Session 341: So You Wanna Be A Yogi?

Published Jan 10, 2024, 8:00 AM

Welcome back to another episode of the Therapy for Black Girls January Jumpstart mini-series. All month long we will host conversations with talented Black women leaders across creative and professional mediums to assist you in putting the “P” in prioritizing your personal growth. If you’ve been holding back on doing you, THIS is your sign to jump head first into the possibilities of a New Year. 

Joining me for today’s conversation is yoga instructor and wellness advocate Austin Maddox. Austin's yoga journey began 16 years ago and has since expanded into a multi-faceted wellness program. During our conversation today, Austin shares how to develop a yoga practice that works for your personal needs, her favorite yoga poses for a mental health release, and where beginner yogis can look for cost-effective resources and classes.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

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Producers: Fredia Lucas & Ellice Ellis

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Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast, a weekly conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves. I'm your host, Doctor Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or to find a therapist in your area, visit our website at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com. While I hope you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship with a licensed mental health professional. Hey y'all, thanks so much for joining me for session three forty one of the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast. We'll get right into our conversation after a word from our sponsors. Welcome back to another episode of the Therapy for Black Girls January Jumpstart mini series. All month long, we'll host conversations with talented black women leaders across creative and professional mediums to assist you in putting the p and prioritizing your personal growth. If you've been holding back on doing you, this is your sign to jump headfirst into the possibilities of a new year. It's a new year, which means it's time to bend and stretch your body to new heights. In this episode, we'll be giving you some tips and tricks to accomplish your dreams of becoming a yogi in twenty twenty four. Joining me for today's conversation is yoga instructor and wellness advocate it Austin Matics. Austin's yoga journey begins sixteen years ago and has since expanded into a multifaceted wellness program. Her practice focuses on building customized and effective instruction that any individual can implement into their own wellness practice to promote better health, increased mindfulness, and a holistic lifestyle. During our conversation, Austin shares how to develop a yoga practice that works for your personal needs. Her favorite yoga post is for a mental health release and where beginner yogis can look for cost effective resources and classes. If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, share it with us on social media using the hashtag TVG in session, or join us over in the Sister Circle to talk more about the episode. You can join us at community dot therapy for Blackgirls dot Com. Here's our conversation thanks so much for joining us today, Austin.

Thank you, Doctor Droid. Such an honor to be on this podcast. I'm really excited.

Thank you. Thank you so much. So tell me a little bit about what inspired you to get into yoga and what was your introduction to the practice.

Yeah, I was introduced to yoga when I was twelve years old in sixth grade. It was a part of my school's fitness program. So my first instructor was named Sarah Sullivan. She had this bright red hair, and she came in and taught us all yoga, which is such a huge privilege, I realize now.

So it was just kind of like a pe class in your sixth grade.

I went to.

I went to an all girls school, and so they tried a lot of experimental ways to get us to move. And I had been doing gymnastics for about seven years before that, and I had just stopped at age twelve.

So me doing yoga was a big.

Lesson in just learning not to have to be perfect all the time, and I could still do things that were challenging and make me stronger, make me more flexible. But I didn't have to worry about someone yelling at me if I didn't point my toes, and so I had this moment where I can just have fun and make this my own. So that was my introduction to yoga at twelve years old.

And is it something that you've just stuck with since then or have you picked it up and put it down or what was that process? Like?

It came in waves.

I did yoga for a while when I was in school because it was a part of my curriculum, and I explored studios outside of that as I got older, but it really wasn't until I graduated from college where I took it to the next level and it really became a part of my life. When I graduated college, I didn't know what I was going to do next like most graduates, and everything feels like a really big step.

You're afraid to make the wrong move.

So I had my first experience with anxiety there, but I didn't know it was anxiety, so that made it even worse. So I was having trouble driving, having trouble being in public spaces, and I didn't know what was happening to me. So my mom was like, why don't you do more yoga. I needed to go to therapy as well. Which I ended up doing. But I was like, Okay, I'll start doing yoga. And so when I went back to my practice after having this experience with anxiety, I was able to see yoga as more of a mental health benefit as well as a physical benefit. I was able to be present in these poses that were really challenging and really tough, like I had to only think about the pose. I couldn't think about anything else otherwise I'd fall down. So I really got to experience what it's like to really tune into your body, tune into the present moment, and see how you can change your thought patterns through yoga.

So do you remember yoga as something that kind of came easily to you or what were the most difficult parts for you?

Yeah?

So, as I mentioned, I had done gymnastics before, so I knew how to move my body, but it was through the lens of executing something at a perfect level that I would be scored on, that I would be compared to other people on.

So it was really.

Beyond the physical but the mental aspect of really tuning into what my body is feeling and what my body needs now versus what my teacher is telling me to do or what my coach is telling me to do. So I had to really learn or unlearn that perfection aspect and wanting to be the teacher's pad and wanting to get all of the rewards of doing something.

Right where it's really just for you.

So I had to take a step back and tune into my own body instead of just doing the poses. So I was a learning curve with the mental health and emotional aspect more so than the physical.

Got it. You know, I'm trying to think about like twelve year olds and myself as a twelve year old, you know, having a ten year old now thinking about they're very conscious of their body, and like, I'm aware of what it must have been like to be as of your kind of learning yoga. How did you navigate the body consciousness that sometimes comes with that kind of movement.

Yeah, that's a great question.

I think because I grew up in a space with a lot of women, going to an all girls school, I didn't have so much of a societal pressure thinking about the male gaze or anything like that. So I was able to really do yoga in a space that felt safe for me starting off, and that's something as a teacher. Now, I tried to integrate into all of my classes, but going into social media and now that I record myself and show videos of myself online, I'm more aware of my body and I had to have a moment where I'm like, Wow, I don't want to post sometimes because of how I look, and it really takes me a moment to dissect what am I feeling and where is this coming from. Is this my own voice such judging me, or the voice of somebody else. So I'm fortunate in that when I was a young person, I didn't really experience that I wouldn't have that kind of awareness.

But now I'm aware of the way my body.

Changes when I do yoga, and I just start from a perspective of gratitude that my body can even do these things and recognize where that judgmental voice is coming from, if that's my own or if that's something that's been taught to me over time.

It's really interesting to hear you say this, Austin, and I'm curious about whether you had that same conscientiousness about what your body looks like teaching in person, or did that only come from the social media gaze.

Yeah, that's a really great question.

I think teaching in person, I want my students to feel like, no matter what they look like, they can do yoga. Because I've been doing yoga for sixteen years, i have confidence in my poses, and I know that my body type is traditionally acceptable in the yoga space and beyond.

So I don't.

Experience the same things as some of my other students might. So it's been my mission to help people really understand that yoga is a practice for you.

You don't have to work to do yoga. You have to let yoga work for you.

And so I'm more so creating a space where my students aren't necessarily looking at me as the ultimate inspiration, rather an opportunity to see what's possible in a posed because I show different variations. So maybe we're starting off with this basic level, but then I'll show you, Okay, we can work towards extending our leg up and so not so much being a model, but also just showing what's possible and letting my students know that, regardless of where they're at, just the fact that they're on the mat is the yoga practice.

Thank you for that. Yeah, I do think that there's something about social media that as this voyeuristic piece that doesn't seem to happen in person. So I appreciate you sharing that you know, in person, it is very much like Okay, how can I be a model for my teachers? But on social it changes into something else.

Yeah, totally, And on social media people get really experimental as well. And so sometimes people see other fitness influencers or yoga influencers, and I like to have fun with my practice too, but sometimes we're doing things that really aren't even yoga poses. We're just having fun and doing an expression of yoga. So sometimes students come in and want to do something, which I'm happy to help them achieve their goals, but also taking a step back and saying like, this is not really a.

Traditional expression of the posts.

So if you want to go there, that's your choice, but don't feel like because you're not hitting the post like somebody is in this video doesn't mean you're not doing it right.

Got it? So, what are some of the resources, maybe some podcasts or classes or videos that were helpful for you when you started again as an adult?

Yeah, coming up.

It's so funny because sixteen years ago there wasn't as many podcasts or Instagram and all of that, and so now there's so many resources for yogi's and people that want to get started. Keno McGregor has an amazing podcast and it talks about just life as a yogi, wanting to create discipline, practice, different phases you might go in your yoga practice when you've been practicing for a long time, dealing with boredom in your practice. There's a million yoga videos that are free that you can take for beginners, which also helps you build a practice at home, which I think is fantastic to really own your practice in your own space. So Qino also has great yoga videos on YouTube, and Deanna de Carlo also has great resources on her YouTube and her own website that you can subscribe to.

So there's a lot out there.

And from books, I read a lot of historical yoga books. Light on Yoga is one of my favorites.

Got it okay? So what should be in somebody's starter yogi peck? What kinds of things do we need to get started with that practice.

I'm a very minimal person. I like to have a good mat, and I should say a good mat is a mat that you don't feel like you're slipping on. So I think something that people encounter a lot is they'll start sweating and their and feet will get sweaty and they're slipping, and that's a whole another obstacle that they have with their practice. But find a mat that you don't slip in, and if you can't find one, there are yoga towels that you can put on that will prevent you from.

Slipping and get a good grip. So a yoga mat, a.

Good matt towel, some blocks if you don't have access to blocks, big books work for that, and a nice strap, a yoga strap. If you don't have a yoga strap, you can use a T shirt. I like to get creative with what I have, and then I'll add just an outfit that you feel comfortable in, and it doesn't really matter what it looks like, but that you feel comfortable moving in.

Got it? Okay? So tell us because there are a couple of things that I did not know you needed for yoga, and so then I'm sure our audience also needs some help. So what do you do with the blocks and the strap that you mentioned?

Yes, blocks are my favorite because you're able to use them for support imposes. One thing that's important in yoga is get into a pose and trying to relax.

That's really the essence of yoga.

So we're in these different postures and the intention is to try to find.

A way to relax.

So these blocks can be helpful to keep you steady. Also, if you're working on your flexibility, sometimes we get into poses that are meant to help us stretch, but we're still struggling to stay in the pose and the stretch kind of gets lost in that.

So if you're able to use blocks.

As support while you're in say pigeon pose, you can let the rest of your body relax while you're stretching out your outer hip. So it can be used in a lot of different ways. Some people think the blocks are for beginners, but I love my blocks to this day.

And straps are good for stretching out your shoulders you want to bring your hands up stretching out your shoulders that way, Or if you're working on grabbing your back leg in a pose, you can wrap that strap around and go through the movement of grabbing your back leg until you're more comfortable doing it without the strap. So there's a bunch of ways that you can use straps, and some days you need them, some days you don't, but they're always good to have as a resource.

So maybe we should go back a little bit and talk about what is the purpose of yoga, Like how do the poses then translate to relaxation and kind of distressing in all of those things.

Yeah, the essence of yoga is building the mind body spirit connection. So when you're doing a yoga practice, you're putting your body through a bunch of different poses that can be at different levels of comfortability, and in its essence, you are getting help with your mobility, your flexibility, but you're able to learn really about yourself and how you react in moments of uncomfortability. When you're in a pose that might be new to you, you might notice how you talk to yourself. You might notice that you're starting to get a little bit negative, or you might want to give up, or your mind is going in a bunch of different directions. But the intention of yoga is to connect into yourself. Have a moment where you're really doing a study on yourself and notice where am I feeling strong? Where am I feeling like I need a bit more support or a more tension release in this stretch, or how do I react and respond mentally when I'm in a moment that's uncomfortable.

So there are physical.

Benefits and mental health benefits, but the essence of yoga is to allow yourself the time to get to know yourself and connect to yourself.

More from our conversation after the break, So, what are some of the foundational poses that are a good starter, Like, anybody with any skill level can do. What are some of those?

One of my favorites is utanasna. It's a forward fold. You just bring your feet hypsistance or more apart and you fold forward. There are so many poses that people do on a regular basis that they don't even know our yoga poses, and that's one of them. It's great for hamstring stretch. It's also great for a spinal decompression because you're just letting your head hang down. It also helps with any anxiety that you're feeling. Giving you that release with your head being lower than your heart can help calm the nervous system as well. Another one they'll add is a sequence it's called Sun salutation, A Seryanama scara A and that's a foundation of a lot of different strands of yoga. They're a bunch of different kinds of yoga that you can do, but this Sun salutation A is a foundational sequence and a lot of them, and it's a series of I think probably five or so poses that you cycle through, but it activates your whole body. And I should say with almost any yoga posts, there are variations and modifications that you can do to tailor each pose based on whatever your experiences in that moment, level of ability and access. So you should make the poses your own and make your practice your own. I change my practice based on how I'm feeling that day, So don't feel like yoga is something that is stagnant or that you cannot adjust and taylor to be your own practice, you know us.

And it feels like there's probably some mindset work, and it sounds like that is a part of the work of yoga. But to even get on the mat and just start it sounds like there needs to be some work. Going back to earlier conversation around body and security and feeling like maybe I don't look good when I do this, or I don't look like this instructor what kinds of things would you say to somebody who maybe is struggling with that before they can even get started with a yoga practice.

That is really true, doctor Joy.

There's so many things that happen before you can even get on the mat, and I hear often I'm not flexible enough to do yoga, or I need to practice before I take your class, And as an instructor, I really want students to know that the class is the practice. You do yoga to get more flexible, and you do yoga to reach those mobility goals that you might have, or the strength goals or the mental health goals. So when you step onto the mat, yoga is really just a commitment to be kind and compassionate to yourself as you go on a journey of exploring your body through different poses. So the work happens on the mat. There really is no extra work as far as flexibility or anything that needs to be done. The class is there to create a space where you can explore and get better and over time you'll notice your body changing. But as far as your mindset, it's really just having compassion towards yourself and being present for the experience. Sometimes we can come into an experience already thinking this is hard, I can't do this. That thought process can create tension in your muscles. Literally, when you're like I can't do this, you build resistance in your body. So your brain is you you can't do something before your body can even decide. So I think coming onto the mat with an open mind, compassion, and no judgment on what's going to take place during the class, but knowing that this is a place to practice and that overtime, if you stick with it, you will see results.

So it feels like there are often lots of different types of yoga and hot yoga and all of these things. What kinds of things should we know as beginners? Are there certain kinds of classes that are probably not good for a beginner to start with. Can you talk us through how to make some decisions around some of those things.

Absolutely, that's a great question. So I think first just knowing that there's a bunch of different types of classes that are out there for you. So as a beginner, it's important to know that you can take a beginner class and not resonate with it, but there is another class that's a different style that you might So somebody who likes hot yoga may not like a vinyasa class that doesn't have any heat. So when you start on off just being open minded and knowing that there is an array of different classes also a ray of different teachers that have different teaching styles. Not every class is the same, but I would start off with the beginner class and just have an open mind, see if there's a bunch of different studios in your area, and also use YouTube.

As a resource.

Maybe look up some different classes and see what their descriptions are and if that's something that resonates with you, and just be open to trying something new. In my practice, I get tired of the same kind of classes that I often take, which is a power of anyasa class, and when I get tired of that, I'll pivot to a different class, a hatha class, which has longer holds and they spend more time focusing on your form and structure. So there's different classes that can activate and provide different things. So it's kind of a trial and error and exploration phase that you need to embark on when you first begin.

And you mentioned that you like to keep it simple for your beginner. Really all you need is go mad in the blocks or a stack of books like you mentioned. But I think we've all probably heard that like, yoga can be really expensive and there may be some financial barriers. Can you talk a little bit about why that might be.

Absolutely, I think there's definitely an industry around yoga now, with clothing brands, studios, and also just an image around yoga that we see in the media. Privileged people with the time to go take a class in the middle of the day are allowed to do, which is kind of self care at largest viewed that way. I know my parents did not have the privilege of taking yoga classes, so I can now be viewed as something that is for people who are in a higher tax bracket or have more time, and I think industries like studios and clothing brands can sometimes contribute to that. But I will say that there are so many free resources and teachers who really just want to teach as many people as I can and share the benefits of yoga with as many people as they can. So there are sliding scale classes that you can take that are donation based and you can give what you can. Additionally, there are free classes at the Beach that I've taught myself that you can take depending on where you live, of course, but then again there's YouTube where you can.

Take classes for free there, so.

I think that's something that's been a new trend of teachers really trying to counteract that perception of yoga because definitely there were financial barriers, and I know when I was starting out, something that contributed to me kind of doing yoga and waves was not having the money to pay one hundred and eighty bucks for a monthly yoga class. So there's definitely financial barriers, but I think with some research on sliding scale classes and free classes in your area, you can circumvent.

Those GOADNI thank you for that. So one of the big parts of having a new year and picking up a new hobby is goal setting along the way. So can you talk with us a little bit about some milestones that beginners might want to look for in their yoga journey, So maybe at the one month, at the six month, and maybe at the year mark, how can they track their progress?

Absolutely, I think a good way to track your progress is just committing to a frequency. So how many classes do you want to take this month or this week? So if you're like I want to take one class a week this month, set that goal and see how you do.

Another one is based on a skill.

So if you're like, I want to start touching my toes, I think at a six month mark, if you're diligent in your practice, saying okay, let's see how I am when I first started, and at the six month mark. Another one is trying something new. So everyone has something that they're like, oh, I don't think I could do this. I think at a four month mark, once you're a little bit more comfortable with the basics. Is trying something that you wouldn't think that you can do before, because everyone's stronger than they think. And I love when students surprise themselves and try something that they didn't think that they could do.

Can you say a little bit about a pose that really made you feel successful once you mastered it?

Oh?

Yeah, So this pose is king pigeon. You're in a pigeon pose.

Like one leg.

It's hard to do to explain on the podcast, but basically you're in pigeon. Your front leg is on the ground and your back leg comes up behind you.

And so when I first started, I.

Was like, I will never be able to do that, even with all my years of gymnastics. I was like, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to do this, but you know what, I'm just going to try the foundational skills. Every pose you can break down, So I knew that I needed my back to be more flexible for this. My hip flexers to be more flexible. It's kind of like when you have a big project coming up and you're like, I just need to pick at this from the basics, break by brick, and then.

Eventually it all come together.

So I set the intention and let it go while I was still practicing the foundational aspects. And now it's a pose that is very easy for me. But I always look at it as the first pose that I was like, Wow, yoga works, and I am worth the effort it takes to learn something new. I can spend time with myself and practice, and through that practice I can improve. I'm capable of doing things that were once impossible to me.

More from our conversation after the break, so Alstin, can you say more about how the poses built on one another? Right? So the beginner poses that you mentioned, do those things stack up to get to this pose that you're talking about.

Yeah, So this pigeon pose activates your outer hip, your hip flexer, and your back. So there are poses that are less intensive on those aspects that you can do to then create the strength that you need to create the flexibility that you need. And each pose has variations, which is really helpful in yoga because this is what allows yoga to be a really expansive practice because no matter what level you're at, there's a variation of that pose that is likely accessible to you. So if you want to do a more calm practice, you can just go for half pigeon, or you can go for lizard pose, which also activates the outer hip, but it isn't taking your foot.

And bringing it to the back of your head.

So poses and yoga do build onto one another. And in the beginner class you learn the foundations and you learn just how your body functions and the different muscle groups that you'll need to strengthen and create flexibility in space before moving on to the next level. So yoga is super expansive. It's something that you can tailor and fully make your own through these poses that are adaptable and that build onto one another.

Got it, So how much time do people realistically need to be able to practice yoga, because I think a part of starting new hobby is is like, Okay, I'm interested in this thing, but like, where does it fit in my busy schedule? So can you talk with us a little bit about how you fit it into your schedule, maybe some suggestions for other people who may be interested.

Absolutely, that's been one of the things that I've struggled with the most. Building a consistent practice is trying to find time while I work a full time job to do yoga. So there's a few options, and I think one important aspect of building a disciplined yoga practice, or consistent yoga practice, I should say, is knowing that every day is different. When I was first starting out, I was wanting to be the most intense, the longest classes every single day, and I burned out I stopped having time to do it. But then once I realize that sometimes it's just about having my mat open. I always have my mat open in my house, and sometimes my practice is five minutes by myself. So it's figuring out what does my schedule look like and what's realistic for me to do today, and not feeling down on yourself or bad if it's just a five minutes stretch. And I'll also say that it's great now to have online resources in case you don't have time to go into a studio. If you're able to then use the end of your day to open up your laptop or go on your phone and look at a video even on TikTok or Instagram and use it from your house.

So that saves time.

But finding a time every day that works for you is also helpful.

If you say, okay, my mornings are free, I'm.

Able to go to a studio in the morning or able to to roll out my mat and do something in the morning. But knowing that not every day you need to do an hour an hour half long class. Five minutes is okay, But it's just the act of getting on the mat and saying that I'm going to commit to having this time for myself is the most important thing.

Got it. So you've already mentioned that you started again with yoga to help manage some anxiety symptoms, and it sounds like it has helped you with some perfectionism kinds of things too. Can you say a little bit more about how practicing yoga has impacted your mental health.

Absolutely, I would say yoga is one of the things that completely transformed my mental health and my self image. I was going through a tough time in a relationship that wasn't serving me, and when I'll speak for myself, but when I was in a situation that didn't feel good, it affected myself image and made me feel like I deserved lesser treatment or I wasn't able to focus on myself more that I wasn't significant And so once I was out of that relationship, I was able to focus on my yoga practice.

And that's when I really built my at home practice.

So it's by myself working on these poses and having that king pigeon in my mind of oh, I wonder if I can ever get to this post. So just the act of taking time for myself was something that was transformative for me because I was able to get to know myself a lot more and I was able to even then realize, wow, I haven't spent time with myself and I didn't have a great self image. I didn't believe that I could ever do a handstand or do the splits again. But also giving myself the space and the grace to work on something and not be good at something, spending time with myself and allowing myself the compassion of saying, look, I'm not flexible right now, and I accept that, but I can work on this. So yoga has helped me move through uncomfortable moments, recognize that powerful, that I'm strong, that I can continue to work on something and be good at something, and I'm worthy of the time it takes to learn something new, and worthy of just having time spent on me. A lot of the times in yoga class, people are not used to having an hour of just listening to your body, even that action of saying, oh, I noticed that I have a muscle here that I never even knew existed, but now it hurts, or I am now trying something new for the first time, and I have a lot of negative self talk. I would talk really negatively about myself when I was going through something new, but I realized that did not help me at all, and I was like, huh, maybe that's what stops me from doing a lot of hard things because I'm avoided. I'm trying to not acknowledge myself, not acknowledge my quote unquote shortcomings. That really, when I just spent more time focusing on them, I was able to improve. So yoga was really pivotal for helping me realize things that I wanted to adjust and spend more time with about myself, and also realize, like my value, my inherent value is a human being and my capability of adapting and changing and building appreciation for this body that gives so much to us on a daily basis and can evolve with us.

So are there any other mindfulness practices that contribute to your yoga practice or just your overall mental health.

Yeah, I'm practicing Buddhists, so I do meditation as well, and anyone, regardless of your religion or your beliefs, could do meditation. I think that's been pivotal as well yoga's sometimes people call it a moving meditation, So the other end of that is sitting meditation, and similarly to being in an uncomfortable position where you have to learn how to sit with the uncomfortableness, meditation is great for that for me where I always want to be doing. You can tell I'm a virgo, so I'm very perfectionist and i always want to do something, So meditation definitely helps me with sitting with my emotions sitting with my stillness, which then reflects some what I'm able to.

Do on the mat. Another thing is cooking. I love cooking.

I think that's another form of meditation and creativity for me, which has really helped me with yoga too, because I'm able to realize how things that happen on the mat. Lessons on the mat then reflect on how I cook or how I teach, or how I talk to my friends and talk to myself. So through those things, they all talk to each other. My yoga, my meditation, my cooking.

So we've had many therapists here on the podcast, Aten and some of the people who practice like more somatic forms of therapy talk about the release that often happens with a particular stretch. Can you talk a little bit about some of the emotions that might come up with people that they are not even realizing are connected to a stretch, And are there any particular stretches or poses that are helpful for maybe dealing with like difficult ems.

Absolutely, that release that you get when you're deep in a stretch.

There's nothing like it.

I've been there, just like I'm in a stretch and I just burst out into tears and you don't really know what's happening to you, but you're realizing it's because a lot of our emotions are held in our muscles. Just like I was saying earlier, when you're stressed out, your shoulders tense up. That then creates knots in your shoulders that you have to massage out and work through. So the mental really does have a reflection on the physical. So some poses that are really helpful with that kind of release is like a lizard pose, which helps stretch your inner groin and your outer hip. A lot of people experience really tight hips and an emotional release when they spend time really stretching their hips. Another one is king pigeon that I've mentioned earlier that has been really helpful, and happy Baby, where you're putting your feet in the air and you have your knees and by your armpits. Those are great. And I'll say something that's really helpful if you're looking for an emotional release or tension release and a stretch is give yourself the time. A lot of these stretches you might not feel them right away, so be willing to sit there for a few minutes. I tend to sit there for three to five minutes, depending on your ability, But you don't have to get into the post fully right away. Find your edge, find a moment where you're like, oh, I feel a bit of a stretch, but I'm not in pain. I can stay here. It's manageable for me to stay here for a while. So continue to stay there, breathe, and then you might feel after a minute or two you're able to go a little bit further, and a little bit further, then you'll notice, oh, there's a release happening here, and it's really nothing like it. I've seen it happen with my own students where we're in a pose and holding it for.

A while and they're like, Okay, I feel that. So it's very real.

And is there anything that you suggest for your students after that kind of release? I mean, the immediate thing that comes to my mind is like journaling after a yoga class maybe, But are there things that you instruct them to do with that release?

Yeah? I think it's really taking it slow, drinking water and sitting with your emotions, taking a moment to acknowledge them, and sometimes in yoga class just the nature of the class, you can want to just move on to the next thing.

But a lot of the times it's just important to just be present, take a moment. You can go at your own pace in class for sure, and if you need to take space and take time to process, that's really helpful because then you're able to fully know Okay, I was able to access that emotional release through this pose, and you learn about yourself through that pose, and you're then able to replicate that or continue to do that.

Kind of work.

So yeah, journaling and from a meditation, just acknowledging the moment and letting it really move through you is important instead of just rushing to the next thing.

So I'm curious to hear how you are hoping your own yoga journey will evolve with this new year. Are there any things you're hoping to practice new this year or what are you thinking?

Yes? Yes, always having goals is something that's definitely helped my yoga practice continue and build longevity. So this new year, I really want to do a yoga retreat in India and spend like a month away and learn from a teacher there. I also want to continue working as an instructor and getting my three hundred hour certification, working with instructor to help me improve even as a teacher and reach my fullest potential. There Being a teacher has been one of the greatest honors ever. So I really want to continue to learn and see how I can really bring the benefits of yoga to my students.

So those are a few of my goals.

I'm curious, because I forgot to ask you this earlier, what should people be looking for in a yoga teacher, because you mentioned sometimes people are getting real risky with the poses. So how do you vet like a safe teacher, somebody who's going to actually teach you in a way that's not harmful.

Yes, for sure, I would pay attention to teachers who are informed about foundation, so they talk about your foot should be here, your hips should be open here, so taking time to set up a pose instead of just moving through it. And this is for beginner classes. And also just the tone of a teacher. Sometimes people like teachers that are more firm, but also some people like teachers that are a bit more gentle.

And also depends on what you're looking for in a yoga.

Class, because some people can be coming just for the physical benefit, and if that's the case, then you might find teachers out we'll talk about Okay, it's time to activate your core and get those apps. And we're more focused on a visual representation of the practice instead of a mental So those are some things that I would be sure to look out for, just like what perspective the teacher is coming from. And please know that there's so many different types of teachers out there that you can find a teacher that works for you, whether that's online or in person, but it does take a bit of time.

So where can we stay connected with you, Austin? What is your website as well as any social media challenge you'd like to share?

Yes, absolutely, My Instagram is underscore ausmed ausmad, and that's the same with my TikTok. I have videos on different yoga poses. I go into the mental health benefits of yoga, and I'll be sure to share any classes that I have in person or online.

There perfect We'll be sure to include that in the show notes. Thank you so much for spending some time with us today, Austin.

Thank you, Doctor Joryce. Such an honor.

I love your work, so I'm really excited to be on this podcast with you.

Thank you. I'm so glad Austin was able to join us for this conversation. To learn more about her and the work she's doing, be sure to visit the show notes at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com slash Session three forty one, and don't forget to text two of your girls and tell them to check out the episode right now. If you're looking for a therapist in your area, visit our therapist directory at Therapy for Blackgirls dot com slash directory. And if you're looking for a support system to aid you in your New Year journey, join us in the Sister Circle. It's our cozy corner of the Internet where we celebrate support and practice vulnerability. Each week this January, we're setting the foundation to turn our resolutions into realities. You can join us at community dot Therapy for Blackgirls dot com. This episode was produced by Frida Lucas, Elise Ellis, and Zaria Taylor. Editing was done by Dennison Bradford. Thank y'all so much for joining me again this week. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all real soon.

Take good care, m

Therapy for Black Girls

The Therapy for Black Girls podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a license 
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