Indian #Yoginis Show Us How To Fall In Love With Oneself

Twisting, bending and stretching yourself to attain fitness of body and mind is called Yoga. That’s the most base definition of Yoga, I could think of. Won’t beat around the bush, I Love Yoga :) This article is not intended to lure you into the rejuvenating world of Yoga. But, India is famous for Yoga among many other good and bad things. Yoga took over the west well before the hippie culture took over ours. 


Yoga is a holistic approach to attain overall fitness. It effects are long-lasting and mind blowing. Don’t believe me? Check out world’s oldest yoga teacher, giving new meaning to energy and vigour and pulling of asanas gracefully at the ripe age of 98.

 

Spiritual guru, Deepak Chopra aptly puts it by saying, “One of the most acclaimed yoga teachers of our century, Tao Porchon-Lynch... is a mentor to me who embodies the spirit of yoga and is an example of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind. Like yoga, she teaches us to let go and to have exquisite awareness in every moment.” Tao shows us that age is after all just a number. 


Reading Tao's amazing story I got curious about Indian yoginis who are popularising this age old art form.  What about the yoginis from India? After hunting a lot, we got for you a list of Indian female yoga instructors who are inspiring us to get healthy. 

 

Ruchi Phool, India’s Yoga and Wellness entrepreneur and one of the mentors at SHEROES says yoga is an amalgamation of science and tradition.

 

"A life science with incredible length, breadth and depth adaptable to everyone who is willing to adapt for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. A science and tool that has the power to make you invincible and humble at the same time. A power to reckon and of the sweetest love all at once. Pure and astute at the same time. Timeless and yet most pertinent in today’s world." 

Saraswathi Vasudevan

Saraswathi Vasudevan,  began her journey in the path of yoga and healing 25 years ago. She studied and trained in the tradition of Sri T Krishnamacharya that is founded in the teachings of Patanjali and specializes in adapting yoga to the unique needs and abilities of each individual. She holds two Master's Degrees (in Nutrition and Psychology) and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Yoga. She has served as a yoga teacher, trainer and therapist for almost two decades at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai and has also been actively involved in yoga research bringing the much-needed scientific perspective to yoga therapy.

In 2010, Saraswathi, along with her husband, founded YogaVahini, dedicated to Specialised Yoga Training, Therapy & Research with centres in Chennai and Hyderabad and runs regular training programs for lay practitioners, teachers and therapists. Her dream is the bring personalised yoga therapy into mainstream healthcare in India and is seriously working towards that mission.

Samara Chopra

NDTV’s Yogasutra host, Samara Chopra shot to fame with her artistic yoga moves and deep, husky voice.

Samara is a trained yoga therapist and specializes in one-on-one practice in order to best address the unique needs of students, to better understand and cope with illness and to facilitate healing on all levels. Trained under Yoga Vahini founder - Saraswathi Vasudevan, from the Krishnamacharya tradition - Samara’s understanding and practice of yoga is rooted in Patanjali’s yoga sutras. It is through the application of the yoga sutras and Buddhist philosophy that she endeavors to empower her students to take responsibility for their lives, to address the root cause of their suffering and to focus on internal transformation.

Amongst other things Samara is also an actor, television anchor and a singer. Samara teaches out of New Delhi and organizes yoga retreats. Know more about this yogini here.

Payal Gidwani Tiwari

Kareena Kapoor’s transformation from a ‘chubby-to-size-zero-to-fit’ frame is all thanks to celebrity Yoga expert, Payal Tiwari. Her list of clients include, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerjee, Jacqueline Fernandes, and Suzanne Roshan.






She has co-founded Cosmic Fusion: The Yoga Wellness Studio in Mumbai in 2010 along with her husband Manish Tiwari, a yoga guru himself, who has trained the likes of Sridevi and Katrina Kaif. Both Payal and her husband learnt yoga at the Kaivalyadhama Institute in Maharashtra, but introduce modifications to suit the needs of their clients. Payal, though, confesses she was lucky to have been born with a naturally agile and flexible body, so much so that she was called a ‘rubber band’ in school. Doing yoga helps her keep it that way. 


She turned author with the best-selling From XL To XS, in which she shares ‘simple and easy-to-follow principles and exercise routines, how to lose (or gain) weight, stay fit, and transform your body structure. Grab your copy now.

Deepika Mehta

In 1997, a near death rock climbing accident had the doctors tell Deepika Mehta that she would never walk again. Not one to allow obstacles to deter her spirit and enthusiasm for life, she sought after alternative approaches and found the age old Indian discipline of Yoga.

Practicing meditation and pranayama, Deepika then dove herself deep into years of education and practice and seeking alternative healing techniques. She initially went to the Sivananda Yoga Kendra in Kerala, where she did her Teacher Training. From there she was led to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga and to meeting her Guru,Shri K Pattabhi Jois in 2002. She has been featured as one of the three women redefining beauty ideals in India in Vogue magazine 2014, has been the face of the fitness campaign 2015 in Elle India, and has been featured in various other publications and given a Dance/Yoga presentation and talk at the TedX event a the UN Headquarters in NYC.



Natasha Noel

Born in Kerala and raised in Mumbai, Noel presently teaches yoga and conducts yoga-dance workshops, combining two of her favourite forms.Born in Kerala and raised in Mumbai, Noel presently teaches yoga and conducts yoga-dance workshops, combining two of her favourite forms. For International Yoga Day, yogini Natasha Noel created a step-by-step dance yoga routine. Also known as the woman who breaks into yoga poses in public places, her routines are appropriate for all skill levels.
 

Watching these gorgeous ladies effortlessly shifting from one asana to another, I'm all charged up to get going with my Yoga regime. What about you?