More than a new platform, Soulful Feasts is a paradigm shift for Stephanie Zubiri, who has turned the page toward holistic self-acceptance, embracing the whole stretch of the human experience, from challenging to rewarding, and ultimately consolidating the experiences, no matter how disparate or opposing they seem to each other, in the search for authenticity, wellness, self-fulfillment, and a purposeful life.

“Soulful Feasts has evolved to more than just a podcast, it’s a holistic wellness platform designed to nourish the mind, body, and soul,” says Stephanie. “Through a combination of workshops, events, women’s circles, motivational speaking, one-on-one reiki sessions, and soulful living coaching, it offers a space for people to connect deeply with themselves and live more mindfully.”

In celebrating the first anniversary of Soulful Feasts at Vestido in Poblacion, a party she entitled “Kaleidoscope: A Prism of Infinite Possibilities,” Stephanie also launched Chalky the Chameleon, the first in a series of four children’s books she is in process of writing to explore, expound on, and celebrate neurodiversity. 

The books were inspired by her discovery during the worst of the pandemic, as if the pandemic weren’t enough of a challenge, that the younger of her two sons, Seb and Max, was on the autism spectrum. 

Like any human, Stephanie responded at first with denial, disbelief, and devastation. But she soon picked herself up, deciding to focus on what she could do, which was what her son Max, then only four years old, needed the most—early intervention and what made it possible, early detection. Now Stephanie is a strong advocate of early detection and early intervention, which have enabled her son to do “a full 180,” despite a condition that could have compromised his ability to cope and thrive all his life. Now seven years old, Max is fully integrated in a “normal school.” Aware of his condition, he is less burdened, inhibited, or even bothered by it.

Soulful Feasts was also an offshoot of this turn in Stephanie’s personal journey. “It’s about creating a life filled with intention, embracing wellness in all its forms, and finding fulfillment in every day,” she says. “The message is to live life with intent and with purpose, even in the smallest of moments. I think we breeze through life so fast we need some time for our soul to catch up. It’s an intentional slowing down, infusing of meaning into our lives, bringing a level of awareness to our emotions, our feelings, our dreams, and allowing ourselves to simply take up space in our beautiful world as children of the universe.”