"What are you?" or "No, but really where are you from?" These questions have followed me my entire life being mixed race. Growing up in Montana, I was insecure about my Japaneseness. When I moved to California for college and saw more diversity and an appreciation towards Japan as a country, I began to embrace my Japanese half more. The actual reclamation of my identity took place when I moved to Japan 5 years ago. Everyday, I'm confronted with my 'otherness' in Japan, and have learned that owning who you are comes with embracing the discomfort of not feeling enough and getting curious and non-judgemental about those feelings.

I've battled with this concept of never being enough American or enough Japanese based on my appearance, "cultural competence," or lack of language ability. The thought "because you don't (look, talk, act, etc.) this way enough, you will not be accepted or loved" would race in my mind all the time. This is a core wound that I've done deeper work around through journaling, meditating, coaching, and therapy.

I learned that the attachment I placed on being enough in Japan or being enough in America was all socially conditioned. The person I thought I needed to be and the box I thought I had to fit into was never going to be the answer to my problems. It actually took me farther and farther away from myself.

This was a big moment in my inner work journey - the realization that what I've been yearning for all this time was a sense of authenticity, an unshakeable knowing in who I am, the complete and radical acceptance of Self. Most of all, unconditional love for myself.

This was a fun reflective episode to record, and beyond excited to be coaching people wanting to step more into their authenticity & live more purpose-filled and soul-led lives.

Reach out to me if you're interested in coaching and would happy to chat and give you a free 45 minute clarity call through zoom!

https://www.instagram.com/nina.gamell/?hl=en

It was an absolute pleasure having mindset and career transition coach, Kristy Mariko, on the Light of Insight!

When I entered the coaching space almost half a year ago, I wanted to find an expander who had a multicultural background, experience in Japan and the U.S., and was a female coach. Kristy checked all those boxes and so much more.

In this conversation, we talk about our journeys reconciling with and reclaiming our Japanese identities and navigating life in two very different parts of the world. Kristy and I both grew up in the states and moved to Japan to reconnect with our roots. Interestingly, we both did major soul-searching and inner work while figuring out how to exist in a country as an "other" with rigid social structures and cultural norms.

Stepping into the coaching space as Asian American women has been in some ways a rebellion towards a culture that doesn't always ask for support when it comes to mental and emotional health. This was a big lesson in understanding that the path we choose to live doesn't need to make sense to anyone but you.

Episode highlights:

• Kristy's background growing up 5th generation Japanese-American in California
• Moving to Japan for the first time and teaching English in the country side as part of the JET program
• Self-awareness and growth in a country with rigid social norms and expectations
• Navigating different identities that you have within yourself
• Transitions and trusting your intuition
• Enrolling in the Institute for Coaching Mastery Program
• Entering the coaching space and starting a business during the pandemic
• Somatics and tuning into your body
• What living in alignment means and feels like
• Predictions and thoughts of where the coaching industry in Japan will be in the future

Where you can connect with Kristy:

https://www.kristymariko.com/

Chhunny Noem is back on another episode of the Light of Insight! Chhunny is a mindfulness coach and entrepreneur that found the company VIPASSA which offers powerful training development programs for companies and organizations.

He is also a former monk so we discuss the power of meditation and the stages of an inward growth journey: self awareness, self acceptance, compassion, and gratitude.

We breakdown concepts such as change, letting go, temporality, and compassion through a Buddhist perspective while connecting this all to the modern world that we live in.

Chhunny is a true gem and his wisdom and insights are so potent and incredibly needed.

To follow and connect with Chhunny, check out his company VIPASSA and website:

https://chhunny.com/

Episode highlights:

• Compassionate Leadership
• Mindful and Empathetic Listening
• The stages of a growth journey
• The Art of Letting go
• Reframing dark times and experiences
• Strengths that are cultivated through meditation
• Connecting to our purpose

This conversation was SUCH A TREAT! Carly and I met in the Dharma Coaching Institute where we are training to become certified soul purpose coaches. Carly is also a business doula strategist and coach that helps spiritual fempreneurs remember the divinity of their desires & plug back into their infinite power for creation. I learned A LOT from this conversation and I know you will too - Enjoy!

Episode Highlights:

• The link between healing and business growth
• The foundation of the Feminine-led Business Paradigm
• Tracking your intuition to build that trust muscle
• Human Design and understanding our unique energetic gifts
• Carly and I discovering we are both Fire signs and it making so much sense!
• The areas where we think we are being "too much" are actually our areas of strength
• Dismantling hyper masculine ways of working - creating can be joyful, simple, and FUN!
• Carly naming her inner child the CEO of her business
• Our experiences in the Dharma Coaching Institute (DCI)

Where you can find Carly:

Instagram: @carlycheton

https://www.instagram.com/carlycheton/

Website: https://www.carlycheton.com/

Linktree: https://www.liinks.co/carlycheton

Podcast: The Creatrix CEO Podcast

Top recommended books that involve concepts of the divine feminine: Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell [link] and PUSSY: A Reclamation by Regina Thomashauer [Link]. Another read that does not directly mention feminine-led business, but definitely delves into concepts related to the muse and fearless expression is Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert [link].

I'm still beaming from this beautiful conversation with Dorsa! Dorsa and I met through the Dharma Coaching Institute (DCI) where we are both training to become Dharma (Soul Purpose) coaches.

Dorsa opens up about her healing journey, tools and practices that have led to more grounding and joy, and how she became a mindset and spiritual life coach. We talk about tarot card readings, yoga, and journal writing as well as what we're learning in DCI such as the chakra system, doshas, and dharma archetypes! You won't want to miss this conversation! :)

Episode highlights and notes:

• What's lighting Dorsa up right now?
• Is home a place or a feeling?
• Tips on how to create authentic connections when moving to a totally new place
• The importance of intuition and how intuition shows up in our lives
• Dorsa's holistic approach to healing
• Incorporating yoga, the chakra system, and doshas into your life to gain more flow and energy

Dharma Archetype Quiz:

https://www.dharmaarchetypequiz.com/

Dosha Quiz:

https://iamsahararose.com/dosha-quiz/

Where you can find and connect with Dorsa:

https://www.instagram.com/dorrdoriii/

https://linktr.ee/dorrdoriii

This episode is all about how our emotions affect the body, and the importance of feeling our feelings!

Have you ever felt afraid to fully express yourself because of the fear of judgement or feeling unsafe? Do you let other people around you vent, express their frustrations, but you don't feel safe to?

I go into a personal reflection of how being an empath and people pleaser created a wall for me to fully express my emotions. Specifically, the emotion of anger, an emotion I've always judged. We all need to feel and release stress and anger from our bodies. If we don't, it will come back and show up in different ways.

I've incorporated an intentional anger ritual into my weekly routine because I have a lot of pent up anger from years of thinking I wasn't safe to express it. I would usually hold it in, try to distract myself, and pretend that everything was good, when it definitely was not. Not the healthiest.

I provide a couple of anger release practices in the episode but I'm so curious! How do you release your stress, frustration, and anger? Have you ever had a rage ritual?

Happy New Year Light of Insighters! I hope you had a lovely and restful New Years. This episode is all about the concept and energy of surrendering and letting go. I go through various scenarios where letting go could be needed, and a personal story.

• How has surrendering and letting go presented in your life?
• How do you let go? What does it feel like?

Mark Nepo - "The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have"

I started dancing again, and it has been so good for my mental health. Honestly, I was nervous to start again, and the inner critic/ego kept saying "oh you'll make a fool of yourself if you start again," or "you haven't danced in years, that was in your past!" So glad I didn't listen to that voice.

I signed up, started going to a studio close to my apartment, and have been loving the aility to express myself through movement again. Also, I'm able to get out of the head and into the body which is what makes me feel the best after a class. I share a little story from a dance class yesterday.

What is something you can incorporate back into your life that brings you joy and happiness? ❤️

Happy December to the Light of Insight Community! In this episode, I open up about the last couple of months.

I was in a rut and doing shadow work. Shadow is the parts of self we reject, hide, and feel insecure about based on what we learn through family, peers, media, society, etc. Doing shadow work is at times an intense process because you're confronting the parts of yourself you don't like.

While working through my shadows, I needed to balance this difficult inner work with something that would be joyful, so dance was the medicine. Yes! I started taking dance classes again and it has been such a mood booster and a way to get out of the mind and into the body.

When was the last time you did something that brings you joy or you have a passion for?

Do you feel like the universe has been testing you recently? How do tests usually show up in your life? In this episode, I discuss what tests and triggers are and some helpful journal prompts to use when working through them.

Episode notes and highlights:

• What Tests and Triggers are and what they might look like
• Where have you been tested in life recently?
• Where have you been triggered in life recently?
• Why its important to track and be aware of our tests
• Useful journal prompts for when you're tested and triggered
• Being our own pattern reader through journal reflection
• Wim Hof breath work method: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/

Journal prompts for when you're feeling tested and triggered:

1. What emotion is this situation triggering inside of me?
2. Why is the emotion being triggered?
3. What is this emotion telling me that I need and where in my life have I experienced this before?
4. How can I give myself what I need?