We went in as travelers and came out as human origami. 24 days later, the "yoga prison" has finally set us free.

Can you believe we actually did it? We’ve been locked away in a strict, dawn-to-dusk schedule for nearly a month, and honestly, there were moments when we forgot what a lie-in even felt like. In this episode, we’re breaking down the full 24-day saga—the good, the painful, and the moments of absolute, eye-watering bliss.

It wasn't all just "om" and incense; it was a total feat of endurance. We’re talking about the physical struggle of finding muscles we didn’t know existed and the mental game of staying sane when your entire day is timed to the second. But here’s the kicker: we’ve emerged as much better versions of ourselves. Maybe even the best versions we’ve ever been.

We’re sharing why we’d actually recommend this madness to anyone—and why, in a moment of spiritual high (or maybe just exhaustion), we’ve decided we’d even do it all over again. We’re officially "graduated," slightly more flexible, and ready to take our new, zen-ish energy back out into the wild.

Trusting Divina to lead the way—even if she occasionally leads us straight into 24 days of being folded into a pretzel at 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Follow the journey on Instagram @ExceptionalDecisions.

We traded the yoga ashram for the side of a mountain, and let's just say the gods have a very interesting sense of direction.

Two weeks into our Yoga Teacher Training, and we’ve officially reached that "breaking point" where the breaking actually starts to feel like a breakthrough. But before we could get too comfortable in our new routine, we made an exceptional decision to follow the call of the mountains.

We wound our way deep into the Himalayas to witness the Maha Shivaratri festival, and it was nothing short of a sensory takeover. We found ourselves in tiny, tucked-away local villages and ancient Hindu temples, surrounded by the thick scent of incense and the hypnotic vibration of chanting and prayers. It felt less like a tourist trip and more like a pilgrimage into the soul of India.

However, getting there was an act of pure endurance. The winding Himalayan roads are a literal rollercoaster ride—one that tests your stomach just as much as your spirit. And just when we thought the journey had finally come to an end, we realized the real adventure was only just beginning. (We’re keeping the rest of that story for the episode, but let's just say the mountains have a way of humbling you.)

To wrap up, we’re giving a raw update on the YTT experience. Yes, the schedule is brutal. Yes, our bodies are screaming. But despite the physical and mental toll, we have never felt better in our lives. We are leaning into the discomfort and finding a version of ourselves we didn't know existed.

Trusting Divina to lead the way—even if she occasionally leads us straight into a Himalayan rollercoaster on a prayer and a dream.

Follow the journey on Instagram @ExceptionalDecisions.

We spent years dreaming of an Indian ashram, but we didn’t realize the gates locked from the inside.

The spiritual "high" of arriving in Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world, was met almost immediately by a jarring reality: the total surrender of our freedom. After months of nomadic independence, being nailed down to a gruelling, dawn-to-dusk schedule felt less like a sanctuary and more like a beautifully decorated prison.

The romanticised vision of yoga teacher training quickly evaporated as we were introduced to traditional Indian yogic cleansing techniques—rituals that challenged our dignity just as much as our physical limits. We found ourselves pushed to the edge of our will, grappling with the mental and physical toll of a discipline that demands everything you have.

It turns out that when you ask Divina for growth, she doesn't always hand you a sunset; sometimes she hands you a strict timetable and a test of will. We’re navigating the painful gap between the fantasy we carried for years and the reality we’re now living, discovering that the most exceptional decisions are often the ones that hurt the most to make.

Trusting Divina to lead the way—even if she occasionally leads us straight into a 5:00 AM yogic nasal cleanse.

Follow the journey on Instagram @ExceptionalDecisions.