Leadership Team and Our Stories

Founder 

In many ways, I was born into this path of dharma. I was raised by my grandma who was a devoted Buddhist, gifted educator, and lifelong learner. My earliest and formative memories consist of the smell of incense before dawn, accompanied by the soft sound of chants. 

Devotion was the starting point in all things. We weren't allowed to watch television so reflection and contemplation were my sources of "entertainment." My grandma told us folklore and stories of her childhood, career as a teacher, motherhood as a widow, leaving Vietnam during the war, and surviving in the US. 

Each story held her wisdom which refined and unique. Her way of making meaning of life became my blueprint. As an adult, single mother, and teacher in my own right, I have adopted her devotion as a blueprint. However, I have chosen to reject some of her viewpoints that were from "the old world", meaning any principles that created separation or duality. 

My dharma is my offering, but it is also my saving grace. By continuing to study and integrate, I cultivate my divinity AND humanness, here on Earth. Social service is my ultimate purpose on the path and dharma is my vehicle. 

For many years, my identity and self-worth was tied to grinding…  hard. Self care consisted of a massage here and there.  Who doesn’t love a day at the spa or massage?  

After many years of this, I just got used to it. Thankfully, I don’t have a rock bottom moment. Parenting slowly stopped the grind. For a couple of years, with the help of family, I thought I could do both– grind and parent but my tank was starting to run empty and my family started to get the short stick. I needed to do something different. Radical self-care started with an intention. An intention to realign my priorities and put family in the center of all my activities. Family first. Easy right? I discovered in order to do this, it required me to untangle some deeply rooted beliefs about self-worth and develop practices, release old patterns and develop new ones.   

Radical self-care is deep, spiritual work but it can also be fun– a process of discovering what brings you joy, wholeness and ultimately freedom. Let's get free! 

Choosing alignment has been personal to me, but has not been fully embodied until 2020. As a scoliosis spinal fusion patient at 10 years old, my spine would be corrected to be as straight as can be. From that moment forward, this would be my new alignment - never straight, just what’s possible for me and my body. Fast forward to building my coaching practice as a Holistic Leadership Alignment Coach, I get to partner up with individuals, groups, and communities to bring forth my ability to relate with others, build relationships, and create change with what I have gathered from my past experiences as well as my coaching and yoga trainings. Tapping into folx’ individual strengths, life experiences, cultural upbringing, and key moments in their lives, alignment across life and career creates a specific leadership style unique to each person that not only shows up professionally, but also around those we love.  When you lead with JOY, you get to Just Own Yourself. This is my calling: I get to guide folx to build radical awareness and take radical responsibility all with compassion. This brings so much joy in my life and is also what liberates me on the path! 

My journey of self love and acceptance begins with looking inward, exploring my roots and the roots of my family, unpacking the truths I discover along the way, and building on my foundation with greater awareness, love, and intention. As the only child of a single mom who immigrated to America from the Philippines together, I have witnessed first-hand the strength and perseverence it takes to make difficult choices that ultimately lead to greater love and wholeness at the cost of cultural norms and family expectations.    

Even as a young child first coming into awareness of cultural and generational gaps, I've always asked "why"? Why do we think, feel, and behave in the ways that we do? Why do we put up walls when we seek love and connection? Why would someone say or do something that causes harm instead of breed understanding in the name of "love"? As a forever-student on the path, I'm starting to learn that while asking "why" has value, healing must also come with the acceptance and ownership of the truth, of first meeting oneself and meeting others exactly where they are, in order to move towards the reality we intend to create — one of peace, joy, love, and liberation.