A Travelling Yogi By Simone Franks

My Yoga Journey: From Durban to the Garden Route to Guatemala

When I first started practising yoga in Durban, I wasn’t planning on becoming a teacher. At the time, I was working full-time as a graphic designer and simply needed something to help me cope with anxiety, depression, and the pressure of daily life. Yoga became that outlet. It gave me structure, a way to move through stress, and slowly it started to reshape how I saw myself.

Teaching began in those early Durban years. My first classes were small and humble, but they gave me confidence. I even found myself speaking on Durban Youth Radio about yoga and wellness—something I never would have imagined back when I was still struggling with self-worth. Durban was my training ground, the place where I learned to step up and share what I’d been practicing privately.

When I moved to the Garden Route, yoga took on a new layer. The natural surroundings and slower pace of life here encouraged me to teach differently. I began offering classes at The Space Between and co-founded We Do Fun, an initiative to make yoga more accessible. We practiced on the beach, hiked to waterfalls, and even rolled out mats in caves. It wasn’t about polished sequences—it was about creating space for people to connect in real and uncomplicated ways.

The Garden Route also drew me into other forms of facilitation. I worked with Secret Sunrise, co-hosted wellness talks at The Node in Knysna, and joined the Upliftment Programme at George Hospital. At Vala House, I managed retreats, which meant teaching yoga alongside cooking, leading hikes, and organizing events. I also supported the Summer Solstice Festival at the Well-Being Sanctuary, bringing my design background into play. This period showed me that yoga could extend far beyond the studio—that it could be part of how communities gather, heal, and celebrate.

Guatemala was the next chapter, and probably the most challenging. I spent three months at Saasil Retreat Centre on Lake Atitlán, where I wasn’t just teaching yoga but helping set up the business from the ground up. I managed the kitchen, worked with the Mayan Indigenous team, sourced food, built systems, and tried to learn enough Spanish to communicate properly. It pushed me out of my comfort zone completely. But it also reminded me that yoga isn’t confined to mats and poses—it’s about adaptability, patience, and meeting people where they are, even across cultural and language barriers.

Looking back, each place has shaped the way I teach today. Durban taught me to start. The Garden Route grounded me in community. Guatemala showed me how to adapt and expand. Together, they’ve made me the teacher I am now—someone who sees yoga not just as a practice, but as a way of living and connecting with others.