Is it selfish to put yourself first? In the hustle and bustle of today’s fast-paced world, we would argue that we tend to do the opposite instead. In between all your work demands, social obligations, and family expectations, it’s easy to push yourself down to the bottom of the priority list. As a result, physical exhaustion becomes normalised; mental health struggles go unspoken; and unhealed traumas get buried deeper into your subconscious.
You might not realise it, but all these small things can accumulate and impact every aspect of your life, whether that be your performance in the workplace or maintaining long-term relationships.
We don’t mean to dampen your mood or lead you down a spiral of existential dread, but the importance of our health (physical, spiritual, and mental) cannot be understated. We all know that it should be prioritised, but it’s also easier said than done. After all, how do you learn to let go of past emotional baggage or manage your anxieties, for instance? For most, the journey ahead is all too daunting, overwhelming, and confusing.
At Sages, husband-wife duo Michael Teh and Allyson Yeo envision a safe space for those looking to start that journey of healing and self-improvement. From learning how to embrace change to building emotional resilience and fostering growth, Sages is a one-stop wellness space that seeks to empower the mind, body, and soul.
Having personally experienced how meditation and mindfulness practices changed their lives for the better, the couple are passionate about helping others tap into their inner potential and navigate life’s challenges through curated programs, expert guidance, detailed analysis, and workshops.
Ahead, we dig deep with Sages co-founders Teh, a certified meditation and mindfulness coach and co-founder of Sages, and Yeo to find out the purpose of life, the root of happiness, and more.
What are your roles in Sages?
Allyson Yeo: As the co-founder and CEO of Sages, I take care of all the operations and management of the business. Besides that, I’m also in charge of the branding and marketing. I have the responsibility to curate interesting programs for the public and the community so that they have a chance to try what we are doing.
Michael Teo: I’m a meditation coach who has been teaching since 2020. At Sages, I have different programs to serve the community, such as Unlock Your Potential, The Art of Letting Go, Journey to the Chakras, and Heart Brain Coherence.
All of these programs are catered and designed to help the community understand themselves better and learn the power of healing to ultimately awaken the part of who we truly are. Besides that, I also do private consultations on numerology.
Both of you come from corporate backgrounds. What was the turning point that led you down this path of yoga and meditation?
AY: When I was 20, I stumbled upon the book, The Secret, and it changed my life. I learned about the law of attraction, and that concept was so new to me. At that time, I didn’t know such a thing existed where I could visualise something and then it could manifest itself to happen. That was a very good introduction to this whole notion of energy, frequencies, and the power in the universe for me.
But it wasn’t until 10 years later when I became a mother that I really thought about life. I had a very successful job in Singapore as a banker. Don’t get me wrong, it was very fulfilling, but when I had my first child in 2015, I thought it was time to start a new life again, back in Malaysia.
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As a mother, I suddenly had a lot of free time to think about my life and my purpose. All this time, I only knew my work and how to earn money. But is that all there really is to life? So I started reading again and came across books by E.F. Schumacher, and he opened my mind up to the concept of consciousness. Our conscious wants us to be happy, but happiness is a fleeting emotion.
I thought about what stays with me, and that is education. What you have learn and what you have inside your mind cannot be taken from you. When Michael started teaching and wanted a centre, all the dots connected.
MT: For me, the turning point was in 2019. Before that, I was just like any other person chasing success and focused on building my wealth. Growing up, I learned that I needed a lot of money to take care of my family and give my children a good life. That came with a lot of stress and anxiety because money is something that comes and goes.
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But in 2018, I went into a seven-day meditation workshop in Singapore and came out of that with a newfound understanding and realisation that I had a lot of pain inside me that I didn’t know was there. I realise that life is not about what you do out there but what you experience on the inside.
So I started practising meditation every single day in 2018 up until 2019. I had the opportunity to travel to different parts of the world, such as Nepal, India, and Hawaii, and in these places, I found missing parts of myself. That was the year I experienced the death of my ego and the rebirth of a renewed mind.
It’s quite the transition to go from numbers and facts to chakras and frequencies. How did you marry your analytical and spiritual mind?
MT: We’ve always been taught that things are binary: left and right brain, black and white. That will serve your life to a certain extent. But at some point in our lives, we must learn to let that go and allow our inner wisdom and heart to guide us.
AY: I believe it because it happened to me. There are things in this world that go beyond our understanding. But at the same time, we’re not trying to separate our analytical mind from the spiritual either—both can exist at the same time.
At Sages, we want to back spirituality up with science. With our AI technology, we are already able to put things that we cannot see, such as your frequency, the vibration of your tone, and the like, into numbers to be analysed.
Speaking of that, how is Sages Voices redefining the holistic wellness industry?
AY: Group support is great, but sometimes, people need more one-to-one support to really learn about themselves better. This is where we introduce this report called Sages Voices. Essentially, you will need to record your voice for about 90 seconds to two minutes. The AI software will then draw out a code from your voice and speech patterns to provide a detailed report.
This is what we mean when we say that spirituality is becoming more of a science. We’re bridging ancient wisdom with modern technology.
How do you think meditation and mindfulness practices can help younger people in an age of social media?
MT: I think it’s about getting young people to be aware that there is this inner you that’s waiting to be discovered. Because of social media, we attach our identity to our online reality and look up to the external. But trends are transient; things will keep changing. If they latch themselves to these things, you will never catch up.
I believe the more you follow the external, the more deprived your inner self will become. If you put more focus on how the outside world dictates who you are, the nature of your inner self will deteriorate. To me, there is a whole inner world you can connect to, and that’s why we practice meditation.
Lastly, why do you think people should come to Sages?
AY: I think it’s very important to have self-care, to take time off and do a bit of self-reflection. We invite you to come to Sages, join a workshop, and give yourself two to three hours to take care of yourself and your emotional well-being. Once you recharge your battery, you can go out and do even more amazing things with the gifts and strengths you’ve learned how to utilise better.
MT: I believe everyone will reach a point where they will start to search for the meaning and purpose of life. It is our birthright to be able to live life in a much higher potential instead of running around in circles. At Sages, we are here to help you get the tools and knowledge to better understand who you are and experience life through a whole new lens.
Sages
Address: B-28-3A, Pavilion Embassy Corporate Suites
Opening hours: 9am to 6pm daily
Contact: WhatsApp or email [email protected]
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