Being born and raised in India gave me a slight advantage, so to speak. I was aware of the Yoga practices that were widely televised at the time, but my knowledge was limited to that.

I started my yoga practice by doing physical yoga, focusing on postures and breathwork. While continuing my practice, I started researching different types of yoga and which would work best for me.

After much research, I found that hatha yoga is best for beginners. A Hatha class focuses on teaching the foundations of yoga and helps create awareness about one’s breath and body.

The next task was to find an institution where I could learn the Hatha yoga practice. Considering my manager’s advice and doing some of my own research led me to Isha yoga. I had heard of Sadhguru, the founder of Isha Yoga, but that was all I knew. I started watching his videos and was drawn to this foundation even more.  I felt an instant connection, and deep down, I knew this was a step in the right direction and would significantly change my life.

My next steps were to find an Isha yoga center close by and get started. The center was in Texas, but they had licensed yoga instructors all over the country. My yearning to learn yoga was so strong that the universe heard it, too. I learned that a boot camp for beginners was being organized in our area. The instructors were coming over from the Texas center to set up the camp in our area.

My excitement had no bounds, and without missing a beat, I enrolled in the two-day Surya Kriya program. The day of the camp arrived. I had a lot of emotions running through me. I was excited, nervous, and fearful all at once. However, seeing many others who were also first-timers helped calm my anxiety.  The instructors were very humble and respectful, creating an environment that made everyone feel comfortable and safe.