March 21, 2024 • 30 mins
Join us on a transformative journey with Dr. Cindy Tsai, a beacon of holistic health and wellness. As an award-winning double board-certified physician, TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and chief wellness officer, Dr. Cindy Tsai encapsulates her journey from conventional medicine to integrative health.
She redefines health as she shares her personal battle with an autoimmune condition and sheds light on the pivotal role chronic stress plays on our well-being. By reconnecting with your body, she emphasizes the untapped power of body intelligence and the need to be proactive in managing our health.
Brace yourself as we unravel the mystery of crystals and their healing power. With Dr. Cindy Tsai guidance, learn how to attune yourself to crystals even if you're a novice, and discover the cleansing power of the cello night stone. As we journey through her multicultural upbringing, her innovative programs, and her vision in the holistic health community, Dr. Cindy Tsai reminds us of the significance of self-advocacy and education in our health journey.
This episode is your portal into a deeper understanding of holistic health and wellness, an awakening of your spiritual side, and a testament to the empowering impact of acknowledging and addressing the messages our bodies send us.
To learn more about Dr. Cindy Tsai: https://www.cindytsaimd.com/
Watch Dr. Cindy’s TEDx talk https://youtu.be/45Mip2dTZpI
We hope you found the episode to be enlightening and insightful. Our goal is to create content that not only entertains but also helps you grow spiritually and connect with your inner self.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello everyone, welcome to our spiritual
spotlight series.
Today I am joined by Dr CindySy.
She is an award-winningboard-certified physician, tedx
speaker, best-selling author andchief wellness officer.
Drawing from her extensivetraining at Ivy League
institutions and clinicalexperiences in internal medicine
and integrative medicinephysician, she recognized the
(00:23):
impact of chronic stress on thebody and transitioned her
entrepreneurship to do more thanprescribe medications as a
band-aid.
Her unwavering passion lies intaking in the integrative
mind-body-spirit approach towellness and advocating for
women's health and well-being tothrive.
Thank you so much for being onthe spiritual spotlight series.
I'm so happy you're here.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm excited, me too.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
So, as being a board-certified physician, can
maybe you tell us about a momentyou realize that you need to
transform, for, maybe,conventional medicine to a more
of a holistic, integrativeapproach?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Absolutely so.
I want you to imagine waking upone day, not being able to see,
because that's what happened tome, what Holy moly.
That's what I talked about inmy TEDx talk on body
intelligence and basically whathappened.
(01:19):
This was more than 10 years ago.
I was still in medical training.
I was working nights, workingsuper hard.
All the stressors were catchingup to me and I remember waking
up and the whole room was darkand blurry.
I tried putting on my glasses,my contacts nothing changed.
(01:39):
I went to see the optometristright away and then they
couldn't give me answers.
So my prescription increasedthreefold overnight and then
they just gave me a newprescription and they're like
okay, well, there you go.
And then they told me to go seethe ophthalmologist and I went
(02:01):
to see them and then got labsdone and then everything was
fine and so it was still prettywell.
Yeah yeah, my prescription wasstill completely off and so it
was totally confusing andterrifying and, as a physician,
I was trying to stay calm todiagnose myself.
(02:23):
But when a doctor looks at youand is like, well, this is
interesting, You're like youdon't want to be interesting to
a doctor.
No, it's a loaded term, sobasically, after a while, other
symptoms came up, and I was.
I thankfully did receive adiagnosis.
(02:44):
I had a rare autoimmunecondition impacting my eyes that
could have led to fullblindness.
Wow, good for you, though, forbeing proactive and still like
trying to go around the rabbithole, and so once I was
diagnosed, I of course startedon the serious medications like
(03:04):
steroids, immunosuppressants, tohelp with the inflammation,
because that's usually inautoimmune conditions there's
significant amounts ofinflammation in your body.
And then I was also verymotivated to get better and to
heal, and so that really broughtme into the realms of
(03:25):
integrative functional medicine,mindfulness, coaching, chinese
medicine, acupuncture, energyhealing, energy medicine and all
of those things together.
Thankfully it was a process,but thankfully I was able to
heal my eyes and I was able toget better.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
That is amazing and I love the fact that you went on
this journey and then you wereable to find other healing
modalities that may not fit yourbeing a physician, that normal
physicians may not travel downthat road.
They might just put on moremedications and more specialists
, and that's good for you.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
For, like I'm going to shift to here, yeah, I think
for me, and what I talked aboutin my TEDx talk, was that the
quick fix is not a fix in termsof our health and wellness.
I think when you're in acutestressful situations, of course
we want to stabilize, take themedications whatever it is.
(04:26):
If you break your arm, pleasego to the hospital.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I'll go to an orthopedic doctor.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Guys get a cast on Right, but I think just when
you're looking at something morechronic and long term, it's
really important to recognizethat there are many options out
there and it's not one size fitsall, but you really need to
assemble a team and to havepeople who are there to listen
(04:56):
and to support you so that youcan really get better and heal.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
That is amazing.
So let's talk about your TEDxtalk.
It's on body intelligence andit's got a lot of attention.
Maybe what is one of the coremessages you want people to take
away from it and how can we allbe better at listening to our
bodies?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, so I think for me, with the talk, it was really
about how our body has its ownintelligence and wisdom, and I
always think that our body isalways talking to us and
communicating with us.
But because we live in such abusy, hectic world right now and
(05:39):
so many things are coming at us, it's very hard for us to slow
down and to pay attention and tohear these messages, and so I
really encourage people to taketime to build in the habits to
pause and to really reconnectwith yourself, with your body,
(06:03):
whether it's through mindfulness, breathing practices, exercise,
activity, things like that.
But it's really important to beable to be present so that you
can hear what your body has tosay, so that you're able to know
hey, am I on the right track?
Is something going on?
Because even though for me itseemed like this condition
(06:26):
happened overnight, where I justwoke up one day, the reality is
it wasn't overnight.
When you talk about look atchronic stress and chronic
conditions, it's really littlemoments and experiences, the
stress that continues to buildup and accumulate to a point
(06:49):
where it does erupt.
And the point is, when you'reable to actually listen to your
body, you're able to catch it somuch earlier and you can take
better care of yourself, so thatit never has to get to that
point where you do need thatquick fix when you have that
urgent crisis and wake up call.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It sounds like tune in to your body to learn how to
be more proactive and reactiveand be more preventative and not
in crisis.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And I love the fact that you are certified in Reiki,
emotion Code, eft, thetaHealing all of those modalities
and you're an energy medicinepractitioner.
Those modalities are so, soimportant right now to so many
people, and I'm sure that thisis something that you believe in
.
Like our thoughts create areality.
(07:44):
Everything gets embedded intoour cellular tissue.
Maybe what fascinated you aboutlearning about those other
healing modalities?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, it's interesting because I grew up in
Taiwan and I actually did notgrow up with any religion or
spirituality, so to speak, ifanything, maybe slight Buddhist
tendencies, just with theteachings.
But I was not a religious orspiritual person, and so I think
(08:16):
it was really in my healingjourney that I felt like I was
searching for answers and reallyfeeling drawn to certain things
and areas, and I think it wasfinally when I was able to
really listen to myself, my soul, and have that deeper meaning
(08:43):
and purpose that really drew meto a lot of these modalities
that aren't necessarilymainstream but are very much
effective and important in ourwell-being.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Well, even just like EFT, the tapping, getting the
statement and being able to tapthat energy kind of out of you.
I mean, you don't even have tobe spiritual for that.
You know what I mean.
I just find these modalitiesthat, like you said, they're not
really mainstream but they'reso transformative for so many
people.
Do you now because I know youdo talk, you have a book
(09:25):
coaching do you do anyone-on-one type of clients where
you work with them and kind ofhelp them through this?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yes, so I work with clients in many ways, definitely
one-on-one and also in groupprograms, retreats like that and
definitely I think that clientsare always they're always in
shock, especially the ones whoare new to a lot of these
modalities.
I remember my clients, some ofthem being very skeptical about
(09:56):
things like EFT and energy workand then, but then it works
Right, and so they're like,they're like, okay, well, I
don't know what this is and Ifeel silly, but I'm going to
just do it, and then it works.
And then they've since becomebelievers and so I think part of
(10:17):
it is really I'm grateful to beable to be a guide and a
resource and to really helpintroduce people to some of
these amazing modalities andmethods and tools for people,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
And I think the fact that you're also a physician
you're a board certifiedphysician to be able to say look
, I'm a physician and thesethings work, like I think that
just holds so much weight to youknow, these other modalities,
like having a doctor say no, itworks.
Come on, guys.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yeah, it does, and I think one thing I mentioned in
my TEDx talk was that it's a lotof times, I think, people have
very extreme views of healthcareand wellness.
They might be, on one end, onlyabout Western medicine and
(11:12):
medications, or they're on theother side where it's like only
alternative.
It's so true, whatever randomthing that they've.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
They've whatever seen , or Beaches on my body will get
the toxins out.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I'm sorry, my whole point is like look, why do we
have to choose?
Right, because there are somany things that work and we
fall along a spectrum, Right,and so at some point in this
season of your life, maybe thismodality is going to work for
(11:49):
you.
And then another season,another instant, another,
whatever, maybe it's time toconsider something else.
And it's just about introducingpeople to just knowing that
there are so many options outthere, right, and it's not about
either or, but rather yes, andlet's be inclusive for
(12:12):
everything.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
That is a beautiful way to put it that you know this
might be working for you, butmaybe in a different season it's
not going to work.
And I like that, yes, andthat's a beautiful way to put it
, because you might likeresonate with certain modality
for a while and everything'sworking and going great, but
then you hit a wall and thenit's like, oh well, let me try
something else.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah, I think I definitely see that, especially
with a lot of professionals,high achievers, executives.
You know we like that thingswork Right and we, we build in
the habits, we keep going, butsometimes things just shift and
unfortunately it's not alwaysgoing to be the same, and so
it's really important to stillstay open minded to other ways
(12:57):
and methods too.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
So I'm intrigued by your book.
So much better life changingstrategies to develop calm,
confidence and curiosity tobecome your own success.
I love the, I love the, I lovethe cover, I love it all.
Can you maybe tell us about thebook and maybe some some life
changing strategies that ouraudience can apply right away to
(13:19):
develop more calm andconfidence?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Absolutely so.
The book is a bestselling selfhelp book and it's based in
mindfulness, and I love that soimportant.
I wrote the book because, aftercoaching many clients even
though they have they've comefrom different backgrounds
experiences I kept seeing thesame things come up again and
(13:43):
again and I realized I reallywanted to put together a very
simple, accessible, practicalresource for people as a
starting point, and so in it Ishare many different tools,
strategies for people to starton this process to mindfulness
(14:04):
and to really improving theiroverall well being so that they
can feel so much better.
And so I break it down into calm, confidence and curiosity, as
in the three pillars.
And so calm is and if youreally think about a calm, is
(14:24):
really about regulating yournervous system and it's about
working with your body.
So a lot of the tools I bringin there are related to that,
things like breathing and such.
And then, with confidence, it'sreally about how you show up
and who you are, your thoughts,your beliefs about yourself.
(14:44):
So it's about working with yourmind and having the tools
around that.
So that's about that pillar.
And curiosity is really aboutconnecting to the fun, bringing
the playfulness back, you know,and connecting to your soul and
your spirit.
So there are various practicesand strategies in that pillar as
(15:07):
well.
So it's really taking thisholistic mind, body, spirit
approach through the lens ofmindfulness, being present and
aware in your life so that youcan feel and be well.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That is beautiful.
I would say that so many peopleright now need to read that
book and implement the threepillars, because I mean, right
now it's just, you know, we'rein this hustle, bustle, this
like increase, like feels likeincreased stress.
You know that's definitelyyou're working on to help people
to reduce stress and like doyou find that a lot of your
(15:39):
clients are coming to you Likethey're completely like burnt
out and, oh my goodness, I needyour help?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah, I think so.
I'm glad that we're having moreconversations around mental
health, especially, though,because I think that in the past
, people were just struggling insilence, and I know, especially
in being a physician myself andhaving many contacts in the
(16:08):
physician community, physiciansuicide rates are actually very
high, and also addiction.
Yeah, and it's reallyunfortunate, and I think that
the more we have openconversations about stress,
burnout, well being, the betterright, and it's important for
(16:28):
people to realize that they'renot alone in whatever they're
going through and that there issupport, there are resources,
and to really find thatcommunity to help.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I would completely agree with you as somebody who
runs a doctor's office and wesee pediatric, we have
internists and pediatricians andI can't tell you how many young
patients struggling with mentalhealth issues and I feel like,
if you know, when parents readyour book and implement these
three pillars, that can be aripple effect down to the kids
(17:03):
and to help them all.
Right, let's be calm, let's beconfident.
You know it's so important.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Really, I wish you taught us this stuff in school.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Same, like, honestly it's.
You brought up a very valuablepoint.
Like we're definitely right nowin a mental health crisis, Like
I can't even I have never in mylife called mobile crisis as
much as I have get somebody setup a psych, as much as I have
get people set up withcounseling and thank goodness we
(17:33):
actually have an integrative,you know, mental health
counselor within our office.
But if we didn't have that,months, months, months really
unfortunate.
I think just our healthcaresystem in the US is so broken in
many ways that unfortunatelyit's really not able to provide
(17:56):
the support and care that peopleneed, which is another reason,
like look at other alternativemethods, look for holistic
healing, look at the mindfulness, look at, you know, like really
shift and look at the otherpossibilities, which that's what
you're doing.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, yeah, and I always also like to just say
that I know a lot of times whenpeople look into alternative
treatments and healers, it canbe really expensive yes, because
they don't accept insurance andthings like that.
But I think that even then,there are so many resources that
(18:36):
are available these days rightThrough podcasts, books, courses
, yeah, yeah, exactly, videos,and so I think that I know
sometimes it can feel reallyjarring or limiting for people,
but I would really encouragepeople to just start the process
, to start with their owneducation, to being responsible,
(19:00):
advocating for themselves,starting from there.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And 100% agree with you.
So let me ask you this you'refluent in multiple languages and
have lived in a lot ofdifferent countries.
How has this multiculturalbackground shaped your
understanding of health andwellness?
Speaker 2 (19:18):
It's definitely been really helpful for me.
I grew up in Taiwan and spenttime abroad.
Now and been in the States forso many years now.
I think that I feel veryfortunate and grateful to have
been exposed to these differentcultures, because I think
different cultures have so manydifferent traditions and
(19:43):
practices that are inherent inthe cultures right, many of
which are related to healing andwell-being, and it's also, I
think, really helped me in termsof connecting with people,
because recognizing that we allhave our inherent biases and
beliefs and expectations, and Ithink it's really helped me to
(20:07):
be a lot more open-minded andpatient when I'm working with
people, doesn't matter wherethey are, their culture, their
background, their experiences.
So I'm grateful for thatexposure and experience.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
That is amazing.
So your yes and more.
That is a personal growth andwellness company.
Can you maybe tell us aboutsome of the programs that you
offer?
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Definitely so.
I started yes and More becauseI wanted to help people say yes
to themselves and more.
I love that and so I helppeople in many different ways.
So usually I work with leaders,executives, entrepreneurs
through direct coaching, whetherit be one-on-one, group
(20:55):
programs, retreats.
I also help organizations withcorporate wellness and doing
consulting, bringing in a lot ofthese practices to help
organizations prioritizeworkplace well-being Right,
Because we see that the happier,the healthier team members are,
(21:15):
the better they do, the betterthey perform.
Profitability goes up,retention goes up, all of those
things, and so it's really allconnected.
So I do a lot of trainingspeaking in that realm as well.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That is amazing.
I work for a corporation andI'm just thinking about what you
just said.
I'm like, wow, that would bereally amazing to have that kind
of education.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
We get emails from our health insurance company and
they do challenges, but itdoesn't feel vested in my health
and well-being, yeah, andthat's exactly it, because I
would be doing a lot of thesetalks for corporate, especially
in the day of, for the couple ofdays and whatever, and
(22:01):
everyone's feeling great,inspired, low stress, they're
relaxed, and then I realizedthat in order to really have
long term sustainable impact andgrowth, it really needs to be
more immersed in the culture, inthe organization, starts from
leadership and it really has tobe fully aligned.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
It's not just about outsourcing it to a group of
benefits.
I mean sure those can behelpful, but again, I think that
it takes this very holisticapproach and it's about really
bringing in the expertise, theexperience, working with
everybody on the team to reallyimprove the culture so that team
(22:46):
members it doesn't matter whereyou are in the org chart that
you feel safe, that you feelsupported and that you have the
tools to be empowered to be yourbest.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
That sounds amazing, Like in working in a corporate
environment, like something likethat.
I feel, like you said, it needsto be invested by leadership
and all the way down.
I think they need to reallytruly believe in this and that
it's going to work.
I just can imagine so many goodoutcomes for your clients.
I'm just like I just love that.
(23:21):
I just want to sign in myselfup.
We'll talk after.
So let me ask you this what ismaybe your ultimate vision for
the impact you'd like to make inthe holistic health and
wellness community?
That's a big question.
It is a big question.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
It's interesting because I think that my answer
continues to shift as I continueto evolve and shift, and I
think this is the journey ofentrepreneurship.
I think years ago I would havesaid you know, just to make a
(24:06):
big impact right, and now it'sthrough.
After working with differenttypes of people, organizations,
it's like you get a little bitmore clear, but you also go a
little bit different in otherways, and so I really think
about big picture, reallybuilding a trusted, leading
(24:27):
wellness brand that helpseducate people and to empower
people to advocate for their ownhealth and well-being through
taking an integrative, holisticmind, body, spirit.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Well, I love that mission.
I think it's wonderful.
It's definitely attainable, butyou're right about how, like,
because you're introduced todifferent modalities and maybe
different client needs, and itis interesting how it shifts and
unfolds.
But, like you know, yourultimate goal is to help people
and that's what you're doing now.
(25:09):
You know, which is amazing.
So if anyone is interested ineither booking a session, buying
your book, I'll make sure tolink your TEDx talk to this.
What is the best place forsomeone to go to?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Absolutely so.
While everyone's welcome tofollow me on social media, my
handle is at Cindy's high MD,cindy TSA, imd.
I'm primarily on LinkedIn andInstagram and then make sure to
join my mailing list, where Isend out free weekly tips, so
you can sign up on my website atCindy's high MDcom.
(25:45):
And, yes, check out my book.
It's called so much better.
It's available on Amazon,barnes and Noble's all the major
retailers and yeah, I'm happyto be here as a resource and to
connect with people and see howI can best support.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
I love that.
So before we wrap up because Ido like to try to keep this
lighthearted Um could you maybeshare a funny or unexpected
story from your journey in thewellness field?
Speaker 2 (26:17):
In the wellness field .
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Or the holistic field and any field.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Well, I'm happy to share that for any.
It sounds like the audience foryour community generally have
been introduced to wellnessmodalities and all of that.
But I can share that, as Imentioned that I didn't grow up
with spirituality or any of that, and so it was actually a shock
(26:45):
to my sister, to me, right whenI first started going down this
path.
I remember I went to a verynice wellness retreat years ago
and basically it was one of theplaces where they'd have classes
and all the things and I signedup for a class.
(27:05):
The very first class I went towas a crystal meditation class.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Did you have to hold a crystal and meditate with this
?
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Yeah, and I.
It's so funny, Rachel, becauseI had never even come into
contact with crystals beforethat.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I love this.
Sorry, this is amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
I went to the retreat with my sister it was like a
sister bonding thing and thenand I was so confused we walked
in and then there were a bunchof crystals.
They're like grab one, whichone speaks to you, whatever.
And I was like, but what wasinteresting was I grabbed a
(27:49):
cello night and I actuallyreally felt the energy of the
crystal, and it was just.
I was so confused because I hadnever been in contact with this
realm, right, but then clearlyI was very attuned and intuitive
(28:11):
already and that really justopened my eyes to this whole
field.
And so I like to share thatstory because it doesn't matter
where you are, how old you are,whatever, when these things
happen, they happen and you justopen to it and it takes you on
a beautiful journey.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I love the fact that you picked up cello night,
because that's such a cleansingstone.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Right and like connecting to the divine Right,
Like she's like girl, I am readyto go Like, open me up.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
I love that.
Well, dr Cindy site, thank youso much for coming on this
spiritual spotlight series.
I am definitely excited tolearn more from you and I know
all of listeners are lookingforward to use you as a resource
for sure.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Thank you so much.
Hello everyone, welcome to our spiritual
spotlight series.
Today I am joined by Dr CindySy.
She is an award-winningboard-certified physician, tedx
speaker, best-selling author andchief wellness officer.
Drawing from her extensivetraining at Ivy League
institutions and clinicalexperiences in internal medicine
and integrative medicinephysician, she recognized the
(00:23):
impact of chronic stress on thebody and transitioned her
entrepreneurship to do more thanprescribe medications as a
band-aid.
Her unwavering passion lies intaking in the integrative
mind-body-spirit approach towellness and advocating for
women's health and well-being tothrive.
Thank you so much for being onthe spiritual spotlight series.
I'm so happy you're here.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Thank you so much for having me.
I'm excited, me too.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
So, as being a board-certified physician, can
maybe you tell us about a momentyou realize that you need to
transform, for, maybe,conventional medicine to a more
of a holistic, integrativeapproach?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Absolutely so.
I want you to imagine waking upone day, not being able to see,
because that's what happened tome, what Holy moly.
That's what I talked about inmy TEDx talk on body
intelligence and basically whathappened.
(01:19):
This was more than 10 years ago.
I was still in medical training.
I was working nights, workingsuper hard.
All the stressors were catchingup to me and I remember waking
up and the whole room was darkand blurry.
I tried putting on my glasses,my contacts nothing changed.
(01:39):
I went to see the optometristright away and then they
couldn't give me answers.
So my prescription increasedthreefold overnight and then
they just gave me a newprescription and they're like
okay, well, there you go.
And then they told me to go seethe ophthalmologist and I went
(02:01):
to see them and then got labsdone and then everything was
fine and so it was still prettywell.
Yeah yeah, my prescription wasstill completely off and so it
was totally confusing andterrifying and, as a physician,
I was trying to stay calm todiagnose myself.
(02:23):
But when a doctor looks at youand is like, well, this is
interesting, You're like youdon't want to be interesting to
a doctor.
No, it's a loaded term, sobasically, after a while, other
symptoms came up, and I was.
I thankfully did receive adiagnosis.
(02:44):
I had a rare autoimmunecondition impacting my eyes that
could have led to fullblindness.
Wow, good for you, though, forbeing proactive and still like
trying to go around the rabbithole, and so once I was
diagnosed, I of course startedon the serious medications like
(03:04):
steroids, immunosuppressants, tohelp with the inflammation,
because that's usually inautoimmune conditions there's
significant amounts ofinflammation in your body.
And then I was also verymotivated to get better and to
heal, and so that really broughtme into the realms of
(03:25):
integrative functional medicine,mindfulness, coaching, chinese
medicine, acupuncture, energyhealing, energy medicine and all
of those things together.
Thankfully it was a process,but thankfully I was able to
heal my eyes and I was able toget better.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
That is amazing and I love the fact that you went on
this journey and then you wereable to find other healing
modalities that may not fit yourbeing a physician, that normal
physicians may not travel downthat road.
They might just put on moremedications and more specialists
, and that's good for you.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
For, like I'm going to shift to here, yeah, I think
for me, and what I talked aboutin my TEDx talk, was that the
quick fix is not a fix in termsof our health and wellness.
I think when you're in acutestressful situations, of course
we want to stabilize, take themedications whatever it is.
(04:26):
If you break your arm, pleasego to the hospital.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
I'll go to an orthopedic doctor.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Guys get a cast on Right, but I think just when
you're looking at something morechronic and long term, it's
really important to recognizethat there are many options out
there and it's not one size fitsall, but you really need to
assemble a team and to havepeople who are there to listen
(04:56):
and to support you so that youcan really get better and heal.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
That is amazing.
So let's talk about your TEDxtalk.
It's on body intelligence andit's got a lot of attention.
Maybe what is one of the coremessages you want people to take
away from it and how can we allbe better at listening to our
bodies?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yeah, so I think for me, with the talk, it was really
about how our body has its ownintelligence and wisdom, and I
always think that our body isalways talking to us and
communicating with us.
But because we live in such abusy, hectic world right now and
(05:39):
so many things are coming at us, it's very hard for us to slow
down and to pay attention and tohear these messages, and so I
really encourage people to taketime to build in the habits to
pause and to really reconnectwith yourself, with your body,
(06:03):
whether it's through mindfulness, breathing practices, exercise,
activity, things like that.
But it's really important to beable to be present so that you
can hear what your body has tosay, so that you're able to know
hey, am I on the right track?
Is something going on?
Because even though for me itseemed like this condition
(06:26):
happened overnight, where I justwoke up one day, the reality is
it wasn't overnight.
When you talk about look atchronic stress and chronic
conditions, it's really littlemoments and experiences, the
stress that continues to buildup and accumulate to a point
(06:49):
where it does erupt.
And the point is, when you'reable to actually listen to your
body, you're able to catch it somuch earlier and you can take
better care of yourself, so thatit never has to get to that
point where you do need thatquick fix when you have that
urgent crisis and wake up call.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
It sounds like tune in to your body to learn how to
be more proactive and reactiveand be more preventative and not
in crisis.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
And I love the fact that you are certified in Reiki,
emotion Code, eft, thetaHealing all of those modalities
and you're an energy medicinepractitioner.
Those modalities are so, soimportant right now to so many
people, and I'm sure that thisis something that you believe in
.
Like our thoughts create areality.
(07:44):
Everything gets embedded intoour cellular tissue.
Maybe what fascinated you aboutlearning about those other
healing modalities?
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Yeah, it's interesting because I grew up in
Taiwan and I actually did notgrow up with any religion or
spirituality, so to speak, ifanything, maybe slight Buddhist
tendencies, just with theteachings.
But I was not a religious orspiritual person, and so I think
(08:16):
it was really in my healingjourney that I felt like I was
searching for answers and reallyfeeling drawn to certain things
and areas, and I think it wasfinally when I was able to
really listen to myself, my soul, and have that deeper meaning
(08:43):
and purpose that really drew meto a lot of these modalities
that aren't necessarilymainstream but are very much
effective and important in ourwell-being.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Well, even just like EFT, the tapping, getting the
statement and being able to tapthat energy kind of out of you.
I mean, you don't even have tobe spiritual for that.
You know what I mean.
I just find these modalitiesthat, like you said, they're not
really mainstream but they'reso transformative for so many
people.
Do you now because I know youdo talk, you have a book
(09:25):
coaching do you do anyone-on-one type of clients where
you work with them and kind ofhelp them through this?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yes, so I work with clients in many ways, definitely
one-on-one and also in groupprograms, retreats like that and
definitely I think that clientsare always they're always in
shock, especially the ones whoare new to a lot of these
modalities.
I remember my clients, some ofthem being very skeptical about
(09:56):
things like EFT and energy workand then, but then it works
Right, and so they're like,they're like, okay, well, I
don't know what this is and Ifeel silly, but I'm going to
just do it, and then it works.
And then they've since becomebelievers and so I think part of
(10:17):
it is really I'm grateful to beable to be a guide and a
resource and to really helpintroduce people to some of
these amazing modalities andmethods and tools for people,
absolutely.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
And I think the fact that you're also a physician
you're a board certifiedphysician to be able to say look
, I'm a physician and thesethings work, like I think that
just holds so much weight to youknow, these other modalities,
like having a doctor say no, itworks.
Come on, guys.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yeah, it does, and I think one thing I mentioned in
my TEDx talk was that it's a lotof times, I think, people have
very extreme views of healthcareand wellness.
They might be, on one end, onlyabout Western medicine and
(11:12):
medications, or they're on theother side where it's like only
alternative.
It's so true, whatever randomthing that they've.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
They've whatever seen , or Beaches on my body will get
the toxins out.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I'm sorry, my whole point is like look, why do we
have to choose?
Right, because there are somany things that work and we
fall along a spectrum, Right,and so at some point in this
season of your life, maybe thismodality is going to work for
(11:49):
you.
And then another season,another instant, another,
whatever, maybe it's time toconsider something else.
And it's just about introducingpeople to just knowing that
there are so many options outthere, right, and it's not about
either or, but rather yes, andlet's be inclusive for
(12:12):
everything.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
That is a beautiful way to put it that you know this
might be working for you, butmaybe in a different season it's
not going to work.
And I like that, yes, andthat's a beautiful way to put it
, because you might likeresonate with certain modality
for a while and everything'sworking and going great, but
then you hit a wall and thenit's like, oh well, let me try
something else.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah, I think I definitely see that, especially
with a lot of professionals,high achievers, executives.
You know we like that thingswork Right and we, we build in
the habits, we keep going, butsometimes things just shift and
unfortunately it's not alwaysgoing to be the same, and so
it's really important to stillstay open minded to other ways
(12:57):
and methods too.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
So I'm intrigued by your book.
So much better life changingstrategies to develop calm,
confidence and curiosity tobecome your own success.
I love the, I love the, I lovethe cover, I love it all.
Can you maybe tell us about thebook and maybe some some life
changing strategies that ouraudience can apply right away to
(13:19):
develop more calm andconfidence?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
Absolutely so.
The book is a bestselling selfhelp book and it's based in
mindfulness, and I love that soimportant.
I wrote the book because, aftercoaching many clients even
though they have they've comefrom different backgrounds
experiences I kept seeing thesame things come up again and
(13:43):
again and I realized I reallywanted to put together a very
simple, accessible, practicalresource for people as a
starting point, and so in it Ishare many different tools,
strategies for people to starton this process to mindfulness
(14:04):
and to really improving theiroverall well being so that they
can feel so much better.
And so I break it down into calm, confidence and curiosity, as
in the three pillars.
And so calm is and if youreally think about a calm, is
(14:24):
really about regulating yournervous system and it's about
working with your body.
So a lot of the tools I bringin there are related to that,
things like breathing and such.
And then, with confidence, it'sreally about how you show up
and who you are, your thoughts,your beliefs about yourself.
(14:44):
So it's about working with yourmind and having the tools
around that.
So that's about that pillar.
And curiosity is really aboutconnecting to the fun, bringing
the playfulness back, you know,and connecting to your soul and
your spirit.
So there are various practicesand strategies in that pillar as
(15:07):
well.
So it's really taking thisholistic mind, body, spirit
approach through the lens ofmindfulness, being present and
aware in your life so that youcan feel and be well.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That is beautiful.
I would say that so many peopleright now need to read that
book and implement the threepillars, because I mean, right
now it's just, you know, we'rein this hustle, bustle, this
like increase, like feels likeincreased stress.
You know that's definitelyyou're working on to help people
to reduce stress and like doyou find that a lot of your
(15:39):
clients are coming to you Likethey're completely like burnt
out and, oh my goodness, I needyour help?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Yeah, I think so.
I'm glad that we're having moreconversations around mental
health, especially, though,because I think that in the past
, people were just struggling insilence, and I know, especially
in being a physician myself andhaving many contacts in the
(16:08):
physician community, physiciansuicide rates are actually very
high, and also addiction.
Yeah, and it's reallyunfortunate, and I think that
the more we have openconversations about stress,
burnout, well being, the betterright, and it's important for
(16:28):
people to realize that they'renot alone in whatever they're
going through and that there issupport, there are resources,
and to really find thatcommunity to help.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
I would completely agree with you as somebody who
runs a doctor's office and wesee pediatric, we have
internists and pediatricians andI can't tell you how many young
patients struggling with mentalhealth issues and I feel like,
if you know, when parents readyour book and implement these
three pillars, that can be aripple effect down to the kids
(17:03):
and to help them all.
Right, let's be calm, let's beconfident.
You know it's so important.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Really, I wish you taught us this stuff in school.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Same, like, honestly it's.
You brought up a very valuablepoint.
Like we're definitely right nowin a mental health crisis, Like
I can't even I have never in mylife called mobile crisis as
much as I have get somebody setup a psych, as much as I have
get people set up withcounseling and thank goodness we
(17:33):
actually have an integrative,you know, mental health
counselor within our office.
But if we didn't have that,months, months, months really
unfortunate.
I think just our healthcaresystem in the US is so broken in
many ways that unfortunatelyit's really not able to provide
(17:56):
the support and care that peopleneed, which is another reason,
like look at other alternativemethods, look for holistic
healing, look at the mindfulness, look at, you know, like really
shift and look at the otherpossibilities, which that's what
you're doing.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Yeah, yeah, and I always also like to just say
that I know a lot of times whenpeople look into alternative
treatments and healers, it canbe really expensive yes, because
they don't accept insurance andthings like that.
But I think that even then,there are so many resources that
(18:36):
are available these days rightThrough podcasts, books, courses
, yeah, yeah, exactly, videos,and so I think that I know
sometimes it can feel reallyjarring or limiting for people,
but I would really encouragepeople to just start the process
, to start with their owneducation, to being responsible,
(19:00):
advocating for themselves,starting from there.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And 100% agree with you.
So let me ask you this you'refluent in multiple languages and
have lived in a lot ofdifferent countries.
How has this multiculturalbackground shaped your
understanding of health andwellness?
Speaker 2 (19:18):
It's definitely been really helpful for me.
I grew up in Taiwan and spenttime abroad.
Now and been in the States forso many years now.
I think that I feel veryfortunate and grateful to have
been exposed to these differentcultures, because I think
different cultures have so manydifferent traditions and
(19:43):
practices that are inherent inthe cultures right, many of
which are related to healing andwell-being, and it's also, I
think, really helped me in termsof connecting with people,
because recognizing that we allhave our inherent biases and
beliefs and expectations, and Ithink it's really helped me to
(20:07):
be a lot more open-minded andpatient when I'm working with
people, doesn't matter wherethey are, their culture, their
background, their experiences.
So I'm grateful for thatexposure and experience.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
That is amazing.
So your yes and more.
That is a personal growth andwellness company.
Can you maybe tell us aboutsome of the programs that you
offer?
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Definitely so.
I started yes and More becauseI wanted to help people say yes
to themselves and more.
I love that and so I helppeople in many different ways.
So usually I work with leaders,executives, entrepreneurs
through direct coaching, whetherit be one-on-one, group
(20:55):
programs, retreats.
I also help organizations withcorporate wellness and doing
consulting, bringing in a lot ofthese practices to help
organizations prioritizeworkplace well-being Right,
Because we see that the happier,the healthier team members are,
(21:15):
the better they do, the betterthey perform.
Profitability goes up,retention goes up, all of those
things, and so it's really allconnected.
So I do a lot of trainingspeaking in that realm as well.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
That is amazing.
I work for a corporation andI'm just thinking about what you
just said.
I'm like, wow, that would bereally amazing to have that kind
of education.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
We get emails from our health insurance company and
they do challenges, but itdoesn't feel vested in my health
and well-being, yeah, andthat's exactly it, because I
would be doing a lot of thesetalks for corporate, especially
in the day of, for the couple ofdays and whatever, and
(22:01):
everyone's feeling great,inspired, low stress, they're
relaxed, and then I realizedthat in order to really have
long term sustainable impact andgrowth, it really needs to be
more immersed in the culture, inthe organization, starts from
leadership and it really has tobe fully aligned.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
Right.
Speaker 2 (22:24):
It's not just about outsourcing it to a group of
benefits.
I mean sure those can behelpful, but again, I think that
it takes this very holisticapproach and it's about really
bringing in the expertise, theexperience, working with
everybody on the team to reallyimprove the culture so that team
(22:46):
members it doesn't matter whereyou are in the org chart that
you feel safe, that you feelsupported and that you have the
tools to be empowered to be yourbest.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
That sounds amazing, Like in working in a corporate
environment, like something likethat.
I feel, like you said, it needsto be invested by leadership
and all the way down.
I think they need to reallytruly believe in this and that
it's going to work.
I just can imagine so many goodoutcomes for your clients.
I'm just like I just love that.
(23:21):
I just want to sign in myselfup.
We'll talk after.
So let me ask you this what ismaybe your ultimate vision for
the impact you'd like to make inthe holistic health and
wellness community?
That's a big question.
It is a big question.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
It's interesting because I think that my answer
continues to shift as I continueto evolve and shift, and I
think this is the journey ofentrepreneurship.
I think years ago I would havesaid you know, just to make a
(24:06):
big impact right, and now it'sthrough.
After working with differenttypes of people, organizations,
it's like you get a little bitmore clear, but you also go a
little bit different in otherways, and so I really think
about big picture, reallybuilding a trusted, leading
(24:27):
wellness brand that helpseducate people and to empower
people to advocate for their ownhealth and well-being through
taking an integrative, holisticmind, body, spirit.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Well, I love that mission.
I think it's wonderful.
It's definitely attainable, butyou're right about how, like,
because you're introduced todifferent modalities and maybe
different client needs, and itis interesting how it shifts and
unfolds.
But, like you know, yourultimate goal is to help people
and that's what you're doing now.
(25:09):
You know, which is amazing.
So if anyone is interested ineither booking a session, buying
your book, I'll make sure tolink your TEDx talk to this.
What is the best place forsomeone to go to?
Speaker 2 (25:22):
Absolutely so.
While everyone's welcome tofollow me on social media, my
handle is at Cindy's high MD,cindy TSA, imd.
I'm primarily on LinkedIn andInstagram and then make sure to
join my mailing list, where Isend out free weekly tips, so
you can sign up on my website atCindy's high MDcom.
(25:45):
And, yes, check out my book.
It's called so much better.
It's available on Amazon,barnes and Noble's all the major
retailers and yeah, I'm happyto be here as a resource and to
connect with people and see howI can best support.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
I love that.
So before we wrap up because Ido like to try to keep this
lighthearted Um could you maybeshare a funny or unexpected
story from your journey in thewellness field?
Speaker 2 (26:17):
In the wellness field .
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Or the holistic field and any field.
Speaker 2 (26:22):
Well, I'm happy to share that for any.
It sounds like the audience foryour community generally have
been introduced to wellnessmodalities and all of that.
But I can share that, as Imentioned that I didn't grow up
with spirituality or any of that, and so it was actually a shock
(26:45):
to my sister, to me, right whenI first started going down this
path.
I remember I went to a verynice wellness retreat years ago
and basically it was one of theplaces where they'd have classes
and all the things and I signedup for a class.
(27:05):
The very first class I went towas a crystal meditation class.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Did you have to hold a crystal and meditate with this
?
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Yeah, and I.
It's so funny, Rachel, becauseI had never even come into
contact with crystals beforethat.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I love this.
Sorry, this is amazing.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
I went to the retreat with my sister it was like a
sister bonding thing and thenand I was so confused we walked
in and then there were a bunchof crystals.
They're like grab one, whichone speaks to you, whatever.
And I was like, but what wasinteresting was I grabbed a
(27:49):
cello night and I actuallyreally felt the energy of the
crystal, and it was just.
I was so confused because I hadnever been in contact with this
realm, right, but then clearlyI was very attuned and intuitive
(28:11):
already and that really justopened my eyes to this whole
field.
And so I like to share thatstory because it doesn't matter
where you are, how old you are,whatever, when these things
happen, they happen and you justopen to it and it takes you on
a beautiful journey.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
I love the fact that you picked up cello night,
because that's such a cleansingstone.
Speaker 2 (28:38):
Right and like connecting to the divine Right,
Like she's like girl, I am readyto go Like, open me up.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
I love that.
Well, dr Cindy site, thank youso much for coming on this
spiritual spotlight series.
I am definitely excited tolearn more from you and I know
all of listeners are lookingforward to use you as a resource
for sure.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
Thank you so much.
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