Meet Yayoi Komiyama

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yayoi Komiyama a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Yayoi, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

How? A whole lot of living life went into it. I didn’t just wake up one morning brimming with confidence and humming “Unstoppable.” It’s been a rollercoaster ride — with loops, drops, and surprise turns. And let me tell you, I am not a fan of rollercoasters.

Growing up, I was constantly compared to my younger sister — she was the cute, popular one, and I… I felt like the invisible older sister, always on the sidelines. Add to that bullying, being left out, and the constant sense of looking in from the outside, and it’s no surprise that I turned inward. I buried my hurt and pain the only way I knew how — with food. Food became my safe place, my comfort, my coping mechanism. Every bite was an attempt to stuff those feelings down, to silence the pain.

That coping strategy followed me into adulthood, leading to years of battling an eating disorder. It wasn’t until I finally sought treatment that I realized the problem wasn’t just about food. It was about me — who I was, what I truly wanted, and what I believed about myself. Healing wasn’t just physical; it was deeply emotional and spiritual.
During my divorce and job challenges, I was forced to take a hard, honest look at myself. I dove headfirst into introspection and self-discovery. And in the process, I uncovered my true passion — helping others transform their relationship with food, their bodies, and themselves.

Today, I coach Weight Watchers groups and run my own Brain to Belly Coaching practice, where I help people rewire their brains to default to a more loving, peaceful, and balanced relationship with food and life. My work is about more than just weight or appearance — it’s about becoming the person you were meant to be: glorious, brilliant, and confidently shining from the inside out. And, we do that by becoming Fear less by exploring and taking hard looks into what we really want and when we take any step forward to celebrate ourselves. I can’t stress enough the importance of celebrating ourselves. My mentor Joseph McClendon III always reminds us to celebrate ourselves, and says “physican heal thyself”. These are principles I do my best to live by.

Confidence isn’t about perfection or comparison. It’s about showing up — flaws, quirks, stretch marks, and all — and choosing to love the incredible person you’re becoming.

I am always reminded of the phrase FAIL is just your ‘First Attempt In Learning”.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a Dual Elite Certified Neuroencoding Specialist and Certified Life Transformation Strategist, have dedicated my career to helping individuals break free from the chaos of emotional eating and transform their relationship with food. As the founder of Brain To Belly Coaching, I integrate my personal experiences (20+ years in the weight health industry) with my expertise in neuroencoding to help people rewire their brains, enabling lasting change.

At the core of my approach is the belief that food and body struggles are deeply tied to our thoughts and emotions. I help my clients go beyond dieting or superficial changes and instead, focus on reshaping their mindset. Through neuroencoding techniques, I teach individuals how to interrupt unhealthy thought patterns, practice self-love, and embrace their true selves. The results are profound: clients not only transform how they manage food but also learn to live more peacefully, empowered, and in alignment with their true purpose.

What excites me the most about my work is watching clients break free from the endless cycle of emotional eating and self-criticism. It’s like that spark that lights a fire to reveal a client’s true potential, which I find incredibly rewarding.

I’m proud of the community I’ve built through Brain To Belly Coaching—from the Brain To Belly Facebook Group, a support group to my weekly show and Cognitive Cuisine Radio Show, these platforms provide ongoing support, empowerment, and education for those looking to reclaim control over their health and psychology. I’m excited to share the upcoming launch of my 8-week course, which dives deeper into rewiring the brain to help participants build a healthier relationship with food, emotions, and body image.

My mission is simple: to help people experience true peace with food and their bodies. Through a combination of personal coaching and group programs, I guide clients to find clarity, sanity, and freedom, ultimately achieving alignment between mind, body, and soul to find lasting weight loss and peace. If you’re ready to change your relationship with food and experience lasting transformation, I’m here to support you on that journey.

For more information, check out the Brain To Belly Coaching website or join the community on Facebook or YouTube.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Self-Awareness and Reflection
One of the most transformative qualities I developed was self-awareness. Reflecting on my emotions, actions, and the deeper reasons behind my struggles with food and body image allowed me to make significant breakthroughs. Understanding how my thoughts shaped my feelings and behaviors was essential for rewiring my brain and creating lasting change.

2. Fearlessness in the Face of Change
A key quality that helped me through my transformation was being fear less. That is fearing less by taking action. Rewiring my brain with neuroencoding techniques required me to challenge deeply ingrained fears—fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of not being enough. Overcoming these fears allowed me to embrace change and truly transform my relationship with food and self-image.

3. Self-Compassion and Resilience
Building resilience through self-compassion was one of the hardest but most impactful lessons. In my darkest moments, I had to learn to be kind to myself, especially when I wavered. Self-compassion allowed me to bounce back from setbacks and stay the course.

Below is some advice for those who are early in their journey.
-Take time each day to reflect on your thoughts and feelings. Journaling, meditation, or simply sitting in quiet reflection can help you gain clarity. The more self-aware you become, the better you can understand the underlying issues that may be holding you back.
-Start by identifying the fears that are holding you back. Fear is a sign that you’re growing. Take small, courageous steps toward your goals and trust in the process.
-Give yourself grace, and treat yourself as you would a loved one. When you stumble, instead of criticizing yourself, ask, “What did I learn from this?” Flip the script. It’s through kindness and persistence that real transformation happens.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

My biggest growth over the past 12 months has come from the act of shedding the final mask that I had held onto for so long—the “good Japanese daughter” mask. For years, I was unable to tell my parents that I had gone through a divorce. The weight of family expectations and cultural norms kept me feeling like I had to be someone I wasn’t, hiding parts of myself to meet their perceived ideals. But the trip I made to Japan this past summer was the last step in my transformation. After over a decade of self-reflection, compassion, celebration and the rewiring of my thoughts, I was able to return to Japan as my authentic self. No filters, no pretending, no anxiety about fitting in with the “right” clothes or hair. I walked into my past with a confidence I had never experienced before. It was so liberating.

For the first time in years, I was able to visit my parents’ gravesite not as a daughter burdened by expectations, but as the proud woman I am today—independent, empathetic, loving, and thoughtful. I stood there, not hiding any part of myself, but fully embracing my identity. I realized that the self-love and resilience I had cultivated through all my work, both personally and as a coach, had allowed me to shed that final mask.

This trip marked a true moment of liberation. It was a representation of the transformation I’ve undergone: from hiding behind a mask to stepping into my full, authentic self. This experience truly reinforced the importance of self-love, compassion, and living without the constraints of others’ expectations. Authentic me.

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Image Credits

Caryn Leigh Photography for the portraits.

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