‘Life is busy’, says Kayla. And hers truly is.
It was during her Psychology studies that Kayla first heard of mindful-based therapies, and she found this a method of maintaining sanity in her own life. Yoga is a natural extension of this. When you meet her, you get the idea of an old soul – a wisdom beyond her years. A person who has found a deeper peace. It looks like the mindfulness works.
Accepting that life is full of discomfort and trauma, Kayla finds meaning in her passion for helping people. For her 9-5 she is the counselling manager at the Tygerberg Hospice Trust, and runs the operations of Palliative care for people with terminal situations. After hours her further studies at UCT are also in the Palliative Care direction. In her spare hours she makes time to teach yoga and mindfulness. And somewhere in between she finds time for Brazilian jiu jitsu too. This active martial art is the final piece in the balance puzzle, giving outing to more aggressive thoughts and actions. Yin and yang.
She has always found joy in helping people, and describes herself as a carer. Giving terminally ill people a shoulder to cry on, a face to talk to, and the words they need to give meaning and joy to their final days seems to come naturally to her. She is an inspiration – literally practising what she preaches. Death is a part of life. And with Kayla around, that all feels ok.
Her car jets around all day from job to university to teaching yoga to jiu jitsu. And every day she is teaching, comforting, and caring. It feels like she leaves a trail of goodness behind her wherever she roams. This wanderwoman.