Growing up in an immigrant household meant you were always subjected to one of two things: masala chai and yoga. I had the privilege of being exposed to both.

While other kids my age were staying up late and trying to figure out ways to text their crush, I was up at the ass crack of dawn (7:30 am on a Saturday) sipping on some tea and getting ready for a yoga class with my mother.

It was never anything fancy – and definitely not like the yoga studios you see today. Instead, it was in a school gymnasium where everyone had to bring their own mats. If we were lucky they would have the heater running or you would have to wait for the inevitable sweating that would take place about 15 minutes into your session.

This was where I was first introduced to Surya Namaskar (aka Sun Salutation). This practice consisted of the following 12 steps:

• Pranam Asana (The Prayer pose).
• Hastha Utanasana (Raised arm pose).
• Padahastasana (Standing forward bend).
• Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose).
• Santholanasana (Plank Pose).
• Ashtanga Namaskar Asana (Eight limbed salutation).
• Bhujangasana (Cobra pose).
• Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward dog pose).
• Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian pose).
• Padahastasana (Standing forward bend).
• Hastha Uthanasana.
• Pranam Asana.

With the intention of the above steps being repeated in 12 cycles.

When I was a child I absolutely despised going to those yoga classes. Something about waking up at an ungodly hour and holding poses that felt uncomfortable yet mildly soothing did not sit well with my underdeveloped brain.

However, when I hit 25 and my frontal lobe developed, it was almost like my body craved the calmness that came with yoga. The same motions that irked me as a kid now stretched my body and provided me with a wave of relaxation that could not be put into words.

My full name when translated into Sanskrit means meditation with the purpose of connecting with the universe or a higher power. Since the spiritual goal of yoga is oneness with the Divine or the universal Self, my name is integrated into the very fibres of the practice of yoga.

As I step into the next decade of my life, I often find myself reverting to yoga practices such as the sun salutation or Hatha yoga (a common practice used to balance the body and the mind). The beautiful thing about these practices is their ability to fuel me yet provide my mind and body with a sense of calmness.

Amidst 2020 and the peak of COVID I turned to my mat and found relief from anxiety, digestion issues and physical pains that had manifested due to various stressors in my life. Yoga (when done consistently) can: treat issues that Western medicine may not always be able to, improve your gut health and literally massage your internal organs.

As I sit here typing up the final words of this blog post, I look back and smile at the fact that there used to be a time when I used to get annoyed at my mum for waking me up for a Saturday morning session. Yet here I am, in my 30s, booking a mother-daughter class because I’m in a constant state of gratefulness to my mum for introducing me to the art of yoga.