By Sahira Dharamshi

I got the lovely opportunity to interview Yusur, a certified wellness enthusiast. From being a paralegal by day to yoga instructor by night and event planner in between! 

I have to be honest; I’ve struggled with slight writers block for a bit of time and have been hesitant to sit down and stare at yet another blank Word document on my laptop. However, as I reviewed my notes from Yusur’s interview her evident passion for doing what she loves shone through every response which became contagious as it quickly caught on to me and I felt myself inspired, once again. 

Yusur has been a yoga instructor since 2021. What initially started as a way to balance her heavy workload at university turned into a serious passion. Consumed by the long hours focusing on studying Yusur reached her breaking point when a friend suggested she attends a yoga class to get her mind to focus on something else and relax. Like many others, at first Yusur was hesitant about yoga, however, was committed to discovering the hype around it. Unbeknownst to her at the time the legal field was not the only career path she would be heading towards.  

“I started to become a little bit more patient with myself, and I said I’m just going to keep trying, I’m going to keep going, I want to see the benefits of having a committed practice. And I did and I became obsessed with it.”

Early on Yusur was committed towards learning more about yoga already internalizing one of its greatest values; to be patient with yourself. Ultimately, learning to be patient and more in-tune with herself worked wonders and now provides Yusur with that great balance between balancing a career in law but also making sure to prioritize her wellness. Yusur pointed out that the two actually go hand in hand as when working a desk job it’s important to have “that wellness aspect in your life where you’re moving…you’re meditating, you’re breathing, you’re taking care of your physical health and mental health.”

Which ultimately takes me to one of my favorite quotes from the interview. Yusur said “I actually love working in the legal field and I also love working in the wellness industry as well. It’s the 21^st century, it is magical, you can do both things.” The beauty of this day and age is you can explore various interests even if, at the start, they appear to be unrelated. The growth of side hustles has enabled individuals, like Yusur, to pursue more than one passion. Along the way she’s discovered that having the two paths actually complement each other rather well and help her continuously focus on her own wellbeing. She’s able to do this by also knowing her limits and, as she mentioned to me, “it’s just one of those things where you kind of need to respect your boundaries and know when the load is too much.”

With yoga, Yusur found beauty in the fact that “it is considered a practice, it is not considered a competition…or something that you have to perfect” Instead, “it’s the type of practice where you move your body according to what feels good for you.” It teaches you the beautiful ability to listen to yourself which she has definitely tapped into. 

However, outside of yoga I asked Yusur how else she incorporates wellness into her daily routine and what little habits others could get into. She spoke about her  journaling every other day but highlighted how each night she looks back at three good things that occurred during the day. These don’t have to be anything big it’s just “simple things… little things that make me smile or feel lighthearted at that moment in time.” As a result, it shifts your outlook and you start to find little parcels of positivity dotted around your day versus dwelling on the negative. 

In regard to her classes, the wellness instructor incorporates a bit of  breathwork at the end for individuals to form deeper connections with themselves. As she pointed out, in the chaos that can be life “we forget to actually sit down and inhale and exhale.” It may sound simple, but the impact is definitely quite great.

All in all, these are definitely a great few tips to level up your own wellness routines. Start taking the time, if you don’t already, to practice a bit of gratitude and breathwork and see how your mindset shifts.

Now that I had come to ascertain that yoga is a clear passion for Yusur I asked what other activities she enjoys and got a long list in return. From trekking, to horse riding, to Pilates (which she is also looking to get her teaching certification in) to the fashion realm as well. 

Through her role in the wellness world Yusur has already had the great opportunity to collaborate with a variety of activewear brands, merging together her interests once again. However, coming from a creative family, with her Mum being an artist, Yusur was inspired to take a deeper dive into the creative pool. Currently her and her sister have set up a boutique event planning business called The Key Setting where they will work towards creating the event of your dreams. Reiterating her quote from earlier on “it’s the 21^st century, it is magical” you really can do it all!

It’s safe to say throughout our conversation Yusur’s ambition, drive and bubbliness stuck out to me. It’s clear she has embodied the patience that Yoga teaches one to have with themselves and through her teaching is focusing on sharing this incredible skillset with others. Yusur’s approach to teaching is also about focusing on cultivating relationships with those attending her classes and getting to know them to ensure she’s always able to give her best to her students. “It’s a safe place to give yourself that time to take an hour just for yourself.”

To conclude, there’s a plethora of key takeaways from this interview but, if there is one thing to stand out it’s definitely don’t ever stop pursuing what you love to do. You may have a 9-5 or other responsibilities but, setting time aside to pursue your passions is a form of wellness too which should not be neglected. Just don’t forget to listen to yourself and take breaks when your body asks for them. 

I personally would like to say a quick thank you to Yusur for that reminder as I now stare at my Word document actually covered in words!

Finally, whether you require tips on pursuing the legal field, you’re looking to attend a yoga or Pilates class or have an event you need a planner for, Yusur can be your person to go to.