I have been practising yoga for about eight years and teaching for the past eighteen months. When I finally felt it was my time to guide others along the yogic journey, I also knew that my own practice was far from finished. My curiosity and hunger for growth led me to immerse myself in three Moksha Yoga Teacher Trainings. After completing my 200-hour training in Bali in January 2024, I continued with a 110-hour Meditation Teacher training, and then dove into Yin and Sound Medicine simultaneously.
These experiences were transformative in ways I hadn’t expected. Unlike my month-long immersion in Bali, these weekend-based trainings fit around my corporate work life. I assumed the distraction of everyday life would make the transformation less intense — yet somehow, the lessons landed deeper. Over these weekends, I met people from all walks of life, sitting on meditation cushions, quietly witnessing each other step out of our own way. There’s a strange kind of magic in this: the part of the training that is taken from you, leaving room to discover new parts of yourself, if you’re open to it. You leave the noise at the door and, piece by piece, you return to yourself.
The Gift of a Skilled Teacher
Emma Palmer, founding principal and Director of Education at Moksha Yoga, brings decades of dedication and depth to her teachings. With a 1400-hour Yoga Teacher Training completed between 2001–2003, she has taught more than 10,000 hours and been a guiding force in Moksha Yoga since its creation in 2005. Emma is an E-RYT-500 with Yoga Alliance, a Level 3 Senior Yoga Teacher with Yoga Australia, and a Senior Member of the Meditation Association of Australia. She is trained in Prenatal Yoga, Yin Yoga, and has contributed articles to yoga publications across Australia and the UK.
Emma’s teachings are rooted in the Siddha, Advaita, Kashmir Shaivism, and Sri Vidya lineages. Her ability to make ancient wisdoms feel deeply relevant and relatable today is rare, creating a safe, transformative space for students to explore, reflect, and grow. Her devotion to her own Sādhana informs every class, retreat, and teacher training she facilitates, offering a model of authenticity, discipline, and love.
This retreat in Koh Samui revealed aspects of yoga that I had only glimpsed before. I had experienced meditations and sound baths led by other teachers, but here, the structure, guidance, and presence of Emma created a depth that gently invited me to explore, reflect, and expand beyond what I thought possible: 5:45 am sunrise meditations, three-hour morning practices, and two-hour philosophical integration sessions in the afternoon. It was more than yoga. It was an invitation into introspection, a deep dive into change, and an exploration of the parts of my life that had been holding me back.
Connection, Reflection, and Freedom
The group was mostly women in their 50s, navigating mid-career shifts, motherhood, and self-discovery. I felt a twinge of guilt at first. Here I was, in my sixth month of freedom, travelling the world, yet I recognised the gift in this contrast. The gathering reminded me how much I’d missed the joy of women’s company: being silly, telling stories, laughing, and sharing space without expectation.
For so long, I had been shaped by environments that demanded conformity, survival, and strategic behaviour. This retreat reminded me that change is possible, sometimes quietly and unconsciously, and sometimes through intention and devotion. My word from today’s meditation was devotion: not only to my practice but to myself. A deep, abiding love for the person I am, beyond the constraints that held me for too long.
The Power of Generosity and Being Seen
One story stayed with me: a man named Marc who I’d met in Bali, generously gave guidance and support without expectation. It was a form of generosity I had rarely experienced, and it reminded me of the power of being seen and lifted without strings attached. At the time, I wasn’t even sure how to accept his help. On this retreat, surrounded by teachers and peers who wanted nothing but our growth, I felt that same elevation, this time able to accept it. It was proof to me that connection, generosity, and support can exist simply because it is human to give.
Observing the Lost and the Free
Many retreat participants were “lost” in the ways life had worn them down, their identities lost in work, family, and obligations. Yet there was hope here. The retreat reminded me that our choices, no matter how small, shape the course of our lives. I am grateful to be in my 30s, to have the time and energy to observe and redirect my path, to peel back layers and make intentional decisions about who I am and how I wish to live.
Why This Yoga Retreat Was Different
Even though I had encountered Emma and her teachings before, this retreat landed differently. I was ready to receive it in a new way. Watching others absorb the science, philosophy, and logic of yoga for the first time inspired me — a reminder that learning and growth are ongoing, and that we are always ready for the next layer. This was not just movement, not just meditation. It was a reclaiming of self, a deep exploration of presence, and an opportunity to be held, seen, and supported as I continue to find my place in the world.
Yoga is often described as a journey, but retreats like this remind us it’s more than that — it’s a return to ourselves. The practice is a container, the teachers are guides, and the fellow participants reflect back what we sometimes forget: that devotion, self-love, and presence are always available, if we choose to step into them.
