Not long ago, Lynn Burgess was a stressed-out M.B.A. with a designer wardrobe and a less than fulfilling life. In an effort to find calm in her frenzied world, she enrolled in a local yoga class. Little did she know that yoga would change her life.

Not only did she profit physically from the practice of yoga, Burgess gained skills for life that she used to help her navigate a major lifestyle disruption. That disruption was “the call.”

“The call” came from her boss, who was also her recently divorced husband of forty-eight hours. Burgess was told that she had been fired. Suddenly unemployed and newly divorced, Burgess’ head was spinning.

“In the beginning, losing my job felt like the end of the world,” said Burgess who worked as a Sales and Marketing Director. “After the shock wore off, I realized that this could be the start of something wonderful and liberating.”

Burgess used the opportunity to redefine her notion of success and strike that elusive balance between work and play.

“My personal pilgrimage to the mecca of meaningful employment often felt like a ride on Space Mountain,” Burgess said. “When it became too overwhelming, I went to yoga class.”

Slowly, Burgess began to realize something big.

“I didn’t want to pursue another grueling job,” she said. “I was searching for more. It wasn’t until I was driving home from a yoga class worrying about rapidly dwindling funds that things really crystallized. I knew that I wanted work that was meaningful and allowed me to combine my passions for yoga and business in ways that encouraged, uplifted, entertained, and enlightened others so I decided to parlay my passion into a career.”

A few weeks later, Burgess began teaching a few yoga classes at home for three neighbors. Today, her company, Yoga from the Heart, flourishes. Burgess now has six teachers who assist her both on and off site teaching her Essential Yoga in retirement facilities to hospitals to corporate classrooms.

Essential Yoga teaches the many practical benefits and essential applications yoga can bring to life. A topic expert in the areas of life balance and peak performance through the integration of mind, body, and spirit, Burgess is one of Southwest Florida’s most sought-after and acclaimed yoga instructors and inspirational speakers.

Whether barefoot teaching yoga or in a business suit delivering a keynote presentation, Burgess is dynamic, motivating and captivating with her sense of humor, memorable personal stories and direct style. Her in-the-trenches sales, marketing, and management experience - as well as her success as a business owner and yoga teacher inspire her audiences to transform challenge into choices and obstacles into opportunities.