November 20, 2023 • 36 mins
Here is the journey of our remarkable guest, Yan Huang, from Singapore. Yan peels back the layers of her life story, revealing her battle with stage three cancer, the turmoil of a toxic relationship, and her triumph over chronic illnesses. Her resilience and determination show hope and courage.
Yan, the Pivotal Healer, is a long-term young adult cancer survivor who has been living cancer-free for the last 15 years. She is a certified women's integrative health coach, Qi movement teacher and energy healing practitioner.
Yan opens up about her unexpected journey, from the initial shock of her diagnosis to finding the courage to make decisions about her treatment plan. Her insights into maintaining an active lifestyle amidst her treatment and navigating the healthcare system. But her journey doesn't end there; it takes an introspective turn when she reflects on finding purpose postcancer, negotiating the world of self-care, and setting future goals.
Let's enjoy her story!
Here are three ways to connect with Yan:
- Get on the wait list for the R4CS Beta Group Program (Q3 2023) https://tr.ee/Ojds-J8oFD
- Say Hello to Yan on her Instagram & YouTube show @therealyanhuang
- Website: yuyanhuang.podia.com
- Share Your Thoughts and Shape the Show! Tell me what you love about the podcast and what you want to hear more about. Please email me at behas.podcast@gmail.com and be part of the conversation!
- To be on the show Podmatch Profile
Ordinary people, extraordinary experiences - Real voices, real moments - Human connection through stories - Live true storytelling podcast - Confessions - First person emotional narratives - Unscripted Life Stories.
Thank you for listening - Hasta Pronto!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Daniela (00:01):
Hi, I'm Daniela.
Welcome to my podcast, becauseeveryone has a story, the place
to give ordinary people, stories, the chance to be shared and
preserved.
Our stories become the languageof connections.
(00:21):
Let's enjoy it.
Connect and relate, becauseeveryone has a story.
Welcome my guest, Yan Huang,from Singapore.
Yan is a long-term young adultcancer survivor who has been
living cancer-free for the last15 years.
She's also a certified women'sintegrative health coach, a QI
(00:46):
movement teacher and energyhealing practitioner.
Here Yan shares her unexpectedjourney, from the initial shock
of her diagnosis to finding thecourage to make decisions about
her treatment plan, her insightsinto maintaining an active
lifestyle I mean her treatmentand navigating the healthcare
(01:06):
system.
But the journey doesn't endthere.
Yan takes an introspective turnwhen she reflects on finding
purpose post-cancer, negotiatingthe world of self-care and
setting future goals.
I was delighted to have her onthe show.
She's a lovely individual withso much care for others and we
need more people like her.
(01:26):
So let's enjoy her story.
Welcome, Yan, to the podcast.
Yan Huang (01:32):
Yes, I'm Yan from Singapore.
Thank you for having me.
Daniela (01:35):
Yes, you're in Singapore, and the last time we
met oh my god, I made you stayall the way until midnight.
Did you have a pre-chat?
But this time it is only earlyin the morning, not too early,
so it's perfect.
So thank you the other day forstaying so late.
I had no idea that it was thatlate.
Yan Huang (01:52):
No, worries, you're welcome.
You're welcome foraccommodating.
It all looked out well.
Daniela (01:57):
Yes, and we had a nice conversation.
It was super interesting allthe things that you've gone
through, so tell me why you wantto share your story.
Yan Huang (02:05):
Well, you know how sometimes life is.
You know you go throughdifferent twists and turns,
whether it's expected orunexpected.
Usually it's unexpected.
It's always the unexpectedtwists and turns that makes life
a bit more interesting.
I'm a pretty introspectiveperson, so I would say during
the pandemic, it gave me sometime and space to reflect deeper
(02:26):
into what have I gone throughin life over the last nearly, or
the last 40 years or so.
It's time to share my storythrough another format, in this
case audio format.
I thought about podcast andhere, I am Great, excellent.
Daniela (02:41):
And so when does your story start?
Wow so.
Yan Huang (02:44):
I would say that my story began one a year before I
had cancer, perhaps around then.
So that's like about six, seven, 16 or 17 years ago.
How old were you?
So I was about 22.
Daniela (02:58):
Okay, wow, pretty young .
And what happened?
What happened to you?
What was the feeling when youfind out that you had cancer?
Yan Huang (03:05):
Yeah, the events that lead to that was the most
interesting one.
So I was in a four yearrelationship and I was also in
college as well, so there's alot of things happening for a
young adolescent.
The relationship became quiteemotionally exhausting and
taxing on me in the last twoyears or so, became slightly
(03:26):
abusive, both verbally as wellas physically.
It's not to the extent of, like, oh my God, I need to go to the
hospital, right?
Sometimes we say, you knowreally nasty things about each
other or even about ourselves.
During a very toxic relationship, like around the last one year
or so, I find myself actuallysaying these words.
At the rate that we arequarreling, I won't be surprised
(03:47):
that I will fall really, reallysick.
I kept saying that over andover again in the last one year
of our relationship.
Yeah, that I felt like a brokenrecord.
And then, about seven monthslater, I decided to break up,
like this is the end of therelationship.
I decided preparing myself interms of exercising and eating
(04:08):
better.
You know, like how most women,when they break up from
relationship, they want to focuson themselves, right?
So I did just that.
In fact, I was actuallypreparing for Asia's first women
triathlon about 10 months afterthe break up, while I was
preparing for the triathlon,that's when I found out I had
cancer, stage three.
Good news and bad news weredoctor, you know.
Daniela (04:27):
So you always been a sporty person.
You always did exercise.
Yan Huang (04:31):
No, no, no.
So that's the thing Iconsidered myself a late bloomer
when it comes to exercise andphysical stuff because growing
up I was pretty sedentary.
I couldn't, because I had acouple of what I call childhood
maliasis, meaning to say thatit's like certain illnesses that
is pretty chronic, but yet theyare not that severe that I need
(04:53):
to go to the hospital all thetime.
So that brings me to the pointthat actually so-called diseases
and illnesses is not a blackand white thing, but there's
always.
You're always on the spectrum,you know, just like human weight
and height.
We're never like a perfect 50kilo or a perfect hundred, like
a round of 100 kg.
We are always like a 50.1 and50.2, 50.3.
(05:16):
So it's always all a spectrum.
So yeah, so growing up I mainlyhad rather poor respiratory
symptoms, like I'm alwayscoughing.
I can have dry cough, thephlegm cough, or I can just have
cough where that it's like yourlungs get so constricted that
even when I see the mainstreamdoctor they just find that I was
not, my symptoms were notsevere or doesn't qualify to be
(05:39):
asthmatic.
So I was.
Daniela (05:40):
That's why I say I was at that in between you know,
like I'm in the in between, doyou think that it is more
psychological than physical?
Yan Huang (05:48):
It's a very good question, by the way, because no
one really knew the reasonbehind it.
I think in many ways my familyor my culture we don't really
think so much about the why andjust focus on restoring the
wellness, the balance, the innerwell-being, the inner wellness.
I mean that episode about thedoctor not being able to
diagnose me as asthmatic andtherefore give me, like this,
(06:11):
medical surgery to do whateveryou want to do, meaning you know
if I can't go to school, so bador whatever it is.
But I think that was a blessingin disguise.
My mom and my late grandma justthought that something used to
be done to fix a cough, achronic cough, because sometimes
it's so bad and sometimes itcan be triggered by certain
foods or certain activities andstuff like that.
(06:32):
Because of that, they broughtme to see my family Chinese
physician and for the next eight, nine years there's a lot of
weekly herbal medicine drinking.
We have to brew them and thenmake them in one bowl and drink
it every day.
Every week we see the Chinesephysician.
There's obvious, of course,changes to some nutrition habits
(06:53):
as well, but it paid offbecause after about like yeah,
after about eight years, 13, 14,yeah, around that age, in the
middle, between 13 to 15 yearsold, like my lungs got stronger
and stronger and by the time Iturned 18 years old I felt
really great, like a new set oflungs and no drugs at all, no
hospitalization, just the goodold way, very patient, of taking
(07:17):
herbal medicine.
No acupuncture, even at thattime was just pure all herbs and
using food, adjustment oflifestyle.
And by the time I turned 18 andthen I started going for some
dance and fitness classes and Ifelt a new list of lifelike.
Oh my god, I didn't know that Icould, I didn't know my body
could do it.
And then I felt healthier andhealthier and that started my
(07:39):
journey into fitness Wonderful.
Daniela (07:41):
And so, when you were 24, 23, you were diagnosed with
cancer stage three.
And then, well, what wentthrough your mind?
Yan Huang (07:48):
Yeah, so I think it was very surreal for me when I
first found out, because thefirst thing that came to my mind
was like, oh, wow, I did.
I just cursed myself to that,because I was going through in
my head during the last year ofrelationship I kept saying those
words, right?
So that was the first thingthat came to my mind, like, oh
my god, did I just curse myself.
(08:11):
Wow, there is power in ourwords that we use.
You know, and this was waybefore I learned about love
attraction.
This was way before I learnedabout what energy, medicine or
manifestation.
You know like.
This was days before socialmedia was all over the rage and
now people are all talking aboutspirituality, about
(08:32):
manifestation and all that thing.
And then after that, it becamelike, okay, all right, so what
do I have to do next?
It became like what I call abattle mode.
You know, like okay, whatshould I do next?
You know, no one in my familyhad cancer before I was young.
So I did ask for opinions, aswell as opinions of my two best
(08:52):
friends, because they are inresearch field, and I was even
negotiating with my doctor backthen.
I said can I finish my?
Can I do my triathlon and thencome back and then they could
then start my treatment.
My friends and my doctor justwent like, oh my gosh, this girl
is crazy.
Why would she want to do atriathlon when she had cancer?
(09:12):
And it's like stage three, it'sspreading.
I remember my friend sayingthis like hey, yan, do you know?
You know, yan, I think it's nota good idea.
Do you know how the lymphaticsystem work?
Do you know what is cancer?
I said M plus.
I felt really completely normal.
I didn't have any of thosesymptoms.
I felt great.
My weight didn't drop much,only a little only, just only
(09:34):
because it was so active.
But what made you go to thedoctor then?
Oh, because I had this painlesslump on the left side of the
neck area, which there's aninner lymph lymph nodes around
the area as well.
Yeah, there's a bit of a growththere.
And then it went on for likealmost like six months.
Oh, wow and yeah, but it didn't, it wasn't painful.
(09:55):
It wasn't painful.
I didn't.
I sort of ignore it like not,you know, I just sort of thought
like you would just go away.
It didn't occur anything to meand then until my mom said, why
don't we just pay a visit to ourChinese physician, and I did
that.
Daniela (10:11):
And how long were you with treatments?
Yan Huang (10:13):
So I was pretty fortunate with my treatment.
So remember, remember, early onI said that the doctor gave me
two things.
He said I have good news, badnews.
So I said what's the bad news?
The bad news is all right, youhave cancer, stage three acid.
So what's the good news?
The good news is, well, youhave one of the most treatable
form of cancer, which meansthere's a very high rate of
survival.
My treatment just lasted sixmonths, exactly six months, with
(10:37):
chemotherapy, four bags ofdrugs every two weeks, no radio,
no surgery, no drugs.
Daniela (10:42):
Yeah, and what happened afterwards?
So you were doing thetreatments, you were also in
retrospectively what washappening, what came after that?
Yan Huang (10:51):
Yeah, you know I call this like a crisis mode, right?
You know, like when crisis orwhatever we perceive as crisis
happened to us, we just go intoan automatic mode of like, all
right, we need to handle thisright now, we need to clear the
crisis.
And I never got a chance toreally talk to someone, whether
it's a trained therapist orcounselor, to make sense of what
(11:12):
the episode means, means for me.
You know, I definitely had mymoment of I call it existential
crisis.
You know, there are momentswhere I was thinking about who
am I?
You know, now that I survivedcancer, and sometimes I don't
really want to make a big dealout of my story, but
occasionally, when I share mystory, people always tell me
like, wow, yeah, that's veryinspiring.
(11:34):
You know, I was like why youknow you're young and you know
you survive cancer at a youngage and you know you've been
living with it for the last 15,16 years.
I mean, do I want to find outabout my cancer during that time
?
Yes, of course.
Like, I will figure out like,oh, what's actually Hodgkin's
lymphoma?
You know why did my doctor sayit's very treatable and curable?
(11:55):
Why would the media portraysomething about cancer?
Well, it didn't occur to methis way.
So I think that was one of thetruths or one of the myths that
I wanted to debunk right now.
You know, as I share my story isthat not every cancer is, you
know, daily Right, and.
But I'm not trying to downplaywhat cancer is as well.
(12:18):
And I think another thing isalso, because what I noticed is
that what cancer seems to be onthe rice, but it doesn't mean
it's normal, you know, wanted toshed some light to more people
to make them realize that don'tforget that medical diagnostic
tools are a lot more Advancedand precise than, say, 15, or
even 20 or even 25 years ago.
(12:40):
So what that means is that it'sable to detect more accurately
as well as more astute.
Lee, don't, you know, don'tlive in so much fear about what
cancer is, but have an awareness, have a conscious ever more.
Yeah, I have a more awareconsciousness about what is,
what is cancer all about.
And you know, over the last fewyears I, the more I did my own
(13:03):
research and studying andObserving, as well as working
with clients, and that's when Irealized that cancer it's really
like I always tell myself at ayoung age, cancer is like a big
flu bug that requires, you know,a different, a different
approach towards eliminating itright.
And then this year, the lasttwo years, it really give.
(13:26):
He really hit me even deeper,make me realize that cancer is
the form of symptoms that thebody is trying to tell you,
trying to speak to you, that weneed to clear Some or what the
TCM called energetic blockages.
They are a reflection of what'sgoing on in your internal
So-called world.
Whether is it because oflifestyle, thought patterns,
(13:49):
emotions, environmental factorsyeah, food stuff like that you
were going to college.
Daniela (13:54):
You said what were you studying?
I was studying food science andtechnology.
Okay, and you continue that.
Did you finish that before yougot cancer, or you?
Yan Huang (14:03):
so I, I finished that .
I finished that when I cancer?
Yes, because I graduated in 21?
Daniela (14:08):
Okay, and would you call yourself a cancer survivor,
or you have a different wordfor you?
Such a great question.
Yan Huang (14:15):
I Was just chatting about this with a fellow cancer
survivor like how do we callourselves?
Yeah, I think I'll call myselfcancer survivor, just only
because the world can associatewith that word as well.
Daniela (14:28):
And you met other people similar to you, Mmm not
not a lot.
Yan Huang (14:32):
The way how this whole cancer treatment journey
for me was truthfully yes, itwas a very much like let's get
this over and done with at ayoung age, because I always felt
like time was running out forme.
At that time I didn't reallylike pause or slow down to check
in with my own emotions or evenmy own mental, and I suppose
that's the way of life for me,because I don't know, when
(14:54):
you're at that age you just youjust want to go out and
experience life and all thatstuff.
And then all of a sudden youhave this news and you go like,
okay, what am I supposed to do?
Everyone else is climbing up acarpet ladder and I'm just
trying to figure out my next, mynext journey in life, and then
I'm told I have cancer.
I'm fortunate that I survivedit, but then what?
What is what right?
Daniela (15:15):
So you did have those feelings or those emotions after
the treatment.
Yan Huang (15:20):
Yeah, I did.
I did have those what I callthe more invisible side effects.
Daniela (15:25):
Okay, so six months after you start to Re-evaluate
your values and your life, yeah,and so how did you go about it?
What did you do?
Yan Huang (15:34):
I still do.
You know, by the way, I stilldo, it's just that I think right
now I'm a little bit moregrounded.
Right, I still do.
How do I evaluate?
Well, first of all.
So right after I finished mychemo, I decided to continue my
retail slash e-commerce businessthat began with my ex-boyfriend
.
Yeah, after about four years,or about three years or so, at
(15:56):
the age of 29, I decided that'slike I have enough of it and
find any meaning or purpose inthe retail business.
At that time, and Also probablybecause it I got burnt out from
having to juggle the businessof my own Perhaps there's always
that emotional baggage andremind the that it, you know, it
started because with my, withmy ex-boyfriend.
(16:17):
So I closed that.
And it's funny because mostpeople make their career choices
, or rather contemplate on yourcareer choices, usually around
the mid 40s Right, they alwayssay around the mid 40s after
working in a corporate job For15-20 years, and you start
thinking deep.
But I had my moment when I was29.
I was not a lot of money, justthinking about what I can do in
(16:38):
my life and I didn't even pursuea job that is Related to my
food science and technologydegree at all.
So it was really like a cleanslate all over again for me.
I'm a decision between Okay, doI want to go into the fitness
field or do I want to go intoteaching Childhood education,
and I ask the opinions of myfriends yeah, just do fitness,
(17:01):
it's your thing.
Daniela (17:02):
All right, then let's go down that path and this is
the, the person who never didany exercise until you were 18.
Yan Huang (17:10):
Yes, yes, exactly.
My life is very unpredictable,in a way.
Daniela (17:15):
Yeah, so what made you love exercise?
Yan Huang (17:20):
I guess maybe two things.
One it's like when people sayI'm never active, I can't do
this, I can't do that, but hey,I somehow managed to do it.
So it's just a lot of you knowthat, that power of the thought
if I can do it, if Yan can do it, so can you.
It's a quote by this famouschef.
By the way, hong Kong chef wasnow in US for many, many years.
(17:42):
He has his own cooking show,martin Yan.
Daniela (17:44):
So you had the same last name as your first name.
Yan Huang (17:47):
My first name is is Yan is his last name, but and he
always goes with his, alwaysplays with the chicken and say
if Yan can cook, so can you.
Yeah, so what made me loveexercise it's one thing it's is
that you put your mind to itSlowly and surely you know,
don't give up.
Consistent practice,intentional consistent practice,
will get you there.
And I think, second of all,most most importantly I would
(18:10):
say, is that I I developed Idon't know how to explain, but
it's more like it's a kind oflike feeling of coherence and
integration and alignment.
When you are able to align,integrate your mind, your body,
your spirit and soul if youbelieve in that into like one as
you move, it becomes veryhealing.
(18:32):
It comes it's a, it's a veryassured I sense of wellness and
well-being and strength.
It's like watching balletdancers doing their thing.
It's like, oh my gosh, you'reso graceful, you do it so
effortlessly, but yet you're oneof the strongest people in the
world.
You know, we can't see it.
So I think that made me fell inlove with it's like exercise.
Daniela (18:55):
You know, I like what you're saying, that it's just
everything in alignment.
I never thought of that way.
I mean, I do go to the gymregularly.
I don't necessarily like it.
The hard thing is to go to thegym.
Sometimes, when it's difficultfor me, I cut it in pieces, like
step one I got out of bed atsix o'clock in the morning.
Step two I got dressed.
Step three I'm here, you know,and then after I am at the gym,
(19:19):
I come out and I'm like I did it, you know.
So I'm happy that.
I went.
Yan Huang (19:24):
Yeah, I go through that as well.
Like I go through seasons ofups and downs and that's the
thing you know.
Sometimes we control, you know,like we want to control too
much and then the body doesn't.
It's a very interestingdiscovery for me, especially for
the last one year or so.
This whole control issues, likeI said, oh my God, sometimes I
(19:45):
don't feel like going to the gym, but I have to do it.
So I put on my shoes, I go tothe gym and try to break it up
into pieces and all that stuff.
Those are great habit hacks.
But sometimes you know if we aredoing too much control, like we
try to over control it, it willbackfire on us.
Like, for example, if you knowthat you just don't feel like
doing it, there is a reason why.
(20:07):
Okay, there is a reason why,energetically speaking, is it
because your sleep wasn't deepenough?
And if your sleep wasn't deepenough, what happened before you
slept?
And it's not a one time thing,sometimes it's an accumulation
of things.
So I give you an example ofmyself Three, four months ago, I
felt like my body was coherent,was in liman, I could sleep
(20:31):
deep.
When I wake up, I was refreshedand I didn't even need the alarm
clock, eating I didn't havecrazy cravings, my appetite was
great, I was on point, I wasfeeling wholesome, well being,
really, you know, like I couldfeel, like it's a new being for
me, and I felt that all the time, or rather before.
So I knew what happened.
And then about three, three,four months ago, and then
(20:55):
something changed.
I thought you know what, let'swatch a bit of TV.
I don't watch TV, so I decidedto watch drama series.
And you know how TV can goright, it just goes on and on
and on and get addicted to it.
Yes, and you start bingewatching it, and especially if
the plot gets so good and thenthat was so that happened and
then it into my regular sleepinghours.
(21:17):
You know how, before you go tobed, you have all this
stimulation of light, Eventhough I don't really like, I
don't really watch horror movieor like two gory stuff or like
two negatives, all the killingstuff, cause it's just too.
Daniela (21:32):
And you also have the special glasses because I yeah,
like me.
Yan Huang (21:37):
Yeah, sometimes I do, yeah, sometimes I do, I do wear
them as well.
So, like we should ourselves todeath, I like, yeah, and you
know you should not watch, youshould go to bed already.
No more of this thing, get backto your routine.
But then the conscious bring.
We're like no, no, no, you haveto watch the show, it's too
good.
So, so, yeah, so now I'mactually seeing the effects of
(21:57):
that.
So many to say that it's not anovernight thing, like if I were
to just do that for one night ortwo, that's okay, then you get
your body back, then you just doyour own practice to get back
in on track.
But because I was doing itconsistently, you know, for
several nights, and then on topof that, I'm now juggling, or
rather I'm now transitioninginto some several part time jobs
(22:18):
.
So a lot of adjustments to bemade in my life, emotionally and
mentally as well.
So I think that all took a, youknow, like my body just took a,
like like, oh my gosh, there'sso many changes happening.
Plus, I'm not doing my regularrest, digest or sleep well, so I
definitely came through thedifferences as well.
So, so, yeah.
(22:39):
So I'm learning right now, thismoment, right now, as we are
recording this episode, to learnabout this whole concept about
letting go, letting go andletting go.
And it's okay, you know, likeif you can't do all your to-do
list, or if, let's say, I planfor I want to do this exercise
today, today, today, right, youknow, sometimes just throw away
(23:00):
that plan and just go for a verysimple, nice walk or just go
for I call it like maybe 10minutes of rebounding or just
even five minutes of my tigongpractice or whatever.
It is anything that just bringmy awareness back to, you know,
the present moment with my body.
(23:21):
Eventually you'll get back ontrack again.
That's a beautiful feeling.
Daniela (23:26):
Yes, exactly, I have learned to be more forgiven.
You know I'm going to be hereuntil I'm 100.
So I have another nearly 50years to do exercise.
Yan Huang (23:35):
Yeah, I love that.
It means that you're being kindand compassionate to yourself,
and it's so important.
If you can't be kind andcompassionate to yourself, then
how can we be kind andcompassionate to everyone else?
Daniela (23:49):
You really like sports, you like exercising, and then,
so that's why you decided tobecome a trainer, right?
Yan Huang (23:55):
Yeah, I decided to enter the fitness industry,
doing fitness coaching, healthcoaching, now focusing on
women's health as well, as youknow, using I just like to use
movement, meditation, any, whatI call self.
I wouldn't use self healing asa word, but that's the word that
I learned.
(24:16):
You know any self care,so-called techniques, because
the best tool for own longevityand health is actually our own
self care.
I always tell some of myclients, of course I want to see
you as often as I can, becauseit means that you know I get to
make more money.
But eventually, right, my aimis that you are able to do your
(24:37):
own so-called form of exerciseor self care regime without me
around.
Yeah, because that?
Because I see you once a once aweek, or sometimes once a month
, depending on the schedule, butwhat happens the rest of the
hours?
That is on your own.
So for me, as like I callmyself a success benchmark is
(24:58):
when I know that I could seethat there are changes in your
behavior and your thoughtpattern.
Like, even without me remindingyou or even without me being
there, you are inspired to dosomething and you see the
changes in your body as well.
Any, any tips, and you keep theresults going and it's.
It's a true testament of whattrue wellness is about.
Daniela (25:22):
And Yen.
Is it as popular in Singaporeto go to the gym as in North
America?
Yan Huang (25:26):
Oh, right now.
Yes, yes, it has been actuallyfor the last five, six years,
because we are sort of like anaging population and like most
very commercialized orcapitalistic Western culture,
great, interesting.
Daniela (25:40):
Okay, so you are a trainer and you juggle a few
jobs at the same time as well,yeah, right now I'm also working
part-time at a grocery store.
Yan Huang (25:50):
I am going to move into teaching Pilates at a
studio as well.
Daniela (25:54):
Nice, I love Pilates.
What is next for Yen?
Yan Huang (25:58):
Wow, okay, what's next for me?
Right now, I just wanted totake One step at a time, one day
at a time.
Want to cultivate more presence, sing in all that I do wherever
I am, whether it is teaching orat a grocery store, learning
how to cultivate more, rest,digest, manifest practices.
(26:21):
I call it Re-learning, how tosurrender and go with the flow
more, be open to opportunitiesthat are aligned to me, continue
on that journey, and I havelots of creative projects in my
bucket list.
Yeah, let's just see where lifetakes me and hopefully one of
them takes off better this year.
Definitely want to continue mywhole podcasting thing.
Daniela (26:45):
Yen.
Reflecting on what you wentthrough, would you say something
different, give some differentadvice?
They Yen that got cancer at 22?
What?
Yan Huang (26:54):
would I say to her?
I would say to her that,honestly, I would say to her Yen
, you are more than enough, youare more than worthy.
Have faith in your path.
Yeah, yeah, like, really justbe more present in your own body
, trust your own gut feeling andif anything that you feel is
(27:18):
not aligned doesn't feel right,slow down, really slow down,
even if you need to pause andreally dig deep into your gut
feeling and ask your gut is thisright for me, right here, right
now.
If it's not, it's okay.
You will live to 120 years.
You have a lot of time ahead.
Daniela (27:39):
Yes, interesting that you said that, because I keep
remembering moments.
You know our wedding, our timeswhere I was living in London,
england, and I feel like Iwasn't present enough.
I remember some things, but Idon't remember other things.
And you know, perhaps it's justthat when you're young that's
the way you are when you don'tnotice things, you notice other
(28:01):
things.
Your memories are selective onbecause of your youth.
I keep saying to my kids, forexample you know, be more
present, because this is onething that I actually feel I
regret, but I don't know againif I could have been more
present, or the reality is thatwhen you're young, that's the
way people are.
Yan Huang (28:21):
Well, I don't have regrets, I just take it as well.
The way how I look at it, theway how I view it is, I have no
regrets right, all my pivotstwists and turns, I call it, all
the battle scars that I pick,that I collect along the way,
Experiences, you know.
Without them, I don't think Iwill have a deeper appreciation
of what I have right now.
I don't think I will be evenhere right now to share my story
(28:44):
.
I don't think I will have adeeper appreciation about the
goodness in mankind, even thoughsometimes we are full of.
We are.
You know, we are just bombardedwith so many bad stories, right
?
I don't think I will have adeeper appreciation of people
who are working really hard,like the frontline workers, like
me working at a grocery store.
(29:05):
It's been six weeks for me andoh my gosh.
You know I really want to givea shout out to people in the
retail.
You know industry, especiallyin the FCMG, fast moving
consumer goods.
You know, like in the retailgrocery stores there's so much
work like non-stop.
You know it's one of those Icall it unglam work.
You don't get paid a lot,anywhere between eight to $10 an
(29:27):
hour.
It's really long hours and yeah, and you know you have to deal
with what the management wants.
You have to deal with thecustomers and then the customers
in the day.
I have learned how to actually.
It's also a very interestingexperience because it keeps me
grounded.
It also teaches me how tocultivate presencing meaning and
boundaries.
Daniela (29:45):
I know what you're talking about.
I am listening to a new bookcalled Whatever arises, love
that.
I'm using that as my new mantraWhatever arises.
Love that oh okay, I like that.
It has been really interesting.
I started to use it on theweekend and we were with some
friends and I don't knowsomething happens between the
couple.
They started to get upset and Iwas like whatever arises, love,
(30:08):
that it was meant to be, likewhatever really happened, even
if it wasn't like this happymoment that we were expecting
there was gonna be, it put us ina different reality.
It needed to be there.
Yan Huang (30:20):
I love that.
I love this, sharon, because Icould tell that you're giving
your liver.
So in TCM liver, the organliver, it's got to deliver in a
gallbladder, but mostly theliver, the liver is very happy
right now because I can see andsense that you have this
newfound understanding andrevelation about learning how to
(30:42):
let go of control.
Daniela (30:44):
Yeah, and is you know, I like to control.
Yan Huang (30:47):
Oh, yeah, yeah remember, everything's on a
spectrum.
Everything's on a spectrum, Iknow.
Daniela (30:51):
So the liver has to do with control the emotions.
Yan Huang (30:54):
So there are like six or seven emotions and each
organ has an association with anemotion.
Oh really, what does TCM standsfor Traditional Chinese
medicine?
Tcm don't just treat thephysical symptoms, but they will
also notice your, what theycall your emotions.
Your emotions, your energeticsymptoms as well, because they
(31:15):
believe that the organs holdenergetic stuff which in the
Western modern medicine, they'llbe like what rubbish is this?
They really need it.
Daniela (31:26):
Yeah, yes, and I believe that that's important.
I believe that that goes handin hand.
And so now they're talkingabout functional doctors, right?
Yan Huang (31:34):
Yeah, which is so expensive.
Agree in the sense that I thinkit's positive for the Western
trained modern medicine, forthem to now be more open to look
at the human body holistically.
But if you still price them atthat rate then it's just not
accessible, right?
I think last we spoke lastmonth, right A month ago.
(31:55):
No a few weeks ago oh, just afew weeks ago, yeah, just a few
weeks ago.
And then, to be honest with you, even before that, I was, oh my
gosh.
I was going through this phasein life where I felt like, why
do I even want to have money,money, if I can practice my
(32:15):
qigong to a point where I don'teven need a lot of food?
Why do we even need money?
And it became very freeing.
Freeing in the sense that, wow,I thought I in the past, I
thought I need to have at least,let's say, $2,000 a month so
that I can eat this and it isthe basic stuff, right, and I'm
not married, I have no kids, soit becomes like burden-free.
(32:36):
Yeah, I really thought aboutthat.
And then I was like I don't know, I was, I was trying to find a
refine, a position in life whereI felt like, can I, how can I
be in the world but not off theworld?
Like how can I get out of thatsystem?
I don't have a house.
Do I really need a house?
Because all my friend of minewas just like, yeah, do you want
(32:59):
to start thinking about havinga house of your own?
Like, invest in a small littlehouse.
Well, only because I don't havea sum of money to buy a house
straight away.
But I didn't really want to geta house.
I don't want to be tied downfinancially.
I'm one person.
I don't really go afterluxuries, it's just basic stuff.
You know, I'm very happy if yougive me a small plot of land
and I go figure out how to growmy own vegetables or herbs.
Daniela (33:22):
And I wanted to comment about you saying that you don't
need money.
That's actually a very good,really good, because that is one
of the things that I feel likeI have difficulties emotionally
and you know, again, I'm not, Idon't need luxuries or anything
like that, but I would like, andI'm sure I have enough, but I
get stressed a lot about it andso, but only I think, is when
(33:47):
I'm spending it on the thingsthat are not my values.
But you know, I have a partnerand so he's spending values are
different than my spendingvalues and so I think that's
okay.
That's maybe the issue.
Yan Huang (33:59):
Yeah, yeah, I mean okay, maybe I wouldn't say I
don't need money, do I do?
I do I, you know like I need tosurvive, right?
So, yes, if I want to traveland all that stuff, yes, yes,
the basic stuff.
So that definitely I would sayyou know resources for you know
basic living and then you knowto teach people about
(34:22):
cultivation, health cultivationpractices as well.
Yeah, like you know, if,unfortunate enough, blessed
enough, I would love to reallydive deeper into the world of
you know traditional Chinesemedicine, whether to learn
acupuncture or nutrition and herstuff, to teach others, for not
(34:45):
a lot of money, of course.
You know, go around the worldand teach people that they would
be great.
So you are going to become a.
I don't know, I have not startedanything yet.
It costs a lot of moneyactually.
I feel like it suits you.
I feel like it suits you, Ithink so.
Anyway, if I'm going to listyou 120, I'm still young.
Daniela (35:03):
Yes, you still have lots of time to study, Jen,
shall we check with you in fiveyears to see where you're at and
how your your dreams have comethrough?
Sure, yeah, yes.
So I invite you to come back infive years and see how is Jen
doing.
Oh my gosh, that was soexciting.
It's like time travel.
I did an episode with five 20year olds and I asked them for
(35:27):
60 different questions.
Same question to all of themgot the answers and I was
thinking you know, we have to.
We have to come back in fiveyears or 10 years to see what
they think about the answers andwhat have changed since then.
So I am sure we can get back toyou too.
Oh, yes.
Yan Huang (35:44):
Yes, it sounds exciting, I love it, I love it,
I love it.
Daniela (35:46):
So let's do it, Yang.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story and reaching out all
the way from Singapore.
It was a pleasure.
Yan Huang (35:54):
Yeah, you're welcome.
Thank you so much again forhaving me.
I love sharing my story as wellwith you.
Daniela (35:59):
Yes, thank you.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Today's episode I am Danielaand you were listening to,
because everyone has a story.
Please take five seconds rightnow and think of somebody in
your life that may enjoy whatyou just heard, or someone that
has a story to be shared andpreserved.
When you think of that person,shoot them a text with the link
(36:21):
of this podcast.
This will allow the ordinarymagic to go further.
Join me next time for anotherstory conversation.
Thank you for listening.
Hasta pronto.
Hi, I'm Daniela.
Welcome to my podcast, becauseeveryone has a story, the place
to give ordinary people, stories, the chance to be shared and
preserved.
Our stories become the languageof connections.
(00:21):
Let's enjoy it.
Connect and relate, becauseeveryone has a story.
Welcome my guest, Yan Huang,from Singapore.
Yan is a long-term young adultcancer survivor who has been
living cancer-free for the last15 years.
She's also a certified women'sintegrative health coach, a QI
(00:46):
movement teacher and energyhealing practitioner.
Here Yan shares her unexpectedjourney, from the initial shock
of her diagnosis to finding thecourage to make decisions about
her treatment plan, her insightsinto maintaining an active
lifestyle I mean her treatmentand navigating the healthcare
(01:06):
system.
But the journey doesn't endthere.
Yan takes an introspective turnwhen she reflects on finding
purpose post-cancer, negotiatingthe world of self-care and
setting future goals.
I was delighted to have her onthe show.
She's a lovely individual withso much care for others and we
need more people like her.
(01:26):
So let's enjoy her story.
Welcome, Yan, to the podcast.
Yan Huang (01:32):
Yes, I'm Yan from Singapore.
Thank you for having me.
Daniela (01:35):
Yes, you're in Singapore, and the last time we
met oh my god, I made you stayall the way until midnight.
Did you have a pre-chat?
But this time it is only earlyin the morning, not too early,
so it's perfect.
So thank you the other day forstaying so late.
I had no idea that it was thatlate.
Yan Huang (01:52):
No, worries, you're welcome.
You're welcome foraccommodating.
It all looked out well.
Daniela (01:57):
Yes, and we had a nice conversation.
It was super interesting allthe things that you've gone
through, so tell me why you wantto share your story.
Yan Huang (02:05):
Well, you know how sometimes life is.
You know you go throughdifferent twists and turns,
whether it's expected orunexpected.
Usually it's unexpected.
It's always the unexpectedtwists and turns that makes life
a bit more interesting.
I'm a pretty introspectiveperson, so I would say during
the pandemic, it gave me sometime and space to reflect deeper
(02:26):
into what have I gone throughin life over the last nearly, or
the last 40 years or so.
It's time to share my storythrough another format, in this
case audio format.
I thought about podcast andhere, I am Great, excellent.
Daniela (02:41):
And so when does your story start?
Wow so.
Yan Huang (02:44):
I would say that my story began one a year before I
had cancer, perhaps around then.
So that's like about six, seven, 16 or 17 years ago.
How old were you?
So I was about 22.
Daniela (02:58):
Okay, wow, pretty young .
And what happened?
What happened to you?
What was the feeling when youfind out that you had cancer?
Yan Huang (03:05):
Yeah, the events that lead to that was the most
interesting one.
So I was in a four yearrelationship and I was also in
college as well, so there's alot of things happening for a
young adolescent.
The relationship became quiteemotionally exhausting and
taxing on me in the last twoyears or so, became slightly
(03:26):
abusive, both verbally as wellas physically.
It's not to the extent of, like, oh my God, I need to go to the
hospital, right?
Sometimes we say, you knowreally nasty things about each
other or even about ourselves.
During a very toxic relationship, like around the last one year
or so, I find myself actuallysaying these words.
At the rate that we arequarreling, I won't be surprised
(03:47):
that I will fall really, reallysick.
I kept saying that over andover again in the last one year
of our relationship.
Yeah, that I felt like a brokenrecord.
And then, about seven monthslater, I decided to break up,
like this is the end of therelationship.
I decided preparing myself interms of exercising and eating
(04:08):
better.
You know, like how most women,when they break up from
relationship, they want to focuson themselves, right?
So I did just that.
In fact, I was actuallypreparing for Asia's first women
triathlon about 10 months afterthe break up, while I was
preparing for the triathlon,that's when I found out I had
cancer, stage three.
Good news and bad news weredoctor, you know.
Daniela (04:27):
So you always been a sporty person.
You always did exercise.
Yan Huang (04:31):
No, no, no.
So that's the thing Iconsidered myself a late bloomer
when it comes to exercise andphysical stuff because growing
up I was pretty sedentary.
I couldn't, because I had acouple of what I call childhood
maliasis, meaning to say thatit's like certain illnesses that
is pretty chronic, but yet theyare not that severe that I need
(04:53):
to go to the hospital all thetime.
So that brings me to the pointthat actually so-called diseases
and illnesses is not a blackand white thing, but there's
always.
You're always on the spectrum,you know, just like human weight
and height.
We're never like a perfect 50kilo or a perfect hundred, like
a round of 100 kg.
We are always like a 50.1 and50.2, 50.3.
(05:16):
So it's always all a spectrum.
So yeah, so growing up I mainlyhad rather poor respiratory
symptoms, like I'm alwayscoughing.
I can have dry cough, thephlegm cough, or I can just have
cough where that it's like yourlungs get so constricted that
even when I see the mainstreamdoctor they just find that I was
not, my symptoms were notsevere or doesn't qualify to be
(05:39):
asthmatic.
So I was.
Daniela (05:40):
That's why I say I was at that in between you know,
like I'm in the in between, doyou think that it is more
psychological than physical?
Yan Huang (05:48):
It's a very good question, by the way, because no
one really knew the reasonbehind it.
I think in many ways my familyor my culture we don't really
think so much about the why andjust focus on restoring the
wellness, the balance, the innerwell-being, the inner wellness.
I mean that episode about thedoctor not being able to
diagnose me as asthmatic andtherefore give me, like this,
(06:11):
medical surgery to do whateveryou want to do, meaning you know
if I can't go to school, so bador whatever it is.
But I think that was a blessingin disguise.
My mom and my late grandma justthought that something used to
be done to fix a cough, achronic cough, because sometimes
it's so bad and sometimes itcan be triggered by certain
foods or certain activities andstuff like that.
(06:32):
Because of that, they broughtme to see my family Chinese
physician and for the next eight, nine years there's a lot of
weekly herbal medicine drinking.
We have to brew them and thenmake them in one bowl and drink
it every day.
Every week we see the Chinesephysician.
There's obvious, of course,changes to some nutrition habits
(06:53):
as well, but it paid offbecause after about like yeah,
after about eight years, 13, 14,yeah, around that age, in the
middle, between 13 to 15 yearsold, like my lungs got stronger
and stronger and by the time Iturned 18 years old I felt
really great, like a new set oflungs and no drugs at all, no
hospitalization, just the goodold way, very patient, of taking
(07:17):
herbal medicine.
No acupuncture, even at thattime was just pure all herbs and
using food, adjustment oflifestyle.
And by the time I turned 18 andthen I started going for some
dance and fitness classes and Ifelt a new list of lifelike.
Oh my god, I didn't know that Icould, I didn't know my body
could do it.
And then I felt healthier andhealthier and that started my
(07:39):
journey into fitness Wonderful.
Daniela (07:41):
And so, when you were 24, 23, you were diagnosed with
cancer stage three.
And then, well, what wentthrough your mind?
Yan Huang (07:48):
Yeah, so I think it was very surreal for me when I
first found out, because thefirst thing that came to my mind
was like, oh, wow, I did.
I just cursed myself to that,because I was going through in
my head during the last year ofrelationship I kept saying those
words, right?
So that was the first thingthat came to my mind, like, oh
my god, did I just curse myself.
(08:11):
Wow, there is power in ourwords that we use.
You know, and this was waybefore I learned about love
attraction.
This was way before I learnedabout what energy, medicine or
manifestation.
You know like.
This was days before socialmedia was all over the rage and
now people are all talking aboutspirituality, about
(08:32):
manifestation and all that thing.
And then after that, it becamelike, okay, all right, so what
do I have to do next?
It became like what I call abattle mode.
You know, like okay, whatshould I do next?
You know, no one in my familyhad cancer before I was young.
So I did ask for opinions, aswell as opinions of my two best
(08:52):
friends, because they are inresearch field, and I was even
negotiating with my doctor backthen.
I said can I finish my?
Can I do my triathlon and thencome back and then they could
then start my treatment.
My friends and my doctor justwent like, oh my gosh, this girl
is crazy.
Why would she want to do atriathlon when she had cancer?
(09:12):
And it's like stage three, it'sspreading.
I remember my friend sayingthis like hey, yan, do you know?
You know, yan, I think it's nota good idea.
Do you know how the lymphaticsystem work?
Do you know what is cancer?
I said M plus.
I felt really completely normal.
I didn't have any of thosesymptoms.
I felt great.
My weight didn't drop much,only a little only, just only
(09:34):
because it was so active.
But what made you go to thedoctor then?
Oh, because I had this painlesslump on the left side of the
neck area, which there's aninner lymph lymph nodes around
the area as well.
Yeah, there's a bit of a growththere.
And then it went on for likealmost like six months.
Oh, wow and yeah, but it didn't, it wasn't painful.
(09:55):
It wasn't painful.
I didn't.
I sort of ignore it like not,you know, I just sort of thought
like you would just go away.
It didn't occur anything to meand then until my mom said, why
don't we just pay a visit to ourChinese physician, and I did
that.
Daniela (10:11):
And how long were you with treatments?
Yan Huang (10:13):
So I was pretty fortunate with my treatment.
So remember, remember, early onI said that the doctor gave me
two things.
He said I have good news, badnews.
So I said what's the bad news?
The bad news is all right, youhave cancer, stage three acid.
So what's the good news?
The good news is, well, youhave one of the most treatable
form of cancer, which meansthere's a very high rate of
survival.
My treatment just lasted sixmonths, exactly six months, with
(10:37):
chemotherapy, four bags ofdrugs every two weeks, no radio,
no surgery, no drugs.
Daniela (10:42):
Yeah, and what happened afterwards?
So you were doing thetreatments, you were also in
retrospectively what washappening, what came after that?
Yan Huang (10:51):
Yeah, you know I call this like a crisis mode, right?
You know, like when crisis orwhatever we perceive as crisis
happened to us, we just go intoan automatic mode of like, all
right, we need to handle thisright now, we need to clear the
crisis.
And I never got a chance toreally talk to someone, whether
it's a trained therapist orcounselor, to make sense of what
(11:12):
the episode means, means for me.
You know, I definitely had mymoment of I call it existential
crisis.
You know, there are momentswhere I was thinking about who
am I?
You know, now that I survivedcancer, and sometimes I don't
really want to make a big dealout of my story, but
occasionally, when I share mystory, people always tell me
like, wow, yeah, that's veryinspiring.
(11:34):
You know, I was like why youknow you're young and you know
you survive cancer at a youngage and you know you've been
living with it for the last 15,16 years.
I mean, do I want to find outabout my cancer during that time
?
Yes, of course.
Like, I will figure out like,oh, what's actually Hodgkin's
lymphoma?
You know why did my doctor sayit's very treatable and curable?
(11:55):
Why would the media portraysomething about cancer?
Well, it didn't occur to methis way.
So I think that was one of thetruths or one of the myths that
I wanted to debunk right now.
You know, as I share my story isthat not every cancer is, you
know, daily Right, and.
But I'm not trying to downplaywhat cancer is as well.
(12:18):
And I think another thing isalso, because what I noticed is
that what cancer seems to be onthe rice, but it doesn't mean
it's normal, you know, wanted toshed some light to more people
to make them realize that don'tforget that medical diagnostic
tools are a lot more Advancedand precise than, say, 15, or
even 20 or even 25 years ago.
(12:40):
So what that means is that it'sable to detect more accurately
as well as more astute.
Lee, don't, you know, don'tlive in so much fear about what
cancer is, but have an awareness, have a conscious ever more.
Yeah, I have a more awareconsciousness about what is,
what is cancer all about.
And you know, over the last fewyears I, the more I did my own
(13:03):
research and studying andObserving, as well as working
with clients, and that's when Irealized that cancer it's really
like I always tell myself at ayoung age, cancer is like a big
flu bug that requires, you know,a different, a different
approach towards eliminating itright.
And then this year, the lasttwo years, it really give.
(13:26):
He really hit me even deeper,make me realize that cancer is
the form of symptoms that thebody is trying to tell you,
trying to speak to you, that weneed to clear Some or what the
TCM called energetic blockages.
They are a reflection of what'sgoing on in your internal
So-called world.
Whether is it because oflifestyle, thought patterns,
(13:49):
emotions, environmental factorsyeah, food stuff like that you
were going to college.
Daniela (13:54):
You said what were you studying?
I was studying food science andtechnology.
Okay, and you continue that.
Did you finish that before yougot cancer, or you?
Yan Huang (14:03):
so I, I finished that .
I finished that when I cancer?
Yes, because I graduated in 21?
Daniela (14:08):
Okay, and would you call yourself a cancer survivor,
or you have a different wordfor you?
Such a great question.
Yan Huang (14:15):
I Was just chatting about this with a fellow cancer
survivor like how do we callourselves?
Yeah, I think I'll call myselfcancer survivor, just only
because the world can associatewith that word as well.
Daniela (14:28):
And you met other people similar to you, Mmm not
not a lot.
Yan Huang (14:32):
The way how this whole cancer treatment journey
for me was truthfully yes, itwas a very much like let's get
this over and done with at ayoung age, because I always felt
like time was running out forme.
At that time I didn't reallylike pause or slow down to check
in with my own emotions or evenmy own mental, and I suppose
that's the way of life for me,because I don't know, when
(14:54):
you're at that age you just youjust want to go out and
experience life and all thatstuff.
And then all of a sudden youhave this news and you go like,
okay, what am I supposed to do?
Everyone else is climbing up acarpet ladder and I'm just
trying to figure out my next, mynext journey in life, and then
I'm told I have cancer.
I'm fortunate that I survivedit, but then what?
What is what right?
Daniela (15:15):
So you did have those feelings or those emotions after
the treatment.
Yan Huang (15:20):
Yeah, I did.
I did have those what I callthe more invisible side effects.
Daniela (15:25):
Okay, so six months after you start to Re-evaluate
your values and your life, yeah,and so how did you go about it?
What did you do?
Yan Huang (15:34):
I still do.
You know, by the way, I stilldo, it's just that I think right
now I'm a little bit moregrounded.
Right, I still do.
How do I evaluate?
Well, first of all.
So right after I finished mychemo, I decided to continue my
retail slash e-commerce businessthat began with my ex-boyfriend
.
Yeah, after about four years,or about three years or so, at
(15:56):
the age of 29, I decided that'slike I have enough of it and
find any meaning or purpose inthe retail business.
At that time, and Also probablybecause it I got burnt out from
having to juggle the businessof my own Perhaps there's always
that emotional baggage andremind the that it, you know, it
started because with my, withmy ex-boyfriend.
(16:17):
So I closed that.
And it's funny because mostpeople make their career choices
, or rather contemplate on yourcareer choices, usually around
the mid 40s Right, they alwayssay around the mid 40s after
working in a corporate job For15-20 years, and you start
thinking deep.
But I had my moment when I was29.
I was not a lot of money, justthinking about what I can do in
(16:38):
my life and I didn't even pursuea job that is Related to my
food science and technologydegree at all.
So it was really like a cleanslate all over again for me.
I'm a decision between Okay, doI want to go into the fitness
field or do I want to go intoteaching Childhood education,
and I ask the opinions of myfriends yeah, just do fitness,
(17:01):
it's your thing.
Daniela (17:02):
All right, then let's go down that path and this is
the, the person who never didany exercise until you were 18.
Yan Huang (17:10):
Yes, yes, exactly.
My life is very unpredictable,in a way.
Daniela (17:15):
Yeah, so what made you love exercise?
Yan Huang (17:20):
I guess maybe two things.
One it's like when people sayI'm never active, I can't do
this, I can't do that, but hey,I somehow managed to do it.
So it's just a lot of you knowthat, that power of the thought
if I can do it, if Yan can do it, so can you.
It's a quote by this famouschef.
By the way, hong Kong chef wasnow in US for many, many years.
(17:42):
He has his own cooking show,martin Yan.
Daniela (17:44):
So you had the same last name as your first name.
Yan Huang (17:47):
My first name is is Yan is his last name, but and he
always goes with his, alwaysplays with the chicken and say
if Yan can cook, so can you.
Yeah, so what made me loveexercise it's one thing it's is
that you put your mind to itSlowly and surely you know,
don't give up.
Consistent practice,intentional consistent practice,
will get you there.
And I think, second of all,most most importantly I would
(18:10):
say, is that I I developed Idon't know how to explain, but
it's more like it's a kind oflike feeling of coherence and
integration and alignment.
When you are able to align,integrate your mind, your body,
your spirit and soul if youbelieve in that into like one as
you move, it becomes veryhealing.
(18:32):
It comes it's a, it's a veryassured I sense of wellness and
well-being and strength.
It's like watching balletdancers doing their thing.
It's like, oh my gosh, you'reso graceful, you do it so
effortlessly, but yet you're oneof the strongest people in the
world.
You know, we can't see it.
So I think that made me fell inlove with it's like exercise.
Daniela (18:55):
You know, I like what you're saying, that it's just
everything in alignment.
I never thought of that way.
I mean, I do go to the gymregularly.
I don't necessarily like it.
The hard thing is to go to thegym.
Sometimes, when it's difficultfor me, I cut it in pieces, like
step one I got out of bed atsix o'clock in the morning.
Step two I got dressed.
Step three I'm here, you know,and then after I am at the gym,
(19:19):
I come out and I'm like I did it, you know.
So I'm happy that.
I went.
Yan Huang (19:24):
Yeah, I go through that as well.
Like I go through seasons ofups and downs and that's the
thing you know.
Sometimes we control, you know,like we want to control too
much and then the body doesn't.
It's a very interestingdiscovery for me, especially for
the last one year or so.
This whole control issues, likeI said, oh my God, sometimes I
(19:45):
don't feel like going to the gym, but I have to do it.
So I put on my shoes, I go tothe gym and try to break it up
into pieces and all that stuff.
Those are great habit hacks.
But sometimes you know if we aredoing too much control, like we
try to over control it, it willbackfire on us.
Like, for example, if you knowthat you just don't feel like
doing it, there is a reason why.
(20:07):
Okay, there is a reason why,energetically speaking, is it
because your sleep wasn't deepenough?
And if your sleep wasn't deepenough, what happened before you
slept?
And it's not a one time thing,sometimes it's an accumulation
of things.
So I give you an example ofmyself Three, four months ago, I
felt like my body was coherent,was in liman, I could sleep
(20:31):
deep.
When I wake up, I was refreshedand I didn't even need the alarm
clock, eating I didn't havecrazy cravings, my appetite was
great, I was on point, I wasfeeling wholesome, well being,
really, you know, like I couldfeel, like it's a new being for
me, and I felt that all the time, or rather before.
So I knew what happened.
And then about three, three,four months ago, and then
(20:55):
something changed.
I thought you know what, let'swatch a bit of TV.
I don't watch TV, so I decidedto watch drama series.
And you know how TV can goright, it just goes on and on
and on and get addicted to it.
Yes, and you start bingewatching it, and especially if
the plot gets so good and thenthat was so that happened and
then it into my regular sleepinghours.
(21:17):
You know how, before you go tobed, you have all this
stimulation of light, Eventhough I don't really like, I
don't really watch horror movieor like two gory stuff or like
two negatives, all the killingstuff, cause it's just too.
Daniela (21:32):
And you also have the special glasses because I yeah,
like me.
Yan Huang (21:37):
Yeah, sometimes I do, yeah, sometimes I do, I do wear
them as well.
So, like we should ourselves todeath, I like, yeah, and you
know you should not watch, youshould go to bed already.
No more of this thing, get backto your routine.
But then the conscious bring.
We're like no, no, no, you haveto watch the show, it's too
good.
So, so, yeah, so now I'mactually seeing the effects of
(21:57):
that.
So many to say that it's not anovernight thing, like if I were
to just do that for one night ortwo, that's okay, then you get
your body back, then you just doyour own practice to get back
in on track.
But because I was doing itconsistently, you know, for
several nights, and then on topof that, I'm now juggling, or
rather I'm now transitioninginto some several part time jobs
(22:18):
.
So a lot of adjustments to bemade in my life, emotionally and
mentally as well.
So I think that all took a, youknow, like my body just took a,
like like, oh my gosh, there'sso many changes happening.
Plus, I'm not doing my regularrest, digest or sleep well, so I
definitely came through thedifferences as well.
So, so, yeah.
(22:39):
So I'm learning right now, thismoment, right now, as we are
recording this episode, to learnabout this whole concept about
letting go, letting go andletting go.
And it's okay, you know, likeif you can't do all your to-do
list, or if, let's say, I planfor I want to do this exercise
today, today, today, right, youknow, sometimes just throw away
(23:00):
that plan and just go for a verysimple, nice walk or just go
for I call it like maybe 10minutes of rebounding or just
even five minutes of my tigongpractice or whatever.
It is anything that just bringmy awareness back to, you know,
the present moment with my body.
(23:21):
Eventually you'll get back ontrack again.
That's a beautiful feeling.
Daniela (23:26):
Yes, exactly, I have learned to be more forgiven.
You know I'm going to be hereuntil I'm 100.
So I have another nearly 50years to do exercise.
Yan Huang (23:35):
Yeah, I love that.
It means that you're being kindand compassionate to yourself,
and it's so important.
If you can't be kind andcompassionate to yourself, then
how can we be kind andcompassionate to everyone else?
Daniela (23:49):
You really like sports, you like exercising, and then,
so that's why you decided tobecome a trainer, right?
Yan Huang (23:55):
Yeah, I decided to enter the fitness industry,
doing fitness coaching, healthcoaching, now focusing on
women's health as well, as youknow, using I just like to use
movement, meditation, any, whatI call self.
I wouldn't use self healing asa word, but that's the word that
I learned.
(24:16):
You know any self care,so-called techniques, because
the best tool for own longevityand health is actually our own
self care.
I always tell some of myclients, of course I want to see
you as often as I can, becauseit means that you know I get to
make more money.
But eventually, right, my aimis that you are able to do your
(24:37):
own so-called form of exerciseor self care regime without me
around.
Yeah, because that?
Because I see you once a once aweek, or sometimes once a month
, depending on the schedule, butwhat happens the rest of the
hours?
That is on your own.
So for me, as like I callmyself a success benchmark is
(24:58):
when I know that I could seethat there are changes in your
behavior and your thoughtpattern.
Like, even without me remindingyou or even without me being
there, you are inspired to dosomething and you see the
changes in your body as well.
Any, any tips, and you keep theresults going and it's.
It's a true testament of whattrue wellness is about.
Daniela (25:22):
And Yen.
Is it as popular in Singaporeto go to the gym as in North
America?
Yan Huang (25:26):
Oh, right now.
Yes, yes, it has been actuallyfor the last five, six years,
because we are sort of like anaging population and like most
very commercialized orcapitalistic Western culture,
great, interesting.
Daniela (25:40):
Okay, so you are a trainer and you juggle a few
jobs at the same time as well,yeah, right now I'm also working
part-time at a grocery store.
Yan Huang (25:50):
I am going to move into teaching Pilates at a
studio as well.
Daniela (25:54):
Nice, I love Pilates.
What is next for Yen?
Yan Huang (25:58):
Wow, okay, what's next for me?
Right now, I just wanted totake One step at a time, one day
at a time.
Want to cultivate more presence, sing in all that I do wherever
I am, whether it is teaching orat a grocery store, learning
how to cultivate more, rest,digest, manifest practices.
(26:21):
I call it Re-learning, how tosurrender and go with the flow
more, be open to opportunitiesthat are aligned to me, continue
on that journey, and I havelots of creative projects in my
bucket list.
Yeah, let's just see where lifetakes me and hopefully one of
them takes off better this year.
Definitely want to continue mywhole podcasting thing.
Daniela (26:45):
Yen.
Reflecting on what you wentthrough, would you say something
different, give some differentadvice?
They Yen that got cancer at 22?
What?
Yan Huang (26:54):
would I say to her?
I would say to her that,honestly, I would say to her Yen
, you are more than enough, youare more than worthy.
Have faith in your path.
Yeah, yeah, like, really justbe more present in your own body
, trust your own gut feeling andif anything that you feel is
(27:18):
not aligned doesn't feel right,slow down, really slow down,
even if you need to pause andreally dig deep into your gut
feeling and ask your gut is thisright for me, right here, right
now.
If it's not, it's okay.
You will live to 120 years.
You have a lot of time ahead.
Daniela (27:39):
Yes, interesting that you said that, because I keep
remembering moments.
You know our wedding, our timeswhere I was living in London,
england, and I feel like Iwasn't present enough.
I remember some things, but Idon't remember other things.
And you know, perhaps it's justthat when you're young that's
the way you are when you don'tnotice things, you notice other
(28:01):
things.
Your memories are selective onbecause of your youth.
I keep saying to my kids, forexample you know, be more
present, because this is onething that I actually feel I
regret, but I don't know againif I could have been more
present, or the reality is thatwhen you're young, that's the
way people are.
Yan Huang (28:21):
Well, I don't have regrets, I just take it as well.
The way how I look at it, theway how I view it is, I have no
regrets right, all my pivotstwists and turns, I call it, all
the battle scars that I pick,that I collect along the way,
Experiences, you know.
Without them, I don't think Iwill have a deeper appreciation
of what I have right now.
I don't think I will be evenhere right now to share my story
(28:44):
.
I don't think I will have adeeper appreciation about the
goodness in mankind, even thoughsometimes we are full of.
We are.
You know, we are just bombardedwith so many bad stories, right
?
I don't think I will have adeeper appreciation of people
who are working really hard,like the frontline workers, like
me working at a grocery store.
(29:05):
It's been six weeks for me andoh my gosh.
You know I really want to givea shout out to people in the
retail.
You know industry, especiallyin the FCMG, fast moving
consumer goods.
You know, like in the retailgrocery stores there's so much
work like non-stop.
You know it's one of those Icall it unglam work.
You don't get paid a lot,anywhere between eight to $10 an
(29:27):
hour.
It's really long hours and yeah, and you know you have to deal
with what the management wants.
You have to deal with thecustomers and then the customers
in the day.
I have learned how to actually.
It's also a very interestingexperience because it keeps me
grounded.
It also teaches me how tocultivate presencing meaning and
boundaries.
Daniela (29:45):
I know what you're talking about.
I am listening to a new bookcalled Whatever arises, love
that.
I'm using that as my new mantraWhatever arises.
Love that oh okay, I like that.
It has been really interesting.
I started to use it on theweekend and we were with some
friends and I don't knowsomething happens between the
couple.
They started to get upset and Iwas like whatever arises, love,
(30:08):
that it was meant to be, likewhatever really happened, even
if it wasn't like this happymoment that we were expecting
there was gonna be, it put us ina different reality.
It needed to be there.
Yan Huang (30:20):
I love that.
I love this, sharon, because Icould tell that you're giving
your liver.
So in TCM liver, the organliver, it's got to deliver in a
gallbladder, but mostly theliver, the liver is very happy
right now because I can see andsense that you have this
newfound understanding andrevelation about learning how to
(30:42):
let go of control.
Daniela (30:44):
Yeah, and is you know, I like to control.
Yan Huang (30:47):
Oh, yeah, yeah remember, everything's on a
spectrum.
Everything's on a spectrum, Iknow.
Daniela (30:51):
So the liver has to do with control the emotions.
Yan Huang (30:54):
So there are like six or seven emotions and each
organ has an association with anemotion.
Oh really, what does TCM standsfor Traditional Chinese
medicine?
Tcm don't just treat thephysical symptoms, but they will
also notice your, what theycall your emotions.
Your emotions, your energeticsymptoms as well, because they
(31:15):
believe that the organs holdenergetic stuff which in the
Western modern medicine, they'llbe like what rubbish is this?
They really need it.
Daniela (31:26):
Yeah, yes, and I believe that that's important.
I believe that that goes handin hand.
And so now they're talkingabout functional doctors, right?
Yan Huang (31:34):
Yeah, which is so expensive.
Agree in the sense that I thinkit's positive for the Western
trained modern medicine, forthem to now be more open to look
at the human body holistically.
But if you still price them atthat rate then it's just not
accessible, right?
I think last we spoke lastmonth, right A month ago.
(31:55):
No a few weeks ago oh, just afew weeks ago, yeah, just a few
weeks ago.
And then, to be honest with you, even before that, I was, oh my
gosh.
I was going through this phasein life where I felt like, why
do I even want to have money,money, if I can practice my
(32:15):
qigong to a point where I don'teven need a lot of food?
Why do we even need money?
And it became very freeing.
Freeing in the sense that, wow,I thought I in the past, I
thought I need to have at least,let's say, $2,000 a month so
that I can eat this and it isthe basic stuff, right, and I'm
not married, I have no kids, soit becomes like burden-free.
(32:36):
Yeah, I really thought aboutthat.
And then I was like I don't know, I was, I was trying to find a
refine, a position in life whereI felt like, can I, how can I
be in the world but not off theworld?
Like how can I get out of thatsystem?
I don't have a house.
Do I really need a house?
Because all my friend of minewas just like, yeah, do you want
(32:59):
to start thinking about havinga house of your own?
Like, invest in a small littlehouse.
Well, only because I don't havea sum of money to buy a house
straight away.
But I didn't really want to geta house.
I don't want to be tied downfinancially.
I'm one person.
I don't really go afterluxuries, it's just basic stuff.
You know, I'm very happy if yougive me a small plot of land
and I go figure out how to growmy own vegetables or herbs.
Daniela (33:22):
And I wanted to comment about you saying that you don't
need money.
That's actually a very good,really good, because that is one
of the things that I feel likeI have difficulties emotionally
and you know, again, I'm not, Idon't need luxuries or anything
like that, but I would like, andI'm sure I have enough, but I
get stressed a lot about it andso, but only I think, is when
(33:47):
I'm spending it on the thingsthat are not my values.
But you know, I have a partnerand so he's spending values are
different than my spendingvalues and so I think that's
okay.
That's maybe the issue.
Yan Huang (33:59):
Yeah, yeah, I mean okay, maybe I wouldn't say I
don't need money, do I do?
I do I, you know like I need tosurvive, right?
So, yes, if I want to traveland all that stuff, yes, yes,
the basic stuff.
So that definitely I would sayyou know resources for you know
basic living and then you knowto teach people about
(34:22):
cultivation, health cultivationpractices as well.
Yeah, like you know, if,unfortunate enough, blessed
enough, I would love to reallydive deeper into the world of
you know traditional Chinesemedicine, whether to learn
acupuncture or nutrition and herstuff, to teach others, for not
(34:45):
a lot of money, of course.
You know, go around the worldand teach people that they would
be great.
So you are going to become a.
I don't know, I have not startedanything yet.
It costs a lot of moneyactually.
I feel like it suits you.
I feel like it suits you, Ithink so.
Anyway, if I'm going to listyou 120, I'm still young.
Daniela (35:03):
Yes, you still have lots of time to study, Jen,
shall we check with you in fiveyears to see where you're at and
how your your dreams have comethrough?
Sure, yeah, yes.
So I invite you to come back infive years and see how is Jen
doing.
Oh my gosh, that was soexciting.
It's like time travel.
I did an episode with five 20year olds and I asked them for
(35:27):
60 different questions.
Same question to all of themgot the answers and I was
thinking you know, we have to.
We have to come back in fiveyears or 10 years to see what
they think about the answers andwhat have changed since then.
So I am sure we can get back toyou too.
Oh, yes.
Yan Huang (35:44):
Yes, it sounds exciting, I love it, I love it,
I love it.
Daniela (35:46):
So let's do it, Yang.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story and reaching out all
the way from Singapore.
It was a pleasure.
Yan Huang (35:54):
Yeah, you're welcome.
Thank you so much again forhaving me.
I love sharing my story as wellwith you.
Daniela (35:59):
Yes, thank you.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Today's episode I am Danielaand you were listening to,
because everyone has a story.
Please take five seconds rightnow and think of somebody in
your life that may enjoy whatyou just heard, or someone that
has a story to be shared andpreserved.
When you think of that person,shoot them a text with the link
(36:21):
of this podcast.
This will allow the ordinarymagic to go further.
Join me next time for anotherstory conversation.
Thank you for listening.
Hasta pronto.
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