By Ria Geleen G. Javate | September 2026
Deadlines, meetings, and emails—these used to fill my days week after week. I would come into the office, sit in front of my laptop for eight hours, and go home.
The funny thing is, I used to be okay with that. I considered myself someone who thrived on routines and found comfort in familiarity.
Then, one random night four months ago, I realized I had been living in auto-pilot mode. I followed my daily routine like clockwork, but somewhere along the way, I had become a corporate employee who wasn’t making time for hobbies.
So, I decided to change my life right then and there and booked a yoga class—the first of the many I’ve attended since then.
First-Timer on the Mat
My first yoga class altered my brain chemistry—just like the Gen Zs on TikTok say—and made my entire body sore.
The class was humbling, to say the least. I used to join cheerdances in high school and could perform basic stunts, but as it turned out, I wasn’t nearly as flexible as I had been back then. I had never even worked out in a gym before, so yoga challenged me in ways I didn’t expect.
Still, the 60-minute class was an enjoyable experience. The studio had a relaxing ambience, and the instructor patiently helped me correct my poses as a first-timer. Most importantly, it made me feel connected to my body and mind in a way my usual routine never did.
Reconnecting with Myself after Work
I found out that a yoga class was being held in the office gym every Monday after work, thanks to the employee wellness program of the NLEX’s Human Resources team.
Despite being nervous and not knowing what to expect, I decided to show up.
At first, I went to the class by myself. Eventually, I convinced my colleagues from Corporate Affairs to join me.
Meet my yoga classmates at NLEX: Ms. Shawn, Ms. Jenna, Ms. Marg, and Sir Hilde.
The yoga class at NLEX was different from the classes I attended at studios around Manila. The studios I visited often had at least ten participants, while the NLEX class usually had only two or three.
Instead of being discouraged by the small class size, I became even more interested in attending the sessions. It felt almost like a private class, where the instructor could give each of us more attention and provide personalized adjustments to our poses.
Coach Maha, one of the nicest instructors I’ve met, has made the experience even more enjoyable. She gives us a massage after class to help with recovery and relaxation—something I haven’t experienced at the other studios I’ve attended.
The small class also allowed me to become more comfortable with the practice. I didn’t feel pressured to keep up with a room full of people. Instead, I could focus on my breathing, the pacing of my movements, and the progress I was making from one class to the next.
More Than Just a Hobby
I only had one goal when I started yoga: to find a new hobby. But the practice gave me so much more in return.
I regained my self-esteem, learned to appreciate my body, and became more patient with my progress—not just in yoga, but in many other parts of my life.
Yoga taught me that showing up, even when I’m tired or sad, matters more than I realize in the moment. Even when it doesn’t seem like much, giving myself time to do something I enjoy after giving so much of myself to other things is already a progress.
And for once, after a long while, I realized that I can belong to something bigger than my 9-5 job.
My entire life doesn’t have to be about simply getting through a day. It can also be about trying new things that help me discover parts of myself I had been neglecting.
Along this journey, I once asked myself: Am I doing yoga because it would look good to other people, or because it genuinely feels good to me?
I’ve found out that the answer will always be the latter.
After all, I’ve never felt more alive than when I see the world upside down in a wheel pose.
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