Meet our member, the inspiring and successful Hema Rao (https://hemarao.com).
Hema supports people who are feeling stressed, lonely or are at a crossroads in life. Through life coaching, gentle yoga, breathwork and meditation, she creates a welcoming space to pause, reconnect and move forward with confidence.
She offers one-to-one support as well as group sessions and workshops in Sydney and online.
If you would like to explore a session or invite Hema to run a workshop for your group, you message her on +61 0402 380 425.
We recently enjoyed interviewing her.
Q. What moment or experience first inspired you to step into life coaching, yoga and breathwork as a path of service?
A. The real turning point was losing my dad. When I came back from India in 2019, right as Covid hit, I lost interest in almost everything, the family business, the digital marketing work, none of it felt like me anymore.
I had always loved helping people and been involved in different charities, so I started asking, “What can I do that actually makes a difference?” Life coaching came up. I trained with Tony Robbins and never looked back.
Yoga and meditation had interested me since my twenties, so over time coaching, yoga and breathwork just came together naturally.
When I see someone who felt completely lost start to smile again, believe in themselves again, that’s when I know this is what I’m meant to do.
Q. When someone comes to you feeling overwhelmed or unsure of their next step, what is the first shift you help them make?
A. First, I listen. Most people don’t need to be told what to do, they need a safe space to speak openly and feel understood.
Then I help them accept where they are right now, without judgment. Acceptance isn’t giving up , it’s “okay, this is my situation. What can I do from here?”
When someone is overwhelmed, everything feels like one huge problem, so we break it down into one small step at a time. I want them to leave thinking, “I can’t fix everything today, but I’m not helpless. There is something I can do.”
Q. You speak about creating a space to “pause and reconnect.” What does pausing truly mean in a world that rarely slows down?
A. Pausing means stopping for a moment and coming back to yourself. We are always rushing , replaying yesterday, worrying about tomorrow and we don’t realise how disconnected we have become.
So pausing can be as simple as a deep breath, feeling your feet on the ground, noticing your body. It reminds you: I am here, I am breathing, this moment is okay.
Sometimes that one breath is enough to respond calmly instead of reacting.
Q. Your Philosophy is “Rise. Heal. Radiate.” Can you share how these three words guide your approach to wellbeing and the transformation you see in your clients?
A. These three words describe the journey many of us go through.
Rise is deciding you don’t want to stay stuck in sadness or confusion, even without knowing exactly how, you take the first step.
Heal is acknowledging what you’ve been through. Not forgetting it, but reaching a place where it no longer controls you.
Radiate is finding yourself again , your confidence, your genuine smile, a lightness in you. It doesn’t mean life is suddenly perfect. It means you’ve found your strength again.
That’s what I want for the people I work with , to rise from where they are, heal gently, and radiate their own light.
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