School of Shamanism

S1 EP7: Awareness in motion, freedom in life with Egle

• Giada Gaslini • Season 1 • Episode 7

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In this episode, Egle shares her journey of connecting the physical and inner worlds through fitness, movement, and mindful practice. From teaching Pilates and yoga to guiding people of all ages toward better health, she opens up about how awareness of the body becomes a doorway to confidence, patience, and self-respect.

We explore why starting with the body can transform more than just physical health, how consistency and enjoyment shape long-term change, and why even small, mindful steps can lead to profound growth. Egle offers practical advice for anyone wanting to build movement into daily life — from beginners taking their first steps to seasoned practitioners seeking deeper connection.

Whether you’re looking to improve your fitness, reclaim your confidence, or simply find joy in movement, this conversation offers honest, inspiring insights for living fully in both body and mind.

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About the Host

Originally hailing from the vibrant city of Milan, I’ve spent the past two decades traversing the globe in a quest for spiritual and personal growth and combined with 25 years of international corporate work experience. From navigating the vast landscapes of Australia in a campervan to finding tranquility living in a Buddhist monastery in Nepal, my journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Along the way, I’ve delved deep into Buddhist teachings, yoga, and shamanism, becoming Shamanic Teacher,  Forest Therapy Guide, Esoteric Numerologist, Shamanic and Integral Yoga Teacher and Ikigai Coach. In 2013 I settled in Edinburgh, where  I founded the Art and Spirituality Centre, a social enterprise and the School of Shamanism, where I passionately help others on their own transformative journeys.

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CHAPTERS

Welcome to Egle from FitLife Personal Training

Longevity over looks

Why consistency keeps slipping away

Finding your own flow

Where to find Egle

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Egle

It's strange to understand how honestly sometimes you meet people and you cannot believe how people don't know about their body.

Giada

Hello Egle, thanks so much for accepting my uh invitation to my podcast and YouTube. Egle, I'm asking you for help for your surname. From FitLife Fitness Wellbeing. Welcome here. And I'm asking you as the first questions, uh, just to share a little bit about your story. What do you do, first of all? Uh, what's your story behind?

Egle

So I'm a fitness professional for almost 20 years now, but I was always in fitness kind of life. I started my fitness biggest journey teaching the classes and so in Germany when I was a student there. And it was my first certification was in 2006, which means uh 20 years in three months. And yeah, then I moved to Scotland, uh, live in Edinburgh, and actually do the same here, except that it expanded extremely over the years, and obviously nothing to do with the studies I finished in Germany then, but um, yeah, kind of enjoying that way and uh um it keeps me busy.

Longevity over looks

Giada

I know we are busy people, busy women, and she's another hard-working person like me, very much. And so, what are the the walls that you are walking in between?

Egle

So basically, being in a fitness world is first of all, it's very result-driven. So it's a lot, let's say, surface stuff going on, a lot looks, a lot, and it me getting old, understanding that it's actually not about looks anymore for me is a longevity, extremely now, also confidence in people. And I'm not calling myself a healer, obviously, but it's kind of some healing process going in a lot of people, and a lot of people seeing to me that it changed them as a person. So it's a big change in people's lives. Starting exercising first and adding other things, and I have to say I'm a bit kind of I don't want to say I'm promoting the best kind of lifestyle, but I I do think I live a very good lifestyle myself. So they kind of um follow up. And a lot, for example, as an example, but I don't drink alcohol for a lot of years now, and they follow me up, so they either stop drinking completely or they're really, really aware. And some of them just comment, oh no, we're just afraid to tell you, so we better don't drink. So it's not that I'm telling them not to, but they just they just look up and just do the same. And honestly, the main thing is knowing how good physically they feel, that they start to get just as well in their inner kind of world. So it's um confidence a lot, uh respect to themselves. Because obviously, when you start doing exercise and when you start living better lives, you start respecting yourself more. So all these things come together. Physical and an inner feeling. Yeah.

Giada

It's like when when you start uh meditation at the beginning, you always the question is start from the body before being able to sit down and do long sessions of meditating on deep questions, uh, deep cons start with the body. That's always what one of my teachers used to say. Start learning how to stay seated in quiet without moving for a while, before even having an object of meditation. Start from the body. So, in the building, confidence starting from the body is the easiest thing for people to do. I think so.

Egle

Yeah, because it's that body awareness, which a lot of people don't have, and it's it's strange to understand how honestly sometimes you meet people and you cannot believe how people don't know about their body. And then, yeah, and then even me as a let's see, English is definitely not my first, second, or even English is my fifth language. So, and then even me, you know, just saying them words in English, what they should do and how the body parts are called, even that doesn't come to them natural. So you think, how is that me talking fifth language in my life, uh telling them about their bodies? So people's body awareness is very poor in many cases. So just to bring that awareness, just to make them aware, and then they start to be aware of other things like breathing. For example, I teach a extremely lotus, I'm extremely Pilates fan. So that's not a question. I teach yoga, not so long as Pilates, but obviously yoga is a longer journey, and I don't know if I will go that long journey in my life. Maybe it will come at some point, maybe not. But Pilates definitely I'm on a journey, it's almost 20 years, and I enjoy every minute of it, I have to say. And just to make people aware, when they start to be aware, then they start to be aware of the breathing, then they start to be aware of their core, then they start to be aware of the limbs. So everything comes point after point, step after step.

Giada

Yeah, yeah. And yoga is very much connected with spirituality. When you teach, because you are not, I mean, you don't you're not what you say spiritual person, how do you teach yoga without having the spiritual element in that?

Egle

So basically, modern yoga, let's be honest, modern yoga is very much physical way, and if you go into the spiritual way, which is obviously all ancient story and all ancient India, which I obviously I I got my kind of I read about this, I but it's nobody teaches if you if you do uh training here, for example, in the UK, let's say there's nothing like this involved unless you go and study yourself. So that's all about this. But because I mean because of the years I teach Pilates, let's see, I invested much longer. Although when we come from the ancient part, Pilates, Joseph Pilates was yogi as well. So, you know, so all these things come together. So obviously, the most oldest thing like martial arts and and I understand that yoga and martial arts and everything is much, much older than everything that we do now in the modern world, and everything is based on it, and it's a foundation of everything. But obviously, in the modern world and it's fast-paced, we just don't get into the depth. So deep spiritual way in in those environments like classes and clubs and studios, it's it's no time for that basically, because people want to come in, click, click, click, dun, dun, dun, go. That's how the world functions now. So all I can help them with at this point is kind of bringing them to the physical side. And if somebody goes deeper, if somebody finds themselves very interested, more than welcome. And obviously, then you can go into retreats, then you can go into workshops, then you can go on to all these things.

Giada

But uh at this point, having these groups of people is more just providing them with the kind of physical side of so what when you are passing your knowledge to people, you are how are you honoring the ancient wisdom with these uh very challenging modern needs that you have just explained?

Egle

So I obviously understand that. As I say, for example, in Pilates, I very much understand that he was a yogi, uh Joseph Pilates. He was uh he was based on martial arts, on gymnastics, on yoga. Let's see, as an example, I was teaching Pilates this morning, so let's see, example is this. And uh yeah, you understand very much where that all comes, and it's all simplicity, so it's never making it too difficult. So you explain things extremely simple, you just want people to follow up, which is takes a while. Let's be honest as well. So a lot of people just want that to happen straight away, but it's not happening. So anything they do, whatever they do, yoga journey, the lattice, anything, any exercise, running, simple running, which is also like marathon running is coming from ancient, whatever, 2,500 years old uh discipline. So and it all comes with uh patience. So it needs to be so patient to get somewhere. And people don't wait for that moment until they get somewhere. I know, but that's the key, that's the essence for results. Yeah, exactly. So it's consistency and patience, and this is where people, being honest, mainly failing. There's no consistency, there is no patience. I know, but that's that's people's choice. It is, but again, maybe because I mean I have to say, yeah, I try and I explain everybody. You need time, you need time. You cannot expect things to happen so quick. But because of this lifestyle we live now in the Western world, at least, which I only know the Western world, I don't know another world, let's say. So um they they they have no patience. Patience is dead, consistency, okay. The ones who have consistently they get to, but it's probably also like about 7% or something of people.

Giada

And we are in that 7%, consistent in different things in our life. Yeah, I'm not consistent, for example, in body exercise. I'm very consistent in spiritual exercise or practice and other things.

Egle

You found your way and you stick with this. So, whatever way you find, I mean, it doesn't have to be physical exercise, although obviously it would benefit a lot in your life, but but yeah, whatever you find and whatever your goal is, yeah, we need to be consistent and patient.

Why consistency keeps slipping away

Giada

Exactly. But people are not consistent in general for anything. No. Yeah. So do you think this is that your biggest challenge that you are having at the moment? Consistency of people.

Egle

And especially, honestly, especially with this at the moment, it's crazy. It all started about year ago, maybe two years ago. I mean, UK came a bit later, America was first, but it was all the, for example, in my case, it's weight loss jobs. Yeah. Nothing again, I mean, I'm not saying my opinion about weight loss jobs in this case, it's only my opinion about how it influenced the fitness journeys. So people now, because they have this choice, they choose obviously easy option, which is always a better option. Easy, great. Yeah, but I think the magic pill and the things then consistency in patience died, literally, because they now know the problem can be solved so quick and it can be done so quick and so easy, except financial side. But then they invest that financial side. When I say for them, for this price to invest it, you can invest so much in yourself, but obviously that would take work.

Giada

I know, I know. And work is hard. I know. And how did you build your consistency? It's is it a gift that you have from birth? Is it something that you built along the time in your uh um younger age? Uh you mean you're still young, but uh how did you build your consistency?

Egle

It's not it's not um definitely not from birth. Definitely not.

Giada

You there are people that are very um following uh practice rules or uh habits, yeah, very methodical people.

Egle

I mean, I'm extremely practical and I'm extremely um yeah, I get things done, I have to say. I'm one of those people. If if it's there, I have to get it done. But it it came with the time. I mean, you just practice. It's again, it's practicing. So all these things, for example, let's say my New Year's resolution, which will sound stupid, but I run all my life. I love running, but it's my meditation. So when people say I meditate, I was like, I run. So I go and run, and I'm outside. I only run outside. I never run inside, I'm never on a treadmill, and I go and run, and like today, after my class in the morning, I went for a run, sunshine, glorious. Honestly, the it's very cold winter days in Edinburgh today, but very beautiful. And I had Holyrood Park and I saw pentlands with Snowden, and it's just it just it's a joy. Yeah. So basically, I had 45 minutes of joy. Yeah, and it's the best thing today happened to me, let's say. So, you know, that kind of my way. So at the beginning of the year, I said to myself, because I was lacking, and especially with the weather, when the weather changes, and I understand everybody saying, Oh, it's raining, or this. So I said to myself, whatever happens, I run three times a week this year. And I did. But there were weeks I definitely didn't want to run. There were weeks I was on holidays and all that, but I still did, because I was like, you also ran on holiday everywhere. So yeah, so so you just follow up, and when you follow up, and then at the end it becomes a thing. Yeah, so now I don't think, I just know I run that today. Today I run another day, another that's three days a week, has to be done. And in a year, it became a thing. Yeah, you know, so just waiting for a moment to happen until it becomes a thing.

Giada

But obviously, you need to get to that moment at some point. Exactly. So if we need to share some advices to people, let's say a person like some of your clients and that have no patience, how can they start from scratch? What are the let's say three, seven, how many you have easy steps to start with?

Egle

Yeah, repeat. But starting with what and how long? So it depends. So it depends obviously what you want to do. Let's say so, but even half an hour, I mean, even 20 minutes sometimes. Now, as an example, I have a very old lady which has um had stroke 10 years ago, and now in the last 10 years, she had two cancers as well. But she wants to start moving because she uses a semiframe and she can hardly stand up. And honestly, the deterioration of the body and muscles, sad, very sad. But she's very bright and she's very willing. So she's great fun. She used to be a lecturer, so very interesting woman to speak to and all that. So, what we started to do first week, she says, I want just 30 minutes, and even 30 minutes was a lot. She struggled. Now, next week, I didn't even see to have a time, but I saw we come too close to 40 minutes, and I see her literally fading away because she's so tired now. And then on when did I see her? Tuesday, yesterday. So on Tuesday, we did 45 minutes. I never mentioned the time, nothing. We just carried on, have a little chat in between, carried on, then chat, you know, and it became 45 minutes, and she didn't even notice. Yeah, and this one was running, was doing what? So with her noise, she can hardly stand up. Ah, okay. She's just from city to standing, going around the chair, but she's not visible. No, no, no, no. So just very simple stuff like little dance exercises and so, yeah. But um, no, she honestly uh very, very low uh kind of fitness levels, which is understandable. She loves us, but it takes with the time, the time disappeared for her, and she didn't feel like she's doing much, you know, or she still did it, but because so it's for everybody the same, it will it will extend the time, but it needs to be fun. So if somebody doesn't enjoy anything you do, yeah, it will not last.

Giada

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. Feels like someone else has decided to that feel that the imposition, so I'm obliged to do something and I don't like it and enjoy it, so at some point I quit.

Egle

Well, a lot of people, you know, all these it's a it's a fashion thing, let's say, so trend thing, but let's say all my friends do personal training. I have a lot of people like that who contact me. My friends do personal, I want to do it too. I say, okay, so you go to see them, you see motivation is low, but okay, for personal, okay, we can we can try, you know. And then you see it's completely not their thing, but because all the friends are doing, I'm doing too. And I think you don't enjoy, why would you? Exactly. So you need to do what you enjoy.

Giada

Yeah, you know, otherwise it won't work. Honestly, you won't. Yeah. And and then, of course, I mean, for for people, you you just set up a personalized program if they come to you, so that then, of course, you would build their consistency on a spook program according to their body, to what they need. But if they just want to have movement a little bit more into their life, would you recommend that they they they do how long every day, three times per week, without your support, your personalized support?

Egle

I mean, it would be nice that people do three times a week. But being honest, I always say incorporate as much movement in a day as possible. For example, I have a dog, so that's it. Yeah, that's why let's get a dog for a second. But that makes my steps, and to be honest, sometimes very sad because these dogs get get very little walks, you know. But that's my my walk. So I go and walk, and then I have time to listen to podcasts, you know, all these things, because then again, you can call it a bit of a meditation, because we walk always in the roots, and you know, it becomes a very nice thing every day, except days when it's raining, like yes, dear, let's see. So but we still need to walk. But simple things in life, like carry your gross groceries rather than drive the car. Yeah, you know. So if you did nothing, that would be a good start. If you did something, let's say you enjoyed, let's say, Pilates class or yoga class. The the thing that the yogists and Pilates people, they only do yoga or Pilates. Yeah, they don't do anything else. Or runners, that's another one. Runners only run. That's like you need to do other things. Yeah. So you start incorporating other little things.

Giada

Why do you think that they choose that only?

Egle

Why did they choose why did they choose? Because they only like it so much, you know, is their thing. And I I understand that. But being honest to do just one thing, at some point your body gets used to this in the first place, right? Yeah. So in yoga, you can be extremely flexible, you can do fantastic poses, asanas, you can show off in front of all the class. But then there are points in your life which I missed, you know. So you need to train. I always say be cross-trained and you will win. So let's say do some cardio, do your steps, then do your yoga, fantastic. But then you're incorporate maybe carrying your groceries, and maybe if it's more, maybe start to carry have your dumbbells or go to the class where they lift some weight. You know, all these things, little incorporations in life. But try to do different things rather than just one thing. It just maybe sometimes also have people limited time, so they may get that. I get that. And again, it depends from the age, and so completely get that. But even 20 minutes a day, any movement would be better than no movement.

Giada

Go around the square where you live or yeah. Anything. Go in the evening. Avoid the bus for for two, three stops if you can walk.

Egle

Anything, anything, honestly, any movement. You know, people avoid anything. They sit all day long, they they take bus or car home, and they sit on a sofa at the end of the evening. So it's basically sitting and sitting and sitting and sitting, and you get all these people with the very sore backs, with a very bad postures, yeah, difficult situations. And by the time you know they need to retire, they they want to retire. Then it's too late, of course, to train the body and then of the way. They start though. And it's very often this case that people start training when they get retired, and they wait for to get retired to get fit. As like maybe just get fit every day a bit, you know.

Giada

Yeah, that's it, that's typical of people exactly to wait for the pension time when they are retired. Hired to do all the things that they wanted to do.

Egle

And then in the meantime, one of the guys used to come to my classes years and years ago, Phil, he's now a hierarchical athlete. In his age group, I think he's a champion of hierarchies or something. So basically went that way for hierarchs. And he said, that's his thing. He said, it's easier to stay fit than to become fit. Yes, of course. I always say, just stay fit, just carry on. Even a low key, don't do much. But just carry on all the time.

Giada

Because the moment you let yourself go, it just goes back down and down and down and then you're done at some point.

Egle

And then just start is hard. So why would you put yourself in a situation where you really need to start again?

Finding your own flow

Giada

You're better off just carry on a little bit all the time. Yeah, and how do you, I mean, do you recommend to people to stay motivated?

Egle

See, I actually, there was recently a lot of talks and all the podcasts and all the books and articles, and I thought that's a good thing. Motivation is the thing you cannot trust. It's true. So don't trust your motivation, but trust the discipline. So trust your list. But for example, on my list yesterday, I I literally put in the calendar what I do that day. So I teach my classes, I do this, but I have my own training. And for example, yesterday was in the morning was to run. But yesterday the weather in Edinburgh was horrendous. So I thought to myself, why would I put myself through all this? So I ran today, and yesterday I went to the gym, but I still did it. I didn't miss the work. Yes, it worked around. You just have the ability to do be flexible, but don't miss the week's plan. And then with the time, you will see after month, two, three, it becomes like, okay, tick, tick. So it becomes a thing. But don't trust motivation. Trust your discipline, honestly. As much as it's hard, and people say, but wow, wow, how to do it?

Giada

I'm busy, we're all busy. And you think it's easier to have the famous accountability with a group of people instead of the people.

Egle

A lot of people like a lot of people really like groups because obviously it keeps them motivated. And I think it's age thing as well. For example, I see in my daughter, my daughter's 17. So, and I was listening to this podcast the other day, it was Stacey Sims, which I drop out all these names now, but I like all these people, you know, they are scientists which talk a lot about fitness and health and all that. And she was saying the trend with the young girls, for example, they like uh team sports because they feel because the confidence is not so high in that age, and they don't feel alone a solo performer, confident, so they're better off in a team. And my daughter, for example, loves team sports, she does all the hockey and all this. And I'm a solo runner, for example. I I'm I'm completely happy to run on my own. I don't need any group. Because you don't need the motivation, you are uh I I I'm happy to listen to my music, to look at my environment, you know. Yeah, so I think we go through stages in life, and I think some people, and I know a lot of people, especially my PT clients, for example, okay, they are extremely high-performing people and extremely busy. So, for example, I go and see them at 6 a.m. in the morning, just I did this morning. You know, they do before working because you know that they will be so busy. But for example, a lot of them don't like group environment because they are known, for example, yes, or they feel like everybody's looking at them. Although I always say to them, nobody's looking at you. People just busy about themselves all the time. But a lot of people have this feeling that people look at them and maybe they don't perform so great. So then maybe you are not a group person, but a lot of people actually perform better in a group. Yeah. So it just depends.

Giada

You find your way. But always people find your way. Yeah, exactly. Anything you do. Like when I when I have to go to go out for a walk, I like going on my own because then I, if I go in with someone, then you start chatting, speaking, and I miss the enjoying element of nature. The silence, the birds over there, and I'm just still busy in my mind, so I never never go to go for a walk, unless that's the only way to meet a friend, but that would not be my practice at all. So it's not something that I enjoy. And when I take this time on my own, it's my time. So because probably I'm interacting all the time with people, teaching with groups, uh, seeing a lot of people for lots of reasons. So I also honor the me time, the my time. See exactly this.

Egle

So when you see uh me time, you know, and it was a big trend at some point. Yes, that's and I remember on Instagram, everybody on the stories was putting me time, and I was like, depends how you see it. Walking dog for me is my time. Yes, I love it, so it's not like I need to lie in the bath, you know, and call it me time. No, my time is with something on my own, whatever, whatever.

Giada

No one else is involved. No, of course.

Egle

So I think people think, oh, I have to I have to go to the gym. It's like such a horrible thing. But if you start seeing as your me time, you know, yeah, so why not? Or go for a walk, even brisk, you know, a bit movement and so it's your time, it's fantastic time. So it's nothing wrong with with this doing exercise and your your time.

Giada

Yeah, you know 100%. But people honor a lot the this element of taking care of their well-being nowadays, it seems then either if they do it properly or not, but they speak a lot about taking care of of themselves.

Egle

But some people it's it's just this overreaction that some people like if I don't have an hour for the gym, or if I don't have money for personal training, or if I but to be honest, every 20 minutes of the day count. So it doesn't have to be whatever time, you know. Sometimes, honestly, like there is no time. So squeeze 30 minutes somewhere, even brisk walk, fantastic, why not? Get a bit of a sweat, great, you know. So um no need to overthink.

Where to find Egle

Giada

Yeah, make it as simple as possible. Where where the mind comes is that overcomplicating things in general, exactly exactly. And um, and so where where people can can find you in uh online Instagram website, uh classes, what do you teach?

Egle

So at the moment, for my own, I teach a lot for the clubs in in the city and just happened so over the years. But uh, teach my own Pilates at the moment. I teach in Edinburgh, so in Edinburgh. And I teach uh boot camps outside, which is actually great. Some some days terrible weather, but being honest, it's just great to be in the fresh air. And people who come, they just love after long working days just to be in the fresh air, which they probably would not get that day at all. So that's a good thing. Um, and then um I do senior class, which is actually the most popular at the moment and the most loyal class. I just love them. They are fantastic because honestly, they just get so attached and they are so pleased with everything, and they just are so pleased that they stopped falling, and they and you see them honestly trying so hard. So this is a very rewarding class, that one. And then I do a lot of personal training, I do very different groups. Obviously, they say you attract people like you. So I'm in a menopausal age. I attract a lot of menopausal women because they are going through exactly the same way I'm going. So I find, and actually, a lot of my clients here, I find uh it's easy for us to communicate because there are days, honestly, they are terrible, and the Radays they are much better. So we understand each other very well that way. And then I teach senior, I have actually personal training, senior people, very senior, which struggle even to go off the chair, but they want to get off the chair. So we do uh different things with them, and then I have female and male, I have to say, different people, and then um day retreats and planning a huge retreat next year.

Giada

Exactly. So we're uh we you want to anticipate something about that, uh, where where is it going to be?

Egle

Yeah, so I'm from Lithuania myself, and I want to take people to my home country and uh show them the country and well-being and fitness sites. So we'll be mixed sightseeing, well-being and fitness, and it will be uh lattice, yoga, maybe some other forms of exercise, will be our typical traditional saunas, will be uh sightseeing in the capital and other places. So yeah, that will happen probably first week of September next year.

Giada

Beautiful. Really, really excited to know to know more. So it will be published on your website, which is uh the name is your website.

Egle

www.fitlifefitnesswellbeing.com.

Giada

So it's the same name for Instagram. Insist people can find you. Yeah, yeah. I don't you don't have any other channels like TikTok.

Egle

Uh I don't have TikTok, no, I just have Facebook, same name, and I have Instagram, same name, yeah. FitLife Fitness Wellbeing.

Giada

Yes, beautiful, uh beautiful. So thanks, uh thanks so much, Egle, for for your time, uh, for allowing us to be in a world uh different from all the conversation that I normally enter enter into, and it's always fascinating to see the other world, which the spiritual and the physical world which are connected. Exactly.

Egle

So if one doesn't work, another one won't work either.

Giada

No, exactly.

Egle

They have to go together, you need to feel written always. Exactly. Beautiful, beautiful.