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Yoga has become an invaluable part of my life. It fuels my heart, making me feel deeply connected with myself. This practice is so rich and timeless and reminds me of the importance of self-care, self-awareness, and self-acceptance.
My yoga journey began over a decade ago. As I transitioned into the product manager role, I found myself navigating a new level of stress. Yoga came to my rescue, providing a sanctuary to unwind and release anxiety.
During the pandemic, I paused my practice, as I prefer to engage in yoga not in my home alone but in a studio, surrounded by a crowd of compassionate souls. Everyone is not there to judge but to collectively immerse in the gentle flow of yoga's mindful dance.
I restarted yoga recently during this particularly challenging period after being layoff. My yoga mat became my anchor, a space where I could temporarily let go of the external world and dive into the tranquility within. It has been like returning home after a long journey. Each pose, each stretch, and each breath feel like a welcoming embrace and help me find strength.
Choosing to embrace yoga as my hobby has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. My hope is that it becomes not just a pastime but a way of life. A saying often echoes in my mind: "You are as young as your spine is flexible."
I love drawing - whether it’s doodling, random prompts, or following a tutorial to paint a flower from Youtube. Recently we are getting into a new routine in our family so I haven’t painted as much as I would like. I am a huge fan of systematic learning - where I can participate in a group class and learn together with others with guidance. In the past, I have attended a 10-week adult night painting class in Palo Alto, joined online iPad drawing class with other students in China, and completed another cohort-based kids/adult drawing class in an app. Drawing to me is an expression in art and you can do it anywhere anytime (even with just a pen and napkin!). Once I feel more settled in my new job, I hope to find set-aside time weekly to listen to relaxing music and follow a Youtube tutorial again.
As PMs, we use our brains so much that I find respite in physical activity pursuits like dancing, playing the piano, biking and strength training.
I have been a dancer since a young age. I trained in the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam. This dance taught me patience, strength and expressions. Beyond that, I have dabbled in salsa, bollywood and a bit of hip hop (and realized I am terrible at hip hop). I still love dancing and have been relegated to playing dance off with my son. I hope to pick up dancing and learn a new dance form soon. Tell me which dance form I should try.
My son and I are currently learning the piano and it’s been amazing. I am flexing the left brain that rarely gets used. It’s made me appreciate music in a whole new way.
I ensure I bike/dance and strength train every week. Physical activity is an amazing escape. It makes me forget everything while ensuring that I have happy hormones. It has also reduced my stress. The struggle is taking the time out to do all these things.
I have a passion for creating, whether as a PM or as Creator - making something cool is what drives me. I make vlogs in my leisure time, edit via CapCut and Final Cut, and share on the WeChat Video platform. What pleasantly surprised me was the overwhelming support and appreciation I received from my friends, who thoroughly enjoyed my vlogs and told me they laughed a few, with data ranging from 800 to 6,000 views each video, and the top 10 posts over 1,000 views each. However, those videos are in Chinese. After recently relocating to the U.S. and expanding my social circle to include friends from diverse cultures, I felt inspired to create and share more clips in English. I thus made my new Youtube channel: @heylori. Feel welcome to have a look!