Design x Design: Finding energy and joy in the unknown
This is an installment of our blog’s recurring series, Design x Design. Members of the Pinterest design team — designers, researchers, content designers and more! — will discuss their backgrounds, creativity, dreams and hot takes on line spacing. In this installment, Taylor Simpson (product designer, measurement) interviews Jamie Cabaccang (lead product designer, measurement). Jamie is the founder of Techies + Wellness, a Soul Care Energy Practitioner at Pure Reiki Wellness, and an author in Wake Up: Miracles of Healing From Around the World.
Taylor Simpson
Can you tell the origin story of how you got into holistic wellness?
Jamie Cabaccang
I was diagnosed with an illness that would lead to me being on chemotherapy and steroids for the rest of my life. Becoming ill made me question everything in life, from my career, to my relationships, to how I’m spending my time. I went on a journey of finding natural ways to heal myself, and after less than a month I really felt the difference. I had my life back.
During this time, I got really curious about energy healing after my first Reiki session when the practitioner was hovering over my throat. I started crying and releasing stuck energy. You can actually give yourself Reiki, so I was inspired to get certified as a Reiki master since I thought I might as well just heal myself.
Once I was certified, people started asking me to give them Reiki. I didn’t know if it was going to work, but I realized that I was tapping into gifts I never knew that I had. Reiki is a complementary therapy for so many things such as depression, anxiety, illness and overall well-being, that I realized that more and more people need this. I opened up my own practice a few years ago called Pure Reiki Wellness. I got my business license, designed my own branding, found a space to rent at an integrative medicine office on Saturdays. My clientele grew so quickly and I’m usually booked out 1–2 months in advance!
Taylor
And what about Techies + Wellness?
Jamie
I’ve been a manager and mentor for many years and I realized everyone I talk to is all dealing with challenges. It’s a part of life — I mean, can we normalize this? And we’re really good at hiding it at work. So I used to facilitate “feelings meetings” when I worked at Microsoft to create a space to listen to others and be heard. To build community and trust within a team. And to turn our coworkers into humans.
From there I decided to introduce sound healing, guided meditation and energy work to different companies in a very practical way. The curiosity, participation and positive shifts in people who participated inspired me to create Techies + Wellness, a bridge between holistic wellness and the tech communities — since I speak the language of both. I began partnering with other professional practitioners to create mindfulness and wellness workshops, holistic experiences (like sound and frequency healing, breathwork, guided meditation, massage, movement) and transformative retreats. Plus, the pandemic has created a new opportunity to partner with practitioners around the world. We can expand our reach online.
With Techies + Wellness I’m a small, self-funded company and I’ve found that when I share our compassion-led purpose and impact, people and businesses really want to help out. Businesses have offered their space free of charge for our monthly events, donate their wellness products for our retreat wellness bags, and teachers offer classes free of charge. In return, we share their businesses with our network. I’ve hired a Director of Community Engagement and work with freelancers to help while I work a full time job.
Taylor
It sounds like you’re really good at just going for things. That’s really inspiring. Can you speak more to how your work with product design and holistic wellness influence each other?
Jamie
I can use my product design thinking skills to solve other problems in life through immersive sensory holistic experiences and help people answer the question of “who am I” to create a life they want. And then there’s building community with our coworkers. That’s really important, especially when we think about collaboration, innovation and bringing our best thinking to the workplace.
Many things that have manifested into something meaningful started out with play. Those passions can be signs of your purpose.
Taylor
Definitely. Do you feel like there was a key moment in your holistic work so far?
Jamie
There are many, but two that really stand out. One, when I got ill and went through my own healing journey. And then the second one is recently, with my daughter going through her own struggles with a rare illness. Allopathic doctors can’t figure out what’s wrong with her, but we’ve found ways to heal most of her symptoms through holistic wellness and we’re getting closer to figuring out the root cause through doctors of Integrative medicine. And I’m learning that sometimes the worst things that happen to us can end up being the best things that happen to us.
Had I not gone through my own illness, I would have never discovered the world of holistic healing. I would not have founded Techies + Wellness. And it’s prepared me to support my daughter on another level — to be able to walk alongside her and help her tap into her own inner wisdom. We all have the ability to help heal ourselves. It’s really important that my daughter learns that as well.
Taylor
You’ve got Techies + Wellness, you wrote a book, you’re a Reiki practitioner. You’ve got so much going on. How do you balance all of that with working nine to five and your family and social life?
Jamie
Being intentional with my time and what I say “yes” to. For every “yes,” I question what I am saying “no” to. And I try to be mindful of saying “yes” to the things that energize me instead of deplete me.
Practicing using “no” more is also important. Right now I’m in the season of not being really active with Techies + Wellness and I accept that I’m not. I’m done trying to do everything. I’m in the season of healing myself and my own family right now. And It’s going to allow me to put more of my energy and this newfound wisdom into like the next version of Techies + Wellness and our offerings.
Really focus on what brings you joy and just start. You don’t always have to have the whole thing planned out to get started.
Taylor
What are you most proud of in the last year with your work?
Jamie
Oh, I’d say being an author in the anthology Wake Up: Miracles of Healing From Around the World. It never really was a goal of mine, being an author in a book. And some of the authors included are my biggest inspirations — and if you read the authors it’s like doctor, doctor, doctor… and me, Jamie. To be able to share my story with the world (in a bestseller!) encourages me to continue to share my life learnings in hopes that it helps others.
Taylor
Wow, that’s incredible. What advice would you give to other full-time folks who want to pursue some kind of passion project?
Jamie
Many things that have manifested into something meaningful started out with play. Those passions can be signs of your purpose. Really focus on what brings you joy and just start. You’ll realize you need to take that next step in order to see the next step. You don’t always have to have the whole thing planned out to get started.
Taylor
Yeah, I’ve struggled with over-planning. I have notes around my desk that give me words of advice and one of them is “simply begin.” And another one is “perfect is the enemy of the good,” because sometimes it’s so hard to get started.
Jamie
Sometimes having everything all planned out limits ourselves from something even greater than what we have planned out. By using your heart as a compass and taking that next step, even into the uncomfortable and unknown, your path begins to light up with each step. The note by my own desk says: “Who would you be and what would you do without that thought?” If you can remove certain thoughts and limiting beliefs that may not serve you, who would you be?
Taylor
I’ll definitely be thinking about that one. Thank you Jamie for sharing your story and wisdom!
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