Meet Melba Payan

 

We recently connected with Melba Payan and have shared our conversation below.

Melba , so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

In my previous career, burnout crept up gradually – I felt constantly exhausted and unmotivated about my work. Simple tasks began to feel overwhelming, and I lost my sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

The first step in overcoming my burnout was recognizing the signs and accepting that I needed to make changes. I started practicing better self-care by getting enough sleep, meditating more, practicing mindfulness, deep breathing, and moving my body. Creating clear boundaries between work and personal time was also crucial to allowing myself periods of genuine rest and recovery.

I reassessed my workload and priorities, learning to say no to non-essential tasks that were sapping my energy.

Making time for activities and hobbies I enjoyed outside of work provided a healthy mental break and helped me rediscover a sense of purpose beyond my job. Connecting with loved ones, traveling, pursuing creative outlets, and simply getting outdoors proved restorative.

Ultimately, overcoming burnout has been an ongoing process that has required self-awareness, lifestyle adjustments, and conscious efforts to restore my motivation and enthusiasm. With patience and the right coping strategies, I have been able to recapture my resilience and passion.

Now, I take what I have learned and apply it daily to avoid burnout and I teach others to do the same. If you are struggling with burnout, don’t hesitate to prioritize your well-being – it’s the greatest investment you can make.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am passionate about yoga and helping people, especially women, manage stress and anxiety. My brand is all about creating a safe, judgment-free space where individuals can journey inward, rediscover their authentic selves, and learn to live up to their fullest potential.

What I find most exciting and special about my work is the opportunity to guide people through a transformative process. By combining the physical practice of yoga with a focus on self-love, empowerment, and wisdom, I aim to help individuals find more love for themselves, tap into their inner strength, and gain a deeper understanding of who they truly are.

My 3-month 1:1 program, “Breathe Easy,” is designed specifically for women looking to manage stress and anxiety and find balance in their lives. Through this program, I provide personalized guidance, support, and accountability to help participants cultivate mindfulness, develop coping strategies, and establish a sustainable self-care routine.

Over three months, we work together to explore various yoga practices, breathing techniques, and mindfulness exercises tailored to each individual’s needs and goals. By creating a safe and supportive environment, I enable women to let go of societal pressures and external expectations, allowing them to connect with their true essence and live a life that aligns with their values and aspirations.

In addition to my 1:1 program, I’m excited to be expanding into offering transformative retreats. These immersive experiences will provide a nurturing environment for both men and women to disconnect from the stresses of daily life and fully embrace the journey of self-discovery and healing. Through a combination of yoga, meditation, workshops, and outdoor activities, participants will have the opportunity to deepen their self-awareness, let go of limiting beliefs, and cultivate a sense of inner peace and balance.

I believe that by cultivating self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-compassion, we can overcome the challenges of stress and anxiety, and ultimately find greater fulfillment, balance, and joy in our lives.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, I believe the three most impactful qualities/skills that aided my journey were intuition, the ability to apply yogic principles off the mat, and a commitment to self-inquiry.

Tuning into my intuition has helped me make aligned decisions instead of forcing paths that didn’t resonate. Trusting my inner guidance has been invaluable.

The philosophy and practice of yoga taught me so much more than just physical postures. Taking those teachings of presence, mindfulness, compassion, and equanimity off the mat and into my daily life completely transformed how I moved through the world.

Consistent self-inquiry – really asking myself who I am, what I value, how I want to show up – kept me anchored amidst the inevitable ups and downs. It revealed my conditioning and allowed me to discern between old narratives/patterns and who I was becoming.

For those early in their journey, my advice would be:
Spend time just being still and listening. Notice the felt sense in your body around decisions. Don’t just operate from the head.

Take the time to deeply explore how you can walk your talk. Notice when you’re upholding your values and when you’re straying from them. Look for opportunities, both big and small, to operate in alignment throughout your day-to-day life and relationships.

Don’t just go through the motions. Keep asking yourself who you are, what’s most important, how you want to contribute. Let that guide your actions from a place of authenticity.

The journey involves continually recommitting to expressing your truth and essence. But doing the inner work to discover, then outer work to express, your core values creates unshakable integrity and wholeness over time.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client is a woman who wears many hats – a devoted mother, a passionate career professional, and a tireless volunteer. She juggles endless responsibilities with grace, but internally she is frazzled and running on fumes. She knows she can’t sustain this frenetic pace without risking burnout. What she craves is stillness, balance, and inner peace amidst the chaos. I partner with these busy women to help them minimize stress, anxiety, and overwhelm through mindfulness practices tailored to their hectic lives. Together, we carve out sacred pauses to recharge and rediscover their authentic selves beneath the hustle. My approach empowers them to flourish rather than just survive.

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