Yoga

How It All Began

Back in 2017, while working a corporate job I didn’t feel particularly passionate about, I felt a stirring—an inner nudge to do something just for myself. That nudge, if I’m being honest, was partly fueled by heartbreak.

You know those moments when everything in life feels like it’s nudging you toward something deeper?

That was one of them.

I was 22, navigating a breakup, a demanding job, and an undefined restlessness.

So, in a moment of “I-need-to-do-something,” I signed up for a yoga class at a studio near work. They had a first-month discounted offer, and I thought: why not?

That first month on the mat completely shifted the course of my life.

Suddenly, I was practicing every day. I had found something that gave me a sense of purpose, something that grounded me.

I started saying no to after-work drinks/hangouts, late nights, and distractions that no longer served me.

My priorities began to realign, gently but powerfully. I didn’t know it at the time, but this was the beginning of learning to choose myself.

And among the various classes and styles, there was one that spoke to me louder than the rest…

My Practice of Choice: Ashtanga Yoga

My first Ashtanga class was at Zoga in Downtown Dubai. The room was full. The flow was structured.

Everyone seemed to know what came next—and I didn’t.

And yet, I was completely mesmerized.

It was hard. Like, seriously hard.

I left that class feeling like I had just survived something. But I was hooked.

There was a rhythm, a discipline, a heartbeat to the practice. The sound of everyone’s breath in sync felt like sacred music.

That was the moment I knew: this was my practice.

I threw myself into Ashtanga. I became devoted to the structure, the daily routine, the progression.

And as my confidence grew, so did a bigger dream—I wanted to teach.

So one day after work, I did what many daughters dream of and fear: I told my parents I wanted to leave my job.

To their credit (and a little “delulu” optimism), they supported me wholeheartedly.

That decision led me to Hyderabad, India, where I stayed with my aunt—a senior Iyengar teacher—and practiced daily under her guidance. It was beautiful, humbling, and foundational.

From there, I traveled to Mysore to practice under Saraswathi Jois, deepening my connection with the tradition at its source.

Becoming a Teacher: The Real Journey

When I returned to Dubai, I knew I wasn’t ready to teach just yet. So, I picked up another corporate role—but this time, I stayed close to the mat.

In 2018, I began practicing with Nea Ferrier at Ashtanga Yoga Dubai/Nilaya House. She became my teacher, my guide, and eventually, my mentor.

I got married in 2019, and as my husband began work, I knew it was time for me to pursue teaching full-time.

I left corporate for good, enrolled in a 200Hr YTT at Nilaya House in early 2020, and then… well, we all know what happened in 2020.

The pandemic could have derailed everything. But it didn’t.

When the world reopened, I gathered my courage and asked Nea if I could apprentice under her. My gut told me she’d say yes—and she did.

That moment changed the trajectory of my teaching career.

I began assisting in the Mysore room, teaching at the studio, taking on private clients, and slowly building a life that revolved around the practice I loved so deeply.

For four years, I lived and breathed yoga.

Yoga & Hormone Health: The Deeper Connection

As my personal and professional relationship with yoga deepened, so did my awareness of my own body—and its limits.

Even though my cycle had somewhat stabilized, I was unknowingly operating under a system that wasn’t built for a woman’s biology.

By 2022, I was burnt out.

Despite daily practice, I felt inflamed, exhausted, and out of sync. I was teaching multiple classes across the city, practicing intensely, and running on poor nourishment and the pressure of discipline. My thyroid was overworked. I was bloated, foggy, and frustrated. I had gut issues, and my PCOS symptoms had reached a peak.

I was pooping 3 times a day, craving sugar constantly, and I knew deep down something wasn’t right.

I even had abnormal levels of ear wax that bothered me deeply.

When I was finally diagnosed with PCOS—after 14 years—I felt both relief and anger.

The suggested solution? Birth control.

But I had never heard a woman speak positively about her experience with the pill—and I wasn’t about to start now.

That moment changed everything.

I started to see the cracks in the Ashtanga community: a culture that encouraged women to practice like men—daily, aggressively, without honoring their cycles.

I realized how damaging it was to push, push, push without space to rest.

Thankfully, I had been exposed to a different way through Nea’s cycle awareness workshops and an ex-Ashtanga teacher who had become a women’s health coach. Together, they planted the seed that would one day become Menstruation Matters.

What I Offer Now

When we moved to Bangkok in 2024, I said goodbye to my beloved teaching days at Nilaya House.

But the yoga didn’t leave me.

In March 2025, after a post-practice high, I had a little aha moment:

“What if I start teaching again... from home?”

Our space was perfect. I reached out to a few girlfriends, and to my surprise (and joy), they all said yes.

What started as one class snowballed into two.

Now, I teach weekly classes from my home in Bangkok—a blend of Ashtanga and Mobility, with the same cycle-awareness and compassion that changed my own practice.

Once a month, I offer Restorative Yoga—a sacred space for softness and surrender. It’s my favorite kind of magic to share.

It would be my absolute honor to guide you on the mat someday.

Whether you’re just beginning, coming back to movement, or looking for something deeper—my door is open.

See you on the mat.

With breath and love,
Zainab