Yoga and Ayurveda bring to us a number of privileges. Believe it or not, the physical benefits are only a part of this. The other larger benefit is engaging with the wider community. This brings us valuable insights of the respect and rigour of these schools of thought.

Here at Mekosha, we have the privilege of engaging with a number of experts and yogis. For instance, we recently connected with Mr. Saigaurav Prabhu – a yoga mentor from Mumbai. His strength lies in Ashtanga yoga, which he has been practicing for the past four years in clubs in gyms. Most importantly, he has held over 50 sessions with local clubs and gyms!

In this article, we reflect on Saigaurav’s yoga journey. He speaks of his father’s inspiration, fitness mantras, diet misconceptions, and career success. Above all, he speaks of how to build a healthy lifestyle with yoga and enhance overall well being. Take a look below to read on about the same.

About Saigaurav

“My real source of inspiration and spiritual growth comes from my father. He has been practicing yoga for more than 25 years. However, I did not realise its importance at the time, and a number of trivial matters would come in between. Further, as a full-time technology manager, my lifestyle was an non-conducive one. For instance, my irregular sleeping and dietary habits took a toll on me. It was only in 2015 when first level hiatus hernia (swelling of the small intestine) hit me, did I learn this the hard way.

This was the trigger for me to begin yoga. Although I may not have started as early as my father, they say it better late than never. Hence, my yoga practice only began in mid-2016. Since then, I’ve never looked back.

In contrast to my father, a full-time yoga teacher, I pursue it part time. My aim is to give back to society, and cater to the betterment of peoples’ lives. Above all, I want to spread the knowledge of yoga to the corporate world. Thus, my Instagram handle goes by the title ‘The Corporate Yogi” to convey the importance of leading a balanced life amidst inevitable chaos.”

Fitness Mantra

“There is no ‘magic formula’ apart from consistency and self discipline which keeps me fit. In fact, physical fitness is a precursor to mental fitness. Hence, I often advice my students the same. In other words, they can only see results when the internal drive exists.

As for my own routine, I begin my day at 5:00 am. First, I have one hour of Brahma Mutra (divine hour) which keeps me absorbed within myself, and refreshes me for the day. This comprises of meditation and breathing practices (30 minutes each). Following this, I invest my time in teaching yoga and my corporate job (9:00 am – 5:00 pm). After that, I practice my physical asanas from 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm.

Finally, I wrap up my day eating dinner by 8:15 pm and spending time with my family. I end my day 1t 10:00 pm. Through the course of the week, I practice breathing asanas everyday and physical ones five times a week.

Diet and Exercise Misconceptions

People usually fast and restrain their diet alongside yoga practice. They believe it will help achieve faster weight loss. However, this may adversely affect your metabolic activity, and is thus an incorrect way to approach weight loss. In other words, we need to seek out long lasting results rather than immediate ones.

So how can you achieve results? The key lies in diet moderation and awareness of food intake. Once you manage these two factors, results will follow themselves.

Always, I will suggest that some exercise is better than none. Some people also believe that they will need to reduce their weight to a certain number before beginning yoga practice. However, this is not always the case. Rather, you can begin basic level yoga and then align it to your fitness goals.

Seeking a Healthy Lifestyle Through Yoga

“The answers come to a still mind, and not a busy one.”

You must have heard this quote before. To gain stillness of the mind, make sure to dedicate at least 30 minutes everyday to yoga practice. Once you gain the discipline, you can extend this to an hour. Above all, try experimenting with different breathing practices. This helps to not only regulate your breathing practices but also move the body to a state of mindfulness. Further, try out some basic asanas with a mix of back, hip, and core exercises.

Remember that levels of progress vary from person to person. Thus, you are unlikely to see results instantly. Nevertheless, you will experience a change in living, eating, and sleeping practices with regular practice over time. In addition, other ailments such as back aches PCOD, arthritis and stiffness of legs will eventually reduce and vanish.

Career Success

As my father says, “It is not your certification which qualifies you as an instructor, but your practice.” Try to learn the theoretical aspects of yoga rather than just practicing it physically. Once you know these specific aspects, you can open up specific nadis as your practice progresses. Remember: “knowledge without action and action without knowledge helps np man”.

Also remember that honesty is the key to progress. So, be true to yourself and your practice for benefits to unfold. There are multiple tools you can use to assist your journey. For instance, there are multiple yoga schools, as in Mysore and Rishikesh. Nevertheless, remain that a mere 200 hours of training will not help without 20,000 hours of practice.

Start today – it is better late than never!

Overall Success

I personally try to introspect on my reactions to all situations. This helps me keep my emotions in check. Rather than moving around the circumference and allowing different emotions to engulf you, you can stay grounded to let matters pass. It is true that the path to self realisation is as sharp as a razor. Nevertheless, it is not difficult when you tread this path with perseverance.

In summery, just start practicing today to improve your body strength, flexibility, and overall peace of mind. Happiness begins within. You will need to change what is happening within to change your surroundings too.

Check out some spiritual tips for success here. 

Click here to know more about the yoga-ayurveda connection.