Interview: Breathe + Rest with Adriana Adelé

This full interview is featured on victoriadrainna’s
“These Things Take Time” podcast

Sparking change in the outside world, starts by nurturing the light within… It starts with us taking time to check-in with ourselves; to self-reflect, breathe, and rest… It starts with digging deep to heal, then watering the seed of courage we need to step out of our comfort zones + into our purpose. That’s what I felt after an interview with yoga teacher, Adriana Adelé… A heart-expansive conversation that grew into the very first episode of the, “These Things Take Time” podcast.

In what was our second interview together, Adriana shares insight to how she’s personally been navigating life during the current pandemic with the support of practical self-care rituals and yoga philosophies. She offers wisdom on so many things relating to holistic wellness, from the importance of understanding how our nervous systems operate to the health benefits of crying.

The full, Breathe + Rest with Adriana Adelé, podcast episode is available now on Anchor + Spotify and will be published on all streaming platforms later this week.

creating freedom with friday lynton – these things take time

in this episode, i converse with friday lynton — a friend, inspiration + kind, supportive spirit to myself + her community. friday is a metal-based artist, entrepreneur and the creator of her own metal design house based in brooklyn, new york. as we discuss the upcoming chapter 9 release for the FRIDAY BY FRIDAY Metal Atelier, "freedom" is the title + topic. we explore the art of creating freedom for ourselves internally, as well as within our careers and the way we approach work. just like the strong links on her metal objects, friday connects so many different career positions + people together. she's the founder of the Fashion With Friday Academy, which provides mentorship opportunities + workshops for Creative Scholars, as well as a professor at LIM College + a creative coach. you can follow friday lynton's work @FBFmetalatelier on instagram + view her online exhibition at fbfmetalatelier.com. you can also follow the Fashion With Friday Academy @fwfacademy + fashionwithfriday.com. thank you for listening. and remember that when it comes to designing life in your own way, these things take time. highlights from this interview on realignd.co + @realigndflow

You can view our beautiful photoshoot + highlights below. These notes feature info about Breathe & Rest, specific breathing techniques that help with anxiety and tips for applying small, yet transformative self-care practices to everyday living.

“There are so many ways that our systems are designed to try and take our breath away; to try and keep us so busy, so on the grind that we see these things, but we don’t…. How can we even start to dream something else if we can’t take a moment just to pause? And to breathe, and to rest. Because there is something underneath all of these layers of busy thoughts; all of these layers of manufactured scarcity. Beneath that, (I believe anyway) there’s a deep knowing that we can do it differently.”
— Adriana Adelé

Breathe + Rest

As a Philadelphia-based yoga instructor, Adriana Adelé creatively aligns her work in wellness with social justice activism. One of her latest projects, Breathe & Rest is a virtual series of restorative yoga sessions designed to hold a sacred space for black people to breathe + rest, with intention. The class offers guidance in releasing stress through light, gentle body movements and mindful breathing.

Adriana started Breathe & Rest in June of this year, when the energy surrounding police brutality and racial injustices was heavier than usual for the collective black community. This donation-based, fundraising initiative raised $10,000 in the very first week and has donated funds to various causes over the past 4 months.

Breathe & Rest will continue on as a donation-based class throughout the remaining of this year, with sessions being held on Monday evenings at 7pm via Zoom. Proceeds from this class will support the Decolonizing Fitness Housing for Black Trans People Fund. You can sign-up here.

3 Breathing Techniques for Anxiety

Humming Exhale Breath (Bhramari Pranayama) — inhale through your nose, hum as you exhale through your nose.
Three Part Breath (Digra Pranayama) — take a big exhale through your mouth. Inhale through your nose: 1/3 of the way to the top of your abdomen, another 1/3 of the way to the top of your diaphragm, and another 1/3 of the way to the top of your chest. Exhale through your mouth.
Alternate Nostril Breath (Nadi Shodhana) — breathe in through your right nostril, then out through your left; in through your left, then out through your right. source for practice: https://chopra.com/articles/nadi-shodhana-how-to-practice-alternate-nostril-breathing

Adriana’s Tips for Practical Self-Care

A few minutes of ease — dedicate at least 2 minutes, 3x a day to check-in with yourself. Set reminders in your phone to pause and ask, “Did I drink enough water today? Have I eaten? How do I feel?” etc.
Breathing + Meditation — allow yourself time practice mindfulness and calm your mind.
Be gentle with yourself — offer yourself grace and compassion through daily challenges and situations.
Ground yourself — tune into the earth’s energy beneath you. You can do this by taking a few moments to lay or sit on the ground.
Journaling — write to yourself.
Digital Declutter — remove social media apps from your phone to disconnect when you feel like you need to.
Showering/Bathing — take a shower or bath to renew + reset your energy. When you do this, ask the water to help you cleanse.
Plants — taking care of house plants or a garden as a mindfulness practice.