Images courtesy of Philly Stokes
You know those people that when you talk to them, your mood instantly brightens and you feel inspired to take on the world? Well, Rosie Underwood is one of those people.
The magazine-editor-turned-yoga-teacher-and-wellness-influencer radiates that particular kind of energy that comes from doing what you love and sharing it with the world.
In the last decade, she swapped her live-fast-non-stop lifestyle for sun salutations and sea air, and along the way she’s learnt how to listen to her body and her mind, and care for them both as best she can.
Yoga has played a huge role in Rosie’s life transformation, and she’ll be sharing her practice with us during our Wellness Week with Yakult.
Ahead of the event, we sat down with Rosie to talk about standing in the eye of the storm, the power of deep belly breaths, and letting yourself off the hook – and she’s got some really, really, really good advice.
How did your journey with yoga begin?
I was working as an editor at a fashion and lifestyle magazine when I blacked out at a photo shoot. I had fallen into that trap where you think that life is all about being glamorous and busy all the time. I felt like I’d become out of touch with who I really was from this non-stop lifestyle.
My elder sister dragged me to a yoga class – I didn’t want to go and honestly my body hated it. I could barely touch my toes, I sweated buckets, and then I fell asleep on the hard wood floor in Shavasana. But I walked out of the studio that day feeling better than I’d felt in my life. Since then, I’ve been practicing every day.
How has practicing yoga changed your life?
To put it simply, I’m a happier person. To me, yoga is a chance to show up for yourself, and for those around you in the best possible way. It’s all about raising your consciousness, being in the gap between stimulus and response, and being better people in the world. When we’re conscious, we make better decisions and we’re not in our heads but in our bodies, we’re giving back to our bodies and to each other. It sounds cheesy but it’s the truth.
There’s a lot of talk about yoga as though it’s all head in the clouds. We’re not suggesting that you ignore all the crap going on in the world, like the pandemic, but yoga suggests that you take yourself into the eye of the storm, allowing yourself to stand and observe, rather than getting beaten up in the chaos.
You’ve garnered a big following on Instagram with your yoga videos and wellness content. How do you use social media in a way that cares for your wellbeing and mental health?
The way I see it is that social media is a bit of a beast, so you just have to limit it. We’re so connected now and also disconnected from each other as a result. You can use it in a way that can help you and boost your career and influence people in the right way, but at the same time, mental health issues are on the rise.
Actually, it’s been proven that when you look at social media, you shorten or hold your breath – and that’s our life force! So just limit your time on it, check in with yourself as much as your feed, check your breath while you’re using it, and definitely keep it out of your bedroom!
As well as a yoga teacher, you’re an integrative health coach. What does this unique role entail?
I look at an individual and the way they live their life, everything from physical and social to cognitive, energetic, behavioural, their home environment, and the way they eat and sleep. And then we work together to make bioindividual changes and establish lifestyle practices that work best for them. There are lots of universal instructions in wellness, and there are definitely general things that’ll make you feel better, but it’s incredible to cater wellness specifically to someone’s needs.
What are some of your favourite self-care practices?
Deep belly breathing. It’s so simple and it’s one of the most overlooked practices. The problem we have now, when you look at a room full of adults, they’re all breathing into their chests as opposed to their lower belly, which is fight or flight response. When you’re in fight or flight, you’re stressed, you can’t digest food properly, you can’t think straight, your blood flow is off, and it’s all because we’re not breathing properly. By taking deep belly breaths – breathing into your diaphragm as opposed to your chest, using the phrenic nerves – it’s an absolute gamechanger.
Another self-care practice I have is journaling. Remind yourself of what to have to be grateful for every single day. But remember, if you’re not grateful, you’re not grateful, and can’t just force yourself. But deep happiness comes from a deep appreciation for everything that you already have as opposed to what you want.
Hit the hay as early as possible. I know it’s boring and no one likes to hear it. So often, our generation forgoes sleep for the sake of the work, and it’s so counterproductive, because sleep is where the magic happens. Try to go to bed an hour earlier, and give yourself the time back by waking up an hour earlier. Our willpower lessens as the day unfolds, so when you wake early, you have time to yourself when your willpower is at its best. Get up, stretch, make a plan, and set yourself on an incline for the day ahead.
The other one is just to give yourself a break. There’s too much pressure in this life right now. Do no harm, take no nonsense, and let yourself off the hook. You can’t be everything to everyone all the time. You’re a human – just be you.
Happiness is a key part of all your work. When are you at your happiest?
A few years ago, I’d have said an exotic location on the beach, surfing and all that, but you know what, I’m all about being around the right people and life’s simplicities now. I bought my first home by the sea, and it’s my sanctuary, and I have my friends and family around me, and I can breathe the sea air. That’s me at my happiest now.
It’s important to realise that it’s impossible to be happy all the time. We’re adding an extra layer of dissatisfaction to our lives when we feel like we always have to be happy. That’s another lie we’ve all been sold. Happiness can’t exist without feeling sadness too. I struggle with things all the time.
It’s important to not bypass your negative emotions. You have to go through them. If you’re feeling rubbish, sit with it. Don’t wallow in it. You need to integrate negative feelings into your life to be able to feel the high highs too.
What advice do you have for someone who feels ready to work on their wellness and happiness but doesn’t know where to begin?
Always start small. Small changes can make a huge difference, so you can change yourself with good habits as much as bad one. Don’t overwhelm yourself with huge wellbeing tasks, because it just won’t happen!
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