The Healing List Podcast

From Golfing Pro to Hawaii's Most Wanted

As a child, Kyle Quilausing was a golfing prodigy who played against Tiger Woods. He seemed to be set for greatness. But by the age of 29, he was Hawaii’s most wanted man. Peer pressure had led to a crystal meth addiction. To pay for his addiction, he committed crime after crime. Eventually, he would end up spending a whole decade behind bars.    After spending years in solitary confinement and facing harsh conditions, he realized that he had to make something of his life. When his sentence was over, he remained true to his word. But he also realized that others could benefit from what he had been through.    In the following years, Quilausing visited hundreds of schools, explaining the events that led him astray. Today, he still talks to children on a regular basis, warning them of the dangers of drug addiction. Quilausing’s unflinching descriptions of his addiction and his prison years are often shocking. But his redemption is also inspiring. The story must be heard to be believed.

Design Your Ways to Self-Healing

For 20 years, Sujon Datta has life-architected people of all walks of life, from celebrities to the homeless. He comes from a long line of spiritual healers. In fact, his great-grandfather was none other than Paramahansa Yogananda, the visionary who introduced yoga and meditation to the Americas.    But one novel aspect of Datta’s approach to healing others is that he doesn’t personally consider himself a healer. Instead, he states that he is the facilitator and the individuals he helps are their own healers. Therefore, he is activating their existing potential.    In this episode, Datta also explains how over the years, he’s refined his approach thanks to extensive research. The episode is filled with examples of Datta’s approach in action, and anyone who listens to it will gain numerous tips for boosting their ability to self-heal. For instance, he reveals the subtle yet important distinctions between happiness, pleasure and joy and how an understanding of these can boost well-being.

Survive and Thrive During Cancer Recovery

In 2014, Lai Sha Bugado learned that she had aggressive stage three cancer. She immediately worried for her three young children if the worst should happen. Shortly later, she learned that her father-in-law and sister-in-law also had cancer. Bugado could see that her husband was struggling to cope with the situation. She hated the idea of being a burden to him and the rest of her family.  Over the next two years, Bugado and her family members went through the grueling process of treatment. Soon, she found that she was so weak that she struggled to maintain her day-to-day activities. Initially, she tried to keep her health condition as private as possible. But she found that this was impossible. For instance, she had no choice but to divulge the information to her children’s preschool. In her weakened state, Bugado was determined to do something productive. While she didn’t have much strength, she found that she was mentally sharp and could move her hands with ease. So she took up sewing. Her own mother had sewn, and it had appeared to help her. Soon, Bugado realized that it was an incredibly therapeutic activity for her too. Then she decided, despite being ill, that she could turn her sewing into a business. She founded a company called Kumumea to sell her items. Today, Lai Sha Bugado is coping with her condition and still running the business successfully. Listen to this episode to find out how Bugado found a new lease on life through something as simple as sewing.

Stigma Of Mental Illness

In 2020, Everitt’s mental health issues had to face the pandemic. To pass the time, Everitt decided that she and her family should start gardening fruits and vegetables. Soon, she was amazed at how much joy she and her children were getting from something so simple. In fact, she found that, despite the state of the world, gardening was making her happier than ever. But then a surprise pregnancy resulted in her neglecting the garden.     After the baby was born, Everitt was keen to start a new garden. She did her research. This time, her garden thrived. She soon started posting images of her plants online, and was pleased to see the overwhelmingly positive responses. Then, one week before Christmas, Everitt’s husband unexpectedly lost his job. Suddenly, the couple found themselves having to live off of much less money and somehow still support a large family. Once more, Everitt was facing huge challenges. But by combining her gardening with social media positivity, she managed to thrive. Listen to this episode to hear Everitt’s story.

The Devastating Consequences of Suppressing Grief

Within the span of one year in her early 20s, Tui Sina Sosefina lost her brother, formed a relationship, married, gave birth, studied for a master’s degree and took an internship in the finance industry. Balancing loss, marriage, motherhood, studies and work was, naturally, incredibly challenging.    Sosefina’s hard work during this time paid off. She secured a job at Goldman Sachs. But then tragedy struck. Her husband died suddenly at home. In the following years, instead of processing the grief of losing her husband and brother within a short span of time, she did all that she could to suppress her emotions.    Eventually, these emotions came to the fore. She had a major breakdown in a department store, which resulted in her arrest. Following this, she quit her job, drank heavily and descended into a deep depression. Soon, Sosefina had to put her daughter in her sister’s care. At this low ebb, she realized that she had to do something to heal. For the first time ever, she started seeing a therapist and began the difficult process of coming to terms with her issues. In this episode, Sosefina discusses her loss and her path to wellness in an honest and unshrinking manner.