A Transformative Journey From Corporate Health Care Worker to Yoga Teacher: Jeannine’s Story

The universe has its way with all of us.

A moment captured of Jeannine conquering her fear of heights. (Photo Credit: Jeannine Roy)

Today, I'm veering off my usual essay format to introduce you to my friend, Jeannine. Jeannine, whom I met five years ago at a Chicago yoga teacher workshop, lives in Winnipeg, Canada. Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, we have kept in touch on weekly Zoom mastermind calls where we, along with two other teachers, bring our hearts and minds together to talk about how better to share the gift of yoga with our students.

Jeannine made the transition to yoga teacher after a 40-year corporate career. She's a pretty amazing gal, and I learned more about her that I'd love to share with you.

Hey there, Jeannine!

I'm so happy you're here. For the past three years, speaking to you almost every week of the year has fast-tracked our friendship. Even so, I find there's more to learn from you, my friend.

The yoga teachers in our mastermind group and the field at large are unique creatures because we come from diverse backgrounds. Can you tell us more about who you were before you became a yoga teacher? What kind of work did you do, and how did you end up there?

Of course! Before yoga, I had an exciting, fulfilling career working in healthcare for 40 years. My passion for people, science, and languages guided my path, beginning as an EEG technologist in adult acute care. But my love for helping children and their families led me to the Winnipeg Children's Hospital, where I spent over half of my career. 

In the early 1990s, the Government of Manitoba mandated Children's Hospital to provide health services in French. I took on this initiative and expanded francophone health services for the Winnipeg health region.

Building on this accomplishment in 2006, I led a team to create and implement regional interpreter services. The group grew to employ over 80 trained healthcare interpreters who assisted patients, families, and healthcare professionals in 31 languages.

I was proud of my work, but it required constant learning and problem-solving. I thrived on the adrenaline rush. 

That is an amazing legacy, Jeannine. How did you become interested in yoga, and what role did it play before you decided to become a teacher?

I've always been active—gymnastics and team sports in high school, ballet in my early adult years, before discovering Pilates. During a vacation in Arizona, I attended an Ashtanga Vinyasa class and fell in love with how each pose flowed into the next. This experience sparked my interest in yoga, and I've since completed over 1,000 hours of teacher training. Although I never planned to become a yoga teacher, my entrepreneurial spirit led me to create a home studio to share my passion with others.

So, a single class in Arizona piqued your interest and turned you into a yoga student, teacher, and entrepreneur extraordinaire. What about yoga kept you captivated and on the mat for 14 years? Does teaching yoga provide the adrenaline rush you experienced in your old career?

There was so much more depth to yoga than there was with Pilates, which I practiced for ten years. Learning about the ancient Indian tradition of yoga was like peeling back the layers of an onion—physical postures, breathing practices, mindful focus, meditation, and yoga philosophy. There was so much for me to absorb and put into practice. Learning about these ancient teachings could last a lifetime and beyond as the adrenaline rush morphed into a slow burn.

What prompted you to consider a shift from your corporate career to yoga teaching? Was there a specific moment or event that triggered this decision?

At the peak of my healthcare career, I experienced a "near-miss mental health breakdown" and realized that my 60-hour work weeks were no longer sustainable. I retired from the high-pressure, fast-paced healthcare career I loved—years earlier than I had planned—to channel myself into caring for and serving others differently.

Since you experienced that mental health crisis, how have you changed to maintain your mental health now?

I take care of myself by practicing mindfulness throughout the day. I prioritize "me time," which involves meditation, restorative yoga, and daily walks, to manage stress and balance my mind. I have also built strong relationships with people with similar interests and values. 

I am also learning new things and keeping an open mind, which helps me avoid burnout.

What was the pebble in your shoe when you worked in healthcare? What are things you find that you're working through now that you're on a completely different path?

The medical field constantly evolves and requires ongoing learning and quick problem-solving skills. The fast-paced environment was exhilarating, but working with children with seizure disorders or rare genetic and metabolic disorders was emotionally draining. 

Dealing with pediatric brain injuries caused by accidents, violence, and drowning, often leading to brain death, was gut-wrenching and eventually became overwhelming. 

Managing my vicarious trauma was always challenging. Later in my career, I supported interpreters also affected by vicarious trauma who had the role of delivering difficult news to patients and their loved ones.

As a yoga teacher, I focus on maintaining my mental health while guiding others on their journeys. I reinforce fundamental yoga principles such as non-attachment, non-judgment, and self-awareness.

I see how working with children was rewarding and draining and how that impacted you. I love how your first-hand experience morphed into helping others. You mentioned vicarious trauma. What does that mean?

Vicarious trauma is another way to say compassion fatigue or secondary trauma. It’s the emotional, psychological, and physical impact that occurs from hearing or witnessing the traumatic experience of others.

It must have been challenging to experience vicarious trauma yourself and then help your staff with theirs. A caring thread runs through everything you do, Jeannine. I’m amazed at how concern for others is such an integral part of your story from the beginning to now.

I’m also curious. Do you teach yoga in French or English? (Give us a sampling of something you'd say in a yoga class in French.)

I primarily teach in English but occasionally provide verbal cues in French to aid some students. For example, after ensuring that all students are positioned correctly for Setu Bandhasa (Bridge Pose), I might also offer French instructions:

"Levez les hanches aussi haut que possible en inspirant, respirez cinq fois, et ramenez-les au sol en expirant."

To that, I say, "OO LA LA!" I love all things French, Jeannine. Thanks for indulging me.

What could you say, do, or practice as a yoga teacher to help others with their fears, like aging and death or even going upside down?

I joke about aging and ask my students if anyone is not getting older. It helps to bring attention to the fleeting nature of time and the fact that we cannot control our longevity. Living in the present moment is all that we truly have. 

Towards the end of each class, I guide my students through Savasana (Corpse Pose), where we lie down on the floor with our arms by our sides and our feet falling away from each other. We close our eyes and surrender to the moment, allowing ourselves to rest in peace. 

My teacher, Judith Hanson Lasater, describes Savasana as a state where we become "dead" to the outside world as we rest in silence and goodness. Classic yoga teachings suggest that Corpse Pose is ultimately where we're headed in our entire lives—towards the final surrender. While this may sound morbid, Savasana prepares us for the ultimate letting go that we will all face in death—the most profound fact of our existence.

It's so interesting that Savasana is a taste of death. Last week's newsletter talked about practicing death through meditation, and I love how this yoga pose is another way to practice dying.

What is your favorite thing to teach in yoga? 

I enjoy teaching yoga based on traditions: Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Chair Yoga, and Yoga Nidra. 

A few years ago, I found a book called "Yoga Therapy for Insomnia and Sleep Recovery" by Lisa Sanfilippo that I found captivating. Integrating yoga, psychology, and neuroscience to solve sleep issues fascinates me. 

As a former EEG technologist, reading about sleep physiology and the various stages of sleep brought back many memories, and the thought of combining my past healthcare career and my current role as a yoga teacher was a perfect fit. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I learned the yogic approach to sleep recovery through remote training led by Lisa Sanfilippo in London, England. Now, I assist people struggling to get a good night's sleep through my online training.

Yoga pants or yoga mat: If you had to choose one to take with you on a deserted island, which would it be, and why?

Yoga mat. I can practice with or without clothes. No one would be the wiser on a deserted island, and it would be very liberating!

Wow, a true Cannuck who doesn't mind al fresco yoga.

If you could choose any yoga pose to represent your personality, which would it be and why?

Sirsasana (headstand) mirrors determination and persistence in reaching my goals. This upside-down journey reflects the delicate balance of everyday living and the ability to see things differently. 

Thanks, Jeannine, for letting our community get to know you. I love how your career led you to become a yoga teacher. From how you describe it, it flowed naturally from your 40-year career.

Looking for a yogic approach to quality sleep, or want to know how you can solve your sleep issues? Click here for more information on Jeannine’s sleep program and a free gift.

Photo credit: Alyson Victoria Anne Lenhardt

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