Finding clarity in life is sometimes a matter of having the courage to embark on a journey towards it. For Yogeshree Borde, yoga practitioner and instructor, discovering her passion began with a willingness to embrace the discomfort of the unknown.
For anyone struggling to find their path in life, Yogeshree shares her wisdom steeped in personal experience, “Allow yourself to be lost. Truly, don’t rush to find clarity. The confusion, the heartbreak, the “what am I even doing with my life?” moments, are a part of your becoming.”
From a passionate journalist and later a hardworking corporate worker to now discovering her purpose in yoga, Yogeshree’s journey is a reminder that not knowing where life is taking you doesn’t have to be something to panic over – the unknown could be the best thing that happens to you!
A beacon of positive energy and a calming presence – both in teaching and content creation – Yogeshree is November’s Monthly Muse. In conversation with her, we dive into her personal journey into yoga, her content creation endeavours on her Instagram ‘Yog with Yogeshree’, finding the courage to switch career paths, forging connections with people and creating safe spaces for everyone.
Read our enlightening conversation below!
Take me through your yoga journey. How long have you been practicing yoga and when did you decide to make it a career path?
I think yoga has always been somewhere in my life even before I understood what it really was. My grandfather was deeply fond of the practice & as a child, he would make me sit & do a few postures with him. But back then, it was just something we did.
My real yoga journey began in 2020, during one of the most difficult phases of my life. I was dealing with deep personal loss & a wave of anxiety, panic attacks and sleepless nights that left me constantly on edge. I had been on medication for over four years, went to therapists, tried everything but nothing really worked out for me and I didn’t wanted to be dependent on medication. That’s when I turned to yoga, not as a spiritual seeker, but simply as someone desperate to feel a little better & happy again. But here’s the truth no one really tells you: yoga doesn’t always make you feel better right away. In the beginning, it actually made me feel worse. My practice brought up all the pent up emotions I had been storing in my body for years, grief, anger, guilt, fear and there were days I could barely hold a pose without crying or wanting to stop. But I kept showing up. And over time, something started to shift quietly. My breath became my anchor. My mind calmer. I started sleeping better. I began to feel a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in years. I continued my practice practice diligently for over five years.
As for making it my career, honestly, I never decided to. It just happened. I took a break from work & went to Rishikesh to do a 200-hour Teacher Training Course purely for my personal growth. But the experience was so transformative that when I completed it, I was offered an opportunity to teach at a yoga school in Rishikesh. And that’s how it began!
What does an average day in the life of a yoga instructor look like?
My mornings usually begin around 5:30ish. I like to start the day in silence doing my own practice. That quiet hour feels sacred to me as it helps me center myself before I hold space for my students.
At 6:15, I take my first morning class. Some mornings are light, while others go deep but that’s the beauty of teaching yoga. The energy of the class is never the same.
The rest of the day usually flows into planning upcoming classes, organising offline & corporate workshops and handling the administrative side of things. There’s also a lot of coordination, content creation & communication involved.
Then comes my evening batch at 4:30, where students join in from the US and UK. Once that’s done, it’s family time. Right now, I am in my hometown, Nagpur and I cherish every bit of time I get to spend with my father & grandmother.
When I am in Rishikesh, my afternoons look different. I usually practice with my teacher, it’s an intensive two-hour session that challenges me & humbles me every time. After that, I rest a little, have lunch, and in the evenings, I sit by the Ganga Ghat. It’s the most favourite part of my day, meditating while overlooking the Shiva statue & the flow of Ganga Ma. I play some of my favourite Ram bhajans by the end of the day before bedtime.
As a yoga & breath work facilitator, I see my role as someone who creates a safe space where people can truly be themselves.
You regularly create and share content around yoga but also other wellbeing topics. How do you strike a balance between engaging with online audiences and your work as a yoga instructor?
Honestly, I’m still figuring it out. Some days I manage to balance teaching, creating, and engaging online and on other days, I completely fall off track. And I have made peace with that.
There are times when I completely disappear from Instagram. When I feel tired or drained, I need to refill my own cup first. I can’t pour from an empty cup, right?
I try to stay very real with my audience. I don’t pretend to have it all together because I don’t. Sharing that honest, human side helps people relate to you in a deeper way. I want them to know that if they are going through something difficult, they can reach out to me. Someone once did that for me when I was at my lowest, and now it feels like my turn to hold that space for others.
You have a background in media, how has that shaped how you interact with people from different backgrounds/personalities as part of your work now?
My seven-plus years of background in media & journalism taught me one of the most important skills i.e, to truly listen. During those years, I interacted with people from every walk of life, politicians, artists, CEOs, spiritual leaders, and I realized something simple that everyone just wants to be heard.
That understanding has shaped how I hold space for my students today. As a yoga & breath work facilitator, I see my role as someone who creates a safe space where people can truly be themselves.Where they can feel seen, heard & not judged. I try to bring that same curiosity from my media days into every class, along with my warmth, empathy & presence.
For anyone who wants to start their own yoga journey but don’t know where to begin, what piece of advice would you share?
There’s this huge misconception that yoga is only for flexible or lean people. But yoga was never about that. It’s not about how your body looks in a posture, rather it’s about how you feel in the posture.
Every person can and should practice yoga, in whatever way that feels accessible to them. You don’t need a perfect mat, outfit, or setup. Start small. That’s really all it takes. Even if it’s five minutes of breathing or sitting quietly with your eyes closed, do it. It will make you feel really clam and rejuvenated.
I find it inspiring that you shifted career paths and found your passion. For anyone struggling to find their own path in life, share your wisdom and motivations.
I used to think I had to have it all figured out, the stable job, the good life. But life has a way of stripping away everything that’s not meant for you until you finally turn inward. That’s what happened to me. So, I would say, don’t ever be afraid to walk away from things or people that no longer feel aligned, even if they look “good” on paper. Stability means nothing if it costs you peace.
Sit with the messy parts of yourself. Feel what is uncomfortable. Heal what hurts & when you start doing that, life quietly begins to show what’s truly meant for you.
Finally, do you have any visions or dreams for the future? Is there anything you’re particularly keen to achieve or experience in life where your career is concerned?
I want to create spaces, where people can come back home to themselves through breath, yoga & awareness. Spaces that feel safe, real & nurturing. I see myself as someone who holds conversations around healing, grief & rediscovery, the kind of conversations that remind people they are not alone in what they feel.
In the coming time, I aspire to travel, teach & collaborate globally. Connect with like-minded individuals, continue writing from my heart and allow myself the space to explore, to fail, to evolve, again and again.
Connect with Yogeshree : Instagram
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