As I sit down to write this first post, I feel a mix of emotions—touched, excited, proud, and a little anxious. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, with ideas constantly flooding my mind. Yet, for many years, none of them materialized. I would lose faith in them, thinking they were too unrealistic or simply not exciting anymore. It took me more than 12 years after university to finally embark on a path that felt right—or at least, closer to it. And even now, I’m not sure I’ve "found it." But I’m learning that it’s okay to be unsure. We came into this world to try out things and fail. We constantly compare ourselves to a better version of ourselves, or to other people who are faster, younger, prettier, and so on. This makes us think that we somehow missed the train. However, there will always be a train to jump on, and the journey it takes us on might be the most exciting of our life. It might be a journey with delays, a journey where we need to jump off, wait, and take the next train. But we will arrive.
So, what sparked the idea of creating my own yoga retreats?
India was my inspiration, and I will always be grateful for this journey. Before traveling to India in 2023 for my Yoga Teacher Training, I went through a very difficult personal as well as professional time. After many years, I had fallen in love with someone who didn’t return my feelings. I was stressed at work, on the verge of burnout. I was tired—tired of everything. I had never thought of India before, but having wanted to do a Yoga Teacher Training for many years, it came to me as a logical option. And as soon as this seed was planted in my head, it started growing into something bigger, something that rooted in my soul and will never die.
When I touched down in India, I felt a strong connection to this country. Its people are very friendly, heartwarming, and open, which probably reminded me of my Greek half. I was mesmerized by this country’s beauty, the people’s friendliness and openness. And I loved the food! Taking the teacher training felt like taking a break for—and from—my mind. Besides the physical challenge of two classes and a 4:45 a.m. wake-up call every day, I was on vacation—mentally and physically. Finally, my problems seemed so small in a world where you learn to listen to your inner self, to your soul (Atman). That soul is eternal, has no beginning and no end, and goes beyond the ego and material existence. In theory, if you learn to listen to your true self, silencing the noise of ego, you achieve true happiness and peace. In that moment, you become one with the universe. I can’t claim that I came back from India as a completely new person, changing my habits and beliefs forever. That would be an exaggeration and wouldn’t align with my modern lifestyle. But I came back more centered and balanced, and I learned to carefully listen to my inner self.
Meeting all these amazing teachers in India, I noticed the different approach of classes compared to the ones I had taken in Germany. Indian teachers take the yoga practice to a whole different level. They have deep knowledge of every asana, they keep an eye on proper alignment, they are the masters of assists, and they know how to push you to the next level. Many of them have studied yoga for many years and have been practicing it their whole lives. One might think that since yoga was born in India, it must be some sort of national sport there. But it’s not. Yoga schools are present in specific areas, especially in places where Westerners travel for practice, like Rishikesh, Varkala, or Mysore.
Having enjoyed India so much, I felt a strong urge to share its cultural beauty with like-minded people in Europe. I thought about how amazing it would be to help these teachers travel to Europe and share their wisdom and passion for yoga with us. At the same time, I wanted to give people in Europe the opportunity to experience the beauty of India and other countries for themselves. Out of this desire, the idea of Evexia was born. I’m excited to share this experience with others through Evexia, and I hope you’ll join me on this journey of discovery and growth!