A Dog Called Diversity
A Dog Called Diversity
Improving wellbeing….with Cheryl Rodriguez
In episode 74 we speak with Cheryl Rodriguez. She has always been interested in her health and caring for her body. It wasn’t until she experienced a detached retina and lost vision in one eye, that life changed quickly.
Post-surgery Cheryl discovered the healing properties of sound meditation, and she was hooked. Listen in to hear her story and enjoy a short meditation with Cheryl at the end.
The Culture Ministry exists to create inclusive, accessible environments so that people and businesses can thrive.
Combining a big picture, balanced approach with real-world experience, we help organisations understand their diversity and inclusion shortcomings – and identify practical, measurable actions to move them forward.
Go to https://www.thecultureministry.com/ to learn more
If you enjoyed this episode and maybe learnt something please share with your friends on social media, give a 5 star rating on Apple podcasts and leave a comment. This makes it easier for others to find A Dog Called Diversity.
A Dog Called Diversity is proud to be featured on Feedspot's 20 Best Diversity And Inclusion Podcasts
Thanks for listening. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Welcome to A Dog Called Diversity, a podcast from the Culture Ministry where we explore the themes of diversity, equity and inclusion through sharing stories of personal and powerful lived experiences, including how people have found their feet and developed their career in diversity and inclusion. We are so glad you are listening in and if you need some help or support with your diversity and inclusion work, go to wwwthecultureministrycom for more information. In episode 74, we speak with Cheryl Rodriguez. Cheryl has always been interested in her health and caring for her body. It wasn't until she experienced a detached retina and lost vision in one eye that life changed quickly. Post-surgery, cheryl discovered the healing properties of sound meditation and she was hooked. Listen in to hear her story and to enjoy a short meditation with Cheryl at the end. Here's your host, lisa Mulligan.
Speaker 2:Today I'm really happy to welcome Cheryl Rodriguez to A Dog Called Diversity. We met because Cheryl came on my course towards the end of 2022 called Six Weeks to Get Started in Diversity and Inclusion, so we're going to talk about that a bit later, but Cheryl's a super interesting person, so welcome to the podcast. Firstly, cheryl.
Speaker 3:Thank you, lisa, it's great to be here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I thought I might Thanks for the invitation.
Speaker 2:Oh, my goodness, no problem at all. I know that you're joining us from Hong Kong, but Hong Kong is not necessarily where you grew up, so I wondered if you would talk just a little bit about, maybe, how you came to be in Hong Kong and a bit of your background.
Speaker 3:Sure, yeah, so I'm originally from the US, from Texas, and forget about, I think you know my mom definitely was of that era, or I'm from that era of, you know, women's movements, women's rights and women can do things on their own, and she really encouraged me to, um, just explore what I wanted to see or do or experience in my life. On the. On the flip side, um, for her, she was very disappointed when I left to do that I have had.
Speaker 2:I was thinking of my mum as you were talking. I grew up in a family where my mum and dad were like you can do whatever you want in life, as long as you're willing to work for it and you can be who you want to be and you can do what you want to do. Until I left Australia to move to Singapore yeah, not happy exactly so.
Speaker 3:Uh, you know it's, it's um. So that's why I mentioned it's good and bad, because, you know, I grew up with with these ideas of, of exploring and and as a female in in the US. I have to say, you know, I could, I could, I could do anything, I could try anything more. So I could try anything and um. So when the opportunity first came up for me to open, I was at university I started studying abroad, first in London for a few weeks and then in Spain while I was in graduate school for a few months, and then I just thought, oh, I'm just, this is, this is amazing. I'm going to, I'm going to travel for a and and work while I was, if I can, and I was able to get a one-year working visa in the UK. So I worked, um in the UK.
Speaker 3:I I was actually was in the education, I'd studied education and had meant to um go back to the US and and, you know, start teaching. But I kind of took a temporary job in in finance and I just gave photocopies. But as an American, I was able to, you know, in a British culture, able to stand out a little bit, um, we were naturally Americans a little bit more than than most cultures. So I worked there for almost a year and then I had the opportunity to move to Tokyo and, oh wow, worked in, lived in Tokyo for 10 years, which is, from a diversity perspective, really amazing and you know it has its challenges, but, um, very, um interesting to kind of be part of that diversity or interest in diversity.
Speaker 3:And then I moved to Hong Kong. So I've been here more than 15 years, 17 years, I think, 16 years and so since that time in London, or since that one year kind of break from university, I just stayed in the world of finance and yeah, so here I am still working in finance and I do have a wellness side as well and I'm working in the wellness. I've got my own wellness. I guess you could say business or practice, or I'm a wellness coach as well.
Speaker 2:Sure, I think over the past three years definitely with COVID, uh, wellness, and particularly mental health mental wellness where am I going with that? Um has really become center stage, particularly for organizations who are trying to manage groups of people and support them to be healthy, and I found it really interesting in some organisations, wellbeing comes underneath human resources or the people function, and sometimes into the diversity and inclusion function, if one exists, and sometimes it ends up in the the workplace health and safety function, and we are seeing legislation change around the world. That means that workplace safety legislation will also cover psychological safety, which I think is something that's a really good step forward. Your interest, though, in well wellbeing, I guess came from a personal experience, and I wondered if you would talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 3:Sure, I have always had an interest in wellness. I've been, since I was, I guess, in university, always had a passion for fitness. So, you know, there was always, um, a desire to. I always felt the positive effects of, of working out, and you know as well the physical effects, but also the the mind and body combination.
Speaker 3:Uh, and then um, through the years, at different times, but especially around 2000 well, basically around 2017 I had a detached retina, so I had an unexpected surgery, and whether that was related to the stress or pressure of working in an environment like an investment bank, I you know, I don't know, but it happened while I was working there and I actually I should step back a bit I was on a business trip two years before that, so around 2015, and I had popped into a yoga studio and decided to stay on for a sound meditation and I really experienced some calmness that I hadn't experienced before, a relaxation, a sense of well-being, just a sense that that stress had just kind of melted away. And, um, fast forward to 2017, I had the surgery unexpected, rushed to the hospital, had a surgery like 11 pm at night and woke up in immense pain.
Speaker 3:My eye had been operated on, it lost my vision temporarily because of the surgery, um, and couldn't take too much pain medication after I left the hospital.
Speaker 3:So I was in a lot of pain, to say the least, but also just my headspace was all over the place and I wasn't sure whether I'd get my vision back.
Speaker 3:I had to rely on people I just we take for granted, you know, our vision and it was.
Speaker 3:It was much more of a challenge to be out and about only seeing out of one eye, um, that range of vision just was reduced and I know he's on medical leave and I just remembered that experience that I had in London when I went to a sound meditation and had that feeling of relaxation and calmness, and so I went to a session and I came out and I don't always like to say that sound healing can be, or sound meditation can be, a healing practice. I mean it definitely can, but it helped to reduce the pain, reduce, in my eye, the pressure, and it was consistent over a few times. So I I just wanted to learn more about it and I wanted to be someone that I that when I went back to, ultimately went back to work that other stressed out colleagues. If they ever needed something to feel, you know where they could just go and just kind of let the stress go. I wanted to be able to be someone who could offer that as a, as a well-being offering, basically yeah.
Speaker 2:So how have you gone from, I guess, having a an incredibly scary experience of losing vision and learning that something helps, which was sound meditation. So how do you go from there to? How did you start, I guess, researching or discovering what that was all about? I should say I did get my vision back.
Speaker 3:It took about six weeks, I think, for my vision to come back, wow. And so I studied with different teachers. There is a studio here, red Doors, that offers training, and they also pre-COVID would bring over sound healing masters, whether it was singing bowls or gongs and tuning forks. So I studied with a few of those teachers, or gongs and tuning forks. So I studied with a few of those teachers, as well as others that came over with different studios, and I also travelled outside of Hong Kong pre-COVID to study with different teachers. So I've studied. I probably studied about two years and I'm continuously studying as well.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, how did you incorporate incorporate, I guess your learnings about sound meditation throughout COVID. Like were you able to use that during that time?
Speaker 3:absolutely.
Speaker 3:Uh, yes, I should say that, um, I mean, hong Kong was was quite fortunate that we weren't under complete lockdown, but we but it was still very we've had different waves, just like everywhere else, and the same same stresses as the rest of the world.
Speaker 3:But we, hong Kong, also had the protests, the so-called protests, the year before COVID, or the pandemic. So we actually came into the pandemic already stressed and anxious, because these protests were occurring in different parts of the city and impacted what we could or couldn't do, where we could go, where we couldn't go, where it was safe, and towards the end they did get a little hairy and actually some of my community. Sound meditation started then, so I was working out of a studio and then I began to offer meditations free to anyone who felt that they had been impacted by the protests and then later on, covid. So it didn't matter for me, you know, whether they could afford it or not, but I was trying to reach as many people as possible because those two incidences and life in general, when we have those ups and down challenges that we all of us have to cope with.
Speaker 3:I just wanted to be a a resource free resource, so you know a resource that people could go to so that anybody who felt they were impacted could, um, have a bit of mental kind of relaxation or a mental clearing of, of just letting go of what was happening oh, wow.
Speaker 2:And how have you been able to incorporate what you've learnt into the corporate environment? Because sometimes it's very separated. The corporate environment is supposed to be very data-driven, very fact-driven and things that can help our wellbeing and kind of at the other end of the spectrum. So how have you been able to? I bring those two things together, sure?
Speaker 3:I think in different ways. Um one, I have given sessions to my team members. Just, you know, we are having a really stressful time. It's just all. I've booked a studio for us all to go, or I've brought my equipment in and given the team session team a session um, and at the same time I'm not my colleague and I'm working on a project, pre-covid, but where I would, we would give, I would give sessions to employees and I would also, as a result, give the same number of sessions to the community.
Speaker 3:So I I'm very much, I'm very passionate, passionate about helping or providing wellness to underserved communities in Hong Kong, and unfortunately that project didn't go ahead because of COVID. We couldn't gather. But the person, who in HR, who was working on this project or who was ultimately compiling all these different projects, she was also working on a global wellness, sorry, a global learning week, and she asked if I would give a session to global employees virtually on sound healing um, and so that was one um instance. And then our poland office after that reached out, and so I gave a session to the Poland office by you know, virtually to their employees during their wellness week or health week. And then you mentioned diversity in organizations. So where I'm working out, we also have employee networks and different what we call action streams.
Speaker 3:What we did call action streams are being revamped at the moment, and so I, along with my colleague, kind of took charge, about a year and a half ago or two years ago, of organizing the wellness events, and so I was able to, you know, lend my ideas and my passion for wellness into, um, you know, providing these, these um sort of different topics, or different um health and wellness related topics to um, our Hong Kong office and APAC as well it's so cool and, like often we talk about in diversity and inclusion, about bringing your whole self to work and bringing the things that make you uniquely you into the workplace, and I think you're a great example of being able to do that and bring something in that makes a difference to people, particularly when we're all going through a pretty tough time.
Speaker 2:So we met because you joined my course, which is all six weeks, to get started in diversity and inclusion. What, what made you sign up? Like we didn't know each other? Yeah, what, what made you come along?
Speaker 3:so, uh, yeah, and it was fantastic, by the way, thank you. Thank you so much. I think um definitely, throughout my career in even in Tokyo, I've always had a passion for um, diversity, inclusion, and I would get involved in either employee networks or roll out, uh, women's networks within the different different firms that I worked at, but it was always part of um. You know, on the side, sometimes employee networks are run by employees and and you do that on top of your day-to-day job, and so, at the same time, I was also well, sorry, I was also involved in Tokyo as well as here, in women's networks like women in finance networks, women in art, et cetera. So I but I always took these for granted because you know, I never got paid for them, I never um, so, volunteer, right? Yeah, we're employee volunteers.
Speaker 3:Yes, exactly, and uh, not so much that I questioned what I was doing, I just I did start thinking well, you know is, can I move into this or is there other opportunities that I can? Can research? And I guess I didn't give myself the credit of the work that I had done in the past and I took your course because I really wanted to learn a bit more, to see if what I had done over the past 20 years. Had you know was? Was any of that right? Where did where did that come from? Was it a passion? Was it you know? Is this really? I believe it's important and organisations believe it's important. I guess I wanted to see how I can align that and perhaps move into a role in diversity inclusion.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that would be, super cool, that would be so amazing.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, yeah, I guess what was the biggest learning for you, like what, from doing that course? What did you take away that you think you'll use into the future?
Speaker 3:Well, a couple of things. One is definitely a kindness or compassion for ourselves. I did a lot over the past 20 years and maybe it's been piecemeal, but still it was very important. And I didn't I didn't recognize how much I had actually done over the past 20 years, and so that was just really I feel a little emotional. You know it's to to be able to, to provide a platform or an opportunity for others to to succeed or to maybe take the next step, um, in their own careers, whether they're female or you have a disability or um, you know, perhaps because of race or gender.
Speaker 3:So, you know, I I feel like I have helped people throughout their careers, even though it was a volunteering um and then um, so that was, that was just a real eye-opener for me, and that as well, identifying your stakeholders, as well as the importance of data. There's a lot of data out there and and you know everyday jobs and you know how and volunteering for projects as well. You know, there there are teams that need, want to do different things in diversity, and there are projects out there. So it's just a matter of knowing who those stakeholders are reaching out, saying yes, and then you know, and, again the data there's. There's some incredible data out there, yeah, within the organization. Thank you.
Speaker 2:I often, when I'm talking to people who want to move into diversity and inclusion, we talk about those experiences that you've had over your life, because if you want to move and work into this area, you've probably done stuff. Because it's part of you, it's part of your values that you want to help people and you want to give back. So thank you for sharing that. Like, where do you want to take your business into the future? So I know it's such um a beautiful thing that you do. For anyone who's been part of a sound meditation session, they're beautiful um, and I'm hoping you might share one at the end of this episode.
Speaker 3:Is that possible? I can share. I can share guided meditation. Sometimes the sounds might not okay, I would need the right setup, but I can definitely share a meditation okay okay, we'll do that soon.
Speaker 2:But yeah, where do you, where do you see this going? Where do you see your work going?
Speaker 3:well it's. It's I think I'm at that crossroads at the moment because I've I've done a lot of community work. I've done a lot of work in the financial industry in terms of wellness, and I think it's and something that I've learned from, from your. Another thing I've learned from your course is you're taking stock of everything that I have done. You know I, four years ago, I partnered with a mental well-being non-profit organization. They offered a free meditation. Over 100 people signed up and it was in the Hong Kong Stock Exchange building and it was amazing. That's incredible cool. Yes, and, as I mentioned, I've, you've given sessions to employees and colleagues rather sorry, colleagues around the world, and I'm really really interested as well in the mental well-being. We did a men's. I organized a men's mental health event recently and it was really surprising how well it took off and and well, how well it was received.
Speaker 3:So, whether it's keeping this on the side and and finding more, I'm finding an regular outlet for the communities. We have a large refugee population and we have a. You know there is a. We definitely have communities in need here in Hong Kong and I really want to work more with them. So, or with that population. So I have different, different ideas. I'm getting excited. I have different ideas on what I want to do, you know, and I'm just I want to step back, take stock and seeing where that actually goes. I know there are, there are roles within organizations, in wellness, also in diversity, where I can bring in the wellness practice, but I also do want to work with communities that that are, that are in need and and create an inclusive. You know, I want to create a space or or a class that people feel comfortable, that they where they can come to and be themselves and just show up and feel safe to, to relax or or let go and, you know, be okay with whatever might come up for them.
Speaker 2:It sounds amazing, and I can't wait to see where you take this.
Speaker 3:And so, to finish up, I'd like to invite you to lead us in a meditation sure, I also just wanted to say I am going sorry, going back to where I want to take this I've I've been so grateful of the, the partnership, to the support that I've been receiving over my journey, and one is the not necessarily a plug, but you know I'm sweaty Betty is a brand that was designed for women, by women and for all body shapes, and I feel really grateful that they they support um some of my events and um you know, I I went from being completely healthy and really fit to, after my surgery, just suddenly couldn't, couldn't exercise, couldn't work out, and my body shape as well.
Speaker 3:Getting older, my body shape has definitely changed pre-surgery, pre-eye surgery and post-eye surgery and, um, I'm not the typical yoga body that you know that, that is um that we see on Instagram. So I feel really I feel really great to work with brands that are inclusive, like like sweaty Betty, who, can, you know, outfit me, even though I'm not, you know even nice yes, so I I feel um, you know, I think there are um inclusive partnerships as well, that um and most of the classes that we give our community classes as well.
Speaker 3:So I feel really grateful for those kind of opportunities to further an inclusive wellness community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and there's something really special about collaborating with different brands and different people to create inclusion. So thank you for sharing that. Yeah, so over to you, cheryl.
Speaker 3:Sure, so how about three to five minutes or maybe around that time? Okay, so if you're out there listening, and lisa as well, I just invite you to. If you're sitting, um both feet on the floor, you may want to put your hands either on your lap or cups, you know. Um just in front of you, just just in a comfortable position, relaxing the shoulders. And if anyone has the opportunity to be laying down or the chance to lie down, you might want to just get cozy and also just start to relax the body, start to become aware of your breath, relax the body, start to become aware of your breath and, if you haven't already, start to gently close your eyes, keeping the awareness on your breath. I invite you to start being aware of any ambient sounds around you and, returning back to yourself and your breath, bring awareness to how you're feeling at this moment and on your next breath in, I just invite you to gently slow the breath just a little bit, keeping awareness, your mind and body, your mind and body. And then we're just going to do a bit of a breath work type of breathing Breathe in for four, three, two, one, and then breathe out for three, two, one. Inhale Four, three, two, one. Breathe in and exhale. Breathe in and exhale and exhale, just at your own pace, by keeping the breath slow and deep. I invite you once again to become aware of how you're feeling.
Speaker 3:Sometimes you may begin to experience some emotions, a smile. I'm going to next invite you, on your next breath in, to become aware of your heart space and your chest and and, as you breathe in and out, feel the expansion. As you breathe in and start to send that expansion outwards. When you breathe out, that expansion outwards when you breathe out Again, breathing nice and deep, breathing in gratitude, love, into your chest and heart space, and when you breathe out, send that gratitude and love outward. When you next deep breath in, keeping that feeling of gratitude and love, just invite you to envision your smile, your chest, your whole body just smiling from the inside body, just smiling from the inside. And when you breathe out, send that love, gratitude and smile outward. You know, the next breath in, still, with love and gratitude and a smile.
Speaker 3:As you breathe in this time, when you exhale, send your heart, your love, your gratitude, your smile out to someone who may need a little bit of care, attention or a virtual hug. And on your next breath in. Invite, bring a smile to your face and exhale, exhale, breathing in smile, breathing in smile and exhale. I just invite you to, in your own time, bring your breath back to your own pace. And bring your breath back to your own pace. Bring awareness to your feet and your toes you may want to move your toes gently and your next breath in, bring awareness to your hands and gently move your fingers. On your next breath in, if it's possible, bring your arms up over your head for a nice stretch, breathing in deep, breathe out. Bring your arms down and, on your own time, just gently start to open your eyes.
Speaker 2:That was lovely, thank you. I always notice how meditations work so well in the virtual space. Of course they're better face to face, but thank you, yeah thanks, they, um, yeah, they're great virtually in person.
Speaker 3:Uh, there are many apps that you can download or YouTube videos. There's a number of resources and I think that what we myself included sometimes we just don't give ourselves that time to slow down and you know, does wonders for our mind and our, you know, and our outlook, and just overall health and wellbeing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Thank you so much, cheryl, and it's been a pleasure having you as part of the course, and I wish you well for where you want to take your passion in the future. Great.
Speaker 3:Thank you and, yeah, I'm looking forward to you know I love joining your sessions and different webinars and I've really really have enjoyed them. They have really made you know, just been an eye opener and, you know, really empowered me with you know. Initially I thought it was just I'd be taking the course or learning more about D&I from my professional, my role in finance and my work in finance, but I really was able to see how diversity Check out the show notes to learn more about the Culture Ministry's online course Six Weeks to Get Started in Diversity and Inclusion.
Speaker 1:At the Culture Ministry, we know how challenging and lonely it can be working in diversity and inclusion and how progress is often slow. You might be just getting started in diversity and inclusion or you might be on your way. The Culture Ministry is here to help you with your diversity and inclusion progress. Go to wwwthecultureministrycom to learn more. If you enjoyed this episode and maybe learned something, please share with your friends on social media. Give a five-star rating on Apple Podcasts and leave a comment. This makes it easier for others to find A Dog Called Diversity. This makes it easier for others to find a dog called diversity.