This idea was fine in my head. Making creatives, researching the market, brainstorming for months. Then I realised I actually have to tell the story. And that means letting out the cobwebs.
And even though I'm a yoga teacher - and you'll see what I've been through - I'm still a 26-year-old guy scared to be vulnerable.
But here it is.
I'm 26. Semi-professional footballer turned engineer turned yoga student turned teacher. In 2020, I gave up football because of head injuries. Transferred the 4-5 training sessions a week straight into yin yoga - 3x a week for 4 years. That's where I found mindfulness, pranayama, shavasana. That practice helped me immensly. More than once.
But let me go back.
The head injuries made uni brutal. I couldn't exercise, couldn't think straight, and my mental health fell apart. By 2023, I'd seen 15+ medical professionals from Neurologists to Chinese medicine trying to get back to a normal life - working, exercising, being a person. Nothing worked.
So I tried a high dose of psychedelics.
It went wrong. I accidentally took 3-5x more than I thought. And it completely, completely shattered my mind and nervous system.
The next two years: hospitals, ambulances, psych wards, emergency departments. 16 electroconvulsive therapy sessions over 6 weeks. I couldn't go outside for months. Dissociation, derealisation, depersonalisation, extreme numbness. My nervous system was destroyed.
Through all of it, Mum still took me to yin yoga. Even when being with my own thoughts was terrifying, I focused on the breath, the poses. I kept going to chat with my teachers and try stay involved in the community.
I somehow made it out the other side. 24/7 care from family and friends. Late 2024 - just two months after leaving hospital for the last time - I flew to Bali for a 50-hour yin yoga training. Feb 2025, I went back for my 200-hour teacher certification. Life started coming back.
Now here's where Tero comes from.
In the thick of all that nervous system chaos, I found one thing that actually helped: magnesium baths. Hot water, scent, soundscape, heat. 20-minute sessions where my nervous system could finally untangle.
But I'm 6'3. The bath got cold. And there was nowhere I could go that had this setup - a proper sanctuary, built for this exact thing. If a studio had offered it, I would've been there most nights.
I can't be the only one.
I also had an ice bath at home - converted chest freezer. It gave me a spike of energy for a few minutes. But it wasn't what I needed. And honestly? Most stressed, dysregulated people don't need another stressor. Even a positive one to begin with.
They need warmth. Stillness. A container to feel safe in.
That's what Tero is.
I'm all for doing hard things - I still love the cold and definitely see a place for it. In the right order, at the right time. But cold is just for the select few. This is aimed to be universal. The yin to your yang. Recovery isn't just stress, release, stress, release. Sometimes it's just exploring the present moment in a state of a regulated nervous system that can unleash the most potent healing answers.
The moments that can be achieved in a guided, safe environment are extremely, extremely powerful. I've done over 300 yin practices, which means 300 shavasanas, and it never ceases to amaze me - the stillness.
It keeps me coming back. And I hope Tero can provide this feeling to the users. It will bring a peace and awareness to the world that is always required, and I'd love to build a brand while going on that journey with everyone.