I recently put a call out to my Instagram community for requests on topics for future episodes. One topic that came up was how to make wellness more inclusive.

It’s a vast topic given the variety of things that fall into the wellness space. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I do believe that we can find empowerment when we become leaders in our own health care.

In this solo episode, I share why I take an integrative approach to wellness, marrying science with holistic practices, and how I found empowerment through education, taking a leadership role in my health.

Wrapping this month’s Asian Pacific Heritage Month series of sharing real people's stories by sharing my story. In this episode I share:

• My ethnic heritage

• What it was like growing in Hawai’i, then transitioning to life in the mainland as an Asian American

• What I’ve learned about the importance of community, and been seen & heard

Continuing with Asian Pacific Heritage Month, joining me in this episode is Emily Chui. Emily is a returning guest, having previously joined me in Episode 024 with an introduction to acupuncture.

Emily has been my acupuncturist for the past five years (and counting!) and has taught me so much about Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In this episode, Emily shares:

• Her immigration story migrating from Hong Kong to Southern California as a high school student

• What her transition to American schools was like

• Why she pursued a career in acupuncture (after getting her undergraduate degree in a different field)

• Similarities and differences between Western medicine and TCM

• What are ear seeds and how they can be beneficial for healing

AAPI is a commonly used acronym for Asian American Pacific Islanders. But thus far, my observation, not much attention is given to Pacific Islanders, which are entirely different ethnic groups of people.

So continuing with this month’s focus on sharing real people's stories for Asian Pacific Heritage Month, joining me in this episode is my friend, Luisa Mataele Tupea. Luisa is both an Asian American and Pacific Islander, being of Tongan and Japanese ancestry.

Luisa and I first met as freshmen in college. We lost touch after graduation but reconnected over a decade later when our paths crossed while we were both on work trips, and we’ve remained friends ever since!

In this episode, Luisa shares:

• Her family history, her experiences as a member of both the Japanese and Tongan American communities

• How her communities have evolved over the past 30 years

• Her experience as a professional Asian American Pacific Islander woman in the sports broadcasting industry

• Stories from her career at ESPN covering NFL and NBA games, and events like the Superbowl, World Series, NBA Finals, US Open for Tennis, & even the World Cup!

As I’ve previously said, it's so important to share our stories. So as you listen to Luisa’s story, think about your friends, and ask yourself how well do you know their stories? If you don’t, ask them to share it with you, and let them be heard.

This show has always been a place to share real people’s stories around health and wellness, and our communities and social support systems are foundational to our vitality.

This month, being Asian Pacific Heritage Month, and I, being an Asian American, am dedicating this month’s episodes to the stories we don’t talk about, and sharing Asian Pacific Islander stories.

Because if we don’t know each other’s stories, how can we support our communities in ways that they need to be supported?

Joining me today is my friend Julianne Chai.

Julianne and I became friends over a decade ago through the Bay Area running and blogging community but we really bonded when we both became dog moms to our rescue pups.

Despite being friends for so many years, I never knew her immigrant story as a first-generation Korean American. So in this episode, Julianne joins me to share her story of immigrating to the United States at 10 years old, what the cultural acclimation was like, and how she assimilated to American culture while still retaining her native Korean culture.

As you listen to her story, think about your friends, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, and ask yourself how well do you know their stories? If you don’t, ask them to share it with you, and let them be heard.