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 Human Resources for 11 years.
This is not a piece about "escaping corporate life or Istanbul's pace and taking refuge in yoga." Instead, it is a piece about yoga as "a friend who walks alongside me on the road" — making the hustle of life a little more enjoyable and mindful.
It was 2019. A colleague at my previous company kept insisting that I should start yoga. I had years of ballet experience, and after finishing ballet, pilates had become one of my favorite hobbies. At the time I was going to reformer classes twice a week and had no intention of stopping. For some reason, yoga felt very far away from 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 remember it very clearly: I was thinking to myself, "I won't continue anyway, I'm just going so I can say I tried it."
But as it turned out, the trial class went much better than I expected. I thought, "Should I join one more class?" The following week I went to another class. Then I realized I was really enjoying it, and I bought a membership package.
Those days of wondering "Will I keep going or not?" turned into days of rushing to evening weeknight sessions — preparing a sandwich in the morning to eat for dinner on the way, taking three different modes of public transport because I was worried I couldn't make it on time by shuttle. And it didn't stop there; I was also attending weekend workshops. Every time I left the studio I carried an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
Then came 2020… The pandemic settled right at the center of our lives. Everything quickly shifted online. Reformer classes stayed put; without a Cadillac at home, we couldn't bring them to the screen. But yoga classes quickly moved to Zoom and became much more accessible. The number of classes grew, and my practice began advancing rapidly.
A mat was always spread out on the floor in one room of the house. The moment I shed my corporate identity, I found myself on the mat.
As days, weeks, and months passed without leaving home, I started thinking more seriously about yoga. Around that time, a post about Cihangir Yoga Teacher Training appeared on my social media. While I was wondering "Could I do this?" another post appeared: "Cihangir Yoga Teacher Training Information Session."
I told myself, "Selen, this is not a coincidence. Just attend this session once — you'll understand both the content of the training and your own motivation."
We were in Datca at the time. That evening we had plans outside. Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to attend the meeting, I rushed home and joined at the last minute. Life literally would not let me miss it.
And thank goodness for that. Because as I was clicking the X button to leave the meeting, I was telling my family, "I'm joining the Yoga Teacher Training."
It was a wonderful training program. People who were like medicine during those days when we couldn't leave home… The seeds of friendships that would last many years, even though we met through a screen… And practice, practice, practice…
My days were now spent eagerly awaiting our online meetups and hours-long practice sessions. The more I felt myself growing stronger mentally and physically, the more I embraced yoga.
While all of this was happening, corporate life also continued at full speed. I have always loved my work; I worked happily and joyfully, and still do. So I was never at a point of wanting to escape from it. But I felt this: outside of this work, there is another area in my life that strengthens me.
As I said at the very beginning, yoga became a friend who could walk alongside me on this road.
After completing the foundational training, I also took many different courses within Cihangir Yoga: meditation and breathwork, restorative yoga, prenatal yoga, mentorship program…
At the same time, I wanted to share what I had learned with others. At first, I formed a small yoga group with close friends. We met online on set days and practiced together under my guidance. The friends in that private group were very supportive of my teaching — they hold a very special place in my heart.
But those of us who completed the training together at Cihangir Yoga were very eager to teach and were looking for a platform. We were new instructors and didn't really know where or how to begin.
Then an idea was born: "What if we created our own online platform?"
And that is how Yogasen entered our lives.
Yogasen is an online studio founded during the pandemic. I am the one who named the studio. But in truth, it grew from the seeds planted together by many warm-hearted women who completed the Cihangir Yoga specialization program. Over time new people joined the team, some parted ways, but Yogasen has been a community that has grown through solidarity from day one.
For over 4 years, we have been offering online hatha, vinyasa, yin, and restorative yoga classes at different levels every week without interruption. Our aim 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 after giving birth, I returned to my corporate job. There have been high-tempo, sometimes exhausting periods, and times when I couldn't hear myself at all. It still happens sometimes.
For me, Yogasen is a space within all of this that refreshes my breath, balances my spirit, and returns me to my factory settings.
I celebrate our courage with the friends who embarked on this path with me; and our diligence with the friends who continue walking this path with me today.
And perhaps most importantly — our students who have never left our side. I deeply love our students who say "We are here, we are waiting for you" when we are tired. Each and every one of them holds a very special place in my heart.
I am someone who has never really loved living in Istanbul but still loves her work very much. For now, my plan is to continue in this city and in Human Resources. And on this journey, the thing that nourishes me most and pulls me out of tight corners when I feel overwhelmed will always be yoga.
My dear friend yoga — who brought me wonderful friendships, transformed me, supported me, and never took offense even when I couldn't give you enough time…
I'm so glad you exist.
