Yoga reminds me to breathe when walking through life...

Yoga entered my life when I was just nine years old. My mother had a small yoga studio in our two story apartment in Taipei. This was the peak of head-behind-your-legs-in-leotards era. While I was never really interested in participating in her classes I was always amazed by the things she would do with her body.

Fast forward to my mid twenties, after struggling with years of mental health issues and substance abuse I began to learn how to live again. In 2009 I gave birth to a healthy child. The question instead of "how do I live another day?" became "how do I give him the best foundation for his life?". At this time I had long been disconnected with my body in every sense of the word. I had gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy and I wanted to lose the weight. What started as a simple quest led me to a world where I had never thought I would venture into. And understanding that to be able to give 'life' to someone/something else, I need to start with myself, although this lesson was not clear to me at the time as it is now.

I began meeting with my friend Amanda who is a personal trainer. I would ride my bike to the gym twice a week equipped with a protein shake for a post-workouts fuel (reconnecting with the body). Living in Hawaii I was lucky to be able to go into nature often (reconnecting with the land) and began growing our own food at a community garden on a 10 x 10 lot (reconnecting with community). Slowly I learned what it feels like to be hungry and full; what it feels like when I eat nutrient dense food and when I don't. When my body was slowly relearning its rhythm my brain was also slowly rewiring itself through these positive habits-I became less moody and more energetic.

In 2014 when a possible career change surfaced I decided that I would go deeper into my new found passion of exercise and nutrition training. After studying with NASM and receiving my certified personal training credential I began coaching clients in corporate and private settings. Soon I realized the limitation posed with a purely physical program and dived into studying with Precision Nutrition to learn and understand functional nutrition.

Along the way I found yoga again, this time to help me improve my own strength training and recovery. By this time I was lifting heavier and more frequently. The aches and pains taught me the need to be kind to myself (the vessel). What began as just a self-care routine became something more meaningful than I would have ever imagined—it gave me the tool to fully live and love life, even in the darkest times, especially in the darkest times.

Life is our medicine.

Bitter, salty, sour, sweet, and perhaps umami.

I have had a fair share of all the flavors in my life and my guess is that you have, too. Sourness gives complexity (in a fabulous way) to a sweet treat. Bitterness, while may be less desirable, is a huge component in traditional medicine herbs for their healing property.

For the longest time I avoided life. When something uncomfortable appeared my default is to pack up and move as if I can just run away from the problem. I guess in a way that is true. Until all the excitement of a new place subside, what need to be faced still begs to be addressed. The demons follow until they are acknowledged.

Yoga teaches me to practice life with grace, to face the problems grounded. It's a continuing embodiment. It's naive to think that we practice only on our mats. Yoga teaches me to practice in the stores, at work, with friends and family. Yoga teaches me to practice "here".

My teacher Marti always reminds us "walk in your healed state". What a beautiful way to live—with life as our medicine.

"there is a field. I’ll meet you there."

- Rumi