By Hermes Joy Tunac
As more studies emerge in support of the growing wellness benefits of yoga, more and more people are getting drawn to it. But is yoga really worth all the buzz it’s getting?
Some would define yoga as a form of physical workout. Others would say it’s a breathing exercise. And then there are those who’d say that it’s an ideal tool for meditation; a spiritual hobby, if you will. Well, they’re all partly correct.
Truth is, you can’t separate one from the other. Yoga, after all, is a holistic discipline that combines all four. Originating from India, yoga is an ancient practice of bringing harmony between the mind and body through a series of postures called “Asana” and breathing exercises dubbed as “Pranayama.”
With just a mat, a comfortable space and a capable and willing body, you can do yoga within the comforts of your own home. You may even find help from countless tutorials that are available on the Internet. But if you want to unlock your fullest potential in this holistic activity, you may want to consider enrolling in a studio, just like yoga-practitioner-turned-yoga-teacher KitKat Cuenca.
Kitkat discovered yoga over three years ago, during what she describes as one of the darkest moments of her life. Determined to turn things around, she used that bleak period to her advantage by making it her greatest motivation to practice yoga— first, as an outlet to release tension from her body, then eventually, to feel more mentally stable.
“At that time, I got an App called Classpass, which gave me access to several gyms and studios. I used every single credit I earned from that App to attend yoga classes,” Kitkat tells PeopleAsia.
For six months, she consistently used Classpass until she realized that instead of spending a hefty amount of money attending sessions, she might as well study yoga through a teaching-training course to deepen her knowledge and learn more complicated techniques.
“It’s not a joke to spend every single centavo of my savings just to enroll in a 200-hour yoga course. At that time, I told myself if my training goes well, then I’d be glad. But if not, then I’ll just work harder,” the 24-year-old recalls. “If you ask me now, I don’t have any regrets at all”
For Kitkat, both the practice and teaching of yoga make her feel better and healthier. “Once I sit down on my mat, it’s time to let go of the things that are bothering me outside, and just tune in to myself and breathe consciously for more than an hour. After creating and exchanging energy with my students, I feel instantly happy and at peace,” she shares. Kitkat has been regularly teaching Vinyasa yoga classes at Beyond Yoga, one of the biggest yoga studio chains in the country, for more than a year now.
Before she starts her sessions, she reminds her students that yoga is not about the destination. It’s not about getting into the most “Instagrammable” postures, but rather, it’s all about you and the sensation your body feels in each pose.
“In practicing yoga, it’s important to understand what your body can do when you mindfully transition to different postures and how you react while you’re at it,” shares Kitkat. “What I’m after is how my students feel while they engage in a posture and not how they look while doing it.”
According to Kitkat, a lot of people get into yoga to help themselves not just with the physical aspect, but the mental one as well. And she believes that yoga is the complete package to achieve a healthy state of both body and mind.
“At the start of the class, you sit down for five minutes to meditate and tune in with yourself. After that, you get to sweat for an hour by doing the postures, and you end the class by lying down in Savasana or Corpse Pose for 10 minutes. You release the endorphins that you need, and you get the mindfulness that you’re looking for,” Kitkat explains.
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