In my yoga coaching sessions, the same theme keeps coming up: we get stuck in the past. We overthink, replay situations in our heads, wondering what we should have done differently and then we fall into a negative spiral. I know this feeling all too well – that “what if…” or “if only I had…” thinking.
But life doesn’t happen in the past. It also doesn’t happen in the future. Life happens now – in this very moment. And that’s the essence of yoga (and also of many other approaches I’ve come across): presence.
Energy is something precious. When we waste it on thoughts about what has already happened – or on things that may never happen – we lose the energy we could use to fully live in the present.
One realization that still fascinates me: our body reacts immediately to what we give it. “Fake it until you make it” – yes, that’s scientifically proven. When I look in the mirror in the morning and choose to smile, something shifts instantly. Not only does my face look more positive – my inner state changes as well. The smile doesn’t just lift the corners of my mouth, it lifts my mood.
The same works when I put myself into a situation. For example, before an important meeting or interview: instead of letting nerves take over, I imagine how someone I admire would handle it. How would my best friend – who I see as calm, professional and confident – approach this conversation? Just that perspective shift gives me a completely different energy.
And there’s another truth that has become very important to me: we cannot control what negative things happen to us. But we can control how we respond. With a stoic, pragmatic attitude: “I can’t change this. But I can choose how I deal with it.”
For me, that’s where real freedom lies. Not in trying to control everything – but in knowing that my reaction makes the difference.
This, for me, is the core of what yoga has taught me and what I keep sharing with my clients: presence in the here and now. The conscious choice for the positive. And the ability to let go of what we cannot change.

We live in extremes today. Either we are completely outward-focused – driven by work, social life, phones and endless information – or we retreat into the opposite: journaling, collecting routines, chasing after “me-time.” Yet what’s often missing is something essential: the connection between the outer and the inner world.
I had lost this connection myself for a long time. Movement was always my outlet – running, climbing, exhausting myself physically. It gave me relief, but in truth it was just a distraction. The moment I truly landed in my body came much later – and in the most unexpected way.
In Vietnam, I encountered yoga for the first time in a serious way. I didn’t even want to go and in the studio, I felt like a complete outsider: tall, stiff and not flexible at all. The Vietnamese women around me were graceful and supple. The Indian teachers led the class with a kind of strictness, almost military in discipline, but also with a calmness that immediately fascinated me. When the teacher entered the room, he simply sat down – and the whole room fell silent. No long explanations, no endless corrections. He demonstrated and everyone just practiced.
I hardly understood anything – not the English, not the Vietnamese translations. But that was exactly what sparked something in me. I began to observe, to feel – and for the first time, I experienced a posture in a way that truly made me arrive in my body.
Back in Switzerland, it was different. Yoga here was more technical, more precise, full of instructions. I couldn’t find my place and eventually enrolled in a teacher training – driven by the need to understand what had touched me so deeply in Vietnam. The training gave me a solid foundation and the discipline to learn the techniques properly. Yet at the same time, I realized: it’s not about being perfect – it’s about sensing what feels right in the moment.
Today, that’s exactly what yoga means to me. Sometimes I need movement, to sweat, to find my flow in physical activity. Other times it’s enough to sit quietly, to do a simple posture, even if it doesn’t look perfect. It doesn’t matter if someone is watching or not. What matters is whether I can connect with myself.
And maybe that’s what is most important in our times: not to keep chasing the outside, and not to hide in routines either, but to find a way to connect both. To pause and ask: What do I really need right now? – and to honestly follow that answer.

Why I Finally Enjoy Pasta Again – and Why Organic Makes Sense
Back in the 60s and 70s, pasta wasn’t exactly a joy for me. At home, we often had spaghetti straight out of a can. It was quick, affordable and at that time even considered something new and exciting. For me, though, it was awful – that canned taste is still vivid in my memory and my stomach never agreed with it.
Maybe that’s why I avoided pasta for so many years. Until I discovered 100% organic wholegrain buckwheat pasta. And it completely changed my view. These noodles are light, easy to digest, satisfying, and give steady energy without weighing me down. From a health perspective, it makes sense: buckwheat is gluten-free, high in fiber, rich in minerals like magnesium and zinc – and far more nourishing than heavily processed pasta.
The way I prepare it is simple: fresh organic vegetables, quickly steamed or sautéed, good olive oil, real salt and freshly ground pepper. Nothing more is needed. And yes, quality matters: unprocessed sea salt or rock salt instead of refined table salt; organic vegetables instead of sprayed ones – the difference in taste is remarkable and it feels better for the body too.
For me, this isn’t about complicated diets or spending more money. It’s about making conscious choices and keeping things simple. Health is something you can’t outsource – you have to take it into your own hands. And when you do, it doesn’t have to feel like sacrifice. It can be a source of joy.