Seven Years of Yoga Avec Moi: A Candid Review

Today, I’m pressing pause to look back on seven full years of Yoga Avec Moi (YAM). In yogic terms, seven years is a full chakra cycle—a renewal of body, mind, and spirit. It feels right to mark this cycle with an honest review: what we built, what we learned, and where we’re going next.

We’ve often shared our highlights. We haven’t always shared the struggles: launches that didn’t fill, constant pivots across countries and languages, the quiet refunds to stay in integrity, the weight of holding space for others while rebuilding my own life. This post is the full picture—because if you’ve been with us since day one, you deserve it.

The Big Wins (and Why They Matter)

Bicentenary Meditation Project (2018–2022)

  • 444 meditations • 22 languages • 136 contributors • 38 countries

  • Hosted on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and fully archived with blog write-ups.

  • Brought sacred text–based Yoga Nidra to a global audience during COVID—bridging contemplative practice and public health.

Pure Breath Program (2020—)

  • Created in early 2020 to support frontline workers’ focus and resilience.

  • Accepted twice into a University of Sydney PhD study on PTSD in female physicians.

  • Multiple online cohorts and info sessions; some planned launches didn’t run due to sign-ups—but the science is solid and the need remains real.

Motherhood Research → Toolkit & Podcast (2021–2025)

  • 31 interviews with mothers across 25 cities / 12 countries.

  • Resulted in the Mama Comfort Toolkit (daily self-care rituals) and The YAM Podcast (now 27 episodes) with mothers’ stories and expert guests on hormones, thyroid health, and mental wellbeing.

Global Nutrition Conference (Aug 2022)

  • A 6-day, simultaneously translated online summit, archived on YouTube.

  • Grew directly from questions inside our membership community.

Seven Valleys & Yogic Chakras (2019–2025)

  • Repeated online and in-person series, including Valley-Chakra themed yoga classes on YouTube.

  • A 54-hour YACEP-certified immersive was planned in 2024–25 (not yet launched).

Clinical Practice & Certification

  • Oct 2024: Completed C-IAYT Integrative Yoga Therapy certification (the founding dream).

  • May 2025: Joined East Van Integrated Health in Vancouver for in-person IYT & Human Design sessions.

Creative Extensions

Content Library (Built Organically)

  • 700 YouTube videos to date: meditations, public-health mini-series, workshops, jewelry making, podcast clips.

  • A heartfelt community of 460+ subscribers, grown largely through word of mouth.

The Challenges (That Shaped Our Work)

  • Financial sustainability: years of membership portals with <10 members, high hosting costs, continuous reinvestment.

  • Language & culture pivots: began primarily in Mandarin, expanded to English for global reach, now working bilingually.

  • Motherhood niche lessons: despite deep research, it wasn’t financially sustainable; shifted focus to prenatal, clinical IYT, and breath.

  • Relocations & logistics: China → Canada; moving studios and time zones disrupted continuity.

  • Emotional load: holding space for distressed clients (often mothers) before having children of my own.

  • Integrity over revenue: refunded or cancelled when misaligned or under-attended; long-term trust over short-term cash.

  • Invisible labor: e.g., 6-day live translation summit; hundreds of hours editing and archiving the meditation library.

These realities moved us toward clearer outcomes, sustainable pacing, and client-ready niches (prenatal care, amputation rehab, breath for PTSD, spinal cord injury support).

What We’re Focused on Now (2025)

  • Clinic-based Integrative Yoga Therapy at East Van Integrated Health (spinal cord injury, prenatal/post-surgical support, breath & nervous system regulation).

  • Bilingual education: What Is Integrative Yoga Therapy? series in English and Chinese.

  • Seven Valleys & Yogic Chakras as our umbrella path for spiritual growth—woven with Pure Breath as a science-based pillar.

  • Human Design readings as a complementary self-understanding tool (used thoughtfully, not dogmatically).

Lessons I’m Taking Forward

  1. Impact ≠ metrics. 700 videos with 460 subs still changed lives we’ll never fully count.

  2. Integrity is the strategy. Saying no is spiritual hygiene. Sometimes it costs money; it always saves the mission.

  3. Honesty builds community. Sharing the hard parts makes YAM human—and sustainable.

  4. Joy is a compass. We now choose projects that keep the work heart-centered.

Thank You

To every student, listener, contributor, translator, guest expert, collaborator, and quiet supporter: thank you. You are the reason any of this exists.

Our next post/video will share the vision for the next seven years: a refined online community around the Seven Valleys, renewed breath offerings, and deeper clinic partnerships. If you feel called to collaborate—as a partner clinic, podcast guest (especially in sustainability & waste-reduction), or community supporter—reach out. We’d love to hear from you.

Stay Connected

  • YouTube: subscribe for new classes, meditations, and series.

  • Newsletter: get updates on workshops, clinic availability, and community Q&As.

  • Website: explore meditations, programs, and booking options.

With gratitude,
Nahal 💛