Grunty Crush of the Week: Adesina Dowers’ Major Shift Inspired by Happiness

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I met Adesina Dowers when she was a publicist in the music industry. She stood out because she was very warm, friendly and always had a radiant aura about herself. Little did I know, she was developing a yoga practice that would set the foundation for a major career shift in her life.

Eventually, she shifted careers and is now a full time yoga instructor who teaches Power Yoga, which is a vigorous style of yoga based on Ashtanga Yoga, Hot Power Fusion, a deep meditative combo special of Hot Yoga and Power Yoga, restorative yoga and Yoga Sculpt, which is Hot Yoga with weights. She also leads a Yoga teacher training program at her home studio, CorePower Berkeley, is a holistic health coach and most recently, a Lululemon ambassador.

I know, there’s a lot going on. That’s why I caught up with her to get her inspiring story about leaving a hectic industry and even her home city behind to start over. Here, she chats with me about how she began designing a more fulfilling life. She was also nice enough to include a free smoothie guide that features nine recipes complete with information about how to build your own smoothies as well as why they are good for you. Keep reading!

What caused the aha moment for you that made you decide to relocate and shift careers, and what steps did you take to make that change happen?

It was a combination of things. I was feeling unfulfilled in my life and my work, I wanted to have a greater positive impact, I was over experiencing freezing cold winters every year and I realized I had not found my true calling, my special purpose.

I was 100% aware that I wasn’t going to achieve any of those goals living the life I was living. I’d known for a while that I needed to create change in my life. Actually, I’d been thinking about moving for a couple of years before I did. I was toying with Miami, LA–somewhere without a freezing winter. Then I fell in love with a landscape designer. Watching him work with plants, making our world more beautiful and more alive, empowered by creating his own schedule and selecting only the projects he wanted to work on really had an impact on me. I was inspired. I wanted to create a life that I LOVED.

So after I decided to join him in the west, I quit my job, sold my stuff and rented an apartment in Berkeley and shipped everything else I had left to my new California digs! I did not have an actual plan when I left, I just had confidence that I was making the right decision and I went toward fulfilling and creating my new dream life.

How does your new career path sustain you?

In every possible way. I have the best job ever! I help people get happy, healthy and comfortable in their bodies and their lives. Watching the transformation as people begin to step into their power and shine their light to the world- it’s indescribably fulfilling! I know for sure I am helping to bring about positive change in the world!

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What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned about yourself during your shift?
I learned to to trust my inner voice and let that serve as my inner compass.
I learned to embrace who I am, with all my quirks and all and not to apologize or dim my light.
I learned anything you really want in life comes with lots of hard work and you have to be prepared to be scared (terrified) and move through your fears to find your bliss.
You will have to make sacrifices and you might find yourself with a ton of support around you but at all costs you have to believe in yourself. No one can take that from you.

What are some of the things you love about teaching?

Watching a student gradually come into and find their bodies. After a few weeks of regular practice, you see these amazing transformations, people get a spring and a little more swagger in their step. It’s amazing. I also love it when a student has a personal breakthrough on their mat, gets a challenging pose for the first time. You can’t beat the smile and expression on their faces. Remember when you were a kid and did something awesome and looked around to see if anyone saw you? Yes, I get to be a witness to that every day. People who are mothers, fathers, executives, assistants get to really let loose and actually have some fun for themselves, with themselves! Ok, this will be the last piece–making my playlists and sequences for class–I get to create a unique experience for students every time they walk into my yoga room! I make my classes fun, playful and challenging and use the music to increase the experience! I love sharing my love of movement and music with my students!

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Explain some of the benefits of yoga.
That’s a long list! But here’s a top ten:

Stress Management: A regular yoga practice will help you decrease stress and anxiety!
Improved strength and flexibility: Oh yes! You will get strong and lean!
Better sleep: Adding a vigorous practice during your day will have you sleeping through the night!
Weight loss: Yes, sweat, breathe, hydrate regularly- you can expect to drop a few pounds.
More energy: You take care of your body- it will take care of you!
Body detoxification: Breaking a sweat, all the twisting helps rinse all of your internal organs!
Improved brain function and connectivity: Yoga will stimulate all the major systems of the body, regulated your central nervous system!
Inner peace, Tranquility and increased happiness: It’s true. Trust me!
Increased mental awareness and intuition: You will dive deep into your body and your mind. Get ready to know yourself better than ever before.
Balance Hormones: Yoga has been proven to aid in pregnancy, breast cancer management.

Also, Yoga has been proven to help with depression, post traumatic stress disorder, cancer, carpal tunnel and the list goes on!

What’s your diet like and why does it work for you?

My diet is very simple. I pay attention to what I put in my body, it’s all about eating clean unprocessed foods. If I have animal protein (only a few times a month, mostly chicken and seafood) it’s going to be clean, organic, grass fed, cage free. The way I see it we only get one body let’s use the best fuel possible. I have a garden where I grow some of my own veggies and also get the freshest organic veggies from the grocery store. I don’t have dairy too often, I find I get congested when I do. Basically I listen to my body, I eat what makes me feel good after. If I eat something and immediately want to go to sleep afterward- it’s going to get pulled out of my heavy rotation dishes. I find thats a common misconception about how you are supposed to feel after you eat–you should be energized–not sluggish or tired. The same rules apply for me with having sweets- I love dark chocolate and I stay away from processed refined sugars. Well I live in Northern California…so wine makes this list too!

This simple diet works for me because I am eating what I want. I found the right fuels for my body. I feel good, my body feels good and I never feel deprived.

How can people get in touch with you for your services?
For sure!
If you are interested in coming to take one of my yoga classes you can find me at CorePower Yoga Berkeley.

If you are interested in joining me for a Holistic Health Coaching Program check out my website- LifestyleByAdesina.com, you can get all of the details about my two online programs, Dare to Detox and Upgrade 28, or schedule a free 1 on 1 Lifestyle breakthrough session and we can talk about your health goals and concerns.

If you want to get interesting health news and great easy to make recipes got to: Facebook.com/AdesinaDowersHealthCoach.

Is there anything you want to add?
Here are two quotes that I love and keep me inspired when I’m forging new territory. I hope they can inspire your readers too:

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”  – Martha Graham

 

For Adesina’s “9 Smoothies that Will Change Your Life”