Airplane Mode.

Feeling uninspired? Listless? Out of ideas?

Airplane mode is the answer. The phone gives us a lot, but it takes away two of the most important ingredients for creative work- boredom and attention. Without something to numb or distract us, a few things can happen. Either we’re suddenly confronted with the big questions we’ve been avoiding, or we have enough space to invite in new ideas and ways of seeing things.

It takes a few days for the brain to relax. You’ll eat your meals and actually taste the flavors and savor your food versus staring at a screen. You’ll be more in tune with your hunger and fullness signals because you’re not distracted scrolling through TikTok. You’ll go to sleep at night without the cortisol-pumping bluelight and stimulation, only to wake feeling rested and energized. Airplane mode is a reminder of how simple and mindful life was before smartphones made us so anxious, addicted, argumentative, and (dare I say it?) dumb.

Go somewhere where you don’t have reception. Feel how liberating and freeing it is to be unreachable by phone, email, or text.

Or, simply switch to airplane mode. It’s all in your control with a flip of a button.

Choose what and whom you connect with, and when.

Experience the joy and freedom that results.

New Event! 10/12/24: Grounding and Earthing in Nature

When was the last time you gifted yourself time to connect and heal in nature? At this event, you'll experience the physical and mental benefits of grounding and earthing in nature through mindfulness, art, and community. Scientific studies and research have proven the healing effects of touching our feet to the earth, both physically and mentally.

As a lover of metaphors, I can’t help but recognize the other meaning of grounding oneself. Fall is a season of transition and change, and life events sometimes make us feel discombobulated, frazzled, and unsteady. Through artistic exploration, we'll identify what practices ground and root us mentally/physically, and examine what we’re releasing and shedding during this season. You'll leave feeling rejuvenated, grounded, and more connected with yourself, the earth, and each other as Asian Americans.

I look forward to seeing you there and sharing this special time in nature.

Link to register is HERE.

Order Out of Chaos.

“Order out of chaos. I think that’s what art is about. That’s why people create art. The world has always been chaotic. Life is unpredictable. There is no form and making forms gives you solidity. I think that’s why people paint paintings and take photographs and write music and tell stories that have beginnings middles and ends”
— Stephen Sondheim

I heard the news at 3pm last Thursday. A wave of shock, then anger, then sadness passed over me. I finished meeting with my patients and went home. What do I do with all of these swirling emotions?

I did what I’ve learned to do when overwhelmed with erratic emotions. I decided to make art. I gathered my basket, my clippers, and went on a walk.

After placing down this first center flower, my mind began to calm. The crow feathers, six of them, represented the six events we did together over the summer. I placed the acorns down, symbolizing the hope for the new chapters of what’s ahead. And the red pedals, this fiery color that gave me and others permission to be angry and upset at the situation.

I created a video and sent this altar to the woman I made it for. A small offering of solidarity. To show her that she’s not alone and she’s is surrounded by the rest of us- the other purple flowers- who are forever in her corner.

The next time you feel disoriented and discombobulated, make something. Create order from chaos. Let the dust settle into something meaningful and beautiful.

Lift Heavy.

This is the one piece of wisdom I’ve been sharing with all my clients- especially women in perimenopause and menopause. Strength train. Progressively increase the weight you’re lifting over time. Train to build muscle.

This doesn’t mean cardio with weights. This means slowing down. Focus on the mind-muscle connection. Add enough weight to squeeze out that 5th rep, not bang out 12-15 reps.

The more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn at rest. Your insulin sensitivity will improve. Your longevity will increase. You’ll improve your sleep and mood.

I’ve evaluated enough body composition scans to objectively see how lifting heavy (NOT doing excessive cardio!) improves body fat percentage, decreases visceral fat levels, and most of all, improves well-being and confidence.

Building muscle takes time and consistency. But just like any investment, it’s the compound interest that adds up. Show up for yourself. Do the work. It’ll transform you both inside and out.

A Waiting Season.

Don’t let a waiting season become a wasted season. Make sure the thing you’re waiting for finds you LIVING. When it finally arrives, let it discover you immersed in the creative, full, vibrant, and abundant life you’ve created for yourself. Let it hear you squeal with surprise and delight, “Oh there you are! I started without you. Hope you don’t mind.'“

The Art of Alcohol Ink (and Life).

Thanks to everyone who joined me last Thursday at Creekside Social for our Music, Makers, and Mindfulness Event! I enjoyed sharing this incredible medium of alcohol ink with so many new faces, and inviting people into a mindfulness practice to settle in our bodies before creating.

Playing with this art form taught us in real-time how to release control, let go, loosen up, surrender, and most importantly, have fun!

Join us for our final event in this summer series next Thursday, 8/22.

(And save the date for Oct 23rd when I’ll be returning to teach again!)

Photo cred: Anthony Le

Better Than Before.

Version 1 of this art piece, created in 2021.

I’ve come back to this piece, feeling like something was missing. Because once we’ve interacted with another- especially someone that we’ve had deep feelings for- we can’t help but be forever changed.

It took me time and space to recognize the gifts that still remain, even after a relationship ends. That single piece of advice they gave you that you still take to heart. The album they introduced you to that defined your 20’s. The book they gave you that changed your perspective about life.

The people I admire are a mosaic of colors they’ve created with others throughout their life. Instead of bitterness, they see their lives full of gifts and gems they’ve collected. Their lives are radiant and glowing not in spite of their past, but because of it.

I hope that somehow, we can all leave each other better than before. 💚

Why We Gather.

If there’s one artist whose music encapsulates specific chapters of my life, it’s Alanis Morissette. On road trips back and forth between UCSD and the Bay Area during college, I blasted and sang “Unsent” and “That I Would Be Good” which seemed appropriate as I’d gained more than 10+ lbs during my freshman year. Her songs “Torch” and “Not As We” were played on repeat during breakups, and her lyrics helped me feel understood and less alone.

When I found out she was back on tour, I immediately purchased tickets to see her with my friend at Shoreline Amphitheater. I was looking forward to this concert for months.

So imagine my surprise and disappointment when at the last minute, my friend couldn’t make it. She’d accidentally mixed up the dates of the concert and had freed up Tuesday evening instead of Wednesday. In a scramble, I asked around to see if anyone else could go. But when I slowed down to think about what I really wanted, it all became clear.

““Take the reasons you think you are gathering—because it’s our departmental Monday-morning meeting; because it’s a family tradition to barbecue at the lake—and keep drilling below them. Ask why you’re doing it. Every time you get to another, deeper reason, ask why again. Keep asking why until you hit a belief or value.””
— Priya Parker, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

What I wanted was to make a new memory with this friend who’s been there for me through thick and thin. What I wanted was for us to sit on a lawn and have a picnic and experience the magic of a summer evening listening to Alanis’ music. What I wanted was to be reminded that life is wild and painful and beautiful and miraculous and we are here to experience it all.

So I created a new plan. She already had Tuesday night free, so I invited her to have a sunset picnic sharing a delicious meal outside in nature. We listened to Alanis’ music. We reminisced and laughed and shared old and new stories. We remembered our painful moments in life with a lightness that comes only with time and perspective.

It was everything I had wanted- just reimagined in a new way.

I traded an evening in a huge crowd cheering and singing along with one of my favorite musical artists, for a quiet picnic with one of my best friends that filled my heart more than any of Alanis’ songs could have ever done. When we take the time to consider why we’re gathering, we give ourselves a new opportunity to create meaning. The end product may look wildly different than the initial plan. One that perhaps, has the potential to be more memorable and special.

Isn’t it ironic?