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.

Have you ever experienced a healing journey where a lot of the practices would be deemed metaphysical (eg, deep meditation, energy work, yoga, etc) but you didn’t know exactly why they worked?

Returning guest Carly Lockman has and in this episode, she’s back sharing her own “real people stories” on her experience with Brain Rewiring.

After birthing her third child in the middle of a pandemic, Carly found herself struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, and exhaustion that was taking her to dark places, triggering past trauma.

Out of sheer desperation, she turned to Brain Rewiring for help.

You’ll hear Carly share:

• What is brain rewiring?

• The psychological science behind brain rewiring

• Her before, during, and after experience with brain rewiring

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.

If you’ve suddenly found yourself working from home and it’s been a tougher transition than expected, this episode is for you.

Returning to the show is my friend, colleague, and former manager, Terri Quinn. Terri last joined me in Episode 121: Understanding Your Priorities & Establishing Boundaries in the Workplace, which was recorded weeks before we were quarantined.

In this episode, we expand on our conversation of priorities and boundaries. Drawing on her past 15 years of experience, Terri shares her best practices for being a remote worker, as well as being a remote people manager.

You’ll hear us discuss:

• How to maintain balance when working with teams across global time zones

• The importance of over communication for virtual teams

• How to establish teamwork and unity when managing virtual teams

• The impact that a manager has on a direct report’s health and well-being

• And so much more

Joining me in this episode is returning guest and friend of the show, Jenny Castaneda. Jenny is the author of One-Pot Paleo and Easy Keto Meal Prep (hear all about it in Episode 098), and the blogger at Cook and Savor.

Jenny is also a woman in tech, working in the IT industry for the past 20 years. Last year she began having unexplained aches, pains, and other physical ailments. After seeing a number of doctors and practitioners, she discovered that it was stress and anxiety, largely related to her work.

She’s openly shared this experience on her Instagram account, taking her tens of thousands of followers along this journey with her.

You’ll hear us discuss:

• How her physical, mental and emotional symptoms manifested

• What she tried to her manage these symptoms, what worked, and what didn’t

• The modalities and daily practices that help her manage these symptoms

Stress, anxiety and mental health aren’t topics that people feel comfortable sharing so openly, but Jenny also shares how talking about her experiences have helped her find a community, finding support and feeling less alone as she navigates through this journey.

If today was your last day on earth, are you happy?

Whether you go into an office or work from home, you likely spend the majority of your time “at work” with colleagues. So if you’re not happy at your work, chances are, you’re not happy in life, which is not a healthy way to live.

And when you peel back the layers, many times it can be attributed to a misalignment between your priorities and your work, a lack of boundaries, and/or poor communication.

The good news is, these things are all fixable!

Joining me in this episode is my colleague and former manager, Terri Quinn. Terri started her career in the tech industry 25 years ago and was one of the early pioneers of the TME (Technical Marketing Engineer) role.

You’ll hear Terri share what it was like starting her career as a young wife and mother in a male-dominated, fast-paced, highly-demanding industry. She discusses how it taught her the importance of knowing what your priorities are (because not everyone does) and owning them without guilt.

You’ll also hear us discuss how to establish boundaries in the workplace by:

• Understanding your priorities and using them as a guide in setting boundaries

• Recognizing your power within and asking for what you want

• Self-marketing yourself with effective communication

This episode is a mirror of the discussions that Terri and I had every day for the three years that she was my manager. While always supportive, she constantly challenged my way of thinking. Her influence had a profound impact on how I approach my work and my attitude towards it, which has changed my outlook and how I communicate with others beyond the job.