APRIL 10, 2021
ALEXIS ABBATE: yoga instructor and studio owner of Terra Sol Sanctuary in Wilmington, North Carolina
Alexis Abbate graciously agreed to talk with me about her unexpected journey to becoming a yoga instructor and the studio owner of Terra Sol Sanctuary in Wilmington, North Carolina, shedding light on her experience with the mind, body, and earth connection. She discusses the path that lead her to where she is now, including both the joys and struggles of doing the healing work found within her yoga practice, and how her experience has ultimately been a life-changing one.
As a practitioner and instructor of yoga myself, I recognize the healing effects of yoga that Alexis discusses, especially in terms of noticing a difference in feeling, both mentally and physically, from the beginning of a yoga practice, during, and afterwards (and attempting to incorporate healing practices and yogic philosophy into my everyday life, which naturally, some days are more difficult than others). I’m continually learning about yoga, including the more intangible yet intrinsic spiritual and philosophical aspects. Of course, every yoga practice or class is unique, and the body and mind’s experience might feel different every single time. Perhaps there are stagnant periods or plateaus as your yoga practice evolves. An important aspect to remember is that you can always return to your breath (wherever you are), or possibly your mat (or maybe it’s just a patch of grass or sand or your porch) to find your center once again. The potential to unlock the healing effects of yoga awaits one with each practice, and throughout her interview Alexis talks about tapping into that transformation, both on and off the mat.
Whether you've never taken a yoga class in your life or you're a seasoned practitioner or instructor (or anywhere in-between), Alexis's interview offers insight and wisdom into the mind-body connection and the potentially transformative effects of yoga. It highlights our innate relationship to the world within us and without us, perhaps even inspiring an increased awareness of and appreciation for life. Scroll down to listen to the audio, or continue reading for the written interview. Enjoy!
TO LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ALEXIS, PLEASE USE THE AUDIO PLAYER BELOW:
Alexis Abbate graciously agreed to talk with me about her unexpected journey to becoming a yoga instructor and the studio owner of Terra Sol Sanctuary in Wilmington, North Carolina, shedding light on her experience with the mind, body, and earth connection. She discusses the path that lead her to where she is now, including both the joys and struggles of doing the healing work found within her yoga practice, and how her experience has ultimately been a life-changing one.
As a practitioner and instructor of yoga myself, I recognize the healing effects of yoga that Alexis discusses, especially in terms of noticing a difference in feeling, both mentally and physically, from the beginning of a yoga practice, during, and afterwards (and attempting to incorporate healing practices and yogic philosophy into my everyday life, which naturally, some days are more difficult than others). I’m continually learning about yoga, including the more intangible yet intrinsic spiritual and philosophical aspects. Of course, every yoga practice or class is unique, and the body and mind’s experience might feel different every single time. Perhaps there are stagnant periods or plateaus as your yoga practice evolves. An important aspect to remember is that you can always return to your breath (wherever you are), or possibly your mat (or maybe it’s just a patch of grass or sand or your porch) to find your center once again. The potential to unlock the healing effects of yoga awaits one with each practice, and throughout her interview Alexis talks about tapping into that transformation, both on and off the mat.
Whether you've never taken a yoga class in your life or you're a seasoned practitioner or instructor (or anywhere in-between), Alexis's interview offers insight and wisdom into the mind-body connection and the potentially transformative effects of yoga. It highlights our innate relationship to the world within us and without us, perhaps even inspiring an increased awareness of and appreciation for life. Scroll down to listen to the audio, or continue reading for the written interview. Enjoy!
TO LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ALEXIS, PLEASE USE THE AUDIO PLAYER BELOW:
(Photo provided by Alexis Abbate)
1. If you could state your name and, jumping into some background info, how
did you decide on the path of becoming a yoga instructor, and how has
that changed your life? “I’m Alexis Abbate, and I became an instructor, or
started teaching yoga, gosh, it’s been five years now, and when I first started
practicing yoga…I was amazed by how much I enjoyed it, mainly how I felt after,
with struggling with anxiety and depression, it was something that I wanted to
learn more of why this practice gave me more balance and ease…when I wasn’t
on the mat, if that makes since? So…I didn’t want to teach, there was no way, I
would even think, ‘Gosh, how do they do that? How do they stand up there and
tell you what is right and what is left and remember all these things?’ And so it
was never something I wanted [or] I saw myself doing…I just wanted to learn more
about why I feel this way…there’s something to this yoga thing. So, that’s why I went to
yoga training…200-hour teacher training, and I remember in class, Becca Niamtu was
one of the instructors and…we all had to talk about where we saw ourselves and all that,
and I was like, ‘Oh gosh, I’m not teaching,’ like, I had so much anxiety about even being
in training, and with everyone else who was talking about wanting to teach and had
these great, grand ideas of where this path was gonna lead them and I had no clue,
I really didn’t, and I had no expectations except that I knew I did not want to teach.
And she [Becca] said to me, ‘You will be the first one teaching out of the group,
I guarantee you.’ And so I went through the training, and Jackie DeConti, the other
trainer at the time, was the director of Salty Dog, and after training ended she
called me right away and said, ‘Hey, we have an opening for the pay-what-you-can
class so there’s no pressure, do you want to do it?’ and I learned in training to not
say no if it’s not a hell no, and I was like, ‘You know what, sure why not?’...it was so
scary, and to this day it’s still so scary for me, before class getting up, but there’s
something about it that I really love, being able to share what I have learned and
what I continue to learn with other people, because it’s brought so much healing
to my life, so my life has changed…so much from when I did not practice yoga, and
suddenly from just having a greater sense of purpose and gratitude, and a greater
understanding, in moments, not always, of the awe of life, and I think yoga really
has created a space for me to just be, and all of the tools that I need to
slow down, to be more appreciative, and to take care of myself, and my body, so
that I can be the best me I can be while I’m here.”
"it's brought so much healing to my life...from just having a greater sense of purpose and gratitude, and a greater understanding, in moments, not always, of the awe of life"
1. If you could state your name and, jumping into some background info, how
did you decide on the path of becoming a yoga instructor, and how has
that changed your life? “I’m Alexis Abbate, and I became an instructor, or
started teaching yoga, gosh, it’s been five years now, and when I first started
practicing yoga…I was amazed by how much I enjoyed it, mainly how I felt after,
with struggling with anxiety and depression, it was something that I wanted to
learn more of why this practice gave me more balance and ease…when I wasn’t
on the mat, if that makes since? So…I didn’t want to teach, there was no way, I
would even think, ‘Gosh, how do they do that? How do they stand up there and
tell you what is right and what is left and remember all these things?’ And so it
was never something I wanted [or] I saw myself doing…I just wanted to learn more
about why I feel this way…there’s something to this yoga thing. So, that’s why I went to
yoga training…200-hour teacher training, and I remember in class, Becca Niamtu was
one of the instructors and…we all had to talk about where we saw ourselves and all that,
and I was like, ‘Oh gosh, I’m not teaching,’ like, I had so much anxiety about even being
in training, and with everyone else who was talking about wanting to teach and had
these great, grand ideas of where this path was gonna lead them and I had no clue,
I really didn’t, and I had no expectations except that I knew I did not want to teach.
And she [Becca] said to me, ‘You will be the first one teaching out of the group,
I guarantee you.’ And so I went through the training, and Jackie DeConti, the other
trainer at the time, was the director of Salty Dog, and after training ended she
called me right away and said, ‘Hey, we have an opening for the pay-what-you-can
class so there’s no pressure, do you want to do it?’ and I learned in training to not
say no if it’s not a hell no, and I was like, ‘You know what, sure why not?’...it was so
scary, and to this day it’s still so scary for me, before class getting up, but there’s
something about it that I really love, being able to share what I have learned and
what I continue to learn with other people, because it’s brought so much healing
to my life, so my life has changed…so much from when I did not practice yoga, and
suddenly from just having a greater sense of purpose and gratitude, and a greater
understanding, in moments, not always, of the awe of life, and I think yoga really
has created a space for me to just be, and all of the tools that I need to
slow down, to be more appreciative, and to take care of myself, and my body, so
that I can be the best me I can be while I’m here.”
"it's brought so much healing to my life...from just having a greater sense of purpose and gratitude, and a greater understanding, in moments, not always, of the awe of life"
2. You’ve created quite a following for your own classes and you’re now the
studio owner [of Terra Sol Sanctuary]. How long has it been since you became the owner?
“Crazy, yes, so I, after teaching at Salty Dog for a little bit, I remember I was realizing it
was time to get back in the work force because I wanted to start helping my
family, my husband, financially, so I was like, 'alright I guess I gotta get back out
there', because I left my corporate job of ten years and it was time, so…on the
day that I…thought it was time to get my résumé updated and get it out there,
Jackie texted me and said, ‘Rebecca is gonna call you, make sure you pick it up.’
So she, Rebecca (Becca) Niamtu, called me and said ‘Hey, do you wanna open up
a studio with Jackie and I?’ And I didn’t think twice about it, and I said ‘Yes’, so it felt
right, even though I had no idea, I never thought about being a business owner…and
here I am feeling ‘Yes, this is right.’ So we opened up this studio [Terra Sol Sanctuary]
together in 2016, and then Becca moved away and then it became just Jackie and I,
and then we were the owners until 2019 and that’s when I became sole proprietor
July 2019, August technically, and yeah, so that has been that journey.”
studio owner [of Terra Sol Sanctuary]. How long has it been since you became the owner?
“Crazy, yes, so I, after teaching at Salty Dog for a little bit, I remember I was realizing it
was time to get back in the work force because I wanted to start helping my
family, my husband, financially, so I was like, 'alright I guess I gotta get back out
there', because I left my corporate job of ten years and it was time, so…on the
day that I…thought it was time to get my résumé updated and get it out there,
Jackie texted me and said, ‘Rebecca is gonna call you, make sure you pick it up.’
So she, Rebecca (Becca) Niamtu, called me and said ‘Hey, do you wanna open up
a studio with Jackie and I?’ And I didn’t think twice about it, and I said ‘Yes’, so it felt
right, even though I had no idea, I never thought about being a business owner…and
here I am feeling ‘Yes, this is right.’ So we opened up this studio [Terra Sol Sanctuary]
together in 2016, and then Becca moved away and then it became just Jackie and I,
and then we were the owners until 2019 and that’s when I became sole proprietor
July 2019, August technically, and yeah, so that has been that journey.”
3. Based on your own personal experience, how would you describe the
connection that might be found between the body and mind within a yoga
practice? “So one part of wanting to learn more about yoga was learning more
about the mind-body connection actually, because there were times where I
would just cry, not knowing why, and…the body holds trauma, the body holds
experience and if we don’t tend to it, and I really never thought about my body as a
vessel of life, I really just never really thought about it, I was so far out of my own
body I guess, so yoga really helped me learn to listen to my body more, and to
really try to gain a deeper understanding of why I feel certain ways during certain
times, or feeling that intuition…in which I guess it was when I went to teacher
training, like these…little nudges that I felt learning about the mind-body, and
also learning how in yoga, I have learned that my thoughts, even if they’re, if it’s
not happening now, that my body might still think [it’s happening now], so if I’m
having a negative thought or an experience, I think about a past experience, and
my body and my systems, my nervous system thinks it’s happening right
now, so that same [experience]…so I have learned that I can recognize that, and
then come back into the body so that I can bring the reassurance that I am safe now,
I am here now, and all is good in this moment.”
"yoga really helped me learn to listen to my body more, and to really try to gain a deeper understanding of why I feel certain ways during certain times, or feeling that intuition"
connection that might be found between the body and mind within a yoga
practice? “So one part of wanting to learn more about yoga was learning more
about the mind-body connection actually, because there were times where I
would just cry, not knowing why, and…the body holds trauma, the body holds
experience and if we don’t tend to it, and I really never thought about my body as a
vessel of life, I really just never really thought about it, I was so far out of my own
body I guess, so yoga really helped me learn to listen to my body more, and to
really try to gain a deeper understanding of why I feel certain ways during certain
times, or feeling that intuition…in which I guess it was when I went to teacher
training, like these…little nudges that I felt learning about the mind-body, and
also learning how in yoga, I have learned that my thoughts, even if they’re, if it’s
not happening now, that my body might still think [it’s happening now], so if I’m
having a negative thought or an experience, I think about a past experience, and
my body and my systems, my nervous system thinks it’s happening right
now, so that same [experience]…so I have learned that I can recognize that, and
then come back into the body so that I can bring the reassurance that I am safe now,
I am here now, and all is good in this moment.”
"yoga really helped me learn to listen to my body more, and to really try to gain a deeper understanding of why I feel certain ways during certain times, or feeling that intuition"
4. Going from the mind-body connection, in addition to that, do you feel that
your yoga practice...has provided opportunities for increased awareness of our
connection to the Earth? “Oh, 1000%, yes, I think like going along with that, like
listening to the body…we’re so connected to the phases of the seasons, the day, the
planets, all of that, and some of us are more drawn to particular times of the year,
particular times of the day, and…I’ve always loved animals, but yoga really has brought
me to the understanding that everything is connected, we are all [connected],
and like anything that I do affects the whole planet, you know, not in a way that
I’m this powerful thing, but that, you know, it trickles out, like if I do one thing, then it’s
gonna affect something somewhere…and that’s what I guess when I mean there’s a
greater purpose, like it’s not just me living this life, which it is, but it’s also much
bigger than that, that we have like this purpose…and the opportunity to really do
what we can to make daily choices, too, that’s for the greater good, the collective, so
that we can live in harmony, instead of this imbalance…and we see everything
that we’ve been experiencing, especially this past year, so yeah I think we are
[connected] so much, and I think…so much healing can be done in nature, I
know that always makes me [feel better]…if it’s not yoga, it’s getting outside
when I get in my own head and like [when] I feel it’s consumed by my own thoughts,
the second I’m outside with my dog I’m like, 'Everything is okay', I can just be in this
moment, and be in awe by the planet and the beauty of nature, so
connected…speaking of which, we need some sun because that’s also probably
why I’m feeling so sluggish today…it’s a rainy day today.”
your yoga practice...has provided opportunities for increased awareness of our
connection to the Earth? “Oh, 1000%, yes, I think like going along with that, like
listening to the body…we’re so connected to the phases of the seasons, the day, the
planets, all of that, and some of us are more drawn to particular times of the year,
particular times of the day, and…I’ve always loved animals, but yoga really has brought
me to the understanding that everything is connected, we are all [connected],
and like anything that I do affects the whole planet, you know, not in a way that
I’m this powerful thing, but that, you know, it trickles out, like if I do one thing, then it’s
gonna affect something somewhere…and that’s what I guess when I mean there’s a
greater purpose, like it’s not just me living this life, which it is, but it’s also much
bigger than that, that we have like this purpose…and the opportunity to really do
what we can to make daily choices, too, that’s for the greater good, the collective, so
that we can live in harmony, instead of this imbalance…and we see everything
that we’ve been experiencing, especially this past year, so yeah I think we are
[connected] so much, and I think…so much healing can be done in nature, I
know that always makes me [feel better]…if it’s not yoga, it’s getting outside
when I get in my own head and like [when] I feel it’s consumed by my own thoughts,
the second I’m outside with my dog I’m like, 'Everything is okay', I can just be in this
moment, and be in awe by the planet and the beauty of nature, so
connected…speaking of which, we need some sun because that’s also probably
why I’m feeling so sluggish today…it’s a rainy day today.”
5. What’s one example of a sustainability practice that you incorporate into
your life, whether it’s related to yoga or not? Maybe it involves the studio
or your home life? “I mean, there’s the obvious of recycling, but I feel like I do a
lot, I try to do more than just that…trying to shop as local as possible, and getting
my food seasonally here locally, I think that’s also the connection of how we are
connected to where we live and the environment and also supporting local, so,
small…trying to keep things in my local economy, from clothes (I do like to shop)
to jewelry, to events and all of that, trying to really keep it local...Before the
pandemic, I didn’t use as much cleaning [products], like I did, we were in the
bathroom not using paper towels and using cloths that we would clean every day,
and using essential oils and things like that for cleaning but because of the
pandemic, that has changed a little bit, and that’s been kind of hard to go back to
that, because growing up…you just used paper towels. My family used to [ask],
even coming over for dinner, like ‘Where’s the paper towels?’…[And I said] ‘We
don’t use paper towels here…we can wash!’ And that’s another thing, [using]
cold water instead of warm, trying not to wash every day…reusing the water for
the plants…if I wash dishes, instead of the dishwasher, I will use water for the plants,
we have a rain barrel, so I guess there are a lot of things…trying to use less
energy…I have a hybrid car. My husband rides his bike everywhere, so maybe
it’s that…I try to just make it a way of life…I feel guilty about all the paper, the
disinfectant wipes that I’m using, and I think there’s some sort of guilt there, but
hopefully within the next year or so we can transition back to [more sustainable
practices]…[I use] the steamer …instead of chemicals [to clean the studio
floor]…The hand sanitizer I got the bulk one so that we can keep using the
plastic…and like the soap I get the big one and try to keep refilling it, so just little
things that really, again, because it’s all connected, it all trickles out…”
your life, whether it’s related to yoga or not? Maybe it involves the studio
or your home life? “I mean, there’s the obvious of recycling, but I feel like I do a
lot, I try to do more than just that…trying to shop as local as possible, and getting
my food seasonally here locally, I think that’s also the connection of how we are
connected to where we live and the environment and also supporting local, so,
small…trying to keep things in my local economy, from clothes (I do like to shop)
to jewelry, to events and all of that, trying to really keep it local...Before the
pandemic, I didn’t use as much cleaning [products], like I did, we were in the
bathroom not using paper towels and using cloths that we would clean every day,
and using essential oils and things like that for cleaning but because of the
pandemic, that has changed a little bit, and that’s been kind of hard to go back to
that, because growing up…you just used paper towels. My family used to [ask],
even coming over for dinner, like ‘Where’s the paper towels?’…[And I said] ‘We
don’t use paper towels here…we can wash!’ And that’s another thing, [using]
cold water instead of warm, trying not to wash every day…reusing the water for
the plants…if I wash dishes, instead of the dishwasher, I will use water for the plants,
we have a rain barrel, so I guess there are a lot of things…trying to use less
energy…I have a hybrid car. My husband rides his bike everywhere, so maybe
it’s that…I try to just make it a way of life…I feel guilty about all the paper, the
disinfectant wipes that I’m using, and I think there’s some sort of guilt there, but
hopefully within the next year or so we can transition back to [more sustainable
practices]…[I use] the steamer …instead of chemicals [to clean the studio
floor]…The hand sanitizer I got the bulk one so that we can keep using the
plastic…and like the soap I get the big one and try to keep refilling it, so just little
things that really, again, because it’s all connected, it all trickles out…”
6. Going back towards the practice of yoga, what is one way that you honor
the history and tradition of yoga in your practice or life? “One thing that I
have been doing (I’m in my 300-hour teacher training)…[with] my teacher Leigh
Ann Mertens [is] learning the [Yoga] Sutras…I’m supposed to pull a Sutra, we cut them
all out, roll them up, and I have them in a basket. So I’m supposed to pull one out
every day and practice Sanskrit, and then also look up all the different types of
translations. So I have about three or four books on the Sutras, and then I’ll go
and get all the different translations, and then sit with it for a little bit, and it also
has been really great inspiration for my classes…and I love that, it’s almost like
pulling a card, but instead I’m pulling a Sutra, so that’s one way, is continuing my
education of this philosophy and this way of life and this practice, and each class
I try to tie in something from the history [of Yoga], if it’s a Sanskrit term, word,
phrase, Sutra, if it’s the philosophy and how it can incorporate or how it
incorporates into the physical practice, but as we had talked about before, that
planting these little seeds so that, because that’s what I really loved about
when I took yoga before I started teaching, is how that was one part of it, is like
how it translated off of the mat with the philosophy part, wanted me to do better
in my day-to-day life, or gave me inspiration to understand my thoughts, to
understand why I was the way I was or reacting, so that I could kind of step back
a little bit, so yeah, that’s really one way, I think it’s important to bring the
philosophy to class, not to necessarily teach [philosophy], because I don’t think
I’m in a position to teach the Sutras but to share what I’m learning, because this
practice is so powerfully healing and there’s so much to learn, so yeah, that’s a
way that I think, continuing education with and incorporating it in my classes,
because when I incorporate them [Sutras] in my classes, I’m also kind of
revisiting or learning more about [them] and it is something I can come back to in my
day-to-day life when I’m not on the mat.”
the history and tradition of yoga in your practice or life? “One thing that I
have been doing (I’m in my 300-hour teacher training)…[with] my teacher Leigh
Ann Mertens [is] learning the [Yoga] Sutras…I’m supposed to pull a Sutra, we cut them
all out, roll them up, and I have them in a basket. So I’m supposed to pull one out
every day and practice Sanskrit, and then also look up all the different types of
translations. So I have about three or four books on the Sutras, and then I’ll go
and get all the different translations, and then sit with it for a little bit, and it also
has been really great inspiration for my classes…and I love that, it’s almost like
pulling a card, but instead I’m pulling a Sutra, so that’s one way, is continuing my
education of this philosophy and this way of life and this practice, and each class
I try to tie in something from the history [of Yoga], if it’s a Sanskrit term, word,
phrase, Sutra, if it’s the philosophy and how it can incorporate or how it
incorporates into the physical practice, but as we had talked about before, that
planting these little seeds so that, because that’s what I really loved about
when I took yoga before I started teaching, is how that was one part of it, is like
how it translated off of the mat with the philosophy part, wanted me to do better
in my day-to-day life, or gave me inspiration to understand my thoughts, to
understand why I was the way I was or reacting, so that I could kind of step back
a little bit, so yeah, that’s really one way, I think it’s important to bring the
philosophy to class, not to necessarily teach [philosophy], because I don’t think
I’m in a position to teach the Sutras but to share what I’m learning, because this
practice is so powerfully healing and there’s so much to learn, so yeah, that’s a
way that I think, continuing education with and incorporating it in my classes,
because when I incorporate them [Sutras] in my classes, I’m also kind of
revisiting or learning more about [them] and it is something I can come back to in my
day-to-day life when I’m not on the mat.”
7. What words of wisdom or encouragement might you offer to somebody
who is new to a yoga practice? “So, I think to just keep going, keep rolling out
your mat, and keep going to classes, and go to all different types of teachers,
and check out all different types of yoga, if it’s not something that you’re like
‘Well, I don’t get why this is such a hype’ it’s just, keep doing it, keep trying, and
maybe it’s not the physical practice, it’s a big part of it, but it’s not the only part of
it, maybe it’s the philosophy, it's the Bhakti yoga...there’s so much, so I think to
just keep trying and keep doing and working on not comparing what something
looks like to what you think one might look like on a mat, because the more I
learn about the practice and the more I experience yoga on my own mat, the
poses have changed and I feel stronger because of it, but if you were to look at a
picture of a particular pose on my mat, it may not look like something that social
media dictates as ‘yoga’, so that’s maybe another thing, comparison, just keep
trying and release expectations and notice when the ego tries to change the
experience, and come back into the body, just notice what the mind does, not to
stop it or to judge. If it starts to judge or create a story, then that’s just the
opportunity [to be] like, ‘Oh yeah, there’s my mind again, those old stories, those
old ways of thinking, I’m here now’ and...I can’t believe I’m saying this because I
remember hearing it and being like ‘Yeah right, that’s some mumbo jumbo ahhh’
and also knowing that it’s not always ‘Ahhh’, sometimes it’s really uncomfortable,
it’s really hard to sit with shit...when I sit and move my body and process things,
sometimes it’s really uncomfortable and it’s really hard, and it’s really hard to look
at myself and look at the way that I have thought, and the way that I have been...but,
we have to see it and feel it to heal it and to move past it, so also knowing, so no
expectations, sometimes it’s like ‘Oh my gosh, this was so amazing’ and sometimes
[it’s like] ‘That sucked, that was so hard, and I’m not strong’ you know, all
of the things, so, just keep doing it, be like Nike and just do it.”
"the more I learn about the practice and the more I experience yoga on my own mat, the poses have changed and I feel stronger because of it"
8. What is some of the best, and welcomed, advice that you have ever
received, whether it's related to yoga or not? “Why not you? Why not?"
Thank you so much for your honesty Alexis, and for opening up your heart and sharing your experience, it really is an honor to learn more about you and thank you again! And thank you to the readers and listeners!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TERRA SOL SANCTUARY AND ITS OFFERINGS, PLEASE VISIT THE FOLLOWING LINK:
www.terrasolsanctuary.com
who is new to a yoga practice? “So, I think to just keep going, keep rolling out
your mat, and keep going to classes, and go to all different types of teachers,
and check out all different types of yoga, if it’s not something that you’re like
‘Well, I don’t get why this is such a hype’ it’s just, keep doing it, keep trying, and
maybe it’s not the physical practice, it’s a big part of it, but it’s not the only part of
it, maybe it’s the philosophy, it's the Bhakti yoga...there’s so much, so I think to
just keep trying and keep doing and working on not comparing what something
looks like to what you think one might look like on a mat, because the more I
learn about the practice and the more I experience yoga on my own mat, the
poses have changed and I feel stronger because of it, but if you were to look at a
picture of a particular pose on my mat, it may not look like something that social
media dictates as ‘yoga’, so that’s maybe another thing, comparison, just keep
trying and release expectations and notice when the ego tries to change the
experience, and come back into the body, just notice what the mind does, not to
stop it or to judge. If it starts to judge or create a story, then that’s just the
opportunity [to be] like, ‘Oh yeah, there’s my mind again, those old stories, those
old ways of thinking, I’m here now’ and...I can’t believe I’m saying this because I
remember hearing it and being like ‘Yeah right, that’s some mumbo jumbo ahhh’
and also knowing that it’s not always ‘Ahhh’, sometimes it’s really uncomfortable,
it’s really hard to sit with shit...when I sit and move my body and process things,
sometimes it’s really uncomfortable and it’s really hard, and it’s really hard to look
at myself and look at the way that I have thought, and the way that I have been...but,
we have to see it and feel it to heal it and to move past it, so also knowing, so no
expectations, sometimes it’s like ‘Oh my gosh, this was so amazing’ and sometimes
[it’s like] ‘That sucked, that was so hard, and I’m not strong’ you know, all
of the things, so, just keep doing it, be like Nike and just do it.”
"the more I learn about the practice and the more I experience yoga on my own mat, the poses have changed and I feel stronger because of it"
8. What is some of the best, and welcomed, advice that you have ever
received, whether it's related to yoga or not? “Why not you? Why not?"
Thank you so much for your honesty Alexis, and for opening up your heart and sharing your experience, it really is an honor to learn more about you and thank you again! And thank you to the readers and listeners!
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