I am just being, who is enjoying this experience of being a HUMAN – with myself, with my students, colleagues, country and with every creature that is in BEING. I come from simple humble middle class Indian family. Studied in Mumbai. Completed by graduation in commerce. Early in my career,to make living I sold vacuum cleaners @ petrol stations. Did jobs like door to door sales. Later worked in big multinational companies- like IBM and Accenture. During engagement in corporate world until few years back, I abused my own self. Got into heavy drinking and smoking. Started as social drinker and passive smoker to drinking only with myself and heavy smoking. All of this started taking big toll on my physical, mental and spiritual health. What is yoga for you? Yoga for me begins with mat but does not just end with my yoga mat. Yoga is not JUST asana and pranayam for me. Or some physical rot routine. My daily practice is my medium to connect with my own inner self – and reminder that we are not just this fine eye body but we are this spiritual being who is having human experience. Yoga practice is tool with which I practice my prayer for that infinite self. Like any other tool, as you practice you keep getting better and better @ it, I am getting better and refined with my own self. I am beginning to understand that there isn’t something outside of me which isn’t me. I am beginning to understand we all are connected with that one infinite power. I wake up with my experience. I pray with my practice. I sleep with abundant love. I am learning – to experience something outside, simple way is to experience it with our own self first. Yoga is that journey for me to experience that self. Peace is not an ultimate goal as lot of teachers would claim. If we have to be peaceful and serene we have to have that in everyday through every day and through everything. Yoga for me has become that medium that i turn on daily basis to experience that PEACE. Who is your teacher? My teacher is Kobad Variava – Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher. He has extensive practice of his own learning with Guruji – BKS Iyengar direct tutelage. I continue to learn under his expert guidance and broaden my own practice. Learning with my teacher is a very special and fulfilling experience. Every time and every class I practice with my teacher, I get something new to understand and reflect upon. From learning the discipline myself and staying true to core principles of the practice is not only difficult but challenging. However, when you have teacher who guides you – the journey becomes path of bliss. Who are your typical students? My students include – healthy individuals who want to improve their own practice. I also teach students with conditions like back pain, frozen shoulders, diabetes, obesity, stiff individuals etc. I teach Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday @ Kandivali, Mumbai, India. What is your practice? I practice everyday. Most of the days I practice @ my yoga shala @ home. Daily practice is mostly classical form of ashtang hatha yoga without props. However, I also practice with lot of props and tools- twice a week to get deeper into my posture and sustain them for longer duration. I also practice with props so that I get better understanding of each and every muscle, nerve, bone, extensions, contractions, flexion. Props help me to better teach and assist my students with alignment. Pranayam, I practice normally @ the beginning before my asana practice in morning. However, if I practice during evening I do that post my asana practice. What has been your experience with your own practice and teaching? When I practice, I practice from inside out. My focus is internal. My posture is visually out however the experience of moving energy is experienced when we move from being externally focused to being internal. Some days my mind plays on me. But most of the days I am playing on my mind. With my practice I am getting good with playing with MIND. Teaching is entirely another dimension of experiencing your own self through your students. Students teach teachers how to remain humble, calm and true to practice.Teaching can never happen unless teacher is ready to learn. Teacher needs to understand and engage with students closely to understand their progress in the discipline on regular basis. What is your vision and mission? My mission in life is that everyone should at least taste the nectar of yoga at least once in their lives. If they like what they tasted, they may continue on the journey. If they don’t, they may continue to search for other paths as per their choice. I want to be able help people with finding their own practice and help them refine. Be of service via teaching the practice to all. Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself
