Notes from Niki: My yoga journey and wellness hacks

In honor of National Yoga Month and celebrating the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of yoga, I wanted to share some of my own yoga beginnings, how yoga has instilled a lifelong practice of wellness into my life, and some of my wellness hacks.

In my early thirties, I was running marathons and training for my next race all the time. To increase my flexibility and build strength, I decided to take yoga classes a couple times a week. Living in San Francisco meant I had access to a variety of yoga styles, and I began to explore many of them – Hatha, Yin, Iyengar, Bikram, Ashtanga, Kundalini – I could go on! The more classes I took, the more I wanted to learn about yoga – its history, philosophy, the meaning behind the poses, how to chant, Ayurveda. I was genuinely curious about all of it.

Yoga gradually became a consistent part of my life. I not only practiced daily, but also sought out ways to study and immerse myself in the rich history and philosophy of yoga through a 200-Hour teacher certification program in Southeast Asia. I then went on to take additional yoga philosophy, meditation, and Ayurveda classes in India. It was truly inspiring. I was not only becoming stronger physically and learning about various aspects of a yogic lifestyle, but I was also learning about myself. I discovered that I tended to stay up in my head, thinking and processing much of the time. Developing logic helped me feel powerful when I had grown up feeling powerless. Staying out of my emotions protected me from feeling hurt or anxious. Doing yoga day after day, though, allowed me to tap into my emotions and be present in my body.

I had found a way to get to know myself through yoga. It helped me move through life’s transitions like job changes, the loss of a parent, and relocating to new cities, but it wasn’t until I lost my home in the horrific California wildfires in 2017 and my husband unexpectedly a year later, that I fully understood the meaning of yoga in my life. As I healed from this tremendous loss, I relied on my mat to ground me. I looked forward to the peace it gave me when nothing else felt right. My mat was my salvation. I didn’t have a job to go to, a partner to lean on, or a home to feel safe in. I had my yoga mat, and it was the place I felt most at home. It helped me process my grief, and ultimately saved me. I’m so grateful I had a yoga practice to turn to during that time.

Along with change, yoga has been a constant in my life. And with my yoga practice, comes a deep desire to make wellness a priority. This is a daily challenge, and I thought I’d share a few of the life hacks I’ve learned in my journey to get out of my own way and prioritize my wellbeing. You’re welcome to try a couple of these on for yourself and if you already have, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

In gratitude, Niki

My Wellness Hacks

Preserving my energy

Our bodies are comprised mostly of water, and I like to think of our energy flowing much like the tides and the moons. It’s important to be planful of the oscillation of our energy and know when we are naturally at our highest potential. As an introvert, I’ve learned to be planful of my time and manage my energy output. I used to give myself to everything equally, quickly depleting my energy reserve. Now I’m more intentional about how I expend my energy. For example, if I have a high stakes commitment, anything where I will be doing a lot of talking and active listening, I know I need to build in time to recharge beforehand. It’s the same with my social calendar. I’m extremely protective of my energy. I’ve learned to take a breath before saying yes to an invitation, and I build in non-negotiable time on my calendar (I call them appointments with myself) to ground down and reset.

Making time for wellness

The best thing I can do for myself is practice yoga in the morning. On the mornings I can’t, I rely on other wellness rituals to support my physical and mental health. Through my yoga studies, I discovered Ayurveda, a sister science to yoga. I've adopted many Ayurvedic practices, including trying to eat and hydrate appropriately for my dominant dosha, or constitution, which is Vata. (You can take a free quiz to find your dosha.) I also swear by my morning adaptogenic mushroom tea. Adaptogens are phytonutrients that stimulate the central nervous system and help with stress management, reducing fatigue, regulating cortisol levels, and improving mental clarity. I like to add ginger to support digestion and healthy joints, and turmeric for the healthy inflammatory response and antioxidant qualities it supports. When historically I would have relied on coffee to fuel me in the morning, I now turn to my adaptogenic tea to give me clarity of thought and sustained energy without driving up my cortisol and anxiety levels the way coffee always did.

As a vegetarian who dines out a lot while traveling, I try to ensure I’m getting enough nutrients. I like to supplement my diet with multivitamins, but often they need to be taken with food so they don’t upset my stomach, and I would forget about them by the time I was eating. One of the best wellness hacks I’ve found is a liquid-based multivitamin that I keep right next to the oat milk for my tea in the fridge. Layering in taking my vitamins while making my morning mushroom tea ensures I take my multivitamin every day. In fact, I’ve learned that when trying to incorporate any new daily routine or habit, it’s most effective to layer it into the existing habits already built into my routine.

Incorporating breathwork into each day

I make a real effort to meditate every morning, but I’ll admit at times it’s a struggle to keep it up. When I can’t do a full meditation practice, I’ll do 3-5 minutes of Pranayama (deep yogic breathing techniques) to ground myself before starting the day. My favorite breathing techniques to keep my mind calm are Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostril breathing, and Bhramari, or bee breath. The awareness that I need to take time to breathe has become a habit for me. Whenever I can, I schedule thirty minutes before a big meeting, speech, or presentation to gather my thoughts, ground myself in my intention for the event, and do deep breathing. If I’m thrown into something unexpectedly, or get into a back-to-back situation, I’ll quickly escape to a restroom if I have time, or simply pause where I am, move my shoulder blades down my back (I’ve noticed when I’m stressed my shoulders start creeping up to my ears) and take three deep breaths to even out my inhalation and exhalation so I’m more grounded. Even if it’s only a couple minutes, it helps me tremendously. I show up more present, responsive, and less reactive.