First, let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Selen. I live in Istanbul, and my corporate career began right after I graduated from university in 2015. I have been working in the field of Human Resources for the past 11 years.
This is not a story about “escaping corporate life or the fast pace of Istanbul and taking refuge in yoga.” Instead, it is a story about yoga as “a friend walking beside me on the road,” helping make the hustle of life a little more enjoyable and mindful.
It was 2019. A colleague at my former company kept insisting that I should start practicing yoga. I had many years of ballet experience, and after graduating from ballet, one of the hobbies I enjoyed the most was Pilates. At the time, I was attending reformer Pilates classes twice a week and had absolutely no intention of giving that up. For some reason, yoga felt like something very distant to me.
One day, unable to resist my friend’s persistent encouragement, I went to the yoga studio she attended as a guest student. But I clearly remember thinking to myself: “I’m not going to continue anyway; I’m just going so I can say I tried it.” I even added, “At least I won’t be someone who never tried it.”
But to my surprise, the trial class went much better than I had expected. I started thinking, “Maybe I should join one more class.” The following week, I attended another class. Before I knew it, I was really enjoying it—and I ended up purchasing a membership package for myself.
Those days when I wondered, “Will I continue or not?” soon turned into days when I would prepare a sandwich in the morning to eat for dinner, just so I could make it from my office in Maslak to the studio in Kozyatağı for weekday evening practices. Because of the traffic, I would worry about missing the class if I relied on the shuttle, so I sometimes took three different forms of public transportation and ran to the studio completely out of breath. And it didn’t stop there—I also started attending weekend workshops. Every time I left the studio, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction that I could hardly describe.
Then came 2020… The pandemic suddenly became the center of our lives. Everything quickly shifted online. At that time, reformer classes couldn’t really continue, after all, you can’t exactly bring a Cadillac machine into your living room 😊 But yoga classes quickly started over Zoom. In fact, they became much more accessible than before. The number of classes increased, and my practice began to progress rapidly.
One room in my house always had a yoga mat laid out. Whenever I stepped away from my corporate identity, I would suddenly find myself on the mat.
Days, weeks, and months passed without leaving home, and I began to think more seriously about yoga. Around that time, I came across a social media post about the Cihangir Yoga Teacher Training program. While I was wondering, “Could I really do this?” another post appeared in front of me: “Cihangir Yoga Teacher Training Introductory Meeting.”
I said to myself, “Selen, this is not a coincidence. Just attend the meeting you’ll understand both the content of the program and your own motivation.”
I remember it clearly we were in Datça at the time. We had plans to go out that evening, and I thought I wouldn’t be able to attend the meeting. But I ran back home and joined the session at the very last minute. It was almost as if life itself wouldn’t allow me to miss it.
And I’m so glad it turned out that way. Because as I was clicking the “X” on the screen to leave the meeting, I was simultaneously telling my family:
“I’m joining the Yoga Teacher Training.”
It was an amazing training program. People who felt like medicine during a time when we couldn’t leave our homes… Seeds of friendships that would last for many years, even though we first met through a screen… And practice, practice, practice…
My days began to revolve around waiting for our online meetings with teachers and friends and the long hours of practice. As I felt myself becoming stronger both mentally and physically, I embraced yoga even more.
Meanwhile, corporate life continued at full speed. I have always loved my job; I worked happily and still do. So I was never at a point where I wanted to escape from it. But I could feel that there was another area in my life—outside of my job that was strengthening me.
As I said in the beginning, yoga became a friend walking beside me on this path.
After completing the foundational training, I also took many other courses within Cihangir Yoga, such as meditation and breathwork, restorative yoga, prenatal yoga, and a mentorship program.
At the same time, I wanted to share what I had learned with others. At first, I created a small yoga group with close friends. We would meet online on certain days and practice together with my guidance. My friends in this small, closed group supported me tremendously in my journey as a teacher, and they will always hold a special place in my heart.
Meanwhile, my friends who completed the training with me at Cihangir Yoga were also eager to teach classes, and we were looking for a platform. We were new teachers and didn’t really know where or how to begin.
Then an idea was born:
“What if we create our own online platform?”
And that’s how Yogasen entered our lives 😊
Yogasen is an online studio founded during the pandemic. I’m the one who came up with the name, but in reality it grew from the seeds planted together by many kind-hearted women who completed the Cihangir Yoga specialization program. Over time, some people joined the team and some took different paths, but Yogasen has always been a community that grows through solidarity.
For more than four years now, without interruption, we have been offering weekly online classes suitable for different levels, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, and Restorative Yoga. Our goal is to make yoga accessible to everyone and to offer it at prices that are as affordable as possible.
In October 2023, I gave birth. Five months later, I returned to my corporate job. There have been periods of intense pace, times when I felt tired, and moments when I couldn’t even hear myself. And sometimes that still happens.
For me, Yogasen is a space that refreshes my breath, balances my spirit, and brings me back to my factory settings.
I celebrate the courage I shared with the friends I started this journey with, and the dedication I share with those who continue walking this path with me today.
And perhaps most importantly, our students who have never left us on this path. I love our students who say, “We’re here, we’re waiting for you,” when we feel tired. Each of them holds a special place in my heart, and the bond I have built with them is incredibly valuable.
I’m someone who has never really loved living in Istanbul, yet I still truly love my job as a white-collar professional. For now, my plan is to continue my journey in this city and in the field of Human Resources. Along the way, the thing that nourishes me the most and pulls me out of narrow spaces whenever I feel overwhelmed will always be yoga.
My dear friend yoga, who has brought wonderful friendships into my life, transformed me, supported me, and never resents me even when I can’t devote enough time to it…
I’m so grateful that you exist.
