Omstars TV star, yoga teacher and author Kino MacGregor gets in touch with self via yoga
Striking a balance in life may be as simple as carving out time regularly to indulge in an activity of choice. Yahoo Shopping chats with personalities who share their passion for a sport or wellness activity they enjoy, which helps them take on the world with zeal. We hope this monthly series will inspire you to find an interest that will add that sparkle to your life.
Kino MacGregor is a yoga teacher, author of four books, co-founder of Miami Life Center and Omstars, the world’s first yoga TV network, star of six yoga DVDs and Lululemon Ambassador. Classically trained in India, she is committed to making the traditional teaching of yoga accessible to all. Read on to learn more about this dynamite who is relentless in inspiring people of all ages in all things yoga. And should you be inspired by Kino and wish to kickstart your own wellness journey, Yahoo Life Singapore sets you on your way with more fabulous finds.
Yahoo Life Singapore: What is one sport, fitness or wellness activity you love, and how did you get started?
Kino MacGregor: I've been practising yoga for nearly 25 years now. I only really connected with sports activity once I joined a yoga class. When I walked into a yoga class for the first time, I was only 19 years old. I didn't realise it at the time, but the foundation for yoga as my spiritual journey was set out then. When I was 22 years old, I decided to go to India to learn the traditional method of Ashtanga Yoga. There, I met teachers and got steeped in the traditional lineage. Since then, I have been going back and forth to India every year, immersing myself in yoga poses, philosophy, and lifestyle.
Now, my life is devoted to sharing the discipline of yoga as a spiritual path for people worldwide. With my partnership with Lululemon, I can reach even more people and share my message, uplifting more people in meaningful and positive ways. For example, in collaboration with Lululemon, we have donated to Yoga Gives Back, a charitable organisation that works with micro-loans and education grants to lift people within India. This is a significant way that my partnership with Lululemon has allowed me to expand my global reach and mission.
What are its benefits, and what do you love about it?
Yoga is a path that is available for every single person who feels a call to practice. Beyond the yoga poses, yoga represents an entire discipline of spiritual awakening. When we practice yoga poses, our hearts open, and our minds expand. Each time I practice, I feel closer to my true self and closer to the divine. While it may be easy to focus on the physical benefits of yoga, remember that it is also a spiritual discipline. This is the real benefit of the practice. We can calm our minds, open our hearts, and lift our souls.
How often do you indulge in it, and with whom?
I have a daily yoga and meditation practice. This is a personal practice, and it's called in Sanskrit a Sadhana. This means more than anything else that no matter where I am in the world, I have a daily commitment to get on my mat and do my practice. When I have the great fortune to spend time with my teachers in India, I practice in a group and get immersed in the community. Most often, I am teaching a group of students, and my connection to the community is through the role of the teacher. People must understand that being a yoga teacher usually means practising alone, and the journey is very solitary.
The Mat 5mm Logo
Was there any point you wanted to give up? Why? How did you bounce back?
There have been many times when I have had doubts. I doubted my body's ability to perform challenging yoga poses. I questioned whether I had the strength and flexibility to continue my practice. But my teachers always believed in me, and their faith kept lifting me. I always say that I am where I am today because my teachers kept believing in me. Whoever I am and whatever I am is because the grace of the lineage has flowed through them to me.
Sometimes I wonder whether my teaching is making a difference in the world. Sometimes I wonder if anyone is listening. But the thing that lifts me when I feel like that is the students who write to me and share how my teaching, books, and videos make a positive difference in their lives. Whenever I hear that I have lifted the student, I get inspired to keep going.
As a global ambassador for Lululemon, could you share your favourite pieces from the brand and what you love about them?
My all-time favourite sports bra from Lululemon is the Free to Be Wild. This has enough support and creative design to make it my absolute favourite. I have been a fan of this bra for many years. And it comes in so many different colours that are fun and beautifully match the bottoms.
Free to Be Serene Bra, Light Support, C/D Cup
I love everything from the Align series. This is the perfect style to wear for yoga. Whether the leggings are full-length, capri, or shorts, they are absolutely perfect. There are different styles, like the new ribbed style in the classic buttery, soft fabric, that every yoga student and I love, and now people are also matching Align tights with items like the Align tank top, and together they make a gorgeous set.
I love the love Modal-Silk Yoga tank top. This is a perfect layering piece to put over the bra and bottom. There are a lot of matching colours. And this is a beautiful way to transition from teaching to practice.
Modal-Silk Blend Tie-Front Yoga Tank Top
Ribbed Nulu High-Neck Yoga Bra
Lightweight Open Back Yoga T-Shirt
Lift and Lengthen Yoga Block
Please share with us one thing you learnt from yoga or what you wish others to discover.
One crucial thing I've learned from practising yoga as a spiritual path for the last 25 years is what it means to love, honour and respect myself fully. It is easy to lose the chance to embrace and love the total being that you have with all the messaging that you get from the world. However, practising yoga has taught me to embrace the totality of who I am. I'll share more about this in my new book, Act of Love.
Act of Love: Radically Reprogram Your Mind
As a well-known figure, what is one way you inject positivity into the public?
I make a point not to engage with negativity or personal heat on social media. This is important because many people will type things they would never say to your face. So, rather than trying to defend or engage with comments that might not come from a place of sincerity, I do everything I can to focus on the students and members of my community who are actively engaged in yoga as a spiritual path.
At the same time, I believe in making space for receiving feedback. There's a delicate balance between being open to receiving feedback and being a doormat for negative comments. One of the ways that I can inject positivity into the public is to be a model of positivity myself. That means that in every interaction I have, whether online or in person, I do my best to let my speech, behaviour, and action come from a place of love.
Ashtanga Yoga Practice Cards: The Primary Series
Get Your Yoga On 30 Days to Build a Practice That Fits Your Body and Your Life by Kino MacGregor
Sacred Fire - My Journey Into Ashtanga Yoga by Kino MacGregor
The Yogi Assignment: A 30-Day Program for Bringing Yoga Practice and Wisdom to Your Everyday Life by Kino MacGregor
The Power of Ashtanga Yoga: Developing a Practice That Will Bring You Strength, Flexibility, and Inner Peace--Includes the complete Primary Series by Kino MacGregor
The Power of Ashtanga Yoga II: The Intermediate Series: A Practice to Open Your Heart and Purify Your Body and Mind by Kino MacGregor
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