Helena Brugada, Project Manager and Yogi

Hi, my name is Helena Brugada, and I am a Program Manager who previously worked for Brite:Bill in Dublin. My career began in Business Consulting, but I preferred to organize and execute projects of my own, leading me into project management. I am very detailed oriented and I enjoy structuring processes and motivating others.

I am originally from Banyoles, Girona, Spain, but my job has taken me all over the globe; I am currently living in San Francisco, California after spending time in Barcelona and Dublin. Leaving home is always very difficult, but I could not find the job opportunities I wanted in my country. However, living abroad is the best of both worlds; I am able to work in my field and get to know other cultures and countries.

Outside of my job, I love practicing yoga. It is the perfect combination of both physical and mind-calming exercises. Ten years ago, I realized I had some physical tension that pushed me to start practicing. I fell in love with the practice, and began to feel more relaxed, focused, and serene. Now I practice twice a week, and after every session a little part of me is changed.

Yoga for me is also a constant learning process. I usually rush into a session before settling down into the practice. I wanted to find a way to have a deeper knowledge of yoga and embrace the practice in a more profound way — so I have decided to take a teaching course for yoga. Even after ten years I feel that I can still learn a lot about the practice, as well as myself. I am particularly interested in Hatha yoga, which focuses on postures over sequences, and spends more time in specific poses that allow you to feel the stretch of your muscles more so than Vinyasa yoga.

The teaching course will definitely push me out of my comfort zone, but I am used to that. Until this past year, I was comfortable at my job, had my house up and running, and my kids were settled and happy in Dublin. Moving back to the US forced me to start my family’s lives all over again.

I believe it is important to have a creative outlet in order to become more cultivated as people. Creativity is food for the brain. When the brain relaxes it makes room for new knowledge and ideas. In the yogi language, the word “asanas” refers to the different poses one takes during a session. Similarly, my job requires a regular sequence of activities and tasks. This similitude shows a deeper connection to how I have developed in my life and career. Practicing yoga has allowed me to change how I think and feel about the world around me.