When she first did yoga, Aline Mazimpaka thought the practice was going to be just like any other body relaxing exercise, however, what she came to learn was that there was much more to it than working out and fitness. After a few days of practice, she started realising how much she was transforming; she was discovering herself, she was healing and learning to connect with her mind and body. She wanted more of this but also desired for more people to learn about this practice. At the time, she was still a student at the former National University of Rwanda. Her lecturer, who was a social worker, also served as an inspiration for her to practice yoga, she says. “She used to encourage me to do it, reasoning that as a person, you can get drained, hence, you need to recharge. And that yoga could do this,” the 35-year-old recalls. After completing her degree in social work, she went on to acquire trainings and certifications that would allow her become a professional yoga instructor. She obtained a 200-hr certification from Africa Yoga Project, 200-hr certification from Zanzi yoga, 300-hr Jivamukti certification, 40-hr prenatal yoga from Shanti Uganda, and also completed a meditation training in Thailand. Currently, Mazimpaka works as the manager of Ituze Centre, a centre that is fully dedicated to teaching yoga and other mindfulness practices such as meditation, Qigong Tai Chi, as well as workshops in breath-body-mind. That’s when she decided to do yoga as a profession. “I discovered that yoga and mindfulness practice have something special, deep and miraculous in self-acceptance and being non-judgemental,” she says. For the time she has been practising and teaching yoga, Mazimpaka says she is contented with the support that her efforts and that of the centre offer to all those who strive to live a more connected, grounded, and fulfilling life through the practice yoga. A journey of acceptance The yoga instructor reveals that she has learned of how much the exercise can offer someone who puts it into practise on a consistent basis. “I have learnt that yoga and mindfulness practice is a journey for acceptance, forgiveness, healing and happiness. Happiness, love and acceptance-they all start with you. Asking other people to give this to you is not going to work until you realise you are responsible for this in your life,” she notes. She also recommends that anyone who wants to improve their sense of balance in all aspects of their life should consider practicing yoga. “The practice increases self-awareness, it calms the mind but also has other benefits such as the ability to build strong bones,” she adds. Giving back to community Mazimpaka says because of the effects caused by the pandemic, people need all the emotional and mental support they can get. She is of the view that at a time like this, everyone really needs a strong immune system and that yoga can do that. Yoga has the potential to support the immune system by lowering the stress hormones that compromise the immune system, while also conditioning the lungs and respiratory track, stimulating the lymphatic system to oust toxins from the body and bringing oxygenated blood to the various organs to ensure their optimal function, she explains. She also highlights that yoga and mindfulness practices have a lot of benefits, such as increasing flexibility, lowering blood pressure, reducing chronic pain, lowering stress level, relieving anxiety and improving lung capacity thanks to breathing exercises. “These exercises also foster resiliency and improve brain function,” she adds. For this reason, they decided to offer free online classes of mindfulness and yoga to anyone who desires to start doing yoga. “So far we are all facing challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why it’s important that we all render support to each other. Because we are no longer able to deliver classes in person at the centre and in the community, we are currently offering them online via zoom.” These classes are offered from Monday to Sunday and they are donation-based.
