Decolonizing Yoga: Short & Sweet Yoga Flow in Filipino

Enjoy this short, simple yoga flow in the Filipino language.

• Yoga flow and practice by Teacher Joana Medina
• Words and voice over by me
• Filipino words / text at the bottom of this page

As a yoga teacher and practitioner, this is a tender moment for me. It's my first try at expressing my desire to decolonize my own practice of yoga, and to share this expression with others. I feel a bit shy and also, a bit badass and a bit brave.

Right now, I am actively doing the work of decolonizing myself and unlearning conditioning that's lived in my mind for over three decades.

For me, that looks like freeing myself from:

A lot of these things come up for me repeatedly and I now refuse to keep on living with this lens. I’m understanding that a lot of these feelings stem from both a) the culture I grew up in, where colonial mentality is still alive and kicking, and b) the unhealthy capitalism that makes us consuming machines where work and consumption define who we are. One of the things that makes me feel is, angry. The other thing I feel is compassion ~ for myself and everyone else living under this lens. Maybe it’s not you, maybe it’s colonial capitalism.

Now that I'm here, I refuse to be beaten down by anger and sadness. And so here's my attempt at making the world I move in a bit more brown.

Any insights and feedback are always much appreciated. I'm hoping to do much more and thought I'd dip my toe in the water with this sweet, short sunny flow.

Namaste, mga kaibigan at kapamilya.

Humingang malalim paloob at iangat ang bawat braso palangit.

Humingang malalim palabas at yumuko patungo sa lupa.

Hinga paloob, iangat ang dibdib at tingin.

Hinga palabas habang papuntang chaturanga o anumang bersyon ng vinyasa ang para sa iyo.

Hinga, itaas ang puso sa langit.

Hinga, adho mukha svanasana. Itaas ang kanang paa at humakbang paharap. Anjaneyasana. Mag-inat pataas.

Hinga palabas at umikot pakanan - kanang kamay pabalik, kaliwang kamay paharap.

Kaliwang kamay sa lupa at kanang kamay paharap para pahabain ang gilid ng katawan. Ngayon tumungong vasisthasana. Humingang malalim.

Gamit ang kanang paa, bumalik sa anjaneyasana at tumungo sa virabhadrasana II. Iangat ang puso, viparita virabhadrasana.

Bawat kamay sa lupa at bumalik sa adho mukha svanasana. Ngayon itaas ang kanang paa at umikot para sa camatkarasana. Iinat ang dibdib.

Bumalik para humarap sa lupa.

Magpahinga sa balasana o muling mag-vinyasa.

Itaas ang kaliwang paa, humakbang paharap. Anjaneyasana. Itaas ang braso at mag-inat pataas.

Hinga palabas, umikot pakaliwa - kaliwang kamay pabalik at kanan paharap.

Kanang kamay sa lipa, kaliwang kamay paharap at pahabain ang gilid ng katawan. Ngayon, tumungong vasisthasana. Hingang malalim.

Gamit ang kaliwang paa, bumalik sa anjaneyasana at tumungong virabhadrasana II. Inatin ang dibdib, viparita virabhadrasana.

Bawat kamay paluba, bumalik sa adho mukha svanasana at itaas ang kaliwang paa, umikot sa camatkarasana. Humingang malalim paloob.

Muli, humarap sa lupa at magpahinga o mag-vinyasa.

Dahan -dahang tumungo sa harap. Hingang malalim paloob, iangat ang bawat braso sa langit. Humingang malalim palabas.

Other resources:

• AUDIO ONLY of this practice on my Soundcloud
• A post about Teacher Joana long ago. Much thanks to her for allowing me to use her content
• Guided Meditations in Filipino