“When we rush, we force ourselves”

Popi

Yoga came into my life in 2010, almost by chance. Walking through the lanes of my village, I saw a poster that caught my eye. At that time my life was full of intensity and movement. I was hiking, cycling, swimming every day. I was someone who loved action, so I thought, "why not? I have nothing to lose, let me give it a try."

Yoga helped me build a more meaningful relationship with myself. To live more in the present, to cultivate gratitude for what I have today, and to appreciate the small everyday moments. What began as an experiment gradually became a journey towards myself. Through the practice I started connecting more with my emotions, with joy and calm but also with my anxiety and my struggles, and noticing the messages my body sends when I feel those emotions.

While I had always been a very sociable person, through yoga I learned to love silence too. To discover the power of the breath, of meditation and of inner observation. Over time it became part of my daily life, and that is when the need was born in me to share it with other people as well. In 2017 I trained in Hatha Yoga, completing my 200-hour training on Rhodes, and from there began an ongoing journey of growth through seminars, silent retreats and new experiences.

Yoga wasn't just a practice for the body. It was a way of getting to know myself more deeply. Through that process, parts of me that were asking for acceptance came to the surface, old wounds and experiences that needed care. That led me to psychotherapy and to my deeper personal growth.

Before this journey I felt I was living more in a world based on material things and outward appearances. I came to see that we can grow not only through pain but also through love. I began to see difficulties not as punishments but as lessons. Yoga showed me another perspective: that we are not only what we acquire or what shows on the outside. We are something much greater.

Popi

It began with a personal experience. I met a woman from Finland who worked with sound healing, and I tried the process myself. I felt a deep relaxation and a different kind of connection with myself. That made me want to bring sound healing elements into my teaching. I noticed in my students, too, that through sound they can leave behind the tension of the day, the stress and the thoughts that weigh them down. Many tell me after class that they feel calmer, lighter and more present.

For me, yoga and sound healing complement one another. They create a space where a person can return to themselves on every level, physical, emotional and mental alike.

At the same time I continue my own training, I take part in group psychotherapy, and I carry on with my own journey of self-knowledge.

Popi

I believe so, yes. I see people around me who are struggling to make a living, people who every day try, work and fight to keep up with the demands of life. Under that constant pressure we often lose our connection with ourselves, with the people around us and with nature. I feel that our lives have often shifted into a permanent state of speed. We rush to keep up with obligations, goals and daily needs, but we forget to be truly present in the moment, and perhaps it is no coincidence that we see more and more people experiencing intense anxiety, exhaustion, burnout, and also various psychosomatic manifestations, such as autoimmune conditions. The body often expresses what we haven't yet found the time to listen to. I once read a phrase somewhere that touched me: "When we rush, we force ourselves", and I believe that phrase describes our times very well. So often we don't give ourselves the time to feel, to rest, to connect.

Just the other day I posted a text on my personal Instagram profile that started from exactly that thought. I remembered the children who used to run through the lanes of the neighbourhood, the neighbourhoods that were full of life and of people who shared more moments together. Houses may have been smaller then and people may have had fewer things, but there was more contact, more presence. Today we often have more comfort and more choices, but less time to truly live. Covid made this distancing even more acute. Many people withdrew further into themselves, and a part of everyday contact and simple human connection was lost. Children today grow up more through screens, people are constantly rushing, and in that haste we forget the small but essential moments: a conversation, a coffee, a hug, a presence.

That is where yoga and sound healing come in. For me they are a way of returning to the present. Through breath, movement and silence we create space to listen to ourselves again. The mind is a relentless machine that constantly generates thoughts and scenarios. The practice of yoga helps us stop for a while, observe, and remember that we are not only our thoughts. In the end, life is not only what you acquire; it is what you find the time to live, and the people you share it with.

Popi

The two roles have a great deal in common, since in both cases I am close to people. Whether through my work at the hotel or through yoga, what I try to offer is a better experience, a space where a person can feel at ease and connect more deeply with themselves.

In my work at the hotel I meet people every day with different needs and different expectations. I often notice that, although they have come to rest and enjoy a beautiful experience, they find it hard to leave behind the tension of everyday life. Sometimes pressure and stress make a person focus more on small details, or on things that may not matter all that much, instead of enjoying the moment they are living as a whole. That has taught me to approach every person with more understanding, patience and composure. Behind every behaviour there is always a need or an emotion.

Something similar happens in yoga. Through the practice we try to return to the present, to find space within ourselves, to relax and to reconnect with who we are. So the yoga classes I teach and my work at a 5-star hotel on Rhodes ultimately share a common purpose: the person. Helping them find a space of calm, care and connection. Of course, it also takes their own willingness to take that step.

Yoga has personally helped me face my own challenges with more calm, patience and composure, qualities I carry into both sides of my life.

Popi

In recent years I have seen greater growth and a rising interest in yoga and wellness. Retreats, one-to-one sessions and new kinds of experiences are being created, and I believe there is room for people who want to follow this path professionally. However, I think that anyone who wants to work in this field needs, above all, authenticity and a genuine desire to give; it should never be merely a way to make money. It takes love for what you do, respect for the person in front of you and a real connection with what you offer, and I say this from personal experience too.

My own main livelihood is the hotel industry, while alongside it I have chosen to share yoga as a path of giving, growth and connection with people. I believe someone can build a career through yoga and wellness, but there needs to be a proper foundation and the right intention. There are now retreats that can cost as much as 2,000 euros, which shows there is interest and there are people who invest in such experiences. Even so, I think it is important that these practices don't become something inaccessible, because their purpose is connection, self-knowledge and the lifting of the human spirit.

For me, the essence is to build strong foundations, to keep growing and to give truthfully. When that intention is there, yoga retains its true value.