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 Podcast. 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.
Did you have any yoga experience before joining The Mindful Life Practice (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 Mindful Life Practice (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.
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.
Any words of wisdom to those 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.
“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
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