A Kedger, Fiona, has created Haum Yoga - the online yoga platform that lets you incorporate yoga sessions into your daily life

I was admitted into KEDGE’s Grande Ecole Programme in Bordeaux after having taken a prep course in Aix-en-Provence.

I was very active while I was there and invested a lot of energy in several associations that made up the life of the school.

My gap year was a turning point for me because I went to live in the United States; I haven’t been back in France since. I decided to go to business school so I would get significant experience abroad and I’ve lived outside France for six years now. After doing an internship in the US (Marketing and Business Development at Nespresso in Miami), I decided to pursue a double diploma and went to China for a Master in Corporate Management.

While I was working on my final thesis for the Chinese university I was attending, I moved to Bali and worked as a Public Relations Specialist at a hotel at the same time as it. During that period I practised yoga every day and decided to get certified as a yoga teacher before I returned to Europe. 

I then moved to the Netherlands to do my end-of-studies internship in Merchandising at the European headquarters of Nike. In the end, I was hired. I still work there today, in product merchandising for the Yoga range. 

Being a student of KEDGE means you have the ability to shape your curriculum to your desires. The two aspects that were important for me were being able to participate in student associations and to go abroad to do an internship or a university exchange.

KEDGE’s student associations were a real source of inspiration and learning for my personal and professional development. I’ve always had the soul of an entrepreneur. At KEDGE I was able to acquire and put into practice the skills to construct and create a project from A to Z. The fact of having invested myself in several projects (running for student office, member of the student association Ber'kail during its launch, and coaching the cheerleading team) allowed me to understand the key stages in the creation and maintenance of a project. 

The opportunity to go abroad and experience living in different countries also enormously opened my mind to the world and let me think big, which is still true even today. Thanks to the courses I had at KEDGE, I’ve lived two years on two major continents: North America and Asia. Additionally, because of those experiences, I was able to get my end-of-studies internship in the Netherlands which opened the doors to a company that I barely dared to dream of a few years ago. 

Haum Yoga is an online yoga platform that lets you incorporate yoga into your everyday routine with classes that are affordable and guilt-free. In the form of a subscription, the platform offers a variety of programmes to practice at your own pace, regardless of your level or energy level at the time. There's something for everyone, whether you want to

• Learn the basics of yoga,
• Become flexible,
• Strengthen, or
• Relax.

Each programme is designed so that yoga practitioners don't have to spend an hour looking for the right course.

The platform is in the form of a subscription, and each subscription gives access to an unlimited number of programmes. The concept is simple, just subscribe and choose the video or programme you want from the 140+ videos already on the platform. The subscription also gives you access to a group where you can have discussions and ask me questions directly, as well as live Zoom lessons so that we can practice together and I can correct students

I’m a very active person and it’s important to me that I show that it is possible to slow down in an increasingly fast-paced life. We don't think enough about our well-being. We prioritise our work, our social life, and our activities. We live at 100 km/h and lose our connection to ourselves, our bodies, and our spirits. With Haum Yoga I want to prove that yoga is not a practice reserved for a section of the population and that, in addition to the physical benefits, it provides significant benefits to our mental health.

I myself am a victim of the "fast life" and the constant search for productivity. But I’m also aware of the energy I’m sending out to the detriment of a more serene life. I don’t advocate that a person "stop everything and slow down". That would be hypocritical as I lead a very full and somewhat stressful life. But I do want to show that it’s possible to reconcile an active life with making time for yourself and that this does not necessarily require practising yoga or mediation for 2 hours a day. 15 to 20 minutes are more than enough.

I also want to increase awareness of the physical benefits of yoga. To make people aware that it’s essential to think about their posture and their general physical condition. Telecommuting, lack of physical activity, and the use of phones are changing our posture and many people deny this.

This platform was created to share the practice of yoga, for others to take time for themselves, to feel good, and to listen to their bodies and minds.

With Haum Yoga,I want to create an environment of confidence, so that everyone can practice yoga in their own way. There's no right way to do yoga. The most important thing is to take the time to connect with yourself and forget what is going on around you for a moment. To live in the present moment.

I hope with all my heart to make those who have not yet discovered yoga discover it and share it with those who already practise it. Because above everything else, yoga is a time for sharing, with yourself and with others. I hope to be able to pass on to others what yoga brings me.

As far as the future development of this project is concerned, I want the platform to continue to expand and the community of practitioners already on it to continue to increase.

Some in-person events are planned (retreats, stays and yoga training). Eventually, I might even open a yoga centre in the South of France. It's a dream I've always had, so we'll see how things turn out...

Don't wait before starting a project!

We are often waiting for something to happen before getting started: graduation, the next stage of our professional career, the right time, or even for the project to be ready... At the end of the day, the right moment doesn't exist or, rather, the moment is always there.

The financial aspect is often a barrier to getting started because a paying job does bring security and stability. I'm still working on the side of this project. But I believe that, when you want to start a side business, it is possible to continue to work while you work on your project, as long as you are ready to work and sacrifice some social time.