Certified Life Coach · Ordained Buddhist Monk · Surf Instructor

Life Coaching
Rooted in
Real Practice.

Mark (Shukin) Moderski is a Certified Life Coach, ordained Buddhist monk, and surf instructor. Fifteen years in Japan. One monastery. One practice: helping people show up fully — for themselves and for others.

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☸ His Story | ☸ Listen to Nothing | ☸ His Teachings

01 — PRINCIPLE

Compassion is a leadership skill.

The best leaders don't just drive results — they build people. Mark coaches from a foundation of empathy and lived experience.

02 — PRINCIPLE

Growth happens at the edge of comfort.

Whether you're paddling into a wave or stepping into a new role, the move is the same — commit and adjust.

03 — PRINCIPLE

Community multiplies everything.

No one wins alone. Mark's work is rooted in building environments where people rise together.

Shukin 朱金 · Joyful Heart

About Mark

Fifteen Years.
One Monastery.
Every Lesson.

Mark Moderski spent 15 years living in Japan — immersed in Tea Ceremony, ordained as a Buddhist monk, living inside a self-sufficient monastery. He trained in Kendo and Iaido, studied stillness as seriously as he studied movement, and returned with a depth of understanding most people spend a lifetime searching for.

He's a business owner, certified life coach, surf instructor, and founder of Strength Crew — because wisdom without service means nothing to him. If you're committed to improving the quality of your life, Mark is here. Not to talk at you. To walk with you.

Life coaching. Meditation. Youth support groups. Surf instruction. Leadership mentorship. He is a genuine asset to every person he works with — and loves every part of it.

Mark Shukin
Moderski

Certified Life Coach · Ordained Buddhist Monk · Surf Instructor

Core Belief

"Stillness is not the absence of action. It's the foundation from which real action comes."

Credentials & Certifications

Certified Professional Life Coach

Transformation Academy

Level 1 Court of Master Sommelier

Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas · May 2017

Sake Adviser

Sake Service Institute Inc.

Ordained Buddhist Monk · Kendo & Iaido

15 years — self-sufficient monastery, Tea Ceremony, Japan

Surf Instructor · Founder, Strength Crew

In-water instruction, life coaching, youth support groups

Skills

Mindfulness Life Coaching Leadership Public Speaking Meditation Surf Instruction Motivational Speaking Hospitality Japanese Team Building Coaching Teaching

Work With Mark

Built Around
Your Growth.

Every engagement starts with a real conversation. Mark meets you where you are — in the water, in your career, in your life — and helps you build from there. No scripts. No formulas. Just presence and depth.

Book a Free Discovery Call

★ Most Requested

1-on-1 Life Coaching

Deep, personalized coaching sessions that help you cut through noise, get clear on what matters, and build real momentum. Grounded in 15 years of lived practice — not theory.

Book a Session

Leadership Coaching

For managers, founders, and aspiring leaders who want to lead with more clarity, confidence, and impact. Practical strategy rooted in real-world experience.

Get Started

Surf Instruction

Private and small-group lessons for all levels. Mark's patient, methodical approach makes learning to surf an empowering experience — not an intimidating one.

Book a Lesson

Meditation Instruction

Private or group sessions drawing from a decade of monastic practice in Japan. Learn stillness as a skill — not an escape, but a foundation.

Learn More

Long-Term Mentorship

An ongoing relationship for those who want a trusted guide through the long arc of personal and professional growth. Real talk, real progress.

Connect

Group Events & Retreats

Team retreats, surf clinics, community wellness events. Mark's group energy is contagious — your team leaves different than when they arrived.

Plan an Event

Not sure where to start?

Every engagement begins with a free discovery call. No pressure, no pitch — just a conversation to see if there's a fit.

Schedule Your Free Call

Your Path Forward

Three Steps.
Real Change.

Discover the Fit

A free 15-minute call. No pitch, no pressure. Just a real conversation about where you are and where you're trying to go.

Enter the Work

Mark builds a plan around your life — not a template. Coaching, meditation, mentorship, surf — whatever the moment calls for.

Keep Going

Progress compounds. The work continues as long as you want to grow. Mark is in it with you — not just for a session, but for the arc.

Book Your Free Discovery Call

No commitment. Just a conversation.

☸ The Practice ☸

The Principles That
Guide Everything.

Fifteen years of monastic life in Japan didn't produce a set of rules. It produced a way of seeing. These four principles are the lens Mark brings to every coaching engagement.

Anicca

Impermanence

Nothing stays the same — not circumstances, not feelings, not who you are. Your current situation is not your permanent one. The practice begins with accepting that.

Metta

Loving-Kindness

Real coaching starts with compassion — for yourself, then for those around you. You cannot build from a place of self-judgment. Mark teaches you to stop fighting yourself.

Sangha

Community

The third jewel of Buddhism is the community that walks the path with you. You don't grow alone. Who is in your circle? That's the first real question in Strength Crew.

Samyak Karmānta

Right Action

Not more effort. Not more hustle. Clearer intention. When you act from stillness rather than fear, every action lands differently. That is the whole game.

"I didn't become a monk to leave the world. I became a monk to learn how to be in it fully."

— Shukin · 朱金 · Mark Moderski

Mark's Perspective

The Way He
Sees It.

Drawn from his writing, his podcast, and 229 videos on YouTube — the ideas Mark lives and teaches from.

On Honesty

"I'm not responsible for outcomes. I'm responsible for honesty."

From his YouTube series. One of the most clarifying things you can do as a leader — separate what you control from what you don't, and show up fully for your part.

On Perception

"The world I experience is deeply connected to the mind I bring to it."

Change the inner landscape and the outer one shifts. This is the root of Mark's coaching approach — not circumstance management, but inner work.

On Grace

"Grace isn't earned. It's already operating. It doesn't need permission."

From the video series "Between Guests." A reminder that the ground beneath you is more solid than your current struggle suggests.

—— ☸ Begin the Path ☸ ——

The First Step
Is a Conversation.

Fifteen minutes. No pitch, no pressure, no agenda. Just a real conversation about where you are and whether Mark is the right guide for where you want to go.

Surf Lesson

In the water

Coaching

1-on-1 sessions

Mentorship

Ongoing relationship

Group Event

Teams & retreats

Schedule a Free Call

or get the free guide

Receive Mark's 5 Questions That Change Everything — a free guide from 15 years of practice.

Direct: shukin9@hotmail.com

Life Coaching
Rooted in
Real Practice.

Compassion is a leadership skill.

Growth happens at the edge of comfort.

Community multiplies everything.

Fifteen Years.
One Monastery.
Every Lesson.

Built Around
Your Growth.

1-on-1 Life Coaching

Leadership Coaching

Surf Instruction

Meditation Instruction

Long-Term Mentorship

Group Events & Retreats

Not sure where to start?

Three Steps.
Real Change.

Discover the Fit

Enter the Work

Keep Going

The Principles That
Guide Everything.

Impermanence

Loving-Kindness

Community

Right Action

Sometimes the Loudest
Truth Comes When You
Listen to Nothing.

Watch.
Reflect.
Return.

The Way He
Sees It.

"The world I experience is deeply connected to the mind I bring to it."

"Grace isn't earned. It's already operating. It doesn't need permission."

Words He's
Been Writing
For Years.

Journaling as a Gateway

Worm Theory

It Takes Strength to Ask for Help

Working with Quarantine

Mustering Up the Courage

Getting In (Out) of My Own Way

Who Decides?

Don't Let the Pressure Get to You

Identify the Fear

The First Step
Is a Conversation.

Life CoachingRooted inReal Practice.

Compassion is a leadership skill.

Growth happens at the edge of comfort.

Community multiplies everything.

Fifteen Years.One Monastery.Every Lesson.

Built AroundYour Growth.

1-on-1 Life Coaching

Leadership Coaching

Surf Instruction

Meditation Instruction

Long-Term Mentorship

Group Events & Retreats

Not sure where to start?

Three Steps.Real Change.

Discover the Fit

Enter the Work

Keep Going

The Principles ThatGuide Everything.

Impermanence

Loving-Kindness

Community

Right Action

Sometimes the LoudestTruth Comes When YouListen to Nothing.

Watch.Reflect.Return.

The Way HeSees It.

"The world I experience is deeply connected to the mind I bring to it."

"Grace isn't earned. It's already operating. It doesn't need permission."

Words He'sBeen WritingFor Years.

Journaling as a Gateway

Worm Theory

It Takes Strength to Ask for Help

Working with Quarantine

Mustering Up the Courage

Getting In (Out) of My Own Way

Who Decides?

Don't Let the Pressure Get to You

Identify the Fear

The First StepIs a Conversation.

Life Coaching
Rooted in
Real Practice.

Fifteen Years.
One Monastery.
Every Lesson.

Built Around
Your Growth.

Three Steps.
Real Change.

The Principles That
Guide Everything.

Sometimes the Loudest
Truth Comes When You
Listen to Nothing.

Watch.
Reflect.
Return.

The Way He
Sees It.

Words He's
Been Writing
For Years.

The First Step
Is a Conversation.