How I Made It: ‘A sepsis battle inspired me to switch careers and teach yoga’

Welcome back to How I Made It, Metro.co.uk’s weekly career journey series.

Hosting classes through Sportsession.com, the 31-year-old now feels she’s found her calling.

Switching careers hasn’t been easy though, and she balances this new role with a part-time job elsewhere to keep the money coming in.

Here’s how she made it happen.

Hey Anisha. What did you do before yoga for work?

I managed projects and events for a climate change team.

I hold a degree in Biology, so I’ve always been interested in the environment and the human body. I also worked in diversity and inclusion in my former company.

What made you ‘discover’ yoga for yourself?

I am Indian by background, so yoga was a part of my upbringing.

Perhaps not so much the physical asana (poses), but I was exposed to yogic texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and other elements of yoga, such as chanting mantras and meditation.

My grandfather, with whom I grew up, was a huge positive influence on me. He often went on Brahma Kumari spiritual retreats and he would meditate every day.

He was calm in nature and very inquisitive. I still have some of the books on energy and mindfulness that he passed on to me.

I have always been a spiritual soul, but I only understood and recognised this in my twenties after I faced some challenging life experiences, which resulted in me struggling with anxiety and depression.

I dedicated myself to a regular yoga practise in order to access a state of inner peace, where I was able to heal and discover a new perspective and way of life.

What made you decide to share that with others and make it a career?

I contracted sepsis a few years ago. It was a close call, but I survived and recovered.

I was debilitated and my confidence was shattered. It took me a few months to rebuild my mental and physical health, which yoga played an imperative role in.

Returning to classes with limited physical ability was also a blessing in disguise, as I was able to truly appreciate the importance of accessibility in yoga.

At this point, I decided to apply for my yoga teacher training.

I had found a new purpose and calling for my life, to access the teachings of yoga for not only my personal benefit but to also help others: physically, spiritually and mentally.

What training did you have to do?

In order to teach, you generally need a 200-hour qualification covering the fundamentals.

Once I qualified with this, I trained further to incorporate pregnant and post-natal women into my classes and then I specialised to teach Yin Yoga and mindfulness meditation.

Given my lived experience, my passion lies with mental health awareness, so I have specialised in yoga therapy for anxiety.

How did you find career switching – were there any tricky elements? Was it hard to build up a client list and have a steady income at first?

Switching careers was a risk and it definitely hasn’t been smooth sailing.

Soon after I left my corporate job, the Covid omicron variant caused London to shut down, which meant I couldn’t do much.

When studios did re-open, I was able to audition for jobs but I had to transition from teaching online to in-person which took some time.

I now have a steady income flow, but it is supplemented by a part time corporate job.

I am transitioning to teaching full time and pouring all of my efforts towards this, but realistically it takes time to reach a place where you are earning sustainably solely from yoga.

An average day in the working life of Anisha Kotecha

9am: The day begins with replying to emails, networking, practicing and creating content.

1pm: Anish teaches a lunch time class.

6pm onwards: She teaches more classes and some private sessions.

Around this, she works a part-time corporate job.

MORE : How I Made It: ‘I became a macro photographer while recovering from depression’