You know these light bulb moments that can trigger radical decisions you feel you need to make for your own personal happiness?

Well, I had one of those moments when I stumbled across a saying by American author Seth Godin.

He said, “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should create a life you don’t need to escape from.”

I sat for a moment contemplating this statement because there were so many things I’d been meaning to do, but they kept getting pushed aside because they weren’t considered “high priority”.

But shouldn’t my own personal happiness or doing things that truly make me feel alive be of the utmost importance?

I asked myself how much time I spend on the things that bring me joy. What really matters to me? What type of work did I find the most rewarding?

The turning point was seeing a woman in tears saying, “Thank you so much for coming to speak to our company today. I was in my cubicle last week and I had a meltdown.

“I was so stressed out at my work desk that I wasn’t even breathing properly. I’m definitely going to try these techniques you’ve just taught us to find more inner calm. Keep doing what you do.”

It was her last sentence that kept playing in my head because I wasn’t doing enough of this work, which could truly make a difference in people’s lives.

That’s why I decided to start the process of doing all the things I’ve always longed to do, on my bucket list.

At the top of the pile, was to set time aside for self-growth and further education.

I’ve always had a voracious thirst to know more about the capabilities of the human mind and to really stretch myself physically and mentally. So, I decided to check myself into an ashram in the Himalayan foothills of Rishikesh in India.

The moment the idea started forming in my head, I wasn’t able to shake it off. If anything, the idea just grew stronger until it felt like it was a calling.

All I knew about Rishikesh was that it was a holy town right by the sacred Ganges River and it was known as the land of sages and saints. It’s also where the Beatles wrote almost 50 songs.

I signed up for an intense teacher training course in yoga so that I could get immersed in living that life, for a solid month.

One of the first people I met before my course officially began still brings a smile to my face.

I was having breakfast in my boutique hotel overlooking that holy flowing river and this blonde lady with a colourful turban strolled in.

She looked like an exotic gypsy and her eclectic attire seemed to blend right into the Himalayan landscape. It made my yoga clothes feel ‘formal’ by comparison.

As it turns out, she was actually a tarot card reader. I did not ask her for a reading, but without her knowing it, she answered one of the questions I couldn’t even answer myself.

When I was explaining why I chose to come to Rishikesh of all places, she smiled like a wise sage saying, “Well, you don’t choose Rishikesh. It chooses you…”

That really struck a chord with me, as I couldn’t explain what made me choose this location or why I put it on my bucket list. Sometimes, the best decisions we make are not necessarily guided by logical analysis.

If something tugs at your heart strings, and somehow feels “right”, it may take a bit of trust in the beginning to follow your instincts.

I’ve come to appreciate that my heart is a better antenna or compass in my life, than my head. This is not to say that it’s okay to make irrational decisions.

I actually spent hours and hours of research on Rishikesh, once I decided I was heading there. But we sometimes miss the importance of listening to our “inner voice” when it’s trying to reach out to us.

What this trip did for me was hard to explain in words. It made my body go through a detox. It was incredibly demanding physically, mentally and emotionally.

We did so much breathwork and exercise every single day that I could feel my system becoming cleaner, lighter, and my head even clearer because you wake up feeling fresh and you sleep like a log because of all the yoga you did in the day. It was truly amazing!

It was a soulfully meaningful time and by far, one of the most challenging months in my life to date on many levels, especially physically.

If you want to get more into shape physically and mentally, no one can do it for you. You’ve got to put in the effort.

I’m so glad I did the training and saw it through, no matter how tough it got. I also needed a break from my usual environment and the crazy world of production and living life in a modern city.

It was refreshing to do something just for my own personal growth. I never knew how much I was going to need all these tools as it was not in my plans to teach yoga.

I initially went to India just to broaden my knowledge and own self-practice. I never realised how important it was that I had this foundation and training under my belt because it ended up all coming into practice when I opened my own space at OhanaJo.

As the saying goes, in order to be a good teacher in life, you must first endeavor to be a good student.

I left India after my course, feeling recharged, physically fit and full of knowledge and wisdom.

I was already inspired and looking forward to discovering even more about the human mind and the secrets of the breath so I could bring this knowledge home and share it with everyone.

Jojo Struys is the founder of ‘OHANAJO awake’, an online conscious platform to help people with their stress, anxiety and sleep via micro learning courses that can be done in less than 15 mins per day.

Please visit www.ohanajo.com for a free trial.