Yoga Found Me. Peace Was Already Calling.

My yoga journey began in 2013, during a time I felt completely broken.

Not the kind of broken that others can see — but the kind that leaves you empty inside, quietly holding it all together while falling apart within.

I was living in a relationship that made me feel invisible, disrespected, and small.

I had lost my sense of self. My passion for hair design was gone.

I didn’t know who I was anymore.

And one day, in silent desperation, I whispered a simple prayer:

“All I ask for… is peace of mind.”

Just one breath where I could rest.

That longing brought me to my first yoga class.

And within minutes on the mat — tears came.

Not from pain, but relief. Something inside me exhaled.

A quiet voice whispered:

“You’ve come home.”

Within six months, I was studying privately with my first teacher, Kathleen Kossmann.

Yoga became my way back to breath, body, and soul — a sacred space of safety, stillness, and re-connection.

I didn’t want to do yoga.

I wanted to live it.

To understand it.

To become it.

Like in Eat, Pray, Love, I felt a deep call to completely reset. I knew I needed time for myself — to step away from everything familiar and see life from a new perspective.

India: The Second Life Within This Life

In July 2014, I traveled to India.

My journey began with a women’s Shakti program, a 2-week immersion into ancient Indic traditions. I was especially interested in finding an order between male and female roles, balancing inner feminine and masculine aspects, discovering harmony in relationships, and reconnecting with myself as a woman. I explored my values and strengths, offered myself love, and came to understand how the way I move through life connects with universal law.

I then entered a traditional 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, certified by Yoga Alliance International, under the guidance of the teacher who became my lifelong master: Krishna Prakash — a teacher whose presence and integrity brought ancient teachings to life. What I cherish most about Krishna Prakash is not only his wisdom, but the integrity with which he lives it. He is a living reflection of the yogic path — someone who walks his talk with humility. Learning from him feels like remembering something ancient inside myself.

I lived in the ashram, practicing Hatha Yoga, mantra, karma yoga, bhakti, yogic philosophy — not from textbooks, but through embodied rhythm and living lineage.

We journeyed to Arunachala, undertaking the 14 km spiritual, transformative walk around the sacred hill in Tiruvannamalai — a journey from the external to the internal, from seeking to being. Known for purification, dissolving karma, fulfilling wishes, and deepening connection with the divine through prayer and meditation. We visited the ashrams of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Yogi Ramsuratkumar. While in Tiruvannamalai, we received the blessing of Ma Devaki — one of Yogi Ramsuratkumar’s closest disciples, known for her selfless surrender and lifelong service to his path. Her teaching and state of presence left a lasting impression.

That whole journey — the entire India experience — not just a moment, but every step,

became a turning point in my life. A clear line where everything shifted.

“Life before India” and “after India.”

Yin Yoga

Returning from India, I longed for a local teacher — someone whose presence I could experience in person, and with whom I could continue to share practice and stay anchored on the path. That’s when I met Linda Soleil — a brief but deeply affirming presence. Linda carried a peace, softness, and strength that anchored me. She entrusted me — a fresh, untested teacher — with her full class of 22 students.

When I asked, “Why me?”

She smiled gently and said,

“Because you are brave. And you have amazing intuition.”

One of the greatest teachings she offered me was this:

“You cannot have peace with anyone here… The only peace you can have is with yourself.”

Yin Yoga became a way to hold space for myself and others. Long-held postures in stillness offered a doorway to patience, softness, and surrender — allowing the body to open on its own. Through breath, I found a way to let go of striving, and simply listen.

A New Doorway Opens

Linda moved away soon after. Though I remained in touch with Krishna Prakash, the physical distance left me wishing for someone whose presence and practice I could share in person.

To my greatest surprise — and even greater doubt — the next teacher who came wasn’t from the world of yoga.

But he would open a path that deeply shaped the way I live today.

I met Master George Rego, founder of the Jukido Academy — a respected Jukido Jujitsu self-defense teacher, whose presence carried strength, humility, and deep-rooted tradition. I felt a deep resonance in his teachings: presence, structure, discipline, surrender — and the ability to embody both the softest kindness and the sharpest killer in one.

I found it fascinating how martial arts and yoga intersect — how they support and inform each other.

After a couple of years of training, in 2021, I had the great honor of co-creating and guiding a program called Yoga for Jukido — a supportive practice for martial artists — often strong, young men — to explore relaxation, flexibility, mobility. We practiced softening, stretching, breath awareness, coordinating breath with movement, releasing tension, and the quiet power of stillness and letting go.

Holding Space: A Sanctuary for Being

For the first two years after returning from India, I taught at a local yoga studio — guiding traditional Hatha, Yin Yoga, and meditative blends of both.

I then created my own space: Holding Space — a place where people could feel safe to simply be. We explored self-discovery through:

gentle yoga, breathwork, meditation, emotional release, bodywork, cuddling therapy, chanting, eye connection, soul talks, shared silence.

Continued Study and Return to India

I remained in close connection with Krishna Prakash, deepening my understanding through some private sessions, and occasional — yet still limited in those years — online presence. Since 2020, I immersed myself in Enlightened Living, followed by Advanced Yoga Nidra, and every available offering he shared.

In 2022, I completed a 180-hour Indic Life Coach Certification, diving into Vedic, Tantric, and Yogic tools for soul-centered guidance — guiding others through true listening and inviting them back to themselves.

In 2022 and 2023, I participated in ongoing Bhagavad Gita essence circles, where we explored its wisdom and life application.

In 2023, I returned to India for my 500-hour advanced training, again under Krishna Prakash. My dream of daily Yoga Sutra study came true — one of the most precious times of my life, filled with realizations and understanding that continue to shape how I live, speak, and meet each moment to this day.

Power of Listening — A Calling

During my time in India, I also came to recognize my next step.

In 2024, I founded the Power of Listening Foundation — a global nonprofit offering emotional support through deep, nonjudgmental presence.

Born from years of holding space for those in pain — including my work on national helplines for suicide prevention, domestic violence, and sexual assault, the foundation’s mission is simple:

To help people feel less alone in what they’re going through.

No advice. No judgment. Just someone truly listening — so one can hear their own quiet wisdom.

What I Offer

Yoga saved my life — and still transforms me every day.

So now, I offer it back.

To you.

Not to fix you, not to change you,

But to walk alongside you.

To come home — to your body, your breath, your truth.

You don’t have to be strong or flexible to begin.

Just show up — as you are.

Let’s begin there.

Together.

“You are not a problem to be solved. You are a miracle to be discovered.” — Ewelina Stępnicka

“We just walk each other home.” — Rumi