We’re told that the goal of a “good life” is balance. Balance between work and family, activism and self-care, health and relationships. But what if balance isn’t real? What if the myth of the balanced woman is actually a trap designed to keep us exhausted, ashamed, and profitable to a system that was never built to support us?

In this episode of Spiritual Autopsy, I unpack how “balance” has been sold as control: eat perfectly, work out perfectly, manage your stress, stay calm, never tip too far. Through the lens of Ayurveda, I explore why balance isn’t a static state but a living relationship with change. Change that moves with seasons, hormones, emotions, and cycles.

About Magnolia Zuniga:

Magnolia Zuniga is a former Ashtanga yoga teacher and one of only 20 women worldwide who were certified by the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI) before publicly walking away from the lineage. After abuse allegations against Pattabhi Jois became public, she stopped teaching Ashtanga sequences and lost her certification—choosing survivor solidarity over professional advancement.

She now teaches at ABQ Yoga Lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico, focusing on decolonizing yoga practice, recognizing cult dynamics in spiritual communities, and building accountability in yoga spaces. She speaks publicly about institutional abuse, guru culture, and what yoga becomes when you remove the harmful power structures.

Find me at www.magnoliazuniga.com and https://www.youtube.com/@MagnoliaSezSo