#13: Zoe Levi, Yoga instructor, Massage therapist and Naturopath at Satya

Now for the first english interview and for the first woman interviewed, I give you Zoe, who is one of those people who has such inner radiance that when you meet her, you remember her forever. I met Zoe through my network of international friends (she is Australian) and was curious as to how she ended up as a business owner for her company ‘Satya’ (Yoga, massage, naturopathic medicine).

• Her title
  • Zoe operates as a Naturopath, massage therapist and yoga instructor.

• Her missions
  • Help people lead healthier and happier lives and increasing wellbeing by sharing her passion.

• Her professional path
  • Zoe had a revelation when trying yoga at the tender age of 16 when she selected it as a high school elective: as soon as she started practicing, she felt joy, clarity and addiction! She felt she had found her calling.
  • After waking at 4am every day to practice yoga throughout the rest of high school, she went traveling around the world (her other passion) after graduation.
  • She then enrolled in a business/International studies degree because she had the opportunity to study for a year in Argentina but quickly realized this path was not for her so she took on small jobs to earn enough to live while deciding what she wanted to do next.
  • Serendipitously, she spotted a flyer advertising a Thai massage course and decided to give it a try. She loved the contact with the human body during that class and in another strike of destiny, a classmate gave her a flyer for a two year teacher’s course in yoga in a school which also did naturopath training.
  • Going back to her passion, Zoe enrolled simultaneously in the 2 year yoga teacher training and the 4 year naturopath training. As a note, Naturopathy is more mainstream in Australia, and the training that is given for it is much more formal than for other countries (like France!). There is an official degree and the training is not unlike the one of a doctor, with the first two years of studies being medical studies.
  • After graduating, Zoe started teaching yoga at various locations and practicing massage therapy and being a naturopath in a health store.
  • The travel bug bit Zoe again at that time, and she bought a ‘around the world’ ticket and traveled throughout India; Asia, Germany and Italy.
  • She then followed her boyfriend from Italy to Bristol and to Toulouse (guess where he works!), all the while teaching yoga wherever she could and teaching English to supplement her income.
  • Toulouse is now here home, where she set up her business ‘Satya’ for yoga lessons, massages and naturopathy- but she still travels whenever she can!
  • I perceived Zoe’s path driven by her capacity to take opportunities as they presented themselves and pursuing her passions in life: yoga and traveling.

• Her recipe for success
  • I asked Zoe her recipe for success according to a few criteria
    • A quality you need to have
    • Specific actions she put into place
    • VIP: An instrumental person who helped her along the way
    • Any other ingredients we did not name yet
    • And finally I gave her a *bonus* ingredient!
  • Here is her recipe
    • 2 doses of passion, persistence, and trust in yourself (‘I can do it’)
    • 1 dose of ‘saying yes’: knowing how to recognize opportunities to follow her path
    • 1 dose of inspiration given by Mardi Kendall, her first yoga teacher, a glamorous American yogi
    • As a bonus, Zoe would like to learn french and would like to create her own wellness center complete with a health food café, a yoga practice and a massage therapy/ naturopathy practice- sounds good to me!

A huge thank you to Zoe, I had a very nice time exchanging with you!

*Disclaimer: this is my interpretation and a short version of our conversation*