energetic expressions.
In 2016, I visited sacred sites in Bosnia, the US-Canada, Peru, and the Amazon, discovering how physical environments can heal and change states. The Bosnian pyramids and Amazonian ceremonies taught me about the healing power of negative ions and the integration of past life knowledge. I also started holding sacred ceremonial spaces using elemental and regionally-sourced plant medicines.
In 2017, a profound moment came while I was watching Netflix’s “Chef’s Table.” A phrase from nun Jeong Kwan about using all five senses in cooking resonated deeply with me, bringing me to tears and helping me articulate my experiences.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought significant challenges for me, prompting me to explore why people are often misaligned in their decision-making. I shifted from product-based work to knowledge sharing, facilitating virtual summits and Zoom classes to reach a global audience.
In 2022, I resumed my travels to continue learning about energy. Egypt reinforced my belief in life-giving versus life-taking energies. I emphasize self-empowerment and being in union, always seeking to integrate knowledge from various ancient teachings and nature itself.
My journey is a testament to the power of inner work and the profound impact of innerstanding both the physical and energetic dimensions of life. The Innerstand™ Experience is a masterpiece of my lifelong experience, helping humans finally make sense of life.
Before Guishi
At 22, I started “HAUT,” a vintage resale business specializing in vintage jeans and tees. I taught myself sewing, learned how to work with denim, and expanded to rework and customize jeans for my clients. I also designed my own range of tongue-in-cheek graphic tees, with my best-selling piece being “Romeo F**k Juliet.”
In 2008, I co-founded “Going OM,” a home-away-from-home café and bar inspired by Nepal, where I created experiences for people to come together through food, music, movement arts, and spirituality. The best memories were the ‘Sheesha nights’ where there was always love and laughter to go around. Going OM is still open today, after a 2-year break during the plandemic, now fully owned and run entirely by one of the staff.
I also started “The Alternative Store,” where people could add to their alternative lifestyles with offerings of comfortable everyday wear, accessories, incense, and crystals for personal, body, and home care. This store was featured in several overseas travel publications and TV programs.
Through “Athma Soulutions,” I created events, classes, and experiences aimed at elevating and furthering personal and spiritual development and growth. This initiative furthered the growth of a Singaporean wellness community that helped several individuals rediscover their own paths and brought together like-minded individuals wanting a more whole-listic approach towards life and living.
I have been working, and sometimes living, around Haji Lane, the heart and soul of central Singapore, since 2008.
Ryion Pun
My journey began on the opposite spectrum of my co-founder, Omsira Barry. Born in Hong Kong, I moved to the US for university, completed my MBA from an Ivy League school, and climbed the corporate ladder. In fact, I epitomized the typical stereotype of what an Asian kid should grow up to be—go to college, get a good job, get married, and thrive in society.
One reason why I do well in the corporate environment is my mindset. My famous motto is, “You are who you tell yourself you are, and always find positive perspectives in everything we do.”
To keep up with demanding jobs, I enjoy spending my downtime optimizing my wellness routines. I experiment with life hacks that not only help me thrive but also make me love my job. I often joke that my wife still wonders how I wake up every morning with a big smile on my face, like a kid in a candy shop, ready to go to work.
One of my roles as a Director at Amazon required me to work Seattle hours while living in Singapore. I shared on LinkedIn:
Here is my typical routine: sleep at 3 pm and wake up around 9 or 10 pm; reheat dinner as my breakfast; eat fruits and nuts throughout the night; have oatmeal around 7 am; go for daily exercise around 10 am; have normal lunch around noon (my dinner); spend time with family until 3 pm; repeat.
How to prepare yourself if you want to be a night shift warrior:
- Gain alignment with all family members, including pets
- Schedule daily exercise and get at least 30 minutes of sun
- Eat healthily, minimize alcohol and processed food
- Make the environment work for you, e.g., blackout room
- Don’t set an alarm; wake up when your body is ready, with an average of 6-7 hours of sleep
- Keep a similar routine on weekends, +/- 3 hours or less
- Notify your friends that your social life has changed to brunch only
- Take time off in blocks, at least one week at a time
You get the idea.
I met Omsira Barry not long after my father also passed away in 2019. To manage my grief, I picked up meditation, and Barry has been my spiritual mentor.
Meditation quickly became a daily practice for me as I noticed something profound happening whenever I meditated, though I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was changing.
Then, I came across an interview with Yuval Noah Harari, who mentioned that technology is forcing us to embark on an inner spiritual quest. If we don’t, AI will know us better than we know ourselves, and that could be game over. This deeply resonated with me, prompting me to focus on exploring myself and the truth of the universe. I took my inner quest seriously, reading over 150 books in the past three years and completing over 1,000 hours of meditation. I was open-minded in learning different modalities and sought knowledge from various spiritual practitioners and leaders. I dedicated a year to becoming certified as an integral coach with New Ventures West, emphasizing wholeness, and became Leadership Circle Profile 360° certified, where I discovered the concept of Integral Leadership.
“Integral leadership is underpinned by a very late and advanced stage of adult development from which only about 5% of adults operate. As such, they are becoming porous to the inflow of information (intuition, light, energy, grace) from the higher levels of consciousness—Unitive levels. Therefore, Integral leadership is founded on the presumption, if not the direct realization, of the inherent unity of all things. This makes for a very high form of moral, systemic, and effective leadership capable of innovating the future.” – Bob Anderson, Co-founder of Leadership Circle
As I alchemized the learnings from my inner quest, I realized that the key is to shift my mindset to understand experiences beyond the physical, unlocking many mysteries and limiting beliefs, and helping me operate at higher levels of consciousness.
This is how Barry has lived his entire life. This journey led me to co-found Guishi with Omsira Barry. While we come from opposite spectrums, we share the fundamental discipline of fully embracing the human experience. I am convinced that many individuals and leaders can benefit from Barry’s lifelong experience, helping people finally make sense of life.
Other Fun Facts
I am married to my amazing wife, with whom I share my life and our forever puppy. We currently reside in Singapore.
At one point in my career, I juggled three jobs: I would wake up at 4:30 AM to work at the gym until 9 AM, then head to my office job for the day, and finish my evenings moonlighting as a consultant.
I co-founded Some Random Workplace with my wife, a coworking fashion studio.
I meditate and practice QiGong and TaiChi every day.
I do pilates once a week to maintain my mobility.
And no, being bald is not the reason why Barry and I joined forces.
It was pure coincidence, or was it?
