Written by Emma Do
Photography by Ryan Lee
I stood quietly outside the LSESU studio on the 6th floor, waiting as a yoga session wrapped up. Inside, Oxana, the instructor, gathered her students for a group selfie—a signature shot often seen on her Instagram stories, where every smile is wide. Oxana started teaching at LSESU and LSE halls before I came to university, so I’ve heard about her since my first year. For some reason, I’d always wanted to speak with Oxana. Perhaps it was the energy she exudes through social media, or the way her passion for yoga seemed to transcend physical exercise, delving into deeper, more meaningful dimensions of life. Yoga is a fascinating practice to me, so this felt like the perfect chance to connect with someone who embodies it so profoundly. Either way, we settled into the now-empty studio, the warm yellow lights amplified in the air, and we were both excited to get started.
We kicked off the interview by going all the way back to when Oxana first knew about yoga, which was 20 years ago. “Yoga came into my life when I was 15. I went to a yoga class without much expectation, but the way the teacher led the class spoke to me and resonated so well that I thought “I want to be like her”. I started to try out yoga by myself and didn’t mean for it to become a profession.” Yet, when Oxana moved to London from Russia, a fresh start forced fresh takes on life to transpire and for new paths to unfold. “Apart from yoga, I didn’t have anything in my life that I was really passionate about.”, Oxana told me.
And so, she decided to go for it. Oxana enrolled in two yoga training programmes, one in London, and the latter in India. Curious, I asked her about what was involved in the training and why she felt the need to study yoga in a different culture. “I would call the training [in London] Western yoga approach because all the instructors were from the West. Despite knowing about India’s heritage, it still felt like something was missing. So, after a year, I decided to move to India for a month and completed 300 hours of training.” Even when the day stretched from 6am until 10pm, for Oxana, getting to do what she loves is what gets her up in the morning. “[The training] was so profound for me both in terms of personality and career development. Until now, it feels like I’m still trying to process everything.”
“When I came to India, we dived more into this spiritual aspect of yoga apart from physical exercises. There were practices off the mat as well like Yama and Niyama, which are sets of moral codes and rules that I can align my personality with to live accordingly. Meditation helps me to know myself and my mind. Once you start seeing yourself, things can change amidst this fast-paced world. That’s why I’m teaching more and more about breath work because the breath is our ultimate guide towards the inner world.”
Teaching yoga, however, is a completely different art from practicing it alone. It’s not just about mastering the technicalities but also about sparking a connection—creating an experience that resonates meaningfully enough to inspire students to return time and time again. For Oxana, “There’s so much room for creativity in teaching”.
“I don’t do any class which is similar to the previous one. There are beautiful, amazing, and talented teachers out there who enjoy repeating the same sequence for a month, but that’s just not the case for me. Yes, there is a theme for the week, but I will change my lessons here and there, adding a different breathwork technique or so. Yoga has its foundational poses, but even within those, there’s endless potential to cultivate something new.
What, then, is the most inspiring aspect of teaching yoga? People define yoga differently, sometimes as a sport, sometimes as a lifestyle, sometimes as a daily discipline, or even as an occasional indulgence. Yoga, therefore, is never just one thing, and neither are its impacts. There are so many techniques that can be integrated into our daily routines which enrich mindfulness and self-discovery, all intrinsic to personal growth . Oxana does this by teaching her students how to focus on breathing and tune into their own rhythms.
Among the lessons yoga imparts, she believes one stands out as universally valuable: learning how to care for your health, both physically and mentally. “If you don’t understand your body or recognize its signals, you can’t fully grasp how you’re coping with stress or an overwhelming lifestyle,” she explains. “That disconnect can lead to burnout or even illness. So, yoga teaches you to slow down, listen, and be mindful.”
She adds, “Equally important is the practice of self-love. It’s easy to forget that pure, unconditional love exists—not egotistic or narcissistic, just a deep, overflowing adoration we often neglect to give ourselves. That pure love is always present and within us. The best part is that I can see it in my students after spending time together. They started to love and appreciate themselves more, which I think is the most meaningful impact I’ve achieved while teaching yoga.”
We moved on to talking about Oxana’s time teaching yoga at LSESU and LSE halls for the past three years. “I started during Covid-19, so there’s a stark contrast compared to the sessions we have now.”, she reminisced about organising classes during the pandemic. “The biggest difference was that I couldn’t walk around and do physical adjustment because this is critical to yoga. By helping students to get the right posture, they’ll remember the teaching better and feel more connected to their body. It’s also a way for me to get involved instead of purely talking to them.”
Apart from the actual teaching and practising of yoga, Oxana also puts a big emphasis on and shows gratitude to her students as well as colleagues at LSE. “My students, they are young people, young adults, who are incredibly open-minded to embrace new things and genuinely want to progress. I’m also surrounded by wonderful colleagues and managers. This is what drives me altogether to push forward. Classes and schedules can sure be hectic at times, but really, I’m grateful.”
Working with university students definitely brings about unique perspectives and experiences compared to other types of clients such as office workers, as Oxana mentioned. “Students can be quite vulnerable and this vulnerability is what differentiates them. Apart from helping students with improving their physical health like teaching them to open their shoulders or how to relieve lower back pain or any aches caused by stress, I try to embrace the idea of worthiness in my classes. I want students to first believe that they are deserving, especially in these younger years when they are still trying to find themselves. Once you believe that you are worthy of many things and you can achieve those things, you’ll start to feel more empowered.”
“I wouldn’t say anyone was particularly skeptical when they first joined my classes,” Oxana shared. “But there were people who doubted whether they could do yoga because they didn’t feel flexible or ‘stretchy’ enough. I explained to them that yoga isn’t purely about getting into shape. It’s not a trend nor a fashion. It’s about connecting—with yourself and with others. Yoga is about showing up and doing something that makes you feel better. When people understood that, they stayed for another session. They came, and they kept coming.”
“Some people made me feel so happy last year when I saw the lights and love in their eyes. That is the type of moment when something truly beautiful ignites within them. They’re loving the practice and loving what’s changing inside.”
The journey in yoga is never-ending. For Oxana, she remains a student of the practice far more than she could ever claim to be a teacher. Each step offers a new opportunity—to unpack, unlearn, and discover fresh perspectives. “I’m never stopping, and I think none of us are.”, she said. “My teacher used to tell me that there are no yogis who actually stepped out of the journey. Once you’re in, it will guide you, even during times when you may not resonate with yoga the most.”
“I’m still pushing myself harder every day to learn more. It can get tough especially when you live in a bustling city like London. It’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind and simultaneously feeling guilty for missing out on things. But allow yourself to be slow if you need to.”
There’s a sense of calm and serenity that lingers in everything Oxana shares. They are no rocket science, but are what is near and dear to our hearts, the lessons that hit too close to home. Regardless of how your term has unfolded this academic year, you are always free to breathe and take up space, as Oxana has reminded me. Take a break. Hug someone. You’ll be surprised at how the right person can fill your life with the right light and the right love effortlessly. Sometimes, that person is you.
