Sharing some reading that I loved or want to save for the future. This one is called, “Exploring Wisdom: This is Me Dancing” by Heather Bilotta.
Life lately: Perseverance as success
You know life has been rough lately when you’re resuscitate your website just to speak out your experience. You also know that things are going to get better when you actually have time to sit down and just write it all out.
If I had to choose some words to describe what life has been like lately, off the top of my head:
- challenging
- endless questions
- getting thicker skin, getting stronger
- days that you just have to get through
- doing things I didn’t think I could do
- limited time
- expanding in my service to the community
- persevering
- loving
- growing
- ho’omau
Ho’omau in Hawaiian means to persevere. To take the definition from here, “It’s the ability to continue forward in righteousness no matter what obstacles lay before you to make the good in your life last.”
I know I’m in a good enough place now because I am ready and willing to share but yes, life has been all about ho’omau. Sometimes, in seasons of rough seas and strong winds, success looks more like perseverance – and less like getting it all right. And I’m glad and grateful for this season where I am succeeding through resilience. I’m excited to unpack what I’ve been experiencing – especially for those out there who may have been living it too.
For now though, I’d like to share some practices that have helped me to ho’omau and persevere – because sometimes you really do need people to tell you what to do to get out of that rut. Thankfully they have been perfectly expressed by this wonderful read from The Art of Living Retreat Center. Read on.
A Letter to Anyone who’s ever had fight/s with their Partner
Aloha.
Before I begin, I’d just like to share a disclaimer that I am in NO way an expert on relationships. I’m just gonna speak to my experience 🙂 And so if you wanted some professional advice, maybe another article? But try your best not to read those super click-baity ones. They can actually make you more anxious.
And if you’re still here, then YAY. Because that means you too have had conflicts in your relationship big enough for you to read a letter such as this – and I’m not the only one. Big exhale.
A Letter to Anyone who’s ever hit a Plateau
You know it’s serious when the yogi who’s all about contentment and acceptance starts talking about plateaus 😉 And also, if you find yourself clicking on something that says “A Letter to Anyone who’s ever hit a Plateau.”
Most likely means, we’re ready to get off of it.
Since moving into my own place in July and doing the whole adulting thing, I can say I’ve found a happiness that is hard to compare to any other time in my life. It’s been an interesting feeling, being so surrounded by peace and joy on a regular basis (especially when it was always sunny outside), that I had to investigate into the feeling and validate that this was something humans could actually experience 😝
My investigation lead me to gurus like Ram Dass and Alan Watts – who I know listen to on such a regular basis that I feel like I’m hanging out with them often. Here’s a link to one of my favorite lectures of his, Embracing our Humanity.
That being said, with all my study and while living in such a beautiful place that constantly inspires contentment, I still feel the pull of moving forward and getting off my peaceful plateau… and that’s okay.
As human beings, our directive in this life is both to change, to experience, and to let our spirits learn and grow through pain and happiness – things that are a little hard to do when we unwilling to join the ups and downs of life. And in the end, clinging to a plateau makes the plateau just another trap – and defeats the purpose of being free.
At least that’s what it seems like from over here, from someone who’s thoroughly been enjoying plateau-life for a while 😝
And I suppose the point of this letter is mostly that, to share this invitation I’ve been feeling for quite a while, to get up, do something, and change all over again ☺️🙏🏼
What I learned from saying goodbye to being a full-time yoga teacher
It’s literally been forever since I’ve written here and when before I used my blog as a tool for sharing information and attracting abundance – I use it now as a space to decompress and know myself again.
Thinking about it now, I’m pretty sure a big part of why I’ve put this blog and my writing to the side is because I feel like it was part of a life that is so different from what I’m living now.
When before I was a full-time teacher, now I teach 3 classes a week – at most 5 to 6. I’m lucky enough to say that those classes are part of a full-time 40-hour job at a nonprofit called the Kaimuki YMCA, where most of my day I’m writing, creating, brainstorming, and serving the staff who work there as their go-to marketing and media person.
When before I was living with my parents and had a little bit of luxury when it came to disposable income and not having to cook or clean or even do my laundry, now I pay the rent, use a fraction of my time making my house a home and spend a good part of an afternoon or an evening making sure I have food to eat.
When before I could do yoga 5 times a week plus go to meditations and be a student, now I practice at most 3 times a week and spend my other time working, enjoying myself in nature, and being in the company of a loving partner.
In some ways, this new life may seem unsavory and filled with personal obligations and adulating, I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy 🙂
That’s not to say that I don’t miss teaching full-time, because I truly do. Being my own boss, being a full-time yogi, having the freedom to dictate where and when I work, being able to share and impact people first-hand – it’s pretty self-explanatory why I would miss it.
But… in the time that I haven’t, I’ve learned a lot.
Gone to learn: Off to train in adaptive yoga therapy
For the first time in almost two years of teaching yoga, I’m gonna take a break that’s more than a week — more than two months to be exact. This… scares the shit out of me. (READ: On teaching: Passing the one-year mark, learning how to love)
I am absolutely, everyday, head over heels in love with my job and I’m more than happy to be known as “that girl who teaches yoga.” Now, I am confronted with the “essential transience” of all things. Who am I when I’m not being a yoga teacher? How will I be able to go back to my teaching practice? Will I be able to save money? All these questions and more are giving me pre-trip anxiety.
My solution is to focus on service 💖
Filipino-made for yogis: Yoga pants, Inabel yoga towel, Yakang yaka bags and pillows
Random internet wandering, people inquiring about if I’ve heard of so and so product… and mostly, random internet wandering has led me to a new list of Filipino-made products for Filipino yogis, and yogis all over the world
Read on 🙂
#CoachYourself: Build good habits through Rewards & Accountability
Today’s #CoachYourself tool for coaching ourselves actually comes from a coaching client of mine 🙂
At the end of each session, I usually give coaching clients an exercise or, if they’ve created an action point for themselves, I ask if they’d like me to hold them accountable for doing what they said they would do. Most say yes 🙂 One client went beyond a yes and even created a system on how I could hold him accountable exactly – which is what I’ll be sharing with you today.
Since then, I’ve actually adopted this awesome accountability system with other coaching clients and it’s worked beautifully so far. Perhaps it’ll work for you too.
Yoga Teachers of Manila: Joana Medina
Back when I was on the student’s side of the yoga classroom, teachers always seemed so impenetrable in their calm happiness, and sometimes even, otherworldly. Now that I’m a yoga teacher myself, I can tell you all with full confidence and honesty: we can be just as crazy, unhinged, insecure, uncool, basic, and normal as everyone else on the planet.
And you can bet the teachers in Manila have a lot of the Filipino quirks you can think of too 😉
In an attempt to demystify yoga teachers and the seeming perfection of their practice as seen through social media, I’m starting a series on my blog not-so-creatively entitled “Yoga Teachers of Manila.”
With grace and honesty, yoga teachers share with us their struggles, their funny “un-yogi” moments, and what keeps them on their mat as a teacher and as a student.
For this post, let’s talk about teacher Joana Medina 🙂
So you wanna be a Yoga Teacher? What it’s Really Like
So thanks to this blog, I’ve had a lot of people reaching out to me about yoga, yoga teaching, and yoga teacher training 🙂
It’s so wonderful to hear from people… and to know that the love of yoga abounds.
Given the many people seeking answers to help them on their own journey, I’ve decided to write about what the journey has been like for me – in the practical sense. I often talk about my emotional, mental, and spiritual journey but not really about my career – so here it is. (READ: The Journey So Far)
Just a few things before I start though — these are my opinions and experiences and I can’t speak for all yoga teachers. I haven’t been teaching that long either so to be honest, I feel a little shy about sharing but hey – whatever helps 🙂 If you want a comprehensive view, maybe ask other teachers too. Maybe try the Yoga Teachers of Manila.
I’m also speaking as someone in the Philippine setting, Manila to be exact. Although I’m sure we yoga teachers share a lot of common experiences 🙂 The questions I will answer are just the few frequently asked ones so if you have more, do leave one in the comments.
Here goes…