“There comes a point in the journey where you don’t look back—you just look forward and know that you create every day from your inside.” — Paula Jennings

The first time I met Paula, it was over dinner at Boucherie Union Square in Manhattan with a gathering of like-minded souls connecting for the first time creating a sense of connection that simply can’t be recreated through Zoom calls and WhatsApp chats. Although we had spoken before, this was our first time meeting in person. She sat across from me, and I remember immediately noticing how grounded she was. There was a calm, sincere presence about her that radiated authenticity. Paula is genuine to the core and effortlessly inspiring.

She’s also the one who introduced me to kundalini yoga, a practice I had never heard of until she spoke about it. It has since become one of the spiritual practices that most deeply resonates with me. Once again, the universe knew exactly what I needed, and Paula appeared in my life like so many others, to guide me in little ways I hadn’t even known I was ready for. She genuinely embodies love for the planet, for the collective and I feel truly blessed to know her.

From Corporate Climb to Conscious Living

For twenty years, Paula thrived in the high-powered world of Wall Street, working as a corporate executive at a large international bank in Manhattan. From the outside, her life looked like a picture of success. But inside, there was a quiet knowing, or an undercurrent pulling her toward something deeper, more aligned with her soul.

Her journey wasn’t defined by a single turning point. Instead, it unfolded in layers of awakening, peeling back one by one over the years.

“I believe that awakenings happen over many, many years,” Paula reflects. “I probably had my first one when I was younger. I always felt a little different, like I didn’t fully belong to my environment. But I always had a connection to nature, to the trees—that was a constant.”

The Descent and the Return

In her twenties, Paula experienced what she describes as a “hard awakening.” Life brought struggle and self-inquiry in what she likens to Persephone descending into the depths. But through that darkness, she began to rediscover herself.

At 30, she moved to the United States. Her Wall Street career flourished, but like many, she found herself just coping more than connecting. Succeeding outwardly while silencing her inner voice.

“There was good work being done, especially advocating for women,” she says. “But I needed to just cope. I fell asleep again.”

Her true reawakening began when she made the courageous decision to step away from her corporate role. It started with a transformational course and deepened through kundalini yoga teacher training.

“That final weekend of the training, I felt so at one. With myself. With the people I’d shared that experience with. And with nature.”

Awakening Is a Practice, Not a Moment

From that point forward, her life became a continuous rhythm of growth, shedding, integration, and rebirth. But Paula emphasizes that awakening doesn’t have to be dramatic. In fact, she encourages people to begin with the small acts of self-honoring.

“Claim time for yourself in daily moments of solitude, meditation, nature. It doesn’t have to be hours. Just commit to something that brings you back to yourself. Ask, Am I in my truth? How am I feeling?”

Instead of pushing through life or numbing emotions, she invites us to slow down, listen inward, and recognize the mirror life holds up to us.

“Talk less. Listen more. Whatever shows up is a reflection of your inner world. No blaming—just presence. You create from the present moment.”

Over time, her tools like journaling, meditation, community, self-inquiry, have certainly evolved. But her devotion to the present remains steady.

“Being in the present moment is a privilege. Happy thoughts create a healthy body, mind, and soul. Take it one step at a time. Be kind to yourself. You are human. You’ve incarnated. And our job is to fully be here—to root to rise.”

It All Comes Back to Love

Today, Paula finds the deepest fulfillment not in grand gestures, but in the intimacy of real connection with loved ones, clients, and herself.

“The most rewarding part of my journey has been creating deep, meaningful relationships with my family, my friends, my clients. When someone tells me I made a difference just by being who I am… that’s when I know it’s not for nothing. That it matters.”

A Sacred Guide for the Soulful Journey

Now a life coach, kundalini yoga teacher, and sacred space holder, Paula Jennings continues to guide others in peeling back their own layers and coming home to themselves.

Each year, she leads a yoga retreat at the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher in Ireland—a sacred gathering that continues to grow in popularity. I truly believe it’s not just the magic of the land that draws people in, but Paula herself with her deep reverence for life, her presence, her gratitude. You feel it when you’re around her. She doesn’t just teach awakening…she lives it.

You don’t need to burn it all down. But you do need to come back to yourself. Every day. One breath at a time.

To learn more about Paula, and all she offers, visit www.paulajennings.com.