"My dream is to bring yoga and meditation into the classroom"
Feb 03, 2021
Tara, 20, attended her first asana yoga class when she was 8 years old. At 16 she got the urge to get back on the mat and at 18 she started practicing regularly. What fascinates her most about yoga and why she wants to bring yoga and meditation into the classroom, you can find out in the following article.
How did you get into yoga?
My father is from India, so yoga has always been a part of my life, but mostly in the form of devotion, mantras, and yoga philosophy. I took my first asana yoga class at 8 years old after my mother, who practiced Iyengar yoga, put me in a class one day. When I was 16, I got the urge to get back on the mat. I was going through a rough time in my life, with anxiety and illness in my family. I always thought I was too inflexible to do yoga. Finally, at 18, I took the plunge and rolled out my mat again after sustaining a sports injury. My doctor advised me to pause tennis and running in favor of yoga. At the same time, a friend was a newly trained yoga instructor and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to attend her classes.
Yoga has changed my mind, body and soul and I have never felt so good.
Do you do any other sports besides yoga?
I used to be a long distance runner, but a knee injury forced me to stop. In hindsight, that injury was a blessing because without it, I might not have started yoga. I love being outside in nature, especially in the mountains. Skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer are some of my favorite things to do. I am incredibly appreciative to be able to live in Switzerland! I also like to practice yoga in nature, with all the beautiful lakes and mountains we have with us. Apart from that I am also interested in photography.
How often do you practice yoga?
I practice yoga between 4-7 times a week and usually in the evening. I know a lot of people prefer to practice in the morning, but I like to practice when I know I have nothing else to do for the day because then my mind can really switch off and I don't have to put a time limit on my flow. It's really important for me to practice when I'm feeling stressed. In times of stress I often don't feel like practicing, but that's when I need it the most and just stepping on my mat makes me feel better and forces me to work through whatever emotions I'm feeling at that moment.
What fascinates you about yoga?
The most fascinating aspect of yoga for me is the fact that it truly combines spirituality and movement. Not only is yoga deeply beneficial to the body physically, but it is also transformative spiritually. Unlike most other sports where the results are mainly physical, yoga truly changes the mind and the whole being. Yoga has not only made me stronger and more flexible, it has also calmed my mind and helped me deal with my anxiety. It has allowed me to accept the flow of life and let go of my fear of the future. My yoga practice takes place not only on my mat, but in everything I do, be it the food I eat, the way I interact with others and nature, and even how I handle difficult times. Yoga has made me a better, kinder and more balanced person.
Has yoga changed your outlook on life?
Oh yeah!!! When I was 15, I developed really bad anxiety which paralyzed me for many years. I felt like I had lost the positive and fun-loving person I once was. Around the same time, my mother became ill and even after she recovered, I was always very afraid that she would get sick again. I spent a lot of time worrying about the future. It took me many years to find myself again. Yoga definitely played a big part in this process of changing my mindset. Yoga forced me to heal past traumas and accept what I can't control. It's still a journey I'm on (and probably will be for the rest of my life), but I've never been so happy and balanced. For the first time in a long time, I'm looking forward to what life has in store for me instead of dreading it. I have never felt so positive and so connected to myself and others around me. Yoga has taught me so much self love and completely opened my heart to others and possibilities in my life.
Would you like to do a yoga teacher training to teach yoga classes yourself?
I would love to do a yoga teacher training course. I was actually supposed to do my 200 YTT in Rishikesh, India this August, but I had to cancel it because of the pandemic. I'm really looking forward to going there again once things settle down. Right now I am practicing my yoga teaching skills with my family and friends.
I'm currently doing a bachelor's degree in education. What I want to do after graduation is constantly changing :D I could go into primary teaching, which I find very exciting, however I could also do a Masters in Marketing in London - which I probably will. My dream is actually to bring yoga and meditation into the classroom to help children deal with school stress.
How did you come to use Instagram more actively?
In the spring of 2020, during the first lockdown, I started posting more yoga content. Everything was closed, I had finished my exams and couldn't meet up with friends due to the restrictions. So I started going to the lake every morning and doing yoga at sunrise with my camera and my LUVIYO mat. By posting content on Instagram, I got in touch with like-minded yogis and a small community slowly grew.
What do you want your Instagram account to do in the future?
I would love to grow my little community even more and be able to share even more offerings via Instagram. I would love to share more about how yoga can help you overcome difficult life situations. I would also like to start teaching meditation classes on Zoom and eventually, once I've made my YTT, yoga classes as well.
Is there a life motto that accompanies you and you would like to tell us?
"Blessed. Even on my bad days." Is a quote I have jotted down in my notes and read every day. It reminds me that I am blessed with so much, no matter how hard life gets. It gives me the motivation to push through any storm that comes my way and see the sun at the end.
What do you wish for the future?
I wish to continue to grow as a person and be super happy! Hopefully with a job I love, maybe with a husband and kids - who knows. Also, of course, I hope my next 10 years will be enriched a lot by yoga. I trust that life will unfold the way it is meant to for me.
My tip for beginners and those who are interested: That's why I recommend you to start with yoga...
... because it will change your life for the better, be it physically, spiritually or/and mentally. Find a studio you like and try out some flows on youtube. The most important thing is to listen to your body and don't compare your yoga journey to anyone else's.