Hannah Balint - Finding your flow in a new city

What does it truly take to rebuild your life - and yourself - in a new country? In this deeply personal and practical episode, host Jo Stewart sits down with Hannah Balint, a UK-born yoga teacher and relocation coach, to explore what repeated international moves have taught her about identity, connection, and the courage it takes to start over. Hannah shares her remarkable journey across the UK, Vietnam, Australia, and the United States, tracing how a transformative first yoga class in Hanoi surrounded by the sounds of roosters and motorbikes sparked a career and a philosophy built around movement. From her bicultural English-Swiss upbringing to navigating visa complications in Melbourne and profound loneliness in the US, Hannah brings hard-won wisdom to every stage of the conversation. Key topics include: the surprising emotional weight of even chosen relocations and the grief that comes with leaving an identity behind; why making friends becomes significantly harder in your 30s and beyond; practical strategies for building community in a new place (including why your dog and your local barista may be your most valuable social assets); how to distinguish between moving toward something versus away from something before you go; and the role of technology in keeping long-distance friendships alive across time zones. Hannah also offers insight into her coaching work, where she helps clients — particularly accompanying partners who move for a spouse's career — navigate the internal experience of relocation, not just the logistics. Her approach centres on helping people recognise their own agency: "I have never felt more lonely than when I first moved to the US... and yet I still had agency over my choices." It is this shift in perspective, she argues, that transforms relocation from something that happens to you into something you can actively shape. Whether you are planning an international move, supporting someone who is, or simply curious about what movement — physical and geographical — can reveal about who we are, this episode offers both the practical tools and the emotional permission to navigate change with more grace and self-compassion. Links Hannah’s podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MKy7T7vvRlP1y15Yhvi70?si=a79bc5e9591b4c46 Hannah’s website: https://www.hannahbalintcoaching.com/ Hannah’s instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannahbalint/ AppSumo: https://appsumo.8odi.net/R0Gmx9. Use the code SOUNDMADESEEN for a 10% discount off any product!