The Sunday Reset: weekly reflections on the healing practices that have brought me back to wholeness as I built a 6 figure business. Every Sunday, you’ll receive a new tool to reconnect you to self- so you can lead your business from a place of authenticity.
As you know, I never set out on a healing journey when I started my business.
There was no grand plan to confront my past or process emotional pain. I wanted to build a business that gave me freedom and somewhere along the way… healing found me.
One of the most dramatic and intense healing practices I discovered was a new style of yoga that completely changed the way I experienced my body, my emotions, and my inner world.
A Detour That Became a Turning Point
In 2021 I was living in Floripa, an island in Brazil. I had just moved into a new Airbnb in a different part of the island, when the host casually asked me if I came there for yoga.
I had no idea what he was referring to. But he told me there was a well-known yoga studio just down the street — one people actually traveled for.
So I decided to check it out.
I’d been practicing yoga for years, already and assumed I was walking into a typical flow class. What I got was something else entirely.
My Introduction to Ashtanga
At the front desk, I was asked if I had ever practiced Ashtanga before.
I hadn’t.
They told me to go into the room, roll out my mat, and wait for instructions.
When I entered the studio, I already knew something was different. The room was dimly lit. Students were already sweating, moving through poses silently and independently. There was no teacher calling out instructions — just people in their own worlds, breathing deeply, intensely focused.
I was introduced to what’s called a Mysore-style Ashtanga practice. It’s a self-led class based on a set sequence of poses that you learn once and then repeat every time. The teacher “passes” you new poses once you’ve mastered the previous ones.
Initially, I was confused and disoriented, but after I finished my first call I was sold.
What Started to Happen
I began going every day. At first, I was focused on learning the sequence — memorizing the poses, getting stronger, building endurance.
But then the emotional shifts began.
At the end of each session, during Shavasana (the resting pose), I found myself crying. Not because I was sad. Not because something specific had happened. I wasn’t crying from my mind. I was crying from my body.
I asked my teacher about this and she told me it was a “purifying practice”.
I could feel it.
There was something about going through the sequence of poses every single day that was shaking loose trauma that had been stored in my cells.
It was as if years of unprocessed emotion were finally able to release.
I didn’t even know that emotional weight was in me, but my body did. And this practice gave it permission to let go.
The Healing Power of Repetition
Something else that makes Ashtanga yoga so powerful is its consistency. You do the same sequence every time. You don’t have to watch your teacher for the next pose. You aren’t focused externally. You know the poses by heart so you can go inwards.
The repetition became an anchor for me.
As I continued to travel, I kept practicing. It didn’t matter what city or country I was in — I had this ritual that grounded me. It became a form of stability amidst uncertainty. A way of reminding my nervous system: You are safe. You are here. You are held.
There are honestly no words to describe the profound impact that Ashtanga yoga has had on me.
In the mind. To anchor me into groundedness and stability while I travel the world.
In the body. To build strength and flexibility.
In the heart. To release emotions and trauma I’ve been carrying around for years.
It’s changed me in so many ways.
The practice is intense. It’s not for everyone. But if you are intrigued, look up “Ashtanga yoga” near you and see if you can find a studio.
Some of my favorite Ashtanga teachers on Youtube are
Kino also has a great book on Ashtanga that goes super deep into the theory behind the practice.
Discussion Question:
Do you practice yoga? What about Ashtanga in particular? What benefits have you noticed from your practice?
Comment below and share!
