Hi. I’m Suzi and I’m a fitness professional here in Abu Dhabi.

“It doesn’t matter what you look like, where you are from or how big your bank balance is. It matters that you are right here, right now, present and alive”

I’m a Master Health and Wellness coach, Mindfulness coach, level 4 Personal Trainer, meditation, yoga, pilates, cycling and circuit instructor and one of only a handful of disabilities certified trainers here in the UAE.

I wasn’t always a fitness professional. In-fact just over 6 years ago I was morbidly overweight at 135kg, depressed, and unstable. I hated who I was and it affected me in a number of different ways. I had an episode where I was rushed to hospital and was told by my doctor that if I didn’t change my lifestyle I was going to die young. That really hit home for me. So from there I took the long journey to change my life and started educating myself, and becoming the person I am today. 

So how does yoga fit into this? 

Honestly when I started I hated yoga. I never understood it and never found the right class that I enjoyed, until one day a friend dragged me to a class and I fell in love. It was a combination of the instructor’s energy, the style of yoga and the fact that I didn’t feel pressured to fit in. I kept going back to that class until I decided to take the yoga experience to the next level and become an instructor myself.

It was during the start of the pandemic that I made that change. It was a little rough going as I didn’t have that one on one experience that you needed, but I persevered and became certified. From there I took other yoga courses such as Nidra, Yin and restorative, and Aerial which is one of my favourites to teach. 

Yoga not only changed my professional life, but also my personal life. I found that I can use the elements of yoga in my everyday life. I use it with my clients and as a part of my own day to day life. I’m calmer, more level headed, self aware and centred. Yoga has so many different forms and specialties that not every class will ever be the same. 

When I look at my own journey I’ve come to realise that I needed yoga in my life. I needed it for not only my health, but my spiritual self, and my mental health. And I love that what I teach and do, also helps others just the same. Yoga for not only me but those around me, has given us the freedom to go through healing, in ways we never thought possible. I’ve had clients cry hysterically because a move triggered something that needed to be released, an energy blockage, or emotional blockage. 

Not everyone will connect to me as an instructor and that is perfectly ok. I didn’t connect to a lot of yoga instructors when I first started. But if you’re willing to keep going and trying, you’ll find that one instructor that just does it for you. My advice is to give every instructor a chance at least twice. For all you know, they may have had a rough day, or maybe the moves in that class were not what you needed at that time. 

 

My top 5 life tips:

  • Don’t hesitate, procrastinate – just jump in and do it. Life is too short to have regrets
  • Love yourself as who you are right now. Things move easier when it comes from a place of love
  • EAT THE DAMN DONUT! 
  • Not everything needs. To revolve around money. You can create magical experiences with what you have. You just need to know that everything is a blessing
  • Dance around your house in your underwear first thing in the morning. It’s the best mood lifter to start the day.