| Photo from Dawata Yoga Wellness Studio
CEBU CITY, Philippines— “Dawata.”
This is one of the most powerful Cebuano words one can say.
“Dawata” means receive.
To receive whatever comes your way, to receive what you deserve and to receive the peace you’ve been wanting to have in your life.
Sepfry Grace Rivera, 33, owner of Dawata Yoga Wellness Studio talks about the many things people should know about yoga.
|Photo from Sefry Grace IG
Yoga is not just a practice for flexible people, it is a practice for everyone.
Yoga goes beyond physical practice and is very complicated to define.
Traditionally, yoga is a mental, physical and spiritual practice that originated in India more than 5000 years ago.
The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means ‘to unite’. This practice harmonizes the body, mind and spirit.
“The beauty of Yoga is that it is for everybody! Anyone can practice yoga regardless of age whether old or young, body shape, size, gender, background, injured, fit or unfit. You can do yoga wherever and whenever. It has tremendous physical, spiritual and mental health benefits that offers beyond the mat,” said Rivera.
Rivera has been practicing yoga since 2015 and in those years of being a teacher and a yoga student from time to time she found what yoga really is for her.
Yoga is a powerful practice of breathing.
| Photo from Dawata Yoga Wellness Studio
Not the peak poses, not the long sequence of flows, but knowing how to breathe in the moment.
“I can share a lot of great lessons throughout my 7 years of practice. But the most important part that Yoga has always taught me is breathing. We always have our breath to remind us of the present moment, because this is all what we’ve got,” she said.
Yoga is a way of life. It Heals It embodies a holistic approach to life and health – our overall mental, physical and emotional well-being. It reminds us to breathe out and be in the moment, that we are never alone and that we are all connected.
| Photo from Dawata Yoga Wellness Studio
Cebu’s yoga community: Through yoga, a community was formed. Yogis from all walks of life with beautiful stories and souls that makes the yoga community in Cebu more known and relatable to others.
“I think Yoga has been openly received by Cebuanos. I have seen a growing number of practitioners ever since pandemic . It is included in school activities, being offered in companies, different organizations or sports , different beliefs, different goals be it for spiritual, physical or emotional,” said Rivera.
Remember to breathe in the moment, and breathe out all your worries.
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