76: My Yoga Journey

As a young interior designer, married and having moved into a self-designed cosy home, I remember the pause once the sawdust had settled – the feeling of “What now?” Was it some faith that I was searching for, or an anchorage? Or was there a sense that something was missing, that brought me to Yoga? 

I found myself at the gates of Mount Carmel Church, Bandra, climbing up to the top floor, looking for “Jawahar”, “who teaches Iyengar Yoga” as recommended by a friend. Now, 24 years later, when I look back to that moment, I can safely say that it changed the course of my life; of course, I didn’t know it, at the time. I enrolled for the classes twice a week, and simultaneously went about the business of life. Walking the tightrope, balancing work with the home, Yoga class would sometimes take a back seat. Even then, the benefits of asanas were instantaneous, as a new sense of well-being and awareness started setting in. It was a refreshing relief from pouring over drafting boards, eyes straining in the fine lines of technical drawings and legs aching from standing for hours at the worksite. The natural camaraderie and classroom banter, combined with strict discipline and rigorous learning, kept me going; but, the essence of the subject, the reverence, came in much later; at a time when ‘Jawahar’ became ‘Jawahar Sir’, when class became a sacred space, when a tug at the heart drew me to Pune one Guru Purnima day, to listen to a talk by Guruji, Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar. 

There are many who find and appreciate Yoga but in order to stick with it and make it a part of life, destiny has a role to play. After all, Yoga is a journey of many lifetimes! We think we leave Yoga, but it is the subject that leaves us, if it’s not meant to be. With a supportive family, I was able to attend classes early morning and still come home to my kids (both Yoga babies) and get them to school. I owe my continuity in the subject to the commitment of my teachers, Jawahar Sir and George Sir, who were always there for all of us through thick and thin! Through them, and in them, I found Guruji, as they imparted his teachings, often reminding us of how blessed we were to have a living legend as our Guru.

Yoga, like all ancient Indian systems, follows the Guru-Shishya Parampara (teacher-student tradition). As I was drawn deeper into the subject, my teacher would reassure me that there is Yoga in Design and Design in Yoga. So, I got my copy of ‘Light on Yoga’- B.K.S. Iyengar, and would admire the perfection of geometry in the alignment of the Yoga asanas, marvelling at their scientific precision, and aesthetic appeal. The interest and study of ‘Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ – B.K.S. Iyengar, and the appreciation of the highly organized Sanskrit grammar, has begun only recently. 

As the learning has ripened along with life’s experiences, it has brought me to the other side of the classroom (although I remain a dedicated student); for in this great Science, Philosophy, and Art, as vast as the ocean, the revelations are endless. Once you embrace the subject, it sees you through the ups and downs of life. Hail or thunderstorm, sunshine or rain, Yoga is always there for dedicated Sadhakas (practitioners), be they young, old, sickly; irrespective of caste, class, creed, gender, status or stature. Yoga does not belong to any faith or superstition, ‘Yoga Sarvabhauma’- it is universal.

In her recent best seller, ‘Imagine If’, Dr. Rajvi Mehta, senior practitioner and teacher of Iyengar Yoga, shares her myriad experiences and interactions with the Yoga community, all over the world. A class conducted by teachers in Tel Aviv, for the deaf, blind and dumb, leaves the reader dumbfounded! The emotional trauma of earthquake survivors in Bhuj, Gujarat, is revealed in their practice, in which Savasana (corpse pose) is done with eyes open to keep at bay, their deep-rooted fear and grief. The courage that Yoga gave a five-time cancer survivor from Israel, and led her to befriend the illness; the perseverance and belief in Yoga, of a war veteran from San Diego, USA, with amputated limbs; are stories that make folklore. The story of a teacher in Mumbai, teaching Yoga to adults with Down’s Syndrome, or a teacher in Manchester, UK, teaching Yoga to prison inmates, inspires grit and determination to teach against all odds! The journey of a young girl who had lost her vision but lived her dreams, her German precision in the practice of Yoga, which drew Guruji’s attention amidst a huge assembly, who went on to become a teacher, moves the reader to tears.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives forever, but has it truly changed who we are, what we think, feel, and act? Even as we fight for survival and mourn for the tragic loss of lives, how do we see the people around us? The trees, birds, animals; the seas and the skies; the mountains; how do we feel about the earth and the space beyond? Do we truly wish for life to go back to the way it was? What is our role, our Dharma (right duty) in these turbulent times? Dr. S.Radhakrishnan wrote that “it is Dharma which upholds, sustains, supports”, guiding mankind to live a higher life.

In the words of Guruji, “Yoga does not change the way a person sees things; it transforms the person who sees.” As we move from in-person to online classes, we have to count our blessings that even through this pandemic, Yoga has been there for us and the learning continues, as we move further inwards, in search for the truth, of who we are and what we were meant to be.

Did you know humansof2020.com is a self-publishing platform? The stories are not curated and open to everyone to share their experience. Join the community and post your experience today.