The shift came when I turned 29. Juggling my career, personal life, self-care, and constant travel, topped off with moving to a new country and rebuilding my life from scratch, was a bit too much for my body to handle. Every stressful moment or lack of routine hit me physically. Eventually, I realised something had to change. Back in Moscow, I had enjoyed combining aerial stretching with tennis, and it worked well for me. But here in Amsterdam, where aerial studios are nearly non-existent, I had to let go of that and started searching for alternatives. Yoga was the closest and easiest option to pick up.
I began exploring different studios and styles of yoga — from Hatha and Vinyasa to Yin, restorative, and hot yoga. Some classes left me wondering why I even bothered — a bit too focused on the spiritual side and lacking the movement I craved, while others just didn’t have the right energy. I am not even talking about all these times I felt like an imposter worming my way in between people chanting the ‘Om’ sound. But, as with most things, it was all part of the trial-and-error process, and eventually, I found a few places that felt like the perfect fit. What I didn’t expect was that the greatest benefit I gained wasn’t just physical, but mental too — the peace of mind I didn’t realise I had been needing.