My Well-Being Journey: From Late Nights to Mindful Mornings

My story of self-discovery, balance and redefining what true well-being means.

I never experienced a major breakdown or a wake-up call that forced me to change my lifestyle. Instead, my journey into well-being was a natural evolution—driven by curiosity, experience and a deeper understanding of what truly makes me feel good.

Over time, I started noticing the shifts and small, meaningful changes led me toward a more balanced and intentional way of living, which I am deeply passionate about sharing and using to make a positive impact.

Living in the Fast Lane

In my 20s, I was a true party girl, going out at least 3-4 times a week, drinking way too much and dancing until sunrise.

I have always been a social person, full of energy, with a deep love for music and dance. But even then, I was always active and eating relatively healthy. I’d party until 4:00 AM and still somehow make it to my Spanish class and gym session the next morning—which I’m grateful for now!

From Late Nights to Early Mornings

In my mid-20s, I moved to Istanbul and started working in marketing and event management. My friends and I slowly replaced late nights at bars with early morning runs. We felt so good that we wanted to inspire other women to move more, so we started one of Turkey’s first women’s running group.

My lifestyle began to shift—not out of necessity, but because I needed more balance.

Nike became our sponsor and they even flew us to San Francisco to run the Women’s Half Marathon. Running through the streets of San Francisco at sunrise with 30,000 other women, streets filled with people cheering and live music at every mile was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that still gives me goosebumps when I think about it!

The Big Shift: Discovering Yoga

Around this time, I started practicing yoga. At first, it was more casual, I’d go to a few sessions at the gym. But in one class, I had a deeply profound experience that went beyond the physical. After that, I was very curious and wanted to practice regularly and deepen my knowledge about yoga as well as my practice. Soon, I was practicing in a studio 3-4 times a week, still running and racing, but feeling drawn more and more into the world of yoga.

One year-long yoga teacher training turned out to be a deeply transformative journey—one that ultimately changed my life completely.

In time, I became so interested in yoga philosophy that I signed up for teacher training. It started just after I completed my first (and last) marathon. It made me question how I was living and what I truly wanted. At the time, I was working as a Brand Manager for S.Pellegrino. I loved my job, but I was craving deeper fulfillment.

Choosing A New Path

Realizing teaching yoga brought me more happiness and meaning, I chose to fully dedicate myself to this path.

I continued my yoga journey while working in my  corporate job. I did an internship at a yoga studio, worked as an assistant teacher and almost after two years, finally got my own class! 

By then, I had worked my way up to a Director role, leading a team of over 30 people. My goal was to create a positive and healthy work environment where we could enjoy our time together, as we are spending more hours at work than with our families. But over time, it only got worse and I soon realized that no matter what I did, nothing would change because most people were genuinely unhappy with their choices. Accepting that was very difficult for me. In the end, I also felt extremely unhappy and stressed by all the negativity, shutting myself down.

On the other hand, teaching yoga in the evenings and on weekends was giving  me deep fulfillment. I could see the immediate impact I had in helping people feel better and more connected. When I realized that teaching yoga was making me happier and allowing me to help others in a more meaningful way, I made the decision to quit my job and fully dedicate myself to learning and teaching yoga.

Deeper Healing and Balance: Ayurveda

After making yoga my full-time career, I continued my journey by training in different styles of yoga, breathwork, meditation and mindfulness techniques, attending workshops, volunteering at yoga festivals around the world and organizing my own retreats—bringing together all the knowledge and practices that have helped me heal. I was living a very ‘healthy’ lifestyle—practicing yoga daily, eating well, sleeping and waking up early, and drinking only occasionally—yet I still struggled with digestive issues, acid reflux and migraines.

Despite my healthy lifestyle, I still struggled with health issues and imbalances—until I discovered Ayurveda. And just like yoga, Ayurveda became a deep passion.

That’s when I discovered Ayurveda. At first, I attended a few workshops and everything I learned on how to align our food, routines and life with the rhythms of nature just made so much sense! After gaining all this knowledge, I decided to try a spring detox, cutting out meat, gluten, dairy and sugar. As a Turkish person, who has grown up eating yogurt with almost every meal, cutting out dairy was a big challenge for me! But within a week, I felt incredible—lighter, more energized, and free from digestive issues. Realizing I could live without constant bloating and discomfort gave me the motivation to continue. 

Living a healthy life isn’t just about doing yoga on the mat or exercising—it’s about how we eat, how we connect with our food, our habits and our daily choices. Every decision we make impacts our well-being. And since we make food choices multiple times a day, choosing better has a huge impact on our overall health.

I kept attending workshops, learning about spices and herbs, changing the way I cooked and ate. Eventually, I signed up for a training program to practice Ayurveda on a deeper level and share this ancient knowledge. 

Blending It All Together: Becoming A Well-Being Coach 

Now, my journey has led me to a place where I dedicate myself to helping people make better, healthier and mindful choices while creating conscious work environments and supporting corporate well-being. Having firsthand experience with the stress of corporate life, I deeply connect with my clients, understanding their struggles and helping them integrate mindful practices into their daily routines.

I work 1:1 and with corporations, supporting them to prioritize well-being and create positive workplace cultures.

Through my programs, which blend all my knowledge and techniques, I offer practical tools and resources to support mindfulness, growth, connection and conscious decision-making.

Growing My Mission

But my journey isn’t over—rather, it’s becoming even more exciting!

Moving to Barcelona and expanding my services globally in Spain and Europe has been both exciting and challenging.

Since I built my presence, connections and personal brand in Turkey since 2018, establishing trust and growing my network in a new market takes time and patience.

If this resonates with you, and you feel the need for guidance in your well-being—whether it’s building healthier habits, improving sleep and digestion, or creating a more mindful corporate environment with meaningful connections—please reach out to book a 1:1 session with me. Or, if you know someone who could benefit from my services, sharing this would mean the world to me!

Final Words About Well-being

I truly believe that being well is not just about individual habits, but also about creating healthier environments, meaningful relationships and enjoying what we do.

This journey has taught me that transformation takes time, patience, determination, and dedication. But if you are passionate about what you do—in my case, taking better care of myself and helping others do the same—every step becomes meaningful.

It’s not about rushing the process but about embracing the journey, learning along the way and showing up for yourself and others with consistency and care. Because real change isn’t instant, but it’s always worth it. As I continue to grow, rebuild myself and share this work with a wider community, I’m excited for what’s ahead!

Thank you for reading and being part of this journey. If my story or mission resonates with you, I’d love to connect—let’s build something meaningful together!

With love from my new home, Barcelona

Deniz