Take a deep dive into the modalities of nine wellness practitioners, and the meaningful ethoses that drive their professions.
This is an excerpt from Lifestyle Asia’s May 2023 Issue.
A lightworker can be anyone—a mother, writer, actor, chef, teacher—they are here on earth for a specific reason: to bring light to the world.
A lightworker is someone committed to living life lit up from their soul. They embrace authenticity and joyfulness. Life for them is expansive—full of fun and love. They are not in competition with anyone. Lightworkers typically have endured some type of spiritual awakening that spurred them to live a soulful and purposeful life of service. Often empathic and naturally spiritual and intuitive, these individuals constantly dig deep into their own self-awareness to better understand themselves and their journey.
Get to know these light beings and discover various wellness modalities that are perfect to complement your soul’s journey.
READ ALSO: Mindful Living: A Passion For Holistic Wellbeing
Biohacking with Eli Abela
Eli Abela has brought something different as she is the first to introduce and offer Biohacking to the Philippines. Biohacking is all about being in control of your own health and being vital and age-strong throughout the years of your life. It’s all about increasing health span and not just life span.
Modeled after Upgrade Labs in Sta Monica, founded by Dave Asprey’s who is Abela’s mentor, she opened a nonmedical health optimization center called UNLTD (unlimited) that uses clinical-grade modalities to treat serious conditions like depression, late-stage cancer, anxiety disorder, PTSD, autism, Alzheimer’s, fibromyalgia, etc. without health practitioners nor testing.
“The idea is to walk-in and walk-out of the place without much fanfare, without testing or consultations. I like to call it a “Cellular Spa” since we are really boosting the Vital Life Force, what you might call cellular energy or “Adenosine Triphosphate” generated by the powerhouse of the cell, the mitochondria” explains Abela.
But it wasn’t until 2015, while living in Tagaytay, that she came across Bulletproof Coffee’s inventor, father of Biohacking, Dave Biohacking Asprey. She enrolled in his certification course in 2016 and the rest is history. “Biohacking and controlling my own health felt about right, being an iconoclast whose inner rebellious child spirit never waned”, shares Eli. So in 2018, the right energies blended together and she manifested the first Biohacking center in the Philippines, called UNLTD (unlimited). Abela advocates “that everything we need to transcend our current baseline, is already within our own DNA. The right tools and the right set of beliefs can do wonders.”
To know more about Biohacking, you may reach Eli Abela on Instagram @coach_eLi_abela.
Shamanic Breathwork with Malou Araneta
Breathing to heal–the power of Shamanic Breathwork. “Shamanic Breathwork is a powerful healing modality” shares Malou Araneta. “This practice involves connected circular breathing and chakra-attuned music to guide breathers in an expanded state of awareness. Individuals can be transported into an altered state of consciousness. Through this process, breathers are able to release trapped emotions or traumas and allow the person to access greater healing and transformation.”
This breathing practice is an effective way to promote psychological and spiritual development. The process of shamanic breathwork involves techniques that are said to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and allow for a safe and sacred exploration of the inner self.
“Clients come to me because they feel trapped and sometimes they can’t comprehend what’s going on with their lives,” says Araneta. “I love seeing their transformation from before we begin the session to after the session. You can really see the difference. Overall, I love hearing them share what they felt during the process.”
Important to realize though is that each of us has the gift of self-healing and realization. If you are looking for a way to empower yourself, become your own inner healer and bring wholeness back into your life, shamanic breathwork is the perfect modality for you.
To know more about Shamanic Breathwork, you may reach Malou Araneta on Instagram @livewithresonanc.
Acupuncture with Dr. Phil Tan-Gatue
The ancient art of acupuncture has been used in Asia for centuries to treat many conditions and relieve pain. It’s commonly being used now in the United States and other Western countries to ease everything from low back pain, to nerve pain, to headaches, fibromyalgia, menstrual cramps—and more.
“With regards to acupuncture, what I find most useful about it is that it is non-pharmacologic,” explains Dr. Phil Tan-Gatue. “Everything we take orally, whether it be pharmaceutical drugs, vitamins, or whatever supplements to herbs, will have to pass through the liver and kidney. Acupuncture is a magnificent option for patients who are already taking too many things that might just knock their kidneys out. Also, because its mechanism of action is different, I find it can be very good in complementing or enhancing the effects of medicines. I remember patients whose trigeminal neuralgias wouldn’t disappear with oral meds alone and acupuncture alone would only offer some relief, but combining the two eliminates the pain eventually.”
Traditional Chinese acupuncture involves the insertion of extremely fine needles into the skin at specific “acupoints.” This may relieve pain by releasing endorphins, the body’s natural painkilling chemicals and by affecting the part of the brain that governs serotonin, a brain chemical involved with mood.
Acupuncture definitely has its rewards. Tan-Gatue says “I get a kick out of seeing patients get immediate improvement in their range of motion or pain control. And I get a big kick out of finding ways to relieve pain without sticking a needle in the affected area – proving the efficacy of traditional Chinese medical theory.”
To know more about Acupuncture, you may reach Dr.Phil Tan-Gatue on Instagram @philtangatue.\
Sound Vibrational Healing with Lee Grane
It’s the passion and curiosity about the healing aspect of sound that brought Lee Grane , a musician of 20 years to paths that led to extensive training in the study of sound as a tool for raising consciousness.
Sound Vibrational Healing as Grane explains, “is different because you are working with the subtle energy body. It utilizes vibrations which are non- invasive. You don’t need to touch the physical body of the client but they will feel the effects. When a sound is created, its vibrations can help synchronize the vibration of the client’s body, restoring harmony and balance.”
“What makes my sound healing session different is incorporating my voice into the session” shares Grane. “I tune in to what the client needs by doing an assessment pre-session and tailoring the harmonic keys missing or lacking in their auric field causing the imbalance they are experiencing whether on a physical level or the subtle level. My work is centered around strengthening the missing sound (which also addresses the weak colors from their aura) in their field. This ancient wisdom comes from the secret of the Music of the Spheres in relation to the human body.
To know more about Sound Vibrational Healing, you may reach Lee Grane on Instagram @lee.grane.musiq.
The Path of Yoga with Francesca Regala
“The Path of Yoga is the foundation from which I draw upon- where I constantly get to apply the teachings and principles of yoga to attain overall wellbeing, balance, harmony, joy, and inspiration in my everyday life” shares Francesca Regala.
Regala has been a student and practitioner of yoga for the past 25 years and has been teaching Yoga as an Integrative Path to Wellness through breath (pranayama), movement (asana), yoga philosophy, and meditation (dhyana) for the past 20 years.
“The style of Yoga that I teach combines Yoga Philosophy with very specific Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment that enables the practitioner to move from intention into conscious action. The Yoga philosophy I draw upon is Tantric in nature, which seeks to expand one’s conscious awareness of the Self as well as one’s relationship with our outer world–our families, our communities, our planet.”
With gratitude, Regala happily shares “I love witnessing students feel good, nourished, and empowered in their bodies. I love being a part of people’s discovery, insights, and encounters with their own set of victories, challenges, weaknesses, edges, and helping them move through that whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. I love witnessing how people connect with the inherent intuition and wisdom they hold within.”
To know more about The Path of Yoga, you may reach Fran Regala on Instagram @francescaregala.
Flow Retreats with Monica Manzano
Looking to pursue a conscious, mindful and passionate lifestyle through yoga, fitness and movement, healthy eating, alternative healing and travel in one? Then a retreat sounds about right for you! Yoga teacher and Super Mom, Monica Manzano, co-founded Flow Retreats, a boutique wellness company founded in 2009. Their retreats are held in inspiring venues such as organic farms, eco resorts, surf spots, tropical islands and beaches which include mind, body and soul-nourishing workshops and sessions.
“I do a myriad of different healing modalities “ shares Manzano. “From several Yoga Practices, Breathwork to Inner Dance to Chi Nei Tsang to BodyTalk to Homeopathy to Therapeutic use of Essential Oils. All very aligned with uplifting the energy field of people and their environments.”
A wellness retreat combines doing and not doing, activity and inactivity and stimulation and relaxation. The schedule is designed to give you flexibility and maximum opportunity to enjoy and learn at your pace and your time. “Since the beginning of Flow Retreats in 2009, we have led retreats, workshops, and classes that have made a tremendous impact in the lives of others. I love seeing former students become teachers and master teachers themselves,” says Manzano.
Manzano believes that “since we are all unique, we will also be very personalized in finding what works for us in different seasons of our lives so I think it is important to continue to learn and upgrade all that we know because healing also goes deeper (never linear!) and more interesting as we age.”
To know more about Flow Retreats, you may reach Monica Manzano on IG @flowretreat
Mindful Eating with Licensed Nutritionist and Dietitian Samantha Morales
Mindfulness has become embedded in our everyday language, but its meaning is more profound than how we use it in our driven, multitasking, societal norms and culture. This term has become popular because it urges conscious awareness of whatever the focus might be. It has become a method of encouraging someone to take good care of him- or herself. Likewise, “mindful eating” encourages us to gain awareness of our eating experiences.
As a licensed nutritionist and dietitian, Samantha Morales provides counseling and plans modified diets to patients with diabetes, cancer, heart disease and weight management goals as well as those seeking to enhance their well-being. Moreover, she also teaches her clients to be more intentional with their eating habits while also maintaining a healthy relationship with food through mindful eating.
“I launched my private nutrition consultancy called Dietitian Samantha in 2018 after I left my clinical job. This was one way for me to express my creativity, my nutrition knowledge and expertise. It was also a great way for me to connect to others, especially those who have been wanting to be healthier. I love sharing my food photos, recipes, nutrition tips and food hacks via my social media platforms – clients feel inspired whenever they see my posts. Also, people come to me because they have tried every type of “diet” but they still find themselves “stuck.” I do not teach them how to count calories nor weigh every food they eat; I teach them sustainable & fun changes–and that is through a lifestyle change.”
To know more about Mindful Eating, you may reach Samantha on IG @dietitiansamantha.
BodyLove Somatics with Kate Moynihan
“BodyLove Somatics addresses the body and nervous system’s underlying physiological issues. This is where tension, pain and trauma are stored” explains Kate Moynihan.
“It is a bottom up approach (body to brain) as we are bottom up BEings. 80% of the messages that travel through our information highway (vagus nerve) is from body to brain, and 20% are from brain to body. BodyLove Somatics first focuses on the foundation of feeling safety and regulation in our body through specific tools and techniques.”
Moynihan shares that “the benefits of BodyLove Somatics… you will be in the driver seat of your life. To be aware and have the ability to navigate through the range of emotions, sensations and triggers. To have the freedom to move and enjoy the strength and agility of one’s body. Your window of tolerance and capacity will grow and you will find that you no longer sweat the small stuff. The days when your tolerance is low, you will know what to do.”
“Our world is dysregulated. Life will only get faster. A regulated nervous system and a body that is embodied is a super power. What an absolute honor, joy, fun and happiness it is to see people winning at life” says Moynihan.
To know more about BodyLove Somatics, you may reach Kate on IG @bodylovesomatics.
Sound Healing with Francesca Warnke
Sound healing therapy uses aspects of music to improve physical and emotional health and well-being. Healing with sound is believed to date back to ancient Greece, when music was used in an attempt to cure mental disorders. Throughout history, music has been used to boost morale in military troops, help people work faster and more productively, and even ward off evil spirits by chanting.
“The benefits of sound healing are deep relaxation, it helps clear energetic blockages, balances the chakras (the main energy centers of the body), it helps boost your health, improves your sleep, reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. It can help support mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.” as Francesca Warnke explains.
Sound baths are basically a therapeutic and meditative experience whereby you “bathe” in the sounds and vibrations produced by different instruments. During a session, the brainwave state is altered from normal waking state (beta) to relaxed state (alpha), dreamlike state (theta), and even restorative state (delta). As the mind and body relax, the heart rate and blood pressure decrease and our breathing becomes deeper.
Warnke shares, “After I facilitate a sound healing session, my clients feel renewed, rejuvenated, optimistic, and relaxed. They are generally happier, more balanced, their minds are more clear, calm and have a renewed sense of purpose and well-being.”
To know more about Sound Healing, you may reach Francesca Warnke on Instagram @awakenedsoul.ph.
Read more by purchasing a copy of the Lifestyle Asia May 2023 magazine via SariSari.shopping or select newsstands in National Bookstore and Fully Booked. Subscribe to the E-Magazine via Readly, Magzter, and Press Reader.
Photos by Excel Panlaque of Kliq, Inc.
