Route +65: She Swapped A Career As A Corporate Leader To Become Sound Healer

Route +65 is a series on people who have stepped off the conventional career path and are pursuing unique life journeys – showing that even in tiny Singapore, there’s room to do things differently.

Have you ever felt drawn to taking a certain path but weren’t brave enough to follow it – then spent time wondering “what if”? Like, what if you had pursued the opportunity? What if you had done things differently? Where would you be now?

Ashley Tan’s story shows how things can play out if we dare to take the leap.

The former corporate leader, who spent 20 years at Singtel leading teams across Singapore and Australia, made a major career switch about 8 years ago, going from senior director of mobile commerce to sound healer after a chance encounter with the practice.

“I believe sound healing chose me,” she says. “I was travelling in India for a yoga teacher course when I came across a flyer advertising a sound healing course. I didn’t know anything about it. But the next thing I knew, I was paying for it.”

That first session really resonated (hur hur) with Ashley, who felt a “physical shift” after attending the class. Once back in Singapore, she started attending more training courses and diving deep into the science of sound healing, an ancient wellness practice that involves the use of sound to balance the mind and body. About 5 years after her first sound healing experience, she quit her job to become a full-time sound healer.

Now, at the age of 50, the serene soul hasn’t spent a day in an office in years. Instead, she’s typically on the road, travelling to different luxury resorts around the world to give sound healing classes, and training those who want to learn about the practice too.

IMAGE: ASHLEY TAN

What made you believe sound healing was your calling?

I physically experienced a shift, that was it – I can’t describe it in words. This was not what I was going for, but it’s a path I felt I needed to be on. And I think it’s the right one because things just aligned after.

For example, I didn’t know anything about how hotels and resorts operate, let alone spas. What I had was just the passion of me doing the work. But everything just fell into place. As cheesy as it sounds, I never knew what was next… but guess what? The universe knew.

How do you feel living off the conventional career path? Have you ever felt the pressure to go back to a “regular” job?

In the beginning, it felt strange. Strange in the sense that I no longer had hundreds of emails or messages a day, or back-to-back meetings to attend to. At the same time, it felt liberating and humbling. I traded security for a deeper sense of alignment with my inner purpose.

Of course, there were moments of doubt, but looking back, these moments were part of my journey and learning to trust in the process rather than to fear it. A “regular” job may have its perks but the sense of fulfilment and alignment I feel is nothing any job title or pay cheque can provide.

IMAGE: ASHLEY TAN

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?

The biggest hurdle I had to overcome was my inner journey. I kept asking myself: am I sure, can I do this, can I pay my rent? There was a lot of self-doubt, especially in the early days, and that’s why it’s been a journey of self-discovery for me as well. It was also a journey of understanding the demons in me when they play up, and really just having that trust in my path and the universe.

IMAGE: ASHLEY TAN

What advice do you have for others who want to follow their passion and do something different?

The transition into something different doesn’t have to be abrupt or drastic. In my case, I started it as a hobby by doing it on the side until it was clear to me that this was more than a hobby.

Take small steps, explore, hone your craft, build confidence, develop your passion along with your current commitments. More importantly, trust that the fear of leaving the comfort zone is part of the process. As the famous quote says: “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears."

IMAGE: ASHLEY TAN

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