Special infographics:
WHY DID I START VULTUN?
This is a short memoir and builds the vision for why I created Vultun.
The mission of Vultun is to help you live up to your potential by providing modalities, products, and spaces that optimize and center.
Because it’s never too late to have a breakthrough in life. You are limitless and control your destiny. You can change your life and thrive physically, mentally and spiritually.
The reading length is about 25 minutes. In the article, you will find:
- Journal exercises to help you tease out your inner thoughts
- Infographics on Siargao and Bali
- Book recommendations on healthy living, mindset, and business
- Practical tips for mental health and meditation
- Why we chose the modalities we currently and will in the future provide at Vultun
- A calisthenics workout proven to boost your physique and hormone levels
ENCINITAS AND THE PANDEMIC
Siargao is a blank canvas for people like me. It’s a place where an idea can manifest into reality. Where dreamers go to build. But before I got there and started Vultun, the pieces to the puzzle began to form years before.
Living in Encinitas during the pandemic you’re surrounded by some interesting folks. It was 2021, and I was coworking out of Union Cowork—two blocks from the beach and within walking distance of all the fun eateries and shops.
Stylish surfers with a purposeful mission. Successful crypto entrepreneurs living out of their vans. Burners on a psychedelic mission to change the world. Corporate execs running new AI startups. A thriving spiritual community that encompassed the whole rainbow of beliefs. From hipster Christians to holotropic breathworkers raving about their healing powers.
PRODUCTIZE YOURSELF
I learned a lot at the cowork. During one lunch, I struck up a conversation with Steph Smith of stephsmith.io. Steph had just launched a book called Doing Content Right. No publisher, not even Amazon. She self-published. She said anyone can start a business, create content, and be successful.
So I ask, “How? Is there a secret formula?”
She said, “Be yourself. Find out what you love and do content on that.”
I am a big believer in following your passion and what sets you on fire, but I was surprised at this answer from such a tech-savvy and logical person. I asked her to explain further.
She said “No one else is like you. Why try to copy someone else’s playbook when you have one yourself? What you have to do is to productize yourself.”
I was like, “So you mean, create a business about a surfer dude who’s into data science, meditation, breathwork, yoga, relationships, and working out?”
“Yes,” Steph said with a smile.
Exercise: List out the things that you identify as or are interested in. Here are mine.
RISING FROM THE ASHES
THE CHOICE TO CHANGE
Let’s rewind in time. It was a September Friday the 13th, 2019 and a Harvest Moon. I was sitting on a bench overlooking the full moon at my favorite surf break. I was broke, depressed, alcoholic, smoked a pack a day, overweight, had no job, had no girlfriend, overweight, and my blood markers weren’t looking good. I hadn’t surfed in months and I lived in a beautiful surf town. I felt like I was wasting a golden opportunity in life.
I needed to try something different and fast. My friend Katie who had gone sober 10 years prior assured me that it would change my life. It did for her. I read two books she recommended:
These books opened my eyes and my mind. I highly recommend them to anyone on a sober-curious journey.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OF THIS
Nothing Good is a compilation of intelligently written short stories about what life is like as an alcoholic, trying to quit, and life after alcoholism. She also lives in my hometown of Seattle. She wrote:
“What I’m thinking, but don’t know yet how to say out loud is, does anyone know what they’re becoming until they’ve become it? I’d been running for three years before I realized I was a runner. I’d been drinking for twenty-five before I knew I was a drunk.”
― Kristi Coulter, Nothing Good Can Come from This
For me, after 25 years of drinking, I was at 8-12 drinks a day. I didn’t know how I had gotten there. Drinking was something people did for special occasions and weekends. I started there.
But then it was also for when you’re bored. Or after a surf, and before a surf. At birthdays and BBQs. For when you’re sad and stressed. Always after work when you’re stressed!
It was evident. It was in every aspect of my life.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: THIS NAKED MIND
The other book, This Naked Mind is a great primer on the health benefits of quitting and provides actionable steps to help you stop drinking. Here are the concepts, journal prompts, and actions you can take:
- Understanding Alcohol’s Role. Prompt: How have you been conditioned to view alcohol and how integrated into your life?
- Separating the Mind from Alcohol’s Appeal. Prompt: What are your beliefs about alcohol? Include both positive and negative associations. Can you challenge the inconsistencies between them?
- Alcohol’s Impact on the Brain. Action: Watch a short video by neurobiologist Andrew Huberman on the effects of Alcohol on your brain. link here
- The Power of Awareness. Prompt: Write down how you feel before, during, and after drinking.
- Reframing the Perception of Quitting. Prompt: List the benefits of quitting. Maybe it’s better sleep, improved health, mental clarity, or better relationships.
- Dealing with Social Pressure. Prompt: One strategy is to be prepared for when people ask you, “Why don’t you drink?” Write down some answers and confidently order your non-alcoholic beverage.
- Addressing Emotional Triggers. Prompt: What are your emotional triggers, and what are healthy ways to address them? Maybe it’s exercise, surfing, or a creative endeavor.
- Building a Support System. Action: Find a new group of friends or an alcohol-free community, online or in real life. Maybe it’s a running group or people with the same hobbies as you.
I learned about others’ journeys and how changing their habits in life catapulted them to the next level, from Anthony Kiedis to Kelly Slater and Rich Roll to David Cho.
So I quit. It changed my life forever.
I slept better. I realized that I wasn’t old and tired. I was just a little hungover every day. I had so much energy that I felt like a 20-year-old in college again. I was able to learn new things and went back to school. Surfing was so much more fun when I wasn’t tired after paddling for 10 minutes. And I lost weight. I went from 200 pounds down to 165.
TEN DAYS OF SILENCE
After months of sobriety and deep into the pandemic, I learned about Yung Pueblo and his poetry on presence and mindfulness. It was a beautiful counterpoint to the chaos of the polarizing world of Instagram at the time. I listened to Mark Groves’ podcasts with Yung Pueblo. I learned that Vipassana meditation inspired him to write poetry.
Being that I was newly sober and still having a hard time with all of the layers and years of unprocessed traumas, fears, and insecurities. I decided to try something crazy. Ten days of silent meditation.
Side note: when you go sober, you will have to face all of the unresolved things. It’s hard work but worth it.
A TOUCH OF INSANITY, A TOUCH OF CLARITY
During the training, I dove into my brain’s monkey mind and learned to calm it, teach it to stay still and quiet the mind.
I faced deep-rooted fears. “I’m middle-aged, with white hair and whiskers. Now what? What about death? Do I love myself or have I just been medicating myself? What’s my purpose in this life? What am I capable of?”
Sometimes it felt like I was slipping into insanity. My imagination was so vivid I couldn’t tell what was real. I talked to the person across from me and realized I was talking to myself in my room.
Other times, I would have the deepest connection with the way the dew hung to a thread of tall grass or the perfect geometry of a spiderweb in the mist. I saw a salamander for the first time since I was a little kid.
I revered each bite of food for its flavor and fun. I even snuck some extra slices of peanut butter and jelly toast into my room. Ever since I’ve been a major PB and J fan.
It was such a transformative experience, almost psychedelic in an unexplainable way. I saw a path laid out for me. I was supposed to start something, create, adventure, and keep on this path of healing.
Later, I discovered a song by East Forest, John Hopkins, and Ram Dass, Sit Around The Fire. They recorded an interview with Ram Dass, in which he talks about how we sometimes lose our flame. We become ashes. But if we look closely, we find there’s still an ember. Our work in life is to simply fan it and blow on the ember. Eventually, your flame will come alive again.
Quitting alcohol and finding meditation was my ember and fan.
WHAT AM I CAPABLE OF?
FINDING MY EDGE
During the pandemic, I had three deep realizations. First, I’m more introverted than I thought. Second, I can learn anything if I put my mind to it. Lastly, I wanted to challenge myself to find my edge.
I began to explore rabbit holes that piqued my interest. I started to listen to viewpoints from both political and cultural sides of the aisle. Instead of spending nights at the bar–the bars weren’t open anyway–I went to the gym.
I also started surfing more and was gifted an Apple Watch. An app tracked all of my surf sessions and workouts. Since I was losing weight and feeling more vibrant, I wanted to test myself. I decided to surf for 150 days that year.
ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
I learned that it’s better to have an accountability partner to accomplish a goal. I asked my surf and engineer buddy Chris Romero if he would be down to take on this challenge. He’s a great surfer with style. He said yes. He would also take on this challenge with me.
That year, I surfed almost 200 sessions. There’s something to be said about showing up and doing the thing. Not only did I get to surf on beautiful epic days, but I also forced myself to surf when the surf wasn’t so great or I wasn’t feeling up to it.
What I learned from showing up most days?
- Each time I got in the water, I would eventually be having fun.
- My skills improved, and surfing is more fun as you get better.
- My physical fitness was getting stronger.
- I met new people and had conversations that I never thought I would have.
- I was beginning to be considered “A Local” at my surf breaks. That was a prized title by any surfer because it meant you could get the best waves in a set. The grumpy old men in the lineup weren’t so grumpy at me. Some eventually became friends and introduced me to new experiences and ways of thinking.
Surfing is one of those things that has changed my life for the better. I know the stoke of a beginner surfer who just caught their first wave. I was once there, and I still feel that same joy—even more so.
Book recommendations on the topic of consistency for optimal performance:
- Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckwork. Talent alone isn’t enough to achieve long-term goals without the relentless determination to overcome challenges.
- Atomic Habits by James Clear. Getting better by just 1% each day and how compounding benefits over time will make you a monster in your field.
- Limitless by Jim Kwik. How consistency and habits help your brain grow. How you can learn anything from reading faster to a new computer coding language.
FROM SURFER TO DATA STUDENT
During one of my surf sessions, my friend Chris Romero mentioned that he enrolled in a Data Science and AI course. I was like, “What the hell is that?!” As a kid, I always dreamed of speaking with an AI robot. Chris said that it involved math, programming, and deciphering data.
I thought this would be my chance to prove to myself that I wasn’t an old dog. A week later, I was enrolled at UC San Diego for their Data Science and AI boot camp.
It was a grueling and fascinating experience. I had 10 hours of class a week and 4 hours a day of homework. I became a master at Googling ways to solve coding errors. I built my first algorithms. I learned how to store data and how much data is stored on us.
I read technical books but also philosophical books, like Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil. In it, she talks about the dangerous biases these algorithms may hold. They can be prone to being racially or socio-economically skewed toward disadvantaged groups. They could even do hard on an environmental level.
I learned about a small company called OpenAI, which had a promising non-profit mission to make AI open-source and available to all. I even applied to one of their job postings, but I didn’t get it. They would later release ChatGPT and change history.
During the course, I was surrounded by intelligent people. Being surrounded by people smarter than myself forced me to level up. I believe that we are the average of the 10 people we spend our time with most. So choose wisely.
I passed the course, and for my final project, I created a stock market predictor using Donald Trump’s tweets. We wanted to see if we could predict the market going up or down based on Trump’s tweet sentiment. It was a fun experience, and our model actually worked. If you’d like to check out the GitHub repo, you can find it here.
DISCONNECTION FROM THE MATRIX
From this experience, I also began to realize the sinister side of our dependence on technology. I found myself getting addicted to scrolling. I needed to have my Apple Watch on me; otherwise, I would not feel complete while surfing. I noticed a distinct difference in my level of happiness and peace when I was on my devices compared to when I was not.
Eventually, I landed a job at Amazon as a data analyst. It was a great experience and yet another bucket list item checked off my list of things I wanted to do in life: work at one of the FAANG companies.
But something inside me was drawn to the physical and metaphysical world. I was curious if there was data and science that would ground “woo-woo” modalities like yoga and meditation.
One of the reasons I created Vultun is to help people disconnect from the Matrix and to help them reconnect to the Source. Reconnect to your personal truth and highest self. I believe that there’s science that shows the benefits of mystical modalities and we want to share that with our community and guests at Vultun. They include:
- Massage reduces muscle tension and pain by improving circulation and reducing inflammation. sourcesource
- Surfing improves cardiovascular health and reduces symptoms of depression. source source
- Reiki enhances pain management, reduces stress, and promotes relaxation. source
Fun fact: My data visualization background inspired the Vultun logo and branding. Can you see it?
FROM PHYSICAL TO METAPHYSICAL
YOU DON'T CHOOSE THE ISLAND. IT CHOOSES YOU.
Siargao is a beautiful island. As much as it is blue skies and turquoise waters, it also carries depth and darkness. You know the saying, “You don’t choose the island. The island chooses you.” That’s Siargao and if you want to live here you’ll need to be accustomed to power outages, flooding, and physical labor like climbing over things and surfing the big waves of Cloud 9.
I’ve been going to Siargao since 2009. Back then, it was a dirt runway landing with no paved roads. There were no businesses at Jacking Horse, where Vultun currently is located. I wasn’t always welcome here, and the island sent me away.
On one occasion, I fell on my scooter and got a little cut on my ankle. It turned into a serious staph infection and cellulitis. I had to get treated in Surigao and Manila. There would be several other times when I got sent away.
SPETZNATZ AND THE SIBERIAN
Fast forward to my healing journey. I met Dimitriy in 2022. He was a massive Siberian hulk of a man with flowing, curly hair. This 6’3” giant, with eyes so piercing and a smile filled with a zest for life, came at me to greet me. Our friend Jeremie introduced us. Dimitriy’s hug was a Siberian brown bear hug—firm and strong.
One day, he invited Jeremie and me to do a workout. I felt fit from all the surfing and gym time, so I confidently said yes. Little did I know.
Welcome to Spetznatz. It means “special mission” in Russian. The Russian special forces have to do this daily training: no weights or iron, all body weight, calisthenics.
Exercise, Spetznatz workout:
- 4 minutes of HIIT or high-intensity interval training of 10 push-ups, 10 pikes, 10 situps, and 10 jumping lunges. Repeat as many times within 4 minutes. Then rest for 2 minutes.
- A 6-minute plank. You heard that right, 6 minutes. Rest for 2 minutes.
- 3 rounds of burn-out push-ups. Do as many push-ups each round. Rest 2 minutes between each round.
- 3 rounds of burn-out jumping squats. Rest 2 minutes between each round.
- 3 rounds of abs your choice.
- Pray you can walk the next day.
Do you want to get ready for war, surf big waves, or overcome challenges in life? Do Spetznatz!
There’s an inner Light we find when we put ourselves through the crucible. There’s a term for it, Hormetic Stress. If you want to make yourself more resilient you have to put yourself in a micro-stressful situation.
Examples of hormetic stress modalities:
- Calisthenics
- Ice bath
- Pranayama or fire of breath
- Meditation
THE POWER OF MINDSET
In the last five years, I’ve done a lot of breathwork, ice baths, working out, and meditation. When you do these consistently, you tap into a metaphysical realm. Joe Dispenza talks about tapping into “The Field” of infinite possibilities. Wim Hof also speaks to this, and it is evident in his ability to do superhuman feats.
I came back to Siargao in the summer of 2022. This time, I was ready physically, mentally, and spiritually. This island is choosing me, whether it wants to or not. There’s a need for people and businesses that rejuvenate, elevate, and heal. It’s my mission to help build this type of community and experience in Siargao.
THE SEEKER BECOMES THE WOUNDED HEALER
A REBEL IN THE TIME OF COVID
When I first set on a sober journey I didn’t know where I’d end up. All I knew was that I just wanted “it” to get better. I didn’t want to wake up at 3 AM gasping for water, hungover until the next drink, and feeling self-loathing each day.
In this time, I allowed myself to explore the world with the openness, curiosity, and wonder of a child.
I had a great opportunity to help start a surf and yoga resort in Nicaragua in the fall of 2020. Considering the world was in lockdown for the pandemic, I felt like a rebel. Flying into lonely airports, crossing sketchy borders in the middle of the night, and hugging a human without a face mask was life-affirming, and I felt free.
Room To Roam is a resort started by friends in Encinitas. During that experience, I saw a vision for creating something similar. I loved being around people who help empower people., Moreover, the creative process was intriguing. We went from almost zero to 40 guests in less than a month.
KAUAI. LESS ELECTRONICS. MORE CONNECTION.
The following year, I traveled to Kauai and worked remotely as an Amazon Data Analyst. I stayed with dear friends in a beautiful jungle house on a mountain.
- Kim Loh is a conflict resolution and negotiation specialist, leadership coach, and co-author of Compassionate Conversations: How to Speak and Listen from the Heart.
- Cam Williams is a life coach and ultra-endurance runner.
They live a mindful existence. Hawaii has a history of colonization. They taught me to respect the people and the land. Each step was a prayer of gratitude. They grew plants. Held Saturday sabbaths wherein we didn’t turn on devices and used candlelight from Friday until Saturday night. We read poetry, played board games, surfed, gardened, made art, meditated, took long walks, and cut down banana trees. They gave extra respect to the locals of the land.
Like Siargao, Kauai is an energetic vortex of healing and creative energy. The people live an intentional life, based on the rhythms of nature, more so than in any other place in “America.”
LAST MAN STANDING
It’s also a place where some of my favorite surfers come from and where health is prioritized. Laid Hamilton, the surf legend and founder of Laird Superfood, lives there. He has a great podcast with Joe Rogan. Laird’s version of winning is “to win by attrition, meaning, the last man standing.” That resonated with me. If we can take care of our bodies well into old age and do the things that we love, then we win. This is why the mission of Vultun is to help you live up to your potential by providing modalities, products, and spaces that optimize and center.
THE SPIRIT OF BURNING MAN AND THE FOOL
Later that year I ended up at Burning Man from a random invitation by someone I just met. I had gone down my journey of sobriety long enough to do some healing, find love, and then get my heart broken. Now I had to deal with it as a sober person. Burning Man seemed like a good way to hit the reset button.
It was 2021 and Burning Man wasn’t officially going to be held by the organization. Despite that, 20,000 hardcore burners were at The Playa and I’d be damned if I didn’t take this opportunity.
Before the event, I consulted my tarot deck. I asked if I should go on the invitation of a stranger. The card I pulled was “The Fool.” It’s a picture of a man carrying a knapsack and stepping off a cliff. He’s confident and happy. The sun is shining and bright. The energy of the fool is to step into the unknown and trust that the universe has your back.
There’s something about jumping into what scares you, thrills you, and takes you to a new, unknown future. While at Burning Man, I found faith in humanity again. I marveled at the creative genius of people’s minds. It filled my cup knowing that my people were out there. It gave me confidence that I just had to do what was true in my heart and that my people would find me.
Moreover, I walked away, knowing that a new way of living was rising. We would be the leaders of a movement to radically change the way we live, do work, and interact with our world. The progress of technology, AI, climate change, and people breaking free from oppressive systems of debt and work.
It was a message from the universe that I had to create a business with this mission.
Here’s a video clip of a drone show that blew my mind.
FINDING FERTILE SOIL IN SIARGAO
In the spring of 2022, I decided to book a trip to Asia. It was time. Bali and Siargao. I would decide where I’d set up my new life and start what would eventually become Vultun.
Bali was a magical playground for me. It had everything I wanted as a digital nomad, surfer, and someone in the conscious community.
One day, I decided to visit a spa my friend recommended. It overlooked Uluwatu’s famous surf breaks and had all the amenities: yoga, meditation, an ice bath, a sauna, and all the biohacking modalities. It was even built by someone who practiced Vipassana. I was like, “This is it. This is what I’m going to build.”
It attracted heavy hitters. While there, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my idols, Kelly Slater. We had a meaningful conversation about calisthenics, yoga, micro-dosing, surfing, and longevity. Like in the movie Field of Dreams, it affirmed to me that “If you build it, they will come.”
But my heart was calling out for Siargao. I needed to give it a chance. Bali was well on its way to becoming a mega destination for young travelers, but Siargao was still in its infancy of development. Many of the things that I love aren’t quite here yet, and I see it as a great opportunity to share my gift, which brings me back to that day at Union Cowork with Steph Smith.
THE GIFT OF THE WOUNDED HEALER
I had gone from a sick, sad, and hopeless man addicted to alcohol. Now, I’m someone who believes in his mission. I have a loving relationship with my partner Allegra–our resident Physio and Pilates instructor–and we are about to welcome our first child. Now, my biological age is closer to 30. Even my doctor was shocked when he saw that my testosterone level was at 825 on my last blood test. I’m happier than ever and surfing the biggest waves of my life. And now, I want to share this experience with you.
Carl Jung introduced the concept of “The Wounded Healer,” which suggests that a therapist or healer’s ability to heal others is rooted in their suffering and wounds. Jung believed that the healer’s experience with pain and transformation allows them to empathize deeply with others, providing a powerful source of healing and understanding.
Steph asked me to “productize” my life and share it with the world. That’s precisely what Vultun is. It is the modalities and practices that will help you overcome depression, become stronger physically and mentally, connect to your higher purpose, optimize your performance as an athlete and in your career, find love, and live a life of freedom and joy.
What is Vultun? It’s all the things that helped me on my healing journey. I want to make these practices easy and approachable for you.
- Does it seem weird and “woo-woo?” Don’t worry. We’ll break down the science for you with facts.
- Does it seem scary and daunting? We make it a safe place to explore and be vulnerable.
- Have you always wanted to try something new? We got you, and it’s going to be fun.
I welcome you to take that leap of faith. To do something that lights that fire within. To step into the unknown and decide to live the life you’ve always wanted to. Join us at Vultun and book an online treatment. Join our newsletter, The Seed, whose mission is to inspire you to be courageous.
NOW WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Did this story resonate in any way? Would you like to share your story? Do you want to share a testimonial of your experience at Vultun?
Please write to us. We will write back and share your story on our social media. At Vultun, you are always seen, heard, and safe!
If there are any errors, please let me know and I’ll fix them.
With love from Siargao,
Jay Sueno
Founder at Vultun & Feral Pilates