Meet Ali Pourhashemi:
About Ali:
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Employer: One of the Big Five Canadian banks
City: Toronto
Type of Work: Project Delivery, Compliance and Governance
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The Corporate Yogi: When did you start your yoga practice?
Ali Pourhashemi: It was May 1, 2009, my first teacher was Carlyn at The Yoga Lounge! I will never forget that first class. I owned my own business which was really stressful at the time. I needed an outlet for the stress and also wanted to calm my active mind. I also had many sports injuries I wanted to heal.
What does yoga give you?
It grounds me, makes me more patient and is a huge stress reliever. I crave healthier foods now and I’m more in harmony with myself. My overall lifestyle has changed. I am more conscious of my surrounding and the impact of my actions on the environment.
What physical changes have you experienced?
My shoulders and hips have opened up significantly. After a couple months of practicing my Dad commented that I looked like I had grown a couple of inches. I feel healthy and connected. I feel stronger at my core.
What about mental changes?
It relieves stress. I’m calmer now and more forgiving. I’ve started observing my thoughts more and feel like I have a heightened consciousness from yoga.
Tell us about your practice
I practice about 5 classes a week. I take a mix of hot yoga, flow, hatha and restorative classes because they give me different things. I do hatha for deep connection and flow classes for my breath and heart rate. I’ve stopped weight training and running now so the hot yoga gives me the intense physical conditioning I need to stay in shape.
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“If employees practice yoga on a regular basis it will increase productivity and efficiency. It’s a huge stress reliever and as a result people will take less sick days. ” – Ali
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How can yoga benefit the corporate environment?
If employees practice yoga on a regular basis it will increase productivity and efficiency. It’s a huge stress reliever and as a result people will take less sick days. When you breathe properly it lowers your heart rate which reduces the adrenaline and makes you feel calm. Stress has a ripple effect in the work environment, a stressed employee or manager will spread their stress and this impacts not only their performance but also their peers. I see this happening every day and it is easily preventable.
How has yoga affected your relationships at work?
At work I’m calm and centered, so people naturally don’t raise their voice at me. If they do ever snap or get angry, they will always come back and apologize. When I’m calm and centered it helps others be calm and not overact.
What difference has yoga made in your life?
My colleagues know I need to go to yoga to stay in balance. People regularly comment that I am so calm at work and that nothing ever gets me angry. They are puzzled by my energy and positive attitude. When I am asked, “How are you this morning?”, my response is, “ I am fantastic!”. This is typically received with a surprised look.
What advice would you give to new students?
Keep trying, keep practicing and the rest will come. I want to demystify that yoga is just for women and that you have to be flexible to be good at yoga. If you come to yoga you will start healing the body. Opening your hips gradually is a much better option than having hip surgery. Don’t be nervous – you never know until you try.
What else do you want people to know?
I believe we need to introduce the benefits of yoga to men more and do a better job at marketing yoga to them. Yoga is not just about flexibility, it’s a mind-body connection and it creates space in the body. There is a wide selection of classes and styles, so keep trying until you find one that fits. We need to lose the stigma around yoga, so if you practice yoga please tell everyone about the benefits and encourage them to start practicing!
What’s next for you?
Teacher training. I’m ready to become a teacher and share knowledge to help others. One day I’d love to own my own studio and work full time in a stress-free environment.
From: The Corporate Yogi