Right before our interview, Andrea Kelly, the guest in our episode two on mindful living, have just released a book that she co-authored called Fearless. Throughout her healing journey finding new possibles, getting over her fears to fat and eating disorder has been a huge deal breaker. We shared a range of topics given Andrea is such a multi-passionate character, from fears, self-identity, technology-inspired new normals, being a newer mom in the pandemic, health and wellness and of course her personal advice on building a mindful living.

Welcome to our season two, exploring “new possibles” with a mindful living.

Many of us are going through some on-and-offs with the new normals, which are actually getting old and tiring sometimes. It has come to a challenging new stage, where we try to understand ourselves and realities through rational thinking. Apparently, it’s becoming a critical agenda for all of us to co-curate a mindful living, not only to balance ourselves in the radical changes, but also to support sustainability of the planet.

In this season we connect with multiple talents and hope, by sharing their stories, The Gentle Project can inspire you to a deeper journey inward. The pilot episode is honored to have Ashley McGee, a dear friend and a yoga teacher based in Montauk, New York. We talked about her turning point triggered by her intimacy with fears to get away from the conventional ideals and goals, how she started to build on an electric wellness community by pulling in her previous experience, creating a reimagined career path, and some practical tips she has for us to practice towards a happier and healthier lifestyle.

Really hope you enjoy this session!

Welcome to the second season of The Gentle Project! 

In this season, we will continue exploring "new possibles" of having greater fulfillment and contentment in our new normals through a mindful living. In the first episode, Lyla will bring us a powerful conversation with Ashley McGee, a creative media professional-turned-yoga instructor, who will bring strength and self-reflection to us. 

New year, new beginning. Let us get started! 

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, a large majority of in-person communication has turned into virtual. When we are presenting ourselves online, is it easier to build connection with the audience? Or even harder? How should we prepare ourselves in order to better deliver high quality virtual communication? For all of us, how to adapt ourselves to this new normal?

In this episode, Lu is having a conversation with Mary Cheyne, an award-winning communicator and a professional public speaking trainer & coach. Mary shares her understanding about virtual communication and her experience on how to embrace changes as well as challenges and discover new opportunities in her career. 

For more information about Mary Cheyne, please visit https://magneticpodium.com/. To watch Mary’s latest TEDx Talk The Hidden Power of Bruce Lee that We All Have, please visit https://youtu.be/Sq7FxNyKURY. Say hi to us on Instagram @the_gentle_project or leave us a note at thegentleproject.com. Merry Christmas! xoxo

Do you have any friends who started parenthood during the pandemic this year? How does it sound to raise a newborn in a multicultural family in which parents are having totally different concepts on raising their child? How does parenthood reshape the couple’s relationship when so much love and care go to the newborn and deeper anxieties as well as heavier burden fall over their shoulders from the inside and the outside?

In this episode, Lyla is talking with Crystal, a dear friend who is currently living in San Francisco with her husband Bo and their newborn baby girl Olivia. Suffering an unexpected and dangerous high blood pressure in the following weeks after a rather easier normal delivery, Crystal found out her new adventure of being a mom was far more thrilling than she expected especially in the context of the pandemic. Let us go with her on this new journey to share her strength, resilience, and optimism.

Please say Hi on Instagram @the_gentle_project or leave us a comment at thegentleproject.com.

How many of you have changed jobs or shifted career paths this year due to the pandemic? How many of you always wanted to try something you are passionate about, turned out to be stuck in a 9-5 job everyday, but finally made a big move to chase your dream because of the pandemic?

In this episode, Lu is talking to her friend Hong Wei, a foodie who is very good at trying new recipes as well as searching for the best deals during Boston restaurant week. During the pandemic, she quit her job, left Boston, Massachusetts, and started a whole new style of life as an intercultural food blogger in Dayton, Ohio. Let us hear about what made Hong Wei decide to leave Boston after Covid-19 broke out and what reflection she gained from all these changes in her life.

To see more healthy home-cook Asian food Hong Wei made, check out her Instagram @weiweicooks. Over there, you can find out many lovely cooking ideas.

Have you found yourself or your friends and families enjoy reading more in this new normal? We do. The pandemic did cause a lot of pain and uneasiness, but meanwhile it has dramatically brought back some hopefulness for the development of independent magazines. Content creators kept delivering appealing narrative and messages that warmed the readers’ hearts and reignited their passion towards reading prints. Comparing to traditional book authors, creators behind independent magazines have left us a relatively low-key image. However, you will indeed find them a group of outspoken and fun characters after a joyful chat.

In today’s episode, Lyla will speak with three guests from three different places: London and Cambridge in the UK, and Hong Kong in China. They are Luke Adam, editor of STANDART, an internationally award-winning coffee culture magazine; Emelyn Rude, founder and editor of EATEN magazine, an unique storytelling of food history; and Natalie and Alison, co-founders of NEW NORM magazine, a fairly young independent publication around travel and design, which was conceived on the edge of the pandemic.

Please say Hi on Instagram @the_gentle_project or leave us a comment at thegentleproject.com.

When COVID-19 hit New York, public places like museums, theaters, libraries, and concert venues were all shut down. Artists could not searched for materials and continued their creative projects. How did they survive the pandemic and support each other by exploring something new? In this episode, we are talking to a New York-based artist Lu Zhang, who is particularly good at incorporating ceramics, found objects, moving images, and sound into various forms of installations, and blending literature, pop culture, film and music into her artworks. During the pandemic, Lu and two teammates Herb and Trisha created a special painting club called P_Lub. Through her creativity, she reached deeply into human relationships and mental adjustment during this special time. 

Go to luzhang.org for images and details about the artist. 

Please say Hi on Instagram - @the_gentle_project or leave us a comment at thegentleproject.com. 

This pilot episode of The Gentle Project will share an inspiring conversation between two co-founders Lyla and Lu. Let us hear what happened on Lyla during the pandemic, when she was in Melbourne. 

This is the preview of the pilot episode of The Gentle Project. Lyla, co-founder of this podcast series, will share her stories and inspiration during this pandemic. See you soon! xoxo