Elisa wearing Prints sports bra and Black Tights from K.BLU Active wear.

Elisa, who is currently 4 months pregnant still does her daily yoga and weekly climbing sessions as she finds it important to stay fit and active especially during pregnancy. She is also teaching yoga at Yoga Movement during her pregnancy.

She has travelled alone in Europe extensively for the past 2 years, as her husband did his masters in the Netherlands. She would take frequent solo trips when he was too busy with school or exams, it was a liberating experience being a solo female traveller.

1. Your Occupation?
I am a Yoga Teacher. I trained in New York City (Yogaworks) and was living in the Netherlands before I returned to Singapore this year to teach at Yoga Movement. I teach a range of classes including Basic Hatha Yoga, Power Vinyasa flow and Core Yoga.

2. When did you start doing yoga?
I started Yoga 11 years ago when I picked up rock-climbing as a varsity sport. Yoga is an excellent complementary activity to climbing as it helps better one’s breathing techniques, improve body awareness as well as stretch and strengthen different muscle groups. I love that both have very different energy dynamics yet are similar in the meditative and flow aspect of mind and movement integration.

3. Any yoga poses that are meaningful to you? Or which poses are those you took a long time to achieve?
Scorpion Pose (Vrischikasana in Pincha Mayurasana) a deep backbend and shoulder opener holds extra meaning as it defined the transitional shift into more challenging inversions for me in my practice. The first time I saw the pose in a magazine, I was so taken by the grace and aesthetics of the asana that I told myself I would one day do it effortlessly. It took me 1 year to successfully get into the pose without the support of a wall, and hold it for an extended period of time. As with all challenging yoga poses, all the consistent effort brings you to the moment you nail it and the mind comes to complete stillness; that feeling is indescribable.

4. What do you look for in a yoga wear?
Good quality, comfortable material is key. I am thankful that my job allows me to be in stretchy pants 24/7 so it is important for the material to be breathable yet not too sheer so that it provides ample coverage, to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions in class!

5. Any tips for beginners? Any words for beginners to stay focus and determined?Be consistent in your yoga practice, even simple 10-minute daily stretches will help the body to relax and the mind to re-focus. Don’t be too caught up with the poses that others can do, yoga is not a competition, our bodies are all different and we are all at different stages of our practice. Most times the final posture came about through years of dedication and efforts, hence it is more important to be patient and kind towards your own body, and celebrate the little successes and progress made.

6. Do share with us some of your favourite healthy meals (be it homemade or purchased outside)
I love making pumpkin soup! It is as easy as steaming a pumpkin, mashing it and adding some milk or water. Lightly seasoned, nothing soothes the soul better than a bowl of comforting hot soup.

7. What is your definition of success?
Success is living an authentic life, one where you find contentment, gratitude and happiness in daily miracles.

8. If you weren’t working in the job you are in now, what would you be doing instead?
If I wasn't a Yoga Teacher, I would still be in the teaching industry. An educator of any kind leaves a positive and lasting influence on people, I like to contribute and do what I can to inspire and help others.

9. What is your ideal holiday?
My ideal holiday is one away from the city, where I can live simply and be among natural landscapes. I like long scenic treks, climbing and admiring the view from the top of a cliff, doing yoga on a grass patch outside my tent and basically be away from material objects that seem to have taken over modern lives in this day and age.

10.What three values are most important to you?
Compassion, Honesty, and a respect and reverence for nature.

11. Where do you see yourself in five years?
Still teaching yoga, enjoying life to the fullest and going on treks and climbing trips with my husband and child.

Elisa wearing Prints sports bra and Black Tights from K.BLU Active wear.