From my Desk to my Mat : A glimpse of my Yoga Journey!

Listening to many mental and physical problems faced by people of all age groups made me think, are we taking proper care of ourselves? With extremely busy lifestyle and work pressures are we able to cope up with it?

I was also living this life on the edge till now. I was suddenly motivated to take a break and forced to take a deeper look into my life and health which pulled me towards Yoga. Till now Yoga had just been one more type of exercise for me consisting of asana and pranayama. I enrolled myself into the Yoga teacher’s training course to take a deeper dive into the subject. Yoga is just not an exercise but a lifestyle, and joining this course made me realise that there is an ocean full of knowledge out there. 

What made me join Yoga?

I always desired to know more about myself and my purpose in life to get a closer look to my soul. After much research I was able to zero it to Yoga which led me to a fruitful and fulfilling life. My research led me to The Yoga Institute in Mumbai. It is one of the most premiere and oldest institute to learn Yoga. It was also an advantage for me that is was very near to my house. Also the course is structured along the lines of traditional and spiritual Yoga. I joined the teacher’s training course, which would intensively expose me to yogic life style and basics of traditional yoga. Also, this would entitle me to become an official Certified Yoga instructor.

What is Yoga that I have learnt?

Yoga is a life style of exercise, a disciplined science focusing on physical and mental well being. Yoga is a journey of the self, to the self, by the self. It is not about being flexible physically, instead it stretches your mind beyond its limits. This art is not just about body strength, it is rightly to develop mental grit and willpower. Its not just an exercise but an experience.

Going back to school! 

For me the experience was just like going back to school. Here desk, bags, lunch boxes, uniforms were missing. New designer cartoon school bag was replaced by a simple jute bag, uniform was replaced by loose comfortable clothes, black shoes were replaced by no shoes at all inside the institute. All text book were replaced by just one main text book which I like to call the Bible of Yoga. No lunch boxes were shared, instead we shared each other’s stories during the break time. Summer vacations was no more casual fun but was about studying, preparing and appearing for exams. Finally all the classmates were transformed into upcoming yogis. While all of this changed, the discipline, sincerity and urge to learn remained the same. 

Although the school life and yogic life had their own differences, I could still point down few similarities as well. Unlike homework given at school, we were given homework in the form of assignments, asana presentations, conduct yoga teaching sessions and practise techniques and asana. Back in school in order to maintain discipline we were asked to put finger on our lips before any teacher arrived in our class, similarly here we closed our eyes, sat erect in silence, and conditioned our self before the start of every lecture. Discipline was to be followed while taking our meal as well since we were not allowed to speak to anyone while eating, in fact we had to strictly maintain silence (Maun) so that one can feel, observe and experience the food served. But human nature doesn’t allow one to follow rules, and since we are not use to keeping quiet, we ate quickly so that we can speak to our friends while taking a stroll in the premises post lunch. Gradually our base shifted from the eating area (Naivedyum) to the Gazebo which was an open space in a circular format covered with a shed, surrounded by lush green trees, and attached with a small rivulet of water continuously flowing around the area. One could dip their feet in and experience the natural spa along with a great peaceful view. 

A typical day at the Institute! 

My day at the Yoga Institute used to start at morning 9.45am. Always welcomed by the lovely gatekeeper by a "Namaste". This was followed by entering into a totally different world within the heart of Mumbai. The premises of the institute is very well maintained and are surrounded by exuberant trees all around. There was also a small marble fountain which would add up to destressing yourself instantly. The place is filled with positivity with daily changing motivational quotes and buzzing with very eager students all around. We had proper time table, with different aspects of Yoga being taught by various teachers. Before the start of each session we had to condition ourselves(unique technique of the institute to prepare our mind and body), followed by a small prayer and ending it with Om chanting, we open our eyes and soul with a big bright smile to receive valuable learnings from our teachers. This was followed by a big Namaste exchanged between the students and the guru’s meaning we respect each other and bow down in front of the Ishwar within you. We also bow down our head towards the dedication and purpose on our mat.

There were specific meal times, where we were served "Saatvik" food (no spices, less oil and easy to digest) as they believe that food and water play a very crucial role for our wellbeing. This was usually followed by strolls across the premises and small chats with our new friends. After attending lectures, at 6.00 pm we ended our day as we finally roll back our mats, all drained and tired, bid good bye and thank each one not forget the guards, helpers, cooks around, and end our day at the institute only to reach home soon, so that we can meet again and look forward brightly to gain more life lessons. 

Hands down the Institute premises has a vibe of its own. It has a sense of calmness in between all the chaos of a city like Mumbai.

Yoga Gurus 

The teachers and gurus at the institute are extremely well trained and knowledgeable who left no stone unturned to explain us each and every concept of our curriculum so flawlessly. Their dedication and knowledge about yoga is undoubtedly unmatched. Our each and every doubt or confusion were solved within a snap of our finger. Also, we were also blessed with weekly lectures by Dr. Hansama. And what’s better than listening to life precious lessons straight from the horse’s mouth. The valuable lessons we learnt from various gurus/teachers were to let go, surrender ourselves and strip ourselves from the external influences and internal obstacles. I must say in these 200 hrs of learning, they reshaped our lives by inculcating values of gratitude in us, taught us ways to heal from the past and prepare for future, showed different techniques of meditation which helped us connect to our deepest self and the universe for self-purification, gave in depth explanation on each asana and pranayama, and lastly inculcated the training skills in us to train other people. They have surely left a lifelong impression on our hearts by reminding us to carry a winners attitude each time we feel like giving up. Overall, we were fortunate enough to have such an amazing and friendly faculty who not only shaped our learning experience as a guide or mentor but who also sowed the seeds of mindfulness, peace and tranquillity inside us. 

Struggles aka. sweet pains faced during the course! 

As it is rightly said that the best view comes after the hardest climb. Starting from sitting on the floor the whole day for 8hrs daily, without any back support to theory lectures which would make me go bananas in the first week. The yoga sutras and complicated words in Sanskrit totally went totally above my head making it difficult for me to grasp. Honestly it was difficult to concentrate at start, but slowly with proper explanation and examples, I got a hang of these Sanskrit words and their meanings. Initially there used to be some sense of under-achievement seeing my slow progress over few who had already started excelling. But slowly with the motivation of our teachers all of us started doing excellent progress. This was even more surprising as we all had come from different backgrounds but moving towards a same goal. In addition to this, there were few medical subjects like Human Anatomy and Human Physiology, which were quite challenging but I was lucky to get help from my family members who are from medical field. Lastly, the anxiety about examinations which I was going to appear after years was overwhelming, but I was able to overcome all the obstacles with hard work, practice and dedication. Now I am proudly a "Certified Yoga Instructor" – a landmark achieved! 

Reflections 

When I look back at all these moments, I truly understand the changes what Yoga has got inside me. The path to reach this point was quite difficult and not like any walk in the park that one would think of it. It tested us to our physical, mental and emotional limits making us much more stronger individuals who would be able to make difference in the society. It definitely changed us.

Few take away lessons! 

As its rightly said that knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practise. I have indulged myself into every bit of the following and I hope and wish to regularly practise the same:-

1. Silence – A powerful sword to avoid problems. 

2. Breathing - Our whole life is from the moment we were born till we have our last breath. The power to control it, gives us immense control on oneself.

3. Dharma - the route to fulfilment goes via Dharma. 

4. Gratitude - appreciate even the smallest of things in life and see how beautiful your life becomes.

5. Calmness - Staying calm makes our body a strong receiver of positivity. The more that we are at peace with ourselves, the better we are to maintain and communicate in relationships.

6. Taking the plunge - to achieve the best for yourself you need to come out of your comfort zone.

Conclusion! 

Yoga helped me heal my body, my anxiety and most importantly my relationship with myself. Loving thyself is what I gained from this training. I have formed relationships and friendships deeper that I had imagined (friends and fellow batch mates) because of them I easily connected together to think alike.

Being blessed to be guided by best of the teachers and gurus, I have achieved a sense of eternal harmony. I pay them my deepest respects who introduced and taught me this beautiful art called Yoga.

Now that I hop back from my mat to my hustle and bustle, I hope this article reaches everyone and they can also be motivated to come out of their comfort zone to achieve positive Mental and Physical changes. Since we all have the power to do that, I believe that one share or right awareness can bring that change. 

Happy International Yoga Day! 

                                    🙏 NAMASTE 🙏 

                                       

                                    By- Khyati Haria

                     (BYT200 - Certified Yoga Instructor)