DUBAI EXPAT STORIES. Emilie Goldstein Mikulla: Changing people’s perception of pain through yoga

By Jojo Dass 

Marseille-born Emilie Goldstein Mikulla arrived in Dubai 13 years ago, having been travelling for many years as part of her job and, in the process, having as well moved to different places 28 times in her life, living and working all over the globe, including in South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia and the US.

“Because of my upbringing, I’ve always been interested in the world and different cultures. I worked for many years as a travel journalist and absolutely loved discovering places off the beaten track and encountering people I would have otherwise never met,” Emilie tells Dubai Vibes Magazine. 

“In parallel, I spent a lot of time studying human anatomy and decided to change careers and dive into the human body! But I still do have a bad case of wanderlust,” she added.

And as it has been the rage these days, coupled with veganism as more and more people come to terms with themselves to live healthily Emilie got herself into yoga.

“I have found that combining movement, manual therapy and education is a powerful way to get people to change their perception of pain (if they are in pain), and also to keep injuries at bay; generally, to feel better in their bodies and minds,” Emilie says. 

Dubai is the city that Emilie has lived the longest in. “To me, it’s is special because it’s where I met my husband and where my two boys were born,” she says. 

Her husband, Marc Mikulla, is CEO at a broadcast and digital Studio portal; and the two boys are Max, who is 10 years old, and Leo, five. 

“When I first moved here in 2008,” recalls Emilie, “I was so grateful that it was such an easy place to make friends. 

“Everyone is a stranger here and so it’s easy to find like-minded people and form strong bonds. But because it’s an expat city, it’s tough to see people leave all the time.”

Dubai, being a world-class city, is not cheap. “That’s true,” says Emilie. “But I found that you get a lot for your money – large homes, great food, lots of activities. And it’s still very well possible to live well without burning a hole through your wallet – you just have to be in the know,” she added.

Her mantra? “Give more than you take,” she says.