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I don't believe in being thin. I believe in being strong.

Becoming a yoga instructor is something Isabel Dulay never planned for, or even expected. Fate played a great role in steering her into the direction that has made her life balanced and happy. " Initially, it was not in my plans. My whole path of yoga has just been fated. I never made a clear effort to get there."

At that time, committed as she was, she was content to just practicing it. Opportunity came in the form of an Internet ad, promising yoga teacher training. Curious, she clicked on it and was led to a school in Hong Kong— where, incidentally, her parents live. She emailed them and her father checked out the school. " My dad asked me if I really, really wanted to do it. I said, ' Yes! Why not!' This is my chance, I just dived into it."

"It was really an adventure. It really changed the way I thought about things. I really fell in love with the practice," she says of her training.

Initially, she was just invited to practice at this newly opened studio. But one of her teachers saw potential and asked her to teach. She had doubts, but the teacher offered to help and mentor her. " I took a chance. Before I knew it, it really just grew, I was teaching full time. I started doing workshops as well, on my own. And it just took off from there."

A CONSCIOUS CHANGE

Yoga has helped her in the way she thinks. It has made her more understanding. She constantly thinks positive, and channels that good energy. " I've become more compassionate. My motto in every situation is ' Seek first to understand.' Now that you have the awareness, you be the one to understand why they're acting such. Yoga has helped me understand that about myself."

It has also helped her become more conscious in even the most minuscule aspects of her life. While she is not completely vegetarian, Isabel makes better choices in terms of her diet. She eats seafood and chicken. " My principle, based on my own practice, is eating what [ gives] your body more balance. At the time when I was pure vegetarian, my energy level was dipping. I was losing a lot of hair. My blood tests weren't balanced. My principle is becoming more aware of your body and doing what works for me."

Yoga has also afforded Isabel some physical changes. " Yoga helps me become stronger physically, not necessarily thinner. I don't believe in being thin. I believe in being strong. When you become stronger, you have more confidence in you."

FIRST CLASS

Isabel has some useful advice for first- time yoga practitioners. " The first class is the hardest. You won't get it right the first time. It will challenge you mentally and physically. You're not used to the movement so you don't know what to expect."

" Do the best you can. Stop when you need to," she says, explaining that the key is to just be patient with yourself.

" When your heart is pounding, stop. Yoga is not a competition. No one will judge you if you need to stop. If you need to drink water, even if the class is going on, it's not a problem."

Also, Isabel encourages beginners to keep coming back. " Allow your body to fully open up. Give it time and a lot of discipline. "