We had the good fortune of connecting with Maleah Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Maleah, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
As a yoga educator a common misconception that I often hear is that yoga is for the flexibile. “Yoga, Oh I can’t do that,” people reply with a passing of rejection on their face. “I’m not flexible enough” the inflection in their voice is one of disappointed and reluctancy but it’s the most common answer I get in response to my field of work. This is understandable for so many people in the West because yoga is portrayed as a workout for the skinny and bendy while holding contortionist shapes with soft gazes of peace upon their face. Unrealistic and misleading at best. What no one really tells you is that flexibility, physically and mentally is a by-product of a yoga practice.
Yoga Asana (poses) is a practice of many of the same shapes and movements done time and time again in various flows. These poses ask us to do some interesting, uncomfortable or unfamiliar shapes in the body. This challenges us to be present and pay attention; we are actually observing ourselves in motion. The mat becomes our mirror, reflecting what is transpiring inside of us in real time; if we are willing to pay attention. When we step on the mat, we set down the titles that we carry: mom, dad, sister, bestie, co-worker, boss etc. and we cultivate a relationship with our true selves. I mean, have you ever listened to the sound of your own voice in your head? Let me tell you, mine use to hiss criticism and judgment. Through Svadhyaya, translating as self-study, we are reading the owner’s manual to ourselves. Self-Study is a core teaching from The Yoga Sutras, an ancient text that provides wisdom on the techniques used on the path to self-liberation, or at the very least befriending that constant voice inside. The lesson, Yoga is not a workout but a work-in.
On the yoga mat as in life, we are often faced with hard and difficult situations or poses that are not familiar or must be repeated over and over. If we can recall and implement what we have learned in class and apply it to our life off the mat, the more flexible we become physically, mentally, and emotionally thus having more fluidity and grace in our lives and relationships.
The teachings of the physical practice should be used to work in relationship with the mind and body. Yoga, as a noun means “to yoke” or “union” whereas previously when the epic Mahabharata was written, yoga was a verb. It is something you do as a way to live in harmony with ourselves and others. As a verb yoga is a “disciplined activity, by active means” as taught by the author Edwin F. Bryant.
Yoga is a practice of stepping off the sidelines and being active participants in our own lives. The beauty of this is when we actually engage and pay attention, we uncover new awareness that provides new choices. We make a choice, we learn. As we gather this self- knowledge and begin to implement that in our lives, it becomes wisdom that leads to freedom.
Yoga is not for the flexible but for the willing. To actively participate in our lives with our eyes wide open. The practice provides the tools necessary to do this work and by using the asana to get inside and unwind our own obstacles we can create new opportunities for growth.
What should our readers know about your business?
Inner Spiral Wellness is a space that encompasses the whole body and focuses on getting to the root cause. In today’s world, sitting, driving, repetitive motions, technology overload, illness, injury, stress and poor posture have the potential to cause serious misalignment within our bodies. These misalignments, if unaddressed, can cause further internal complications, like unhealthy breathing patterns, digestive disorders and anxiety. Bringing the physical body back into alignment can relieve or reduce pain, balance out the nervous system, and improve the function of our internal organs and their functions.
Through breathing, integrated strength training, yoga, meditation, and myofascial release I create a custom approach to each client to alleviate their aches and pains and bring the body back into balance. Together, we will set forth a holistic and sustainable course of action, that combines corrective yoga techniques with proven strategies that elevate the senses for total restoration and reformation of body and mind.
Inner Spiral Wellness follows my passion for applying accessible yoga and other holistic approaches to reveal causes and find healing for the human structure including: back health/postural issues, physical misalignments, pelvic pain and dysfunction, anatomical disorders, and biomechanical dysfunction. The path I’ve chartered is cultivated from my own experience with injury and recovery. If the client is willing to do the work it can change their lives and I want to be a part of health team that makes people feel good, because that is how we are designed to feel. When we move better, we feel better.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is such a fun question! If my girls were visiting we would defiantly be on the beaches from West Palm to Boca. Snacking at our favorite restaurants including Planta, High Dive, Buccan, and Stage in Palm Beach. We would make a day of apoiling oursevles at Eao Spa and finish at Oceano before heading home. We would enjoy some yoga at Yoga Journey in Boca and snack around town making sure to get into Driftwood. One night we would have fun shaking out tailfeathers at 3rd & 3rd. We might walk around Morikami or rent a boat and head to peanut island. Plenty of time to relax, eat, and be enjoy ourselves.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shoutout to Dr. Sandra Doman, owner of Miami Sports Chiropractic & Yoga Center. She was the catalyst for the direction of my yoga and movement career. She mentored me through the years in biomechanics, alignment, posture and business. If you’re in Aventura, FL go see her, she’s brilliant!
Website: maleahwilsonyoga.com
Instagram: @maleahwilsonyoga
Facebook: www.facebook.com/innerspiralwellness
Image Credits
Terri Roberts