Introduction

How I discovered Yoga?

As a child I was always fascinated with Yoga. Sanskrit names like Utkatasana, Trikonasana, Marjarasana sounded like music to my ears. But, deep within, I also feared that if I tried these asanas, maybe `my head won’t stand’. The pictures of supine and flexible bodies in books and newspapers sounded too farfetched. Also, Yoga actually seemed from a far off land either with bearded Yogis in some far off land like Rishikesh or Haridwar; or some anglicised supple bodies  doing the headstand  and hippie meditation thing

Not too sure it was meant for me, I left my Yoga learning for a future date. Also, as I did my early education in a small village, I did not find an opportunity to learn Yoga or master it at an early age.

But as time went on, over the years, I was very fascinated to see my father practice the Simha Mudra and Kapalbhati early mornings.  He managed to learn the Asanas and Pranayamas through a friend to tackle his sugar levels. Post that, getting up early in the mornings and doing his Asanas was a Niyam he never missed. Though, we all would actually need a teacher and a formal class to get motivated. But very few like my father, have the discipline to get up each morning and do the Asanas. There was not a single day when he missed his Yoga practice.

During my college days, I stayed fit with dancercise. I learned that the only way to stay fit was to include a physical discipline in your life. Concentrating on different muscles in our body makes our limbs more supple and gives them a shape and force. It was my love for dance and music which led me to learn, practice and teach Aerobics.

But, somehow as an anxious teenager with too many cluttered thoughts, I needed a formal class and music to exercise and sweat it out. After teaching at a club named Ballerina in Pune, I got into formal training with a lady Anu Patwardhan who started a health club named Bodyline. She was trained from Pineapple Institute in the United Kingdom and was kind enough to teach me low-impact and high-impact Aerobics. I learned the concepts of Body Mass index, Choreography to Music and concepts of working out in the `Aerobic Zone Heart Rates.’

Later as I continued my studies in Psychology, Geopolitics and International relations at Fergusson College in Pune, I continued to work at Bodyline for two years. It kept me focused and less anxious as I look back. Two decades ago, Yoga had not become the exercise du jour as it is now. In fact even Gymming, Sports or Aerobics/Zumba was a rare activity.

Later, I chose Journalism and Media as a career but learning different forms of exercises remained a passion and a hobby for me. But, here, I must confess, I wasn’t that regular with my exercise routine. There weren’t too many exercise studios around those days and also my career kept me very busy. Later, I shifted to Mumbai as I got a job with The Times of India.

Mumbai’s past faced life and also a day job in the Media industry left me with very little time to exercise. Also, in South Mumbai there were hardly any health clubs or Yoga and Zumba/Aerobic studios those days.

 For a year or two, I did Aerobics with a Parsee lady at Radio Club in South Mumbai and few sessions with Shaimak Davar’s ..`Have feet will Dance.’ I also did a certificate course in Gym Management from Fitness Trainer Leena Mogre’s LM academy in Mumbai over the weekends.

Regular reporting and chasing celebrities kept me too busy round the clock for many years as I shifted to Television News for some years.

I finally got certified as a Yoga teacher

When the opportunity came my way, I was in my late 20s when I joined for a Teachers Training Course with Yoga Vidya Niketan in Mumbai.  A one year course, with detailed study on Asanas, Kriyas, Physiology and Anatomy.

 Though on a profession level, I wanted to teach Yoga as a side gig along with my journalistic occupations.  And also because it is an inside out technique; it works on your mind and soul. And on a personal level I must confess here that through my school and college life, I did have a concentration problem. I could never focus on one task for too long.

A restless mind, constant inner chatter and an unending flow of thoughts.  A high level of brooding, over thinking and a little anxious attitude towards life and future. Like someone said, the flow of thoughts is like a river flowing, and it has to be controlled. To achieve this, many would recommend Meditation. But I realized, for a restless mind jumping onto meditation is a rather herculean and a difficult task.

The mind needs to be slowly trained to focus, let go and move into thoughtlessness.  When you learn Yoga, the task of closing your eyes and focusing on your breath (Prandharna) is the first move toward being mindful. 

You get into an Asana step by step, close your eyes and breathe in and out… at least 2 to 3 breathes to begin with. Feel your breath.  In those few seconds of Prandharna is when you experience total silence as you go within. This is our first step towards meditation. Also, one of the basic rules of Yoga is not to force your body. If you aren’t very flexible (which I wasn’t) you can stick to the basic Asanas.

Initially, as I was learning, I must confess I did not enjoy Yoga. I found it very slow, and the task of closing your eyes and focusing on your breath was rather cumbersome. Also, if you have started late in life and are not too flexible things get more difficult. It takes days, weeks and months to master an Asana or posture. So, a lot of discipline will see you through. That’s exactly what I wanted in my life; to train and discipline myself.

After doing Masters in Yogic education from Yoga Vidya Niketan, I began teaching Yoga under the brand name Curls n Curves. I taught youngsters, couples and children. I saw many clients shift from Gymming and Zumba to Yoga. Simply because it is easier and helps to remain calm and composed. Also, Asanas can be tailored for clients depending on their age, ability flexibility and health level.

Clients battling with lifestyle diseases, back pain, arthritis and obesity; I learned to tackle all of them. Yoga is derived from the word `Yug’ as the name suggests. It is the union of the mind and body.

According to B K S Iyengar, a well-known guru, “Yoga is like Music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.’

As per the Bhagwad Gita, “ Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self and to the self.”
One important thing I learnt from my guru is that `Yoga is really about conservation of Energy.  So, in the traditional Yoga practice you do not burn calories or sweat it out, but you go within and conserve energy. Now, over the years to make it more popular for the general population, many variations have come up.  Like Yoga with Weights, Cardio Yoga, Hot Yoga and what have you. To each his own, but for the majority of the population, I would say, just stick to `traditional Yoga from India.’