The Awake with Fahrani Pawaka Empel

You would think that with so many different endeavors, Fahrani Pawaka Empel would struggle with maintaining energy and focus, however the truth is quite the opposite. She explains how her embrace of a rigorous five-times-a-week workout regime has not only helped her physical strength and endurance, but allowed her to keep a steady focus on her professional and creative work, too. That’s not to say that Fa’ only focuses on her physical health — she keeps her mind healthy with meditation practice, both in her personal space but also leading and guiding others.

She also points to spirituality from her Indonesian heritage as a key influence on her contemporary take on wellness — as well as physical workouts, meditations and sound healing, Fa’ also explains that her heritage keeps her in touch with energy and vibrations around her, keeping her in tune with her surroundings. This combines with gratitude practice and the occasional use of tarot, both of which Fa’ uses following the lunar cycle.

Tell us about your relationship to low energy.

I used to deal with low energy differently than I do now, because I made a commitment to myself to experiment by doing a lot of physical work in terms of fitness. So, the last couple of years, I feel like I have strengthened my spiritual muscle, and then I have strengthened my immune system, my gut system, my inner work and this year, I wanted to expand it into the actual muscle of my body.

So I made the commitment to do crazy training, five times a week. And since that is happening I feel so much more energized just in general. I rarely feel low energy for an extended period of time. Of course you get this dip throughout the day but that’s mostly because I’m actually fatigued from the training but it’s not necessarily low energy. I think it really has a lot to do with how active you are in the physical body. And of course, if you work so much you’re also using your mental capacity and you don’t do as much physical movement.

So, yeah, in the past I was never this active. I like to do yoga, but not necessarily like this high level of intensity. And so from this year I really noticed a huge shift in my energy level. I have more endurance on jobs or projects that usually I would have crashed on. I see that very much. So I think to have better energy for a longer period of time, you really have to get yourself active.

Any traditions in your life that you hold on to? 

It really shifted. But for just my general well-being, I like to drink Jammu. It is a traditional Indonesian herbal drink that’s made out of Kurukuma and honey and lemon, and then I meditate every day. That’s not necessarily a tradition that I brought from home but it’s something that I learnt along the way and that’s what keeps me grounded every day.

Also, I think what really helps with focus on top of my physical training is that I do meditation with a collective. So this is something that I’ve been doing for a while the last couple of years.

Is there anything else from home that has really inspired you?

Maybe not in the particular ritual, but just like the way I view things, the spirituality I hold and how I feel connected to the elements and the spirits around me. That’s mostly what I take from home, because this is how we grew up, we believe there are things that are unseen.