Cutting off bad ties signifies that we are no longer willing to stay in relationships or situations that make us unhappy, no matter what challenges we may face in the future. It is a testament to the determination of wanting more for ourselves.

They each originated from a different culture, a different time, and a different mindset altogether. Yet, if you pause and think about the philosophy behind each, they all echo a similar sentiment, although are slightly different in approach.

Meditation isn’t meant to shield us from our thoughts nor be used as a weapon against our mind. It is a passive tool with fluid and compassionate energy. In meditation, we cultivate the space of allowing.

Knowing we are whole and complete takes us out of the mentality of not being good enough when pursuing self-improvement, and puts us in the mindset of empowerment instead. This way, we are on a journey of discovery rather than a search for something we don’t have.

Experiencing triggered emotions is simply human. We each have our own specific pain points that others may not be aware of or understand. The speed and intensity of those reactions vary from person to person.

Perfection also instills fear in us—fear of failure and fear of our personal imperfections. This fear leads us down a dark path where we tend to avoid challenging situations or competitions because failure seems unbearable.

As I went about everyday life cool, calm, and collected, my mind was the complete opposite. It was hyper-alert and restless. Like TikTok, it played, replayed, and commented on every scenario and conversation that happened in the past hours, months, and years.

Is seeing an energy practitioner really so different from seeing a doctor, psychologist, or chiropractor? We ask 3 energy healers who are not only experienced within their modalities but also well trained in Western healing mindsets.

The world we live in seldom encourages authenticity, at least not genuinely, I often feel. We may hear words of empowerment to be authentic, but when we do we are often reprimanded for being too real.

Unless you want your life to end exactly the way it is now, a healthy dose of fear of not changing is just as valuable as your fear of changing. And the better you can imagine your life becoming, the more uncomfortable you will be about it not changing.

For three months, I spent most days at home in solitude. I turned off sound notifications on my phone. I prioritized self-care through rest, whole food, exercise, and meditation. I chose to spend time with people and on activities that energized me.

While everyone’s rock bottom may look differently, the feeling of being at rock bottom is probably very similar. It’s that feeling of utter incompetence and unworthiness, that you are as low and insignificant as a pile of rubble and you have no idea how to come back up.

I stretch out my hands, my arms,
the full length of my body
and plunge into the pools of gratitude.

While it’s a healthy stepping stone toward deeper self-discovery, many of those labels can make us feel like there’s something wrong with ourselves and others, when there isn’t. As we read trending definitions and discussions on each of those labels, we can feel as though we either enable one of them or we are one of them.

As we expand our consciousness, it’s not unusual to ask why we do certain things and whether or not it supports the inner freedom we seek. Or, is it just another set of conditions we were subjected to live by?

As someone who grew up in Hong Kong during the 80’s and 90’s and has been living in Australia for nearly three decades, I often ponder questions regarding my identity: Who am I? Chinese, British overseas citizen, or Australian?

We live in a society that often typecasts us in a certain role based on our outward appearance and demeanor. Expectations start to form about who we are based on those impressions that reinforce and motivate us to be that person.

What we don’t realize is that radical change is possible. We don’t have to be the person we always have been. We can be different, not just the same person with different qualities and characteristics, but a different person.

This remains the safest place, where
we perfect the cosmic play…

It’s not easy to choose kindness in every moment of our lives. Our world can be harsh and unforgiving, full of people who operate from survival mode desperate to take from others.