“We’re living through so much disconnection — from ourselves and from nature. Perhaps nature can help us find our way home.” - Joy Khoo, Coach and author

Joy joins us from Oakland, California, as autumn arrives and the seasonal shift reminds us nothing is permanent. She shares stories of belonging, identity and resilience from her childhood adopted at two weeks old by a teacher into a local village community in Malaysia, then migration to Kansas in America on a scholarship carrying a single bag. She reflects on what it has meant to her bridging two cultures and giving herself permission to experiment and discover the different parts of herself in her life which have subsequently emerged.

From a life-changing experience working in the aftermath of the Bali bombing, a difficult decade that followed, and multitude of retreats, teachers and questions that eventually led Joy towards coaching and nature-based practice. She describes herself as a late bloomer in her relationship with nature before deciding to embark on a year-long ecotherapy programme through the Earth Body Institute.

Joy brings together coaching, creativity, science and the natural world in an approach that is both exploratory and spacious. She speaks about the importance of balancing levity with depth, and of allowing different parts of ourselves to come together rather than becoming compartmentalised. In her coaching practice nature becomes more than a backdrop, rather a partner, teacher and source of wisdom. She invites her clients into the natural environment and witnesses how movement, attention and relationship with the more-than-human world opens perspective that often remains hidden within the confines of an office; where a bird can invite freedom and trigger a change.

Joy reads a personal meditative reflection inspired by the ocean, kelp and a rock encountered during her time in Big Sur, California which touches on the themes of adaptability, connection, flow and stillness. The importance of words within her life combined with imagination and creativity is illustrated through her passion for writing which led to her publishing two books; Nature’s Guide for Leaders and Nature’s Guide for Coaches.

At the heart of the conversation is a gentle thread of belonging whether to ourselves, one another, the places we choose to inhabit, and the more-than-human world around us.

Bio

Joy Khoo is a Master Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation and author of Nature's Guide for Leaders (2023) and Nature's Guide for Coaches (2026). Since 2003, she has worked with leaders from all walks of life, helping them embrace their authentic selves and develop greater self-awareness in service of humanizing the workplace. Her coaching integrates nature, mindfulness, neuroscience, art, and embodied practices, creating a unique and holistic approach that fosters presence, clarity, and resilience in her clients.

A champion for women leaders, Joy has served as a Facilitator for Stanford University's Women in Management Group for four years and has been a Founding Guide for Chief, a private network for senior women executives, since 2021. She teaches mindfulness at resorts in Southeast Asia, offers semi-annual nature workshops for the Gates Foundation alumni program, and leads immersive self-discovery sessions exploring nature, mindfulness, and art at wellness retreats, including Rancho La Puerta in Mexico.

Joy lives in Oakland and returns annually to her hometown of Taiping, Malaysia, where the rain trees grow and where she hikes Maxwell Hill, reconnecting with the landscapes that first called her into nature.

LinkedIn

Resources

The Earthbody Institute

New Ventures West

Hollyhock

Esalen Institute

Soul Collage®

BK Authors

To find out more:

www.rootedrisingpodcast.com