Emily Sarkies is a Senior Naturopath for Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, she embraced an opportunity to work in this wonderfully unique setting over two years ago, bringing with it profound professional growth, insight and perspective towards being well. She is grateful to be working alongside a diverse team of practitioners, wholistic modalities and patients from around the world. A qualified yoga teacher, Emily also incorporates yoga philosophy – meditation and mindfulness techniques to benefit her own self-care and balance (within). Practicing now for nearly a decade, with further studies in Functional Medicine, her Naturopathy care brings all of this experience together to share with her patients and ultimately work towards a more positive association with our individual health journeys.
Emily Sarkies is a Senior Naturopath for Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Koh Samui, Thailand. Originally from Melbourne, Australia, she embraced an opportunity to work in this wonderfully unique setting over two years ago, bringing with it profound professional growth, insight and perspective towards being well. She is grateful to be working alongside a diverse team of practitioners, wholistic modalities and patients from around the world. A qualified yoga teacher, Emily also incorporates yoga philosophy – meditation and mindfulness techniques to benefit her own self-care and balance (within). Practicing now for nearly a decade, with further studies in Functional Medicine, her Naturopathy care brings all of this experience together to share with her patients and ultimately work towards a more positive association with our individual health journeys.
Find inspiration as we talk to Emily Sarkies in our #StrongHealthyWomen interview.
Hi Emily! Thank you for being part of the Health and Fitness Travel, Strong, Healthy Women Interview Series, where we are shining a light on the importance of self-care, not as an indulgence but a necessity to reduce stress and general health issues.
Is there such a thing as a typical day for you and what does that look like?
Most days, when sleep has been restorative, I wake just after sunrise and open my curtains to welcome in the natural light. I am lucky to currently live in a very quiet jungle-esque community where I can make the most of slowly transitioning from sleep to wake (without the hustle and bustle of rush, my previous city life could bring). I’ll begin with hydrating, usually with some lime in warm water or a herbal brew before a gentle stretch/yoga session on the balcony, followed by a simple meditation or breath-focused work.
Weekends will entail a morning hike, beach walk/ocean swim or a cycle. Or sometimes I will go back to bed (or my hammock) and read. I recently learnt that this was Louise Hay’s routine also and have become a total advocate of starting the day ‘slow’ – taking time to listen, and embrace just what my body needs (allowing greater adaptability to everything else that may follow).
My commute to work can be a relaxed one, via scooter passing coconut palm groves and grazing buffalo’s – these scenes still have me in awe (except of course when its torrential rain). We have approximately 300 staff at Kamalaya where I will be greeted with a reciprocated smile and a ‘wai’ (a slight bow, with palms pressed together in a prayer-like way), from everyone I cross paths with along the way to my office. The power of connection, even in just a simple gesture is a beautiful one, generating positive energy that radiates throughout the workspace.
Every morning we will have a Wellness Department meeting to discuss the comings and goings of all things Kamalaya; as well as meet with my practitioner colleagues (a team of nutritionists, homeopaths, acupuncturists, physio’s, life enhancement mentors, doctors and nurses) towards collaborative patient care. The working day will then be a diverse mix of Naturopathy consultations, meeting and greeting guests, facilitating training and workshops, preparing and assessing individual treatment plans and formulating remedies… Despite the relatively peaceful setting, the busy will most often still exist.
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Mealtimes are such a big deal in Thai culture – a social outlet but also an act of generosity of spirit, where I have the opportunity and make time, to appreciate organic and sustainably sourced plant-based ideals, and all that this tropical setting can create in abundance.
And then just as I start the day slow, I try and end it that way too. This might mean a gentle swim and steam, as I transition from work to home. I might light a candle and read a book or join some friends for a sunset, a glass of red or beach walk when the moonlight is full. Throughout my working week, I know I am better for getting to sleep early, to enable myself to take it all on again, with open arms, tomorrow.
Can you share a time when you felt your well-being was challenged in the past and what did you overcome it?
“…I realised I wasn’t invincible after all.”
As I think most practitioners may experience at some stage, my biggest health challenge has been burnout – simply trying to do too many things (and in doing so, losing sight of myself). Prior to Kamalaya, I was loving my work and life but had no sense of healthy balance: working crazy hours, with no ‘off button’, skipping meals, surviving on a little too much caffeine. I was caught up in the glorification of busy. As a Naturopath, I knew this pace could not be sustained, but it was like I had become addicted to this ‘over-adrenalised’ state. Then I was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder and autoimmune disease and realised I wasn’t invincible after all. So, I reached out – we all have those pillars that keep us upright, all we have to do is ask for help sometimes. I aligned myself with my own care team, blocked out space in my schedule for self-care – and took a break. Sometimes all we need is space to reconnect to what is important.
Being healthy is also acknowledging our limits. This is something I am constantly working on and can be difficult when work is also a passion – however setting healthy boundaries and having a balanced sense of self-care, is still important (if not more).
Now, I have surrounded myself with an amazing (work) team that keeps me in-check / grounded. I now acknowledge what can be left until tomorrow and let it be. I get to that yoga class as know it will enable me to be better for the rest. I am nurturing and protective to my gut health. I trust that everything will be ok (it always is). I embrace things that are energy giving and minimise things that are energy draining. These are now my non-negotiables without trying to ‘do it all’, but in keeping it simple. Our perspective really is everything.
What does being healthy mean to you and how do you keep this at the forefront when life gets unavoidably busy?
“Often at these times of stress, especially I think as women, we tend to push ourselves more – to do more. When actually, we need to take a step back.”
Our health is important – it is our energy and vitality. We are all vulnerable to the busy taking over, but when it does get unavoidable I make a conscious effort to move from the automatic mode, towards a little stillness to provide greater clarity and awareness. Often at these times of stress, especially I think as women, we tend to push ourselves more – to do more. When actually, we need to take a step back. When I am overwhelmed by trying to do many things, I try to do one less thing. To be gentle, to be stronger.
I find I am also better for ensuring that I am accountable for all those simple pillars, that do keep us upright: hydration, breathing, nourishing (in food and life), restorative sleep, movement and exercise, a sense of stillness.
We cannot always control the stressors in our life, but we can help ourselves adapt with greater ease and grace.
Have you ever taken a holiday specifically for your well-being? Can you share what the experience was like?
Most holidays for me are purely for that purpose – often I am inspired to visit a place according to their nature-based activities: being in the ocean, hiking, yoga, a quiet pace. Equally, being opened up to a new environment or culture can remind us that there is a world out there bigger than ourselves. I’ll mostly choose a destination according to their wellbeing philosophies and accessibility to this, including nourishment, exercise as well as making a conscious effort to exert a minimal environmental footprint. Even if wellness is not my initial intention for visiting a place, it will often be the base of how I embrace that experience. We can find elements of wellness everywhere – we just need to be open and guided in the right direction to look sometimes.
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My most beneficial Wellness Holiday was a yoga teacher training intensive in India: it stripped back everything I knew of yoga and built it up in a way that became apart of me, rather than something I did. It taught me about philosophy to live life by, the beauty of pure presence. I came home mentally, emotionally and physically strong.
More recently, I visited Sri Lanka to learn to surf. Days entailed yoga & surfing, then yoga & surfing (+ plenty of king coconuts). It was challenging, but a lot of fun and I now have a new skill/wellbeing tool for life.
‘Wellness Holidays’ can be immersive: and with the right support, a lot can be achieved in a given period of time. We may have to show up and do a little work but the magic should happen once we land back home. We expand and then return, shining light on areas of life that may have been shadowed – to be better for the rest.
Every woman’s idea of self-care is different, tell us about yours?
Self-care for me is a balanced energy exchange.
A lot of our energy can be consumed by our mindset, and am constantly working to make it my ally – by being kind (to myself and others). It’s treating myself to at least one thing lovely daily. And then paying that forward. This can, of course, take all forms for me (I actually made a list, for those times I can lose sight of those simple blissors that do surround us in abundance) : a sunset / sunrise / nature medicine; a bubble bath; a sleep in; applying a rejuvenating facemask; visiting the local farmers market and then cooking a nourishing meal from my treasured finds; keeping my phone on aeroplane mode and watching the play of light on the leaves as I walk; keeping hydrated; mantra and setting an intention; being by the ocean.
For me, a swim fixes everything.
Paying it forward can take all forms too: it can be saying thank you to my bus driver; watering my herb garden; giving an unconditional compliment; calling my Mum; to simply listen; acknowledging gratitude or to share these moments with others…
It’s making space, to land where heart, intent and action aligns.
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