Here is my story - I have never been what others would consider a stable and routine kind of person. If you want a better image of it, my brother-in-law would say I used to "run around like a mad chicken". I’ve always loved exploring, meeting new people, trying new things and discovering new places. When I was younger, I used to think my life was so exciting. I thought I was doing things differently than others and I had plenty of self-confidence.
I'm also one of those people who needs and craves change. I grew up on a tiny island in French Polynesia (and I mean tiny!). There is one single road that goes around the island for about 60 km. But once you start knowing where every single curve and coconut tree is on the road, you dream of only one thing - CHANGE.
As a teenager, change meant exploring, travelling, and leaving behind mom and dad (because of course at that age, you believe you are autonomous and old enough). So I left behind my safe little cocoon and everything I had ever known to pursue my studies in Paris and my dream of exploring the world.
Life went on with many ups and downs. I changed cities, apartments, countries, jobs, and partners...many times. I was well known for being "the unstoppable chacha". Always doing 100 things at the same time, putting a lot, if not all my energy and being in every single part of both my personal and professional life.
Things went on like this for at least 10 years and at the time I thought I was living the good life. That was until the day I realised I couldn’t keep going like that forever.
One day I woke up and I couldn't move. I was exhausted. My whole body and soul were depleted. That day I cried a lot. I felt lost and empty. I knew what I didn’t want, but at the same time, I had no idea of what I actually wanted. It took me a few years to figure it all out. A few years to understand what was missing and realise what I deeply wanted. A few years to understand that all that change, that "non-stop" lifestyle I was living for years, was the fear of simply pausing and sitting with myself. The fear of looking inward and realising how empty it was. The fear of facing the truth. That day, all I deeply wanted was to settle. I was craving calm, pause, connection, surrender and sleep.
I started this journey of reconnection with my higher self through yoga. In my previous "corporate" life, I used to start working at 5 am but the last thing I could have imagined was getting out of bed for yoga. It was harder than I imagined. There were many times I thought about putting my alarm on snooze. Because I was too cold, too tired, or simply wanting morning cuddles with my loved one. But I kept going.
The point of this whole story is that even before noticing it, by making time for my precious self through yoga, I was slowly creating my new morning routine. For the first time in many years, I was putting myself first before anything and anyone else. It was the beginning of my healing journey, and my "rebirth" as the best version of myself I could be.
Now, I am going to stop talking about my story, because it is time to write yours! We left you plenty of space for it. Close your eyes, inhale deeply through the nose, exhale through the mouth and go!
Have fun :)
Charlotte opened her first Yoga studio in Kilbirnie, Wellington, just a month after lockdown.
She believes in food, time for oneself and sustainability.
She believes that it is only by doing and engaging that we get clarity with what we really want, and who we truly are.
She believes in "progress, not perfection".
She deeply believes in the power of self-love and letting-go and wants to help others to find it too.
NOWBreathe Studio is a space where you don't have to do anything or be anyone else other than your true self. A space to relearn, transform, create and connect. A space to pause, breathe and simply be. A space to reconnect with the magic that surrounds us, and above all, to embrace the magic that lies within us. A space where we don't take life so seriously. Where tradition and modernity find harmony. Where spirituality meets reggae beats, and where we can meditate as hard as we can laugh, dance and play. A space for yoga, breathwork, meditation, community and many more holistic techniques and practices. This space is yours.
