While her name is likely familiar—at least to readers in the yoga world here—perhaps many are distracted by her distinctly French accent and Asian features. And indeed, although she now conducts her professional work in Spain, Xuan Lan was born in France, with Vietnamese roots. It may also surprise some that her university education, in Paris, and her subsequent career, in New York and Barcelona, were in the world of finance and banking.
Until 2011, she transitioned from being a mere enthusiastic yoga practitioner to dedicating herself wholeheartedly to teaching and outreach. The path she has taken since then has been fruitful because today we know Xuan Lan as a yoga teacher, author of 3 books on the subject and founder of XLYStudio, an online platform for yoga and holistic wellbeing in Spanish. And when she practised yoga as a hobby in New York, she could not have imagined that she would end up creating a virtual community with more than 3 million followers around this ancient discipline.
We spoke with her in this interview for Cuerpomente about its benefits, the myths that still surround your practice, and her essential role in a world dominated by sedentary living and hyperconnectivity.
-What prejudice about yoga do you encounter most often and what do you like to respond when it appears?
There are two common prejudices that oppose one another. The first is the belief that yoga is only for flexible people, limiting it to physical aspects. And the other misbelief is that yoga is a spiritual discipline in which practitioners sit in lotus to meditate and that it is inactive and “boring”.
I like to respond that yoga is not for those who can already touch their toes, but by practising you can improve your flexibility, mobility and quality of life. Yoga adapts to every body, age and moment in life.
On the other hand, I like to explain that yoga, in addition to postures, includes meditation and conscious breathing, techniques that help calm the mind and regulate the emotional state, something important in this fast-paced world. Rather than denying the prejudice, I like to supplement it by emphasising that it is a holistic discipline with broad health benefits.
-How would you define yoga to someone who only sees it as “stretching on a mat” or a simple form of “relaxation”?
Yoga is an ancient discipline that integrates movement, posture, breathing, mindfulness and philosophy in one session, which is why it is not a “simple” discipline; it is complex, complete and holistic, designed to improve the body–mind connection and emotional regulation.
In a yoga class you can strengthen, stretch, improve concentration, mobility and stability, and finish with a conscious relaxation, a very special and effective moment that integrates all the benefits of yoga and helps balance the nervous system. There aren’t many disciplines or sports that achieve all these benefits in a single session.
-What would you say to someone who believes a yoga class offers little physical work?
Firstly, I’d invite them to try one of my Vinyasa classes or do one of my videos at home to discover dynamic yoga; the best way to form an opinion is to try something. I’m also a living example of someone in good shape who practices a lot of yoga. Some people choose yoga as a complementary discipline to their favourite sport, while others choose yoga as their primary way of keeping body and mind healthy.
-Physically, what realistic changes can someone who practises yoga regularly expect?
In a well-structured Hatha and Vinyasa class, we work on joint mobility, functional strength, core stability and postural control, and with consistency one discovers gains in endurance, flexibility, balance, range of motion and performance in everyday and sporting tasks. Changes such as greater mobility in the spine and hips, reduced chronic muscle tension, better postural alignment, improved breath capacity and a more conscious posture.
They are not dramatic changes like a “six-pack”, but they facilitate everyday movement and improve a sense of well-being, as well as benefits such as core stability and balance that reduce the risk of injury. Each person is different, but consistency yields notable improvements within a few weeks and they solidify with time.
-Do you think that for beginners it is easy to grasp the body–mind connection of yoga?
At first it may seem abstract, but the body–mind connection is, in fact, very practical and supported by science; it is by no means esoteric. The body–mind connection means that what we do with our body (breathing, moving, eating) changes what we feel in the mind (calm, focus, emotions) and vice versa. For example: when we breathe consciously and slowly, the body settles and the mind becomes ordered, so we reduce stress and feel more clarity to make decisions.
The brain–gut axis has been discussed many times by science and medicine as a key to our health. Although it can operate autonomously, the gut communicates with the brain via pathways such as the vagus nerve and various chemical signals (neurotransmitters, hormones and microorganisms). This bidirectionality means that the state of the gut can influence mental state and vice versa.
-Do you think yoga is now fully established in our country or is there still some way to go?
We’re in a very positive phase. When I arrived in Spain in 2001, there was very little on offer, few centres and many prejudices. In more than twenty years, yoga has become a regular feature in gyms, community centres, health centres; there is greater access for all, higher-quality training and many experts who dedicate themselves to promoting the discipline as I do through my three books, social media and my YouTube channel for more than a decade.
We now even see yoga in advertisements for banks or telecoms, as a beacon of wellbeing. There is increasing evidence of benefits and more voices communicating practical and safe practices.
-Many people are unaware that meditation also requires training and give up quickly. What would you say?
Meditation is training for the mind. If we regard the brain as a muscle, we can compare it to someone training for a marathon who needs to train regularly, with technique and discipline. Like any training, meditation requires steady, progressive practice.
I recommend starting with short guided sessions (5 minutes) that you can do daily at a fixed time, gradually increasing to 10 and 15 minutes without hurry or pressure to achieve something. The key is consistency and results vary, but they appear when you notice your mind seeking fewer distractions, making decisions with greater calm and clarity, or responding to sensitive issues with less impulsivity.
-What benefit can meditation bring to those who daily suffer from the stress of a fast-paced life and screen overload?
Science shows that excessive use of technology increases anxiety, degrades sleep quality and reduces concentration and emotional regulation. Digital hyperconnectivity means overexposure to information (often unwanted and delivered to us on devices to hook us) that keeps the nervous system in a constant state of arousal (the sympathetic system), a hyperstimulation that exhausts and fuels anxiety.
Meditation trains the mind to stay in the present moment. It is not about “emptying the mind” or avoiding thoughts. It is about observing them without reacting, and learning to direct attention with gentleness and presence.
Cies increasingly show positive effects of meditation on physical, emotional and mental health. And perhaps most importantly, contemplation is an opportunity to spend time with yourself without judgement or expectation. But those ten or twenty minutes of digital disconnection are not enough.
The most pivotal benefit is that meditation increases our capacity to be present and to notice, in the moment, when it is necessary to stop and put the phone away. It gives mental fortitude, greater awareness and clarity to decide what to prioritise for our health, recognising both what benefits us and what harms us. Meditation not only improves attention and calm, but it also develops an internal radar to distinguish between habits that nurture and habits that exhaust.
-What role does breathing play within this discipline and how can it help us in daily life?
Conscious breathing is one of the pillars of yoga, as important as the postures or the meditation. Conscious breathing in yoga, ideally nasal, can be done at a natural pace or by guiding the flow in and out without forcing it. There are numerous pranayama techniques that can heighten concentration, relax and calm the mind.
Yoga, thousands of years ago, understood that nasal breathing filters, humidifies and heats the air, engages the diaphragm, and promotes slower, deeper breathing. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces stress. Today, numerous studies support that breathing through the nose, especially on inhalation, offers health benefits.
Breathing is the bridge between body and mind in daily life. We notice that emotions such as sadness, fear, stress or joy alter our breathing pattern. A deep, slow breath can calm us in moments of tension and improve concentration. It is a readily available tool: nothing else is required. Breathing well supports health and, by becoming conscious of partial or uneven breathing, we can return to a calmer, steadier rhythm and enhance our emotional state.
-What small yoga-related habits would you recommend to age with more mobility and less pain?
Over time, many people ask me whether yoga can help us live longer. My answer is always the same: yoga does not guarantee a longer life, but its regular practice fills life with health, vitality and purpose. Longevity isn’t just about adding years; it’s about how we live those years. From my experience, yoga is one of the most comprehensive tools to accompany us on that journey.
Wake up slowly with gentle movements accompanied by slow, deep breathing. You can incorporate tiny, healthy daily routines: 5–10 minute mobility breaks every 2–3 hours at work, conscious breathing whenever you feel tired, irritable or stressed, because chronic stress weakens the immune system.
During the week you can plan 2–3 Hatha yoga sessions focused on mobility, stretching and stability. On days of fatigue, substitute Hatha with restorative yoga or extend the final relaxation. Everything can be adapted—the postures, the duration of the class and the intensity—provided you maintain consistency and a listening attitude towards your body.
-For a sedentary person (because of work and lifestyle), would practising yoga alone be enough or would you recommend complementing it?
Yoga is an excellent starting point because it is adaptable and holistic and allows movement in all directions. For someone very sedentary, I would recommend dynamic yoga with mobility, asanas and sequences focused on strength, flexibility, openings and extensions. But two or three classes a week do not compensate for the lack of movement during long days.
I always recommend incorporating short walks during the day and longer, more active walks at the weekend, climbing stairs, strengthening the muscles, and paying particular attention to posture in daily life. Over time, developing varied physical activity habits helps build a more balanced and sustainable profile. The key is to move regularly and with awareness.
-How can yoga benefit women during the menopause?
During menopause, maintaining optimal health involves achieving hormonal balance. The great advantage of yoga compared with other disciplines is that its postures and breathing techniques not only work the muscles; they influence all the organs. The changes that accompany the end of menstruation affect virtually every system in the body. Hormonal fluctuations influence bones, skin, heart, blood and brain.
Practising yoga not only can relieve common menopausal symptoms; it can also help prevent them. And, in addition, it provides the usual benefits of yoga: improving general health and balancing metabolism.
Breathing is also key: it allows direct influence on the nervous system to reduce stress and anxiety, promoting greater balance, because the nervous system largely regulates the endocrine system.
In the perimenopause and menopause, women seek to connect with themselves and understand their needs. Yoga offers that intimate space to navigate this transition. A regular yoga practice eases the transition to menopause with a positive attitude, gaining physical, mental and emotional strength and stability.
In my programme “Yoga for Menopause” available on my platform XLYStudio, we include fit yoga classes with weights to maintain muscle mass, Hatha yoga classes to cultivate self‑listening and body connection, restorative yoga to relax and improve sleep and meditation to cope with stress.
-When you practised yoga as a hobby, did you ever imagine becoming the benchmark you are today?
I discovered yoga as a hobby in 2000, when I lived in New York. Later, in Spain, I took to a near-daily practice while working long hours in a financial institution. Yoga has been part of my life for over 25 years; in 2012 I decided to dedicate myself to teaching.
My growth as a disseminator, author and professional has been slow and organic, the fruit of constant work and the passion I put into it. I teach my classes and write my books and my yoga blog exclusively in Spanish, which is, for me, a foreign language.
I am from Generation X, I did not grow up with social networks or smartphones, and I never imagined I would reach more than 3 million followers, sell more than 100,000 books and build such a diverse international community. I am deeply grateful for the trust of my students, because that is what drives me to continue offering online wellbeing tools.
-How has your own practice evolved over the years and what have you had to stop doing or adapt?
My practice began with Ashtanga Yoga, a traditional, highly active and demanding style, for seven years until my back asked for rest and a change of routine. I had to accept the pain, accept letting go of something I loved to respect my body, and I gave myself the opportunity to try other styles. My practice has evolved toward greater body listening and less idealisation of advanced postures. I have stopped forcing and learned to adapt and prioritise the quality of movement according to my body’s signals, listening to the voice of wisdom and humility rather than ego.
In recent years I have incorporated strength training to maintain muscle mass, created very dynamic fit yoga classes with light weights for cardiovascular work. I have also developed a mobility method and test inspired by yoga, and I go hiking in the mountains every weekend with the aim of maintaining good active health for many more years.
