Today we’d like to introduce you to Keri Mangis.
Hi Keri, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey to where I am today as an author, speaker, and serial entrepreneur can best be traced back to 2002. This was the first time I took a yoga class, just three months after giving birth to my second child. At the time, I was overwhelmed with a sense of failure (I wasn’t using my business degree). I was disillusioned by authority figures after years of experiencing chronic physical ailments that doctors were not only unable to diagnose but dismissed as “in my head.” And, I had just been diagnosed with depression. I now had two young children to care for (along with my husband). I needed to take matters—my health, my life, my journey—into my own hands.
I was lucky to be led to a couple of local Minneapolis yoga teachers who went much further than just teaching me Downward Facing Dog. These amazing women gave me the tools and the empowerment I needed to begin to excavate my true self—the part of me that had been buried under heavy societal expectations and personal limits and barriers. It only took a small taste of my own personal power and sovereignty for me to go all in on the path that I would call a “seeker.”
I opened my first business, Trinity Yoga, LLC, in 2003 and became both an entrepreneur and teacher in one swoop. Through this venture, I resuscitated my creativity, curiosity, and joy. I created a community and grew it into a successful business that included creating all kinds of unique classes, workshops, trainings, and retreats. This work fed my soul and my heart for over 10 years.
While teaching others, I never stopped deepening my own studies. I traveled around the country and even the world, exploring and studying spirituality, yoga, and the healing arts with many different teachers. In 2012, I became enamored with the science of Ayurveda, the “sister science” of yoga. This healing art helped me better understand and care for my body in its uniqueness. I wanted to share this wisdom with others, so I studied deeper, taking over 1,000 hours of study, before opening my second business, Elements Ayurveda, LLC.
But, the more I settled into this role of alternative healer, the antsier I felt to learn something new again. I couldn’t let myself get stagnant, no matter how much time or money I’d invested in that business. I left my practice without any sense of what was on the horizon next. It was a truly scary time; a time of “nothingness.” In this space, I felt drawn to write. And then, I started taking writing workshops. Soon, I realized that what I felt called to do next was write a book—a memoir— about my spiritual and personal journeys. I had come so far from that young mother who was so overwhelmed and intimidated by the world. I felt I could help so many more people by sharing my story through a book than I ever could by offering one-on-one sessions.
So, in 2015, I created my third business, Curiosa Publishing, LLC, and learned the process of self-publishing as I went. I published “Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness—A Memoir of New Beginnings,” in February 2020, and was excited to add the label of “author” to my biography.
Since then, I’ve continued to share my writing and my voice, through articles, podcasts, speaking events, and teaching opportunities. Currently, I’m working on my second book, which will be an exploration of the cyclical process that I know best: falling apart & reinvention. I realize now that while I sometimes feared my regular shapeshifting over the years was a weakness or a failure, it is instead my greatest strength. so, while I never exactly know what I might shapeshift into next, I can promise that it will be led by my curiosity, imagination, and willingness to keep on learning.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think we have a belief in our culture that success feeds success. That success is like a ladder. I don’t think we have really seen how often it is our failure, or letting go, or falling apart, that catapults us into a new place and time in our lives, and that starting over is sometimes where the greatest growth lies.
So, no, it has not been a smooth path for me, nor would not want it to be. A smooth path means you can only see so far, the whole time. You have to be kicked off the path once in a while in order to gain a different perspective or to reevaluate if this path is even the best one.
My biggest struggles have been with accepting the spaces “in-between” my creative ventures. Those dark times when it felt like the universe was done with me, or that wasn’t any more work for me to do. It can be very scary to feel like the world is moving on without you. But then, once things get up and going again, I only wish for some of that quiet downtime to come back again!
Hand in hand with this inner struggle is what happens when I meet others during these times. You can ask me a philosophical question, discuss various spiritual paths, or debate a cultural phenomenon with me. I can do those things all day, any day. But if you ask me What do I do? or What do I call myself? When I’m in these “in-between” times, those simple questions are the hardest ones of all.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Today, I am an author, speaker, and freelance writer. I have been published in many online publications over the years. I am currently a columnist at The Edge Magazine, and write regularly for Spirituality and Health Magazine. I’ve learned that writing is an art as much as it is a skill. Over the years, I feel like my authentic voice comes through stronger in my writing than ever before. That’s a product of a lot of hard work and a good amount of really bad writing along the way!
I’m most proud of my book, Embodying Soul: A Return to Wholeness, for many reasons. First, because I completed it! Getting to the finish line is no small task! Secondly, because I published it myself; every decision on font, style, title, etc., was ultimately my own (though I leaned on many skilled professionals and their opinions along the way!) But most of all, I’m proud that I never let go of my initial vision, which is a book written with parallel stories—one in which I tell my stories from the perspective of the Earth Realm, and one where these stories are seen from the perspective of my soul in the Soul Realm. I had several people along the way suggest that I should let go of this “weird’ idea and just write a “normal memoir.” But I knew I couldn’t do that, I had to follow this vision to the end. There may not be many books like mine out in the world, but that’s exactly what makes me proud and what sets me apart: I’m always going to follow my own vision, no matter the cultural expectations or norms. This is as true in my personal life as it is in my work life, which gives me the freedom to live my life just as I see fit, and without being beholden to what others want to see from me.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Nothing like I am today! As a child, I was very obedient and respectful of whatever “the right thing to do” was. While with my close friends, my uniqueness shone brighter, I mostly blended in larger groups.
But, I did find a couple of ways to stand out from the crowd. First, I became a top long-distance runner in the state of North Dakota, singing up for both track and cross-country. Being around my team for practice gave me the freedom to be myself. I was chosen as team captain for multiple years.
In addition, I was a ballet dancer, and got to dance the role of Clara in the Nutcracker for two years in a row. I absolutely loved the work of being a dancer, and, once again, the other dancers were easy to be around and a great place for me to explore my creative side.
Between school, running, and dance, I was very busy. I was called driven and hard-working. But inside, I was hard on myself, however, which is something I’ve had to learn to let go of and give myself permission to relax and enjoy my life.
Pricing:
- $18 for Embodying Soul, on my website
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kerimangis.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerimangis/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kerimangiswriter
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeriMangis
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmAmBJnsVfGPkJSmj_iJ1SQ
