I think we have still only scratched the surface of the benefits of taking time out of your day for focused relaxation. Elaine Grundy is at the forefront of the movement to help people in this space and does so with great humility and humour. She also happens to be one of my favourite people in Singapore!
What’s your story?
I am founder of The Reiki Centre, a wellness centre in Singapore. We’ve been around since 2007 and I have been a Reiki teacher for over 20 years. I used to work out of other wellness centres so it was a leap of faith to strike out on my own, but I haven’t looked back. I love having my own space, being in control of the vision, the energy and choosing the people I work with. I also love being in a position now to grow other teachers and give back to the community all that I have been given.
What excites you most about your industry?
The wellness industry is growing enormously as people become more and more affected by stress. I also think in Singapore we have such an affluent society, yet people are waking up to the fact that money really does not buy happiness. People are looking for ways to become more reflective, more intuitive, and more self-loving. Reiki, meditation, yoga are all wonderful ways to achieve a greater inner peace.
What’s your connection to Asia?
I was born in Hong Kong, have lived most of my life in Asia. Singapore has been my home since 1996 and I love it; it is a great place to raise a family, to run a business, and to live in such a melting pot of cultures, cuisines and ideas. Yes its a cliche, but its true for me.
Favourite city in Asia for business and why?
Definitely Singapore for the level of English and the transparency, but talking about Reiki can be a bit tough sometimes with this fast-paced, sceptical audience 🙂 Hong Kong is great for energy and the people and very open to Reiki, KL has its own laid back vibe and the people are a delight to teach as they are always open for fun!
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Get clear on what you want, and stop giving energy to what you don’t want. I used to spend a lot of time worrying about what I didn’t have, or what was negative or not working in my life and business. This basic law of attraction tip means spending energy focussed on what you want and making sure you are moving towards it, even if its only one small step forwards, over time you will get there. The key is to be clear on your direction, and then everyday do one small thing towards it. So many people just expect it all to fall in their lap with no effort, business and reputation never works like that!
Who inspires you?
All of my teachers past and present. In the holistic world teachers are very spiritual and kind, loving and balanced yet they make money and have success. All of my teachers have shown me I can do what I love doing, and get paid for it – that is something I have been doing for the past decade and the more humble I am, the more authentic I am, and the more I serve others, the more success comes to me – its the opposite of how we think about business, but it works.
What have you just learnt recently that blew you away?
The more time you take to meditate and do your inner work, the more attractive you are to the outer world. I always knew that inner peace was important to me, but what I didn’t truly understand was that the more you work on your own inner peace, the more others are attracted to what you have, and the more business you get. Of course it makes sense but meditation and inner practice is a crucial element of business success that is often overlooked in the corporate world.
If you had your time again, what would you do differently?
Not much. My life philosophy is that everything is 100% as it should be, not that there is some predestined straightjacket, but that there is a certain flow and reason for everything. With that philosophy I look at all events in my life as having meaning, I may not understand it at the time, but with hindsight it always makes sense. As a result I rarely have regrets.
How do you unwind?
haha, that’s funny. I am a Reiki teacher running a wellness centre, I’m pretty unwound already 😉
Favourite Asian destination for relaxation? Why?
Wow, how to choose? Hong kong and Bangkok fav cities for the energy. Bali for the spiritual side and yoga festival. A lot of places for the beaches!
Everyone in business should read this book:
The Answer by John Assaraf and Philip Wylie
Any book by Roger Hamilton 😉
Shameless plug for your business:
Stressed? Need some inner peace? Want to learn something easy and simply to use that will help you connect with your inner meditator? Come and learn Reiki! Is that what you mean? Haha, holistic people are hopeless at shamelessness.
How can people connect with you?
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This interview was part of the Callum Connect’s column found on The Asian Entrepreneur:
Callum Laing has started, built, bought and sold half a dozen businesses in a range of industries across two continents. He is the owner of Fitness-Buffet a company delivering employee wellness solutions in 11 countries and he is also the CEO of Entrevo Asia, a company that runs 40 week Growth Accelerator programs.
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