Journeyscapes with Ludy

Can motherhood and self-care go hand in hand? Absolutely.

Join us in this inspiring episode of Journeyscapes with Ludy as we welcome Dr. Geona Ann Macrohon, a physician, mother of four, and advocate for self-care. Together, we explore the beautiful balance between motherhood, aesthetics, wellness, and self-love, and why taking care of yourself is one of the best gifts you can give to your family.

From breaking common misconceptions about beauty and motherhood to discussing the importance of prioritizing your well-being, this episode is a heartfelt reminder that self-care is not selfish—it is essential.

WATCH FULL EPISODE 12 HERE:
https://youtu.be/gU4UiPK0b34

This episode was made possible through the support of our valued partners and sponsors: Bagong Pilipinas Studios Visayas, A Plus Clinic Premium Aesthetics, TFM Headspa, David's Salon Central Bloc Ayala, Aura Beauty Studio, Smile Syndicate Dental Clinic, V&M Skincare Naturals, Dahlia Chocolates, Pukot Kitchen, Atelier Amelie Premium Brownies, Fat Shaolin Frozen Dumplings, Dubby's Ultimate Burger, Eia by Dawata Yoga Studio, Shans Collection, Miguu Expedition, and United Neon Advertising. Thank you for supporting meaningful conversations that inspire, empower, and uplift.

💬 What's one self-care practice that helps you show up as your best self?

Watch Episode 12 now and don't forget to follow Journeyscapes with Ludy for more conversations on self-awareness, self-discovery, self-care, self-healing, and self-love.

JOURNEYSCAPES WITH LUDY EPISODE 12 WITH DR. GEONA ANN MACROHON Can motherhood and self-care go hand in hand? Absolutely. Join us...

Starting in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

This was right outside TFM Radio Station at Tops. We just finished the radio show on Duyog sa Gugma with Dating Coach Kristine and Coach MJ.

Coach Kristine gave me feedback that she found me “cute” during the radio show. She did not mean it physically but it might be also. What do you think? lol

What she meant was she liked what I said during the discussion / conversation and the way I communicated to the letter sender.

Little did she know that earlier that morning I wanted to tell her that I did not feel like going out of the house. But I missed 2 weekend shows already that I felt I had to.

I prayed for strength and inspiration to move me and get me out of my house. I finally decided to do a self-care day - face massage, yoga practice, hairstyling and visit to the Carmelite church before the radio show. I somehow felt good and refreshed my mind. That by the time I was on air, I knew that it was showtime. And I believe I did a good job plus I enjoyed it.

This is a note to self.

There are days you feel like burned out. There are also challenges that can really push you to the edge. Worst scenarios, you can get stagnated or energy get drained.

In times like these, always try to seek for strength and wisdom from Him. Pray for alignment to His purpose for you. Because when we are, things flow; you will find yourself in a flow state.

Once the spotlight is on you, regardless of how you felt or what happened earlier, you are now in command; act as if you own the stage. Take a deep breath and count 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. And it’s showtime!

Be a Victim or Choose Freedom?

Have you seen the viral video showing two boys repeatedly provoking another young man in an apparent attempt to start a fight?

In this photo is the young man who got bullied. His name is Vince Francis Amarante. Despite the constant taunts and pressure, he remained calm, composted and refused to respond with violence.

Just like the rest of the citizens, I so admire his response. Rather than allowing his emotions to take control, he showed patience and restraint throughout the encounter. My first instinct was to connect to him and tell him I support him with respect and admiration.

I was imagining if it happened to one of my adorables, what would be their reaction to the situation? My youngest daughter is actually of the same age; Vince is 19 years old. Honestly, My guess to my question is that they would most likely respond differently. But the other question is, as their mom, how would I react? I guess I know my reaction to it when it comes to my children being bullied right before my eyes. LOL

Incident like this makes me reflect how I navigate similar situations. Not necessarily attempted physical violence but other forms of attack such as in words and actions. But first, I want to highlight a few things that I observed in the video.

* The one who punched Vince was shorter than him. Then I found out during Vince’s interview that he was way younger than him, too.
* The other bikers did not participate, nor tried to stop the bully.

I wish I were as cool as Vince if someone bullies me. A bully who is younger and shorter would have been an easy target for revenge but he remained calm and controlled. That’s why I have so much admiration for him.

On the other hand, I used to do lengthy exchanges to prove my points in an argument but I have learned to walk away after some attempts of explaining my side. I still speak up my mind especially when I am asked but after a few explanations if I realize that the other person has already made up his mind about me, then I stop explaining. I just let him. The next thing I do is to distance myself from what I see as toxic for me. This boundary is my way of showing self-respect. I will not force myself to fit in the life of the other person who does not respect nor value me. End of story.

The other bikers being non-reactive was quite disturbing to me. They are not merely onlookers but they know each other. As I put myself in that scenario, I could not imagine not doing anything about it. I would most likely rush to them and request or call out the bully to stop. I don’t think I could stand looking at bullies. If it’s life threatening to me, that’s probably another story.

People have different personalities, characters and values. But maybe I will take up values. But if you are anti-bully, you don’t just say it but defend that belief. It’s just like when you are in a group and one person is attacked verbally unfairly, but you still keep your silence for fear of being disliked, what does it make you?

This is not super easy for a people-pleaser like me. But I am getting better at letting go of people and drawing boundaries in exchange of peace of mind and healthy environment. I see a part of me like Vince.

For those other bikers who acted like onlookers, I will probably exercise my compassion towards them as these were young men without much courage and confidence to know where they stood. As to my citation of a group with passive members who don’t say anything when one is being attacked unfairly, it’s most likely they carry the guilt. And I have compassion for that, too, because that is not also an easy position. I practice to see through the goodness of a person, and a lot of times I see a little wounded child in him. That is the very reason why I show compassion. What else do you do, right?

The moment you step out - from
toxic people, from unhealthy relationship or from
bad situation, it is a road to freedom. You can turn being a victim into someone who has a choice to let go. It is a much better place and space to grow. And now you can celebrate that freedom. Happy Independence Day!

Dining with Claudine

I was trying to squeeze in a rush late lunch earlier today at Ding How while waiting for my daughter to finish her entrance exam.

Since the restaurant uses a food-ordering machine, I tried to seek help to facilitate my order faster. I called one of the service staff and it happened to be Claudine. She was pleasant, courteous and quick to assist.

That’s Claudine with me at the dining table. Wondering why she joined me? Here’s the story.

While we were browsing the menu, I saw the mango sticky rice dessert and I asked if it’s delicious to which she said it is according to others. It means she never tried it, too. So I said, let’s try it together and that I would order one and mag hating kapatid. She smiled shyly. Then I found out that her lunch break was just few minutes away. I spoke to the supervisor and asked permission to let Claudine join me during her break. I also ordered steamed rice for her lunch.

As we shared a simple meal with that mango sticky rice dessert, I was more than happy to have invited me to join because I got to know her inspiring story.

I feel deeply sad about the tragedy of the 2 students from Ateneo de Manila. Words cannot express how I feel for their mothers. But let me share a glimpse of the life of Claudine, to which I asked permission to post.

She’s a fresh college graduate, an English major and who graduated Cum Laude from one of the universities in Cebu. She is just barely a month in Ding How as a service crew. Though her job is physically demanding and not aligned to her course, she remains grateful to have earned an income that can help send her brother to school soon. Their family is settling in the mountains of Talamban and her parents are into farming. Though she has options in other industry but she’s also keen on her wellness to avoid jobs that may be hazardous to her health. Indeed, she’s intelligent and wise.

It’s with great pleasure to treat her to lunch even if it’s just simple. I feel happy to know a part of her journey that teaches hope and resilience. I am touched by her love towards her family.

She somehow mentioned about challenges in life. But all I could tell her was this: No matter what challenges are at hand, life is still beautiful, as long as you make God as the center of all.

Little did she know, I was also blessed.

Having conversations with Claudine was also like having conversations with myself as if I was handling notes to my self.

I see some chaos around me. Some of it are trying to attack me. And what I am trying to do is to keep myself grounded, guided with my values,
and focus on things that matter most and who make me feel I matter to them.

May you find peace, hope and love always.

P.S. Lami gyud ang dimsum sa Ding How. Lami pud kaayo ang ilang desert na mango sticky rice. It’s like halo-halo with sticky rice balls, mango chunks and chocolate syrup. It’s a must-try!