HEALTH MEETS YI-HWA BAYAR HANNA WHO HAS BEEN BLOGGING FOR THE PAST DECADE. SHE MUSES ABOUT THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND LEADING A HAPPY AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE IN THE DIGITAL AGE.

BACKGROUND
“My blog name is InToTheEther. me and I’ve been blogging on and off for more than a decade. But I put that on hold when I had an extremely time-consuming job several years ago. I started my current blog earlier this year and have now committed myself to it a little more this year when I resigned from that job and moved on to a new role elsewhere.”

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
“Sometimes I feel that social media is almost scarily powerful. The power of social media can be harnessed to accomplish amazing things – it can inspire people in so many ways, be that in terms of fitness, reaching life goals, or trying new adventures. However, not everyone uses it in a responsible or positive way. So yes, I do think it is powerful – the question is in what way, and whether that is being used in a positive and genuine light, or if it’s only for self-serving reasons.”

MAKING TIME FOR FITNESS
“Like anything else in life, you have to prioritize what’s important. I treat my workouts like appointments, and if I’m too busy to get to the gym, I can do a 15-minute workout at home or pop down to the building pool for a 30 minute swim. Be creative – there’s always a way.”

YIN AND YANG ENERGY
“I try and keep things balanced. Where there is yin, there must be yang, and vice versa – this isn’t just a philosophy, it’s also about energy. This means listening to, and then learning how to understand your body – we are all different, and need different things. Train hard, but give it rest. Eat well, but don’t always deny yourself the things you love nor go overboard with treats. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body. You should be doing this for you, not to prove something to anyone else, so you need to find your own balance here.”