Bayli Payne
Curious about what helps people live meaningful lives.
Through work in health, retreat spaces, regenerative living, and thoughtful technology, I’ve found myself returning to the same questions about growth, healing, community, and purpose. This website is where I document what I’m learning—and occasionally invite others into that conversation.
I don’t claim to have the answers. I’m interested in asking better questions, learning publicly, and building work that reflects my values.
The questions that keep drawing me back
Personal Growth
How we change, what helps transformation last, and the daily practices that shape who we become.
Healing & Integration
Making sense of profound experiences with humility, curiosity, and compassion.
Systems Thinking
Looking for the patterns beneath problems—from organizations to relationships to ecosystems.
Books & Ideas
The authors, conversations, and frameworks that continue to reshape how I see the world.
Regenerative Living
Learning from nature, food systems, and the communities working to care for both people and place.
Meaningful Work
Building organizations and projects that reflect the values they’re trying to create.
One of the ways I do this work
Preparation & Integration Conversations
Some of my work happens through private one-on-one conversations with people preparing for or integrating meaningful life experiences.
Whether you’re approaching your first retreat, making sense of an experience you’ve already had, or simply looking for a grounded conversation, these sessions are designed to help you reflect with clarity, intention, and care.
These conversations are educational and reflective in nature. They are not psychotherapy, medical treatment, or crisis care.
Learn About Sessions“I don’t believe transformation belongs to any one tradition. My perspective has been shaped by years of studying with Indigenous teachers, supporting retreat participants, participating in the Moon Dance tradition, and spending time in the Peruvian Amazon learning alongside the Shipibo people.”
Those experiences continue to influence how I think about healing, community, discipline, and the relationship between tradition and modern life. I’m still learning. I hope I always will be.
A few experiences that have shaped my perspective
My perspective has been shaped by years of supporting retreat participants, studying with Indigenous teachers, working alongside healthcare practitioners, and spending time in communities that have challenged how I think about healing, responsibility, and personal growth.
Along the way I’ve also learned as much from books, travel, surfing, and the people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet as I have from any formal training.
I’m still learning. I hope I always will be.
Books I keep returning to
Some books entertain us. Others quietly change the way we see the world. These are the ones I continue to recommend, revisit, and think about long after finishing.
Browse the full libraryThinking in Systems
Donella Meadows
Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Overstory
Richard Powers
Breath
James Nestor
Doughnut Economics
Kate Raworth
The Art of Gathering
Priya Parker
Field Notes
Observations, lessons, and questions from the work, places, and people continually shaping my perspective.
Why preparation matters more than peak experiences
The quiet work that happens before and after is often where the real transformation lives.
Read moreWhat surfing keeps teaching me about patience
You can’t rush the ocean, and you can’t force the wave. Some things arrive on their own time.
Read moreLessons from building a healthcare practice
From sticky notes and spreadsheets to a system that scaled with patient care — and what I learned about people along the way.
Read moreA conversation that changed how I think about grief
One evening in the Amazon, a conversation shifted something I didn’t know needed shifting.
Read more
Where I go to remember what matters.
Let’s connect
If something here resonated, I’d love to hear from you.
Whether you’re interested in working together, want to share a book recommendation, have a thoughtful question, or simply found yourself thinking about similar things, you’re welcome to reach out.
Some of the best opportunities in my life have started with an unexpected conversation.