Meet our Coach Members
Anita S.K. Cheung, VP – Marketing
Lifestyle and Nutrition Coach; Certified Holistic Health Counsellor, AADP; Certified NLP Practitioner, B.A. Hons
What led you to coaching?
You may say I was “led into” it by the part of me that knows what I am here for. My first 13 years of career life was spent in the fashion industry, in which I enjoyed the creativity but knew that was not what I would do for the rest of my life. I had never heard about coaching then. But I was already interested in health and personal development. Growing up I knew that people liked talking to me because I could uplift them. I actually set the intention to “come back in my next life” relieving suffering by educating and healing people… but I thought I knew too little and it was too late in this life to do it… plus leaving a well-paid “glamorous” position was not too easy. A few years after I set that intention, I was forced to take a break because of burn-out, and I decided to study holistic nutrition in New York. That turned out to be a life-changing experience for me. I discovered “lifestyle/nutrition coaching” as a valid service to provide for high-stressed and well-fed, but under-nourished people. I didn’t know if it would open up a new career path for me because no one I knew in Hong Kong at the time had heard of it. However, at that point I realized I had found my “calling”. What followed has just been surrendering to my “calling”. I think Dalai Lama distinguishes “job”, “career” and “calling” in his “The Art of Happiness At Work”. I had a fashion “career”, but inspiring and supporting people to live happy and vital lives is my “calling”.
How does health & well-being coaching differ from traditional life coaching, for example?
Our body is our only vehicle to experience our life. I see health and well-being as an integral part of life coaching. I would say my style of coaching is actually an integration of consulting and coaching. Consulting because I impart nutritional and health information to my clients (and I strive to do it in an interesting and easy-to-understand way), and that often provides the entry point for establishing deeper connection and trust with their own body. I coach by asking relevant questions and guide them to look at their life from a (w)holistic perspective. I recognize and have experienced first-hand how proper nutrition affects how we think and feel, but nutrition provides only one form of nourishment. Our “hunger” for life needs to be fed by different aspects of our life — our relationships, fun and play, spirituality, satisfaction at work and so on. My approach is integrative.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
Creating my own “dream life”, from having no example to follow. It has been an extremely empowering experience. I give credits to a supportive and inspiring community that I have managed to create consciously. I made new friends and new work associates in a very short amount of time, which I also consider an “accomplishment”. It was almost a necessity because it had become difficult for me to get support and inspiration from my old circle when I came back to Hong Kong two years ago. I think the context we operate from is very important, and the context I have created for my life is one of POSSIBILITY.
I now spend my time doing things I love — integrating my interests in marketing and communication, wellness education and coaching. I have created with my work partner Graeme Bradshaw (Naturopath and Homeopath) a successful detox program in which I integrate coaching and facilitation into an otherwise physical cleansing program. I am passionate about helping people detox properly and holistically in this toxic world — it makes a big difference to how we experience life. It’s difficult to make good decisions or feel good when you brain is loaded with neurotoxins!
I also design and deliver corporate wellness programs. I am starting to partner with coaches who have more corporate connections than I do. My mission is to bring wellness awareness to the workplace. I hope soon I can tell you my other greatest accomplishment is having created the some wildly successful corporate wellness programs that transform corporate culture in Hong Kong!
What is your favorite coaching tool or technique?
I integrate neurolinguistic programming (NLP), emotional freedom technique (EFT) and an ontological approach to my work. I have to say I am not a big fan of “techniques”. I am more interested in coaching the “being”.
What do you do for fun and relaxation?
My work is like play so sometimes I forget to make time for “fun”, haha! I can create “fun” fairly easily – I take every opportunity to play with other people’s pets (and children). Stroking a furry animal can be deeply relaxing - as long as they let you. Playing with a two-year-old is more “fun” than “relaxing” I would say, until s/he starts to throw a tantrum, then it’s time to send it back to the parents!
Good food and good company keeps me happy and chilled. If I am by myself I use chewing (usually with eyes closed) to relax myself. Going away to a retreat in a natural environment has proven to be a most effective way to relax and rejuvenate for me. I am going to a Holistic Detox retreat in Koh Samui next month, partly for work, partly for my own recharge. I look forward to it!
Tel: 6056-2930
E-mail: inte.living@gmail.com
Website: www.imi.com.hk and www.integrative-living.com
