1. Listening to our own body's wisdom: An intro to Sacred Listening
Release Date: 05/13/2024
Sacred Listening
Elena Velez, the Founder/Director of Community Restorative Training (CRT), brings 18 years of experience as a Certified Medical Interpreter (CHI) to create a bilingual stress reduction wellness program for essential workers. Her insights from community behavioral practices, learned through interpretation, fuel CRT's mission of offering simple stress reduction techniques to prevent workplace injuries. With a background in bilingual environmental education, Elena extends her workshops to the Latino community, aiming to build a multicultural support network emphasizing empathy and mutual respect....
info_outline Self-care for marginalized communities with Elena VelezSacred Listening
When we think about the term “self-care,” images of pampering retreats, luxurious spas, expensive bedsheets, an exclusive gyms flash before our minds. Self-care has become a commodified term and activity, and oftentimes attainable by niched demographic and socioeconomic classes. Because of this, I will be using the term “self-nurture” from here on out, to differentiate between commodified self-care and deep self-nurture that comes from within. People of color and marginalized communities, who face a disproportionate amount of societal stress and burden, are often the ones who need...
info_outline How to abhyanga (Ayurveda oil self massage) with Yvette RacinesSacred Listening
The following episode is a guide practice meant to accompany the previous episode. For context, please refer to the previous episode. Abhyganga, or Ayurvedic self-massage, applies warmed oil (oftentimes infused with herbs for unique bodily constitutions) to our entire body from head (including scalp) to toes. This ancient and traditional practice helps with regulating the nervous system, nourishing the skin, and relieving tension from muscles and tendons. Yvette guides us into a simplified practice of Abhyanga that you can easily fit into your busy schedule! ***...
info_outline Self-care for perimenopauseSacred Listening
How often do we feel that we are not in control when it comes to our hormonal health, and that we are unfortunate victims when it comes to menstruation and menopause? In this episode, I speak with Yvette Racines, founder of Vital Living Wellness, an Ayurveda inspired bodycare brand, on simple self-care and self-nurture practices that can aid us throughout our hormonal transitions, especially the transition into menopause. Listen IN to our conversation on self-care principles based in Ayurveda for a more easeful perimenopausal period. Even if you are not yet in that stage in your...
info_outline 15. Lean into the superpowers of our menstrual cycles with Nicole TillotsonSacred Listening
Many of us are oblivious to the knowledge and awareness that how we care for our menstrual cycles can greatly impact our energy, mood, sleep, PMS symptoms, and more. Furthermore, when we choose to ignore, alter, and/or suppress the natural rhythms of our menstrual cycles, our entire bodily functions can be thrown off course, resulting in hormonal-related health issues. Listen in to my conversation with Nicole Tillotson, founder of Season and Cycle, on menstrual health, cycle syncing, and how we can actually revitalize our health when we lean into the little known secret superpowers of our...
info_outline 14. Guided Relaxation for Inner Rest and NourishmentSacred Listening
The following episode is a guide practice meant to accompany the previous episode. For context, please refer to the previous episode. This short and sweet yoga nidra / guided relaxation practice is suitable for when you are in a pinch with time, yet feel the need to nurture yourself. Embrace rest with these little moments of self-soothing to help regulate your nervous system throughout the day. The yoga nidra guides you through the contemplation that, when you tend to your body, your body will tend to you in return. Elaine Oyang is an IAYT-certified yoga...
info_outline 13. Our resistance against restSacred Listening
In this episode, Elaine explores our relationship with rest and the resistance many of us have towards it. She shares her own journey of learning to embrace rest and the importance of balancing busyness with rest. Elaine encourages listeners to have an honest conversation about their relationship with rest and to reframe the idea of deserving rest. She emphasizes that rest is the foundation for success and caring for oneself and others. The episode concludes with a reminder to constantly listen to our bodies and adapt our forms of rest as our circumstances change. Key takeaways: ...
info_outline 12. Guided Meditation to Anchor Into YourselfSacred Listening
The following episode is a guide practice meant to accompany the previous episode. For context, please refer to the previous episode. This guided meditation helps you anchor into yourself, so that you can reconnect to who you are and what you value. This is a perfect accompanying practice with Episode 11: Prioritize Your Days Better With This Simple Trick. Use this meditation to help you with the exercise discussed in Episode 11. Elaine Oyang is an IAYT-certified yoga therapist and a self-nurture advocate. Throughout her 12+ year of teaching yoga in studios and...
info_outline 11. Prioritize your days better with this simple trickSacred Listening
Have you ever sat yourself down on the couch at the end of the day, feeling completely exhausted from a busy day, and yet, you couldn't quite remember exactly what you did? This is because we often fill our days somewhat mindlessly with busy activities that feel urgent (but may not be so important), and by the end of it all, you still didn't complete what you set out to do that day. And forget about personal down time! In this episode, discover a simple experiment that can help you reprioritize your days so that you can include your self-care, family time, work, hobbies, and other...
info_outline 10. Guided contemplation and journaling for setting compassionate boundariesSacred Listening
The following episode is a guide practice meant to accompany the previous episode. For context, please refer to the previous episode. Disclaimer: Do not participate in this exercise if you are currently undergoing emotional distress. Tend to your emotional needs and nurture yourself at this time. Every event and/or interaction that feels triggering to you can be an opportunity for further self-reflection and self-healing. This guided contemplation and journaling practice takes you through a compassionate exploration into your more reactive moments in certain events...
info_outlineWelcome to our very first episode of the Sacred Listening podcast! In today's episode, I am laying out the meaning behind Sacred Listening, and how I aim to guide you to "listen IN" to your body with this podcast. Chances are, if you've been living an over-scheduled, over-busy life, you haven't listened to what your body's needs are lately. Tune in to learn more about how to return to your body's wisdom to nurture, rather than neglect, your own self.
Elaine Oyang is an IAYT-certified yoga therapist and a self-nurture advocate. Throughout her 12+ year of teaching yoga in studios and private practice, she works to help others restore balance in their bodies from their over-busy lives. She's worked many years in private practice to help clients through their journeys of chronic pain, chronic illness, anxiety, insomnia, and loss of sense of self. With her podcast, Sacred Listening, Elaine shares with a wider audience on her personal experience, and that of her clients', on how to reclaim self-care and self-love.
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This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Please consult with your physician before embarking