From Paralysis to Purpose: Francesca’s Healing Journey with Tantra Yoga

For years, Francesca felt like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

A 47-year-old massage therapist from Rome, Italy, she was trapped in a cycle of overwhelming responsibility, emotional turmoil, and debilitating health issues.

Her life was a constant struggle, a non-stop hustle from Monday to Sunday that left her physically and energetically drained.

Today, Francesca is a picture of health, happiness, and fulfillment — a transformation she credits to the profound power of Tantra Yoga. This is the story of her healing journey from the depths of despair to a life of balance, purpose, and joy.

The Weight of Her World

Before her journey with Somananda Tantra School began in 2017, Francesca’s life was defined by a pattern of shouldering everyone else’s burdens. “The main problem was that I felt like I had to carry on my shoulders the responsibility of all the people around me,” she recalls.

This wasn’t just a feeling, it was her reality. Emotionally and psychologically, she supported a partner in a long-term relationship. Financially, she was the pillar for her family and worked tirelessly to provide for them.

As a massage therapist since the age of 19, Francesca’s work was physically demanding. To make ends meet and support others, she worked seven days a week, seeing clients in a spa during the day and taking on more appointments at her home in the evenings.

“I worked, I worked, I worked and everything disappeared from my earnings,” she explains. The money she made was quickly funneled to support her family and even to help other friends to pay off their debts. Her energy was completely depleted and left nothing for herself.

This unrelenting stress took a severe toll on her physical body. The breaking point came in 2013 when Francesca experienced a terrifying health crisis. A hernia in her spine led to a state of near-total paralysis that lasted for six months.

“I was completely paralyzed by this hernia from the spine and the legs down, including my arms and tongue,” she shares. “I also couldn’t speak. It was terrible.”

Due to Francesca’s condition, she was completely unable to work or do basic daily tasks. The experience was a brutal wake-up call and a physical manifestation of the crushing weight she had been carrying for so long.

In her search for relief, she turned to a yoga teacher training course. It was her first introduction to the healing potential of yoga and it helped her regain her mobility and return to work.

However, she felt something was missing. The teachings felt superficial, touching only the physical aspects of the practice. “They were incomplete,” Francesca says. “I thought that there was something missing. I wanted to know more on the spiritual aspects as well.”

This deep-seated feeling that there was more to discover, a deeper spiritual path to explore, led her to the Somananda Tantra School.

For years, Francesca felt like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. A 47-year-old massage therapist from Rome, Italy, she was trapped in a cycle of overwhelming responsibility, emotional turmoil, and debilitating health issues.

The Turning Point: Discovering Tantra Yoga

Francesca’s healing journey with the school began with a Tantra Massage Therapist Training course. Even in this initial training, she felt a significant shift. “I felt a change in my energy in the first course,” she notes.

It was here that she experienced her first authentic Tantra Yoga class, taught by the school’s founder, Somananda. A spark was lit. She knew she had found the missing piece.

Despite this initial positive shift, her health challenges persisted. She suffered from severe pollen allergies that left her feeling suffocated and unable to breathe. Another stress-related symptom was alopecia, but in a peculiar form — she would periodically lose half of her left eyebrow. The physical and emotional impact was distressing.

The true catalyst for her transformation came in 2019 when she attended the Tantra Yoga Level 1 course in Portugal. It was a 3-week intensive yoga retreat with eight hours of practice and lectures each day. This experience was more than just learning. It was a profound internal activation, rooted in a comprehensive system of yogic healing and purification — a milestone in her healing journey toward vitality and balance.

Through the guidance of the course, Francesca was introduced to specialized yogic healing strategies and powerful techniques designed to cleanse and rejuvenate the body. These ancient methods supported her in regaining physical vitality after years of stress-related illness and paralysis.

At the same time, in-depth teachings on the chakra system and the human energy bodies equipped Francesca to deeply understand and balance her inner energies. This newfound awareness allowed her not just to recover lost strength, but to experience a true sense of wholeness for the first time since her paralysis.

“That level… I felt like it was a speed acceleration of the whole process,” she describes. “I recovered my energy because I was completely drained.”

The combined impact of physical purification, energetic awareness, and holistic healing practices gave Francesca the strength and clarity to finally step out of the vortex of responsibility and self-sacrifice that had defined her life until then.

The Ripple Effect of Inner Change

The teachings of Tantra Yoga initiated a change from within. Soon, Francesca witnessed her external reality also begin to shift in response. It wasn’t about forcing change, but about solutions naturally presenting themselves as she became more aligned with her true self.

“I felt that something changed inside me and that reality actually changed around me,” she explains. She found a sustainable solution for her mother to become more financially independent, which lifted a significant burden from her shoulders.

Most profoundly, she found the courage to end her ten-year relationship — a partnership that had been emotionally and financially draining. This difficult but necessary decision opened the door to a new chapter of self-discovery.

“I started to discover myself… or rather, find myself. Recognize myself,” she says. “Okay, now I can think about me, for myself.”

Her career also transformed. She transitioned from a grueling, non-stop schedule to becoming a fully independent, freelance massage therapist. This shift allowed her to create a work-life balance that honored her well-being, which was a stark contrast to the relentless pace she had maintained for years.

The fruits of her long-term dedication to personal growth were finally blossoming, and they were all catalyzed by the potent practices of Tantra Yoga.

The teachings of Tantra Yoga initiated a change from within. Soon, Francesca witnessed her external reality also begin to shift in response.

Healing Beyond the Physical

Francesca’s healing journey was not without further obstacles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed a painful inguinal hernia that required surgery, which was delayed due to lockdowns. Once again, she turned to her practice.

Since she couldn’t perform many physical postures (asanas), she leaned into the other powerful tools of yoga. Pranayama (breathing techniques), meditation, and Yoga Nidra became her pillars of support that helped her manage pain and maintain her energetic balance.

After the surgery, she faced another complication — damage to her thorax during the procedure had led to severe and limiting back pain. It was a discouraging setback, but her foundation in Tantra Yoga provided her with the tools and the resilience to navigate it.

“I couldn’t practice the asanas because my body was very, very limited,” she recalls. “I practiced a lot of pranayama, and it was an amazing experience also practicing the Mahavidya [cosmic powers] meditations I learned in Tantra Yoga.”

This period highlighted a crucial understanding — yoga is not just a physical practice. It is a complete system that works on the energetic, mental, and spiritual levels of a human being.

With the support of her teachers and the vast array of techniques she had learned, Francesca embarked on a slow, patient journey of recovery. Step by step, she rebuilt her strength, her flexibility, and her confidence.

A Life Reborn: The Fruits of Transformation

Eight years after walking into her first yoga course with Somananda Tantra School, Francesca’s life is unrecognizable. Now a student in Level 17 of the Tantra Yoga program, she embodies the transformation she once sought so desperately. At our school, we offer 24 Tantra Yoga levels to support students’ mastery of these ancient practices, and Francesca aims to complete all 24 levels.

Through her efforts, her physical health has been restored. “Now I’m back to practicing all the asanas,” she says happily, acknowledging that she must be cautious with certain postures, but is largely free from the limitations that once defined her existence.

This renewed physical vitality has had a direct, positive impact on her work as a massage therapist and allows her to practice with ease and joy.

Emotionally and relationally, she is thriving. After a period of focusing on herself, she found a new partner. Her new relationship is a world away from her past experiences.

“It’s beautiful. It’s very harmonious and balanced and we are happy,” she shares. “It’s like the opportunity to grow together. Everything is smooth and in a very constructive way.” It is the kind of relationship she had always dreamed of — one built on mutual respect, spiritual alignment, and shared growth.

Reflecting on her healing journey, Francesca feels an immense sense of satisfaction and happiness. “I can see the whole process and I feel amazing about all the transformations that have happened,” she says.

Her profound personal experience has ignited a desire to share these teachings with others. Francesca is now a Tantra Massage teacher and a Tantra Yoga teacher herself, guiding others on their own paths of healing and self-discovery.

“I wish to bring as much as possible of these teachings to others because this is an amazing tool to live in the best way that we can,” she says passionately.

For those feeling lost, overwhelmed, or in pain, Francesca offers a simple yet powerful message rooted in her own story: have faith that change is possible.

She encourages people to work on themselves, to cultivate self-awareness, and to connect with their spirituality. For her, Tantra Yoga was the “perfect street” to connect with the divine and find a complete, holistic journey to healing that touched every level of her life.