The word kayanin ("kah-YAH-nin") is a Tagalog word which means "to be capable, able to endure, or able to accomplish." As a first-generation Filipina-American, I am inspired by the depth of meaning to this word. To know that you are káya ("KAH-ya"), capable of handling something, is at the very heart of my cultural experience. Filipinos have been colonized for hundreds of years, made to endure the legacy of many harsh seasons of oppression, civil unrest, natural disaster, poverty, and loss. We understand what it means to have the strength to survive, how to accomplish great things in impossible circumstances, and how to hold strong to our faith when all we love is swept away by the powerful forces around us. This is our magic and our power in this world which has mostly left us to struggle as an unregarded island nation. Though we have been shaped by the hardships of our history, we are also defined by the precious stories of our elders and ancestors carried within us, our commitment to family, community and to loving beneficence, and our bond with the sacred earth.

​

It is from this grounded place of reverence that I first conceived of Kayanin as a spiritual life coaching practice. In the post-colonial world, we are all trying to rebuild and rediscover ourselves, to piece together an authentic expression of selfhood and shared selfhood outside of the systems of oppression which have stripped us from our sacred roots and true identities. We are trying to forge and reclaim community, to feel more deeply connected to each other and find strength in togetherness. As a therapist assisting many queer, BIPOC, and spiritually-minded folks in my practice, I have invested time and study in learning how to build these qualities into the deep relational bonds I form with clients.

​

My soul felt full in this practice, aligned to its purpose within the container of therapy. Yet as time passed, I heard the call to another direction. My inner voice said to me, "We are capable of more." There is more to the growth of the human spirit than working through traumas or managing symptoms, more to life than healing or repair. Life coaching delivers within its scope the powerful tools to shape our minds, bodies, and spirits to a common and elevated purpose. Through the practice of spiritual life coaching, I am dedicated to helping my clients increase their self-knowledge, empower themselves to lead meaningful and enriching lives aligned with their spirit, and to feel deeply káya, capable of succeeding, enduring, and accomplishing their life's work through all seasons of abundance and scarcity. The power to be káya is something one finds only within, and it would be my great privilege to help you discover and cultivate this strength for yourself.