The SmartZen Podcast

Welcome back to The Smart Zen Podcast!

Have you ever wondered if there are simple, easy and doable processes to maintain your health, rather than taking your handful medications?

The truth is, there are.

We’ve long been practising the Western-approved method of medical treatments, but we never bat an eyelash for the ancient techniques. There are alternatives available out there and better ways to take care of our health and well-being. In this episode, Yumi talks to Jacqueline Escolme, the author of Rebuild Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, about these. We can rebuild ourselves if we truly understand the mind-body connection, which we can also take from the smart zen approach. Discover also how you can deal with the negative feelings, why you need to take time to observe your body, and many more.

Start valuing your health and well-being, and your relationships. Start tuning in.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Jacqueline was seriously ill for how many years before. She gave up seeking professional medical help and started studying about alternative processes. She wanted to be healthy again for her family and to do all the things she’s passionate about.

Our emotional well-being has a massive impact on our physical health. If we don’t keep a healthy emotional state, this will most likely manifest as sickness in our body.

Western medicine only offers a rigid perspective on healthcare. Prevention should be the priority, not treatment. Mostly, we go to our doctors, ask for a diagnosis, take the prescribed medication, and continue living our lives. We must learn how to be responsible and to take care of our health better.

Jacqueline agrees that smart zen teaches us about the mind-body connection. It is all about holistic growth. Through this approach, we are able to understand ourselves and then, avoid negativity and maintain the balance.

The best way to deal with the negative emotions (e.g. grief, stress, sadness, etc.) that come is to go through them and not turn a blind eye on them. We have to acknowledge it, process it, and heal from it. Our well-being is put in a poor state.

Take the time to focus on yourself. Pay attention to changes that are changin in your body and other factors that could affect it.

BEST MOMENTS

“When you’re so desperate, you open your mind to anything. I’ve tried so many things that people would think are crazy. It ‘was actually quite liberating.”

“Illness has a gift for all of us. It’s not always in a nice wrapping, but if we dig deep, there is something in there that will change ourselves for the better.”

“Every disease, although it manifests in the physical, it starts in the emotional.”

“We are either creating conditions for our health or for toxicity.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Rebuild Your Health, Reclaim Your Life Official Website

Rebuild Your Heath Reclaim Your Life: Health as you’ve never heard it before! By Jacqueline Escolme (Book)

ABOUT THE GUEST

Jacqueline Escolme is an author, a life mastery coach, a HeartMath coach, a nutritional therapist, a mind-body wellness teacher, and a mother. After suffering from a serious illness in her mid-twenties, she then studied alternative health and the mind-body connection and regained her health

Her book “Rebuild Your Heath Reclaim Your Life: Health as you’ve never heard it before!” demystifies the truth about your well-being and teaches about the mind-body approach.

ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Yumi Merricks. I support entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed by adopting a holistic and zen approach to life and business.  My purpose is to inspire others to create a life of inner harmony, peace and fulfilment through self-awareness so that they will connect better to the abundant beauty and richness of the universe.

CONTACT METHOD

Yumi Merricks Official Website

Yumi on Facebook

Remember that there can exist two opposite extremes. It’s all about finding the middle way so we know and understand the true nature of all these things.

Welcome back to The Smart Zen Podcast! Today, we learn how to embrace the two opposites so you can live your life fully. It becomes difficult if we see everything in rose-coloured glasses, and vice versa. Yumi Merricks advise that we should aim for balance within us so we can benefit from the oneness of our body, mind and soul. By taking the middle way, we ensure that we achieve success and happiness not just for us, but for the next generations. Start listening in to know more about these.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

One of the great teachings of Buddhism is that life can be difficult sometimes. Learn how to inculcate this in your mindset also, so you’re ready when you’re presented with obstacles.

There are always two sides to everything. There are successes, and there are failures. You can be happy, and you can be sad. It could be black, and it could be white.

There is an understanding of how your body, mind, and soul work if you are aware that there are also polar opposites that exist within you. It’s easier to behave appropriately if we know what can be capable of.

Aim for harmony and the right balance in the society and the universe. Think of what legacy will you leave behind to achieve and maintain this. Start with how you can share more knowledge, compassion, and love around you.

BEST MOMENTS

“We find it very hard to experience happiness without also experiencing the opposite.”

“The universe is made up of two opposing elements: light and dark, good and evil, etc.”

“Denying that one side of you keeps you on the edge. If you can’t accept that there is a side of you that can be horrible, you are a danger to society.”

“Being at peace with oneself comes from accepting yourself as a whole, and therefore being in the place to accept others.”

ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Yumi Merricks. I support entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed by adopting a holistic and zen approach to life and business.  My purpose is to inspire others to create a life of inner harmony, peace and fulfilment through self-awareness so that they will connect better to the abundant beauty and richness of the universe.

CONTACT METHOD

Yumi Merricks Official Website

Yumi on Facebook

Could pursuing wealth and pursuing enlightenment be never on the same path? Should you only choose one?

Today on The Smart Zen Podcast, Yumi answers your questions as she herself had gone through this dilemma before. There can be a conflict of wanting wealth and wanting enlightenment if your belief system and mindset that encompass these ideas doesn’t serve you and more importantly the others. You can fuse these two goals of yours – you just have to remember that everything you do is not entirely for you. When you start the transformation and adapt the way of smart zen, you start attracting spiritual growth, financial success, and happiness in no time.

Discover more how can wealth and spirituality go together in this episode!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind in the present moment.” – Buddha

Yumi had his own dilemma about this. It was difficult to see the parallels of achieving spirituality and personal growth, and growing her profit-inducing business. There was a notion that wanting wealth is the same as being greedy. It was hard for Yumi to decide.

Shiny object syndrome (SOS) – It’s a common ‘disease’ for entrepreneurs wherein they tend to lose focus and chase for almost every opportunity that comes along their way.

Thought leaders, motivational speakers, and entrepreneurs will try to sell their own ‘formulas’ to success through online courses, books, seminars, etc. People get attracted and avail their products and services and then, as much as 95% of people who buy these products get surprised why it didn’t work for them..

You can only see the value of all what you’re doing when you realise that you have to give value to others first before you. We’re all interconnected, so when we give off a high vibrational frequency that can be felt by others, we also receive the same thing from our environment.

BEST MOMENTS

“Once you experience oneness, you’ll know that’s the gateway to enlightenment.”

“I thought I bought a formula to be my solution. I tried to resolve my problem with money and the action that went with it. The reality was that it was not that thing I bought that was missing in my life. The missing ingredient was ME.”

“When I prove the value of my service, only then will I receive the value in return.”

“It’s only by learning how to realign yourself to the universe and tune in to the energy that you’ll change something.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Yumi Merricks. I support entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed by adopting a holistic and zen approach to life and business.  My purpose is to inspire others to create a life of inner harmony, peace and fulfilment through self-awareness so that they will connect better to the abundant beauty and richness of the universe.

CONTACT METHOD

Yumi Merricks Official Website

Yumi on Facebook

Don’t drop everything yet. We’ve all been there, feeling like we’re carrying the entire world on our shoulders, every day’s always a hustle, and there’s no room for rest.

Again, don’t just give up yet! In this episode of The Smart Zen Podcast, let Yumi help you how you can combat the stress and burnout that you’re feeling. There’s still a way on how we can manage these unwanted reactions and instead, channel positivity and calmness in your life. Bring that calm in your life first, so you can see your life in a different state of mind. You’ll know what to do and will be able to take back the control in your life once you tune in!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

When you’re feeling overwhelmed, you release cortisol, the primary stress hormone. Cortisol signals your body to increase your energy levels so you can deal with whatever you’re facing at the moment.

When we’re stressed, we tend to eat excessively, especially on carbohydrates, because that’s our body is telling us to load some energy.

To maintain high performance and dedication in your work and personal life, you have to learn how to deal with challenges and stress. There should be no problem with how you live through them if you know how to recover quickly.

Recovering from stress and restoring energy is something you should do regularly, according to Yumi. Raise your vibrational frequency and match it with the universal positive energy. Be in harmony with yourself and your environment.

BEST MOMENTS

“You deserve to live a full and happy life, to be in control of your life, and to be able to create the life you desire.”

“Science has proven that it’s not the amount of stress that actually matters but it’s how quickly you can recover from it.”

“If you learn how to get back to that state of being in total harmony with yourself and with the environment and the universe, you will realise that you already have the resources that you need."

“Harmonize your mind, body, and soul first, and find that inner peace within yourself.”

ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Yumi Merricks. I support entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed by adopting a holistic and zen approach to life and business.  My purpose is to inspire others to create a life of inner harmony, peace and fulfilment through self-awareness so that they will connect better to the abundant beauty and richness of the universe.

CONTACT METHOD

Yumi Merricks Official Website

Yumi on Facebook

According to the Oxford Dictionary, success is the accomplishment of an aim and purpose.

For most, it’s all about being wealthy and being on top. This is what the world told us to strive for. But, don’t get caught up on this definition as each of us have different definitions and measures of our success.

In this episode of The Smart Zen Podcast, let Yumi help you what true success means for you. Where does your happiness lie in the future? What are you doing right now to move towards it? Where do we start? The first step is to know yourself and have an inner peace so you can set your goals. Then, everything else will follow, from planning to executing to finally fulfilling them.

Learn how you could achieve your own success today. Just remember that success is also about enjoying the here and now of your journey.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Goal-setting is the most important thing, and it should be your priority. Why start a journey without knowing your destination? It’s easier to plan, set the time frame, and execute when you see where everything is going.

Your definition and metric of success is different from every other person. Sometimes, we base it on other people’s experience, and thus, we end up comparing ourselves to them.

“In my opinion, true success should be measured by how happy you are.” – Richard Branson

Though being wealthy and influential in business is a good measure of success. True success for businesses should be based on how they contributed valuably to society and every individual’s well-being.

Remember to live in the present and not just put your entire focus in the future. It’s great that you’ve planned and readied the path towards your success, but you have to enjoy every little thing that happens along the way. Enjoy every milestone achieved, and gain insights from everything that happens.

BEST MOMENTS

“Reconnecting with yourself and focusing on achieving inner peace will help you discover your goal in due course.”

“Deep down each one of us has a different perspective on what success actually represents.”

“Money is a tool. It brings more freedom and choices.”

“While making a profit is the purpose of business, it’s purpose also is the accomplishment of its mission.”

“You’ll feel better in recognising that you are in business to provide value rather than to make money.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Richard Branson Says 1 Thing Separates Successful People From All the Rest (and Leads to Living a Happy and Fulfilling Life) | Inc.

ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Yumi Merricks. I support entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed by adopting a holistic and zen approach to life and business.  My purpose is to inspire others to create a life of inner harmony, peace and fulfilment through self-awareness so that they will connect better to the abundant beauty and richness of the universe.

CONTACT METHOD

Yumi Merricks Official Website

Yumi on Facebook

Do you dread every morning you wake up for work?

If you answered Yes, then this episode of The Smart Zen Podcast can help you change that!

First off, know that you are not alone. Most of us hate to admit that we’re feeling stuck in our current jobs and know within ourselves that there’s much more out there that we deserve. But the thing is, despite knowing this fact, we refuse to move because of our doubts and the uncertainty.

Yumi’s ultimate advice for this dilemma is to change your belief. Belief creates the results in your life. If you believe that there’s a better job for you than this, then there is! Start learning about this and more when you listen in. Yumi also dives deep on how to achieve zen in the workplace and how to keep healthy well-being and inner peace.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

We are all interconnected, so how we behave towards the people around us will greatly affect their behaviours and their mental state, and vice versa. Thus, the atmosphere and dynamics in the workplace changes.

Ask yourself: Is this a company that you really want to be working for? Some may be afraid of change, but the fact is, you can stay away from the disappointment, conflict, or other negative energies if you try to look at the opportunities around you. Find a company that your value will match with.

Changing your belief can help you manifest what you want. You have to change your belief that this is the only choice you have and you’re stuck with the company right now. Believe that you can change something or find another job.

Keep healthy well-being and your inner peace. These are very important. If they are being compromised because of your current work, then it’s time to rethink about it. Not only that you are not performing well, but you are also doing damage to your body, mind and soul.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your action becomes your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny.” – Mahatma Gandhi

BEST MOMENTS

“There are things that you can change, and there are things that you can’t change.”

“You are actually affecting the outcome of the situation as well.”

“The belief you hold manifests the reality.”

“Until you start shifting your belief that change is possible and opportunity is out there, nothing is going to change.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Sir Roger Bannister: First person to run a mile in under four minutes dies at 88 | BBC

Blue eyes, brown eyes: Jane Elliott’s race experiment 50 years later

ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Yumi Merricks. I support entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed by adopting a holistic and zen approach to life and business.  My purpose is to inspire others to create a life of inner harmony, peace and fulfilment through self-awareness so that they will connect better to the abundant beauty and richness of the universe.

CONTACT METHOD

Yumi Merricks Official Website

Yumi on Facebook

“Meditation is no longer a foreign idea – just like the idea of eating a raw fish.”

There’s more to meditation than closing your eyes and sitting still. In this episode of The SmartZen Podcast, your host, Yumi Merricks, discusses the importance of understanding how interconnected your body, mind, and soul is. When you understand how you, your surrounding and the entirety of the universe works, it’s easy to achieve happiness and success.

It’s time that we go back and be in touch with our core and inner self. Discover more on how you can start living the smartzen experience when you tune in!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Meditation can be difficult to integrate with Western traditions. There is a different belief on the fundamentals of body and soul, frequency of vibrations, the universe and oneness, etc.

NHS now recommend meditation to improve our mental well-being.

When you master the ancient practice of meditation, you’ll understand how interconnected your body is with your mind, yourself to other individuals, and every single thing to the universe.

Mushin – in zen, it is the mental state which also translates to ‘an empty mind’. In the west, the term is mainly used in martial arts.

It’s almost the same as ‘being in the zone’ when we do what we’re in complete harmony. If you learn to synchronise your energy each day, you become in tune with the universe and what it has to offer, such as abundance.

Successful entrepreneurs share that the Law of Attraction works. Use your thoughts to manifest your desires. If you want it, start thinking that you’ll get it or already got it.

BEST MOMENTS

“Meditation has become so popular that everyone nowadays seems to be doing it. Some research shows that 8% of Americans meditated regularly.”

“Once you understand this, you will become consciously aware on a daily basis how you work, how you live, how you relate, how you impact, and how you give impact yourself as well as others.”

“If you’re violent to part of the network, ultimately you’re violent to yourself.”

“If you’re body, mind, and soul are working separately, you will never reach harmony that meditation teaches.”

“Smartzen is the new zen, and it will help you bring the rhythm of nature back into your life.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Davos | World Economic Forum

ABOUT THE HOST

My name is Yumi Merricks. I support entrepreneurs and business owners to succeed by adopting a holistic and zen approach to life and business.  My purpose is to inspire others to create a life of inner harmony, peace and fulfilment through self-awareness so that they will connect better to the abundant beauty and richness of the universe.

CONTACT METHOD

Yumi Merricks Official Website

Yumi on Facebook