“Post-Process… I could see those things differently. I could see them from the bigger view. And I could also feel how good I felt and how proud I was of myself. I knew that I could trust myself.“ – Kari Kuwahara
Kari Kuwahara came to the Hoffman Process knowing the timing was right. After a traumatic life event triggered old traumas and buried feelings, Kari was ready to do the deep work to heal her pain from her relationship with her mother. The Process offered her a way to resolve the pain of her past. Kari was ready for the freedom to come.
Before we dive into emotional terrain, we often fear the power of the feelings we will meet and the unknown chaos we might encounter within. The Process’s cathartic work and safe environment supported Kari as she went deep into her inner world. Her teacher gave her loving guidance when he said, “We’ve got you.” As Kari describes, she realized that she wasn’t doing it alone and that there were “guardrails in place.” Through the expression work, she finally released her anger. Intense, overwhelming grief that had been buried under her anger then flooded in. Kari “was finally able to go there and just let it out.” She realized that this release was, in itself, what she’d been searching for.
After the cathartic expression, Kari journaled. Reading a sentence she’d written back to herself, Kari reached a powerful understanding. Speaking about her mother, she’d written, “I can’t fathom the pain her anger wouldn’t let her feel.” In experiencing the depth of her own pain under her anger, Kari saw her mother. In seeing her mother, Kari saw herself. This is a profound example of the power in healing negative love.
Through her courageous surrender to the Process, Kari found freedom from the pain of her past. We hope this powerful conversation with Kari and Drew moves and inspires you.
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Kari Kuwahara has a diverse background in the food world. She is a chef focused on health-supportive cooking, a culinary event producer, and a retail program and project manager.
Her path has never been entirely linear. After studying at UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Kari explored several career directions before a family member’s serious illness shifted her perspective and sparked a deeper interest in healing foods, nutrition, and health. That spark grew, and she enrolled at the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, with little idea of what a career on the other side might look like. That leap became a turning point.
What began as a job to gain experience in a natural-foods grocery store quickly became a leadership position. At the same time, she stepped into a separate role producing culinary demonstrations for nationally recognized chefs at a large-scale food and wine festival. Driven by curiosity and a desire to grow, she joined a national grocery retailer in a larger regional role, where she developed culinary programs, menus, recipes, venues, and operational systems across the region.
Eventually, Kari moved to Seattle, where she lives today. After several intense years navigating the grocery industry through the COVID era and leading her teams through a large restructuring, she stepped away from that role in search of something that felt more aligned.
Life soon brought another profound shift.
Kari’s partner was diagnosed with cancer, beginning a three-year journey through treatment, recovery, uncertainty, and ultimately, healing. Drawing on her earlier studies in healing foods, nutrition, and health, Kari supported her partner throughout this journey.
But the healing extended beyond the physical. There was also a need to heal emotionally—not only from the toll of her partner’s illness, but from experiences rooted in her own childhood. She and her partner both attended the Hoffman Process in the spring of 2026. Through all her roles, Kari remains deeply curious and committed to nurturing ourselves, our bodies, and our relationships.
Follow Kari on Instagram.
Post-Process work:
After completing the Process on Friday, students spend Saturday and Sunday integrating their week.
• Listen to our Post-Process Panel on the Hoffman Podcast: After the Process, With Kevin, Steve, and Zeina
Quad Check:
A practice that supports you in integrating and honoring all four parts of your Quadrinity: Spiritual Self, Intellect, Emotional Self, and your Body.
Instagram Lives:
Join our virtual community Quad-Check at 8:00 am PT on Instagram.
Join our daily Appreciation and Gratitude practice on Instagram at 6:00 pm PT. You’ll find that the Appreciation and Gratitude practice is a nourishing way to reflect on your day. This practice will support your Spiritual Self’s natural desire to appreciate and give thanks for all that life brings you.
Our Instagram Quad-checks and Appreciation and Gratitude practices are open to everyone.