yogi-cally speaking.

When one thinks of yoga, immediately images of people twisted in the shapes of pretzels and contorted like twisted long balloons at a circus pop to mind. Highly glamorized today, it has even been linked to hippie culture and the road to the achievement of Zen. But the sands of time have morphed the true meaning of yoga for a large number of people worldwide. The credit goes to movies and television shows which sensationalize this archaic art which dates back to more than 5000 years ago around the Indus Valley.

It is heartening, however, to note that there have been burgeoning numbers of good yogis and trained professionals around the globe. These are individuals who dedicate their lives to truly master this art and not promote it as an alternative for aerobics or gym training. True yoga is not merely about practising different positions or asanas but gaining a control over one’s self in terms of mind, body and soul. Bending one’s legs behind one’s head and propping the body up on one hand is not considered as yoga if one’s mind drifts to something else altogether or if one does not have peace of mind and a soulful connection with the body, for instance.

I went for my first proper yoga class last week and I say proper because the previous aerobics yoga class was far from comparable. The previous class stressed so much on asanas that it eventually felt like an aerobics or gymnastics class more than anything! Every second, the instructor ordered the class to change their position and I found myself in a tangled heap of legs and hands.

This class, however, was drastically different – and in a good way. It stressed on breathing, meditation and using asanas to guide that and achieve a connection between not just the body parts but the soul. Starting off as a beginner, I was initially apprehensive about my having to compete with A-type personalities who would jeer at you if you are unable to perform up to par. But to my relief, the class comprised of individuals who were all there for one purpose – to practice good yoga and to heal through yoga. I got assimilated into the serene environment in almost no time; with the calm voice of the yogi conducting the class and the gentle sound of nature from the CD-player in the corner of the room. Albeit small, the room had a comfort of its own and I grew less aware of my lack of flexibility and concentrated on my internal self.

The yogi is Chinese but has a Sanskrit name Shukla; and I deeply salute her dedication towards yoga. She has been practising for 7 years till date. She stressed on how yoga is not merely about asanas but about having a certain lifestyle and way of living and I immediately thought about my previous class which taught the absolute opposite and smiled to myself. I made a sound decision to trust my gut instinct and sign up for this class and hope that I can truly embrace this yoga lifestyle in its entirety. Though I probably would not be able to twist myself into a pretzel anytime soon!