We had the good fortune of connecting with Michelle Kim Hall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle Kim, we’d love to start by asking you about lessons learned. Is there a lesson you can share with us?
Being vulnerable is an act of bravery. The mission of my company is to promote wellbeing through writing, breathwork, and guided meditation. The challenge is that I offer a service that many people don’t even know they need. Everybody has a story worth sharing. Everybody can benefit from breathwork, meditation, and journaling. These tools enable a person to cut through the noise of self-criticism and tap into their inner wisdom. When I’m able to help someone break through the muck that’s been holding them back from their most authentic selves, I get to bear witness to their extraordinary strength. My students inspire me.

But to let go of what you want to release, you need to confront it without pretense; you need to let down your walls and expose the underbelly of your pain. This requires trust. I have to show up with my genuine desire to be of service without judgement. I share my own journey and struggles with my students. I’ve shed tears with them. Being vulnerable is hard! But my willingness to be vulnerable helps others feel safe enough to open up and they, in turn, see how good it feels to soften.

What should our readers know about your business?
At first, Proud Earthlings was a space where I taught writing workshops for mothers to come together and share our stories. With the birth of my children, I experienced tremendous joy, while at the same time human suffering felt magnified. My workshops became an alternative to all those “Mommy & Me” classes where we talked about sleep training and developmental milestones, but spoke little about how motherhood created, for me, a crisis of identity. To find my way to healing, I turned to psychiatrists, therapists, reiki masters, and energy workers, who helped me discover how to be more present, less reactive, and overcome obstacles that stood in my path to wellbeing. Initially, I harbored a lot of confusion and embarrassment about my mental health, but I’ve come a long way. Now I want to tell everyone about the tools I’ve found that worked for me and that I’ve seen empower so many others.

The more I learned about these alternative healing modalities, the more called I was to share these tools with the women in my workshops. I earned certifications in breathwork, guided meditation, and became attuned as a reiki master. Eventually my workshops shifted to center breathwork as the key to unlocking a deeper level of introspection, which is, of course, really the first step for creative expression. I started to expand the topics of my workshops beyond maternal mental health. I’ve taught teens/tweens to use creativity as a way to build self-esteem in a world of social media that spurs comparison. I’ve helped victims of sexual abuse and trauma release decades of pent-up shame. I’ve worked with people experiencing chronic pain, injury, and illness to find relief from what ails them. I’ve led workshops to ignite the creative fire within artists and writers. Breathwork truly is for everyone.

I think the biggest ongoing challenge for my business is both overcoming the stigma of mental health and misconceptions about meditation/wellness. People often think meditation means sitting silently in a room, clearing your head, and *not* thinking. Rather, I’ve learned to regard meditation as the act of becoming an observer of the mechanics of your mind and the textures of your feelings. I like to tell my students that it’s all well and good to breathe and meditate together, but the real impact of this work is how a wellness practice will shift how they show up throughout the rest of the day. One student recently shared how since attending my workshops she’s become so much nicer, especially to her kids. She’s been consistently putting in “the work of wellbeing” and what a gift she’s given to herself and her family. What I want the world to know is how powerful the ripple effect is when we prioritize our own wellbeing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles so I find great joy whenever I can share my city my visitors.

One of my favorite spots is The Magic Castle in Hollywood. It’s invitation only but my husband figured out a hack. If you are a guest at the hotel, you can get into this immersive play space where bartenders have mastered sleight of hand tricks and guests can explore intimate rooms with enchanting shows.

Not too far from Hollywood, Atwater Village is a charming neighborhood with plenty of shops and eateries. Stop by Dune for an amazing falafel sandwich (I love their spicy green sauce).

Bulan in nearby Silver Lake is for all the vegetarian Thai foodies out there. Everything on the menu is delicious. And while we’re talking about delicious offerings from Thailand, The Raven Spa has the most exquisite massages; plus they have a location in Santa Monica if you’re hanging out on the west side.

My advice for any visitor to LA is to avoid spending your time stuck on the freeway by approaching this town as a bunch of interlocking neighborhoods, each with their own distinct delights to discover.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Two mentors have been instrumental in helping me develop my practice, and have supported me on my own wellness journey. Queenie Hilfer, founder of Path of the Oracle, is the reiki master who attuned and trained me. She is based right here in Los Angeles and leads transformational trainings and retreats. I’ll be taking her Sound Healer training this fall and can’t wait to integrate this healing modality into my offerings. Jay Bradley, founder of Breathe On It, taught me about the startling power of simply breathing with intention. He can move a room to tears because he creates such a safe space for everyone to be vulnerable. They have both taught me that tears are medicine.

Website: https://www.proudearthlings.com

Instagram: proud earthlings

Linkedin: Michelle Kim Hall

Image Credits
Mattie O’Neil

Lorraine Kim Hall

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