As a financial therapist, Bari Tessler brings a unique and gentle approach to the topic of how each of us interact with money. This includes exploration and ritual (complete with a bite of chocolate and candlelight if you so desire!), practical techniques to forge a more understanding relationship with money, and a generous dose of gratitude and celebration.
Bari digs deep in a thoughtful, knowing way: Instead of tough love, she brings a compassionate, nurturing approach to exploring the very personal relationship each of us has with money, wealth, and abundance. Bari’s pioneering approach, which she has developed over the past 15 years is captured in her best selling book, The Art Of Money: A Life-Changing Guide to Financial Happiness. The book captures the essence of her signature program of the same name, which runs each year and opens for registration on January 17th. You can get a bite-sized sampling of Bari’s work from her Pocket for A Money Roadtrip. At the end of a busy year for Bari, I had the opportunity to speak with her and am delighted to share our conversation with you.
1) What inspired you to follow your calling into Financial Therapy via The Art Of Money? My work brings together the callings I felt as a child: when I was young I was drawn to dance and movement, then as a business woman, as a pre-teen. As a teenager I continued to nurture my love of dance and movement, while additionally starting to be interested in the field of psychology. I brought these interests together when I went to graduate school and received a Master’s in Somatic Psychotherapy from Naropa. Even in my incredible graduate program, where I learned to drop into my body and bring loving awareness to everything under the sun — food, sex, God — money was still taboo.
It wasn’t until I received my first student loan bill in the mail that I realized I had no relationship with money. Until the moment I opened that bill, I thought money was too a bit boring and definitely “un-spiritual” for a creative gal like me. I felt shock and shame when I read that bill.
That’s the wake-up moment that moved me towards this calling to explore the very personal and emotional relationship each of us have with money. In that exploration, my own mindset shifted and I began to pursue opportunities around bookkeeping and teaching which allowed me to witness how unique our personal relationship with money is, how little we are taught about the topic during our childhood, and how much can shift with a change in mindset.
2) How do you re-connect to that original calling on a daily basis and where do you look for new inspiration?
After a long year nurturing my book and traveling the country to share my message, I’m taking time to rest and really open up to receive inspiration from my physical, emotional, and intellectual surroundings: I am inspired by my daily hike in Boulder, CO; by enjoying time with my young son and going on dates with my husband; by the books that I read – usually fiction or memoirs.
3) How can a woman’s mindset around money, wealth, and abundance positively impact her inner bliss and outer radiance?
I believe that nurturing a deeper meaning and a playfulness in our relationship with money brings a vibrancy and a joy to life. That involves really checking in with our bodies to understand how we feel about money; thinking of our money practice as ‘self care’ and including rituals (candles, essential oils, chocolates) to make the practice as sacred and meaningful as possible.
5) What does the phrase ‘inner bliss and outer radiance’ mean to you?
Slow down. Rest. Restore. Make time for what’s most important.”
Bari Tessler
By taking time to restore I am re-energized and re-inspired to pursue what brings me great joy and cause to celebrate.
Bari Tessler Linden, MA, is a Financial Therapist, Mentor Coach and Mama-preneur. Bari’s gentle, body-centered approach weaves together personal, couple, and creative entrepreneurial money teachings into one complete tapestry. She is the founder of The Art of Money: a global, year-long money school, which integrates Money Healing, Money Practices and Money Maps. Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, Inc.com, and the Huffington Post and in US News & World Report, and many other publications. Bari is also the author of The Art of Money: A Life-Changing Guide to Financial Happiness, published by Parallax Press. Learn more about Bari at: http://baritessler.com/
