Over mij

Body & mind balance with yoga & ayurveda

Op deze pagina vertel ik mijn verhaal, hoe ik in contact ben gekomen met yoga en ayurveda en hoe dit mijn leven heeft veranderd.

Melanie van Westen



Hi! My name is Melanie van Westen, I'm a Dutch yogi from 1996. Currently I'm teaching in Dutch!

First a bit about my why? In my past I had some insecurities, never felt good enough and in line with my body. When I started an allround styling study in 2014 it started with hyperventilation, like somebody was holding my throat. That's why I started doing power yoga in 2015, which helped me with the hyperventilation.

After that I began my journey at the Amsterdam fashion institute (fashion & design). I worked late, sometimes till 3 AM or later, it was very exhausting. In 2018 the fashion studies became too much, I felt really tired and emotionally exhausted. Meanwhile I had some anxiety attacks already but I didn't know it. I stopped the studies and it was the best decision I've ever made, with the courage to not do what everyone was expecting from me.

In 2019 I traveled to Thailand and did a vipassana retreat, where I came in contact with my subconscious. This was an experience that felt like a natural dose of serotonine in my body. I've never felt so happy, this was the part where I realized life is about love and not about materialistic stuff.

My anxiety didn't stop, because I ended up doing the same thing I always did, working late hours in the restaurant and not eating healthy. The anxiety attacks started again in bars or cafés. I felt really scared like my mind was flowing away from my body, dizziness and a disconnected feeling. I did a yoga nidra sometimes because it helped me a lot.

So in 2020 I started studying Ayurveda for 4 years, it is giving me so much wisdom I've never known or realized before. It's a full package with lifestyle and nutritional advice, which I implement in my own life daily. That's why I decided to do a Yoga TTC 200 hours in Spain in 2021.

I wanna help people to get rid of their anxiety or just to bring them more in balance with their body with yoga, meditation and nutrition.

Love,

Melanie

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Yoga Instructor
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Author
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Nutritionist