From burnout to rebirth

August 2016, I am back to my hometown after 17 years away: from Edinburgh to Barcelona before ending up back in France 400 miles from home 4 years prior.

Here I am, my whole life packed in boxes. Back to basics after quitting my trilingual assistant job following months of struggle through burnout. No plan. The only thing I know for certain is: something has to change. I do not know what, how, when, where. All I need is time and space to heal, regain my energy and clarity.

Soon after I am back, I follow an inner calling and attend a 1:1 yoga class. Little do I know it is going to be a life changer. That day, I connect not only to my body but to my whole self. I literally feel a shift within. From then on, I attend a weekly class and integrate yoga practice to my self-care routine.

Yoga provides me space, time, breath and body awareness. I learn to pay attention to my inner voice. I gradually notice the benefits in my daily life. I am calmer even though I have no specific plan. All I know is that I have a strong feeling about needing a purposeful job aligned with my values. Also, I feel the urge to help people struggling with burnout and mental health.

After a few weeks, I realize I want to train as a yoga teacher. A profound sense of clarity and purpose accompanied this decision, allowing me to dismiss the initial limiting thoughts. This conviction, coupled with the desire to help others, set me on this fulfilling path. Seizing an opportunity, I spend several months in Thailand for three consecutive years, wholly dedicated to yoga. These chapters are rich in experiences, starting with my certified Hatha Yoga teacher training in 2017 followed by Yin Yoga teacher training the following year in France. I have since trained in Dance Yoga which combines yoga postures, breath awareness and dance movements.

The benefits of yoga go far beyond the flexibility, the postures and physical benefits highlighted in the medias nowadays.

In fact, the meaning of the Sanskrit root of the word yoga, ‘yuj’ (yoke), to connect, enlightens us on its role as a link, connecting the body, the mind and the breath.

Mindful breathing is key to being and feeling present in the here and now. During a posture it makes the difference between executing it and inhabiting it. Body and breath are interconnected. Also, it has been proven that by changing the way we breathe we can mitigate stress, anger, anxiety and depression. Hence, yoga and mindfulness increase our interoception (perception of bodily sensations and body inner state).

This is why yoga is so much more than postures. It is a constant practice too, on the mat and off the mat: the practice of getting to know oneself, through the postures, through the breath, through self-observation.

We can think of the yoga practice as a way to train to flex our observation muscle, as a way to get closer to our deeper Self. Which is why practicing yoga, beyond being a wellness and spiritual practice, can be a precious help when struggling through burnout or mental health issues.

Moreover, it is important to remind that flexibility is not a prerequisite for starting or doing yoga but the consequence of its regular practice. Focusing on flexibility, or rather the ‘lack of’ it, sometimes results in people refrain from even trying yoga.

Yoga guides us not only towards an opening of consciousness to ourselves but also to our connection to the world, the universe. We contact this sensation of how everything is connected. The better we know ourselves, the better we are able to become aware of what is happening within us, our thoughts, patterns and behaviors that harm our inner ecology and our relationships.

Whatever the reason you start, yoga will meet you where you are at.