I was born in Lisbon and always carried this feeling of not quite knowing where I belonged. Growing up, I threw myself into every sport I could find. I loved movement, but the moment competition entered the picture, I would lose interest. I hated how pressure replaced passion. So, every time I got good enough to compete, I would quit.

At 21, I had been struggling with severe back pain from scoliosis and lifting weights, so I figured I’d give stretching try. That was until I walked into Natalie’s vinyasa class in the small town of Lancaster, where I was studying my bachelor’s degree. She completely humbled me.

That class completely changed the way I saw yoga. It wasn’t about winning, setting records, or proving anything to anyone. It was the first time I experienced something that wasn’t driven by competition—not against others, not even against myself. It was about presence, awareness, and exploration. And that’s exactly what made me fall in love with it.

From that day, I was hooked. I practiced with her every day, sometimes more than once. I started reading about yogic philosophy, breathwork, and meditation. A few months later, I dove headfirst into my first teacher training, and there was no turning back.

Searching for Purpose

My teenage years were heavy with depression. Looking back, I think my difficult upbringing played a role, but more than that, it was the lack of purpose that made everything feel worse. That changed when I turned 18 and became vegan. Suddenly, I had something bigger than myself to fight for—those without a voice. That sense of purpose made my own struggles feel way less overwhelming.

Yoga as a Lifeline

As I grew, so did my emotions. The anger, the resentment—not just for what I had been through, but for the world itself. And let me tell you, yoga was the one thing that taught me how to sit with it, how to understand it, and how to let it go.

Yoga gave me freedom—the kind that allowed me to live in 7 different countries before finally deciding to settle in Munich because of the incredible yoga community we’ve created here.

Today, yoga is more than a practice to me—it’s a way of life, a way of understanding myself, and a way of finding peace in a world that often feels chaotic.