Our hip flexor and Psoas muscles connect the upper body to our lower body - they stabilize our whole body. Although stress rests on our shoulders or our hips, we’re not usually mindful of this because we usually associate stress with migraines and tummy aches. The main concern of early human beings was survival and in threatening situations, stress kicks in to nudge our body to choose between fight or flight. Stress causes hips to be activated for kicking during the fight state and running for flight state. Longer stressors linger in the hips, and the more stress lingers, the more our psoas chronically tighten which causes back pain, anxiety, and discomfort. Deepening breaths, lunges, knee hugs, and bridge poses are great exercises for healthy hip flexors and Psoas muscles.

Believe it or not yoga has been present for centuries. All the things we’re learning in the science of yoga and even in other modalities like neuro linguistic programming, have similar foundations coming from the study of yoga. Yoga isn’t something alien that is being imposed on people, but in terms of its significance, it really benefits our physical anatomy, like balance and body structures that ail us. Synchronized breathing with yoga is important - it’s what helps you be mindful of the movement and the practice. This adds to the healing part of the body and mind. You're in the now, healing your body physically, mentally, and spiritually. Yoga is often misinterpreted - it's something more than just poses. There are so many holistic aspects of yoga that people don't really know about.

22:42

My focus as of late has been oriented towards yoga. It has become a steady habit and it's helped me during my growth in my professional career. I do yoga everyday - it's a way for me to start the day with the right energy. It also helps me build routine for the rest of the day. My practice grounds me in the present and I don’t even need to sit down for a long time to feel fresh. It's enough for me to sit down on my mat and just take time to have time for myself, even just 5 minutes in my day is enough to feel present in the moment. I was introduced to yoga in 2013. I started doing it as a physical practice but it got deeper for me over time. It's more than just a physical practice for me - it not only helped me physically, but it helped me interact with people at work so much better. I would let go of things that I did not have control over. The disciplines and habits of my practice were big aspects that improved my physical, mental, and emotional states. Take my posture for example: I used to slouch all the time and it was an effort for me to keep my spine erect. Now it's an effort for me to slouch, and I feel like I've grown taller because of keeping my spine erect. My posture has really improved because of my yoga practices.

39:33


In my experience as a yoga therapist in the wellness industry, I learned that because we have different bodies, we need to customize practices based on the pains of a specific student. I look at the physical body as being malleable and different for every person. The truth is, we don't want you to copy the shape of the yoga teacher, we don’t want you making a 180 degree shift in your body structure because every person’s body is unique to them. I've noticed that people back off because they think it's too hard of a practice from them, but there's always a version that fits you. There are many modifications accessible for your body type and that cater to your specifically. Just do what is beneficial for you and be open to explore what's good for you and what isn’t. Don't be discouraged by what you can’t do and focus on what you can do. This is what practicing yoga is all about.

1:03:35


Yoga really isn't about the physical stuff, it’s essence really is in the mindfulness of doing things. You can do yoga in other aspects of life such as cooking. As long as you're being mindful, focusing and expressing your love through cooking or eating, then that’s practically yoga. If you're able to focus, and be mindful of what you're eating, it becomes a healthy experience. In fact one of the reasons why obesity is on the rise is because people are not being mindful of what they eat and their satiation. But if you are mindful of what you're eating and how much you're eating, it becomes a healthier experience.

1:23:40


Sometimes, it’s hard to accept that there are days that I feel sluggish and would rather just not practice. But there’s this voice telling me that I didn't do enough in my practice. After a few minutes of just letting things be, I feel better. There are some days when I feel like I've improved, but there are also days when I just want to do corpse pose. But I started this routine with my sister - 108 days of sun salutation, or one sun salutation per day. It’s good enough for you to have full body movement. I’ve found that it’s something that I can be grounded on no matter how I am feeling. For something simple to start with, in the morning, just do some breathing exercises. As you are doing these exercises, have that intention of really making it through the day and say the mantra ‘I wish to see the highest possible outcome.’ Intention does a lot and this will work wonders for you and your disposition in the days to come.