The story behind the name
Papillon (pap-ee-yon)
noun (French)
Meaning: Butterfly
A symbol of transformation,
hope and change.
For me, yoga has always been about transformation. Not the kind that looks perfect or polished, but the quiet, often unseen transformation that happens when we allow ourselves to slow down, to listen, and to meet ourselves exactly as we are.
The name Papillon, the French word for butterfly, captures everything I hope to share through my teaching.
A butterfly begins life as a caterpillar. Before it can emerge with wings, it enters the chrysalis, a period that looks still from the outside but is, in reality, one of extraordinary change. The caterpillar must completely surrender to the process, letting go of what it once was before something new can emerge.
I think our own lives can be much the same.
There are seasons that feel uncertain, messy or overwhelming. Times of stress, grief, change or burnout that ask us to pause rather than push on. Although we often wish we could skip those chapters, they can become the very places where we grow, heal and reconnect with ourselves.
Yoga has been that space for me.
The butterfly also carries a deeply personal meaning
After my nana passed away, a butterfly would return each year to sit in the window of my grandad's bedroom. It became a quiet reminder of love, presence and the feeling that, even after loss, something continues.
The name also honours my dad. The film Papillon starred his hero, Steve McQueen. During my yoga teacher training, I lost my dad, and in many ways, yoga became the practice that gently held me through my grief. It gave me somewhere to breathe, to feel, and to simply be.
Although I first experienced yoga as a teenager, I truly found it again in my late twenties when life had become overwhelming and I was close to burnout. What I discovered wasn't just movement or exercise, but a practice that created space. Space in my body. Space in my mind. Space to breathe.
Over the years, yoga has continued to transform me. Not because it has made life perfect, but because it has helped me meet life differently. I am calmer, more aware, more compassionate with myself, and more connected to who I truly am.
That journey is still unfolding.
Papillon Soul Yoga was created to offer others that same opportunity
This isn't about achieving the perfect pose or striving to become someone else. It's about creating space to pause, breathe, reconnect and come home to yourself.
Whether you're completely new to yoga, returning after time away, or simply looking for a gentler, more embodied practice, you are welcome here.
Just as you are.
Quiet your mind and your soul will speak
—Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati