Meet Lisa. Our first guest on the blog who joins us from Australia. Alex and Lisa met through social media. After they connected Alex later invited Lisa to be a guest on her Sober Yoga Girl Poscast. Following her inspiring interview, Lisa decided to commit to her yoga practice and joined Sober Flow 1 class every Sunday with Alex for the Late Fall Season 2021. I caught up with our Aussie friend for this week community star interview. Get to know the now turned sober yogi and her new love for yoga after practicing with our founder…
Hi Lisa! Tell us a little bit about yourself! Who is Lisa?
Lisa: Hi, there! After many years as a Personal Assistant, I took a change of direction and am a certified Life Coach. I am a certified Senior Coach with Bee Sober, a certified coach with This Naked Mind and a Certified Gray Area Drinking Coach, trained by Jolene Park. I am 7+ years alcohol free. I love the gym! Health and fitness are a central part of my life.
What inspired you to start practicing yoga?
Lisa: I have a problematic lower back due to scoliosis and issues with my knees. While I do strength training with a Personal Trainer 3xweek, I know I don’t do enough stretching and initially took up yoga to add to this routine.
Have you ever had any experience with yoga before joining the MLPC?
Lisa: Over the years I have tried yoga twice before but I felt like the instructors weren’t really understanding that there are some things I simply can’t do and/or didn’t have patience to teach me how to slowly achieve what was actually possible for me. I felt like a failure and decided that yoga just wasn’t for me.
What’s your connection to the MLPC?
Lisa: Around the same time as my appearance on Alex’s podcast, I also met Jeff Graham from Getting BAC2zero. He, too, had recently taken up yoga with MLPC. He highly recommended MLPC as a great place to re-commence my yoga journey. As I had recently been having issues with my lower back again, I thought, “what have I got to lose?”
How did you end up being so committed to yoga?
Lisa: Aaah! The bonuses! I have had a very big year and I have discovered how important grounding and centering has become to my busy, ruminating mind. A regular yoga practice has made a huge difference to my mindset. I genuinely look forward to my classes. I’ve met new friends. On top of which, Alex has a totally different approach to my previous instructors. I was (and am) accepted as I am. Alex is encouraging, and this keeps me motivated. I want to show up. I want to keep improving.
Did you face any challenges during the month of December?
Lisa: Only having to re-arrange my last session! But MLPC made it so easy for me to re-schedule into another class.
What are the biggest benefits you’ve reaped from your yoga practice?
Lisa: Definitely the somatic, grounding benefits. My back will always be an issue, but I didn’t expect what an impact yoga would have on me mentally.
“I genuinely look forward to my classes. I’ve met new friends. On top of which, Alex has a totally different approach to my previous instructors. I was (and am) accepted as I am. Alex is encouraging, and this keeps me motivated. I want to show up. I want to keep improving.”
Lisa
What’s your favorite posture? What’s your most difficult posture? What is your favorite type(s) of yoga? And why?
Lisa: The same answer for all 3 questions. I’m still so new, I am so busy watching Alex that I am not aware of the names of many of the poses. I hear her speaking but I’m busy making sure I’m getting the correct position and form. LOL.
Any words of wisdom to those just starting out?
Lisa: One of the first things Alex said was you don’t have to be perfect. Yoga is whatever it is for you, whatever it means for you. I am a perfectionist and always feel that if I don’t get something right the first time, I am a failure. Alex gave me permission to just be me, to do what I can, to gently push myself. And speak up if you’re not sure what you’re supposed to be doing. It’s a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, amongst new friends. There is no expectation to “BE” anything more than YOU.
Thank you so much for sharing Lisa. We’re so glad you gave yoga a second chance. Catch Lisa in one of Sober Flow 1 classes every Sunday at 11am Abu Dhabi. Check out the schedule below for your time zone.
Thank you for your continued support! Leave a comment or question in the comments section below. See you soon.
Until next time, may you all be safe, happy, healthy, and free.
Yasir
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