My Story

Hi there, my name is Zhi like the letter Z.

Growing up as an Asian American, financial security and
social status were the core focus in my household.
Making sure there was enough food on the table, a roof
over our heads, and enough resources to start a family
were the main focus which of course made sense to me. ​

"Do well in school and get a good job" was the household
mantra after all. So I stayed focused and made sure I did
well in school. 
 

From public schools to private and catholic schools, I got
to experience a variety of different schooling systems. 
You know the one thing I didn't learn from all of my
schooling experience? Mental health, inner care. 

It's a sad truth that mental health is not taught in most households or schools; almost every year at my high school, a classmate took their own life. 

I may know the Pythagoreom theorem but what about how to regulate my emotions? I may have memorized 50 different vocabulary words in a week but how do I settle my thoughts? There was so much emphasis on intellectual knowledge ​​gathering yet there wasn't a single course dedicated to understanding and regulating the inner experience of being human. Eventually I would come to learn the consequences of lacking this kind of inner knowledge.. 

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In 2017, I graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelors in Computer Science. I was very excited to enter the workforce of corporate tech and build a career for myself.

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I started making good money and I was getting comfortable going through the motions. 

But even though everything was going well on the surface, for some reason I felt.. unfree.

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What was the point? What's my purpose? Why can't I stop thinking?​

My mind was always racing from one thought to another thought.
Why can't I settle my thoughts? What's happening to me?

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I didn't have answers to any of these questions..
 

Things were getting existential while my thoughts seem to have taken on a life of its' own. 

I kept brushing this off and reminded myself to just be grateful for having a stable career.
As the years went on, I became increasingly depressed, anxious, and unmotivated.

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I didn't know what was wrong with me but I knew I couldn't go on living like this.

My search for a solution brought me to the Amazon jungle in Peru where I had the most intense experience of my life.

In that jungle, I was seeking an experience with a plant medicine called Ayahuasca. This is a medicinal concoction used by many indigenous cultures for the purpose of mental and spiritual healing. Though I didn't know what to expect, there was a consistent inner nudging towards this experience. So in 2021, I finally gathered enough courage to answer this calling. I journeyed with my best friend to the jungle for a week-long Ayahuasca retreat; an experience that would forever change my life. ​​

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For an in-depth retelling of this story, click here
 

In a single week, I felt like I went through a decade worth of therapy culminating in my spiritual awakening.
 

What I've learned through this experience can be distilled down to a single sentence.

"You were never properly taught how to use your mind"

Instead of educating children and young adults on how to use their minds, the current approach is to slap a label on someone and prescribe pills.

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Can't focus? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), try this pill.

Feeling anxious? Generalized Anxiety Disorder, try this pill.

Low moods, disinterested, and unmotivated? Major Depressive Disorder, try this pill.

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For the majority, pills only mask the symptoms without addressing the root cause.
Focus, as an example, is a skill that can be trained and developed, not just medicated. Anxiety is a lack of trust, an ingredient not found in pills. Depression is a lack of connection and purpose, again, ingredients not found in pills. This is why a significant portion of individuals do not respond well to psychiatric medication.

We are prescribing more pills every year yet the number of those with mental health disorders continue to rise. Something is clearly wrong with this picture. 

In the months following my spiritual awakening, the anxiety and depression I've carried for so many years began to dissolve as I started living out my purpose and integrating everything I've learned. 

I now advocate for Mental health and inner wellness to be taught in all schools.
My motto is "education before medication".

And so in early 2022, I quit my comfy tech job to start my coaching practice to help people regain control of their life and mind without having to rely on pills. 

To view my coaching services, click "Services"