Interview with Iva Barnincová: About Helping, Burnout, and Hope
- Pavel X. Rakušan
- Sep 18
- 11 min read
Iva Barnincová may be known as an experienced instructor, coach and guide on the path of personal development. For VOLONTÉ she is above all an inspiring partner with whom we have long cooperated on projects aimed at supporting people in difficult life situations. In the interview, we look back to our first meeting, the Život v kufříku project, and the current VOL Bez vyhoření program. We share a common vision: to create a safe space where people can breathe again, gain perspective, and gather strength to step forward.
On the Path to a Helping Profession
Iva, could you tell us what brought you to this helping profession? What motivated you to become a coach and yoga instructor?
Where to even start… My journey didn’t begin in books or seminars, but at home, where love and care from my mother alternated with tension and violence from my father. In that chaos I learned to find my bearings – I would ask aloud in front of movies, “who is ‘the good one’ and who is ‘the bad’?” I searched for solid ground under my feet and a place where I could feel okay. The greatest motivation was the simple human wish – to find a way to myself and a life that makes sense. And when I found it, I wanted to offer it to others. Yoga became for me the response to what happens in the body… all those connections, the interconnectedness… Coaching helped me get through the period when I moved from Moravia to Prague. Later, through pilates, spinning, the study of yoga and coaching and nutraceuticals, I opened doors of possibilities.
You work both with individuals and with groups. What fulfills you most in your work?
What fascinates me most is that moment when I see in a client’s eyes: “Aha, I can be different.” Whether it’s a woman on the brink of burnout, or a team of managers who discover for the first time that silence can be more productive than an Excel spreadsheet. Thankfully humor helps break the ice in communication – sometimes it’s just that lightness that opens the way to deeper trust. I love when atmosphere dissolves from tension into peace, and people realize they don’t have to push their head against their body, but they can lean on their wholeness. I sense this transformation every time as a small miracle.
What role do personal experience, intuition, and the ability to perceive others play in your work?
My work is built on a combination of life experience, academic studies, and personal exploration. After traveling abroad, years spent in the corporate world, and a period working in the non-profit sector, I founded LBM Institute s.r.o., where I integrate all of this with ongoing education and research in the fields of the body, breath, and leadership. Over time, I realized that the greatest strength doesn’t lie in the number of certificates, but in the ability to attune to myself. When I am calm and grounded, I become a safe space for others – and through myself, I can support their process as well. Intuition is my quiet compass, showing me when it’s time to listen, when to initiate movement, and when to allow silence. To perceive others means being fully present with the person in front of me – sensitive to the interplay of words, body language, and what is happening between the lines. It is in this full presence that real change is born.
Partnership with VOLONTÉ
How did you first connect with VOLONTÉ and how did your cooperation begin?
I first encountered VOLONTÉ during my work co‑founding the LA VIDA LOCA Endowment Fund and the project Život v kufříku, in 2015. I connected with Ms. Director Zuzana Bejó. I remember that first time going into a prison with VOLONTÉ—I was literally breathless. I felt fear, excitement, curiosity, and at the same time sincerity. Not just because of the environment, but primarily because of what happens between people in that space.
Over time, I discovered that this kind of work actually nourishes me in certain ways – in groundedness, variety, in the fact that life has many layers. And that even behind bars there is possibility for change, respect, and humanity.
Looking back on your joint projects so far, what have you gained personally and professionally from this collaboration?
Personally, it has brought me greater humility and the ability to see a person as they are – not just their past or mistakes. In prison, one often stands before a young man who outwardly appears tough, but inside yearns for a normal life, relationships and meaning. Professionally, collaborating with VOLONTÉ has been an enormous school in training responsibility – not only for myself, but also in how to carefully offer something to another person so they have a chance to accept it or decline it.
How do you perceive the philosophy of VOLONTÉ – “Will to Help”? Does it feel close to you?
Helping feels natural to me – from being a children’s camp instructor, through work with seniors and people with mental disabilities, to founding of an endowment fund. At the same time, I know that helping is beautiful but also very fragile. In my experience, so‑called “doing good” is an area that needs oversight. Balance is essential – between giving and ensuring help is truly useful and respectful. That’s why VOLONTÉ’s philosophy is close to me. I see sincerity, professionalism and concrete support in many projects – from families with children, through women aged 50+, to work with incarcerated people and their return to functional life. I sense a team of great people who can offer help sensitively, meaningfully and with respect for the other. This is, for me, “Will to Help” in practice – open, human and grounded.
VOL Without Burnout
You were a lecturer at weekend gatherings as part of the “VOL Against Burnout” project. What was your role, and how did these meetings impact you?
I remember… My role was to create a safe space for women – a place where they could allow themselves to rest… to quiet their minds, take a breath, and experience movement differently – not as a performance, but as a path back to themselves. Since 2012, I’ve been organizing movement-based weekend retreats in cooperation with travel agencies, and I know how important it is to break away from daily routines. When a person steps out of the rhythm of work and obligations, an inner time-space begins to open. That’s where the gifts arrive – calm, insight, and sometimes even major life decisions. For me personally, these gatherings were deeply inspiring. Seeing women leave with renewed energy and a spark in their eyes is the greatest reward.
What topics did the women most often bring up? And what do you think they took away with them?
Many questions came up over the course of the weekend. Most often, the women arrived with a desire to find balance between work, family, and their own lives. Relationship themes resonated strongly – how to stay in touch with oneself without losing connection to others. They also wanted to experience movement that wasn’t about pushing limits, but about softening – and yet still offered challenge. Health and body support were also big topics – that’s why I shared my experiences in the field of nutraceutics, which I’ve been involved in for a long time. I believe the women left not only with concrete techniques, but most importantly with the courage to allow themselves to feel beauty – within themselves and around them.
What techniques or approaches have proven effective for you when working with participants of this kind?
To set myself aside and become fully present in the space and time I’m in… What works for me is combining simple movement, breath, and somatic techniques with gentle coaching. This helps women reconnect with themselves, calm their nervous system, and gain clarity. Working in a circle is also powerful – when women share their stories, they realize they’re not alone, and a strong sense of support emerges. And of course, humor – it can dissolve tension and break the ice. Life is a “training ground” full of unexpected situations. I recall a moment in Sri Lanka… silence, fire, meditation in a circle… Boom, ouch – a coconut fell on my head, followed by a snake surprise dropping from a tree where I was peacefully relaxing on a lounger. That too is part of life’s richness: we tune in, explore with curiosity, and learn to be flexible.
Is there a topic you think should be included but hasn’t been addressed yet?
I consider the theme of self-support and the courage to take responsibility to be key – not just for one’s own life and health, but also for relationships and the environment we live in. I see responsibility as a quiet confidence – the feeling that I can rely on what is steady and pulsing within me, and from there, create outward. It opens the door to deeper conversations – how to live in harmony with the world around us, with the people we share our everyday lives with, and still maintain balance and connection with ourselves. When that happens, we gain not only peace, but also the courage to be present and truthful – in relationships and in life itself.
On Mental Wellbeing in Demanding Professions
Burnout syndrome isn’t just a trendy term – what, in your view, truly helps people who work with others over the long term?
I see burnout as a state where the inner life falls out of harmony with the outer one. The body and mind shut down to rest and reset. It’s a message: stop, restore your resources, look at things from a different perspective. But instead, we often turn our attention outward – it’s sometimes easier to deal with neighbors or work tasks than to have an honest dialogue with ourselves. And it’s precisely in that self-honesty where the key lies. It takes courage and kindness toward oneself…
Are there simple rituals or habits you would recommend to everyone as daily burnout prevention?
There are plenty of studies and recommendations about what we “must do” to be more and better. But it turns out that doing less and more often gradually builds the whole. What matters most is a decision that comes from within – one that is truly mine, not borrowed from magazines or social media.
Burnout prevention doesn’t need to rely on complex steps – rather, it rests on awareness. Nourishing oneself – with food, quality nutraceuticals, mindful thoughts, natural movement that stimulates the lymphatic system and life’s flow. Sometimes just a few minutes of silence, a deep breath, or a short walk are enough to align body and mind. These are small pauses with a big impact. Just begin.
What do you personally do to maintain balance and energy?
First, I want to say – I love life. What works for me is simplicity and taking advantage of naturally available opportunities – being in nature, moving whenever and wherever possible, noticing my breath. I nourish my body with food and try to supplement what it lacks so I can rely on it. It’s my partner, carrying me through every situation. I also pay attention to my thoughts – observing them in various situations, because they often determine where energy flows. Moments of beauty are important to me – good food, music, time with friends, nurturing relationships, and dynamic conversations with my husband :). And sometimes I need plain old “doing nothing,” a mental blank canvas from which a clearer day can grow.
My goal is to be a kind and good person – with respect for myself and others.
The “Life in a Suitcase” Project
You handed over toys made by incarcerated individuals as part of the “Life in a Suitcase” project. What emotions did this experience evoke in you?
A mix of all kinds of emotions. The moment you hold a toy made by someone behind bars and hand it to a child, it connects two worlds that would otherwise never meet. I felt moved, grateful, and full of respect. In those toys, I saw the imprint of work, time, and a piece of a broken heart longing to be made whole again. I spoke with the incarcerated individuals who made the wooden toys – I felt their emotions, humility, and immense joy at being able to bring happiness and support to abandoned newborns who are still looking for their home and family. For me, it was proof that even in places of darkness and lost freedom, something meaningful and valuable can be created for someone else. And that’s where the real value lies – for the child, who receives the first message that they matter, and for the maker, who had the chance to pass something good forward.
In your opinion, what is the benefit of such a project – not just for the children, but also for those who make the toys?
For the children, it’s a symbol that someone was thinking about them at the very beginning of their life and gave them attention. The suitcase with a toy, a book, and other items is more than just a physical object – it’s a first message: you belong here, you matter. For the people who make the toys, it’s a chance to give something meaningful, to return a part of their energy back into the world. The incarcerated individuals shared that, for the first time, they felt like they were doing something that truly had an impact. It gave them an opportunity to experience a different kind of responsibility – creating something for someone who truly needs it. This kind of project connects people who would never otherwise meet and shows that even a small gesture can have a big impact.
A Personal Perspective and Looking Ahead
What drives you forward in your work today? And what would you still like to realize in the future?
I am curious, inquisitive, and I love life in all its diversity – everything that can emerge when a person connects with themselves and with the environment they live in.
What brings me joy are the moments when small miracles appear in the midst of challenging times and manage to transform lives.
In the future, I want to continue supporting myself – my personal mantra is: “Be your own biggest fan.”
At the same time, I want to develop projects that offer people more space for a joyful and meaningful life.
Some of these projects already exist in my mind, others are just beginning to take shape.
I let the path unfold naturally – and whatever is meant to come, will come.
At the LBM Institute, we now support individuals and companies through Regenerative Leadership – a new way of looking at ourselves and leadership. It’s not only about managing, but also about restoring and creating nurturing environments.
My work also includes experiential gatherings – weekend retreats, workshops, and masterclasses.
All of it is based on my original concept LOVE BODY MIND, which helps people rediscover their balance and strength – in companies and in personal life.
Do you have a personal motto or phrase that guides you in difficult moments?
I’ve created several phrases through life’s setbacks and journeys with amazing teachers and people.
One of them is: “Keep going – there’s still something waiting for you.” Another reminds me: “Don’t be afraid to break open inside – so things can come together again, in a new and supportive way.” And then there’s my favorite self-reflective question when I feel torn between my head and heart:
“What the hell is this really about?” – it’s a catalyst for truth, grounding, and returning to what really matters.
Finally – what would you say to someone who is on the edge of burnout or has lost the meaning in their work?
Maybe the first step is to find a space where you feel good – a place where you can nourish your body and take care of it, so you can rely on it again as you move forward.
Let me share one thought from my own life:
Allow yourself to be honest, even if you don’t like what you feel – be real with yourself and with what’s present. Don’t distort it.
Endure it. Don’t run away from that state, even when it’s uncomfortable. That’s where courage and true strength lie.
And one final message:
Be your own biggest fan.
Iva Barnincová
LBM Coaching
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