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april 2019yogajournal.com.auI USED TO THINK YOGAwas too still for me, until I discovered
Ashtanga’s beautiful rhythm and grace. Living in Buffalo, New
York, in my early twenties, I spent weekends commuting to
Toronto for my yoga teacher training and to study with my
mentor, Ron Reid. What a pace of life! But, that rapid pace had
consequences. As Reid would say, my energy leaked all over the
place. I was fl exible and capable, but I didn’t understand
containment or how to use my core to support my body.
Metaphorically, this theme of overextending without support
trickled into my entire life.
Eventually I travelled to India to study with Sharath Jois,
Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Maty Ezraty, and Chuck
Miller. But I was overdoing backbends and in pain. I thought I’d
be fi ne; I was young, resilient, and reckless. When I moved to LA
after my trip, I had a full-blown back injury.
As I focused on healing, I refl ected that I had always intended
to study some form of medicine. Acupuncture turned out to be
the most effective treatment for my back, so I was inspired to
pursue my master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and
herbal medicine.
Now my patients are mainly women seeking to overcome fer-
tility issues or balance their hormones. Some of my clients are
using assisted reproductive technologies, so I work with their
reproductive endocrinologists and offer acupuncture, herbs, and
lifestyle adjustments to support medical treatments.
I knew I wanted to work with women, perhaps because I was
always frustrated with my gynaecologist visits. I dealt with too-
frequent cycles and terrible PMS and acne. Birth control pills
were my only option, and I didn’t take them. Looking back, my
imbalances were all really related to diet, stress, and emotional
distress. Once I made signifi cant changes—saw a therapist, got
help from friends in the naturopathic and TCM community, and
developed a dedicated yoga practice—I was able to bring my
body back into balance.Without time for stillness, your hormones
(and well-being) can pay a steep price for an
accelerated pace of life. Years after a yoga injury
inspired me to slow down and study acupuncture,
I now help women elude the dangerous cycle
of chronic stress. On the following pages, a
cautionary tale, a yoga sequence, and acupressure
meditations to boost vitality, wake up energised,
and find peaceful and calming bliss.By Maria Villella