Maritess De Ocampo

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Marilen Elizalde for ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958.333px;display:block" width="958.333"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783484867699Marilen Elizalde_WB 18.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="display:block;width:958.333px;height:auto" width="958.333"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Marilen Elizalde is a certified FLAG Lifestyle Coach, Ashtanga Yoga Instructor, and Aromatherapist</em></span></span></span></div><p>“Wellness” has become such a buzzword in modern life, which brings us to question if, in some ways, it has lost its real meaning. Amidst all the trends, products, and advice, what does it actually mean to “live well?” </p><p>What is true wellness? </p><p>And can wellness be sustainable?</p><p>For certified FLAG lifestyle coach, Ashtanga yoga teacher, and aromatherapist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marilengelizalde/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marilen Elizalde</a>, the answers have evolved not by chasing trends, but through lived experience.</p><p>Her own journey to wellness began at just 16 years old, when movement first became part of her life. </p><p>“I really enjoyed dance, but, like most people, you realize you’re not a prima ballerina,” Marilen recalls with a laugh. Weight training, aerobics, Pilates, and eventually yoga each became chapters in a lifelong practice. “When I discovered yoga, I dropped everything. I started practicing just yoga—religiously for maybe 20 years.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT IS TRUE WELLNESS?</strong></div><p>Marilen shares, “True wellness, for me, is how a person cares for oneself, whether you’re sick or not. It’s how you take care of how you eat, how you sleep, and how you do this sustainably. So you can practice it all your life.” </p><p>Looking back, she admits her younger self viewed wellness differently. </p><p>“I used to think wellness was about exercise. But as I got older, it was no longer only about the physical body. I started to cultivate a balance between my mind and my body.” </p><p>That shift also changed the motivation behind her fitness journey.</p><p>“In our 20s, it was all about how we looked physically, how the dresses fit, and how the outfits looked. We can blame our magazines for that. My drive was really to maintain my weight.”</p><p>She continues, “But then later on, it started to change. There was more to looking good. It’s not only external. It has a lot to do with what you do to your body internally—what you eat, how you sleep, how much exercise you get, how much sun you get, how much processed food you eat, how much alcohol you drink.” </p><p>Through the years, she realized her body required different forms of movement. “I needed to start shifting and thinking about going back to weight training.” Today, her routine combines meditation, Yin yoga, Pilates, weight training, and a more gentle approach to Ashtanga yoga. Now she’s more likely to practice Ashtanga yoga three times a week, versus six times a week, as she had done in the past.</p><p>“My practice has evolved, I’m a softer yogi now. I’m gentler on my body.” Health, she says, now matters more than appearance. “I’m more concerned about health or being healthy, versus the physical look of it. I think physicality is a bonus.”</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783357618094Marilen Elizalde WB_9.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><strong>THE BASICS MATTER MORE THAN WE THINK</strong></div><p>After years of coaching others, Marilen finds that many of the habits quietly undermining people’s health are actually quite ordinary. </p><p>“I’m going to go back to the basics here—sleep is really underrated,” she emphasizes. This is because modern life demands attention from every direction—work, family, exercise, streaming platforms, and social media all compete for time—often at the expense of rest. “When we lack sleep, it affects our whole body. Cortisol levels go up. It also affects your sugar.”</p><p>When asked how many hours of sleep we can strive for every night, Marilen shares that six to eight hours would be ideal. </p><p>Although she herself aims for eight hours of sleep, Marilen admits she sometimes gets only six to six and a half. But one habit has made a huge difference: leaving her phone outside the bedroom unless her children are traveling. </p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s a time limit for my phone to be with me or next to me, then it stays in another room. This is the only exception— if one of my children is traveling and I just need to make sure they&#x27;ve arrived at their destination—then the phone is beside me.&quot;</p><p>She also tries to align her evenings with the body’s natural circadian rhythm, winding down early and building routines that support rest rather than interrupting it. &quot;We need to follow our circadian rhythm. The minute the light goes out or the sun sets, we should also be winding down, and then waking up when the sun rises.&quot;</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783484969039Marilen Elizalde WB_6.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Marilen says that nutrition is just as vital. “Protein is so important. A lot of us end up eating much more carbohydrates than protein.” No amount of exercise, she explains, can compensate for poor sleep and poor nutrition. “You can work out all you want. But if you don’t have enough sleep and you don’t eat the proper food, then it really undermines whatever you’re doing.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS OF BURNOUT</strong></div><p>Marilen believes constant stimulation comes at a cost. “We are all so overstimulated nowadays. We’re always turned on. We’re never turned off.” </p><p>Burnout, she says, often reveals itself in subtle ways before people fully recognize it. When asked what symptoms to watch out for, she shares, &quot;If they’re snappy, if they’re short-tempered, they’re not smiling. You see it in the eyes of a person when they look tired.” </p><p>Rather than pushing endlessly through long to-do lists, she recommends setting boundaries. “Create a checklist and create a time limit.” </p><p>She learned this lesson during her years as a school teacher. While she once brought papers home and worked late into the evening when she was single, becoming a wife and mother encouraged her to establish firmer boundaries. </p><p>“I learned to let go—finished or not finished, it’s 4 o’clock.” Preventing burnout, she says, ultimately comes back to one principle. “By finding balance and allowing yourself to say no.” </p><p>Even wellness itself can become excessive. “I’m also guilty of that, because I work out twice a day, sometimes, three times a day. But that can also burn me out.” </p><div><strong>WHY BEING STILL FEELS SO DIFFICULT— AND HOW TO FIND IT</strong></div><p>Despite teaching yoga for decades, Marilen says stillness never came naturally. </p><p>“My goal in the beginning was learning how to get the pose perfectly done. The perfect headstand, the perfect handstand. But that’s not stillness.” </p><p>Instead, stillness requires calming what she calls the “monkey mind.” “Our minds are constantly, working, thinking.” For her, the way into stillness is pretty simple: “The direct connection to stillness is the breath.” </p><p>Meditation isn’t about forcing thoughts to disappear, she explains, but allowing them to pass without holding onto them. “It’s a matter of allowing your thought to pass by.” With practice comes a quieter internal landscape. “You go inwardly, you’re calmer, and then you’re also less reactive to the situation around you.”</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783359157384Marilen Elizalde WB_16.jpg" style="width:705px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><br/></div><p>Personally, meditation has changed the way she responds to life. “It allows me to be more introspective and less reactive.” She shares one simple habit that she returns to often: “My secret is exhaling before reacting to something.” </p><div><strong>CAN WELLNESS BE SUSTAINABLE?</strong></div><p>Given the carefully curated wellness content we are exposed to online, Marilen believes people sometimes misunderstand what sustainable wellness actually looks like. </p><p>“Wellness isn’t perfection. It’s also not a destination.” Instead, it grows and develops through ordinary daily habits. “It’s about how you take care of your body internally.” </p><p>Walking outdoors, taking time for exercise, finding moments of quiet, eating well, sleeping well—these practices don’t require expensive memberships or luxury retreats abroad.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783437527872Marilen Elizalde WB_5.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="706.992" style="width:685px;display:block;height:460.48px"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Marilen likens sustainable wellness to yoga: &quot;We don&#x27;t call yoga &#x27;exercise.&#x27; We call it a practice. And true yoga actually begins when yoga practice ends. At least that&#x27;s what we believe in. And it&#x27;s the same for wellness.</p><p>“It’s really what you do in the quiet. You’re not bragging about it, you do it quietly, you practice it quietly, and it’s a habit.”</p><p>That is why she sees wellness as something that can truly last. For Marilen, sustainable wellness is achievable. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/6/21/katrina-tantoco-lobregat-what-fatherhood-looks-like-through-my-eyes-0324" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Katrina Tantoco Lobregat: What fatherhood looks like through my eyes</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>FINDING HEALING IN NATURE</strong></div><p>Alongside yoga, aromatherapy has become another important part of Marilen’s life. She describes it as nature’s pharmacy—or “farmacy”—using plant-based essential oils as another approach to supporting health and well-being. </p><p>Instead of immediately treating symptoms, she prefers asking why they exist in the first place. “If I have a headache, I would try to figure out why first, before putting a pill in my mouth. Is it because I lack sleep? Is it because I’m dehydrated? Is it because I watched too much Netflix?” </p><p>Peppermint, she says, often relieves her headaches naturally. Over time, aromatherapy has also changed many daily routines at home. She creates her own moisturizers using coconut oil and essential oils, customizes soaps with Castile soap and essential oils, and looks for cleaner alternatives to skincare, bath products, and household items. </p><p>Lavender and peppermint are always in her handbag. “If I can’t sleep, I try and put lavender on my shoulders. If there’s so much traffic, I inhale a bit of lavender,” she says, adding that it helps her to feel relaxed. </p><p>She tries natural options first whenever appropriate. “I always try to figure out if I could use an essential oil first before going to Western medicine.” She acknowledges that essential oils aren’t a quick fix and they require consistency; it may take longer but can be incredibly effective. </p><p>On why she loves aromatherapy and what benefits she enjoys from it, she says sincerely, “It just feels good. It’s a part of my life already.” </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BEING OKAY WITH SAYING NO</strong></div><p>Women often carry multiple responsibilities at once—professional, personal, and family roles that overlap throughout the day. When life becomes overwhelming, Marilen knows exactly where she returns.  </p><p>“I go back to my mat, to sit and meditate. I go back to my breath and my practice—my practice which is gentler, slower, and honors me where I am at specifically.&quot;</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783359427382Marilen Elizalde WB_10.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:711px"/></div><p>She has also become more comfortable with a word many women struggle to say: “No.&quot;</p><p>She elaborates, &quot;Another thing to add to that is, I&#x27;ve learned to say no. It&#x27;s okay to say no.&quot; According to Marilen, we have grown accustomed to always saying yes—yes to all the requests coming from our boss, our husband, our children. She has learned how to say no and be okay with it.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ON THE WORK-LIFE BALANCE VS. WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION DEBATE</strong></div><p>When conversations turn to the debate between work-life balance vs. work-life integration, Marilen offers a different perspective. Instead of choosing between work-life “balance” or work-life “integration,” she prefers another word altogether. </p><p>She says, “They’re both nice words. And they can both be implemented. However, I’ll use a different word. I’ll use ‘moderation.’” </p><p>She elaborates, “Moderation, I find more flexible because balance is always trying to tip a scale, right? You’re always trying to have equal parts so that it’s balancing. But I think moderation is a softer and more attainable word for wellness.” </p><p>Unlike balance, which can suggest perfect equality, moderation allows for life’s natural shifts. </p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783437441990Marilen Elizalde WB_11.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><p>“Today we can be focusing on work because it’s important. And it’s okay. We shouldn’t feel guilty that we’re doing something a little more today than we did yesterday. But then the next day, we’re focusing on something else.”  </p><p>Whether it’s work, exercise, streaming platforms, food, or social media, she believes the same principle applies. </p><p>“I think moderation is key.” </p><div><strong>THREE LASTING WELLNESS PRACTICES YOU CAN START TODAY</strong></div><p>For those looking to start a sustainable wellness routine without having to step out of your home, Marilen recommends three accessible practices. </p><p>The first is breathing. Also known as <em>Pranayama</em>, Marilen believes that this is another underrated practice. She exclaims, &quot;Breath is life!&quot;</p><p>Many people, she explains, breathe shallowly through the upper chest instead of fully engaging the lungs. She suggests a simple exercise: inhale through the nose for three counts and exhale for six, repeating for five rounds. “You will find that your central nervous system will already relax.” </p><p>The second is mindful eating. </p><p>She encourages choosing whole foods whenever possible—food that can be prepared at home rather than heavily processed alternatives that come from a can or a bottle. </p><p>The third is setting boundaries with technology. </p><p>A simple digital detox, even by limiting phone use during parts of the day, can create more space for rest and presence. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/people-culture-events/2026/6/27/mia-arcenas-branellec-on-motherhood-creativity-finding-her-rhythm-again-1154" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Mia Arcenas Branellec on motherhood, creativity, and finding her rhythm again</a></div><div><strong>AN INVITATION TO SLOW DOWN</strong></div><p>This July, Marilen will be guiding participants through those same principles during a wellness retreat at Anya Resort Tagaytay together with Niyama Wellness Center. </p><p>Held on July 24 and 25 in celebration of International Self-Care Day, the retreat, &quot;Crossroads to Wellness: Cultivating Your Inner Sanctuary,&quot; is designed to help participants step away from the relentless pace of daily life. </p><p>“We are going to explore slowing down because many of us have not stopped moving.” She believes the first half of the year has already left many people emotionally and mentally exhausted. “Many of us are feeling that it’s only mid-year but we feel like we’ve lived the whole year.” </p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZsBsNijZFr/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=648&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A2131229.6%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="882" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>The retreat will include slow and mindful practices such as Yin yoga, sound healing, bamboo wand slow movement meditation, breathwork, digital detox sessions, and opportunities to simply pause. In particular, Marilen will be giving a talk entitled, &quot;The Deep Reboot: Fasting from food, phones, and the chaotic pace of life.&quot; She will also be doing a workshop on &quot;The Elevated Breath: An Artisanal Blend of Aromatics, Oxygen, and Pure Serenity.&quot;</p><p>“We thought perhaps inviting our participants to come and allow themselves to slow down, to breathe, to practice mindfulness…and just pause.” </p><p>Marilen concludes, “I’d like to invite everyone to join us, July 24 to 25, in <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anyaresorttagaytay/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anya Resort Tagaytay</a>, to our retreat, ‘Crossroads to Wellness: Cultivating Your Inner Sanctuary.’ I hope to see you all there.”</p><div><br/></div><div><em><strong>Photos by Jonathan Cellona.</strong></em></div><div><strong><em>Special thanks to Angela Soriano and Rossana Unson.</em><em> Shot on location at </em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/discoveryprimea/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Discovery Primea</em></a></strong><em><strong>, Makati. </strong></em></div>

<p>Certified FLAG Lifestyle Coach Marilen Elizalde shares why true wellness isn’t something to perfect, but something to practice—through quality sleep, nourishing whole foods, mindful movement, breathwork, and stillness.</p>

Certified FLAG Lifestyle Coach Marilen Elizalde shares why true wellness isn’t something to perfect, but something to practice—through quality sleep, nourishing whole foods, mindful movement, breathwork, and stillness.

Can wellness be sustainable? Marilen Elizalde says it starts with the basics

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Can wellness be sustainable? Marilen Elizalde says it starts with the basics

Mawi Fojas De Ocampo

Published July 08, 2026 12:35 PM PHT

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Updated July 09, 2026 01:52 PM PHT

Read More:

Marilen Gonzalez Elizalde

Sustainable Wellness

The Deep Reboot

Fasting

Crossroads To Wellness

Cultivating Your Inner Sanctuary

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