Serena Burgess and Sabina Fernandez

The two ladies featured on our cover story today make for a unique and inspiring story of making choices and changes. Serena Burgess and Sabina Fernandez are the duo behind the OM Space, a newly started centre dedicated for the multiple disciplines of Yoga. Serena started the OM Space as a response to losing the space she was teaching in and realising that with a lot of hard work it could be possible to turn her idea for a wellness space with a dedicated yoga space, into a reality.

Sabina was introduced to Serena, the owner of OM Space, by a mutual friend. “She was looking for someone to help out at the studio, in her words, to ‘be her when she wasn’t around.’ This was the industry I wanted to work in, and I loved the space. Serena and I had instant rapport and it felt right in my gut. I joined and have been helping Serena run the studio ever since as a consultant,” said Sabina.

The duo have been ecstatic about how the OM Space has changed them and others and the progress made so far, “It’s been about six months and running a yoga studio is quite an experience for both of us! It’s been a wonderful, amazing ride. It helps that we are extremely proud of the studio and all that we offer, (primarily yoga but also reiki, reflexology, angel card readings) and we are very passionate about spreading the joys of yoga and the holistic, alternative health approach that The Om Space takes.”

The OM Space is similar to yoga studios you might find in Australia, Europe or the US. But it’s unique in Sri Lanka for its dedicated, specialist Yoga space, trained and certified teachers and the tastefully decorated space itself. (Serena did the interiors and up-cycled most of the furniture herself by hand!)

When I asked them about people world-over turning to Yoga as the end and be-all solution in the past decade or so, they responded, “It really does make everything better. It’s for everyone because Yoga is not one size fits all, there are many different styles and hundreds of different poses and approaches. People have a lot of misconceptions about yoga being sitting still in meditation for hours. But no yoga class is the same. It ranges from a relaxing stretch and breathing exercises to a challenging workout complete with sweat and ache the day after. If you are a gym bunny or play a sport, it’ll improve your focus, make you stronger, and make you more aware of your body and reduce injury.

Stressed? - It will give you tranquility.

Want to lose weight? - Regular practice will tone and change the shape of your body.

If you’re recovering from an injury it will increase your body awareness and help you accept and work within your boundaries towards healing.

And if you want to connect with your spirit, become more present and mindful and align with your soul, it’s the ultimate gateway to that too.

Plus it’s low-impact, which means, kind to your joints, so anyone of any age can practice it. We’d add that yoga is for anyone who enjoys it (if you don’t enjoy it - why torture yourself?!)” 

Both Serena and Sabina come from corporate/communications backgrounds, and when asked about their change of profession, or rather passion, they had this to say.

Serena enthused, “I worked for many years in publishing in the UK as a magazine Production Manager, during which I spent two and a half years training to teach yoga, while working full time. Once I was qualified I combined both jobs, but after having my first child I realised that the work/life balance was not quite in tune and that I was really missing out on watching my daughter grow up and spending time as a family. So in pursuit of a freer, more flexible way of life we moved to Sri Lanka in 2011 and the move really has allowed us to live a life based more around family and quality time together, whilst still allowing us to do work that feels meaningful and is fun!

The change from corporate to alternative was almost inevitable for me. I found yoga at a time when my life was particularly busy, I was loving being young and active in London, but really treasured the hour a week that I spent in an oasis of calm at my yoga class. From here, my interest was sparked with an inspirational teacher and I deepened my practice over the next four years spending much of my spare time at the Sivananda Ashram in London. Finally I knew the next step was teacher training because I had a feeling that one day I would be able to live my life doing this meaningful and fulfilling work, plus feel like the balance had finally been achieved. The move to Sri Lanka did just that.”

Sabina was a magazine editor for ten years in Singapore, “I was good at it, and the job had many perks.  Actually my first yoga class was on a media trip to Kerala. I kept up my yoga practice and finally in 2010 did a teacher training in Hong Kong. I returned to the rat race and taught part-time, working full-time at a women’s fashion magazine. But I was getting jaded and burnt out. I knew deep-down that the talents and skills I had been given were meant for something more than that. I wanted to do work that counted for something. I’m happy to work hard, but I wanted it to be for a good reason. Finally last March I made the decision to switch to teaching full-time and writing part-time. Yoga changed my life and gave me so much awesomeness. And a large part of why I teach is that I wish everyone could learn all that I have.”

Finally, Serena concluded with words I personally, will treasure for long,

“Women tend to put everybody else first - parents, children in particular - and can sometimes feel guilty taking time out for themselves. But you cannot give to anybody if your own cup is empty. The best thing for your family, friends, colleagues and boss is for you to be happy and healthy. And no one else is responsible for that except you. For me and millions of others, yoga is my key to happiness and health. Find yours, whether it’s yoga or something else - and go do it!”

Text by Nivedha Jeyaseelan
Pics by Samantha Perera