This post is a detailed narration of how the Dr Foo sound and ethos was born and transformed, as well as insight into why you see me frequently posting lotus designs haha, and quoting “no mud no lotus“.

My journey from DJ to sound healing artist has not been a journey from darkness into light. It has been a journey toward learning how to hold both.

At the end, I also share about my upcoming gigs at Impact Week.

Foundational Years

I have always espoused the value of darkness as valuable medium for introspection – a space to sit with raw emotions, imperfections and uncomfortable truths, and find grounding amidst a world constantly distracting or stimulating us into becoming something we are not.

For those who may be new to my sound and journey as a wellness practitioner, you may be surprised to see that the original tagline of Dr Foo – the DJ born in Melbourne 2011 – was: “Go Deep, Go Dark, Go Progressive“.

Amidst the euphoria of dance music in the rave and festival scene in the late 2000s, I found myself viscerally drawn to progressive, hypnotic and darker sounds as they evoked truth and wander beyond words. On a dark dancefloor surrounded by strangers moving as one, I discovered that music could alter consciousness, dissolve facades, evoke raw emotion, create belonging and transport people into deep inner landscapes.

Looking back, those deep and dark soundscapes weren’t about escapism. They were an exploration of the hidden parts of ourselves—the places where fear, longing, joy, mystery and bittersweet elements coexist. It was my root chakra, the base & bass of my power and existence.

Planting the Seed

The same year, I somehow discovered and embraced Buddhist meditation in Melbourne as well. From feeling stressed in writing my final year thesis (on electronic dance music no less lol), I was pleasantly surprised at how effective the meditation was, from attending the free weekly meditation classes at a Buddhist centre near my residence.

Something clicked in me, even though I couldn’t yet rationalise the link between Buddhism and the musically & emotionally ‘dark’ state I was in. I called it my no ‘BS’ phase, as I was tired of commercialism and generic festival music, and wanted to call a spade a spade, crap when it is crap. Mindfulness practice seemed to backed it up too – although it would take me years to realise that there was a more productive way to see things objectively without being consumed by anger.

So when my first DJ idol, Markus Schulz’s darker alter ego Dakota, released his “Thoughts become things” album with a Buddha album cover, I was blown away.

I adopted it for Dr Foo’s first social media banner too.

In retrospect, it was another little sign of how music, spirituality and introspection were already beginning to converge.

Some examples of ‘darker’ emotive music that stirred my core and raw emotions (and still do today), that formed the genesis of the early Dr Foo sound

Some of the early Dr Foo sets which were grounding base for spirituality to blossom, signs of shoots emerging, and still mean a lot to me

No Mud, No Lotus

Even though I only came across this deeply meaningful teaching made famous by Thích Nhất Hạnh around 2018/19, the philosophy of “No Mud, No Lotus” had already been quietly etched into my consciousness in the years leading to and following my ‘spiritual’ awakening and seismic lifestyle change in 2015.

My First Track that I produced

For example, at the height of my ‘darkness’ and peak Dr Foo DJ craziness in 2013/14, I produced my first ever track (see below) out of nowhere.

The melodies to this track came to me amidst a meditation when I was chilling out at Labrador Park and some reservoirs, during a short break in between DJ sets and corporate life.

I was focused on capturing the moody bassline influenced by my favourite progressive trance label Coldharbour Recordings, while allowing the surprising oriental melodies that came to me emerge.

I organically named it Lotus Roots – an ode to my roots both in electronic music and my Chinese/ Asian heritage. The raw imperfect moody bass at the start also synced with the mud that you find lingering across roots.

Looking back, it feels almost prophetic. Symbolically, the track was a prelude to glimpsing more light and inspired teachings in the years to come, and the realisation that with in us lay the seeds of transformative good.

Without going through the challenges and multi-faceted experiences of our lives, we may never learn to treasure the beauty of the world around us, or recognise the innate gifts that emerge from our experiences.

Darkness as compost for Awakening

The lotus cannot exist without the mud that nourishes it. Likewise, healing isn’t about eliminating darkness. It is about understanding it, integrating it and allowing it to become fertile ground for growth. That philosophy resonated because it mirrored my own life.

From underground clubs to silent meditation retreats, from periods of uncertainty to moments of clarity, every experience—pleasant or painful—became part of the music I would eventually create.

When my ‘awakening’ happened in 2015, it felt very abrupt and shocking to myself and my social circles as we were so used to being in the nightlife.

While my first ever silent yoga retreat in Bali at the end of 2014 was the catalyst, it was clear that the seeds were planted in the mud years before – through the meditation practice and entry into Buddhist philosophy in 2011, through feeling the vibrations of sacred mantras sampled in progressive tunes, as well as soulful melodies in trance that connected me to sources above and beyond.

Initially from 2015 – 2018 I felt like I was in bliss, as if I transcended the darkness and mundane world.

What I didn’t realise was that the so-called mundane world – including the emotional volatility and difficult experiences I had wanted to transcend – was actually the compost which enabled me to grow into my purpose and strengths.

I would go on to travel, learn and embrace ancient wisdom from yogic and dharma sources across India, Bali and Nepal.

Subsequently, I would build upon my DJing foundation by using it for Conscious and Ecstatic Dance; get certified in Sound Healing across multiple instruments; pick up Ambient and Downtempo music production, and develop my own hybrid electro-acoustic sound baths as well as live DJ sets.

Dr Foo Sessions today

Today, every sound journey I facilitate honours both shadow and light.

I don’t believe we need to bypass difficult emotions nor be shameful of the challenging periods of our lives. An important part of the inner work is to illuminate these hidden or suppressed parts of ourselves (such as hidden emotions, desires & inner truths) and transmute them into sources of joy, power and wisdom. Often that is where our light and purpose shines the brightest.

In my sessions, I always begin with grounding, sensing and uncovering our inner state. A lot of effort is put into curating a safe and conducive space for nervous system regulation, and allowing whatever arises — pleasant or unpleasant — to be experienced with awareness.

I love using dronal bass sounds that evoke introspection, together with deep frequencies from binaural beats, ambient soundscapes and Himalayan singing bowls.

When our ‘soil’ is fertile, more expansive melodies from various instruments such as handpan, harp, chimes and synthesisers can come in to help us bloom and reconnect with our creative potential and reinvigorate our purpose.

This approach syncs with my integrated restorative sound journeys, hybrid sound journeys, and most recently in my weekly Sat evening Light Sound Vibration Live sessions at Future Resonance.

Sometimes the deepest healing begins by simply pausing to listen within, and finding safety to move through and integrate your deeper selves with awareness. That, to me, is the value of Sound baths, and conscious sound and movement journeys.

Below is a previous recorded sound journey of a Mud to Lotus soundscape 🙂

Upcoming sessions at Impact Week

I am looking forward to sharing a range of offerings and gifts acquired through my eclectic and transformative journey at the upcoming Impact Week.

Impact Week: a conference-festival that will be held from 9 – 11 Sep at Suntec Convention Centre, is centered on the concept of “AT ONE”—a call to wholeness, shared purpose, and moving beyond isolated silos and ego to foster a thriving, well-being economy where people, planet, and prosperity flourish together. I will be offering several wellness sessions at Impact Week, the second year I am participating:

(i) Details and booking here: Journey from Mud to Lotus: Sound & Movement

• 10 Sep, 4.30pm – 5.45pm

• 11 Sep, 6.30pm – 7.45pm

Inspired by the transformative arc of the lotus, this session integrates sound healing with conscious dance movement to allow participants to move and transmute challenges, hidden emotions & inner truths into sources of joy, power and wisdom.

First settling into a grounded and regulated state through meditative soundscapes, participants then get to reconnect with their authenticity and allow their best possible, creative selves to bloom in sync with the melodies and rhythms. Leave feeling grounded, rejuvenated, and empowered to navigate work and life with greater clarity and presence.

No prior experience with sound healing or dance is required. Well suited to anyone wanting a fuller, more physically engaged & playful alternative to a purely passive sound bath.

(ii) Details and booking here: Sonic Restoration with Integrated Binaural Sound Bath

• 9 Sep, 11:30am – 12:30pm

A hybrid digital-and-live immersive sound bath, this session blends an extensive array of sound healing instruments with specially crafted binaural beats and ethereal ambient soundscapes for a deeper, richer sonic impact than either format offers alone.

This unique integration of frequencies provides a container for deeper nervous system regulation, brainwave entrainment to meditative states, as well as creative insights from your subconscious.

No prior sound bath experience is required. A rich, immersive fit for anyone seeking a deeper sonic experience, to recharge at the end of the day.