Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga with Toinette

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Every time I would arrive home after my yoga class, I feel amazingly wonderful.  I felt SO good.  There is a sort of release physically and mentally that makes me feel so relax and calmed.  Everything seems so peaceful.  Moreover, it lifts up my spirit and gives me immense joy.  It is really a total body, mind and soul experience.

I started the practice of yoga just recently, about two months ago.  It happened during the time when I was so depressed because my LAT (Leukocyte Antibody Test) results would not improve even after 6 sessions of LIT (Lymphocyte Immunotherapy).  See My Infertility Story for more information on this.  I asked my immunologist on what lifestyle change I can make to help my body respond better to the immunological workup we were doing.  She suggested four things: 1. Take Conzace three times a day. 2. Yoga. 3. Acupuncture 4. Less stress. 

Very desperate at that time, I did everything!  And that was how I turned into yoga… and loving it.  I believe that with the help of Yoga, my LAT results improved.  From a PRA of 0%, now it is 100% already.  I believe that yoga has reduced my stress level.  It has calmed my nervous system and strengthened my immune system.  Moreover, it has helped replaced my mind with positive thoughts.  It brought balance to my body, mind and spirit.  I’m really very thankful that I was able to practice Yoga.  Thanks to my friend Cherry who brought me to Yoga with Toinette.

Because I gained a lot of benefits from my practice of yoga, I want to share this with you.  Thus, I interviewed my yoga instructor so that you can get to know all about this fantastic activity better and start reaping its benefits as well. 

Toinette Villajin is a yoga teacher, wellness entrepreneur, dog lover, traveler, dreamer, believer, foodie who lives life to the fullest, and touches other people’s lives through her passion.  She is the Yoga Director of Shui Hilot Spa.  She teaches Yoga for High school students of Reedley International School and she has various private group classes in Metro Manila.  She also does yoga and wellness retreats and events.  She partnered with Dr. Gerry C. Sy N.H.P., the leading Naturopathy Health Practicioner in the Phillippines and launched Ki mind.body, a wellness company which aims to share their passion to others --Yoga and naturopathy.  They offer personalized program combining yoga and naturopathy. She is currently working on a yoga clothing line. She has a very positive energy and desires nothing more than to spread it.  Yoga is her passion, wellness is her business. Sharing and inspiring others through yoga and wellness is her life‘s purpose.

So, she is here to share with us some information about the practice of yoga.

Tell us more about yourself.  

I was born August 16, 1982, a Leo and the eldest of three girls.  I spend most of my childhood in Japan.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Wholistic Human Development and Management at the Assumption College.

When and how did you get interested in yoga?  

I started practicing yoga in 2005.  In 2007, I experienced a major crossroad in my life. It was during this time that I took yoga practice into a deeper level.  Through yoga, I was able to overcome and move forward.  This experience affirmed my aspiration to teach yoga.  

How did you get into teaching yoga?  

My calling to be a yoga teacher was answered in the spring of 2009.  I met Sadie Nardini in Union Square, New York.  I was trained and certified by Sadie, an Ultimate Wellness and Yoga expert, and is the founder of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga.

What is yoga?  

The word yoga comes from a Sanskrit word Yuj, it means to center one’s thought, to concentrate on one’s self, to meditate.  It also means to “unite”, “join” and “connect”; a bringing back into balance.  Yoga harmonizes the body, mind and spirit. 

After their first yoga class, people often testify that they have improved their sleeping habits and posture.  Yoga has helped people lose weight, overcome fears, conquer habits like smoking, and develop better concentration.  Others feel they have improved self-awareness, a deeper sense of well-being, developed compassion, and enhanced relationships, greater self-acceptance and a sensation of being at peace.

What type of yoga do you practice?  How is it different from other types of yoga?  What in your opinion are the greatest health benefits of doing this kind of yoga?

Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga by founder: Sadie Nardini:

I prefer to call Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga a “perspective” on all yoga, rather than just its own style.  I created it after years of training and study where I was seeing a lack of either understanding or focus on the core of our yoga poses on all levels: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic.

Along the way, I was fortunate to meet one of my formative teachers, Leslie Kaminoff of The Breathing Project in NYC, and author of the bestselling Yoga Anatomy.  Under his expertise in yoga, philosophy, anatomy and pranayama, I continue to evolve my understanding of the multi-faceted core. 

Out of my journey into deep Center came my Core Principles, ways to clarify what the core is, exactly how to instruct it and activate the core within the yoga practice. 

To help students experience their Center, I created my Core Poses, specific movements, postures and sequences that bring the student into more core-generated alignment, improving safety and stability while causing a more efficient total body/mind transformation. 

Together, my Principles and Poses simplify how to access, comprehend and use the “core” most efficiently to gain the maximum yoga benefits (calorie burn, strength, flexibility, focus, self-awareness, confidence…) in the least amount of time. 

Because of its multi-level actions, and focus on constant core connection, Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga is one of the most effective yoga practices for sparking major changes both inside and out. 

In my view, the “Core” is too often seen as only the superficial abdominal muscles.  They are important, but there is a whole world of muscles, actions, energy and philosophy contained within the core of the body and spirit complex.  I teach it all to you so you can demystify what’s at your core and how you can make it work for you instead of against you both on and off the mat.

My interest in cutting-edge anatomy (pun intended) led me to study the myofascial meridian work of Tom Myers, as seen in his book Anatomy Trains.  His findings expand our idea of the core from 6 abdominal muscles to multiple head-to-toe interconnecting lines of muscle that make up our innermost support system. 

In classes with me, you’ll learn how to break the habit of moving only from the outer body and loading layers of tension onto yourself.  You will discover how to use your Deep Core Lines along the skeleton to make quick gains in true power, making all your poses more possible as you keep your body healthy for years of yoga to come.

When you go deeper, you balance stability with mobility, strength with freedom, or Sthira-Sukha, and all your yoga benefits will increase.

Can yoga really help infertility?  How can yoga help treat infertility?

The medical community has conducted only a few studies involving the ideal mind-body connection for conception.  The majority of results indicate that many couples simply need to relax.  Practicing yoga postures for infertility, while perhaps not an absolute guarantee of conception, can at the very least promote a refreshed mind and spirit while you restore the body in preparation for its new journey.

Are there any poses or breathing exercises that you can recommend for people dealing with infertility?

--Instead of saying, "I just have to get pregnant!", establish your intention through meditation.

--Repeat a phrase that awakens a peaceful spirit.  This mantra helps you declare your purpose without fear or   negativity.

--Envision yourself holding your healthy newborn. Return to that image if other thoughts invade your session.

--Practice a short meditation at the beginning of the day, and perhaps again before intercourse or fertility treatments.

Is there a healthy yoga routine you can share with us and how often do you suggest practicing it?

Yoga postures for infertility are best described as fertility poses because they spark hormone production, promote full body restoration, and increase circulation to reproductive organs to encourage responsiveness.

Start by stimulating the hormones with poses such as:

Supported Head Stand
Bridge Pose 

Rejuvenate the body through the following postures:
Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend
Child's Pose
Seated Forward Bend
Bound Angle Pose or Cobbler's Pose

Simultaneously stimulate and relax the abdominal and reproductive areas with these poses:
Reclining Bound Angle Pose
Lotus Pose
Reclining Hero Pose

If some of these postures seem a bit uncomfortable at first, use a bolster, pillow, or folded towel to help you ease into the pose.  These tools are especially effective for the reclining postures.

Yogis familiar with fertility yoga also suggest doing the Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose after coitus for better sperm penetration of the uterus.

What advice do you have for people who have never tried yoga and are interested to?

Start with an open heart and mind.  Do not put any pressure on yourself, enjoy each breathe, each movement.  Keep in mind that yoga is a practice, everything develops through practice.

Yoga classes of Toinette are simple, fun, engaging and open to any levels.  Here is here class schedule: 

Tuesdays 7am Shui Makati / 7pm White Plains Social Hall

Thursday 7am Shui Libis / 7pm White Plains Social Hall

Sunday 7am Shui Makati

She also does Yoga corporate classes, yoga workshops, one-on-one yoga class, private group classes, yoga retreat and other wellness events.  To know more about her, you can visit her website.

Thank you so much Toinette for sharing your expertise, experience and knowledge with us.  I know it will provide a window of help for many to know that we can overcome so much with yoga, whether physically, mentally, spiritually or emotionally.

You can also give Yoga a try!  You have nothing to lose except some tension and stress!  Happy Yoga!