Some time ago, I met a hero soul at a yoga retreat in Tenerife. Her name is Nasthasia, and her personal journey of transformation was very inspiring to me.

After seriously injuring, she had to end her dream as a professional dancer where she faced a series of life-changing challenges that ultimately set her on the path of self-discovery. Now she found her true passion in yoga and Reiki and is sharing her knowledge and experience with others. Her story is a powerful example of how personal struggles and societal expectations can be transformed into a fulfilling and purposeful life.
In this article, I would like to introduce you to Nasthasia and her story and invite courage to all those who want to follow their path of change.

About Nasthasia

Nasthasia was born in France and raised within Portuguese culture. She started dancing at the age of 4 and completed an artistic education at a conservatory – dancing, drawing and music shaped her childhood and youth. Her path followed a clear direction.
Until, at the age of 21, a serious accident threw her into a spiral of self-doubt and despair. A temporary paralysis left her unable to dance, forcing her to question her entire life direction.

“I had to rethink my entire life, and everything exploded,” Nasthasia shares.

In search of a purpose, Nasthasia enrolled in college, where she majored in literature. She then started studying at an art history school. Despite her artistic inclinations, she became disillusioned, tried her luck at getting accepted to an architecture school and eventually switched to a business degree in real estate.

However, a burnout forced her to confront the deep-seated problems she had been avoiding. When depression took over, Nasthasia moved back in with her mother and struggled with insomnia, severe anxiety and anorexia.

A pivotal moment on her road to recovery was when a psychiatrist introduced her to alternative therapies. This was the beginning of her journey of discovery into holistic healing and self-awareness.

Along the way, she dealt with her childhood traumas and many things she had repressed, driven by a desire to recover and heal.

She always had the feeling of being beside herself. Nothing felt authentic.

After 3 years of therapies, she decided to leave her life in France, to sell everything and travel to find her true identity. Her family couldn’t accept this decision and so she cut ties with her life as she knew it, in France. Including: her partner and family, Soon after, finding herself in reunion Island.

Inspired by the effects of alternative therapies, she began to explore more and more practices such as Ericksonian hypnosis, shamanism and energy healing, which helped her to reconnect with herself. She started with daily routines such as Reiki or Buddhist rituals to activate the self-healing process and reduce the pain.

In order to escape the pressure of social and family expectations, she almost completely cut off contact with her previous life. She reports that it was necessary for her to go away and isolate herself in order to find herself.

“Nobody in my family understood my decision. I had an apartment, a car, a job, a relationship, … a comfortable French life that my immigrant grandparents from Portugal had so much dreamed of for us that I had to abandon. It was incomprehensible to them. It took four years without contact. My grandfather’s cancer brought me back to them. He saw my change and finally understood ….

I had a friend at the time who helped me with the change. He believed in me, in my abilities. His vision helped me to find the strength within myself to change what I no longer wanted.”

The desire to lead a better life and to feel at peace with herself drove her to take all these risks.

“Certainly, it’s a difficult thing to take risks. The risk of losing friends, family, a career, money,… But eventually, when you follow your intuition, all these material things don’t matter anymore.”

Buddhism and various forms of yoga helped her to deal with her problems and gave her the tools to overcome her pain and change her life. Through intensive study and practice, Nasthasia deepened her understanding of who she actually is.

By 2020, her passion became clearer: She began sharing her wisdom professionally through yoga and Reiki therapy courses, supporting individuals on similar transformational journeys.

10 Steps to Overcome Societal Expectations and Find Authenticity

Self-Reflection: Take time to understand your values, passions, and desires. Reflect on what truly matters to you, separate from societal norms or family expectations.
Identify and Challenge Limiting Beliefs: Recognize any beliefs you hold that stem from societal pressures. Question their validity and consider how they may be holding you back from living authentically.
Face the Change: Be open to change and willing to step out of your comfort zone. Like Nasthasia, who transitioned from dance to holistic healing, allow yourself to explore new paths that resonate with your true self.
Seek Support: Surround yourself with supportive individuals – Nasthasia´s friend – who encourage your journey. This could include friends, mentors, or communities that share your values and aspirations.
Set Boundaries: Establish boundaries with people who impose societal expectations or negativity. Protect your energy and focus on what aligns with your authentic self.
Establish daily practices: Integrate daily routines such as meditation, journaling or yoga to cultivate mindfulness and increase your self-awareness. These practices can help you get in touch with your inner voice and encourage self-discovery.
Take Action: Begin taking small steps toward living authentically. Whether it’s pursuing a new career, expressing your creativity, or traveling, take actionable steps that reflect your true identity.
Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. Recognizing your progress reinforces your commitment to living authentically.
Be Patient: Understand that the search for authenticity is a journey, not a destination. Be prepared for setbacks, think about how you will deal with them and move forward.
Live Intentionally: Make conscious choices that reflect your true self. This includes aligning your lifestyle, relationships, and career with your core values and passions.

Finding Home and Purpose in Tenerife

Originally planning to start her first program in Brazil, the pandemic brought Nasthasia to Tenerife, where she found a new home and the perfect environment for her yoga retreats. She also met her current partner there and decided to stay. With limited resources but strong willpower, she invested in her first set of yoga equipment, rented suitable rooms and created a website. Thanks to the initial positive comments about her retreats, she quickly established a brand for herself.

Strategies for Success

When I asked Nasthasia about her strategies for success, she replied, “I teach classes that are part of my routine and that have allowed me to heal my physical and eventually mental ailments.”

For her its about being authentic. In her retreats there is a strong focus on good healthy, organic, and local food for a holistic approach – inspired by her upbringing and the principles of Ayurveda, to not only nourish the body but also support the overall detoxification process.

Lessons Learned

1. Self-care: Even though organizing retreats can be rewarding, it is important to take enough time for yourself. This is particularly challenging in the early days as everything is so exciting. It took Nasthasia a while to understand that she needs to be well herself in order to support others. She now manages to schedule time for personal activities such as surfing and practicing yoga. And between retreats, she takes some days off to regenerate.

“I start my day with at least 30 minute yoga practice or meditation and breathing and end it with Yin yoga and meditation accompanied by essential oil to help me release day emotions and promote calm before going bed. At least once a month I go to see a holistic massage therapist and once a year I have intense shamanic therapy”, she shares.

2. Organization and management is a time-consuming part and it is worth getting support here. Misunderstandings, logistical nightmares and occasionally difficult participants are all part of the journey.

Personal Anecdotes – Stories of Transformation

The impact of Nasthasia’s retreats is best illustrated by the stories of her participants.

She told me about a woman, lets call her Sandra here, who struggled with weight issues and depressive tendencies. She experienced a significant change after a week at the retreat with customized yoga exercises, detox practices and vegetarian meals.

“Sandra was unwell on arrival and unable to move normally. We spent a week developing a yoga routine, starting with detox tea and basic Hatha postures. After just one week, she felt more energized and continued her practice online,” reports Nasthasia.

Another beautiful story Nasthasia remembers fondly is about a woman who was recovering from a heartbreak. She found solace and emotional release in the extensive one-on-one sessions in her two-week retreat, which included yoga, long talks and Reiki. Gradually, she was able to process her emotions and cultivate more self-confidence.

Reflective Question: How do you currently manage stress or bad emotions in your life? Do you have routines like yoga or meditation?

Daily Practices:

Aiming for major life changes takes more than intention; it takes consistent effort and commitment. Daily exercises can provide a foundation, offering structure and support in managing the changes in your life. Whether through mindfulness, physical exercise or reflective journaling, developing your own routines will support this process:

Breathing Exercises: Nadi Sodhana (alternate nostril breathing) for mindfulness and emotional control.
Meditation: Focus on the breath, observe thoughts without attachment, and cultivate awareness.
Journaling: Get a notebook and write about your day and your emotions to cultivate more mindfulness

Motivation & Inspiration

“What helps me stay motivated are all the wonderful people I have had the chance to welcome over the last three years in Tenerife. Their smiles after yoga classes, the tears for leaving an emotion on the yoga mat, the laughter and all the positive energy through words that remain at the end of a retreat…. Attentions like the students who made me tea every morning when I came to class, those who hug me and thank me for helping them, those who tell me that my work is great. All this reminds me of why I do this,” says Nasthasia .

“Their progress keeps me inspired. And I want to pass on the art of feeling good about yourself to as many people as possible.”

Looking Ahead

Nasthasia’s journey is far from over. She is currently planning to expand her retreats in Fuerteventura. She is also in the process of writing a cookbook to share the recipes that have become an essential part of her retreats and are frequently requested by her guests.

More about this

From Pain to Purpose: Nasthasia’s Inspiring Journey of Transformation by Soulfulwander