Wellness space Fivelements Habitat opened in Hong Kong last year as the Balinese retreat’s urban outpost. With activities ranging from spa treatments to yoga and tea ceremonies, the venue is nestled on the 13/F of Times Square in the middle of bustling Causeway Bay. 

Although it’s technically for members-only, Fivelements Habitat can be booked by the general public to try out its wellness concept, which includes yoga, meditation, spa treatments and more. We spoke with its Wellness Curator, May Nogoy to discover some of Fivelements’ new and upcoming events and workshops this year. 

Hello! What do you do? 

I am a teacher and wellness curator at Fivelements Habitat. I began my yoga journey in 1996, so I now have 19 years in guiding yogic practices. During this time, I have supported initiatives in generating conscious sustainable communities, such as The Garden Gathering, teen wellness programmes, Yoga People of the Public (for domestic helpers & teachers), and directing IRIS Your Escape. Practice and study are crucial when I serve the Tea Ceremony Meditation and Yoga Asana/Sound. 

What’s something not many people know about you? 

I became a world champion at age 13, which led me to perform at a bullfighting arena in Trujillo, Peru. You’d have to be family or a friend to find out why. 

How and when did your wellness journey begin? 

I grew up as a dancer and gymnast, so I regularly trained in competitive sports. Having left the nest, and moving to San Francisco in 1994 to study art and design at the AAU, I could not resist becoming a jazzy poet “granola”. I joined the circus as a fire dancer, started eating a raw food plant-based diet, and rollerblading the steep hilly streets of SF to practice yoga every day (sometimes twice a day) until I became a teacher. 

What was your very first wellness experience? 

Perhaps in utero – the moment my heart’s cadence met my primordial line of being.

How many times do you meditate a week? 

I rise each day with the sun and meet this space as a personal sanctuary of silence.

Why do you love wellness? 

In a sense, wellness is one perception of the path unfolding human experience. The transformation unto harmony in this lifetime requires deep, honest understanding through study and practice. The immeasurable sense of reconnecting to what is real and alive arises, feeling both new and remembered. Wellness is about becoming, over and over again. What is there not to love? 

Wellness is about becoming, over and over again.

May Nogoy

What is your favourite way to unwind? 

Resting my back on anything water or earth with the weight of my daughter over me.

Least favourite? 

Not having proper rest. When I have the proper quality of sleep, my mind and the world around me seems much brighter and clearer. 

Favourite healthy meal? 

Anything green. 

Any wellness brands you swear by? 

Global Tea Hut. I feel blessed every moment that finds me sipping a bowl of clean tea leaves steeped in the hot water. 

And finally…what is your definition of healthy? 

When your mind is liberated from ignorance and illusion.

See also: Meet Johnny Tieu, Hong Kong fitness consultant, personal trainer and running coach