The inspiring journey of a full-time pilot turned Yoga expert- An Interview with Virginie Armingaud, Journey from cockpit to yoga mat

The inspiring journey of a full-time pilot who transitions from navigating the chaos of the sky to finding serenity and balance through yoga.

Interview With Virginie Armingaud, France

INSIDE THE MIND OF A pilot turned yogini!!!

Hari Om ! I am Virginie, a full time Yoga Teacher living in France, and traveling around the world, and a former airline captain pilot.

I have recently opened my own yoga studio. I am teaching Hatha yoga and Qi gong, and I provide healing and massages in that new place. I like to live at a slow pace and peacefully. My previous life in aviation has perhaps used all the credits of the speed pace ! Those years were exciting but now I have opened a new page in the book of my life.

I knew from a little age that I would spent part of my time above the clouds. I was passionate about aviation. At the age of 15 I did my first solo flight on a light aircraft and soon after, carried my young sister for a sight seeing mountain flight in the French Alps where I used to live. My mother was absolutely terrified. I had not even driven a car till that time.

At 45 years old, after 3 decades in the air, I took a 90 degrees turn to embrace a new journey. I decided that the world needed me in another place. It was time for a new life style. I felt the wind of wisdom and my mind changed to be aligned with my new reality. 

I am now so grateful to offer a place where I can hold a space for yoga practitioners on their journey.

Let's delve into the inspiring journey of a full-time pilot turned Yoga expert- An Interview with Virginie Armingaud, paris, France.

While flying a commercial aircraft for many years, did you ever experience a moment in your life when you felt overwhelmed by stress or chaos?

A pilot’s life in general is quite intense. It’s a huge responsibility to bring an aircraft safely from one place to another.

The mind is always busy. Everything goes fast. 

You have to be ahead of the plane at anytime to anticipate every detail. 

The challenge is to face weather conditions, mechanics, passengers, and manage the crew.

And it becomes an even bigger challenge if you top-up one of the above, in a degraded mode. An example is, landing the aircraft with 35 knots of crosswind or lowering the gear following the abnormal emergency procedure, and more.

All of this happens at least once in a pilot’s life! I faced many situations like this.

You need a strong and clear mind! Unexpected situations are the core of the job. You are trained for this. I have always been confident about my flying skills. And this work was definitely worth it. The cockpit environment above the clouds is enlightening. The beauty of a sunrise over the Alps is worth the early wake-up.  The break-out throughout the clouds at the last moment before landing is magical…

Stress or chaos is not only coming from the work itself.  But from the airline industry, which is always pushing crews for productivity.  You get pressure to be on time with your aircraft no matter what is happening along the journey!

Stress is also at is maximum every 6 months during simulator training which is kind of the renewal of your work contract. You either pass or find yourself out of the door! This is for real.

Complex environment, I guess.

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That sounds intense. What inspired you to pursue yoga amidst all of this?

When I met yoga in 2010, everything was intense in my life. I was practicing different sports: horse riding,  high mountain climbing, triathlon. I was traveling worldwide on my days off, and raising my 2 children as well. I had the precious help of young au pair girls to help us with the logistic at home.  In 2009, a friend of mine gave me a DVD of yoga. I looked at it and said - This is too slow. This is not for me. And so I kept going with my lifestyle. An year later, overwhelmed by my emotions due to my divorce few years before, some other things pending to be treated from my childhood and other events led me to join the yoga mat. It was definitely a new turn in my life. Something new was getting opened, connecting me to the divine within. 

Earlier, I was into personal development. It was a first step, but I was not satisfied. Something was missing. With yoga something different appeared in front of me. It suddenly resonated deeply within. I found my way of finding balance in my daily life, at all levels of my being. Quickly I went from one to several classes a week. People around me rapidly noticed a change in my personality, in my way of being. And I could feel the positive impact of the yoga practice on all the dimensions of my body. It suited me perfectly like a new outfit.

The first thing I learned on the mat was how to breathe. Like I would be experimenting the first breath of a newborn. In Yoga, it is known as a life breath.

That’s inspiring. How has yoga changed your life as a pilot?

I felt the necessity to practice in my hotel room during the overnight or at home.

First, to stretch my physical body after the long seated position in the plane and to focus inside. I began to contact my presence, to quieten the mind after the day. A day that was usually full of new situations, of exchanges of any kind…from Air traffic controllers to ground staff, or crews…

There was a necessity to get back to a kind of inner silence. Quickly , I felt the need to use the breathing techniques, as a major tool to regulate adrenaline during the day.

A small amount of adrenaline is required to stay vivid in this job, but in excess it will have reverse effects. This well known curve: good stress increasing performances versus too much of it is creating inefficiency and even danger in the air.

During the flight I would be able to deepen my exhalation to give space inside of me, in order to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. I met my true self on this yogic path. Understanding my own mechanisms gave me access to the human potential. I had more empathy for myself and others. Managing crews as a captain became easier while being myself lighter in emotions, more fluid.

In 2011, I met an old master yogi in the French Alps [Maurice Daubard], who practiced toumo. It was extreme yoga from the cold, an intense practice. [A similar practice as the wim Hof one].

I am still into it during winter. It helped me for winter flights to regulate my body temperature.

Between each flight, pilots walk around the plane to check the outside conditions.

And the flight deck of the aircrafts I flew were always chilly !

Can you share a memorable experience or breakthrough you’ve had through your yoga journey ?

In 2016, it was already six years I was practicing yoga, and I had decided to join a Yoga Teacher training course in France. This is a 3 years course, 2 days per month. It was from a particular stream of yoga. A Tantric yoga, where breath, concentration on energy and pose all together are the key of the practice. I was really enthusiastic. Intense training, a lot of breathing exercises, led to a real activation in my body.

The nadis were cleaned-up. I could feel the energy flowing in me. After a few weeks of practice, Kundalini energy rose intensely. I could clearly feel the path of it and the heat in my spine and back. I was astonished as I only had a vague theoretical knowledge of it. I referred my teacher who confirmed.

Following this, my consciousness changed. I was in a state of pure joy and love for 2 months. My vision of the world changed. My senses were in a bigger state of receptivity. I only needed 5 to 6 hours of sleep during the night. I felt strong and light in the same time. 

I could be walking on the clouds !

I felt alive. Following this, while doing a specific kundalini exercise on the mat, my entire body experienced vibration. It was as if my body, heart and soul had unified to join the universal body. 

Incredible experience.

Notably, Kundalini circulation has happened to me once more, quite recently and lasted again for few weeks. But this level of energy is not sustainable for ever. 

Ancient Yoga teaching would advise not to focus on or voluntary activate this kind of experience, or siddhis (yogic power) etc. It is coming when it is the right moment for oneself and would correspond to an opening of consciousness. This is not the goal of spirituality, you can evolve and contact wisdom element little by little. 

Rishikesh and the Himalayas in India have always been considered epicenters of true knowledge and spiritual awakening. What is it about Rishikesh and Himalayas that resonated so deeply with you?

After 13 years of practicing yoga with westerners, and having been taught by them, I thought it would be smart to go to the origin of yoga, in India.

To listen to the preaching from Indian yogis.

I had to connect to this land at energy level, and see if my teaching was still aligned with the essence of yoga. Getting immersed in Mother Ganga, was also on my « bucket list ».

Naturally Rishikesh came to my mind. My highest aspirations have been fulfilled!

In May 2023, looking on the web, I chose a school which was matching with my reference stream of yoga to eventually jump into the 300 hrs. That was the right time for me to revisit the courses of a YTT under the light of my teaching experience.

I trusted myself to choose a school and when done, didn’t think about my choice being right or wrong until the departure. I was not deceived. I went through 4 weeks of immersion in Tapovan. The beauty of the summits around, amplified by the old presence of so many sages and yogis and the true presence of people in that vein of transmission and sadhana. Everywhere I walked in Tapovan, Rishikesh I could feel the invitation of this inner journey. Feeling the practice of Hinduism in the temples and in town gave a deeper significance of the history of yoga that we study as a yoga teacher. This place reinforces the call of the soul to open new connections and meditate. Wisdom’s seeker is at the right place here.

I met committed and inspiring people in their practice. An amazing story indeed. Walking by Ganga, with yogis of my class we met a man in poor dressing condition, He told us that he gave up all kind of corporate life, to live a very simple and spiritual life in an ashram. He was an ex-research chemist, Nobel Laureate, spending his time at the Rishikesh library during the day. He wouldn’t be the only one in the area. Inspiring!

That’s beautiful. How has your spiritual path shaped your approach to sharing yoga with others?

Yoga has definitely transformed my life, even though I know this is an endless journey towards wisdom. I do appreciate to live in harmony with my body rhythms, in my presence and in my breath, connected to my inner self. When I joined my first YTT, I initially thought it was just a way to have a better understanding of yoga and its secrets. My mind was not clear about the intention of teaching yet as I was still engaged in my flying carrier. But my soul knew already the big plan, the big “Lila”.

It is so funny to see it from now. But a part of me knew! The training little by little turned me into a teacher from deeply inside. It then became clear in my mind that I wanted to be part of this big family. I wanted to reach out to those who want to go on this personal journey. Guiding people to find balance in their lives became essential to me. Teaching is definitely another way to meet myself.

My students are amazing as they highlight some parts of me.

If you observe the world with consciousness, it will always give you answers about yourself.

After 9 months on this training course I eventually decided to turn into this spiritual way of life.

To get retired from aviation. It was time for me to definitively land on another dimension of time and space. Coming from 900 km/hrs and 90 decibels in the cockpit to a steady and silent mat.

The full story « from cockpit to yoga » mat began.

It was time for me to extract myself from the matrix.

By Pankaj Jha Feature Writer & Media Relations

Vol 1, Issue 4, Oct/Nov 2025, Rishikesh Yogalaya