A Guide to Practicing Mindful Living in a Busy European City

La Latina, Madrid

I believe that big cities are absolutely incredible pockets of history, culture, art, and opportunity. Living in Madrid, I feel constantly inspired by the environment and people around me, and I never cease to be amazed by the new things I learn in this fast-moving environment. 

Not only am I learning about Spanish culture and history in this space, but exposure to immigrants from all over the world has taught me about the cultural values of many different countries and given me a more expansive view of the world. For that, I know that at this point in life, my inspirations, opportunities, and dreams lie in big cities like Madrid.

However, sometimes the sheer speed of Madrid is exhausting to the nervous system. Crowded metros, busy streets, work deadlines, and constant events and distractions can make it hard to feel grounded. Calm can be difficult to find amidst so much noise.

So, how does one approach mindful living in a busy metropolitan city? First, I think it is important to define mindfulness.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the ability to observe and be present in the moment you are existing within. I like to emphasize the observational aspect of this concept because we try to observe our sensations, surroundings, feelings, and thoughts without judgment. By suspending judgment, we can bring more acceptance and curiosity to life. By letting go of the past and future, we can be more present in this moment right now.

In a big city, I like to think about how many other people we are surrounded by all the time — moving through their own rhythms and lives. It is sometimes humbling to step outside yourself and recognize that our problems and worries are quite insignificant compared to the sheer number of others with their own problems and worries.

It helps to remember that, like anything, these problems and worries will pass and change. The worst day of your life so far has passed. And so did the best day of your life so far. That is why presence in this moment matters. You might miss the best day of your life if you are too preoccupied with the worries of tomorrow.

So, how does one establish a mindfulness practice when living a fast-paced city life? As a yoga instructor and someone with an incredibly busy life, I have some tips to share.

Tips for Establishing a Mindfulness Practice in a Fast-Paced City

Views of the palace in Madrid

Creating a Routine That Allows for Pockets of Presence in Your Day

For me, the most important part of mindful living is building healthy habits and a routine to maintain these practices. This is the only sustainable way to keep these habits in the long term.

Slow Mornings and Intentional Evenings

To start and end the day, I try to establish rituals. In the mornings, I rise early, and instead of immediately picking up my phone, I start the morning with some journaling or a gentle yoga practice to wake up my body before work.

On weekends, or days that I don’t work, I still like to maintain this routine, or go to the gym or to the park to practice yoga. For everyone, this ritual may look different. The point is being more intentional about how much information you are flooding your brain with at the start of the day.

The same goes for evenings. Consider how in your life, you could build nighttime habits that help you to unwind and disconnect. This might mean setting boundaries with work after a certain time of night. Instead of staring at a screen, instead, adopt a habit of reading or practicing some calming meditation before sleep.

Mindful Commuting

In big cities, many of us have long commutes to work in the morning, and during this time it's easy enough to unintentionally let the mind wander or simply scroll on the phone on public transport. My commute is an hour on the metro, and what I try to do is make this time into a mindfulness practice as well.

Consider how you could turn walking or time on the metro into a moving meditation. Instead of letting your mind stray from where you are, try to keep your attention in that place. It may help to remove your headphones. If you are walking, try to draw your attention to the sensation of each step, and the sounds and other senses around you.

Another practice I like is taking moments to breathe or scan my body while I’m on the go. For me this means a simple question of: How is the quality of my breath at this moment? Or, How is my body feeling at this moment? Then, reminding myself to slow down my breathing and focus on it to calm my nervous system.

Digital Detoxes

Another important tip is to be mindful of your digital consumption. In a world in which many people rely on their computers for work, it is important to be mindful of your exposure to screens throughout the day, and to set aside times to take breaks from them.

This could mean setting boundaries for yourself for how much screen time you have during the free hours of the day. For me this means setting aside time during the day to put my phone down and choose other options to screens, such as going for walks or spending time with friends in the evenings instead of watching tv or scrolling on my phone.

It's important to mention boundaries with social media as well. Social media, while it was created to make us more connected, often does the opposite — it disconnects us from reality and the present moment. So it is important to have our individual boundaries with it. For me, this means setting time limits on social media apps to be more mindful about the time I’m spending on these apps during the day.

Nature in the City

Retiro Park in Madrid

No matter how busy I am, I try to make time every day to visit some of Madrid’s beautiful parks. Nature is a perfect anchor for mindfulness because the sensory experience it provides draws us into the present moment in a really beautiful way. Time outside can really help to silence the internal chatter of our minds and find a little bit more peace in our every day.

So for this reason, a significant part of mindfulness in a big city is finding time to visit green spaces – parks, gardens, and rivers – on a daily basis or when time allows.

Community and Connection

As a yoga instructor, to me, community is an essential part to wellness. As I have seen in my yoga classes, community can help to support people in their mindful practices. When I lead classes, I love to see the students finding calm and presence together.

Something that certainly encourages mindful routines is having a community space and a time every week that you return to practice. This could be weekly classes at a yoga studio, meetings at a meditation group, or finding a mindful cafe in your city.

You can also turn daily interactions into a mindful practice. Consider, as you are ordering a coffee or speaking with a neighbor, how you can draw your mind and body fully into the space and conversation. These little opportunities for check ins make all the difference.

Tools and Practices for an Urban Mind

When I feel overwhelmed or suffocated by Madrid, I remind myself that I have tools to help me ground in the present moment. My toolkit includes yoga, breathwork, time outside, journaling, cooking, and exercise like running or lifting weights — all mindful practices that help bring my mind back to where I am.

For everyone, this may look different. Mindfulness doesn’t have to require a monetary investment. While certain things, like exercise classes, may cost money, there are plenty of free resources — such as YouTube videos or mindfulness apps — that make yoga and meditation accessible to anyone.

Some mindfulness apps you can try that offer free versions are Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace.

The Beauty in Balance

Life is all about balance, and also patience. We have to practice patience and self compassion in moments when our minds struggle to stop moving at the speed of our environment and constant distractions.

What I believe is mindfulness in a big city means finding your own way of embracing the energy of the city and making room for stillness. Just like we can’t escape our minds, we also can’t always escape our physical environments. It's not about escaping the city. It's more about meeting it with more presence.

How Living in Tenerife Sparked a New Creative Chapter in My Yoga Career

As I enter my second year of teaching yoga, I’ve been thinking more intentionally about how I can expand and grow as a teacher. Along with my goal of learning to teach classes in Spanish, I’m envisioning new ways to develop my career and gain experience working with students from all kinds of backgrounds.

This past month has been an incredible time for experimentation, learning, and exploration. Not only did I move to Tenerife for a month to teach daily yoga classes at a surf hostel, but I also started my latest passion project—launching my YouTube channel for yoga classes.

Tenerife was a truly inspiring place to begin this journey. The south side of the island, where I was living, has a striking landscape—its desert climate and hilly terrain always offer a vantage point to look out over the vast ocean. It was a beautiful and motivating setting to both teach and create.

Working with students from all over the world teaching yoga at a surf hostel

In the evenings, I taught yoga classes for the hostel guests, which was an incredibly enriching experience. I was able to connect with people from all over the world, sharing what I love. Mornings became my time to experiment with recording yoga classes.

Right now, my recording setup is pretty simple. In Tenerife, I used just a tripod and my iPhone to film the classes. Capturing a yoga class on video depends on several factors—angles, lighting, and planning are all important.

I’ve started to develop a process that begins with choosing a location and creating a rough outline of the class focus. In Tenerife, this was especially fun because of the variety of beautiful backdrops. I often recorded early in the morning as the sun rose over the mountains, lighting up my body and the sea behind me.

Filming yoga classes with an ocean backdrop

After filming myself practicing the class, I import the video, edit it, and record the audio. I’ve really enjoyed this part of the process—especially recording the audio afterward.

Recording voiceovers for YouTube has been a powerful way to improve my teaching. It’s pushed me to revisit the anatomical concepts I’ve studied and refine my cues. Hearing myself has also helped me work on developing my voice.

Clear communication is a huge part of teaching for me. My voice is the tool that guides students into a place of calm and connection with their bodies. It’s important to me that my voice is both grounded and soothing—easy to follow, but confident and clear.

Creating these videos has been such a fulfilling creative process, especially given my background in journalism. While I often improvise in my in-person classes based on the needs of my students, these YouTube classes require a bit more planning. It’s been exciting to brainstorm ideas—longer classes, shorter flows, sequences focused on specific muscle groups, or yoga for cross-training with other activities like running.

Right now, I believe experimentation is essential. Any new experience is an opportunity to grow. I feel more inspired than ever by this new platform that allows me to expand my teaching in a different direction.

Recording by the water

Follow along on my YouTube channel @arabelyoga to explore my online class offerings and my journey with teaching yoga online.

Nervous System Reset: Why Yoga Is Essential for Modern Stress

Yoga is an incredibly powerful tool for calming the nervous system. I see this firsthand when teaching classes—after savasana, my students often look visibly more relaxed, as if they've just woken from a restful night’s sleep. As a teacher, it brings me great joy to help create that sense of peace and calm.

The impact of yoga and stretching on the nervous system has been backed by science time and again. Most practitioners have experienced it: arriving at class weighed down by the stress of work or personal life, and leaving feeling noticeably calmer and more centered. If you’ve ever wondered why that happens, the answer lies in the Autonomic Nervous System—and more specifically, the vagus nerve.

At a basic level, the nervous system consists of two main parts:

• The Central Nervous System (CNS), which includes the brain and spinal cord.

• The Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), which includes all the nerves outside the brain and spine.

One branch of the PNS is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which controls involuntary functions like breathing, digestion, and heart rate. This system is key to understanding how yoga influences the body.

The ANS is made up of two components: the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS).

• The Sympathetic branch is our “fight or flight” response, activating the body in response to stress or perceived danger.

• The Parasympathetic branch is the “rest and digest” system, which supports recovery, repair, and relaxation.

While both systems are essential, chronic stress causes the sympathetic side to become overactive. In the past, this response would have been crucial for escaping physical danger. Today, modern stressors—deadlines, traffic, constant notifications—keep our bodies in this heightened state for far too long. This can lead to anxiety, sleep disturbances, weakened immunity, and high blood pressure.

That’s where yoga comes in.

Yoga helps reset the nervous system by soothing an overactive SNS and stimulating the parasympathetic side. This shift can improve sleep, digestion, emotional regulation, and mental clarity.

The primary pathway of the parasympathetic system is the vagus nerve—the longest cranial nerve in the body. It helps regulate heart rate, breathing, digestion, immune response, and mood. When this nerve is stimulated, the body is encouraged into a state of calm and recovery.

Yoga directly affects the vagus nerve by improving vagal tone, which refers to how efficiently the nerve functions. A higher vagal tone means your body can return to a state of calm more quickly after stress.

Yoga supports vagal tone in many ways:

• Breathwork (Pranayama) directly stimulates the vagus nerve, reducing stress and anxiety.

• Inversions and heart-opening postures activate baroreceptors in the neck, which signal the vagus nerve to lower heart rate and relax the nervous system.

• Gentle asanas and flowing movements encourage the body to shift from a sympathetic to parasympathetic state. 

• Mindfulness and meditation has been directly linked with improved heart-rate variability, which is a measure of the variation in time between heartbeats, and is a direct indicator of a nervous system that is functioning healthily. 

Because yoga naturally stimulates the vagus nerve, it offers powerful support for regulating internal states, building resilience, and promoting long-term mental and physical health.

Personally, I’ve felt these benefits. In my younger years, I struggled with chronic nausea and digestive issues, which I now believe were linked to anxiety. Over the past two years—since becoming a yoga instructor—I’ve seen a noticeable shift in how my body handles stress. Meditation, breathwork, and a consistent yoga practice have helped me return to a calm state much more quickly after moments of stress. I genuinely believe that my vagal tone has improved, and my body feels better equipped to move out of fight-or-flight mode and into rest-and-digest.

This is why I’m so passionate about sharing yoga with others. I’ve experienced the transformation in my own mind and body, and I witness it regularly in my students. In a world that moves so quickly, it’s amazing how just thirty minutes a day of intentional movement and breath can help the nervous system slow down—and make a profound difference in our overall well-being.

I Taught Yoga on Top of the Tallest Volcano in Europe

The landscape was otherworldly. As I led the class through our flow, I was bathed in the last light of the day. The sun set behind me, illuminating the startling rock formations and the dramatic terrain around us. Above, the peak of Mount Teide—the largest volcano in Europe—loomed. It was a humbling sight as we moved together through breath and movement on its slopes.

Throughout the class, I felt waves of awe—and moments of imposter syndrome. Is this really my life? I wondered, overwhelmed with gratitude for the opportunities yoga continues to bring into my life.

Right now, I’m spending a month teaching yoga at a surf hostel in Tenerife. In exchange for room and board, I teach classes every evening. Living here in the Canary Islands has been a much-needed pause from the fast pace of Madrid. It's given me space to reconnect with what inspires me most—yoga and writing—and in my free time, I’ve found peace by the ocean, taking time to rest and reset.

At the hostel, I’ve been meeting people from all over Europe, getting to share what I love. Since moving to Europe and building my yoga career here, I’ve come to truly appreciate yoga as a powerful tool for connection—both in community and in the personal relationship we each build with our body, mind, and breath.

The daily classes I teach here are set against a backdrop of endless blue ocean. It’s easily one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever taught, and every day I feel grateful. Tenerife has a dry, desert-like climate, with beautiful beaches and mountains that open up to sweeping ocean views. When I arrived, I knew I wanted to bring yoga to some of the island’s most breathtaking spots.

I've been collaborating with a fellow volunteer from Italy to create content during our time at the hostel. While scouting locations, we both agreed that Teide—grand and awe-inspiring—would be the perfect place to film. We pitched the idea to our manager, who supported the plan and helped us organize a special class on the volcano for the hostel’s guests and volunteers.

The drive to the top took about an hour. We passed through pine-covered hills, barren lava fields, and towering rock formations that looked straight out of Mars. Eventually, we reached a terrace viewpoint overlooking a vast valley, framed by jagged volcanic cliffs.

I set up my mat by the railing, with the setting sun at my back, and my students facing the valley. It was one of the most peaceful, stunning places I’ve ever led a class. As the light softened, a breeze drifted up from the valley as we flowed. At the end of class, as my students rested in savasana, I closed my eyes and smiled, soaking in the moment. It felt like one of those rare, bucket-list experiences—quiet, joyful, unforgettable.

Moments like this—of connection through yoga, nature, and community—remind me that this path is the one I want to follow. Yoga brings me fulfillment, adventure, and deep joy. I’m endlessly grateful for these opportunities and for the chance to share this practice with people from all over the world.

The Benefits of Practicing Yoga in Nature

Practicing yoga outside in fresh air.

When I teach outdoor yoga classes in Madrid, I always use the environment around us as a tool to draw my students into the present moment.

At the start of class, I guide them to focus on their breath and notice the sensation of fresh air entering the nose and refreshing the body. Then, I invite them to tune into their senses—the evening breeze on their skin, the sounds of birds in the trees, or the hum of city traffic in the distance.

Nature is an incredible tool for mindfulness. Reconnecting with the natural world while practicing yoga helps anchor the mind in the present and deepen the connection to the body. I see this consistently when teaching yoga classes in parks and in outdoor spaces in the city.

Research backs this up: spending time in nature has been shown to help to relieve stress, improve feelings of happiness and overall mood. Recent studies have found that time in green spaces can support mental and physical health in a variety of ways—from better sleep and brain function to reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Yoga itself offers many similar benefits. Physically, it builds strength, flexibility, and overall fitness. Mentally, it can reduce stress and anxiety, ease depression, and boost quality of life. When combined with time spent outside, the effects become even more powerful.

Time in nature is an essential part of my own mental and physical well-being. I set aside time every day to take walks to parks in the city, where I enjoy reading and doing yoga. Some of my favorite activities outside of yoga—like running, hiking, and swimming—are things I practice outdoors all year round.

Because time outdoors is such a big part of my own life, I knew when I moved to Madrid that I wanted to teach yoga in outdoor settings. The city’s dry climate, with its warm summers and mild winters, makes this possible for much of the year. While it’s often too cold in the winter, from April to November, the city’s parks are ideal for outdoor practice.

Madrid is also one of the sunniest cities in Europe, receiving around 2,900 hours of sunshine each year. That sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, which supports everything from bone health and immunity to cardiovascular function and emotional well-being.

Living in the city center, I’m lucky to be near some of Madrid’s most beautiful parks, like El Retiro and Templo de Debod. These spaces, filled with trees, grassy lawns, and wide-open views, are perfect places to teach and practice yoga.

In a fast-paced metropolitan city, taking time to slow down in green spaces is essential. It helps us reconnect with our center, even amidst the chaos. That’s why I hold classes outside whenever the season allows—so I can offer my students a bit of peace, grounding, and connection with the present moment.

Learning to Lead Yoga Classes in a Second Language

Studying to teach yoga in Spanish

It’s coming up on a year since I moved to Spain. My goal, in moving here, was to improve my Spanish and work toward fluency—a lifelong aspiration. While I still have a long way to go, the journey so far has been incredibly rewarding. Living in a Spanish-speaking country, it’s been exciting to witness how much my comprehension and speaking skills have improved.

Now that I’ve realized I want to stay in Spain longer term, my next challenge is learning how to teach yoga in my second language.

This week, I came across a quote from Sylvia Plath that resonated deeply with me:
“I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in my life.”

This sentiment captures why I’m so passionate about achieving fluency in Spanish. Learning any new skill—especially something as complex as a new language—is demanding and requires time, energy, and patience. But Spanish has already given me a new lens through which to see the world. It’s offered me a fresh perspective and a new way to express myself. Absorbing another language and culture enriches the human experience, because it shifts the way we think and connect.

Right now, I’d describe my Spanish level as intermediate. The yoga classes I teach in Madrid are currently in English, but I’m increasingly aware that, to expand my client base here, I’ll need to learn how to teach in Spanish.

This is no small task. Teaching yoga requires a wide vocabulary—not just to describe physical movement and alignment, but also to guide students toward presence, breath, and body awareness.

My approach to learning Spanish has been immersive and varied: taking classes, studying independently, listening to music, watching TV, reading, and engaging in conversation. My approach to learning to teach in Spanish mirrors that. In addition to studying relevant vocabulary, I’ve been taking yoga classes in Spanish online to absorb the language in context.

Though I haven’t led a full class in Spanish yet, I’ve begun practicing with Spanish-speaking friends. Even teaching someone I feel totally comfortable with is a challenge right now. I often find myself reaching for words, and the effort can be mentally exhausting. Still, I trust that, with consistent study and practice, it will get easier.

As I begin recording teaching videos for YouTube, one of my goals is to script and share classes in Spanish. I believe this process will help me build comfort and confidence, making in-person teaching in Spanish feel less intimidating over time.

Returning to the Plath quote, I believe that learning to teach yoga in my second language will deepen both my teaching and my personal practice. It will allow me to reach more students and to engage with my work in a new, meaningful way—by exploring a different voice, a new mode of self-expression.

At the start, this goal sometimes feels almost impossible. But I’m committed to the journey. With time, effort, and practice, I know I’ll get there.
Thanks for following along as I continue to learn and grow.

Two Years of Teaching: A Reflection on My Yoga Journey

Sunrise in Hakalau, Hawaii.

When I was living in Hawaii during yoga teacher training, I would wake up around 5 am each morning to watch the sunrise over the ocean before our morning yoga practice. I would sit quietly, sometimes writing, and feel the first light of day as it rose from the sea to illuminate the green, verdant land. 

The Big Island of Hawaii is the least densely populated of the islands, and contains a lot of open space and incredible flora and fauna. I lived for a month on a rainforest property, where there were little frogs that screamed so loudly at night I needed earplugs to sleep. ​​The climate was humid and warm, with rain falling throughout the day in between brief, golden bursts of sun. Perched on a hill, we had a view of the ocean through a grove of macadamia nut trees. A river wound through the property, and I often went there alone to decompress and meditate.

It’s now been two years since I began my yoga teaching journey, when I completed my 200-hour training at age 21. Reflecting on these past two years, I wanted to write not just about the experience of teaching, but also about some of the beautiful lessons yoga has gifted me. Since that time, yoga has deepened my self-awareness, expanded my capacity for connection, and shaped the dreams I have for my life.

When I arrived in Hakalau for training, I soon found myself to be the youngest of the group by several years. My fellow trainees came from a wide range of backgrounds and life stages. Despite these differences, they became an essential part of my experience–we formed close bonds and helped each other find our voices as teachers. 

We were guided by two incredible instructors, each with different strengths and a wealth of experience. They shared with us their yoga lineage, teaching not only the physical practice but also the philosophy and tradition behind it. Most importantly, they led with love and support.

Studying asana in yoga teacher training.

At the start of training, I lacked the confidence to lead a group. Public speaking had always made me nervous. But as we studied anatomy, philosophy, the history and business of yoga, we also learned how to guide movement and articulate it clearly. At first, I was anxious even leading a single posture. It’s almost funny now—considering I teach hour-long classes several times a week–that it all began with breaking down individual poses and slowly building toward a full class.

I’ll never forget the first hour-long class I taught at the end of training. I had practiced it multiple times, written out my sequence, and created a playlist. Still, nothing could have prepared me for how it actually felt to lead a room of students. It was exhilarating. I was hooked.

That was yoga’s first gift to me: confidence. I had doubted my ability to speak in front of others, but the support of my teachers and peers helped me discover a new sense of self-trust. I realized that not only could I do it–I actually loved doing it.

Back in California, I began teaching at a large gym on my college campus and working with private clients. Jumping right in helped me quickly develop my voice as a teacher and deepened my passion for teaching.

First yoga teaching job in San Luis Obispo, California.

During that time, I began to truly understand yoga as a tool for connection. In Sanskrit, the word yoga means “to yoke” or “union.” Sometimes, in Western spaces, some of the deeper philosophical and historical context of yoga is a bit harder to teach, when yoga in the West usually centers the physical side of the practice. However, the concept of union can be applied to students in Western yoga spaces through teaching the connection between mind, body, and breath.

Teaching university students, I saw firsthand how yoga could help them recenter amid academic and personal stress. Many of them came to class feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from themselves. Guiding them to reconnect with their breath and bodies felt deeply meaningful and rewarding.

Now, in Madrid, yoga has connected me with students from all over the world. I’ve taught people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. Even in a busy, cosmopolitan city, yoga creates a space for presence, stillness, and connection–a thread that binds people across languages and borders.

Building a career in yoga in Madrid, Spain.

Looking back, I see how these two years of teaching have shaped not just my work, but my path and dreams. I think back to my mornings in Hakalau, looking out at the water and envisioning what my life could become with this new passion. Yoga has brought growth, connection, and clarity into my life. It has inspired me to pursue a career in wellness and to dream of sharing this practice with people around the world.

When I began teaching, I discovered a passion and learned so much about myself and what I want from life. It motivated me to work hard, follow my curiosity, and trust that I am capable of even the things that once felt intimidating. Today, here in Spain, yoga continues to guide me–to help me dream, connect, and stay present.

I don’t know exactly where this path will lead, but I trust that if I keep following what I love, yoga will take me exactly where I need to be.

The Mountain as my Meditation

Las montañas de San Lorenzo de Escorial, Madrid

One Sunday, I rose early and caught the 8 a.m. bus to San Lorenzo de El Escorial, a mountain town outside Madrid. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but smile at the people my age just returning home after a wild Saturday night in the city.

I’ve always loved rising early. It feels like I have an entire stretch of the day just for myself, a secret pocket of time before the world wakes up. It is the spring in Madrid, and as the weather warms, the days grow longer and the sun is up early with me when I rise. 

That morning, I set out for the mountains to escape the heat of the day. Madrid, nestled near the Sierra de Guadarrama range, is essentially a mountain city. Since moving to Spain, these mountains have become my place to rest and reset when I need a break from the big city.

An essential part of my self-care routine is spending time alone. To know ourselves more intimately, I believe we need moments to unplug and enjoy our own company.

One of my favorite ways to do that is by immersing myself in nature. Life in Madrid is inspiring and fulfilling, but sometimes, I crave quiet and stillness.

After a peaceful bus ride through the green countryside, I arrived in San Lorenzo, a town with a fascinating history — home to an impressive monastery that once housed Spanish royalty.

I made my way up the cobbled streets to the trailhead. Under the trees, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, smiling softly.

I am here, I reminded myself, slipping off my headphones and tucking my phone into my bag. As I climbed the mountain, I recalled walking meditations I’d practiced at a monastery in France, bringing mindful attention to each step.

The forest was alive with the sound of water rushing from the snowmelt and birds singing in the trees -  crescendos of tiny voices singing with joy for the spring. In Madrid, I often listen to music as I walk the streets of the city, but here, I was struck by the beautiful music of the forest.

When my mind wandered, I gently brought my awareness back to my breath, just as I remind my yoga students to do during classes. I noticed the wildflowers of all colors sprouting up amongst the striking green of the forest - each a beautiful work of art. At one point, a deer crossed the path ahead, vanishing silently into the undergrowth. I was struck by the peaceful life of this creature of the forest - spending every day beneath the trees listening to the wind and birdsong. 

The trail took me through steep, rocky sections, sunlit meadows, and, near the summit, groves of slender pine trees that had an incredible earthy smell.

At the top, I emerged onto a rocky ridge. The sky was perfectly clear, and from that vantage point, I could see for miles — the green land stretched below, the monastery and town looking tiny, and, far in the distance, the faint outline of Madrid’s skyline.

Looking out at the countryside and monastery from the top of the mountain.

Standing there, I felt a shift in perspective. My worries, which had felt so pressing in the city, now seemed small against the vastness and tranquility of the mountains.

Taking time to ground ourselves in the present moment is essential, I think. It allows us to return to our daily lives with greater clarity, presence, and peace. For me, that morning in the mountains was a much-needed reminder — one I carried back with me as I descended the ridge, ready to step mindfully back into life below.

Returning to Presence - Lessons from a Buddhist Monastery in France

La Source Guérissante, Verdelot Francia

The hollow sound of two wooden sticks echoed outside my window, pulling me from sleep. It was 5:30 a.m. at La Source Guérissante, a Buddhist monastery in the French countryside, and the monks were summoning us to the meditation hall.

I had come here for a weekend mindfulness retreat - but the journey began much earlier.

I grew up familiar with Buddhism through my parents and later deepened my understanding by studying Eastern philosophies in university, where I completed a religious studies minor. Still, I knew I wanted to explore these teachings beyond books - I wanted lived experience, and to practice with a community.

This spring, while planning a trip to visit family in Reims, France, I received an email that felt like a sign: La Source Guérissante, part of the Plum Village network founded by Thich Nhat Hanh, was hosting a weekend retreat for educators. As a teacher and yoga instructor, I knew this was my chance to deepen my connection with mindfulness practice. 

So, that week in April, after several beautiful days in Reims and Paris, I embarked on my journey on a train through the verdant green countryside to La Source Guérissante. The monastery was small and serene, on a plot of land filled with trees with bells hanging in their branches that sang in the wind. At the top of the property’s garden, stone statues of the Buddha gazed serenely from amongst the weeds and flowers at the monastery below. Inside, the hallways were quiet, the atmosphere warm and simple.

The tranquil French countryside on the journey to the monastery.

Throughout the weekend, we moved through our days in mindfulness. Vegan meals were eaten in silence, each bite a meditation. The mindfulness bell would ring every half hour, inviting us to pause, take a breath, and return to the present moment - no matter what we were doing.

One of my favorite moments was a barefoot walking meditation in the forest with the monks. I removed my shoes before the walk, so I could be fully present with the earth beneath my feet. The monks walked slowly, leading us up a dirt path into a grove of trees. The sun filtered through the leaves of the trees overhead, casting dappled shadow on the ground as we advanced forward.  

Drawing my mind to my feet, I focused on the sensation of the wet grass beneath my bare feet. As I encountered small rocks along the path that caused unpleasant sensations, instead of reacting, I remembered a teaching we’d heard that morning about the insight of impermanence.

Everything changes — pleasant, unpleasant, neutral. Attaching to good sensations or resisting bad ones only creates suffering. In that moment, I accepted the discomfort, knowing it would pass, just like everything else.

By the end of the retreat, I realized mindfulness isn’t just about formal meditation or spiritual spaces. It’s a way of meeting ordinary moments with full attention. Back in Madrid, I have found myself slowing down - savoring the meals I cook, walking more mindfully, bringing a deeper presence to my yoga practice, and showing up with more patience for my students.

In a world full of noise and distraction, there is something profoundly liberating about training your mind into the present moment and accepting it for what it is. Mindfulness, for me, isn’t about perfection or constant peace - it’s about living intentionally and finding joy in the simple rhythms of life. 

Yoga, Writing, and Building a Life of Purpose Abroad

From beginnings in San Diego to exploring writing and wellness in Europe.

Early Encounters with Yoga

Welcome to my wellness blog, where I share insights from my journey in yoga, writing, and life abroad. This is a space for reflection, growth, and the pursuit of holistic living. For my first post, I would like to share a bit about my background so you can get to know me. 

My journey with yoga began at age seven. Growing up in Southern California, I was surrounded by wellness and spirituality communities from a young age. My mom has practiced yoga my entire life, and I believe it was through her that I was first introduced to the practice.

Then, in elementary school—in true San Diego form—I had a P.E. teacher who taught yoga weekly. It was thanks to the San Diego school system that my yoga practice formally began.

Throughout my youth, I explored different sports and activities, but yoga continued to reappear in my life when I needed it most. As a teenager, I suffered from anxiety and chronic stomach upset that left me feeling disconnected from my body. It was during this time that I returned to yoga. The practice brought calm, clarity, and a renewed sense of connection during a pivotal stage in my development.

Finding My Voice Through Writing

When I entered college, I chose to study journalism. Writing gave me a voice—a way to process the world and express myself with clarity and intention. I found power in storytelling and was inspired by the potential to make an impact through words.

However, the path wasn’t always easy. By my sophomore year, I began to feel disconnected from my vision of a career in journalism. The media landscape felt increasingly polarized and complex. I struggled with the reality of an industry that, at times, seemed to magnify division rather than foster connection.

I also saw that the journalism world was rapidly changing due to emerging technologies and global shifts. I no longer felt confident that I’d find a path within it that aligned with my values. I began to question my direction, and for a while, I felt untethered and uninspired.

Teaching Yoga and Learning Resilience

Yoga teacher training in Hakalau, Hawaii.

Amid this uncertainty, yoga returned to my life once again. Reintroducing movement into my routine brought back clarity and peace. At age 20, I decided to attend yoga teacher training. For me, it was a commitment—not just to deepening my personal practice, but to cultivating a mindful, intentional life and sharing that with others.

Before training, I had plenty of doubts. I had never felt comfortable with public speaking and was nervous about leading a group. But it was in yoga teacher training that I found a new kind of voice.

Journalism had given me the tools to communicate through writing. Yoga gave me the courage and ability to guide others in real time, creating a space for healing, movement, and connection.

I began teaching at 21, while finishing my degree. I taught yoga and meditation at my university’s fitness center and took on every opportunity I could to build experience. These early classes were exhilarating and transformative.

For a period of time, I taught private yoga classes to a fraternity. The group of 30+ guys would arrive at my classes, likely hungover from partying the night before. I felt from the start that some possessed preconceived notions about yoga, mainly about it being "feminine" or inaccessible to men due to flexibility requirements. 

While working with this client, I learned the importance of creating inclusive spaces. I also learned that communication as a teacher isn’t one-size-fits-all. It's about reading the room, meeting people where they are, and adapting your energy to make the experience meaningful.

Through those sessions, I was able to show that yoga is for everyone. It’s a practice of connection—between mind and body, breath and movement—and everyone deserves access to that sense of peace and balance.

Life in Spain: Embracing Change and Growth

Exploring my life in Spain

After graduation, I took another leap: moving to Spain to teach English. Attending yoga teacher training had inspired me to chase what excites me and trust my intuition. I’d long dreamed of living in a Spanish-speaking country and becoming bilingual, and this move felt like the natural next step.

Living in Madrid has challenged and shaped me in profound ways. I've had to become more resilient, self-sufficient, and adaptable. It has helped me deepen my relationship with myself in ways I hadn’t expected.

Starting over in a new country also meant rebuilding my yoga practice and community from scratch. I knew I’d have to hustle—to be a self-starter, seek out opportunities, and put myself out there. Teaching yoga abroad has required courage and consistency.

Looking Ahead: Writing, Wellness, and Dreaming Big

Now, as I build my life and yoga career in Spain, I feel I’m standing at the threshold of something exciting. When you find your passion in life, you should pour your heart into that thing. This chapter is about exploration, pushing my limits, and pouring my energy into my passions.

Spanish culture has pushed me to reimagine success. Here, personal connection and quality of life are often prioritized over work or status. This shift in perspective has helped me envision a life rooted in balance, purpose, and passion.

Of course, there are complications—visa challenges, lack of a European passport—but I trust that if I continue investing in the path I believe in, the right doors will open.

One of my favorite quotes from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is:

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”

I believe that when we align our lives with our passions, opportunities begin to flow. This blog is a step toward that alignment.

Thank You For Being Here

My dream is to build a fulfilling, sustainable career in wellness—rooted in healing, movement, writing, and community—here in Spain and beyond. I’m committed to showing up, sharing what I’ve learned, and offering what I can to others on a similar path.

This blog is my way of combining movement and mindfulness with storytelling—to uplift, connect, and inspire. If you’ve made it this far, thank you. I’m excited to have you on this journey with me. 

If you’re also on a journey toward wellness or living abroad, I’d love to connect. Feel free to reach out or follow along on Instagram @arabelyoga.