A conversation with Luiza Vianna from Brazil to Australia and back (in English & Portuguese)
Lately, I’ve been thinking about impermanence. Not loss, but movement. I understand life as cycles, not lines. That we’re not reaching for something but returning to it. Not repeating the past, but recognizing the present is enough. Not ahead or behind. Just here or there.
I’ve stopped needing to understand everything. Sometimes acceptance is more freeing than clarity. É o que é. It is what it is.
People and moments come and go. But memory remains, and over time, shapes who we are. I often feel like a museum of past bonds; with places, people, nature. And when I think this way, I’m just grateful. A vida só melhora.
I met Luiza one year ago, during my first visit to Brazil. We connected instantly through yoga and travel: India, Australia, Brazil. A gente vai e volta. She is someone I, and many others, respect deeply. Her energy is magnetic, grounded and authentic and her teaching style is intuitive and rooted in passion and experience.
Luiza’s story shows travel as a way home to self. From journalism to yoga, 13 years in Australia and training across continents, she’s built a life of mobility, meaning, and presence. The following is our conversation, in English and Portuguese.
Tell us a bit about you and your story before yoga…
Me chamo Luiza, sou mineira de nascimento, mas confesso que renasci na Bahia e na Austrália. Dois lugares que mudaram minha história.
I studied journalism but never worked in the field. At 21, I went to Australia to learn English, and I ended up staying for 13 years. In that time, I worked all kinds of jobs: babysitter, cleaner, waitress, dishwasher, construction assistant, office receptionist, even photographing people’s eye irises at shopping malls. All of it shaped me and taught me what resilience actually looks like.
How did yoga first find you?
Conheci a yoga há 14 anos, mas só comecei a praticar com mais dedicação em Byron Bay, com uma das melhores professoras que já tive.
I used to wake up before sunrise, even in the middle of winter, just to make it to class. That’s how much it moved me. At the time, I felt professionally lost. I didn’t have a clear direction, and I felt pressure to define myself through a career. That’s when I started life coaching. In the very first session, the coach asked me: “Luiza, qual o seu sonho?”
Without hesitation, I said: “Viajar o mundo.” That question stayed with me. Over the next three months, one session per week, I began to understand that what I truly wanted was freedom. And I realized I’d need a profession that could support that. That’s when yoga shifted from something I loved to something I could live. Still, I didn’t see myself as a teacher. The idea of leading a group felt far away. But the seed was there. The path had already started.
What inspired you to start teaching?
After coaching, I committed to becoming a yoga teacher and headed straight to the source: India. Meu primeiro treinamento foi em Rishikesh. Monkeys, leopards, vacas andando soltas, sem café, e muito aprendizado. After training, I traveled through India teaching in exchange for food and shelter. That’s when I really began to love teaching.
What does teaching mean to you now?
Ensinar é estar presente.It’s more than physical movement, but creating space for people to slow down, feel, and reconnect with their bodies and emotions. And we’re always learning too. Every student brings something new. Yoga é isso: um caminho coletivo onde todos são professores e alunos ao mesmo tempo.
What did Bahia teach you?
After India, I came back to Brazil to reconnect with my roots and found myself in Itacaré, Bahia. Foi o lugar que mudou tudo. Se você nunca foi à Bahia, vá. Ela acolhe, transforma e renasce. That’s where I led my first daily classes and realized I was on the right path. I had found my purpose.
How did retreats and work exchanges shape your path?
Comecei a trabalhar com yoga retreats e vi que era possível ter liberdade geográfica e financeira ao mesmo tempo. That changed everything. It gave me a way to build a sustainable life through this practice.
What brought you back to Australia?
After Bahia, I returned to Australia for two more years of training, yoga and breathwork. O foco era me desenvolver ainda mais como professora e absorver tudo que pudesse. I taught regularly in studios and grew a lot in the process.
What’s it like teaching in a Yoga Teacher Training?
Ensinar num YTT é como mergulhar num oceano de descobertas. For me, it’s not just techniques but helping others step into who they’re becoming as teachers and as people. Vai muito além do tapete.
How do you feel about your journey today?
Me sinto realizada, profissionalmente e pessoalmente. I’m proud of the path I’ve taken, and I hope I can continue planting love wherever I go.
What are you working on now?
Hoje estou focando em uma abordagem mais online. I’m recording a virtual yoga program and planning retreats around the world. The goal is more freedom and presence, for myself and my students.
Finally, what advice would you give to yoga teachers who want to travel?
Se esse é o seu sonho, começa. Mesmo com medo, começa. No começo eu achava que nunca seria uma boa professora, que ensinar não era pra mim. Mas a vida me mostrou o contrário. Você não precisa estar 100% pronta pra dar o primeiro passo. Ele se dá com o que você tem.
Start small. I began teaching yoga in exchange for food and accommodation. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me so much. Those experiences gave me confidence. Eventually, I saw that this path could offer both freedom and purpose.
Ser professora de yoga não significa ter tudo sob controle. Significa estar presente, confiar no processo e lembrar que a gente também está sempre aprendendo.
Let the practice guide you. And let yourself grow through it.
Connect with Luiza on Instagram @luizaviannayoga
