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Amanda Yik is a Certified Professional Coach for Transformation. She has transitioned through multiple careers - from commercial litigation lawyer to non-profit manager to Nature and Forest Therapy Guide. Recovered from a sudden, unexpected, life-threatening illness - Amanda learns that life on earth is about flourishing in our own unique, beautifully broken yet interwoven ways. Nothing needs to be perfect on its own, but together we complete the picture. In this conversation, we chatted about what it means to fully embrace all parts of ourselves. How to practice radical acceptance? How that may be different for each of us?   ✌

My guest this week is Dr. Laurena Law. She is on a mission to unlock the benefits of integrative medicine in women's health. In spite of being a qualified medical doctor, she realised the limitations of western medicine when, in her 20s, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a common health condition that affects 1 in 10 women. She went on to pursue nutrition and functional medicine to help address her own health issues. That eventually led her to co-founding Ananta Well-Being, a clinic that embraces holistic healing and functional medicine. In this conversation, Dr Laurena shares for the first time her struggle with endometriosis and how she no longer suffers from it. She explains we are unique and our bio types affect how our hormones behave. Dr. Laurena believes we should embrace the hormonal changes as a barometer of our health. “Don’t be spoon fed about your health. Be proactive and be curious about who you are.”   ✌

This week’s guest takes us on a divergent path from what I have always believed; that beauty, first and foremost, emanates from within.  I met celebrity hairstylist Kim Robinson at a friend’s lunch recently. Our conversation on beauty made me wonder, what if the way we look shapes our self belief? Can a bad haircut hold us back? What happens when our exterior appearance is not aligned with our true self?! In this episode, Kim walks me through his journey of beauty from starting out in Western Australia to becoming a household name throughout Asia.  He shares some of the most important lessons he has learned along the way, how he handles the ups and downs, embraces self-love, his definition of beauty and how his recent health scare has helped him refocus his priorities. He also imparts beauty tips on what makes a good hair-do, and how we can all leverage on hair to look and FEEL our best every day, well most days. Beauty and perfection is a state of mind.   ✌

There are various ways of attaining a mindful state of being from meditation to yoga, journaling to a gratitude practise. But ever heard of achieving that inner peace through sounds? Meet French entrepreneur Aymeric Vollant- DJ, music lover and co-founder of the IKIGAI boutique yoga studio. He brings participants into the present moment through his immersive sounds sessions. By creating unique sound collages that evoke places, environments and states of being, the sounds call people to delve deeper into their inner most selves, and to be alive in the here and now.  ✌

My guest today is Corie Chu. She is a Hong Kong-born Los Angeles raised Reiki Master Teacher and intuitive energy healer. She left her fast-paced job as a publicist in Hollywood and replanted herself in Hong Kong where she runs her own practise in Soho.   I have been curious about this form of energy healing but stayed cautious as I don't really understand how it works and I've heard one or two dodgy stories. So when we were introduced to each other, I was excited to have the opportunity to explore what it's all about. I felt comfortable with Corie immediately, she is warm and open. Most importantly, she is straight up no bs and doesn't hard sell what she does. Before we sat down for this interview, I asked her to take me through one of her intuitive energy healing treatments as I needed to experience it to know if it works or not. Without going into too much details, in our short 10 minutes session, Corie scanned my body, identified an emotional block and told me exactly what I needed to hear at that very moment to move forward in my personal healing. It was quite powerful because I am good at putting on a happy face and ignoring my shadow side. When Corie spoke those words and brought my emotions out in the open, it was an invitation to start the self healing work.   In this conversation, Corie walks us through the benefits of Reiki and Intuitive Energy healling and shows us how these therapies need not feel ethereal or intangible, but when understood properly, can actually be a real force for change. She talks about how unresolved emotions can block up our energy flow and manifest into physical health problems and mental health issues. She shares tips on how to choose the right practitioner in an unregulated industry. She describes what to expect from an energy healing session and why some people may feel gas popping in their chest!   WE TALKED ABOUT: What is the main difference between Reiki and intuitive energy healing? How unresolved emotions can block up our energy flow and manifest into physical health problems and mental health issues. What are the most common problems people come to Corie for? What can people expect during the appointment and how might they feel afterwards? Have there been any science-backed evidence that show the effectiveness of energy healing?  Tips on how to choose the right practitioner in an unregulated industry.  ✌

Ross Eathorne is a performance trainer, international athlete, mentor, author, and recovering perfectionist.   He competed in 10 World Sports Aerobics Championships, played Premier level Rugby, completed not one but two 250km Ultramarathons in the Sahara and Atacama deserts, won a bronze medal in an over 40 Dragon Boat World Championship, practised Qi Gong, studied yoga, was a sailing instructor, competed in 3 Crossfit opens and 3 spartan events …just to name a few.   As a trainer, Ross coaches clients from corporate executives to olympic athletes.  He is the author of 3 books, "ROAM: Movement as Medicine", "The Bottom line of fat loss" and "How to Calm your mind".   In our conversation, he discusses goal setting and injury prevention, myth of cardio, how tracking your perceived exertion and heart rate variability helps you train smarter. We also dived into posture, resilience and the importance of recovery.   Ross lives and breathes movement and is here to share his passionate and wealth of knowledge on how to enjoy regular exercise and love your life. There’s so much to unravel in our conversation so without further adieu, I give you Ross Eathorne. 

My guest this week is a trainer, educator, and role model. Despite living with Type 1 Diabetes since he was a teen, Jay Horley is living proof that you can stay strong, fit, and healthy despite a chronic health condition. What’s more, he has found that a carnivore diet can help moderate his body’s glucose level, which, in turn, helps him live a more balanced and fulfilled life. Reaching out to Jay to record this conversation was especially important to me as my friend’s teenage son was diagnosed with this same condition only last summer. In this episode, we talk about how to stabilize blood glucose level through nutrition, Jay shares his nasty story of the die-off phase of a carnivore diet, the importance of gut health and mental health, and where he gets his meat. It is my hope that everyone living with Diabetes can draw inspiration from Jay’s story. He shows that optimal fitness can be achieved no matter what your circumstances. ✌

The Greek philosopher Socrates once said: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This quote epitomizes, in so many ways, the life journey of this week’s guest – Louise Corbett. Growing up in Australia, Louise always dreamt of being a CEO. She worked hard towards it, working in marketing and communication roles for multinationals that brought her to Dubai, Singapore, and finally, Hong Kong. But it was a defining moment, when she turned 30, that changed her priorities. She came out of a long-term relationship and started re-examining what was truly important to her. She came to the realization that being in senior management was not the answer. And so, when her company made her redundant, she took a leap of faith to pursue her heart’s dream. Louise founded Exceptional Existence to share ideas on how to live an exceptional life. Shortly after that, she launched Women Empowered, a network designed to help women find their voice, heal and pursue inspirational and meaningful lives.  In this conversation, Louise shares with us how to own and love your life. You are here to do something that no one else can. ✌

My guest this week is Cathay Pacific pilot Katrine Olsen, a down-to-earth curious human who has balanced an aviation career with her well-being journey. Shaped by her childhood in Denmark, she has taken the path less traveled from participating in an all-women’s expedition across the Arctic to thriving, with grace and humor, in a largely male-dominated industry. In this conversation, Katrine shares with us her wellness rituals, such as the art of tea, meditation, zen philosophy, and yoga, that have grounded her, especially in the moment of uncertainties.  Katrine tells us that "wellness is a personal journey. There is no “one size fits all”. There is no destination. If we can learn to see challenges as invitations to further this explorative journey, these speed-bumps can be full of exciting insights and may be the push we needed to look further and deeper into our own habits, mind, and nature. ✌

Shoshana Weinberg is an Ayurvedic and Plant medicine practitioner with over 20 years of experience. She has studied under renowned herbalists such as Robin Bennet and Michael Moore. After the birth of her 3rd child, she left her position at the Four Seasons Spa where she was the senior director for almost a decade. In her new chapter, Shoshana has launched her new practice – Tov Earth. It galvanizes a community of healers and non-healers worldwide to share in the power of the people’s medicine. It taps into things like seasons of the natural world, plant spirit, ceremonies, indigenous thoughts, and the divine – showing us the power of wise women and heroic medicine especially when it can work alongside modern knowledge. ✌

Gianni Melwani joins me to scratch the surface of spiritual learning, sacred texts and meditation in the modern world. He is the co-founder of IKIGAI- a boutique and wellness studio in Hong Kong. Named after the traditional Japanese concept of “a reason for being,” his studio aims to provide a space for people to tap into both their physical and mental well-being.  Gianni was first and foremost an athlete and footballer playing professionally in the U.S and Brazil in his 20s. He dabbled in yoga as a complementary practise to improving his sports performance.  From there, he embarked on a journey of self-exploration living at an ashram at the foothills of the Indian Himalayas to studying yoga with mentors from various lineages.  Today, he appreciates all eight limbs of the discipline. In this conversation, our hope is to share ancient wisdom that can lessen the internal suffering and experience a bit more peace, lightness and clarity in our everyday lives. ✌

My guest this week shows how art can be inspiring in re-visiting the past and re-telling our truth. Hong Kong-based artist Rachel Smith grew up half a world away, on a large farm in rural Canada. Yet it is Hong Kong she calls home these days, where she runs, Senseless Art – her own artistic sanctuary in the heart of the city.  In early 2019, following a panic attack, Rachel created the “Matchbox Diary”. She re-directed her anxiety towards the making of a matchbox each day for one year, documenting the ups, the downs and the mundane. The matchboxes are made with attention and so much details. They are small while holding the memory of the day. In this conversation, we talk about how Rachel help herself through difficult times by making things with her hands and taking back the control.  Rachel teaches the arts in almost all its forms to people from all walks of life. From sewing to book binding, mixed media painting to portrait drawing. She is also the producer of the Hong Kong Stories and the Hong Kong Stories Podcast, a volunteer led and run organisation dedicated to the art of telling their stories to a live audience. Above all, she has a knack for articulating her innermost thoughts into imaginative and quirky artistic expression. ✌

After studying Art & Expressive Arts at Exeter University in the UK, our guest today became an artist, art educator, and art therapist. She would probably have stayed in the UK if it hadn’t been for her insatiable appetite to see the world. That brought Katie Flowers to Hong Kong where she landed a teaching position at Yew Chung International School.   Fast forward 29 years, and she has become a community voice in art education and therapy. Her goal is to make art accessible to everyone. She believes passionately that art is, first and foremost, the primal language of communication for all humans. And that, sadly, it is too often overlaid when the learning of language overshadows its importance.   Over the years, Katie’s work has stemmed from her desire to reconnect people with their innate creative force. Through her workshops and classes that include everything from lunchtime doodling, evening mandala classes to personalized art journaling circles, she taps into art in all its wondrous forms, and has, along the way, helped people restore their emotional equilibrium, recognize self-care, manage stress and anxiety, and achieve a better work-life balance.    Today, you will find her at “Wild At Art,” her very own art studio in Central, Hong Kong, where she works alongside adults to create all kinds of artistic magic.

LISTEN, WATCH, SUBSCRIBE Apple Podcasts | YouTube | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts   SHOW NOTES: • Brian’s struggle with depression and how he discovered the Wim Hof method • 8/10 people breathe in a way that is sub-optimal. Many using the wrong muscles to breathe. • Breath controls the mind • Explanation of the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic state. The nervous system controls the state of our mind.  • The 3 entry points to the nervous system • Benefits of cold exposure. Cold thermogenesis. Anti-inflammatory. Cold shock protein and heat shock protein. • Simple breathing methods   MENTIONS: Brian Lai Facebook @primalbw Instagram @primalbreathwork www.primalbw.com   CONNECT WITH Dona ✩ Website: http://interested.blog ✩ Instagram: http://instagram.com/donaeder ✩ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/interestedpodcast ✩ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dona-eder-9219aa188/   HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PODCAST? Tell Your Friends & Share Online! Subscribe & Review:  iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts Tag me @donaeder on Instagram & Facebook too!

In this episode, Dr. Katie T. Larson, Ph.D, and I talk about Being a Highly Sensitive Person is Not a Disorder. Dr Katie is a Growth & Transformation Specialist and founder of GrowthQuests specialising is helping Highly Sensitive People,  or HSP, integrate transformative experiences that are rarely spoken about, but still profoundly life-changing. Why is this conversation important? This is what I've learnt from Dr. Katie – if you are a highly sensitive person and you don't know it, you can feel alone and crazy. This can be detrimental to a person's well being. In the next 60 mins, Dr. Katie and I unpack the super powers and challenges of HSPs, the role of a HSP in the world, the anxiety & misdiagnosis, finding your tribe and creating meaning in self discovery. If you think you are a HSP, this is going to be mind blowing for you. Even if you are not, this information will help you have a better understanding and hopefully leads to a healthier relationship with the HSPs in your life.

In this episode, Tricia Yap, an internationally accredited strength coach and functional medicine health coach joins me to talk about health goals. It’s not about abs, it’s about how you feel. Why 10% is better than 100%. Trish shares her personal health struggle with us, shining light on the unfiltered side of the fitness industry.  Why we need to address our mindset, cortisol level, menstrual cycle and sleep.

In this episode, Kim Campbell and I talk about how to accept and embody our beauty. We talk about how to practice self compassion and self love.  What does it mean to find the purpose of our body? There is a lot of value in this video around mindset, perspective, and actions you can take to be more aware of our self-critical chatter.   Kim Campbell is a Chinese-Canadian photographer and artist. She celebrate freckles, big laughs, awkward moments, diversity and bodies of all shapes and sizes.

In this episode, Dr. Ji Woon Min and I talk about menopause and how it affects women's weight and well-being? What are the symptoms and how to take control of this transition? Dr. Ji Woon Min is a Canadian licensed Naturopathic Doctor. Her keen interest and special training in women's reproductive health allowed her to work with women to restore their health and hormonal balance naturally.

Pia Wong is the executive director of Bring Me a Book HK. She is passionate to help raise awareness and advocate for key social and literacy issues facing Hong Kong. Her love for books is contagious! In this episode, we talk about conversational reading, creating connection through books, and how reading together can be a remedy for our mental health. We will share book recommendations and insights on how to start conversational reading in your family.

Kathy Kitzis is a doula & Calm birth educator. This episode has been created to empower women who will be delivering their babies during this pandemic. This is not a medical conversation. Talk to your doctors about the medical stuff. What we will cover is the emotional & mental challenges a woman might face before, during & after the birth. Kathy will talk about being your own advocate during labour & what tools women can add to their toolbox to prepare for the arrival of the baby.

I am excited to bring you this conversation with Falguni Mathers on Conscious Parenting. With a background in psychology & a Masters in Counselling, Falguni incorporates EFT tapping with traditional talk therapy in her work. This is not a how to fix your child conversation. We will explore what it mean to be a conscious parent, letting go of our stuff & why we should stop trying to fix our children. We don’t not always get it right, we will mess up & that’s ok because we can repair it.

Jasmine Nunns spent her childhood climbing trees, digging for earth worms, & creating magical potions from fruits and berries foraged in her local village. She is the founder of Kembali, offering Nature and Forest Therapy walks, supporting people in their journey of connection with themselves, nature and others. She is a coach, & Hong Kong's first certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide. In this conversation, we will invite you to explore the idea of a kind of rites of passage that we are experiencing right now, the grieve we are feeling, and the impact of the external world vs our old old wild knowing that is within us.

Simon Holliday is a passionate pioneering open water swimmer. Simon is also the Co-Founder of Splash Foundation, a non-profit organisation that promotes safety, empowerment & connection through swimming. In this podcast, we will talk about swimming as a mental challenge & why it can be life changing. If we allow ourselves to zoom out, We can experience swimming for community & inclusion.

This episode is the for the productive geeks out there. I have the pleasure to chat with Razlan Manjaji on finding happiness through life hacks and productivity.  Razlan leads the global events for South China Morning Post. He has refined the art of setting expectations for optimal outcomes and multi-tasking hundreds of items per week.  In the conversation, we talk about how to set up a system to get everything done, and more importantly, knowing when to say no. Can we really find happiness through productivity hacks? Listen to the end to Razlan’s story on how his rule of thumb made a massive impact in his personal life. 

Linda Moana is a Holistic Love and Sexuality Coach. She is passionate about integrating authentic sexuality with self-love and wholeness. Sexuality is our birthright and our core essence, yet its taboo in our society creates guilt, shame, fear, wounding and trauma. Linda was a successful Wealth Manager at a major international bank for over 25 years. Despite having it all, she felt something was missing. The dynamic with her husband at the time was like a business relationship, she was numb, disconnected and resentful. In this conversation, we explore Linda’s personal awakening journey and how she is now living in her authentic truth, experiencing her richest and juiciest self ever.

My guest today is Coco Chan. We had an incredible conversation about Mental Health and Being Brave for Yourself. She is the founder and managing director of, Voltage PR, one of Hong Kong’s most sought after boutique PR agencies. She is the mastermind behind Wellness Warriors, a movement aimed to raise collective consciousness in the holistic space. She is the co-founder of OMSA, a portal dedicated to self-care and spiritual practices. She is also a new mother. Coco is a dynamite. She is smart, funny, and beautiful. But here's the thing, that's just what we see on the outside. In this conversation Coco reveals relationship with chronic depression. Sometimes the best remedy is to listen to stories from others with shared struggles. I hope you get a lot of value out of this that could help you or someone you know.

Dr Benita Perch is a naturopathic physician & has been practicing for a decade. She is the managing director & senior partner at Integrated Medicine Institute. She is a wonderful blend of clinical scientific knowledge & intuitive wisdom. Benita has the ability to unravel complex auto immune conditions & treat the root cause of them. We will discuss what is a healthy gut, how it affects our quality of life, & tips that will help us be happier.

Nigel Marshall is a spiritual seeker. He has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for 19 years and is an authorised Level II Ashtanga Yoga teacher. He is a senior teacher at Pure Yoga Hong Kong with more than 10 years of teaching experience. He is honest, insightful yet vulnerable at the same time. He describes himself as a difficult individual with a difficult body. Nigel’s teaching style is influenced by his own patient struggle to overcome his challenges. His compassionate and caring persona has made him one of the most sought after ashtanga yoga teachers in Hong Kong. He is a highly disciplined individual on and off the mat. He works hard to bring out the best in his students by creating a safe, inspiring and secure environment in which they can transform themselves. 

Ruth Benny is possibly the most knowledgeable person about education in Hong Kong. She founded Top Schools in 2012. They are education experts that help families find the right schools for their children with 100% success rate. Ruth shares her experience and insight as a parent in the Hong Kong school system.

Caroline Rhodes is the founder of The Body Group in Hong Kong. She is an expert in wholistic wellness and is dedicated to help people heal. She is a successful physiotherapist and one of Asia's top trainers in Emotional Freedom Technique and Matrix Reimprinting. Caroline shares how she used these techniques to heal herself from a tumor and severe spinal degeneration.