A Journey Home
Twenty-something years ago, I stepped into my first yoga class, and something shifted. Subtly, like a distant tremor, yet deep. So deep I couldn’t quite name it. It was as if the breath I had unknowingly held for a lifetime was finally given permission to release. A long, full-bodied exhale.
That moment marked the beginning of a lifelong relationship: with myself. Through the whirlwind of demanding jobs and London’s relentless pace, through the rawness of grief and the highs of love, through adventures to far-flung places and the inevitable return home, yoga was the constant.
It’s always been a way to land back into myself. Not just physically, but in a way that steadied my nervous system, soothed the turbulence, and helped me navigate the wild, unpredictable waves of life. Stress, responsibility, heartbreak, celebration, love, and loss, this practice held me through it all.
The Shift
Life is a rich tapestry of experiences, far too vast to sum up in words. But let me take you to a pivotal moment ten years ago, around the age of 30 (Saturn returns, anyone?). I knew something had to change. Burnout was creeping in, and I was carrying such a heavy weight of the years I’d spent pushing, striving, always moving forward at full speed. But why? And at what cost?
Eventually I couldn’t avoid the warning signs. I needed a big change in my lifestyle. So, I left. From the chaos of London to the untamed coastline of Portugal, by way of a steamy, soul-shaking yoga teacher training in Costa Rica.
Why? Because I needed space. Space to unravel. Space to understand my constant need to push. Space to learn how to hold myself in a way I never had before.
Portugal called me with its rawness. Its crashing waves, howling winds, the pulse of nature so strong it pulled me back into presence. It became my sanctuary, a place where stillness wasn’t just possible, it was necessary.
And in that space, something profound happened. I began to take responsibility for what was mine. To recognize old patterns, rewrite old stories. To ease out of fight-or-flight mode and, step by step, reclaim my energy, my choices, my life.
Sitting in stillness. Being with myself. Committing to myself. Showing up for myself.
It’s easy to romanticize escape, but the real test isn’t in leaving. It’s in learning to stay grounded in the midst of chaos. To hold your center when the world around you speeds up. That’s the real practice.
The Tools That Hold Me
My journey started with Asana, but over the years, I’ve explored deeply, collecting tools, practices, and rituals that nourish and support me:
✨ Yoga. Meditation. Breathwork. Therapy.
✨ Cold water immersion. Voice activation. Surf.
✨ Reiki. Ecstatic dance. Kirtan. Somatic practices.
✨ Traditional tantra. Deep connection with nature—the wind, the ocean, the moon, the seasons, my own circadian rhythm.
Each of these tools sits in my ever-expanding toolbox, ready to be called on as needed. Do I dedicate three hours a day to a rigid routine of meditation, asana, breathwork, journaling, and reiki? No. But do I weave these practices into my days in ways that support me, restore balance, and bring me back to myself? Yes, absolutely.
The Journey Continues
Healing isn’t linear, and it doesn’t come with an endpoint. My journey continues to unfold, shift, and evolve, revealing new depths and new shadows. I’ve met my inner child in the darkness, held her hand as she skipped alongside me. I’ve peeled back layer after layer, learning to sit with my fears, my anxieties, my vulnerabilities.
And piece by piece, breath by breath, I move toward acceptance of all that I am.
The journey is lifelong. And every step is worth it.
On paper…
- Yoga Alliance Certified 200hr YTT with Ella Luckett, Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica (2016)
- CHhA UK Certified Ayurvedic Yoga Massage Institute Diploma Training with James Winstanley, Goa, India (2017)
- Weekend workshop of yoga, pranyama and the myth of Ganesha with Todd Tesen, Lisbon, Portugal (2018)
- Prenatal Yoga teacher training with Sandra Varas, Lisbon, Portugal (2019)
- Yoga Alliance Certified 100hr YTT with Satya Loka School of Traditional Tantra (2023)
- Bachelor of Arts in French & Classical Studies, University of Exeter, UK (2006)
An overwhelming THANK YOU to all of my teachers…
Elizabeth Peck; Joyce McMiken; Leone Roberts; Ella Luckett; Nicole Hudson; Todd Tesen; Lisa Andersson Rhodiner; James Winstanley; Sandra Varas, Tamar Lapid, Radasi.