From Headteacher to Yoga Teacher: Embracing the Yin and Yang of Life
Leaving the role of a headteacher was not a decision I made lightly. For years, I thrived in the world of education, shaping young minds and guiding teachers. I wore many hats—teacher, mentor, behaviour manager, creator of visions. My days were often filled with deadlines, meetings, and responsibilities that demanded focus, strength, and constant energy. Yet, despite the sense of fulfillment I found in my work, I began to feel the need for a greater sense of balance. A deeper connection to myself. A pause amidst the busyness.
I have practiced yoga in my personal life for three years, as a way to recharge, find stillness, and reconnect with my body. But over time, the more I practiced, the more I realised that yoga wasn’t just a hobby—it was calling me. It was whispering a truth I had been avoiding: I had lost touch with myself.
The transition to becoming a yoga teacher was a blend of nervousness and excitement. It wasn’t just about changing careers; it was about embracing a new approach to life itself. The shift from headteacher to yoga teacher feels like a journey from yang to yin. From the active, structured, and outward energy of leading a school to the quiet, inward, reflective energy of teaching yoga.
Yoga, like life, is about balance. Yang energy is active, dynamic, and outward, while yin energy is receptive, still, and inward. In my role as headteacher, I embodied a lot of yang. My energy was focused on moving forward, managing people, and driving change. As a yoga teacher, I find myself drawing on more yin energy: inviting people to slow down, connect with their breath, and listen to the wisdom of their own bodies.
It’s not that the two worlds are opposites; they are complementary. Both require leadership, presence, and empathy. In education, I was often pulled in many directions, managing, supporting, meeting the many demands of running a school. In yoga, I am learning to lead with presence and to guide students toward finding their own inner calm.
Yoga has taught me the importance of slowing down, tuning in, and listening—not just to my students, but to myself. It has given me the space to breathe, to grow, and to realise that balance isn’t a static state but a fluid one. My time as a headteacher was deeply fulfilling, but it was also consuming. As I take my first steps into my new life as a yoga teacher, I am learning to balance my own energies and set healthy boundaries.
Yoga has become one of my compass points. In a world that often demands that we rush, I am learning the power of slowing down. In the same way that we breathe in and breathe out, life is about knowing when to push forward (yang) and when to surrender and rest (yin). This understanding is now central to the way I approach teaching, guiding students to find that balance within themselves.
