"In 2019, my face & mental wellbeing were ravaged by severe cystic acne & I suffered from terrible back pain due to lordosis of the spine, I'd want to stay in bed the whole day & cry. It was at such a juncture in my life that I rediscovered yoga & started practicing daily at home with the help of online tutorials"
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"In the initial days of home practice, my flow was limited to basic stretches & postures recommended for easing lower back pain & reinstating hormonal balance
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Slowly, my time with myself on my yoga mat became my safe place, the only place where I did not feel stuck without control to effect any meaningful change
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The advancement in my self-practice, be it from the standpoint of strength or flexibility, gradually started percolating into other areas of my life & I started feeling greater acceptance for myself & my life
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Daily yoga practice worked as a reset button for me that enabled me to organize myself better internally to deal with the external situations in a much healthier manner
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I began clicking pictures of myself for the purpose of checking my form in various postures & slowly started posting online These were never meant to be a journal of perfectly photographed moments but of a yoga student delving deep into the practice.
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The turning point in my yoga practice came when I was able to hold my first headstand & it literally changed my perspective. I felt ok & enough when I was upside down. I felt more aware of my body & breathing than ever before. I could feel the flow of energy in my body & mindful of every moment in that position, both internally & externally
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That is yoga’s gift to me – it taught me to stay with my breath, to regulate it in response to the changes in external stimuli when they seek to overpower me & trigger an unfavourable response. It taught me to relate with kindness to myself and those around me and it taught me to stay in the moment. Every day, yoga helps me journey a little further within myself and to be a better ally to my soul"
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Shweta Ghorpade
