How using the lifestyle of yoga can help you step out of the matrix into a more intentional life.

Despite how it appears, yoga doesn’t just happen “at the mat”. In fact, yoga manifests itself in every step, thought and action experienced by those who practice it. Yoga is the perfect balance of mind and body, offering practitioners a chance to “level up” to a higher state of being.

A bit about me.

This life is magic, and we are such powerful beings in it… But sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. I finished my MBA in 2007 and was ready to take on the world. However, the economy had another plan. Coming out of school into a less-than-stable world made it a challenge for me to figure out what to do for work. I owned a racing school (a luxury that many were not splurging on in that economy), my father had just sold his business, and resume after resume sent was leading nowhere. After months of interviewing with no luck, I began to doubt my capacity and capabilities, and my mindset began to take a toll.  

 Something had to change.

A friend noticed that my state of mind of was not doing well and suggested I get help. Not knowing how to move forward, I did some research and found a therapist who told me that if I did not want to be on anti-depressants, I needed to work out. Little did I know that when I stepped into a fitness center and started learning about wellness at the Hilton Head Health institute, it would completely change my career (and really my entire life). In late 2008 I incorporated my health-related corporation, JG Enterprises, in Puerto Rico, and began sharing health and fitness tips with anyone that I could, either at a personal or a corporate level.  

Fast forward to 2011, and after working with hundreds of individuals, I realized that physical health was just one component of what affects our lives. This sent me on a journey to understand patterns, habits, lifestyles and most importantly, mindsets, and how they impact how we view and experience our lives. This is when I became certified as a Yoga teacher and the unfolding of success really began. 

Yoga really did help, on a number of levels.

The philosophy of Yoga is what really put it all together for me. The knowledge inside the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali led me to understand humans and life at a deeper level. It is a disservice to humanity that we misunderstand the practice as a mere physical experience, as the benefits are way beyond that. Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of your mind so that you can be in the present moment, experiencing life for what it is, not what your thoughts are telling you it should be. 

In 2017, after 6 years of absorbing and incorporating all that I had learned into my wellness programs, I finally was able to design an efficient way to teach others what it means to manifest and live an aligned state of life. In the next year, I systemized the content into Evolutionary Life Mapping, or the ELM method, which allows you to look at your life from the inside out by creating awareness of the patterns, judgements, limiting beliefs, and resistances that keep you stuck in your experience of life.  

 Mindful living is a journey, not a destination, and I truly hope everyone gets to experience it.

I believe that you create peace and fulfillment in your life through intentional awareness of your thoughts and your responses to them.  As you start to understand how your thoughts shape how you feel, what you say, and the actions you take, you can start to be more grounded in the present moment, giving you more control of your thoughts and actions and therefore how your entire life plays out for you.  

My dharma, or purpose in life, is to help keep the ancient philosophy of Yoga alive, so we can incorporate the benefits beyond the Yoga mat and into the way we live our lives. As a Latina I share this message and enlighten others on a personal basis through my ELM and coaching services. I also serve groups through wellness retreats, workshops, events, and through Beyond Asana Yoga, an internationally recognized and certified yoga school. It focuses on bringing back the philosophy of yoga and the concept of “know thyself,” so we can create a better lifestyle. 

Johanna a mentor contributor of Latin Biz Today will be leading an ongoing series on how to integrate yoga into your lifestyle and improve your work life balance.

You can learn more about Johanna’s work at her website. Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn, or send an email at johanna@bay-lifestyle.com!

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