Cover Maxene Magalona in Tiantaru, Bali (Photo: Zissou; courtesy of Magalona)
Maxene Magalona in Tiantaru, Bali (Photo: Zissou; courtesy of Magalona)
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She was perplexed when her mentors asked how she would express anger healthily. Anger and healthy in the same sentence? But it’s still a valid emotion—one we should embrace
In the dreary recesses of her mind, a confident woman finds herself in constant turmoil. She doesn’t understand why she gets vexed at the smallest of things. The smaller it is, the bigger the fury she feels inside. She erupts whenever something triggers her. She is annoyed. She is irritated. She is angry.
But Maxene Magalona—renowned Filipina actress, host, and yoga instructor—learnt how to overcome these intense feelings and remain calm. Gone were the days when she would tread the world of impulsivity. She started meditating in 2019, and the rest is history.
“I was stuck in this unhealthy pattern of getting angry, lashing out, crying, apologising, and then just doing it all over again,” says Magalona. “...Meditation helped me regulate my emotions, calm my nervous system, and just create new, healthier habits.”
Related: Meditation Misconceptions: It’s Not As Hard Or Boring As You Think
In this article, the yoga instructor shares with Tatler details on her journey towards living a mentally and physically healthy life overall.
Above Maxene Magalona in Tiantaru, Bali (Photo: Zissou; courtesy of Magalona)
Maxene Magalona in Tiantaru, Bali (Photo: Zissou; courtesy of Magalona)
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On her beginnings
“I noticed I was having anger management issues,” Magalona says, after confessing that she constantly overthinks and overreacts in the past. “I realised if I’m experiencing problems with anger, I might as well do the exact opposite: quiet myself, to breathe, to silence the noise around me, and to connect with my emotions. And that’s how I started.”
Truth be told, no one advised her to do so. It was more of a realisation—an inner reflection that came to her when she got tired of the vicious cycle of getting angry, apologising after lashing out, and then doing the same things a week later.
She started doing yoga first. A year later, she dived deep into her meditation practice in 2019. “It took a while, but I’m happy to say I am now calmer,” she shares. “In 2020, I became a certified meditation teacher.”
Meditate with Maxene
In May this year, the actress gave birth to Meditate with Maxene. It was mental health awareness month, so it seemed fitting to hold the challenge then. Around 35 participants would join her every morning at 7:30 am. “It’s just me guiding them in their meditation practice because I am a yoga and meditation teacher.”
During the pandemic, when she was deep into her healing journey, she figured, “Maybe God put me in this position [her journey towards healing] so that I can spread the message of the things that I’ve been learning.” An auspicious beginning towards a life of service and commitment.
Apart from the sessions, she constantly discusses mental health, healing, spirituality, yoga, and meditation on her social media profiles—using her platform as a springboard to help raise awareness. “I’m not claiming to be an expert of any kind, but I’m just sharing out of the goodness of my heart,” she explains.
And because of her personal experiences and her environment, she considers herself an empath. “I feel that a lot of people are collectively going through so much anxiety, fear, depression, stress,” she says. So she does all of these things to help the people around her. She holds sessions, shares words of wisdom, and even posts monthly vlogs on her Youtube channel, Maxene from Manila.
More from Tatler: Some Tips On How To Build Your Own Meditation Space At Home
A word of advice, from youth to youth
Magalona suggests that those who want to try different healing modalities have to do their research and do their exploration. “But what I would suggest, especially for those experiencing rage, [especially when] it’s already too much anger for you to handle, is seeking therapy and asking help from a professional.”
However, she stresses that if you can manage it alone, then you can do your research. “And yes, I recommend yoga so that we can release stuck tension...When we are more tense, we get more angry. But when we learn to calm and relax the body, then we will learn.”
Adults are no strangers to negative feelings. Sometimes they shut down. Sometimes they isolate. Sometimes they don’t talk to anyone for days. Sometimes they become this boiling pot of anger. They don’t know how to deal with these negative emotions. But, according to Magalona’s teacher, Daniella Mandela from the School of Healing Arts, you can express these negative feelings in healthy ways by exercising, for example.
“When we exercise, we are training ourselves to be mentally strong because, sometimes, our laziness gets the best of us,” the actress explains. “But practising, exercising every day, is not a punishment for your body. It’s a celebration of what your body can do. So you exercise.” Apart from this, she also suggests other means like yoga, meditation, and even journaling.
“You channel the energy,” says Magalona. “So when you are getting angry, already feeling the emotions bubbling up, instead of lashing out when someone is trying to trigger you, instead of engaging in that behaviour, you can say, ‘I’m starting to feel angry at this moment, and I don’t want to project that onto you. So if you can allow me to please remove myself. And then later, when both are calm, let’s reconnect’,” she advises.
Ultimately, it boils down to healthy communication and channelling pent-up energy stress-free.
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On healing and commitments
Surrender. This is what Magalona pushes. Surrender and let go. “Life is about letting go of yourself, expectations, attachments, and desires. Letting go of what no longer serves you so that you can create space for what truly means for you,” she says.
For the actress, the more you let go, the more authentic you will be revealed. And that, for her, is healing. “Healing is about removing the suffocating layers of limiting beliefs, past conditionings, and cyclic negativity.”
Furthermore, she explains that healing is about evolving and growing. “It is about revealing your authentic self and discovering who you are. That’s why no one else can do this for you but you. You have to do this.” She also encourages her students and followers to “Don’t be afraid. Healing is also about overcoming your fears so that you can go after your dreams.”
After a gruelling journey to self-healing, Magalona can proudly say that she is now a better version of herself. She is strong as she accepts and overcomes life’s challenges. She is sweet that despite her strength, she still loves and loves dearly. And she is soulful, as she confesses, “I am connected to my soul, and I pour my heart and soul into everything that I do.”
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is the assistant digital editor of Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
