How Yoga Brought My Senses, Mind, Intelligence, and Soul in One Place

My journey with consistent physical exercise began in March 2019. When I was younger, my parents — sports enthusiasts — enrolled me in multiple classes; tennis, table tennis, skating, volleyball, you name it. As I grew older, academics naturally gained precedence and sports unfortunately took a back seat.

Fast forward two decades, to a discussion with a friend of mine, where we casually spoke about enrolling ourselves in the gym. We acted on our impulse and enrolled promptly; our goal was to start with a minimum of 180 minutes of exercise a week, we considered anything more a bonus. We went to Pilates, Barre, Zumba, Strength training and Yoga classes. We fell in love with the feeling after exercising. Our bodies felt lighter, minds were calmer and more importantly, we loved spending time with each other and so training together was perfect.

With the onset of COVID-19, gyms shut down and I had to start looking for ways to keep my exercise routine going. I signed up for online power yoga classes with my husband and at first, absolutely enjoyed them; We practiced sculpt yoga, yoga with weights, Tabata (HIIT) and several other modern variations of yoga. I developed muscle, core strength, and started seeing several great changes physically. However, something inside of me kept telling me the yoga I was practicing wasn’t real.

Intuition truly is beautiful when you look back. I’ve developed faith in the Cosmic force and She has arranged for people and books to appear when I needed them most. Like most times, something divine happened to me at the beginning of looking for the right practice at the start of the pandemic, starting with finding the right teachers.

My brother got me connected to a friend of his, Apsara Vydyula, who is a fabulous yoga teacher. She made yoga her life before her career. I started virtual traditional Ashtanga yoga classes with her and they felt like active meditation. No costly equipment was required, just a simple mat. No loud music, just the sound of my breath. She taught me how to use my body weight to build strength, stamina, balance and flexibility. We mainly focused on Asanas (physical postures) but she also incorporated breath-controlled exercises and meditation in our classes that helped calm my mind and relax. By emulating movements of other living beings, I learned that we are all connected; we are one.

Eventually, I got so addicted that I wanted to up the frequency of my practice. My father helped me find my second teacher, Amruthavarshini, who is excellent and teaches me Hatha and Vinyasa yoga in their traditional forms. We end every practice by expressing gratitude to all our Gurus for the knowledge of yoga and chanting Aum (sound of the Universe) thrice.

Following these two interventions, I was also recently introduced to Manisha Singhania, who runs a holistic healing space called Abhyudaya and generously shares her wisdom and resources with me to help me live a better life. It helps I can consider her an extended relative.

For my teachers who have patiently taught me and supported my growth, I feel immense gratitude. I have a very long way to go but I am where I am in my journey only because of them.

A few months into my practice, I started observing changes at the physical, mental and spiritual level. I decided to hang onto my practice forever. I started studying yoga philosophy in my free time and realized what a meaningful change this ancient self-healing practice had brought into my life. I find my practice physically and mentally very challenging but it’s helping me heal. Well, we all know what lasts doesn’t come easy.

One might wonder what yoga really is — Is it a physical workout? Is it a religion? Is it science? Is it a cult? Is it a fad? Is it for women? Is it for flexible people? Is it for vegetarians? These are just a few questions people tend to have about yoga.

I’m here to tell you that yoga is a way of life. It’s for everyone. The purpose of yoga is to enhance human experience. A yogi (a person who is proficient in yoga) knows better than to put the body above all else. “He does not merely think of its perfection but of his senses, mind, intellect and soul.” (B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga). It’s simplistic to think of yoga as physical practice but that is limiting. Fitness and a disease-free body are simply the byproducts. It’s useful to think of yoga as a holistic way to enhance your lifestyle.

Here’s B.K.S. Iyengar, again: “The practice of Yogasana for the sake of health, to keep fit, or to maintain external flexibility is the external practice of yoga. While this is a legitimate place to begin, it is not the end. Even in simple asanas, one is experiencing the three levels of quest: the external quest, which brings firmness of the body; the internal quest, which brings steadiness of intelligence; and the innermost quest, which brings benevolence of spirit.”

I’ll leave off the philosophy for now and focus on some tangible benefits of yoga I have been experiencing beyond the mat:

1. I have started eating mindfully. My body tells me when it’s time to stop and I listen. I feel lighter after my meals as a result.
2. I have stopped looking at life through my phone lens and started leaving my phone behind almost every time I go out; I feel so much freedom by practicing this.
3. Asana practice has helped me develop agility, balance, endurance and great vitality.
4. I am able to stay focused and present for a longer period; being the watcher of my thoughts has helped me alleviate anxiety.
5. I try to avoid reacting to challenging situations with the same intensity as before, without relying on temperamental impulses.
6. I have started practicing minimalism and looking for areas in my life where I can focus on quality over quantity.

That being said, I have many moments when my mind feels agitated and chaotic and I repeat past reactions. I feel deeply disappointed and question my progress during these moments. To stay persistent, I have thought about this beautiful quote from Yung Pueblo: “Every step counts. Every moment we try again counts. Mountains do not appear overnight, they accumulate slowly over time. Patience comes before deep transformations.”

Today, I have found my answer in a simple mat and it has taken me a while. Perhaps this is because adopting this practice does not give you immediate obvious rewards. It requires discipline and consistency. It can take us a lifetime to achieve perfection in our practice but the progress you see in the way you approach life, health, relationships (with yourself and others) and eating habits will motivate you to stick with it. Thanks to technology and the pandemic, yoga has become more accessible than ever but asking yourself what you’re seeking in your journey will help you channelize your energy in the right direction. And that’s my hope for you this year and beyond.