Q&A with Green Apple Advocate Jen Martinez

Today we’re trying something new. You’ve been hearing all about our great partners lately, and why we support them – but this time, we want to put THEM in the driver’s seat!

For this post, we’re talking to Jen Martinez, the owner of YogaHub – a studio located in the beautiful tropical island of Cebu, Philippines!

Jen got involved in yoga just as a tool to supplement her running skills, but now has embraced yoga as a way to bring balance and fitness into her everyday life. She came to our attention as a fellow yogini, but also because she loves Sound familiar? Read on to get to know Jen a bit better. Who knows, you just might find your yoga soulmate an ocean away!

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What’s a typical day in the life of Jen?
JEN: I wake up at 5 am everyday to do my own personal yogapractice. Then, I go to the studio for work. I see to it that I go home to be with the kids for lunch and then, I am back again at the studio from 3PM until 6PM. I make sure that I home in time for dinner with my family and, of course, I personally tuck in my babies to bed.

Your lifestyle is so inspiring, with its focus on going green! Any tips you want to share?
Living a green lifestyle is a choice and it is a state of mind, I guess. It might be harder for others to eat and live right, but when you are into yoga, you are more conscious of what you place inside your body. This came easy for me though because I have been a vegetarian for 13 years.
 
And, I wouldn’t really venture into giving out tips to others. All I can say is that once you decide to live healthier, then you are either in it for the long haul or not. Just make the choice and you will see it reflected not just in your body, but also in how you live your daily life.


Speaking of life-changing decisions, how would you say yoga has affected you?
JEN: Yoga has changed my lifestyle a lot. Aside from having helped me shed the weight I gained from my first two pregnancies, it also changed my outlook in life. It made me more grounded, more passionate and calmer about taking each of life’s moments as they come. It did not only change how I perceived myself up to the point that I changed the way I ate and became a vegetarian, but also how I see and react to other people. It improved me physically, mentally and emotionally. So, when I got into yoga, I got the best of it, from inside out. 

What’s the yoga pose you like the most, and why?
JEN: My favorite yoga pose is the Chaturanga Dandasana, which is the Four Limbed Staff Pose in English. It is basically part of the Sun Salutations Surya Namaskara A and B sequences and is very good for strengthening important muscles in the body and developing good form.


Do you have any advice for young women out there who are trying to live a healthy lifestyle?
JEN: Living a healthy lifestyle has to start with yourself. You have to make a decision to really commit on doing it or else you will end up giving up after a while and then move on to other things. If you decide to eat healthier, then do it. Start slow by giving up soft drinks. Do not shock your system into going vegetarian all of the sudden. Taking small steps is always the way to go.

The same goes for yoga. It is a practice that should be done every day or at least every other day. It is a matter of commitment and passion comes later on.

That sounds great, Jen!

One last question – what’s your top piece of apparel you’d recommend to any new Green Apple fans out there?
JEN: I absolutely love the Green Apple double strap bra!


There you have it! Let us know if you have anything in common with Jen!