I was rather plump as a child. When I was done with school, I remember my mother telling me that I should trim down a bit as I wouldn’t have those capacious, concealing school uniforms any more! College saw me discover fitness, as I hit the gym. However, the effects were limited, and I only discovered yoga after I conceived Samara. I remember working out right until my seventh month. Once my daughter was around four, I actually went deeply into yoga and discovered its myriad benefits. Yoga has helped me immensely — in fact, everything I am today, I owe to yoga!
Yoga has benefited me on every level — whether physically, emotionally and mentally. The various asanas, done mindfully, are great for strengthening your core, as they impact your organs, increasing strength, vitality and stability. In yoga, unlike the gym, you are not targetting just a few specific parts of your body. Instead the benefits are holistic and wide-spread.
Previously, along my journey of fitness and wellness, I realised that I wasn’t entirely happy with the results of gymming — namely the body stiffness. This is something that has vanished completely as I embraced yoga, which leaves one supple and light. Besides the many obvious physical benefits, yoga is a huge boon when it comes to your inner balance. We live in very stressful times, and I would really encourage readers to just take a little time off, even when you are at work, to simply block the world out. Keep your phone away. Switch off the constant relay of thoughts racing through your mind. And breathe! There is immense power in meditation and breathing and I personally vouch for it. I practice meditation for 15-20 minutes every day and it has kept me peaceful and grounded through my recent rough times. Meditation gives you the equanimity to take life’s ups and downs peacefully in your stride.
I have a personal yoga trainer who has been with me since many years now and I practice a mix of Ashtanga, cardio, core-strengthening and breathing. I also practice Jal Neti, even though I am not expert at it. I highly recommend this technique that was used by yogis to stay disease-free. Using water to purify and clean the nasal track, from the nostrils to the throat, helps you to use the breath well for your yogic practices minus any blockages.
There’s nothing better I could recommend than yoga for health, happiness and beauty, inside out!
(Creative head for ‘R’ Jewelry by Riddhima Kapoor Sahni and Sam & friends, this gorgeous sibling of Ranbir Kapoor keeps it effortlessly classy)
