Studio Owner / Yoga Instructor, Free Soul Yoga
Tell Us What You Do, And What A Day In Your Life Looks Like
I am a yoga instructor and also a studio owner at Free Soul Yoga. My day normally begins at 5am and my daily routine begins first thing in the morning with a meridian massage (TCM) - a traditional Chinese way. You might see people do this in the park :-)
This is followed by Pranayama (breathing) practice & Kriya yoga (cleansing) for about 30 minutes. This practice helps to refresh the mind, tone the abdominal organs, increase the gastric fire and eliminate toxins.
I do a morning yoga asana practice including 10 minutes of Salamba Sirsasana (headstand) and 20 minutes of Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder standing). I drink 2-3 glasses of warm water with freshly squeezed lemon juice & honey. Then I’m off on my bike to go and teach.
I eat a home made breakfast consisting of oats with all different kinds of nuts and drink some herb tea.
I continue with some studies or researching about yoga / yoga teaching, working on ideas for the studio events and classes. Then off on my bike to go and teach the lunch class.
I power nap about 20 minutes after lunch in my two favourite yoga poses: Supta Virasana and Supta Buddakonasana. I LOVE it.
And then I do a daily afternoon yoga practice which lasts about 2 hours before going off to teach an evening class.
I’m in bed around 10-10:30pm. I read for about 15 minutes in my favourite yoga poses, which I practice for my nap in order to sleep better. It’s so amazing!
Are There Any Life Lessons You’ve Learned From Yoga?
Be honest to your gut feeling. Every decision I make, I often check my feelings and ask myself – how do I feel about it? What does my conscience say? Do I feel peace about it? Or could I do better? Often there is a voice in my head that tells me what I should do so I could be in peace with myself, and I often follow that voice.
The Importance of self-development. Lao Zi once said: to understand others is smart; to understand yourself is wisdom.
Never stop learning. The world is constantly changing, being armed with knowledge can help you cope with the constantly changing world and also be a better servant for others.
Be strong and be independent. No one can understand you better than yourself. Be strong with the decisions you make, and have courage and faith to continue the journey even when you are the only one on the path.
Stay true to yourself and to others. I found it’s the only way you can be in peace in your heart even though some people don’t like it.
What’s Your Most Effective Daily Habit (other than yoga)?
Ha ha... other than yoga, I would say power nap. It boosts my energy right back after 20 minutes. If it doesn't count, I will say cycling as it gives me a great feeling.
What Goals Have You Set For Yourself And How Are You Working To Reach Them?
My goal is to continue inspiring more people to understand who they really are and what their true potential (nature) is via the practice of yoga. Revenue or growth has never been my main goal as a studio owner, it will be nice to have both but I believe what you offer and how you can serve other people matters more.
I believe my intuitions. Surprisingly, most of the time ideas come to me and I don't have the need to force myself to come up with a 5 year or 10 year plan. I follow my intuitions to plan events or classes and make adjustments accordingly.
Who Or What Inspires You And Why?
A belief I formed for myself is “finding things you really love and having the courage to pursue it no matter what”. Having grown up in a rural area in a family of five with a disadvantaged financial background, the only thing I have is my own undiscovered capabilities. Nothing is more real than this.
After 4 years of studying medicine, which was my dad’s choice, FREEDOM finally came to realization – do what you love. This is what I want for my life and I think it makes sense too for everyone’s life since we only have one life.
The reason why I chose to teach myself English is because I also wanted to be able to get a job in the future relying only on my own capabilities, not with any Guanxi, money, power or social status etc. Which I had none back then, and I didn’t want my dad to beg anyone to get me a job. I loved it so much, the 2 years of English learning experience in Yangshuo Guilin working as a waitress just to be able to practice / learn English.
Looking back in the past 15 years, everything came to me and all the people I met because of English, it is just like a magnet, it attracted so many things/people and many of my dreams have surprisingly come true, and it’s still happening. Once you discover what you truly love and have the courage to continue no matter what, the world opens up to you.
If you would like to reach Jade to learn more about Free Soul Yoga please contact her.
WeChat ID: Free Soul Yoga@9clouds
And check out: www.freesoul-yoga.com