Introducing my dear friend Gwenny! In this episode we touch on many things such as unpacking trauma, being a female in tech, how Yoga helps Gwenny remain present and aware, and harnessing our vital energy. I've learned so many things from my dear friend and she's been so helpful/supportive during my own transitions. Forever grateful for the long lasting friendships I have made while living in Australia. Thank you Gwenny!  ---- Donate to AAPI Charities/ If you have been touched by the Yoga Industry please consider donating to help India through their humanitarian crisis! http://mbongyoga.com/resources-to-find-support-education-and-community/ Come join the family! https://www.instagram.com/__offthemat__/ https://www.facebook.com/offthemat.mbongyoga off the mat is a one woman production platform. Your support allows Madeleine to continue her journey through education, production, and growth. Click this link if you would like to donate in support: http://mbongyoga.com/off-the-mat/ The music you hear is played by me borrowing my friend's steel tongue drum. Thank you Allison for letting me borrow it!

Introducing my dear friend, Elena! In this episode, we discuss her East Asian American experience, racism, and ways she has observed the Yoga space adding to this harm/ ways the Yoga Industry can begin to hop on the anti racism train. We both didn't expect how difficult it was to articulate 25/30 years of internalized messages and how painful it sometimes was to verbally share for fear of rejection. Halfway, we take a break and sit in a stress relieving meditation before hopping back on to discuss ways Yoga can step it up. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions and check out Elena's IG/website! She's super cool :)  Where to find Elena: https://www.instagram.com/elenashapeshifts/ https://www.elenashapeshifts.com/ Donate to AAPI Charities/ If you have been touched by the Yoga Industry please consider donating to help India through their humanitarian crisis!  http://mbongyoga.com/resources-to-find-support-education-and-community/ Come join the family! https://www.instagram.com/__offthemat__/ https://www.facebook.com/offthemat.mbongyoga off the mat is a one woman production platform. Your support allows Madeleine to continue her journey through education, production, and growth. Click this link if you would like to donate in support: http://mbongyoga.com/off-the-mat/ The music you hear is played by me borrowing my friend's steel tongue drum. Thank you Allison for letting me borrow it!

I thought it was important before we dive into conversation with my guests for you to get to know me better. Therefore, episode 1 is about my story...my journey understanding, processing, and soothing a nervous system post traumatic event. My intention is to create space for all of us to learn, respect, and appreciate each other's experience so we can cultivate a more compassionate world.  I have to say it was really odd to record this on my own in my tiny bedroom! I sat on my bolster in my jammies, a cup of tea in my hand, and spilled my heart out. It was another major learning curve and although I feel like I could edit and re-record forever...I have to trust my own self and know that similar to teaching a 60 min yoga class, I can't get everything I want to say in one go! Please reach out if you have any questions or are interested in sharing your own story.  Om Shanti Shanti Shanti  xx Madeleine xx --- Come join the family! https://www.instagram.com/__offthemat__/ https://www.facebook.com/offthemat.mbongyoga http://mbongyoga.com/ off the mat is a one woman production platform. Your support allows Madeleine to continue her journey through education, production, and growth. Click this link if you would like to donate in support: http://mbongyoga.com/off-the-mat/ The music you hear is played by me borrowing my friend's steel tongue drum. Thank you Allison for letting me borrow it!

Welcome to off the mat, an educational and safe space podcast focusing on sharing stories about an individual’s (or group) healing journey. off the mat was brought to you with the intention of cultivating unity, connection, and compassion. off the mat founder, Madeleine Bong, found her own healing through education, yoga, and community. She has found comfort through listening to others stories and therefore wants to offer a platform of collective sharing to open the door for greater understanding and kindness. Madeleine has also observed the detrimental effects on the emphasis of the physical practice of Yoga in the Western world and the overall cultural appropriation of Yoga. This leads to but is not limited to: gaslighting, body shame, and exclusion of BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities. Madeleine is interested in listening, creating supportive safe spaces, and learning ways to take the practices of Yoga (unity, connection, compassion) off the mat, out of the studio, and into the real World. --- Come join the family! https://www.instagram.com/__offthemat__/ https://www.facebook.com/offthemat.mbongyoga http://mbongyoga.com/ off the mat is a one woman production platform. Your support allows Madeleine to continue her journey through education, production, and growth. Click this link if you would like to donate in support: http://mbongyoga.com/off-the-mat/ The music you hear is played by me borrowing my friend's steel tongue drum. Thank you Allison for letting me borrow it!