"I Fell in Love with Life During Revolution and War": Dorna Djenab on a 16-Year-Old Spiritual Awakening in Iran, Founding Pranasana Yoga from Meditation, and Building a Wellness Business That Goes Beyond "Just Yoga"
At 16, standing on a rooftop in Iran during revolution and war, Dorna Djenab fell in love with Life. Not with her life. With Life itself. With creation. With beauty.
One spring afternoon while standing by a balcony with her best friend, everything became clear. She saw a cat walking "as if for the first time." That profound spiritual experience lasted a year and sparked a lifelong search for deeper meaning and connection.
She could stand on their rooftop for hours, watching the sky, taking in the magnificent shapes of dancing clouds. Yet at the same time, she was witnessing the heart-wrenching suffering of human beings during war. She saw how fear turned kind people violent and aggressive. How anxiety and depression robbed people from their loved ones in so many ways.
It was clear that without a practical way to anchor to the present moment, many were getting lost in the whirlpool of their negative thoughts, not knowing how to save themselves. Dorna hated seeing people suffer and couldn't reconcile the love she had for Life with the sadness that engulfed her country.
Born in France, raised in Iran during her teenage years immersed in revolution and war, and now residing in the UK, Dorna learned yoga from a book (Richard Hittleman's "Yoga in 28 Days") in the quiet of her room during distressful times. At 19, she was initiated into Transcendental Meditation.
In 2007, "Pranasana Yoga" came to her partner Matt Gluck during meditation after they ran their first yoga retreat together. They've been embodying it as a dynamic duo ever since, running regular yoga, Tai Chi, and Mindful Breathing workshops and retreats in the UK and overseas with over 60 years combined teaching experience (45 years teaching) and 60 years of practice combined.
Today, Dorna and her partner are the co-founders of Pranasana Yoga. Dorna is a British School of Yoga qualified teacher who teaches in English, French, and Persian. She's been teaching for almost 20 years and has practiced for 40 years, 30 of which have been solid practice. She's the author of "Who Flapped Their Wings? A Collection of Awe-Inspiring Stories" featuring real-life accounts from ordinary people who've experienced inexplicable moments that shook them to their core. She's collaborated with meditation app Calm on two projects and runs corporate wellbeing programs alongside private sessions and international retreats.
Beyond traditional yoga, she's studied The Work of Byron Katie (a form of self-inquiry similar to CBT), trained in voice work with Kristin Linklater (using the voice as a mirror to identify and release unconscious blockages), and incorporated principles from Qi Gong, Feldenkrais, Somatic Awareness, and Bioenergetics. She also offers "Jump Start To Wellness" programs for people feeling burnt-out, stressed, anxious, or low.
Her path to building a wellness business wasn't deliberate. For many years, even after teaching group classes and charging for it, calling the work "a business" was uncomfortable. She tried to keep her main source of income separate by working part-time in an office-based position because she didn't want the spiritual work contaminated by financial needs. It took many more years before she could completely embrace the meaning of healthy energy exchange.
Looking back, doing what she currently does would be the most obvious path: using yogic practices to help people transition from tension (physical, mental, or emotional) towards a more balanced state. Her experience at 16 now feels like an initiation. She had great role models who inspired her, showing her that it was possible to live in those circumstances while still maintaining a sense of calm and quiet joy. She knew that if they could do it, she could too. And in doing so, she could in turn inspire others.
Still, she had to follow the path set by her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. They were all highly educated and accomplished, so the thought of becoming a yoga or meditation teacher didn't even cross her mind. She got a first-class degree in IT and an HND in French, did her best to live a life she thought she ought to live, studying hard, working in a corporation, and climbing the career ladder. But despite the social and financial rewards, she felt a deep hollow inside her. Her path only unraveled as she gradually learned what she wanted by first discovering what she didn't.
As she puts it: "Don't ever lose your integrity, especially as you become more popular and successful. Be yourself and have no fear to share your true human experience. Just because you have a wellness business and have had spiritual experiences, doesn't mean you have it all covered and don't have a lot to learn. Let the heart lead and trust the process."
From Revolution and War in Iran to Founding Pranasana Yoga - Building a Wellness Business from a Teenage Spiritual Awakening
Q: You were born in France, raised in Iran during your teenage years immersed in revolution and war, and now reside in the UK. At 16, you had a profound spiritual experience that lasted a year - one spring afternoon while standing by a balcony with your best friend, everything became clear and you saw a cat walking "as if for the first time." That experience sparked a lifelong search for deeper meaning and connection. You learned yoga from a book (Richard Hittleman's "Yoga in 28 Days") in the quiet of your room during distressful times and at 19 you were initiated into Transcendental Meditation. In 2007, "Pranasana Yoga" came to you during meditation, and you've been embodying it with your partner Matt Gluck ever since. Walk us through the decision to turn your spiritual practice into a business. What made you realise that teaching yoga and running retreats was your path and what advice would you give women building wellness businesses from deeply personal spiritual experiences?
A: I must admit that I never ‘intended’ to turn my spiritual practice into a business, it happened organically. For many years, even after teaching my group classes and charging for it, calling the work’ a business was still very uncomfortable for me. I tried to keep my main source of income separate by working part-time in an office-based position as I didn’t want the spiritual work be contaminated by financial needs. It took many more years before I could completely embrace the meaning of healthy energy exchange allowing me to do what I love full time and provide a service needed more than ever.
The name Pranasana Yoga came to my other half, who was already teaching yoga full time, in meditation after running our first yoga retreat together. We embarked as the dynamic duo (as our students call us) running regular Yoga and Tai Chi workshops / retreats together, while still teaching our separate private and group classes.
Looking back at the start of my journey, doing what I currently do would be the most obvious path: Using yogic practices to help people transition from tension, be it physical, mental or emotional, towards a more balanced state. Although it took me years to fine-tune my own ability to do this for myself, my experience at the age of 16 now feels like an initiation. You see, I had fallen in love with Life, with creation, with beauty. I could stand on our roof-top in Iran for hours and watch the sky, taking in the magnificent shapes of dancing clouds. Yet, at the same time, I was witnessing the heart-wrenching suffering of human beings during war. I saw how fear turned kind people violent and aggressive. I observed how anxiety and depression robbed people from their loved ones in so many ways. It was clear that without a practical way to anchor to the present moment, many were getting lost in the whirlpool of their negative thoughts, not knowing how to save themselves. I hated seeing people suffer and couldn’t reconcile the love I had for Life - this ever-present creative energy - with the sadness that engulfed my country.
I had great role models who inspired me, showing me that it was possible to live in those circumstances while still maintaining a sense of calm and quiet joy. I knew that if they could do it, I could too and in doing so, I could in turn inspire others.That was my deepest desire and as I type these words, I realise that back then I never worded it this way. It was more of an emotional knowing. My heart knew what I needed deeply: to reduce suffering, even in the smallest of ways, so that we could all see the beauty of the stars, the flowers and the butterflies without getting completely lost in drama.
Still, I had to follow the path set by my parents, grandparents and great grandparents. They were all highly educated and accomplished, so the thought of becoming a yoga or meditation teacher didn’t even cross my mind. Going to university and possibly earning a Phd like my parents was a more likely scenario. I tried. I did get a first class degree in IT and an HND in French but that was the best I could manage to keep them content without going against and denying myself. I did my best to live a life I thought I ought to live, studying hard, working in a corporation and climbing the career ladder. However, despite the social and financial rewards, I felt a deep hollow inside me. My path only unravelled as I gradually learnt what I wanted by first discovering what I didn’t.So, this is how I arrived at being where I am today.
What advice I would give women building wellness businesses from deeply personal spiritual experiences? Don’t ever lose your integrity, especially as you become more popular and successful. Be yourself and have no fear to share your true human experience. Just because you have a wellness business and have had spiritual experiences, doesn’t mean you have it all covered and don’t have a lot to learn. Many might project on you and expect you to be beyond human, so stay true to your path, your spiritual practice and let truth, compassion and care be your guide. Your teachings are expressed through how you turn up in the world, so be your own first and best student. Don’t tell others to do what you haven’t done or don’t truly understand. While finding ways to stay financially independent is important, stay focused on the reason you started doing what you do.Let the heart lead and trust the process.
"Who Flapped Their Wings?" - Collecting Awe-Inspiring Stories, Running International Retreats and Working with Corporate Clients Across Three Languages
Q: You're the author of "Who Flapped Their Wings? A Collection of Awe-Inspiring Stories" - real-life accounts from ordinary people who've experienced inexplicable moments that shook them to their core, from impossibly timed meetings to signs from those who have passed. You also run yoga retreats (experience since 2007) in the UK and overseas, teach corporate wellbeing programs in English, French and Persian and have collaborated with meditation app Calm on two projects. For female entrepreneurs building businesses that bridge spirituality and commercial viability, what's your framework for collecting and sharing stories that invite wonder without sounding "woo-woo"? How do you balance running international retreats, teaching corporate clients, working one-on-one, and writing books - and what would you tell women about pricing spiritual work in ways that honour both accessibility and sustainability?
Intension is they key. It sounds simple because it is. Strategy, goals and tasks are all part of the game but intension keeps us on track. Strategies can fail, tasks may not give the intended results, goals might send us in the wrong direction but intension guides us through.
I wish there was an easy answer about honouring both accessibility and sustainability. On one hand we are continuously recreating ourselves, finding new ways to do the same thing. New ways to spread the message, new ways to attract our audience. This keeps us in tune with our creative fire, which is wonderful. However, we’ve noticed that the fruit of our actions are not always a direct result of what we do. My partner and I have observed that it is often the surrendered heart that opens the gates and welcomes those who benefit from our services. The more relaxed we are in running the business, the smoother it all goes. The more we believe we are the doers, thinking that unless we do a, b and c, nothing will happen, the harder everything becomes. Open doors close and we are left wondering what we are doing wrong. As my daughter once said: “Fix your energy; everything else will take care of itself.”. She had good teachers :)
While I have worked with many corporate clients using my language skills, English is the main language I use for all wellbeing related workshops.
I talk about my book where and whenever I have the opportunity. There is nothing woo-woo about the stories. They are real stories by real people and the more conversation I have around the subject of meaningful coincidence and synchronicities, the more natural they sound. There is ample evidence suggesting we still have a long way to understand ourselves, the human brain and our relationship with the world. Lisa Miller, a brain scientist, said in a podcast that she believes the brain is both a sender and a receiver. The stories in my book seem to align with this theory.
I believe it’s worth mentioning that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for female entrepreneurs. A business venture, like life, acts as a Master or a Guru, giving each individual exactly what they need. What is true for one person may not be true for another. I think what is most important is to find out what the business is asking from you personally.
How does it respond to you. Do you need to push harder? Do you need more discipline? Do you need to let go? Do you need to relax deeply? How and when do you get the results you’re after? It’s a listening skill, just like yoga… keep listening and you will be guided in every way.
The Work of Byron Katie, Voice Work with Kristin Linklater, and Teaching Tension Release - Building a Wellness Practice That Goes Beyond "Just Yoga"
Q: Beyond traditional yoga, you've studied The Work of Byron Katie (a form of self-inquiry similar to CBT), trained in voice work with Kristin Linklater (using the voice as a mirror to identify and release unconscious blockages), and incorporated principles from Qi Gong, Feldenkrais, Somatic Awareness, and Bioenergetics. You also offer "Jump Start To Wellness" programs for people feeling burnt-out, stressed, anxious or low. For women building wellness or coaching practices, what's your advice about integrating multiple modalities without diluting your message? How do you help clients understand that yoga isn't just about postures but about moving stuck energy to create balance - and what would you tell women about the importance of their own continuous learning and spiritual practice while building a business that serves others?
A: What all these modalities have in common is the body, which is inseparable from the mind and the breath. It is impossible to affect one without impacting the others. Every-body is different and when I read the room or the person who comes for a specific issue, my main focus is to reconnect them to their body in a way they may not have experienced in a long time - in some cases, ever. If they stay glued to the screen of their mind, it is unlikely that their nervous system would regulate and their breath return to its natural, easy flow.
I cannot separate these modalities despite the fact that they approach the body very differently. Ultimately, they all aim for a more relaxed and integrated body that is fully alive - a natural state that allows for healthier relationships with others. Depending on energy levels, mobility and the amount of tension present, I approach the session according to the individual. Sometimes, we must begin the work with the mind, sometimes the body…It really depends on each individual case or group.
Yoga is a lot more than moving stuck energy to create balance, but yes, that is the aim of the physical practice. The words we speak carry our understanding and intention to the receiver. The cues used in our sessions therefore convey what yoga is all about.
I think your question is an important one. In my opinion, it is impossible to be passionate about the subject you are teaching without continually learning. This kind of teaching is very different from teaching a subject like mathematics or languages. Our practice deepens our understanding and when that happens, our very being and every word we utter, carries greater impact. We cannot pass on this kind of knowledge without embodying it.
So I would say, if you’re not genuinely thirsty to deepen your understanding through practice and learning, you are probably in the wrong profession, or in it for the wrong reasons.
This is how I knew Information Technology wasn’t for me. I witnessed my friends who had studied the same subject constantly seeking more trainings and qualifications while I could not wait to turn my computer off. Learning new technologies drained me. Yet when it comes to the body, mind and breath, I cannot wait to get my hands on old or new books and learn from more experienced teachers. I am now even fond of using my computer to bring my projects to life. It is no longer a chore but a joy.
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