We celebrate the effort to educate and empower others about the incredible healing capabilities we can access through yoga and mindfulness. Read how Melissa Aguirre is benefiting our community with her passion for Yoga:
Sustainable self-care is the philosophy of Melissa Aguirre, owner of MelMarie Yoga. Her business is not only an excellent source for mindfulness and Yoga Therapy, but also an education harbor for our community to become certified in facilitating adaptive yoga and mindfulness. For some, yoga brings up fears of uncomfortable contortions, but Melissa proposes a completely different ideology.
“One of the many benefits of learning to teach yoga,” she says, “is how it creates awareness to your own inner referral system. You’re able to check in with yourself and advocate your own health while supporting others through their process of self-inquiry and healing.”
But what is Yoga Therapy? At MelMarie Yoga, teachers address the mental, physical and spiritual elements of wellness. Yoga Therapy meets the unique needs of the patients by providing a person-centered experience incorporating mindful movement, breath work, body posture and lifestyle choice as a multifaceted healing approach.
MelMarie Yoga is on a mission to provide experience oriented yoga rather than achievement based. “It is not about contorting yourself or achieving advanced poses, but about experiencing peace and contentment. In a class, if it doesn’t feel right or safe, don’t do it. No one knows your body better than you.”
This is a philosophy that she believes transcends the mat. She encourages her clients to be their own health advocate. Yoga is adaptable, cost effective and accessible anywhere. “Evidence shows stress either causes illness or worsens illness.” Taking time to slow down, pay attention to our bodies while mindfully moving through breath-centric sequences and postures: we can reduce our allostatic load (how much stress we carry) while managing and regulating our health.
“To come home to ourselves,” as Melissa says. “If I take time on the mat to listen to my body, to listen to my breath, I notice it appears naturally off the mat. Let’s say I’m practicing yoga and the pose I’m attempting is causing pain. Well, I listen to the pain. I don’t ignore it or push through it. I accept that this expression of the pose doesn't suite my body right now.”
At one point in the interview, the sun shifted so it shone directly in her eyes. “Do you mind if we move to another table?” she asked.
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