The Journey Podcast Risa Kawamoto

Welcome to another episode of the Journey Podcast!
In today’s episode, I’m having a conversation with Sayeeda Alam, a Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Lifestyle Advisor. 
I met Sayeeda on an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Advisor training course last year. We got chatting during lunch and I was really inspired by her journey. I knew straight away that she would be an amazing guest for my podcast so I am super excited to share this episode with you! 
Highlights of the episode:
Challenging childhood
Passion for music
Traveling the world after university
Feeling disconnected from her body
Her first yoga experience 
Becoming a Yoga teacher
Building Yoga business with chronic illness
Combining Ayurveda with Yoga offerings
Letting go & learning how to take risks 
Sayeeda’s bio:
Sayeeda embodies dedication as a yoga student, teacher, and Ayurvedic lifestyle advisor and her passion lies in fostering holistic well-being and spiritual balance. 
Having navigated cycles of addictive behaviour, depression, anxiety, and chronic illness for much of her life, discovering Yoga & Ayurveda became the foundation of her ability to find inner peace & physical healing. 
Motivated by her personal transformation journey, she embarked on the path of becoming a yoga teacher & Ayurvedic lifestyle advisor, driven by a deep desire to guide others on their unique paths toward personal and spiritual growth. 
Her teaching style seamlessly blends ancient yogic wisdom with contemporary insights, guiding students to explore their bodies and minds through posture, pranayama, philosophy, and meditation. Sayeeda embraces the dynamic nature of each student's journey and recognises that their needs evolve, so she offers a diverse range of yoga styles to cater to this fluidity. 
Understanding that each practitioner seeks something unique on the mat, she aims to create a space where individuals can explore and find resonance in various practices. As an Ayurvedic lifestyle advisor, Sayeeda uses the wisdom of this ancient healing system to offer individually tailored guidance to enhance well-being and foster vitality. 
She works closely with individuals to assess their unique constitution and imbalances and offers practical guidance on daily routines, nutrition, stress management, and how to use herbs & spices to help restore harmony and balance in both body and mind. She deeply believes in Yoga and Ayurveda's transformative potential to instill equilibrium and well-being across every facet of life.
Sayeeda’s website: www.sadayoga.co.uk
Follow Sayeeda on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadayogauk/
Follow Sayeeda on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sada.yoga.uk/
Follow Sayeeda on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA_q6uNpUOPEHhEGc-uBnZw
Practice with Sayeeda on Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/sadayogauk
If you enjoyed this episode or inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories and tag me @risa_kawamoto  
Visit Risa’s website: https://risakawamoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risa_kawamoto/
Thank you for listening!
 
 

Welcome to another episode of the Journey Podcast!
In this episode, I’m sharing my own personal Yoga journey to mark the 10 year anniversary of being a Yoga teacher, including my experiences as a person of colour Yoga teacher and my thoughts on the current Yoga industry.
This is something I’ve been wanting to share since I launched my podcast back in 2022. 
Highlights of the episode:
What is Yoga?
My first Yoga class at the age of 21
Started practicing Yoga regularly at the age of 29
Discovering Ayurveda
First 200 hour Yoga teacher training in 2014
My experience and challenges during the training 
Positive things that came out of the training 
Teaching private group Yoga classes 
Venturing out to online marketing & business coaching/consulting and web design
Yoga as a physical practice and advanced Yoga poses 
Rediscovering Ayurveda and my second Yoga teacher training in India 
Yoga as a way of life 
Getting clear with my core values 
The state of current Yoga industry 
My mission to offer accessible and inclusive Yoga
What training I’ve been doing 
The Journey Podcast is all about sharing the journeys of purpose-driven individuals from all walks of life who are following their passion and fulfilling their purpose in their own unique way. 
If you enjoyed this episode or inspired you in some way, take a screenshot of you listening on your device and post it to your Instagram Stories and tag me @risa_kawamoto  
My Core Values: https://risakawamoto.com/values/
Visit website: https://risakawamoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risa_kawamoto/
Thank you for listening! 
 

In today’s episode, I’m having a conversation with Azzees Minott, who is a Director, Facilitator and Chief Operating Officer at 2-3 Degrees, the award-winning social enterprise committed to inspiring and empowering young people to fulfill their potential through engaging in confidence building and skills enhancing workshops and programmes across the UK. 
Since March 2016, they have worked with over 9,000 young people across the country, including reaching over 500 young people online during Covid-19 restrictions.
In our conversation, you’ll hear what her childhood was like as a British born young black girl, how she developed her political career as a young woman, and building her social enterprise with her university friend whilst working full-time. 
She has a lot of wisdom to share and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from our conversations!
Check out 2-3 Degrees website: https://2-3degrees.com/
Follow 2-3 Degrees on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2-3degrees/
Follow Azzees on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azzees-minott-aab25861/
Contact Azzees:  azzees@2-3degrees.com
Visit Risa’s website: https://risakawamoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risa_kawamoto/
Thank you for listening! 
 

In today’s episode, I’m having a conversation with Vish Chatterji, an accomplished executive-turned-coach with a spiritual twist, and author of The Business Casual Yogi: Take Charge of Your Body, Mind & Career.
In our conversation, you’ll hear what his childhood was like living in Hong Kong and moving to  America where he studied and developed his career, and built his unique business where he coaches and advises business leaders, through a unique blend of Western management thinking and Eastern wisdom traditions.
He has a lot of wisdom to share and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from our conversations!
Check out Vish’s website: headandheartinsights.com
Purchase Vish's book: The Business Casual Yogi: Take Charge of Your Body, Mind, and Career 
Follow Vish on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vish-chatterji-b3b2681/
Follow Vish on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebusinesscasualyogi/
Visit Risa’s website: https://risakawamoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risa_kawamoto/
Thank you for listening! 
 

In today’s episode, I’m having a conversation with Jess Badley. Jess is actually the wife of John Allen who was a guest in my 4th episode and he also interviewed me in the last episode!  
Jess is a Director of People and Resources at the British Society for Rheumatology and in her words, she is particularly interested in the links between wellbeing, flexible working and innovation and how this can transform an organisation’s culture and approach towards work. 
In our conversation, you’ll hear how she developed her career and how she navigated some of her top challenges as she stepped into a leadership role. 
She also shares her tips and advice for running successful & inclusive recruitments and inclusive working cultures, as well as advice for people wanting to completely change their career. 
She has a lot of wisdom to share and I’m sure you’ll learn a lot from our conversations!
Follow Jess on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-badley-fcipd-abb19a62/
Visit Risa’s website: https://risakawamoto.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risa_kawamoto/
Thank you for listening! 
 

I’m doing something slightly different in today’s episode and I’m actually being interviewed by my good friend John Allen. 
You might remember John from Episode 4 where he shared his own journey. We had so much fun in his episode, we decided to reverse our roles and he will be taking over the Journey Podcast in this episode! 
In our conversation, I share my childhood experiences and the impact that have had on my adult life, living and working in the UK as a Japanese woman, and the learnings from my Yoga students and coaching clients, and even my secret ambition! 
I really had so much fun speaking to John and answering all his questions. I hope you enjoy our conversation!
John’s Episode: https://risakawamoto.com/john-journey/
Visit John’s Website: www.johnallenwriter.com
John's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/john-allen-he-him-28058527 
Visit Risa’s website: https://risakawamoto.com/
Learn more about Risa's 1:1 Coaching Program: https://risakawamoto.com/pathway-to-dharma-coaching/
Risa's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/risa_kawamoto/
Thank you for listening!