Hong Kong Confidential

Lexi is a teenager with OCD, anxiety, mood disorder and depression. She shares her story of how she coped with her mental health issues during her school years and the challenges that she faced along the way. Lexi talks about her OCD obsessions and compulsions and the impact that these fears and rituals had on her life. Lexi could not go to school for many months as her washing compulsions became so hard to manage and the stress of trying to hide her OCD from others wore her down. She talks about the CBT and exposure therapy that helped turn her life around. Lexi reminds us that OCD is a selective and irrational disorder and she knows that it will be something that she will have to manage for the rest of her life. Often her mental health issues made her feel worthless and she would sleep for days on end and could not get out of bed. Lexi is a youth ambassador for the ODC and Anxiety Support Group in Hong Kong and is a mental health advocate. Lexi is an incredibly courageous teenager who is an inspiration to others. Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts.

Sylvia Tsui is an Energetic Transformation Life Coach who encourages us to love ourselves more in our quest for happiness. She used to work long hours and got really stressed from time to time. Finally, she fell ill and was in the hospital. After that she decided to leave the corporate world and help real life people meet their goals. Sylvia learned about how energy and our mind works, and she studied with spiritual masters and masters of energy. She is now an energy healing practitioner and encourages people to meditate to release blockages and to lead a more fulfilling life. Sylvia talks to us about energy, or Chi (Qi) as it is known in Chinese culture and how we can draw down the cosmic energy to heal ourselves and others. Sylvia uses body scanning with her hands to feel the energy and the chakras of the body and people’s auras. Sylvia is a Diamond Life coach and does a lot of work as a mindset coach as well. Sylvia talks to us about karma and how releasing karma can heal our past and transform our lives into something beautiful. Sylvia takes me through a Transform Your Life mini healing session and then leads me on a healing meditation which listeners may wish to participate in. It was an amazing experience and I felt a real shift after this live healing session. I felt a real sense of peace and calm. Sylvia Tsui: https://sylviatsui.com/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts.

Teressa Siu​ is a health advocate on and off camera. She helps people be healthy and happy through holistic and sustainable resources. One of her most passionate subjects is how food matters to health. She appears in media interviews advocating for food as medicine based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and Western nutrition principles. Along with being an acclaimed journalist, Teressa has a vast array of qualifications as a Wellness Coach, Soul Link Practitioner and an Integrative Health Coach, just to name a few. She discovered that both her passion and her ambition could become her life purpose. She loves being a wellness consultant and a lifestyle educator as she is serving the wider community. Teressa has made a lifelong commitment to loving herself and this has given her peace and harmony in her daily life. She encourages us to put ourselves first and to remember that if we can also give to others, that is a beautiful place to be. Teressa is authentic and generous in all that she does. She has done a lot of personal development work on herself to get to a place where she is able to share her wisdom with others. Lotus Life TV-Teressa Siu: https://www.facebook.com/LotusLifeTV                                https://www.linkedin.com/in/teressasiu/ https://www.facebook.com/teressa.siu Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts.

Maitreyi Karanth grew up in India and had a wonderful childhood until the age of nine when her father passed away from a heart attack at home. Her mother was blind and had never worked so her family struggled to make ends meet. After Maitreyi's father passed away, her mother, who was a very determined and independent woman, found a job in a local bank. Losing her father at a young age made Maitreyi become a very responsible and trustworthy child but she always felt cheated by life by not having her father with her as she grew up. Maitreyi shares her very positive experience of choosing to have an arranged marriage and the happiness that this has brought her in her life. Maitreyi was a maths tutor in Hong Kong but she realised that she wanted to fulfill her dream of becoming an actor so she went back to school to train in film and media. She wanted to use these creative talents that she had inherited from her loving father. She produced her own TV series and is in the process of making a short film. Her greatest love is stand up comedy and she shares her story of how she found herself opening for some of the biggest Indian comedians in Hong Kong. Maitreyi unashamedly tells us that she bulldozes through life, but she is always giving back to others through her philanthropic work with both people and animals. Maitreyi certainly is living life to the fullest and is living her dream. Maitreyi: http://www.takeoutcomedy.com/site/comedians/maitreyi-karanth/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts

Ziggy Makant is a young mum and fitness trainer who has combined her love of babies and fitness to create a new niche in Hong Kong working with pre and post-natal mothers as a coach helping them with their fitness, nutrition and well-being. Ziggy opens up about her struggles with post-natal depression and how she was able to overcome this significant struggle. Ziggy also shares her experience with breastfeeding and weaning her child. None of this was easy for the young 23-year-old mother. One of the key coping mechanisms that she discovered was exercising with her baby and connecting with other young mothers. We discuss the pressure to regain the pre-baby body and how this is not realistic as the body will never be what is was before because it has become so much more. Ziggy feels that the early postpartum period is rarely talked about, and she believes that this time can often be much more demanding than childbirth. Ziggy creates spaces for young mothers with her ‘Mum Fit’ classes where they can come and work out with their babies and have other mums to connect with and glean support and advice. Ziggy offers pre and post-natal support for mothers and refers them on to professionals in the areas that they require expert advice. Ziggy also has a nutritional program called ‘Milky Mama’ nutrition and this provides lactation support products for new mothers. Ziggy is an inspiration and role model as an entrepreneur and mother making a difference in Hong Kong. Contact Ziggy:  https://www.zigfitmama.com/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Neelam Harjarni was working in the corporate world and she was facing stress and work pressure that was taking a toll on her body and mind. She decided to move into the well-being space and created her own company Inspire Yoga. Neelam mission is to teach an authentic and holistic framework to ease the stress of Hong Kong lifestyles, to bring balance to both body and mind. She has created her own niche in Hong Kong developing bespoke personal yoga programs for individuals, families and corporate clients. She works in her client’s home or office and creates an intimate well-being program designed for the unique needs of her clients. Inspire yoga is all about finding the need and creating a solution. Neelam explains the many advantages to doing yoga in the face paced world of today and the links between the mind and body when it comes to healing and well-being. Yoga is a journey inwards and she inspires her clients to go from doing to being. It is interesting to note that 70% of her clients are men who need a stress outlet in their daily lives. Neelam works on personal growth and encourages a healthy lifestyle. She reminds us that we could all benefit from a digital detox and some of the things we can do to ensure that we overcome anxiety, chronic tension and stress related illnesses using personalized yoga sequences and meditation techniques. We explore the benefits of meditation and breathing to get to a place of peace and gratitude. Inspire Yoga: https://inspire-yoga.com/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Temmy Maclean and her 63-year-old mother were caught in the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand. This is the first time that Temmy has shared her story publicly. Temmy talks about the fear she felt and how she came to terms with the fact that she was going to die. She and 64 other people were stranded on Bamboo Island after being caught in the Tsunami during a day trip to Phi Phi Island. She and her mother went into self-preservation mode whilst being in a heightened state of sheer terror. Temmy explains the impact that this near-death experience had on both her and her mother and how she dealt with the trauma at the time and when she returned to her life in Hong Kong. This is a powerful example of human strength in the face of a devastating natural disaster. Temmy’s story will have you on the edge of your seat. A Listener Note: This podcast explores some distressing themes- listener discretion is advised. Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Susanne Schutz is a Chinese Metaphysics consultant who specializes in Feng Shui, auspicious date selection and Chinese astrology. Susanne has trained with a Grand Master and practices in Asia, Dubai and Moscow. She explains the difference between contemporary Feng Shui and classical Feng Shui and gives us an insight into the rich history of the practice. Susanne explains how Feng Shui, auspicious date selection and astrology are all intrinsically linked, and she delves deeper into each of the practices with us. Susanne shares how Feng Shui looks at your environment and the interaction between the mountains and the water with a focus on the energy that this creates. Feng Shui can be used to improve your career, sleep, health issues, academic success, children’s behaviour and increase your opportunities for love and money; just to name a few. Susanne mentions several remedies that she may recommend in a Feng Shui consultation but reminds us that it is not about object placement but about specific remedies for individuals as the energy is being generated by natural land-forms. This is a fascinating insight into Chinese metaphysics and the work that Susanne does as one of Hong Kong’s most respected consultants. Suzhong Consulting: http://suzhongconsulting.com/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Carmen Yau is a storyteller at the Jockey Club Storytelling Hub where she shares her story of being sex call worker. Carmen was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and is now an advocate for people with disabilities, particularly when is comes to sexuality and embracing diversity. Carmen has a Psychology degree, yet she found it very hard to get a job because of her disability. Luckily, she found a job at the sex call centre where people would share their intimate stories and personal secrets with her. Carmen went on to write her own sex stories and published them as 'Sugar XXX' for the Chinese disabled community. Carmen reminds us that we need to embrace our bodies and our sexuality as our bodies are a canvas where we can truly express who we are. We discuss masturbation and how this can help with both self-love and knowing your own body. Carmen also shares how social media helped with her transformation after her 14-year relationship ended. She has found a wonderful community of other disabled people who are sharing their ‘sexy selfies’ and being proud of both their disabilities and their sexuality. This has inspired Carmen to help more people get to this place of self-acceptance and self-love. Carmen talks about the benefits of keeping a sex dairy and recommends that we all have a sex bucket list. Carmen explains to us how we can all be our own sex coach and turn on our own sex engines. A Listener Note: This podcast explores adult themes- listener discretion is advised. Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Dating and Relationships Coach, Valentina Tudose talks to us about open relationships and polyamory. We explore the boundaries and rules that can make open relationships work and some of the challenges that people in open relationships may face. Valentina explains all the wonderful benefits of being in an open relationship and how our attitudes towards sex are linked to our values. She shares her personal experience being in a 10-year open relationship with her long-term partner who sadly passed away this year. Topics such as swinging, consent, safe sex, and comperson are discussed. When Valentina coaches people wanting to embark on an open relationship, she starts with discussing their values, the vision for their relationship and their deal breakers. The Five Languages of Love are explained to us and the different types of relationships that we can have. Valentina believes that sex is the glue of a relationship and being open and vulnerable can increase intimacy levels. An open relationship can be an opportunity for growth. Happy Ever After: https://happyeverafter.asia A Listener Note: This podcast explores adult themes- listener discretion is advised. Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Kate Bridle is a polysomnographer, more commonly known as a sleep specialist. She talks to us about all aspects of sleeping well. Kate shares her knowledge on sleep hygiene, chronic insomnia and habits that can help us to sleep better. We discuss many things that impact our sleep such as diet, exercise, light, alcohol and many more factors. It is important that we have an anchor time that we wake up at each day if we want to develop good sleeping habits. Teenagers should not stay up cramming at night and Kate explains how vital sleep is for retaining information in the brain and doing well in exams. Kate gives us tips to stop snoring and how this can also be linked to sleep apnea. She discusses diet and the gut/brain connection as this can have a huge impact on our sleep. We also explore sleep walking along with REM behavior disorders. Kate shares some of her experiences when researching sleep disorders while she was at university. We learn ways that we can turn our minds off so that we can get to sleep and tips for getting babies to sleep. This podcast is a must for anyone who struggles with their sleep. Sleep HQ: https://www.sleep-hq.com/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Aisling McDonnell has been single for seven years and she has been dating on Tinder for quite a while now. She started a very amusing and entertaining blog called ‘Bumbling Tinder’ where she talks about the highs and lows of her online dating experiences. We discuss the swiping culture in today’s fast paced world and how many people are looking for instant gratification, yet some are looking for something more meaningful. Aisling reminds us how superficial the Tinder app can be however; some people do find love on Tinder. Aisling discusses what makes a good profile pic, her experience with the notorious dick pics and how many people on Tinder are just illusions. We explore online dating safety tips and the importance of loving yourself first. Aisling shares some of her top dating tips and she reads two awesome stories from her blog that will make you laugh and cry simultaneously. Aisling’s Blog: http://bumblingtinder.com/ A listener Note: Many of the topics discussed in this podcast cover adult themes. Listener discretion is advised. Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Debbie Mannas grew up in Bangalore, India and moved to Hong Kong in 1991. Her love of music began early in life and she has been singing from a very young age. Her deep interest in human behaviour helps her to write meaningful songs in many different styles and genres. She performs often and her singing touches the hearts of many. Debbie and I talk about her work in Human Resources in the corporate world and how she balances work, motherhood and music. Debbie is a mentor to women through the Women’s Foundation with a focus on diversity and inclusion. Debbie believes that her greatest qualities are her resilience, calm and patience. She is great at maintaining a balance and welcomes a challenge. She shares some of her parenting tips and inspires us with her wise words of wisdom. Debbie Mannas Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-mannas-7572625/?originalSubdomain=hk Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/

Allie Rooke discovered the benefits of clean cosmetics and living a clean lifestyle when she was going through her fertility journey. She found a natural fertility clinic in Australia and that was the turning point in her journey to become a mother and she re-evaluated how she was living her life and the products that she was using. Allie explains how mainstream cosmetics can disrupt the endocrine system on our bodies and the effects that this can have on our health and wellbeing. She began with a clean cosmetics blog and eventually launched her own clean cosmetics consultancy business ‘My Clean Cosmetics’ to help expand the Asian market. We have such an interesting discussion about the K and J Beauty trends, zero waste, the effect on the planet and animal testing. We also explore the free gift trend and how many brands are beginning to move into the natural space. Allie gives us some top tips on clean cosmetics and recommends some great products and companies in the clean cosmetic world. https://mycleancosmetics.com/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/

Paula Miquelis is the organiser of the Green is the New Black Conscious Festival in Hong Kong. We discuss many sustainable living topics. We explore issues such as climate change, plastic use, zero waste, veganism and mindful eating. Paula shares some of the highlights of the Green is the New Black Festival including the conscious brands featured in the Market Place and the Talks where industry experts encourage us to live more consciously. Paula talks about best practices that corporations can adopt to improve their sustainability and the changes that we can all make as individuals. Hong Kong people can join the Green is the New Black Conscious Festival at the Kerry Hotel on April 13th and 14th. More information is in the link below. https://greenisthenewblack.com/festival/ Please visit my Patreon page if you would like to sponsor the production of Hong Kong Confidential Podcast. I have many great rewards to offer my supporters. Thanks for taking the time to check out the page https://www.patreon.com/hongkongconfidential?alert=2 Email: jules@hongkongconfidential.net Webpage: https://www.auscastnetwork.com/home/hong-kong-confidential Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hongkongconfidential/ Twitter: www.twitter.com/juleshannaford/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hongkongconfidential/ Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube and anywhere you find your podcasts. Sponsored by Teresa’s Turkish Towels https://hkturkish.com/