CNVC Certified Trainer | Facilitator | Educator | Compassionate Leadership Practitioner | Co-founder of Karuna Bali Foundation

Wayan Rustiasa is a Certified Trainer in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) with the Center for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC), an educator, facilitator, and lifelong learner from Bali, Indonesia. His work is rooted in a deep commitment to nurturing human connection, cultivating compassion, and supporting individuals and communities in rediscovering their inherent wholeness.

Born and raised in Bali, Wayan's understanding of life has been deeply influenced by Balinese cultural and spiritual traditions, particularly the values of interconnectedness, harmony, gratitude, and reverence for life. These foundations continue to inform his approach to personal transformation, education, leadership, and community development.

A Journey of Education and Service

In 2007, Wayan co-founded Karuna Bali Foundation (Yayasan Karuna Bali), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young people through education, personal development, and values-based learning. Through its educational initiative, Campuhan College, the foundation has supported hundreds of young Indonesians in developing communication skills, self-awareness, confidence, and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to their communities.

As co-founder and Head of the Foundation's Council, Wayan continues to support its vision of education that nurtures not only knowledge and practical skills but also character, compassion, and responsibility.

His professional journey includes facilitating leadership development, Living Values Education, personal growth programs, and communication training. Throughout these experiences, he has become increasingly interested in the inner dimensions of human behavior, particularly how people relate to themselves, respond to conflict, and seek connection and belonging.

Discovering Nonviolent Communication

Wayan's journey with Nonviolent Communication began in 2012 when he was introduced to the work of Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg through Dorset Campbell-Ross. What began as an exploration of a communication approach gradually became a profound personal journey of self-discovery and transformation.

In 2016, he began the CNVC Certification Process. His journey unfolded over many years, alongside family responsibilities, health challenges, professional commitments, and continued personal learning. Rather than viewing these experiences as interruptions, Wayan came to recognize them as opportunities to deepen his understanding of compassion, vulnerability, acceptance, and presence.

In September 2026, he became a CNVC Certified Trainer, marking an important milestone in a journey that continues to evolve.

One of his most significant realizations has been the shift from trying to practice NVC correctly toward embodying its consciousness in everyday life. For Wayan, Nonviolent Communication is more than a method of expressing feelings and needs. It is an invitation to transform how we perceive ourselves and others, especially during moments of pain, judgment, conflict, and disconnection.

He believes that beneath human judgments, protective behaviors, and reactions, there are universal human needs and something precious seeking care and understanding.

Compassion as a Way of Being

At the heart of Wayan's work is a simple yet profound inquiry: What becomes possible when we meet ourselves and one another with curiosity rather than judgment?

His approach integrates Nonviolent Communication, self-empathy, mindful awareness, reflective leadership, and insights from human development and spiritual traditions.

He is particularly interested in exploring how habitual protective patterns, emotional wounds, and limiting beliefs can become doorways to greater self-understanding rather than obstacles to be overcome.

Through workshops, retreats, coaching, and group facilitation, Wayan creates opportunities for people to explore their inner experiences, recognize the needs beneath their behaviors, and discover new possibilities for relating to themselves and others.

His facilitation emphasizes presence, authenticity, emotional safety, freedom of choice, and respect for each person's unique journey. Rather than positioning himself as someone who has answers, he seeks to accompany others in discovering their own wisdom and capacity for transformation.

Bridging Inner Transformation and Social Change

Wayan believes that sustainable social change begins with transforming the quality of our relationships, including the relationship we have with ourselves.

His work extends beyond individual development to families, schools, workplaces, and communities. He is especially passionate about bringing compassionate communication into education, supporting parents and teachers, empowering young people, and encouraging leadership grounded in shared humanity rather than domination or fear.

In 2026, he co-founded Yayasan Maswara Asih Indonesia, an organization dedicated to promoting conscious communication, compassion, reflective leadership, healing relationships, and peaceful social transformation.

He envisions communities where differences can be approached with curiosity, conflicts can become opportunities for understanding, and people's dignity and needs are honored.

Returning to Wholeness

Alongside his professional work, Wayan continues to explore the deeper dimensions of human experience through contemplation, spiritual inquiry, and writing.

A recurring theme in his exploration is the understanding that wholeness is not something we must achieve, earn, or become worthy of. Rather, it is something we can remember and reconnect with beneath the layers of fear, conditioning, and separation.

This understanding inspires his developing work, The Way Home — Remembering the Wholeness We Never Lost, an invitation to explore belonging, essence, compassion, and the journey of returning to ourselves.

For Wayan, the path of compassion is not about becoming a perfect person or eliminating suffering. It is about learning to meet life as it unfolds with greater awareness, tenderness, courage, and openness.

He continues to live and work in Bali, sharing his learning while remaining a student of life, relationships, and the wisdom found in everyday human experiences. His deepest aspiration is to contribute to a world where people can remember their shared humanity, honor the preciousness of life, and experience compassion not merely as something they practice, but as a natural expression of who they are.