Meet Shyla
The certified coach and author helping others to heal on a cellular and energetic level
Monday 2 October 2023 10 AM GMT (*Ghana time*)
I spoke with Shyla Melwani, a new friend I made in Ghana who generously gave adjoainghana this open and honest interview. I met Shyla at a time when I was going through several challenging transitions and her warm spirit and caring nature encouraged me along my journey. I hope you can find encouragement in this interview too.
Adjoa: So I would just like to welcome you, Shyla, to the adjoainghana platform community. This is going to be a podcast episode, and I'm grateful for you joining us all the way from Ghana, and I just would love for you to introduce yourself. So in your own words, who is Shyla?
Shyla: Hi Adjoa. I'm so excited to be on the adjoainghana podcast. I'm very proud of us for actually making this happen and I think that our story of how we met is just awesome. You know, renting my house in Ghana and it was the most random thing ever, but we totally connected the minute we met, and I knew that something was going to come out of this meeting. And I'm glad that it's in this form in like a podcast form where we can both kind of spell out … amazing tips and tricks and self-help is the genre always.
I've been very much into self-development and self-improvement for the last 7 to 8 years and I feel like we definitely bonded on that, you know, when we met, and we'll talk more about it later. But, you know, this spurred from also you getting my book, which I really appreciate, and just us wanting to like dive deeper. So I'm genuinely looking forward to this convo and who am I?
So I call myself a wellness warrior, so to speak. I will share this, but I came through a very long and I will say deep health journey ever since I was one year old actually. And it led me to this place in my life now where health really is wealth and it's definitely my priority in life and doesn't mean that it always was. But as of this moment, I'm proud to be able to call myself a certified health coach and a yoga teacher. And my calling is to spread the message of optimal health and well-being through books and through podcasts and through adjoainghana vlogs, you know, um, and yeah, that's me in a nutshell.
So I have lived my entire life in this country, in Accra, Ghana, and this is my home. So my family have actually been here for generations. My granddad came here like way back when, set up a business. And I just love Ghana … I've lived my whole life here.
Adjoa: That is a really heartfelt, warm introduction. And thank you for also just from the beginning, being quite vulnerable and open with some of your experiences that have led you to where you are now. And I think that this is just such a perfect opportunity with the background that you have to really give us some of that wisdom and some of that insight, because I know my platform is sort of focused on travel, but it's also focused on telling stories and lessons from the stories. And like you said when we met … we connected, we hit it off. And I feel like it was really, like you said, around the wellbeing piece, around self-care about really investing in yourself and making your health a priority. So I'm really excited for our conversation, and I guess because it is adjoainghana, I'm interested to know how you came to be in Ghana and what impact Ghana has had on you?
Shyla: Perfect. So I have lived my entire life in this country, in Accra, Ghana, and this is my home. So my family have actually been here for generations. My granddad came here like way back when, set up a business. And I just love Ghana. I wasn't born here. I was actually born in the States. But I've lived my whole life here.
… I'll begin with like my life story, you know, because why not? … I developed like this kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome when I was one. And, you know, my parents tried to get me treated here in Ghana. But 30 years ago, um, you know, the doctors actually admitted that, look, we don't have the facilities, we don't have the knowledge to be able to help you here. So they persuaded my parents to fly me out for treatment. And we chose to go to London because it wasn't too far away from home. And I would have to, you know, keep going there, so to speak, every few months for checkups.
… the doctors diagnosed me right away and they began my sort of decade long treatment.
So one day my dad was playing with me as a baby and he noticed that my skin was very tough … these are the words he used. And it wasn't like that podgy fun baby fat that you're playing with, right … that wobbles and jiggles and he was like it was just; it just felt weird. And so he brought up this concern, you know, with my mum. And they both agreed that, okay, something is like maybe off and my entire body like as a baby was kind of bloated and they genuinely thought it was just like a bit of fat. But, um, upon seeing me, they decided to take me in. And thank God they did because the doctors diagnosed me right away and they began my sort of decade long treatment.
I was put on heavy doses of medication, steroids in particular, and I had to take up to eight pills a day when I was very, very young. And I think it moved on like after a year of eight pills, then it became seven, then six and five, four, three, to one half and quarter. So I did that for a very long time. And sorry if this is TMI, but I also had to - But you know, it is information. I mean, this is, this is a medical situation - So I had to actually test my urine colour every single morning. So I was doing this on my own actually from a very young age. And I was given a box of these, you know, pee sticks. And I was told that you've got to check the colour of this every day. And if it looks beyond a certain colour, then I've got to raise alarm and sort of share that information with my parents. So I feel like I kind of matured like very young and early in life because I was almost forced to grow up. That's how I feel.
… my parents were told at a point that this girl has like 30% chance of survival …
It's not as though I missed any childhood. It's not as though I didn't have like the most amazing memories growing up. But yes, this was part of my memories, like checkups and traveling and doctors and, you know, sort of injections and crying about that and being hospitalised because my immune system was like super weak growing up. You know, the steroids definitely saved my life … but it just made me feel like nowadays I am kind of adverse to popping pills, so to speak, you know, because I've taken like a billion of them in my life.
So anyways, long story short, you know, ten, ten years, maybe later, I thank God I was cured by this. But my parents were told at a point that this girl has like 30% chance of survival, basically. And these steroids are either going to work or they're just simply not. And we thank God it just did. It just started working on my body and literally saved me and brought me out of this whole phase that lasted maybe till I was about 11 or so. And then, you know, like everything was all so good and fine.
But I always had this feeling deep down that I'm not living comfortably in my body. Like my body isn't the fittest, the strongest, the best it can actually be. I always had this at the back of my mind, you know, because even though the medication really helped and saved me, which it definitely did, it's just that I think it left me feeling a bit like weak. And I think my immune system was just a bit weakened by all of this because I realised that some flu season would come around or some stomach bug would hit and guess who's sick, Shyla you know? [I]t was like a standard thing, like, okay, like, yeah, Shyla’s sick. And, you know, I just didn't want to live that life anymore.
So I was very aware, even at a young age, that this is what is happening to me. This is what I don't want. And that I, at some point in life, needed to, I guess, change all of it. And I really did not know how it was all going to change. But it started to. I left for boarding school around 13 years of age. I went to Canterbury, which is like an hour outside of London, and it was the best decision that my parents ever made for me, almost. It was a beautiful change of scene, amazing, incredible friendships. And I feel those five years in that city really started to like, heal me. [My] life was no longer about, you know … medicines and like being randomly, you know, hospitalised on a drip like every few months for no real reason, just that my gut was not healthy. And so life, … life started to go on.
When I was about 18, I went to college in the States. Now for anyone who knows, I mean, like food in the States is not the one, right? Um, I started overeating. I started eating very unhealthy food. I started drinking a lot because I was in university. And at a point I started to gain a lot of weight. A lot of weight. So the pounds, they just kept piling on. And it was hard for me to almost stop because I just; I wasn't getting home food. I wasn't really told or taught that, hey, you’ve got to take care of yourself. Like eat the vegetables, sweat once in a while. Basic things that we know now. But back then, I genuinely did not know it. Right?
And it wasn't as though, like school or anyone was helping me or giving me that guidance or that advice. And bearing in mind back then, we didn't really have like social media as we use it today. You know, Insta wasn't an app where you just scroll and nowadays you have some beautiful motivations and sayings and some real, real motivation on there, which I didn't have when I was starting like my whole health journey back then. So it really came from within is what I'm trying to say, that I wanted to heal myself on a completely energetic and cellular level because I knew that every cell of my being needed that boost, needed that, um, needed that healing.
… at that moment, I did not laugh with him because I really took this personally. I took it to heart, even though he didn't mean it like to me. And why did I take it to heart?
So what happened was that I came to Ghana, um, after my whole decade of being away, boarding school, yada yada. And it worked a bit as well in the States. And when I came back home after all of this I was like, wow, Shyla, it's been, it's been a long time now that you finally are kind of free. You get to take care of yourself. But I didn't know what to do. That's a whole other thing, right? It's like, okay, you want something. How do you get there? Like, which option do you pick? Which mode do you pick to start all of this, like healing that you say you want.
So one day I was actually chatting with a friend of mine, and I was just informing him that, hey, you know, I've moved back to Ghana like, hey, we should hang whatever. And then he goes, Oh, wow. Um, welcome back home. And as a joke, he said now you're just going to get fat and lazy like everybody else. And he fully expected me to laugh with him like he thought, hey, I just made a fun joke and I get it. But at the same time, at that moment, I did not laugh with him because I really took this personally. I took it to heart, even though he didn't mean it like to me. And why did I take it to heart?
I realised much later … because he wasn't wrong. He was actually right. So that hit me like a ton of bricks. You know, I was already unhappy. I was already overweight, you know … I'm five foot. I'm like five one. So I cannot be this big, round ball, you know, walking around town. I was already unhappy about that. Now, imagine somebody like directly saying this to you … but I guess I needed it. I guess like, sometimes these things are massive blessings in disguise, right? Because that gave me the kick up the you know what to really like think about what I was going to do next.
So in my mind, I kind of was like, this guy's right, but I'm not going to let him be right. I'm going to actually prove not even him wrong. I'm going to prove [to] like myself; I'm going to prove to myself that this ain't going to be me.
So what did I do earlier or later on that night? I, again, maybe this was eight, seven, eight years ago now, almost. And I did not know prayer, let's say I didn't know how to pray or what to say or who to pray to or what to pray to. I didn't know what I believed in. There was nothing. There was nothing. There was no, like, faith, right? So I really just did not know what to do. So I kind of just sat down by myself alone in a room. And again, I just asked of myself, there was nothing or no one that I asked for. I just asked of myself that, hey, whatever it is that I need, please just give it to me.
That is the exact phrase that I used. Just give it to me because I was ready to start a process or whatever I needed, but I didn't know how to get there. So I said, hey, give it to me on a silver platter, please, just please. And that was it. And so I, I guess I surrendered to it … I just let it go. I finished with that, whatever you want to call it, prayer, and then later on that night, that same night, I'm scrolling on some, don't even ask. It was some random website. Okay. Some expat’s website which I've never been on before and I don't know why I was on it, but I was bored and aimless in life and depressed and scrolling as we do. And a post came up.
… I was like, wait a second, is this my sign? Like, is this the sign that I asked for earlier today?
A post came up and it was from this cool African American woman. And she said, hey everyone, I've just moved to Ghana and I'm, you know, starting work as a private home yoga teacher. Now, if anybody wants my services just, you know, hit me up and I was like, oh, scroll away like yoga. That sucks. Are you kidding?
I was totally against it you know … the reason being, when I was growing up, my aunt would actually encourage me and my siblings to sort of do yoga with her at her house, which was an amazing thing for her to do. But as an 8- or 9-year-old kid, you know, with some man sitting in front of me telling me to breathe, it just wasn't the one. And I have no, I have no way else to describe it … I didn't like it. I was bored. I thought it was just something so annoying that I was forced to do so. I grew up my whole life thinking that this practice sucks and it just isn't for me.
Then I stopped myself and I was like, wait a second, is this my sign? Like, is this the sign that I asked for earlier today? Oh my God. And at that point I had received nothing else. And this was the only plausible thing I could think of just because the way it was written and how I stumbled across it so randomly. And I was like, hey, you know what? This could be it. I just messaged her immediately on the spot. I said, please come home tomorrow, 6 a.m. She was at my house.
I did yoga for the first time since I was 8 or 9. And guess what? No, I did not fall in love with the practice. No, there was not some crazy revelation where I was like, OMG, like, oh my God, yoga saved me. It was the teacher. It was the teacher who I loved. And I was like, you know what? I don't love yoga, but I love you and I want to see you every day. So I asked her to just keep coming back, keep coming back every day. And that was it.
… She taught me to like the practice, to keep commitment, to have a dedication. She taught me about the fact that it's not a workout, it's a work in. And suddenly all that breathing and breath work that I had to do at eight nine with that other yoga teacher kept coming back to me and finally made sense. Things started like making sense, and I just thought that, hey … this is my path. Like I just was feeling it.
So of course the weight started coming off, right? Because I've included exercise now in my daily routine. So physically the weight started to come off, it started to shed and it started to melt and I started to feel better about myself. Then it went from like a physical, a physical thing body wise to an entirely mental game. My mind kept me going. Then from a mental game, it went to an emotional journey. All the stuff started releasing. All the stuff started coming out.
I started to appreciate my insides more and realise that that's what it's all about. And then it went to, you know, a whole spiritual journey because that's, that's just how it goes. It's not as though I asked for it. Like, it just, it just comes. Um, and so by, I think two years, I just kept it up, kept it up. Two years later, I had literally already gotten my yoga teacher training certificate and, you know, I had lost maybe 20, 21 kgs at this point. And that was significant for me. Like I was just happy and life started showing itself to me in a very beautiful, positive way. And my whole mentality changed because mindset is everything. It's 99% of your life. This is a mental game. That's one big lesson that I've learned.
Life is totally mental, I promise. You know, I've experienced it firsthand and from there began everything else, like the synchronicities, the coincidences, the meditations, the self-help, you know, the self-care. All those wonderful things started becoming an actual staple in my life. And my journey went from the bottom, like all the way to the top. I mean, we're not all the way there yet because I love the fact that we're still growing and growing and it's not going to stop.
But I'm just happy that I discovered like myself and because it wasn't about the practice or the yoga or the teacher, although I will still say like a good teacher is completely priceless, you know? And that's why I wanted to become a teacher, because this teacher really changed me and made me see things that I didn't think were even there to see. But it wasn't about them. I realised that it was about me. I was the one who asked, you know, and that's where everything stemmed from … my willingness to sit down there and think and just ask of something. And there began everything. And this is where we are today. And that was about, yeah, maybe almost seven years ago now.
Adjoa: Wow … it's really touching to actually hear your journey from really beginning from when you were one year old to now and all that happened in between. And quite honestly, you know, you described a lot, which I think people will be able to, in their own ways, relate to, in the sense of the traumas that we can go through at a young age and how that can carry on to our older years and how we can have parts of us that we don't really deal with. And it can manifest in different kinds of lifestyle habits, like you described.
I myself have been on a weight journey and food has been quite a complex thing for me. So just hearing how you've been able to really make that choice for yourself. that you … made a request and really what was for you was made available and you were able to then accept it and receive it. And this is where you are and just how you've shared your journey and everything that you're saying. It just comes from so much wisdom from your experience. So I really appreciate you being so vulnerable and giving this information because it really makes me feel like, wow, there's so much power in having these conversations and getting this information out here, which is what you're doing.
… And it's incredible how you met this yoga teacher. She was moving to Ghana … Ghana [is] such a special place. But I'm so grateful to have met you and I didn't know this about you. So thank you for sharing that …
Shyla: Yeah. Thank you for, for bringing it out of me. Because, you know, I would love to share, but sometimes, I don't know, something stops you, right? But I think only when you … dig a little deeper in yourself … you're able to bring things out. But there's stuff there that's been in there for, for, for decades sometimes … and we, we don't, we don't realise, or we were, again, never told that it's unhealthy actually.
But what I've learned is that if you eat in a happy state, then that food just knows what to do inside your body …
… Once you've made that commitment to work and have a healthy relationship with your body; and because like your life starts with your body … everything else really comes second. And I believe … the mind is in the body, so to speak. So everything, everything is just about like the body, and everything is within it, like inside the body. So I don't know, these things again may sound like, yeah, okay. Obvious, right? … But I was hearing these vague phrases; to me they were very vague. [Only now] is when these kind of things like start to make sense.
[F]ood I think plays such a massive [role]. I know you briefly mentioned that, you know, you also had a complex with food. For me, I don't know if I would say that it was a complex, but it really was an unhealthy relationship. I mean, I did not even know what it was to eat healthy food. And I'm here to say that if people want like practical tips that they can actually go and use. I'm telling you that food is one thing that you can totally change that will change your life.
… And again … to be very honest, it's not even so much about changing the food. But what I've learned is that if you eat in a happy state, then that food just knows what to do inside your body and it takes care of you automatically, without you even having to do anything. But it does all start with you, like your mindset.
And we all, I believe, have at least three things that we know we could be doing to improve our entire lives or our entire well-being, but we just aren't.
[There] are so many, I'm sure you know, so many studies and things nowadays being done about, you know, sound frequency and waves and we can totally get into that. But, you know, even talking to your water, right, like you can see like people doing experiments, you can see it for yourself, right? Because I know seeing is believing. That's half the battle because I'm a big believer in the unseen. But sometimes it's hard for people like to get there …
But you [can] talk to your water or you talk to your food, it changes the genetic composition of that water or that food. And then it just works miracles inside your body. So appreciating that food and being in that like, gratitude mindset while you're about to eat the food is going to do wonders and more benefit to your body than if you were, you know, eating in an angry state or just never appreciated that you even have food because we're living such a blessed, grateful life. But we do take it for granted and we do forget; it's not our fault …
… [A]wareness is the biggest agent for change. So all of this, like, even doing podcasts, it's simply awareness. Once you've heard something that maybe strikes a chord within you, that strike wasn't random. That strike wasn't random. So listen to it and understand like, hey, why did that phrase really like, speak to me? Why did that phrase speak to me? Maybe it's your mind, your body calling for that little change or that little addition or that, hey, maybe I should remove this. It starts little, little, little by little. Like when they say baby steps, we really mean baby steps. You know, we're not, we're not expecting anyone to transform, so to speak, like overnight. But if there's a will, there's a way.
And we all, I believe, have at least three things that we know we could be doing to improve our entire lives or our entire well-being, but we just aren't. So the call to action, like I would encourage everyone to really take a step today, you know. If I can call a listener to just take a little action today or even if it's sitting with like a notebook and a pen and just writing out that one out of three things that, you know you should be doing but haven't been, this is your sign, this is your epic sign, and it's been waiting for you, and I want you to act on it.
Adjoa: Thank you so much for sharing that because honestly, what I will say is it's quite confronting when you've kind of been asleep for so long and asleep in the sense of you haven't really been awake to your existence, you haven't really been tapping into, okay, what am I actually doing? … What am I actually doing? And I feel like what you just said; it can be confronting; because I know for me, when I started to hear these ideas. And I started to actually try to understand them, I was confronted because it was like, oh my goodness, I have been asleep.
I have not been aware of these keys to basically having a healthier life and how I can use the power that I possess to actually change my existence. And like it is a choice. Like you say, it's about you making a decision. And then from there, things, like you said, naturally; you kind of go on this journey and more answers are revealed.
… I want to hear more about how you got here, because I know that you are a multi-hyphenate queen. … I noted this down because I just wanted to make sure I captured this. But you hold a degree in business administration and management. You have a plethora of experience across media, marketing, and events. You are a yogini, you are a podcast host, you are a certified health and wellness coach and author.
And I know that I haven't covered everything, but I think it's safe to say that you are a powerhouse. And I know that your current projects are focused on your yoga teaching, your coaching, also your book that we're going to get into. And I just wanted to hear then how did you know that coaching and yoga, teaching and writing was your purpose in life?
Shyla: Yeah, I think that's a fantastic question because … it's not as though I woke up one day and suddenly figured this out. Like, I want people to know that, you know, I also went on that whole exploration, that discovery of what it is that I want to do … So what helped me was that I used to sometimes just sit quietly and ask this particular question: how can I serve? How can I serve? And I wish I could say like, oh, I came up with that and it's so, like, profound. But I actually heard it on another podcast. I was trying to find my purpose, and this was a podcast about that.
… the fact that I'm here with others means that my purpose has to include other people in some way.
So I also again went on this whole journey of like trying to find purpose and instead just, you know, sit down and asked, how can I serve? Because when you ask how can I serve? The universe asks the same question back to you because you give what you get. So you're asking that exact question how can I serve? Then the universe asks you the same question, how can I serve you? And then starts to serve you.
So it didn't begin with the quote unquote, like, “selfishness” of … what I want and what I should do, and whatever. It began with a bigger question of hey, I'm here. Like with others, I realise that I'm also not here just for myself. Otherwise I would be on this planet alone so the fact that I'm here with others means that my purpose has to include other people in some way.
So that realisation; again, like, dude, so many realisations came! I have to say, like realisations is like one of my favourite words, you know, because I just feel so good. I think when that light bulb moment goes off and you realise something that you just never had before. So it clicked and I said, okay, this serve thing it's been coming up. It's been coming up. I've been hearing about it. Let me try. Okay. Hey, how can I serve? And then, like you rightly said before, the answers I think just started coming.
I'm like, the fact that I'm interested in this means that I have to now learn more about it. It's not something that I should just forget about.
And I think now, like so many things happen that I can't focus on like one point and say like, this was the turning point, or this was the day that, you know, the purpose came. It actually was a very gradual, gradual thing for me. Like I said before, nothing is random. So when I realised that … I would hear something, and it would strike a chord, it would make me very excited, or I'd be super interested in that. I'm like, the fact that I'm interested in this means that I have to now learn more about it. It's not something that I should just forget about. So I just started … I think, attending my energy to things that actually interested me and that was a huge thing in life.
… I think when you give that unwavering internal decision that this is what I like, or this is what I want to get into, then everything around you kind of starts working in your favour. And this is real. This is what happens, right? Like, this is actually my life's design. So this is what started happening to me. And then I realised something that I was like, man, is this so weird? Like, all these coincidences start, you know, are happening. And I don't know, it was … a bit uncomfortable at first because all this is new to me. And then I realised something that this is meant to happen.
I believe we've taken the term coincidence to mean accidental when in fact, the word coincide comes from geometry, when two angles perfectly coincide together on purpose. So a coincidence is not an accident at all. It is synchronicity that was meant to happen perfectly.
Adjoa: Wow, that. I need to write that down.
… I love how you began this with talking about that question … how can I serve? And then, like you were saying, that's not a selfish point that you're starting with, but obviously if you are having that awareness that what you're doing can positively impact other people, then you will receive the help that you need and the open doors so that you can actually have that positive impact that is going to have positive flow on effects.
… I think that helps the listeners and myself included … what is it that is interesting to you? What do you even have like an emotional reaction or like a positive physical reaction to? And then explore that further. And when you do that, you can get into that alignment of what your purpose is meant to be. So I think that's incredible.
… I do want to talk now about your book, Euphoric Living, which I have read, and I'm very excited for you to share with us more about the book … I should read the full title. So your book is called “Euphoric Living: A Unique Interactive Guide to Self-empowerment from a Certified Coach”. And I would definitely say that it is exactly as it is written. It is definitely interactive, which I found to be really, really helpful. And I just wanted to ask you as well, did you ever envision yourself being an author and producing this book and what impact, when you wrote the book, did you intend for it to have on the reader?
Shyla: Yeah, I'm excited to answer all these questions. So one thing that I want to actually mention about purpose is that, you know, I feel like there's a lot of pressure nowadays for everyone to find their quote unquote “life purpose”. And what I've discovered is that your life purpose can change at each different stage of your life. And it should. This is according to me. It should change at each and every different stage of your life because you are changing at each and every different stage of your life … like your thoughts are different at each stage, right? Like it's not going to be the same as when you are a teen to 50. So why are you saying that the life purpose that I thought I should have at 18 should be the same at 50. It's like, no.
[It was] this thought that I needed to have it all figured out, like life purpose wise. And I'm here to say that no one should have to feel that pressure because I felt that pressure and that expectation.
I thought all these years that I need to have one purpose and that if I don't have that one goal, that one purpose, then, oh, I'm like slacking you know. I'm not in the bracket of those other people who seem to have just figured out their life purpose, and that's what they're working towards. It always made me feel bad that, gosh … I was like almost, you know, 30. And I'm like, wow, I don't have my life purpose, or I don't know it yet. And that used to just get me down, you know? And that was another like addition of a problem that I would say wasn't allowing me to move forward and heal. [It was] this thought that I needed to have it all figured out, like life purpose wise. And I'm here to say that no one should have to feel that pressure because I felt that pressure and that expectation.
I just want to say that it's okay if your life purpose is different at each different stage of your life. And I think that it should be if your beliefs and your attitudes and your entire existence yourself is changing at every decade. How then can your life purpose be the exact same? If you were a different person ten years ago? Logically, it just doesn't make sense to me. So guys, it's okay if your purpose changes and at each purpose, each stage, you should fulfil that purpose.
So from my 20s, I would say this book, Euphoric Living, was my purpose because in my early 20s, you know, some ideas like started coming to me and the vision became clearer … that this is what I wanted to do. So I just followed that life purpose. But is that to say that in my teens or before that this was my purpose, that I grew up believing that this is what I wanted? No, it just came, and I followed that feeling. So I think, you know, expecting yourself to have this one big grand vision of what you're going to do … can be realistic for some people because some people are just born that way. But it's, it's really okay if you don't have that yet.
And I think that's something that should make you feel better because when I realised this, it made me feel a lot better and it made me focus on that purpose at that time and then give myself leeway that, hey, when this project or this purpose is done, I can then move on to another exciting, fun, helpful, valuable project and purpose, you know, that's going to fulfil me as well as fulfil others. So that's one thing that I wanted to say about this whole business of life purpose, right, that sounds so big; and it's just a big thing in our heads. But really it can be on project basis and that can sort of help you feel better about that. So yeah …
This purpose did come to me in my 20s. But I have to mention that … when we were kids and we'd be in school and they'd ask you, hey, what do you want to be when you grow up? I would always write down two things, either author or teacher. So, you know, having said that, I didn't exactly know the purpose of that but I did have it in me for whatever reason to. I think I just loved writing. I think in school I wasn't like amazing at any other subject apart from English. And I had this one skill that when the blank sheet was in front of me, I didn't sort of freak out. Like I just knew how to get words on that page. And I was blessed and talented enough to be able to, you know, put different words together and edit it and just make it sound good, right? So I was lucky enough to have that gift and I realised later on that, hey, I should use this for a good purpose.
You know, when I told you about my whole kind of healing journey, which is still happening and still ongoing, it was like I learned so much. So many nuggets of wisdom … gems. It was almost as though, like the more I kept asking, the more the universe kept giving me all these gems in the form of people, in the form of teachers, in the form of my own experiences and lessons. And I learned so much. And I just thought, hey, what good is all of this awesome info, like in my own head? I figured if I needed it then there's definitely somebody else who also needs that help.
And this is when I began formulating the idea that, okay, I'll share and spread the info, but how am I going to do that? Hey, I'm a good writer. Why don't I just do it in a book form? And so that epiphany kind of came to me, and that is how the whole thing began. And then I think the whole process of collecting information and ideas and experiences over maybe 4 or 5 years and literally writing it down … like my notes app on the iPhone is like my go to place. I'm on that thing every day.
Every time I had a good idea, every time I learned something … write it down. Write it down. And I think that is such a powerful practice for people to start doing and knowing that writing down something is energetic. So you are asking for it almost like if you don't want to sit and you're not a prayer person, if you don't want to sit and you're not yet a meditation person, how else are you going to tell the universe or the angels what it is that you want? Because they will help you get it and receive it. But are you really asking for it? Are you really doing like that energy [work]? Because it's all about energy. Are you doing any energy work at all? And writing is a huge form of energy.
… writing is a form of art. It's a form of energy work. But we've really lost the art of putting pen to paper …
… I think, there's like a number, maybe 42 or 43%. you are more likely to, you know, manifest the thing that you want if you write it down. And that's a huge number, 43% more likely to get it. Doesn't that just motivate the heck out of you to like open up a page right now and start writing? … it really should.
I believe [that], and what I've written about extensively which you'll know in my book, writing is a form of art. It's a form of energy work. But we've really lost the art of putting pen to paper … We're in this age where, you know, even me, I'm telling you about my notes app instead of like getting a notebook right? But hey, that's just how it is. At least I'm doing that. At least I'm doing like the notes app, right? And whenever I can, I do try to, to write down with a pen and pencil. Because when you take more time to write out something, you're putting a lot more energy into it in your own handwriting. You are formulating like each word on the page, you know, and putting in more effort to write that thing as opposed to typing, which will take you a second.
… [T]he more time you spend on something, the more energy it's taking … the more you're going to receive whatever you're putting your energy into. If that makes sense … like, sure, you can type things and if you want to start out that way, by all means. But once in a while, take a pen, take a paper and go back to that lost beautiful art of putting that magic of pen to paper. And that is the reason why, as you mentioned earlier, that my book is interactive and … you said you love that part of it. And what we mean by interactive is that you can write in it.
… I have made this a workbook style where people can read and then write. So you read a chapter on, let's say, the law of attraction, the law of vibration, or self-care, or Mother Earth, or animals, or any other beautiful topic in the book. You read a page on it for four pages. What is it like 4 or 5 pages, a chapter? And then at the end of every chapter I have got a full page of dedicated writing space. Now this space is free writing where you can choose whatever it is that you want. I'm not telling you what to write, but use this space to write something, even if it's just the date guys; even it's just a name. Because a name is so important to you. And these things also carry a lot of like strong vibrations right, that eventually attract things to you. So use it to journal.
Or if you don't feel like thinking about what it is that you want to write, I've given you prompts. I've given you deep questions to consider and think about. I have given you guided self-affirmations, so, you know, in two minutes you can just literally copy out the affirmations that I have written, just literally copy them out and voila, like in 2 or 3 minutes you've actually just affirmed like ten beautiful statements about yourself or about life. And it's taken, you no time …
I would encourage people to spend minimum five minutes on it, which again, I write about more in the book. But hey, it's just a start. It's just a start to get you into the practice and habit of writing, which is such a big theme from this book. And I really decided that it's so important to me that people find this lost art back into their lives that I've decided every book that now comes out is going to be this style, a workbook and interactive. That's how important I think it is.
Adjoa: I am really excited to be talking about your book because I feel like the energy that I felt while reading, while writing and reciting the affirmations and really reading those 4 or 5 pages that you mentioned, which are so well written. I'm getting excited talking about it, and I am excited because adjoainghana is going to sponsor giveaways for two listeners to be able to have the same experience that I had (follow adjoainghana on instagram, more details about the giveaway will be posted soon). And I wanted to ask you because we have the expert with us, for those who are not aware of affirmations or they don't understand what affirmations are yet, how would you simply describe what an affirmation is? Because your book really does take us on this journey of writing them, reciting, and affirming …
Shyla: Yeah, I love this question. And to answer it, I would love to actually take you through a creative visualisation process that allowed me to get in touch with affirmations in the very first place. So creative visualisation is really just a fancy word for imagination, but they say that imagination is more important or more valuable than knowledge, because if you see anything in this world, it all started from pure thought, which is imagination. So, you know, just beginning with that, I would love to take you through like a blueprint. This is something that really helped me believe in visualisation and help me come to connect with self-affirmation. Okay, so if you're listening to this, then I would encourage you to even close your eyes while I sort of journey you through for the next few minutes within …
[Listen to Shyla’s adjoainghana podcast episode linked at the end of this post to be guided through this creative visualisation which begins at around the 45-minute mark.]
Adjoa: Wow. I am really glad you took us through that visualisation as a way to really illustrate what an affirmation is … I know that some people can be skeptical about affirmations … And I think that you actually have to open yourself, open your mind to actually trying it, because that is where you're going to actually see that they can positively transform your life and they can elevate your experience.
And the reason why I say this is because, like I said, I've read the book and I opened myself to it. And I will admit it was a bit difficult for me in the beginning to write these affirmations because I realised through your book as I progressed how much I actually was occupying a negative state of mind and how negative my thoughts were. And it just became so normal to me that when I read your book, I realise how much work I had to do to actually unlearn that negative default setting because like you said, an affirmation can be negative or positive. And so a lot of us are negatively affirming. We're actually not tapping into the creative, the positive creative element of affirmation.
… I know that there's over 200 positive affirmations that you give us in the book, and they cover so many relevant topics for us living in this present day. Like I really loved the choice chapter, the trust chapter. You mentioned Mother Earth. I loved that chapter as well. And you talk about the butterfly effect in there and there's really incredible insights that you share. And I know that you combine these philosophical ideas, these spiritual ideas with also science like you've referred to throughout. So I really love the book, as you can tell. And I just wanted to affirm that for you.
Shyla: And I love it. I love that. No, really, thanks for what you said. And I feel like you've actually brought up so many important points, which I would love to touch upon. So science, first of all, this is actually all scientific. Everything we've spoken about is actually facts. It's actually proven by science, or at least modern-day science. I mean, to be honest, I say modern-day science, but all this wisdom has been there for actually way beyond, like since the beginning of time.
You know, if you go back to all of these scriptures, even like in Hinduism … I love the topic and I'm not trying to say I have dived deep into it as of yet, although that is actually going to be one of my life purposes that I've decided that I'm going to go more on this track of just the rich scriptures and learning more about, you know, life in general. But all of that stuff that comes from those scripts is actually science-based.
And that is what I love about all of these topics, is that you'll actually never know that it works until you actually try it. And then when you try it, you'll realise that it's totally life changing. And did you know that this is a fascinating fact, 95% of people think the same thoughts as they did the day before, and 80% of those thoughts are low vibrational. So, I mean, when I got into this and I started learning more … that fascinated me, right? It made me realise that the reason why everyone's life is different is because everyone's script is different, is because they're feeding their minds, their computers, different words at different points of the day.
… ask yourself this question, are you open minded enough to see where you are close minded?
And that is how come everyone's life looks and seems different on the outside … because of what is happening on the inside. And I think just staying open minded, as you rightly use that word to all of this, is really the key. And even beyond that, I think if you're not yet there or introductions like this podcast is sort of helping you get there, that that's great and that's a start. But for yourself, I would say … ask yourself this question, are you open minded enough to see where you are close minded?
That is a big question to ask yourself, right? And I think that self-help, this whole genre of self-help and even self-affirmations are just one self-help tool to help you get by. And I think the best part about it is knowing that all of this stuff, so to speak, actually lies within you already. You know. And that is helpful.
That is helpful to know that I'm not here preaching something to you that you don't already have or that your body doesn't already know. It's just that maybe you have forgotten. It's just that maybe you have accumulated a lot of stuff, accumulated a lot of extra thoughts that don't need to be there, a lot of negativity, maybe not even from yourself, but negativity from others. And picked up a lot of energy from unwanted, let's say, energy from other things that you may be consuming.
It's just genuinely helpful to start shedding and removing all of this so that you become who it is that you are before all of [this] extra accumulation started happening inside your script you know. And I feel like a lot of times we're not the ones holding the pen and even writing that script. In our minds, we have allowed others to take charge and sit on that computer and type things out for us. And then we wrongly believe that that that's what we think, rather that's what they think.
So we have to put ourselves back in the driver's seat. And again, I'm not, I'm not trying to say that I'm a doctor of any kind or specialist on this kind of subject, but I'm simply sharing what I know and what I believe has really worked for me …that when you are down and going through a down period, it is to do with your mind and … it could be the reason that you have left the driver's seat and you have allowed somebody else to take charge and write the script of your life.
Adjoa: Wow. That really flows into what I wanted to ask you next because actually adjoainghana, this platform, it really started from actually a hopeless sort of place, a sort of low place and difficult experiences that I actually was going through at the time I was traveling in Ghana … and I remember meeting you. … Everything that I needed to pull me out of that place was presented to me, including you.
And then I read your book, and I went through that and that strengthened me even further. And so I just wanted you to expand a little bit more on what encouragement you would give to somebody listening who feels like a bit hopeless, who feels that they have negative thoughts and just [drawing] from your own experience like you shared, I know that we aren't necessarily experts or doctors on this, but from your experience, what tools, aside from affirmations as well, helped you during challenging moments of your life?
Shyla: Yeah, this is so important to talk about. And I again, I'm directly taking this answer from my own experience and what changed the entire game for me, or should I say began this new version of my life; is again back to simply doing nothing else but asking of yourself one simple question … I'm not even telling you like what to ask. But for me it was almost demanding and expecting of the universe to give me what I want. And by the way, you can do that because this whole world was created for you. And I think that is also a massive distinction, is that we are co-creators … believe that you are here as the creator of your life, and you make choices and decisions with your own free will that help you get to wherever it is that you ultimately need to be.
But remember also that you need … that little bit of action if you want your life to go in a certain way … because … there is a blueprint for everybody's life.
But remembering that all the while on that journey, you are the one helping to co-create the things that happen to you. And you're not just leaving it up to fate, so to speak, or, you know, whatever it is. Like you have that faith. But remember also that you need … that little bit of action if you want your life to go in a certain way … because … there is a blueprint for everybody's life. Like if you just sat at home in your room for the rest of your life, then there's a blueprint for that and it's going to go a certain way. But if you get up and choose to leave that room and do different things, then your life is going to turn out differently, right? So we do have that freewill. We do have these choices and decisions that can be made in our favour. And all I would say is that knowing this, sit down and it can be for barely a minute, I'm telling you. But ask for something.
Ask for something, you know, because you can't then sit and blame like life or the world … if you're not even doing this almost basic thing. And again, it takes a very long time to do that. And it takes a lot of like, crazy courage to just sit because it's weird initially if you're doing it for the first time. It's not going to feel natural, let's just put it that way. The more you keep doing it, the more you'll see that it's working. And as I said earlier, the universe will keep giving you signs and gems that whatever confirmations you can say, that whatever it is that you've done or are doing is actually working. And I think you and I meeting was also a big confirmation in that wonderful direction. I know you mentioned that it was for you, and it was for me as well. And these things don't even surprise me anymore at this point …
I don't believe, I know, right. There's a big difference between that. First, you’ve got to like, believe. Then after a while, then you're just like, no, it's not even a belief anymore because it's a straight up fact that the more you sort of value and take care of yourself, and whatever that means for you … all these things we talk about like self-affirmation, they're just one tool. And maybe that tool will not even help somebody else. But you have got to find what it is that is actually helping you and find that thing and run with it, because everyone does have something, you know?
And I think the best part about life or the beauty of I think being human is you get to not do anything else except for sit maybe by yourself, even in a relaxing state with your eyes closed for a minute and just take that second for yourself and you can ask for what it is you want, or you don't even have to ask. But I think being with yourself and being almost raw in that moment and knowing that there are these entities or energies around you, right next to you and even within you that are constantly listening to what it is that you say and think. And they are there. They exist to make those things come true for you. So this world was actually built and made for you. If you're aware of that, and if you love yourself enough to simply ask for what it is that you really want.
Adjoa: I definitely feel encouraged after hearing you share your thoughts on how you can start to take back that control …
Shyla: … And the power.
Adjoa: Exactly. The power. I think that's a better word for it. And I really like that in all what you've said, it's not prescriptive. Like you said, it's not “this is what you need to do exactly.” Because like you said, a lot of this comes from you sitting with yourself and confronting this situation that you find yourself in and really listening to what it is that your true self is telling you. And I think this will help a lot of people because I know that, myself included, I think a lot of people feel like they're in seasons where they don't have clarity.
They don't necessarily know what the next step is to take. They feel like maybe … they've been waiting for a breakthrough for so long, but it just doesn't seem like it's coming. But maybe we're in our own way. And I feel like when we remove, like you said, all of these things that we've allowed other people to write [in] our stories, other things to inform our thinking; when we actually take back that power and positively direct where we're going, we can see a lot of change. And I think that that's a really lovely way to segue toward the end of our conversation …
I wanted to just definitely get you to share anything further that you'd love to share with the adjoainghana community. And also before we end, make sure that you tell us the different places where listeners can follow you … because there's been so much wisdom that you've shared, and I'm sure people would love to connect further.
Shyla: Thanks. So the book is Euphoric Living [and] is available worldwide on Amazon. It's available in the Kindle version as well. And I do have to say something about that; is that I know people, some people, are real Kindle readers, but as I mentioned, the book is interactive, and I really do encourage people to write in the book. And so I would always, you know, recommend like the actual physical book where you can really turn the pages, you can really get your pen and get down to it, you know, and make the book work for you. Because reading it is one thing. But, you know, knowledge is not power unless actually applied. That's what I believe. And I and I say this a lot throughout the book that, you know, there's this phrase that knowledge is power, but knowledge is not power unless applied. Otherwise, what is the point?
So I would say take your power back, apply certain things, get the physical book. You know, it's a beautiful cover. It's a labor of love. You know, they say even when you have something that's so energetic and a person has put a lot of thought and energy into it, even just having it there next to you on your coffee table, [at] your bed side, it does emit a lot of just greatness like positivity, and it puts you in a good state of mind. And as we've mentioned throughout this whole podcast, mindset is everything. And so you can get the book on Amazon and I would love to hear feedback, I would love to hear thoughts.
I do have an Instagram as well, it’s @euphoricliving.byshyla and anyone is welcome to just contact me, and we can totally get deeper. And as a final word, Adjoa, what I would say to anybody listening is that with all of this said, with all that we have discussed and discovered on this call, we tend to take personal development a little too seriously sometimes, which can take the fun out of everyday life.
I believe the most spiritual act possible is to have fun, be yourself, and have a laugh. And that is in fact what is going to grow yourself and evolve yourself, you know? And personal growth is everything. But let's just remember to have a lot of fun and be ourselves in life, because being ourselves can attract the right people, right places, and right circumstances for you, which ends up giving you the best life you could have ever asked for.
Adjoa: Wow, what an ending. Bam. That is amazing. And definitely I'm going to include all the links so that people can be directed to those various places. And I just think that that was such an in-depth, rich conversation because you've been so generous with your experience, with your time and with the lessons that you've learned. And so I'm really excited for this episode to go live and to also share more of your work on the blog and through the adjoainghana Instagram as well. So thank you so much, Shyla again.
Shyla: Thank you. This has been super fun. Just up my alley. Definitely amazing.
Interview by Adjoa for adjoainghana.
So happy to own a copy of euphoric living through your instagram giveaway 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿