From Striving to Thriving

After spending 12 years as a crime reporter in cities across America, I began to loathe waking up at 2am for work.

Before dawn, I was meeting people at the intersection of their worst days.

While most people get to watch news once on a screen, I would absorb it, make sense of it, then relive it with audiences.

No matter how long you’re in that cycle– how thick your skin is– or how professional and compartmentalized you are, you’re also human.

News is heavy. Stories stay with you– and they add up. On top of that, there was the weight of critics– familiar and distant. Everyone had an opinion about my clothes, hair, makeup, tone, and intellect. The non-stop parade of comments made it seem like nothing was ever good enough. Second guessing myself became second nature.

Thankfully, in 2015, a health reporting job in Dallas threw me a professional lifeline. I spent almost eight years on TV encouraging people to live healthier. Off screen, I was a fitness fanatic, regular practitioner of yoga and meditation and long-distance runner, so this seemed like a far better fit for my personality and overall well-being. And it was– until 2022, when through job and industry shifts I realized I had become ‘Fake Healthy.’

I had low energy and was over-caffeinating myself to get through every workday. I had body pain, brain fog, weight loss– essentially chronic symptoms brought on by chronic stress. I saw a registered dietitian nutritionist for digestive problems. I was free of disease but full of symptoms.

While leading my 7th yoga retreat to Montana in September 2022, several of my retreaters said, “You’re great on TV, but you should be doing this full time! This is so impactful and you’re such an amazing teacher!”

They were speaking directly to my heart, touching on something I was already considering. Still, this wasn’t an easy decision. I would be tossing aside dreams and advanced degrees, and confronting the expectations my parents placed on me as the eldest daughter of immigrants.

There were so many considerations: health insurance, finances, navigating an uncertain economy, untangling technology– the list seemed endless.

I wanted to make the wise choice– deliberately and intentionally. But I also wanted to be guided by God and my heart’s deepest desires.

So, I leapt.

From the periphery, bystanders scrolling social media might wonder, ‘what does she actually DO?’ The last 14 months have been a silent entrepreneurial hustle and grind. Work has ranged from: podcasting and creating digital content for clinicians, to leading yoga retreats around the world, teaching corporate wellness classes, hosting and emceeing events, freelancing on the national stage and travel blogging.

I am, in some ways, busier than before.

While I’m met with inconsistency and uncertainty on this path, I’ve discovered greater meaning. I find myself studying my craft, spending more time with family and friends, enjoying longer morning meditations, and full, restful sleep for the first time in decades. In short, I’m taking better care of my mind and body while still sharing what I love.

Now, I’m truly healthy: experiencing abundance, gratitude and boundless energy day-to-day.

Most importantly, I am practicing what I preach. I’ve gone from wondering if I would ever be good enough, to reminding myself and others–that we are always enough.

To learn more about Sonia’s retreats, classes and other offerings, visit: www.sonia-azad.com.