Soulful Feasts, the 360-degree wellness platform of holistic wellness advocate, Stephanie Zubiri, turned one in October, and to celebrate this special and joyful milestone, Zubiri threw an anniversary party, aptly entitled “Kaleidoscope: A prism of infinite possibilities,” alongside the launch of her very first and self-published children’s book, Chalky the Chameleon. The book, which is about a little white chameleon who can’t change color, celebrates children on the spectrum as part of an autism awareness campaign.
Photo: Soulful Feasts
Attended by Zubiri’s loved ones, participants of her Soulful Feasts workshops and Women’s Circles, her fellow practitioners, friends, and influencers in the wellness space, as well as members of the media, said Zubiri of the special occasion, her cup-brimming: “Today is one big celebration, but it also aims to promote a life of purpose. It’s important to me that I share with the world about Soulful Feasts and its message of Soulful Living. I’m also so excited for everyone to dive into the colorful story of Chalky the Chameleon and to spread the word about neurodiversity and the magic that radiates from within! In fact, the story is for everyone, you and old; it’s a journey of self-discovery and a reminder to allow ourselves to shine.”
To celebrate Zubiri’s achievements today is to understand how far she’s come and to know her journey. “I think for a really long time,” started Zubiri, “I lived my life in shades of gray, I felt like was numb and dead and on autopilot. And, you know, perhaps on social media, it seemed like it was such a happy life, but really it wasn’t.”
“There were a lot of difficulties that I had to come to terms with. And the first year of Soulful Feasts was this beautiful celebration of the real human experience, which is to celebrate all our emotions—good and challenging—to really sit with them and to really feel. It’s about living life wholly and fully. When I say to the fullest, that’s not always to the “happiest,” but deeply feeling everything to the fullest…When we’re sad, when we’re angry—we honor that; When we’re joyful, when we’re happy, when we want to celebrate—we also honor that,” she shared, before adding, “And so that’s really what is behind Soulful Feasts…and in the same light, we celebrate neurodiversity or “neuro-spicy”—I really like this term that’s been going around now. As all of us are different. Every one of us is on our own unique journeys. The way we express ourselves, the way we experience the world, is different. That’s why I chose the theme of a kaleidoscope of infinite possibilities because we are infinite and expansive people.”
Falling in step with the DNA of Soulful Feasts and the central theme of creating awareness around neurodiversity, healthy and delicious nibbles from Isabel’s were served together with luscious 100% organic, vegan, refined sugar- and gluten-free desserts by Simply Healthy Manila and The Little Spatula. Lovely pét-nat sparkling natural wines by Some Love Wine were on free-flow. For those who needed a mid-afternoon energy boost, the freshly brewed coffee and matcha from Fat Seed Café + Roastery were a hit while they shopped Pure Culture beauty products or indulged in a tarot reading by Ana Santiago of Soul Tribe Philippines, oracle readings by Kimi Lu, and Reiki by Erika Siy of Golden Lightcodes and Celine Veloso of HealUrWay. DJ Honey Love brought the joyful, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic tunes on vinyl, and Kisses and Smiles Events by Paula Leido along with Flowers by Ginger created nothing but positive and fun visual vibes.
Chalky the Chameleon
Having started her professional writing journey at the age of 16, Zubiri is an experienced editor and journalist. Lending a soulful approach to understanding the world around her, she shares authentic stories that people can connect with and be inspired by. Espousing the Soulful Feasts values that serve as a vector for daily positive change, Chalky The Chameleon is one in a series of four children’s books, all celebrating neurodiversity.
Photo: Soulful Feasts
As part of an autism awareness campaign and the publishing arm of Soulful Feasts, the book celebrates children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and is about a little chameleon who has no color. His name is Chalky, and he sets off on a journey to discover the rainbow within himself. The objective of the book is to raise awareness for early detection and early intervention. Max, Zubiri’s youngest son is on the autism spectrum and has done a full 180, because of early detection and diagnosis of his condition with the involvement of amazing therapists. “Max is a great example for early detection and early intervention,” Zubiri happily shared. “He firmly advocates for himself and is very proud of his journey.”
For this first installation, Zubiri collaborated with Vico Cham, a talented and multi-awarded artist on the autism spectrum, who illustrated the book. Shared Cham, “Chalky and I have something in common. We are both unique and differently-abled. This story reminded me to believe in myself and prove to the world that Chalky and I can achieve our dreams!”
Added Cham: “There are three things I would like to share about Chalky‘s journey: His mom is very loving and supportive; Chalky is very brave and never gave up on his dream; The part I loved most was when Chalky saw the rainbow, it gave him hope to achieve his dream so he changed into rainbow colors because he believed in himself.”
Design For Tomorrow, headed by CEO and Chief Creative Strategist, Ric Gindap, generously designed the book, pro bono, and GA Printing, who believed in the cause, produced a high-quality product and at such an affordable cost.
Said Gindap, “Creativity and design are powerful tools to educate, uplift, empower, and inspire. When we first met Stephanie, she spoke with such drive and passion about her advocacy—not just to ignite important conversations on neurodivergence, autism, and ADHD, but also to celebrate and amplify the voices of those who are isolated because they are different or misunderstood. This was the genesis of the Chalky project—a charming story about acceptance and love. We felt that this kind of initiative needed to be supported, and it was truly a pleasure to collaborate closely with Stephanie on the design and publishing process.”
“She is infectious, energetic, communicates her thoughts clearly and persuasively, and is a joy to work with! Even during the laborious refinement process, her enthusiasm and encouragement never faltered. This kind of spirit permeates the project, making us feel part of a significant endeavor. We cheer her on with renewed awareness, empathy, and compassion for all affected by these conditions. Stephanie helped us see a brave world through the color-shifting lens of Chalky, and we are enriched by the experience, continuing to cheer her on!”
There are 500 limited-edition hardbound copies, which are being sold at PHP 1000. All proceeds from the hardbound edition will support Project Inclusion Network and Best Buddies Philippines and will be used to cover the printing of the softbound copies, which are only going to be sold at PHP 250 per book. Explained Zubiri, “I want to get it into as many hands as possible because at the end of the book, there are some tips and pointers from my son’s developmental pediatrician, Dr. Jan Harold Sia, about what autism is, how to detect it, as well as key resources and is basically a first point of reference for awareness.”
Best Buddies, Philippines (BBP) creates social events for children not just on the spectrum, but neurodivergent persons, including Down syndrome individuals, to help them socialize and integrate in this world. This October, BBP will host a fun disco party in a closely monitored and safe environment with therapists on call, and the food is catered to their needs. Project Inclusion Network helps find job placements for and promotes inclusivity for neurodivergent and differently-abled people.
A dedicated storyteller, Zubiri has more titles underway via Soulful Feasts, which is focused on the publishing of meaningful things. The second installation, The Very Clumsy Octopus, about an octopus who has a wonky tentacle is set for release next year. The Artsy Fartsy Spider is about a spider who has ADHD. And then finally, The Bird Who Can’t Sing, which celebrates the community who are hard of hearing. Zubiri is also working on a cookbook for next year and a collection of essays.
Chalky the Chameleon is now available for purchase on Shopee. You can grab your copy here: bit.ly/chalkythechameleon and via https://ph.shp.ee/se2C8Md. Follow the illustrator of Chalky the Chameleon (#chalkythechameleon) on Instagram @vicosartismgallery.
One Year of Soulful Feasts: Nourish Your Body, Mind, and Spirit
Catering to a gap in the wellness market, the Soulful Feasts brand was born out of a desire to bring accessible and relatable wellness practices to a broader audience. Zubiri, a certified Reiki practitioner and meditation coach, found that much of the information out there is designed for the Western perspective or people living in the Global North. While the wisdom is ancient and the messages are universal, the issues and contexts are completely different in Asian metropolises. “Every time a podcast or Instagram post tells me to go for a walk in the woods, it makes me want to scream! I look out the window and all I see is a heaving urban jungle,” shared a once frustrated Zubiri, who then asked herself this: ‘Is peace of mind only meant for people who live in nature?’”
Photo: Soulful Feasts
Hence, what started as the title of a book is now one of the Philippines’ most popular podcasts. Ranking as one of the Top 15 Spotify podcasts in the country at the time of its launch, “Soulful Feasts” is dedicated to holistic nourishment, encompassing wellbeing, relationships, and personal growth. In this series, she holds meaningful conversations around health, mind and movement, sexuality, and family and connections together with experts and resources well-versed in their respective fields.
The podcast is for anyone who feels like they want to spark positive change today. With more than 40 episodes recorded over three seasons (popular guests include Small Laude, James Reid, Karen Davila, Iza Calzado, Bianca Gonzalez and Mikaela Lagdameo), and a fourth season currently in production, “Soulful Feasts” offers food for the soul and practical bite-sized advice, whether listeners are looking to reduce stress, improve sleep, explore their self-awareness or deepen everyday spiritual connections.
“I began this project with one goal in mind,” shared Zubiri, “to be as authentic as possible while sharing what I’ve learned from my own personal journey as well as the wisdom of experts and other inspiring people. Making small changes and focusing on being kinder, gentler, and more compassionate—especially to oneself—can have a big impact. Once we shift our perspective that in fact, body, mind, and spirit are all one, it’s incredibly empowering.”
Beyond her engaging podcasts, Soulful Feasts has dovetailed into a holistic wellness, soulful living platform.
Through her intimate bespoke wellness workshops (Soulful Journey Circles), motivational speaking engagements, and one-on-one personalized healing sessions, she espouses individuals and groups of people to cultivate a deeper relationship between body, mind, and spirit. Here, Zubiri leads community meditations, energetic self-healing, and intuitive movement workshops. Often centered around a theme—self-love (“I Am Divine Love”; “Soulful Sensuality & Sacral Awakening”; and “Awaken The Goddess”), self-growth and abundance (“Terra Firma”; “The Abundance Mindset”), as well as compassion and gratitude (“Ignite Your Inner Light”), these practices use a combination of breathing techniques, guided mantra meditation, and mindful movement to raise positive energy. Her more intensive workshops can include sharing circles, cacao ceremonies, and purification smudging as well as collaborations with partner life coaches and sound healers to broaden the experience.
Then there are the Soulful Feasts events often in collaboration with brands, companies, or like-minded individuals to spark conversation. Last September 7, Soulful Feasts joined forces with Unprude, Jellytime, and My Kindred for Unbecoming, the first-ever sexual health and wellness summit in the Philippines. Last October 18, Soulful Feasts collaborated with Beacon on Moms Speak Up, an event that aims to break the silence on maternal mental health. As someone who has dealt with severe post-partum depression, this advocacy is also dear to her heart.
At the end of the day, in Zubiri’s words, the takeaway from the Soulful Feasts is this: “I hope people will understand the message of Soulful Feasts, which is to live life with intent and with purpose, even in the smallest of moments. I think we breeze through life so fast that we need some time for our soul to catch up. So it’s an intentional slowing down and infusing of meaning into our lives. Whatever is you’re doing—cooking, preparing your cacao or coffee, meditating or moving to exercise— it’s about bringing a level of awareness and holding space for ourselves, our emotions, our feelings, our dreams and allowing ourselves to simply take up space in our beautiful world as children of the universe.”
What can we look forward to next from Zubiri and Soulful Feasts?
Photo: Soulful Feasts
A natural creative, Zubiri loves working with different partners to conjure new ideas, projects, and products, which she aims to continue doing through Soulful Feasts. “We hope to reach more people— more audiences—to have deeper more meaningful conversations via the podcast, which has just launched on YouTube. We’re also rolling out more recipes to tie in that physical vibrational shift. Again, more titles through the publishing arm, more events, more opportunities to connect with the community; I’m continuing the monthly free Women’s Circles, which is contribution-based (I.e. bring whatever you wish to bring as an energy exchange), and Soulful Journeys will start retreats, which I will be leading, and particularly some very exciting ones in partnership with the Tourism Board of the Philippines, where I will be reconnecting my audience with our spiritual ancestral heritage and develop a program that will promote wellness and spiritual tourism in the Philippines.”
“I’m really most proud of the engagement of our Soulful Feasts community,” said Zubiri. “We have a wonderful turnout at all of our workshops and circles. People are really leaning into the practice of embodying our feelings, manifestations, hopes and dreams, and trying to shift our energy. It’s so powerful! We have done small intimate gatherings with 6-7 people that are so special, but we’ve also done 100 people, which is so high energy, and so transformative. We’ve held workshops in Guam and I’m about to hold one in Singapore as well. It’s an exciting time to celebrate soulful living and the advocacy of “en-souling” the world and living with intention and purpose. And now that we’ve launched our publishing arm with Chalky the Chameleon as its first book, there’s a couple more to come!”
