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Yoga

Theme for the Year

January 2, 2019

As soon as December starts we start to think of resolutions and goals for the next year. I myself have gone through many a list of affirmations and goals. When you’re working for yourself the lists go through several iterations as the months go by.

So for this year I decided to focus on a theme for the year instead. How do I want to approach my days this year? Or rather, how do I wish I would approach my days? Do I want to look at life more compassionately? More honestly? More realistically?

As yoga practitioners we practice karuna (compassion) before even asanas. As a freelance yoga teacher I have to constantly assess my work honestly. And as someone who is in the pursuit of her passion, I have to give myself reality checks and not get carried away.

After some thought (a lot of which was done while writing this blog) I decided that I want perseverance to define my year. I frequently use #practiceandalliscoming in my social media updates. This is reminder that we need to put in the work and have faith in the fruits of our labours. Over the 7 odd years I’ve been trying to make a mark as a yoga instructor I’ve realised that everything eventually works out. There have been many cancelled retreats/workshops due to lack of participants, but this year I have a retreat in Italy coming up. There have been many publications which have rejected my work, but I have a book coming out with Penguin later this year. And so many students have left my classes for other instructors. But I now have students from all over the world registered on my online module. This year I hope to look at every single challenge, missed opportunity and failed experiment with perseverance.

If you had to pick a theme for this year, what would it be?

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Travels

My Overnight Yoga Retreat

November 19, 2018

When I plan a yoga retreat location is the first thing I home in on. To find a place that resonates with you and the experience you want to create is challenging. So I’m always on the lookout for interesting places to conduct retreats.

A few weeks ago I drove a little out of Bangalore to a farm called Hollas Halla. You can check out their Instagram profile here. I’d already spoken to Manali Holla and we had decided to meet to see the property and see what kind of experience we could create there.

10 years ago Suresh Holla, chanced upon some acreage of absolutely barren land and a lake. An MTech from IISc, no one really expected him to buy 5 acres with the dream of bringing this land to life. Everyone dismissed it as madness. There were no proper roads, no electricity, nothing.

When I went there a couple of weeks ago I saw the fruits of Suresh Holla’s labor. The lake is still there, but now there is a lush jungle around it. The Holla family conducts camps, retreats and treks at Holla’s Halla.

Initially I planned the usual yoga retreat with a morning yoga session followed by lunch etc. But as we looked at the lake I thought it would be a dream to practice yoga next to it. I spoke to Swetha, my co-teacher, and we decided to modify the plan so that we can practice yoga as the sun sets and rises. An experience that few yoga retreats can offer.

The itinerary for this exciting is below:

Day 1 (Sat 8th Dec):

3-4 pm: Arrive at the farm. Receive the grand tour. Check-in to your tents.

4-6 pm: Tea/Coffee/Relax

6-7 pm: Sunset yoga session.

7-8.30 pm: Dinner

9 pm onwards: Bonfire

Day 2 (Sun 9th Dec):

5 am: Wake up

6-7 am: Sunrise yoga session.

7.30-8.30 am: breakfast

9 am: Trek to the nearby hills/enjoy the lake/get a water massage!

12 noon: Lunch

This retreat is priced at Rs. 5000/- all inclusive.

Call 9686233003 or 9886062268 to register.

You can check out Hollas Halla’s facebook page here.

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Food

How to Remain Healthy During the Holidays: Top 5 Tips

November 4, 2018

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The key to vibrant health is consistency. The more you practice making healthy choices, the easier it becomes to make them and the easier it becomes to stay healthy. The holidays, though, are a challenge for everyone. The holidays shouldn’t be about deprivation, however, they shouldn’t be about treating yourself like a dustbin either. Here are my top 5 tips to remain healthy during the holidays.

I’ve been gluten and dairy free for a month, and I’ve really started to see the difference. I’m going to continue to avoid gluten through the holidays and there are a few other tips that I follow to stay on track with my fitness during Diwali/end of year festivities. I did an Instagram and Facebook live session on these yesterday, and you can watch it on my YouTube channel.

To begin with it’s important to understand that you must start eating healthy and being regular with your workouts a few weeks before the holiday season hits. That way, even if you end up missing a workout or two, and having one too many drinks – you’re still in the safe zone. I’m usually consistent with my workouts, but eliminating gluten and portion control really worked for me before the holidays.

Without further ado, the top 5 tips that help me stay healthy during the holidays are:

Choose your indulgence wisely. I love chocolate so I stay away from the jalebis.
Portion control! Face it, besides your usual meals, you’re going to be snacking quite a bit. Endless cups of coffee/tea with neighbors and relatives and all the bits and bites that go along with them. So eat whatever you want, but cut back on the portions for every single thing that goes into your mouth.
Do a little workout daily. I’ve told my students to do a combination of Suryanamaskars, squats and push-ups daily. And nothing like a little bit of breathing to feel calm and centred during the holiday frenzy.
Up your water intake. I’m going to be eating a little more chocolate than usual, and expect that you will also have more than your usual sweets. Water helps to reduce food cravings (particularly of the sweet variety) and also ensures that you don’t overeat. Also, it’s easy to overlook drinking water when you’re busy all day. So make it a point of carrying water with you so that you remember to tank up.
Don’t cause pollution. So I’m not going to burn crackers. I’m not going to use plastic bags. I admit we can’t do anything about the plastic that the mithai boxes are wrapped in, but why not avoid using them whenever you can? The pollution in Delhi isn’t a myth, and pretty soon that’s how it’s going to be all over the country unless we do something about it.

These are tips that actually work for me. They are simple and easy and maybe that’s why they are the most effective. Try and let me know if they work for you.

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Yoga

Repetition of vs Repeating (an Asana)

April 29, 2018

Your body exists in the past and your mind exists in the future. In yoga, they come together in the present. – BKS Iyengar

The other day one of my students mentioned (rightly so) that in my class he spends a lot of time in Adhomukha Svanasana. Other classes he’s attended didn’t repeat asanas as much our class.

Why the repetition?

The thing is, we might be doing the same asana over and over again, but we’re not actually repeating it. Emotionally, physically and mentally, the asana is different every single time we redo it. Each time we execute it, we go deeper. We look at nuances, uncover hidden depths. It’s a new asana every time. In Trikonasana, for instance, I can focus on the alignment of my ankles, or on my shoulder blades, or the rotation of my spine, my drishti, or the alignment of the femur and shin, or even the extension of the metatarsals and soles. To maintain awareness simultaneously on all the factors that build the Trikonasana is hard, and we practice to achieve that. And, if for a moment we attain that state, we meditate upon what it taught us, what we learned.

I frequently come across posts on social media about ‘flipping your perspective’ or ‘get a new perspective’ and usually such posts are usually accompanied by pictures of Sirsasana (headstand) or Adhomukha Vrikshasana (handstand). In an Iyengar yoga class, you will gain new perspective and flip existing ones while doing basic asanas repetitively, constantly, consistently and persistently. To gain new perspective, we don’t really need to look beyond what we already have. Perhaps all we need is to be more attentive.

Take the Trikonasana above for instance. We can always focus on bending to the side and making contact with the toes/foot/ankle/ground. Or we can focus on bringing out the various triangles in the posture more distinctly and intensely.

Your focus will determine the quality and maturity of your practice and your life.

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Travels

Of Manifestations and Fitness Resolutions

February 8, 2018

Happy with the tees we earned.

Many years ago, before I started running, I would dream about going on vacation and having fitness as an integral part of the plan. I moved to a new house and dreamt that I would start a weekend running group that would meet to run around the lake.

I’m one of those who believes that if you really want something, it manifests.

Both these fitness desires have manifested for me right at the beginning of this year! Last year around this time an old acquaintance of mine moved back to Bangalore and started coming to class. Somehow the bond grew deep and when I tentatively suggested we go to Lovedale for a run, to my utter surprise I said yes. We got two more friends together, another student offered us his cottage, I tanked up my car and off we drove into the hills. We spent three days re-visiting the hills and exploring new joints. We bought comfortable pajamas at the factory surplus shops. I bought some Eucalyptus oil. The night before what would become our first 10km, we affirmed to ourselves that we would complete the run successfully. We would give it our 100%. In the morning as soon as we woke up, I said, ‘We shall do it.’ And we did!

From the 4 of us who went to Ooty, to the 12 who went to Hampi last weekend, we have grown consistently. Hampi was our fifth run together and we got special bibs and tees with our names on it. It may seem like a small achievement, but to those of us who get together every weekend to pound the pavement, it was a moment to be proud of how far we’ve come. To change old habits and adopt a new lifestyle is no mean feat. And what they say is true – nothing tastes as good as fitness feels.