The Path So Far

I grew up in China, where my early years were filled with books, piano, and dance—activities that felt natural to me, yet never quite helped me fit into the rigid expectations around me. School was a struggle, and by my late teens, anxiety and depression pushed me to leave. I moved to Barcelona, hoping a new environment would bring clarity, but instead, I found myself just as lost—studying a subject I didn’t connect with (International Business), then working a corporate job that left me physically and mentally exhausted.

A Master’s degree in development brought me to London, where I hoped to engage with the social and political issues that mattered to me. But after working with international organisations, I realised how disconnected policy work often is from real lives, and left me disillusioned.

Yoga entered my life quietly. My first class in 2018 was more about ego than awareness—I pushed my body too hard, trying to prove something. But during the pandemic, alone in my apartment, I started practicing Ashtanga daily. Without the pressure to perform, I began to notice the subtleties: how breath could steady my mind, how movement could ground me when my thoughts spiraled. Slowly, yoga became less about flexibility and more about being present—with discomfort, with uncertainty, with myself.

What began as physical exercise became a way to untangle the patterns I’d carried for years—the need to please, the self-criticism, the avoidance of difficult emotions. On the mat, I learned to observe these habits without judgment. Meditation, which once felt like an impossible task, became a space where I could step back from my thoughts rather than be consumed by them.

Now, as I deepen my studies and teaching, I see yoga as a practice of return: to the body, to the breath, to a quieter way of engaging with the world. It’s not about escaping life’s complexities but meeting them with more clarity and less reactivity. My background in social development still informs my perspective—I’m interested in how yoga can bridge divides, not just internally but collectively. But for now, I’m focused on the simple, daily practice of showing up—on the mat and off—with a little more awareness, and a little less resistance.