Episode 28: A Journey of Self-Love and Empowerment

Grishiny Mariyanayagam

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Hello Wellness Wanderers, welcome to Episode 28. I have a special guest with me today and I will let her introduce herself.

Hi Wellness people, hi Autumn, thank you so much for this opportunity. My name is Grishiny Mariyanayagam, I go by Ggrishi. I'm a life coach and yoga instructor. I like helping people to get healed and find love within themselves

and overcome their self-esteem.

Can you tell me what led you on your journey? You have such an interesting story.

Yeah, I'm immigrant, I moved to Canada in 2014, October. So when I came here and I just work, work, work, just settle after my basic needs accomplish and settle, I feel like there's no purpose in life. And I do realize that I'm suffering with self-love and lower self-esteem, even though I face a lot of struggles.

When I have my very safe space, I have these internal battles. So slowly I started to focus on my mental health and wellness, so I learned yoga by myself. I practice yoga, I listen to podcasters to develop myself, my personal growth. Um, along this journey, I kind of needed some support, someone to tell me what I'm doing wrong, right, and listen to me without judging.

So I found myself a good life coach, life coach who like, when I make mistakes, she will tell me like into my face and then she listened without judging. Most of the things I feel like, oh, it's my mistake. I'm bold. But when I'm talking to her, like, oh, I can see a different view, perspective. After, with her coaching style, I got better and I could able to work out and stay outside of my comfort zone, able to do a lot of things in my life. And I developed a lot.

So at the point I realized that there's a lot of women like me out there who need support, who need people to listen without judging. So I decided to, hmm, I want to be a coach. I need to help other people like me to overcome the obstacles.

Beside that, yoga, it helped me to relax and make flex my body and deeply connect within my true self. So I went to Ecuador for three months, learned yoga and practice teaching yoga and also learned a lot of healing techniques, self-love techniques. I came back and now I'm integrating this yoga and breath work, meditation and life coaching together as a bundle to serve my client. That's my story. How I got into this coaching.

What is your ideal client? What are you looking for?

My ideal client is my old self. That would I say, woman who are like a single woman or married women who are suffering with lower self esteem, who thinks that they're not have any value and nobody loves her. And she gives too much to other people while she's not getting anything from others. That's my ideal kind. Who is very lovely, kind, but consistently getting beat up by people.

And in my journey I realized that I can give other people but I have to give to myself too. The biggest mistake that I made in my life is just I over give, I overdo to others but completely ignore myself. So that's that's drain my energy. So I'm looking my idea kind would be the same as what I described. I know one word that we talked about before a lot was burnout. Just somebody who just feels like they're just their candle's burning out right?

And I know that you talk in your practice a lot about self-care and you post some great videos about yoga and tell me what you do with yoga. Tell me more about yoga.

Sure, definitely. Yeah, when you pull up that topic burnout, a few years ago, I burned out. I completely burned out. I was on this age like I wanted to end my life because I was keep doing too much to my family and my job and I feel like nothing is there. I fully empty. I don't see any further path but at the same time I'm very very aware of my thought and I was like okay if I end my life then my life would be end right now but there's no comeback. So I decided No, I'm going to leave that thought away. I'm going to take this risk and leave my job and go out and figure things out. Discover myself. Yoga.

For me at the beginning, I was like, yoga, like I look videos, watch videos, and I just want to follow them, do what they want to flex my body and do this very challenging moment and asanas and stuff. But along the way, when I'm learning yoga, I realize yoga is just me connecting with myself, my breath, my mind. Just allowing our body to move, listen to our intuition and allow our body to move on the floor. So that is what I learned along the way about yoga. And also when I'm teaching at the beginning, I was like, oh, they have to do this perfect asana, like perfect, um, postures. No, that was wrong. Let them be them in their own space, guiding them to be free from their inner critic. That is for me like yoga.

I know that you also talk about mindfulness. So how does mindfulness and yoga, how do those go together?

Mindfulness is just being a present, right? So yoga also brings us present, brings you into the present moment. Listening to our body is mindfulness for me. Not overdoing and completely in this space allowing our mind and body to flow. So mindfulness sitting in one place and bringing our mind to everywhere, that's why we usually do. The mindfulness, every time we go there, mindfulness will tell like, "Come back here and listen. Stay in this present moment."

I know I feel grounded after doing yoga. I can have such a rough morning. And after doing yoga, I just feel this peace come over me and I just feel very connected to myself and to the world around me. It's just amazing, especially in the different poses, feeling the energy leave my body in a different way depending on the pose or enter my body. It's really amazing. How does yoga and coaching go into spirituality for you?

Yeah, I can totally agree. I had the same thing too. When I have rough time and I do yoga, and after yoga, I feel like I'm floating on the air. Like I know that lightness. Yoga and coaching.

So in this burnout and also this self-esteem, this too happens when you have too much in our mind. We are thinking, keep talking, talking, talking negative about self, doubting about self, and giving constantly thinking about other people. What I can give to others and what others told to me, what they gave to me. So when we do coaching, like I do coaching, I invite them to open up and ask like what they are going through. And along this side with this yoga practice and then breathwork and meditation, I ask them to ground themselves and being in the present and to talk to themselves in a, using like a very kind word. So that's why I allow them to do during this yoga and meditation. That's how I collaborate, integrate into this.

How does that work into you with your spirituality though?

My spirituality, in my spirituality, it helps to understand the reality and let go things and surrender without ego. So most of the time I fight back with the reality when things change. I'm fighting, I'm a rebellion. I always fight back when I do these practices it helped me to surrender to the higher power and then working and letting things go like I always wanted to stay in my past like I want to be that person I don't want it to sometimes I don't want it it's harder to let go the old self so these practices helping me to slowly accept the reality and accept there's changing is real we have to keep changing so that is how my spirit sometimes I feel like I need to leave everything just stay alone and connect with my soul and mind through this yoga practice and asking question coaching questions when I'm in the savasana I ask those questions when I'm in that calm mode that help me guide me to find the solutions and the next path.

I love that. I know that when we first started mentoring each other, you met with your coaching clients through email. And I know that some of it has progressed to meeting with them while doing yoga. And I really see how that can really marry together and allow for a deeper understanding. Especially you can't be as stuck in your head if you're in a yoga pose. Good luck keeping your balance right? So that definitely opens you up for deeper coaching and reaching deeper. I really like that idea. I know that different coaches do different things like going for walks or my instructor does bike riding. I know somebody else who is doing that in her practice. So it's I really like that idea of having that physical and spiritual just outlet together. That's all wonderful. Is there anything else that you would love to discuss with my audience?

It's no matter what life is going to be hard. So with these small tools, it's going to

help us to face that challenges with awareness. So in the beginning I had a lot of challenges. Slowly when I realized I'm facing these challenges first thing I did learned through the podcast and read some books and connect with people stepping out leaving the place that we are stuck stepping out that community or that friends that zone and figure find out the things outside of our circle so that's what I did for the first time I realized that I am very I'm suffering in that zone I was not happy so I don't know what to do the first thing I first step where is that I've very first step I left my group of friends. I left that zone to find out, figure out what's happening, what's wrong, what would I do to become better. So after that, I slowly do challenges, like 90 days challenges, 70 challenges. I started to go for a walk and then spend time with the nature and then started to do simple adventures, slowly travel with single places and started to talk with people.

I enjoy talking with strangers. So those simple steps lead me to the, when you're adding those small simple, simple step, altogether now here I am, talking to you in front of you, sharing my experience. So these are the simple steps I took to slowly break my boundaries, my small circle, and to grow up.

So I wanted to share to your community that if you wanted to grow up, slowly, like very, very, you don't have to do everything at all together, just one step at a time. Just simple things, start from the simple thing, then you can slowly build your own story.

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Back as far if you're taking small steps. So I really like that. And then I know you have a podcast of your own. Can you tell us about your podcast?

My podcast is a casual talk. So in that podcast I talk, you know, I met a lot of people when I'm doing different things. So I went to Yoga class, I met my instructor, he's very inspiring. So I said, oh, I need to do, want to know about your story. I wanted to interview you. He said, yes. So when I do every single small things, when I find people that inspiring, I ask their life story. I like to listen their story, that I can learn some, listen from them and then improve.

And also I wanna share the other people, my community about life and challenges overcoming. Yeah, that's my podcast, Casual Talk.

What are the biggest nuggets that you've gotten out of your podcasting from other people?

One podcast I learned that, that do not stay in the victim mind, even though if you have some, life's happened, things happened. There's a lot of view, like not everyone has the same view as you have. Whatever happens, just move on. That's one I learned. The other listener, the second podcast I had, He's, he told me that how he started his business and how it went all the way to the bottom and lost everything and he came up with a new idea which is add humor in your instruction like when you do an instruction, when you teach, when you are sharing very serious thing, add a little bit of humor so people will listen. So those are the two, two different podcasts as I learned I've got a good lesson

How can people find your work and connect with you?

Right, people can follow me on Instagram, Star within us the topic star within us like I believe like anything that you want in your life, start within you the star is always in you. I help you to find out that star that is in you. You are the hero in your own story, own life.

So star within us my Instagram page and I have Facebook page and I have a website.

I will share the website link that has a LinkedIn Facebook and then Instagram you can connect through. And it looks like your longest post where you get really the meat of your stuff would be linkedin is that correct?

Yes.

Since you're reaching working professionals.

Yes. Working women yeah who has they need they are the most of the time burnout. They care about more work and family they are caring as you're like your wellness you do coach for women right? So most of them mom, they care their family less than themselves. In LinkedIn, there's a lot of professionals, they focus on the family and work, work, work. So I wanted to help them to say, "Hey, you have to take a little break to check in with you. How are you doing?" And you have to focus on yourself too.

You have to fill your cup before you pour your cup to others, right? Otherwise you're trying to fill and there's nothing in there and you're looking at your cup going, where is it?

Nothing in there.

Exactly.

People will take more than you're willing to give. You're not careful with boundaries.

Thank you so much for being on and we look forward to connecting with you and learning more from you.

Thank you so much, Autumn, for this opportunity. I'm really, really grateful for this again. And thank you for all wellness people. And maybe we'll talk to you again, keep in touch.

Sounds great.

Next week, dive into a transformative conversation with us. We'll be exploring the profound idea that you are not solely defined by your thoughts and emotions. Learn how to separate your true self from the whirlwind of feelings and beliefs that often cloud our judgment. Don't miss this enlightening episode that might just reshape the way you perceive yourself.

Thank you for joining us on this week's refreshing wellness discussion. I'm Autumn Carter, your guide through the seasons of motherhood, and I hope you found inspiration and valuable insights during our time together.

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Thank you again for being a part of our vibrant community. I'm genuinely excited to connect with you, hear your stories, and continue this important discussion in the weeks to come.

Until next time, remember to prioritize your well-being, embrace every season with grace, and always strive for wellness in every aspect of your motherhood journey. Take care, and I can't wait to catch up with you soon.