Soul Sierra a Wellness Center in Cebu
“FINDING BALANCE. It is so important, especially when holding space and sharing events to the public.”
Note: Please donate to Typhoon Odette relief efforts either to Ayala Foundation or for those specifically looking to help the island of Siargao donate to Lokallab or directly support the rebuild of Soul Sierra through Paypal
Nestled in the lush landscape of Cebu lies Soul Sierra a stunning mother and daughter run wellness retreat center. We have been following Soul Sierra’s offerings the last year since they started and love the energy that the Muego ladies have cultivated. From nutritious meals that Divine cooks up to yoga classes, sound baths, and spa treatments Soul Sierra is a place to come heal and nourish the body and soul. Situated in a beautifully landscaped property in Cebu, the Philippines the ladies have designed the space with a gorgeous garden, modern kitchen, accommodation and both indoor and outdoor yoga shala rooms. We spoke to Kymberly recently to learn more about Soul Sierra, how the business was born, and talk about the growth of the wellness industry in the Philippines!
Curito:
Hello! Tell us, who are the lovely sisters, Kymberly and Divine Muego behind Soul Sierra?
Kymberly:
Hi :) This is always a tough question to answer! I’ll keep in short… We were born in Cebu, Philippines, moved to England for a few years, then moved to Ho Chi Minh, and then to Phuket for 7 years. Divine then lived in Singapore with our mum and I went to study in London and San Francisco before we all moved back here. I arrived in Cebu in 2011. Back then Divine was in the entertainment industry and participated in the reality show, Pinoy Big Brother. I started a blog and a fashion line and was traveling back and forth to Manila. Our lives were very different back then! As we grew older though, we decided to leave the congested city life and move back to live with our mum in Cebu.
“I heard that Bali was a great place to go heal and “soul search”, so that’s exactly what I did. I joined different types of wholesome activities, met amazing people, tried different holistic healing modalities, and learnt so, so much! My trip changed my life and my experiences inspired me to create a place for wellness and wholesome events in my home town, Cebu.”
Curito:
Kymberly you are a yogi, sound bath, and reiki healer. How did your yoga and wellness journey begin?
Kymberly:
Growing up, wellness was always been a big part of our lives, especially through diet and fitness. At 10 years old I found Buddhism and meditation whilst living in Ho Chi Minh. This fascination continued to grow while living in Thailand, and at 19, a documentary was given to my father and I by his doctor after his hernia surgery, called, Food Inc. The documentary opens up about the food industry; meat, dairy, animal agriculture, and its effects on climate change, world hunger, and health. We both switched to a vegetarian diet for a few years, but in 2016, I chose to give up eating all animal products and began living a vegan lifestyle. I believe that this transition led me to do all the beautiful things I love doing, today :) I found yoga when I was 23, experimented with juicing, raw diet, and meditation, and eventually found reiki in 2018. It was a long journey and it wasn’t always so health-conscious! Believe me, I had my “fair share” of unhealthy living!
Curito:
When was Soul Sierra created and what is the story behind it?
Kymberly:
I believe that even though Soul Sierra only came together effortlessly and quickly in 2019, it was a Divine plan, created years ago, from above! In 2018, our lives drastically shifted. Our family, which grew closer than we had ever been in the last 3 years, started to fall apart. It was a huge surprise for my mum, sister, and I, but there will always be things in life that you cannot control. Long story short, before Soul Sierra came about, it was our home, but our father suddenly had other plans for it, which pushed my mum, sister, and I to move away and find a home in the city. After the stress we all had, especially for my mother, we found out that my father left the country abruptly, leaving us with a new house that we could barely afford and our last home, Soul Sierra, left abandoned. Because of all the stress, confusion, and hurt everything caused for my family and I, I felt pulled to go deeper into learning about holistic wellness and focus on my own healing. In 2019, I was invited to Bali for a girlfriend’s hen party and decided to spend some time there to explore and go within. I heard that Bali was a great place to go heal and “soul search”, so that’s exactly what I did. I joined different types of wholesome activities, met amazing people, tried different holistic healing modalities, and learned so, so much! My trip changed my life and my experiences inspired me to create a place for wellness and wholesome events in my hometown, Cebu. As soon as I got back, I followed my heart, took our home back, and named her, Soul Sierra. I turned our house into a center for wellness classes and retreats and opened the garden to the public.
“It was a long journey and it wasn’t always so health-conscious! Believe me, I had my “fair share” of unhealthy living!”
Curito:
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced, how did you overcome them, and what did you learn?
Kymberly:
A difficult challenge I encountered when I first opened Soul Sierra was that I would get upset and take it personally when I didn’t have a good turnout to an event. But, as I continued to stay true to my cause, I realized that the number of people who attend is not what matters. I saw the changes in people, the hearts that opened of the few that came, and that became more than enough. Though it is a business and I require clients to stay afloat, the purpose of sharing this space is to spread love, awareness, and feel the unity in the community, especially through all the divisions in humanity. I have learned to stay grounded and offer classes people are looking for, but also stay open to what I believe could benefit the community.
So many challenges have come up throughout this journey (as you can imagine!), but one that continues to arise is, FINDING BALANCE. It is so important, especially when holding space and sharing events to the public. I find that when I do too much and have less time for myself, I become less of a clear channel, but when I feel balanced and aligned, what I share comes straight from the heart and from a space of clarity. It’s important for me to constantly re-align myself and not get lost in the physicality of things.
Curito:
Do you think the wellness community and retreat spaces are growing in the Philippines? Are there many out there?
Kymberly:
Yes! The wellness community is definitely growing, especially now with this pandemic. More and more people are becoming more aware with their wellbeing and are choosing to live healthier lifestyles. When I first moved here in 2011, there were only a handful of restaurants that served vegetarian dishes. Now, most restaurants offer vegetarian options, and vegan options all over the city are growing every year. It’s amazing! As for retreat spaces, there are very few here in Cebu. I am super glad to be a part of this growing community and I can’t wait to watch it expand :)
Curito:
Does Soul Sierra attract more foreign and international clients or more domestic clients?
Kymberly:
I’m happy to say that we have been attracting more local clients from all over the Philippines, though we have had a good amount of international guests visit us as well. It’s so lovely meeting like-minded people from all over the world.
Curito:
What makes Soul Sierra so special and different from what you can find elsewhere in the Philippines? What are your unique offers?
Kymberly:
I believe that nature and the landscapes are what make Soul Sierra remarkable. We are blessed with these natural and beautiful rocks which my father designed the house and garden around. Roots of trees have grown over rocks through years and years and have created such beautiful views around the estate. It has so much history. We have a vegan café at The Garden at Soul Sierra, offering baked goods, hot meals, and homemade kombucha, we host wellness events such as yoga and cacao ceremonies, and we offer private reiki and sound healing sessions. I guess you can say we cater to your mental, physical, and spiritual health :)
Curito:
How has COVID affected your business and have you made any changes?
Kymberly:
COVID has definitely affected us, as it has, many of us. We actually closed our space a couple of weeks before community quarantine took place in Cebu. In the beginning, I was terrified, but many good things came out of this pandemic, and many changes as well. The Soul Sierra house was where we were holding retreats and yoga classes, but during quarantine, when my mum, sister and I decided to stay together in Soul Sierra instead of in the city, I saw how much my mum really missed living together in the home she helped design for herself. I made a decision to take a step back from the plans and dreams I had and told my family to move back in. It was the best decision, ever. I know that I had created this beautiful and unique wellness and retreat space, and that it had only been open for a year, but the choice I made didn’t make me feel like I lost anything, only gained. Even though the house is now only open for private sessions, I am still offering yoga and other wholesome workshops at The Garden and at our other new location within the estate. Our café at The Garden has expanded, along with it’s vegan menu, and it is open daily, except on Mondays and Tuesdays. I am now focusing on online circles, private sessions, monthly events, and my newly launched lifestyle brand, SOLTI, which offers natural products and handmade clothing created consciously in the Philippines. I’m very grateful and feel very blessed to be where I am today, through all the learning, struggles and developments with Soul Sierra, I trust that everything is perfect.
“The purpose of sharing this space is to spread love, awareness, and feel the unity in community, especially through all the division in humanity. ”
Curito:
Who are your mentors and what inspires you all to continue to do what you do everyday!?
Kymberly:
I have plenty and I know they know who they are! I believe that inspiration comes from within the passion of our hearts, and of course from all the beauty we see and feel in this world. Though there are trials and tribulations that cross all of us, we continue to strive because we believe that more healing needs to be done to create an even more beautiful world for humanity and Mother Earth.
Curito:
In this new decade, how do you see Soul Sierra grow or expand? Are there other projects on the pipeline?
Kymberly:
I’m excited to see how Soul Sierra develops. I’m going with the flow, trusting the process, while of course making sure whatever I put out aligns with our cause. I would love to continue spreading the importance of holistic wellness and have more teachers all over the world share their teachings here at Soul Sierra. Due to the pandemic, we were propelled to explore sharing our services and classes online, something I never expected. This has definitely brought upon more opportunities for myself and for Soul Sierra, for that I am grateful. I am excited to continue sharing our online events and finally start having more live events and ceremonies again. Stay posted for our upcoming events!
Curito:
How can our readers connect with Soul Sierra?
Kymberly:
You can connect with us on Facebook and Instagram. You can also connect with our personal pages - @kymberlymuego and @divine_msmith :) If you have any inquiries, please feel free to email us at retreats@soulsierra.ph. I look forward to hearing from you!
First published on November 12, 2020
