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Let’s call back on the last episode of the Wellness Angel Channel which is all about Diet Dilemma.
I invited my friend and fellow yogi, Clara Day Herrera, to join us in this episode. We filled this podcast episode with insights on yoga, diet, meditation, and relaxation.
We talked about Clara’s book entitled “How To Never Diet Forever.” The aim of her book is about having freedom from the numbers that dictate us in our everyday lives. We can enjoy a life of freedom mixed with discipline and commitment.
To quote Clara’s book, “Life is magical only to anyone who pays attention to every moment of it.” There is no more power than the power of now. One way to manifest this is through mindful eating. If we crave something and receive it, we must first express our gratitude. Be thankful for the blessing. Then we involve every one of our five senses as we dig in. Relish every moment and then express thanks again once finished.
One way to uncover our inner truths and be our authentic selves is through meditation. What should we do in meditation? Through Clara's book, she had abbreviated it into IN 5Cs for easy recalling.
Intention. Set your intentions before doing your meditation practice.
Nadi Shodhana. This is a breathing technique that balances your lunar and solar bodies. It equalizes your energies and helps you cleanse your nasal passages.
Connect index finger and thumb. This gesture is the Gyan Mudra. It helps in balancing elements in your body.
Close your eyes. Focus on your pineal gland
Crown of your head. Do a body scan from the crown of your head. You can also start from the tips of your toes going up.
Count your breaths. Count them from twenty to one. Be mindful of how you inhale and exhale.
Come out of a meditative state. Do it slowly and feel its effects.
Meditation is a constant practice. Do not judge yourself if you make mistakes along the way.
Our bodies should be our best friends because we only have one. No food is good or bad. It's all about the way we consume it. Our bodies also need some TLC. Don’t feel guilty if you take a break from the hustle! We are all entitled to take care of ourselves. Regain our balance through meditation.
Remember, let us always choose what is authentic in our lives. If you feel like curating aesthetics to motivate yourself, go ahead! It feels more liberating if we always pick what makes us live to the fullest.
If you like to buy Clara’s book, you can buy it at this link: claradayh.com/shop
And if you want to find out what we talked about in relation to diet and beyond, feel free to visit my Facebook page at @wellnessangel. You can also join our wellness tribe so we can help you discover your inner truths and practice with us!
Love and light!
Let us look back on the last episode of Wellness Angel Channel about Life Transformation Through Lifestyle Changes.
First, ask yourself. Where are you right now on your transformation?
I invited one of my good friends, Janice Senorin-Delacruz, to do this podcast episode with me. Janice and I shared our personal stories and the insights we'd like to convey to our viewers. Our focus was more on habit-formation, health, and connections.
Some coaches say it takes at least three weeks to form a habit. I say habit-forming could take three months or more. It could even go on for a lifetime. We often tell ourselves that we want to make changes in our lives, but it is easier said than done. We need to find a deeper meaning that will push us to work on those changes.
Sustainability and consistency go hand-in-hand. We must gauge ourselves if we can sustain the work we do. Then we consistently take baby steps toward our goal. Remember, it is alright to backslide once in a while. There are moments wherein we tend to slide off from our main tracks. We keep on changing and adapting.
Here are some of our tips to work your way towards a better every day:
1.) Progress over perfection - Always enjoy the journey. We don't need to stress ourselves if we don't get it right on the first try. Remain consistent and trust the process. Never compare yourself to others. It’s not a one-size-fits-all.
2.) Connect with our bodies - Health is vital. We must take care of our physical well-being and listen to what our bodies need. Do proper exercises and eat well. Whatever dreams we have, we cannot work on them from a hospital bed.
3.) Get an accountability group - If we set our minds toward something, know that we cannot do it alone. Accountability buddies help us maintain our focus on our aim. They also bring us back to the right track and check our progress, in case we go off-road.
4.) Fight procrastination - Procrastination can cause us to think of excuses. This can lead to negative self-talk and end up not making any progress at all. To combat this, just simply do it. Start small, then push gradually towards bigger challenges. Practice mindfulness, or else you might end up distracted and waste time.
5.) Don’t dwell on the negatives - Many negative things are happening right now. But we should do our best to keep ourselves up and seek positive things. This can be our opportunity to reflect and discover the things we are good at.
Going through a lifestyle transformation can be scary. But remember that, the first step towards progress is facing our fears. Feel free to create prototypes and test them out. Change plans if things don’t work out. Acknowledge wins no matter how big or small. Every effort contributes toward success.
If you want to watch this episode, feel free to visit my Facebook page @wellnessangel. Please also join our Wellness Tribe so we can watch each others' progress and celebrate every win!
Love and light! See you!
Let us recap the sixth episode of Wellness Angel Channel - Yoga is not a religion.
Yoga is close to my heart. It is something I’d like to share with you. It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced yogi, a teacher, a newbie, or someone who’s plain curious. Everyone is welcome. I’m pretty sure each one of you wants to learn something new.
I have been a yogi for six years and counting. Learning and teaching yoga gave my life a complete turn. After years of flying, I joined a friend in a Yoga Teachers Training on a whim. Within a week, I was out on a plane heading to Bangalore, India. Who would have thought that impulsive decision would have transformed my life completely?
In this episode, we delved into the meaning of yoga. I also gave a brief explanation of the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga. I shared insights from various books and personal experiences to prove that yoga is not a religion.
First, yoga came from the word 'Yuj' which means “to unite, to yoke, or to join.” It means that if we achieve harmony with our bodies, spirits, and minds, we experience bliss. For me, bliss is a mix of happiness and peace.
A common misconception about yoga is that it converts into a different religion. I can tell that it doesn't. This was something my loved ones feared. They thought that I’d give up my Catholicism because of the practices we do.
During training, our yoga master told us to read our holy books before attending class. He did not specify which holy book. There were 20 of us from different countries with various faiths. I made sure to pray for protection and read the Bible before classes.
Another misconception is that chants done in yoga were made to glorify other gods. But in reality, they are generally for protection and well-wishes. From my training, most chants were in Sanskrit. It’s no different from any religion with its songs and chants. Did you know that the common yoga chant, “Aum”, is where the word “Amen” originates from? See? It aligns with faith!
One experience I’ll never forget is that I felt a state of bliss. My co-trainees and I formed a circle then we chanted “Aum” without stopping for an hour. After that, I burst into tears because of an overwhelming feeling of joy, peace, and gratitude. It took me to a different place of pure love — a space of bliss.
Yoga is not a religion, but it is a mix of art, science, and philosophy.
Now, how can we incorporate yoga with our faith? For starters, know that we always have a choice. We can find a guru that fits our pace, belief system, and needs. We have the freedom to switch to another faith if we wish to. Next, use yoga as a way to elevate faith. Practice it to focus on the now and reach calmness. Imagine the quality of prayer it'll manifest.
If you want to catch up, feel free to watch this episode on my Facebook Page, @wellnessangel. Feel free also to join our wellness tribe so we can help you bring up your faith through yoga!
