Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. She hosts a weekly conversational wellness podcast called, Radically Loved. Rosie has traveled all over the world leading workshops, retreats, and yoga teacher trainings. She works with a wide range of students, from those in her East Los Angeles community to Olympic athletes, NFL champions, NBA All-Stars, and veterans of war. A first-gen Mexican-American, Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love. She’s been featured in Yoga Journal, Well + Good, Forbes, The New York Post. She currently lives in the greater Los Angeles region known as The Valley. Find Rosie on www.radicallyloved.com.
Welcome everybody, welcome to Spiritual Biz Chat for Spiritual Biz Magazine, I am your host, Kimberly Maska, and today we have joining us the Radically Loved founder Rosie Acosta. Rosie, welcome and thank you both for being with us, how are you doing today?
ROSIE ACOSTA: I’m doing so great, thank you so much for asking, Kimberly!
Excellent! So, could you share the story behind your personal journey down the path to your current life’s purpose and work?
ROSIE: I mean how deep do you want me to go? Just kidding. This has been such an interesting journey for me, I grew up in East Los Angeles during one of the most chaotic times in the history of Los Angeles. I grew up in an environment and in a neighborhood that was overrun by gang violence and surrounded by people who used drugs. There were no role models, there were no mentors, and there was no one really to look up to. So it was easy for me to become a product of my environment, by the time I was a teenager I was suffering from debilitating panic attacks and anxiety, I was depressed, and I had started an early career as a criminal. So by the time I got arrested for the third time for trying to steal a police vehicle, I was ready to make a change. I was introduced to yoga and meditation via a friend of my mother’s who suggested I try meditation as a way to help cope and deal with my anxiety. I went to the Self-Realization fellowship in Hollywood and was instantly converted. I detail the story about how I became a recovering catholic in my book, and why meditation became such an important aspect of my life. As time went on, I became more curious about Eastern philosophies, Hinduism, Buddhism, and any contemplative practice that demonstrated that we have the power to change our minds, and ultimately our lives. I decided I wanted to bring these practices to people like the people I grew up with. At-risk youth, underserved communities, and people who don’t have the luxury of time for self-inquiry. So that’s what I did. I started Radically Loved as a hub, a way to share information, to teach yoga and meditation, and to share stories of people who have learned their own lessons along the way. The idea is that we are radically loved and radically supported by God, source, higher power, Mother Nature, whatever you believe supports you. The universe works for us and not against us. So here we are.
Your spiritual work is largely based on traveling all over the world leading workshops, retreats, and yoga teacher trainings. And more and more people are turning to lightworkers in their search for peace and comfort s well as discovering amazing benefits of yoga and meditation. As an expert, what are some of your favorite, simple yoga techniques to recommend for our daily practice?
ROSIE: I absolutely love breathwork. One of my teachers always says, “Master your breath, Master your life” and it couldn’t be more true. Even now as I say this I can feel my shoulder’s in my ears. When I can relax my shoulders and take a deep breath, it helps me relieve any contraction and tension my body is currently holding. Even if it’s just a moment. My favorite practice to prescribe is belly breathing. Place both thumbs at your navel, and take five deep belly breaths. You can do 3-5 cycles, easy breathing, shoulders relaxed. It is an incredibly effective and grounding exercise.
Congratulations on your recently published book “You Are Radically Loved”! What is your inspiration behind the book and its title? What is the most important thing you hope for the readers to take away after reading your book?
ROSIE: This is such a great question, as I said earlier the idea behind radically loved is that I really believe we are all radically loved and radically supported. I think it’s especially an unimportant belief system when we don’t feel supported when we feel like there is no way out there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and that is when I feel we have to lean into radical love the most. The entire book provides tools, writing prompts, contemplations, and different ways that you can reframe a situation in your life to turn it around and provide the path to healing. The book is an invitation, it’s an invitation for any and all who desire to have a companion on their journey to self-love. It’s an invitation for the reader to write their own story, to create their own path, and to feel a deep sense of confidence while doing it.
You developed five steps on how to live a radically loved life. You also share the key to manifesting the best life from the worst circumstance. Without giving away too much, what would you like for our followers to take away from this interview and start manifesting and living that radically love life?
ROSIE: I’m a big fan of uncovering what lies beneath our desires. Anytime we want to manifest something we have to do it for ourselves for our own reasons and we have to know that it will ultimately serve our highest good. We hardly ever look at the long-term. Most of the time when we want something, we want it now not in ten years. I’m a marathoner, I’m a fan of the process of waiting for something. Well, let me back up for a moment. Innately, I’m the most impatient person I know, but I have trained and practiced being patient. Manifesting the life we want is a great case study for those of us who are into that kind of thing. We can really get to know who we are by observing and dissecting what we want and why. You are already living your best life, and if you don’t feel like you are you have the creative capacity to change this right now. I mean, what’s stopping today from being the best day of your life? Just because we don’t have everything we want, (not need) doesn’t mean our life isn’t already amazing. Patience is a skill. One that we need if we want to manifest anything. If we want something to stand the test of time, it’s going to take time.
Is there a final message you want to let our readers know? Or just any last little words that you have for them?
ROSIE: There is currently so much noise in the world, so much information, so many people tearing each other down, criticizing, trolling, being unkind. Part of being on a spiritual journey is being able to understand that not everything can be mantra’d, meditated, or sage’d away. Sometimes we need to be able to just sit with each other’s differences and practice kindness and compassion. I know it’s difficult, but not impossible. So the next time someone upsets you, allow yourself to have whatever feeling you have and process the way you need to. Journal, Dance, Sing, Run do whatever you need to do so long as it doesn’t cause harm to you or another person. You are doing great. The next time you are having a moment, ask yourself how you can help someone out there who may need your presence. This is how we will break this cycle.
Thank you, Rosie, very much! It has been such a pleasure chatting with you today!
ROSIE: You are amazing. Thank you so so much!
