As a child I experienced anxiety around school and my experiences there which were not always conducive towards positive growth. This anxiety continued into my teens and young adulthood where there was an underlying unmet need to simply feel like I was enough, just as I was. I strongly believe we can not only bring in yoga, mindfulness and meditation techniques to help our future generations thrive in challenging situations but also support carers, teachers and support staff in their own wellbeing so that they can reach out to children from a place of grounded, responsive and consistent compassion.
I grew up with Indian culture and as I was bi-lingual, this ignited a passion in me to explore and learn about different cultures, their languages and alternative perspectives on how we can live well. This also led me to Yoga as a teenager and I have been practising since, spending some time in India to further my studies in therapeutic yoga and Ayurveda.
As I grew into a young adult, I suffered the loss of my father which brought on a sense that life is short and a precious opportunity to connect, with oneself, those close to us and the wider world in a positive and meaningful way. I have always had a strong yearning to understand people and connect with a diverse range of individuals to share experiences and unite in our oneness. Depression and low mood were a feature of my 20s as I struggled to maintain a fast-paced job and carve out time to connect with others. Yoga and meditation again became an anchor to go inward, so that I could be more discerning in my life choices and further study in Yogic and Buddhist philosophy, Yoga asana (physical practice) and meditation.
Over the years I have suffered with back pain and menstrual illness that caused severe pain and I was dependant on prescription painkillers so that I could continue with work and day-to-day activities. It was only when I realised the impact these medications could have on my digestive system that I looked into healing through lifestyle changes and meditation practices. These simple practices transformed my menstrual health and I no longer needed any pain medication as my systems rebalanced and I maintained good menstrual health.
Inflammatory bowel syndrome was another condition that I changed my outlook on. Instead of reacting to the condition with resigned acceptance, I listened to what my body was communicating and looked into Ayurveda and at my mental wellbeing (attitudes, beliefs, frustrations and assumptions) so that I could bring about a calmer state to aid digestion. Yoga helped me tremendously through labour and birthing my child. Thanks to my yoga and meditation practice, I was able to remain calm and focussed despite the challenges and mindfulness helps me stay attuned and present with my child.
Contentment or Santosha has been a key part of my journey as well as self-study and further study (Svadhyaya). The path towards contentment is a journey, where we encounter obstacles (triggers) and can fall into a reactive state. If you think of heating some delicious soup (life) on a high heat, for example, the reaction is fast as the food heats vigorously and can become damaging to people and objects in its surroundings. If we can learn to come out of habitual patterning (samskaras), we can turn down the heat on the stove and savour more of our soup (life). In life, we are bound to encounter suffering, but if we can have our basic needs met and cultivate some simple tools, we can navigate back towards acceptance and, with practice contentment.
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