Liberation Stories : How Yoga Set Me Free
From Corporate Law to Teaching Freedom - A Conversation with Yegor
Today we sit down with Yegor, RA 300hr graduate and scholarship recipient, who teaches weekly classes at our Ubud studio. His journey from Russian corporate lawyer to yoga teacher is a powerful reminder that it's never too late to choose freedom over fear.
RA: Yegor, you spent 10 years in the legal world - 6 years studying, 4 years working, plus military service. What was that life like?
Yegor: It was living from weekend to weekend, honestly. I was using whatever it took to escape the darkness of the reality I had created for myself. The last two years of law school I was working and studying simultaneously, and then four years as a practicing lawyer. I was successful on paper, but inside I was drowning.
RA: Can you tell us about the night that changed everything?
Yegor as a lawyer. Circa 2016
Yegor: It was after another long party - this was my regular pattern of trying to escape. Everyone else had fallen asleep around 7 am, but my eyes were still wide open. My mind was spinning with anxiety and depression, my back was in intense pain from stress, and I was shackled by all my addictions. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, the word "Yoga" came into my mind.
RA: That's remarkable, especially since you'd never practiced before. What was your perception of yoga at the time?
Yegor: laughs I thought it was like voodoo or some kind of cult! My mom was actually a practitioner, but I had completely dismissed it. That night, though, something deeper was calling.
RA: How quickly did things start to shift once you began practicing?
Yegor: I started the next day and never stopped. Initially it was pure asana-oriented, but within months I discovered the power of meditation and pranayama. The transformation was so rapid it was unrecognizable - I cut my attempts to escape life and started to enjoy it fully.
RA: What books or teachings had the biggest impact during this period?
Yegor: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer was huge - especially his concept that "you are not your thoughts."¹ Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now taught me about presence.² Then I dove into the Bhagavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Sadhguru's Inner Engineering³. Atomic Habits helped me understand how to build sustainable practice.⁴
But perhaps most importantly, I learned what Tolle means when he says: "The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion."² Building that strong container to hold whatever life brings was everything.
RA: How did your family and friends react to this transformation?
Yegor: chuckles Total shock. My mom got over it quickly and started supporting my journey, but others? My family - mostly government officials - were resistant, and some friends started telling weird stories behind my back. There was resentment, tests. But honestly, that was a sign I was making the right choice.
RA: When did you know you wanted to teach?
Yegor: After sharing my practice with friends for the first time, I realized this was the most meaningful thing I could do - help people find connection with themselves again, spark that same light in others. The decision shocked everyone.
RA: You taught part-time for about 6 months while still practicing law. What made you finally take the leap?
Yegor: It was courageous leap of faith. A couple of hours after I signed my resignation letter, all the yoga studios got shut down. No place to teach, no work. But the calling was impossible to ignore - the path was as clear as light in a tunnel.
RA: That led you to Sri Lanka. What drew you there?
Yegor in Sri Lanka. March 2023
Yegor: Initially surfing! But then I discovered the spiritual richness of this Buddhist country. I did my first 10-day Vipassana retreat and found this beautiful place with a yoga shala where I could teach. For a guy from Voronezh, living by the ocean and teaching yoga felt like a dream.
RA: What brought you specifically to RA's 300hr program?
Yegor: It was almost the only 300hr course in Bali at that moment. But more than that - the teachers were top notch, the studio gave such a strong community sense and cozy vibe. It was exactly what I was seeking.
RA: How has your teaching evolved since RA?
Yegor: I found deeper layers of connection with my body, built a foundation for a holistic yoga approach. The anatomy knowledge and incorporation of somatic practices transformed how I teach. I could feel students connecting differently.
RA: You're now teaching regularly at our Ubud studio. What do you love most about it?
Yegor during 300hr YTT in RA. July 2023.
Yegor: It was my dream since I decided to teach yoga - to teach in a studio like this. The community, fellow teachers and staff who became friends, students from all over the world, that beautiful jungle view. It's magical.
RA: What does your daily practice look like now?
Yegor: I wake up at 5 am for daily meditation and breathwork. My movement practice is mixed - could be yoga, resistance training, soft acrobatics and floorwork, or rehab sessions. It's about listening to what my body needs.
RA: For someone trapped in corporate life but scared to change, what would you tell them?
Yegor: Don't be afraid to follow your wildest dream. The universe will turn the whole world around to help you.
The heavy burden of living a life pursuing a career that didn't make sense was unbearable. When you align with your most meaningful desire, your brain circuits literally re-orient themselves. The calling within becomes impossible to ignore.
RA: Any final thoughts on liberation?
Yegor: True liberation isn't about escaping life - it's about showing up fully for it. Yoga taught me how to appreciate the present moment as it is, to build a strong container for whatever comes. That's real freedom.
Yegor teaches weekly classes at our Ubud studio. His story reminds us that sometimes our darkest nights lead to our brightest dawns - and that it's never too late to choose the path that calls to your soul.
Ready to write your own liberation story? YTT is your opportunity to step into the freedom of sharing yoga—claiming your power as a teacher and guide. Learn more about our upcoming training here →
What's your own liberation story? If you feel like you have an inspiring transformation to share with our community, we'd love to hear from you. Reach out - your courage might inspire someone else to take their own leap of faith.
References
¹ Singer, Michael A. (2007). The Untethered Soul. New Harbinger Publications.
² Tolle, Eckhart. (1997). The Power of Now. Namaste Publishing.
³ Sadhguru. (2016). Inner Engineering. Spiegel & Grau.
⁴ Clear, James. (2018). Atomic Habits. Avery.