Over the years many people have asked me how I got into yoga. I was very blessed to have found yoga at an early age and have been practicing for over 2 decades. As I got deeper into yoga my practice changed, so it's quite a long story. Here is part one
When I was a kid I LOVED The Beatles (and still do) and my dad had a fellow fan at work who would let me borrow CDs and books from him. I remember sitting and staring at the photos of them in India, I was so drawn to this particular part of their stories. A seed was planted.
Fast forward to the 2001 Brit Awards and Geri Halliwell walking on stage. I thought she looked radiant, happy and content, and I have to admit that the idea of taut abs was very appealing to my 18-year-old self. Well, it turned out that she had been practicing yoga. Something in me switched and I felt called to try it out. I had been to one class when I was 16 but found the teacher to be rather strict for my liking. There weren't many yoga teachers back then, so when I found a Barbara Currie DVD I bought it without hesitation. I loved her DVD so much and practiced every day.
Life flowed on. I moved out of my parent's home, got married and had two weddings (traditional English and Indian), went on yoga retreats, and became vegetarian. I would wake up at 5:30am each day to practice before work, and would sometimes do a DVD with Rodney Yee when I got home. Looking back I was overly disciplined to the point that it was veering toward controlling and obsessive.
In 2011, fate guided me (along with my husband) to take my teacher training with Dru Yoga. It was a life-changing course that took place over 18 months. My teachers introduced me to deep relaxation, the koshas, yoga philosophy, living with purpose, and so much more. The emphasis on deep relaxation changed my practice and my life and I was able to release the grip of overdoing it with the asanas. I needed deep relaxation! I was great at "doing" but not so great at resting and "being". This was a rather big awakening for me, and I loved those weekends diving deeper into yoga philosophy and being around like-minded people. I hadn't anyone in my life who shared my love for yoga and it felt so good to be around the incredible teachers and fellow seekers.
At the end of the course, we were taught the Gayatri Mantra. I have vivid memories of us all sitting in a huge circle chanting together, tears pouring from my eyes. It was a beautiful experience. Since then mantra has held a very special place in my heart and has become a daily practice.
I was terrified to start teaching the general public because I am very shy and introverted, and the thought of standing in front of a class full of people was very daunting but because I'm an Aries that fiery energy was pushing me forward whether I was ready or not. It turned out that although I did get a few nerves before the class, they very quickly settled and it was like something or someone else took over. A deeper part of my nature that I very rarely showed to people and I loved it! I felt connected to the students on a very deep and authentic level.
A few months later I found out that I was pregnant with my first child. This was to be the start of my devotional yogic path...
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