Unassuming, humble and dedicated – Lakshmi has devoted her past 10 years to the Ashtanga Yoga practice. We have witnessed first hand how she coped with having young active Rishab in Mysore. She opens up in a very rare interview with us on her practice journey and struggles to come to the practice as a devotee, daughter, wife and a loving mother.

1. How did you start practicing Ashtanga Yoga?
As a child, I have always been intrigued watching my father and my maternal grandfather practice yoga asanas. I am grateful to my family for giving me a sense of understanding at a young age that yoga is way beyond asanas. It is a system of practice that my family approached for health and well being; for healing and spirituality; with joy and integrity day after day.

I was sometimes mesmerised watching especially my grandfather expertly weave one asana into another effortlessly for hours to an end. He was a very kind and compassionate man. I was but forced to connect the dots and as I grew up this intrigue stayed with me.

I was on an apprenticeship program in India via NTU during my Masters’ degree for a few months in the year 2006. At the time, one fine day there was a half page article in an Indian newspaper about Ashtanga yoga with a picture of Sharathji right in the middle of it all.

In retrospect, it almost feels as if all of this cosmos arranged for me to read that article and I did. I was in Bangalore at the time and was fortunate to study with Sharmilaji – Sharathji ‘ s sister for a few short months before returning to Singapore.

It was then that I met James at The Yoga Shala and continued my study in Ashtanga Yoga with him until 2007. I was working full time, but practice, as I quickly learnt, was what gave me the tools to face corporate rigour at the time.  And I was hooked before I knew it.

2. How has the practice supported / changed your life?
What the practice taught me from the beginning was a sense of purpose in whatever I did. It taught me to understand my strengths and limitations. It has taught me to choose the battles to fight and to not nitpick on small things that appear big enough to warrant attention.

Also practice illuminates the urgent need for compassion and patience. I practice not because practice solves all my problems, but for the clarity that it brings to approach day to day situations which are all unique every single day. Be it as a mother, wife, friend, anyone.

3. What are some of the challenges you faced over the years of practice?
Being born in an Indian family brings with it the rigour of being a self imposed achiever of some sort. Soon after I found the practice a sense of lack of purpose over ‘achievements’ clouded over me. I was starting to look at things more holistically and there were shifts in my perspectives.

It came as a natural family decision to give up the corporate job after the birth of my son. That made my practice transform in a big way. My duties as a wife and mother were in my view an important part in the path of yoga to create a nurturing and nourishing home.

Even though my asana practice was on a mode of pause for several years after that  (until 2013), my miniscule yoga experience left lasting impressions in my mind. I couldn’t wait to get back on the mat after all those years again.

4. How do you keep yourself motivated with the practice? 

This one can be challenging – but one fine day realization dawned on me that I wouldn’t get along with me if I didn’t practice. What to speak of people around me!

5. Can you share with us tips /ideas on how to sustain the practice?
Having an all or nothing approach to practice, I have realized, makes it almost impossible in modern times in a nuclear family to keep practice alive, where we cook all meals from a scratch, clean, involve ourselves in our childrens’ school work and work on community projects.

During spaces in time when life has an agenda, I have learnt to accept suryanamaskara (Sun Salutation) and finishing as nourishing enough to help me sail through the phase.

We slot in 2 bonus questions as Lakshmi has just been given Level 1 Authorization by Sharath (after making multiple trips to devote her time to the practice.)

6. How do you feel about being Authorised by Sharathji?
In all honesty authorization was never an objective for me. Studying at the source became an integral part of the practice for me; providing me with experiences to deepen the practice. One day as I was leaving the shala Sharathji brought up the topic of authorization. It left me humbled and in deep reverence and gratitude for the practice and my teachers.

7. How has the authorization impact you or your practice in any way?
In my view every student I assist is my teacher too. I learn so much from each of them everyday.

Lakshmi is currently apprenticing at The Yoga Shala with James and looks forward to continue her annual studies with Sharathji at KPJAYI for the years to come. For her the learning never stops. Being authorized is just the beginning of another new chapter to share her knowledge about the practice with other inspiring practitioners out there!

The way you practice. The inner dialogue with yourself. Your breath. Your movement. How you handle your challenges. How you overcome the blocks and obstacles. The practice mirrors your inner reality.

Some people feel limited by their ‘abilities’. They like to pre-warn others what they cannot do (keeping in mind that this is different from having pre-existing medical conditions or injuries) and often the practice is like going into a ‘battle-field’.

Some people think they can do more than what they are given. They like to take on as many poses as possible because for them it is a sign of progression, never mind whether they are doing it correctly or not. More is better.

Some people are perfectionists. They want to be perfect in every single pose. There is no room for ‘wrong’ alignment.

Some people only want to practice because they enjoy the benefits from the practice. They are dedicated, committed, devoted and disciplined.

Regardless what your mental state is, the physical struggle is the same. We all go through the same roller coaster – the emotions are different but the process is the same.

How do we choose to deal with our inner ‘demons’ – the critics, the judgments, the ego, the stories, the lies, the ideology etc?

The more you practice the more you learn to appreciate the sense of peace and inner calmness it brings you. Your body knows exactly what needs to be done but it is the mind that is constantly chattering away.

Sharath mentioned during one of the conferences to practice dhyana (mindfulness and awareness) – to remain calm, focused, unaffected by external distractions – gossip, temptation, social media (unless it serves a good purpose).

Regularity and consistency in the practice will help cultivate steadiness and stability in our modern chaotic lifestyle. Don’t take shortcuts if you want to improve your practice.

Every obstacle you encounter on the mat provides you with an opportunity to overcome the physical and mental block. In a subtle way, it will also mirror back into your daily life challenges. Do you notice a similar pattern?

Be steadfast. Be patient. Real yoga comes from within. True transformation often happens off the mat.

From gentle private sessions to dynamic Mysore practice, Corinne has taken a bold step out of her comfort zone to understand the practice wholesomely.

From countless falls to tripping over her feet this mild-tempered lady never stops trying.

Rather Corinne always appears eager to struggle through difficult poses. From once a week, she decided to step up her game by scheduling another day of practice in her routine.  

We say great effort Corinne! For every drop of sweat you squeeze, you deserve every bit of goodness!

Corinne comes to our regular weekend practice with her mum and younger sis. How sweet! Isn’t it?

1. Do you have any physical routine before you started regular yoga practice?
No I do not have a fixed exercise routine. I swim occasionally but that is very weather dependent. On days that I feel particularly unhealthy, I will go onto the stationary bike and cycle for half an hour.2. What is your favorite part of Ashtanga Mysore class?
The end of the class! That’s not just because the “pain” is over but I feel satisfied whenever I complete the practice, no matter how bad or good the practice went.

3. How long have you been practicing Ashtanga Yoga? What change have you observe in yourself over the period?
(Oops I do not really remember when I started…) For a start, I managed to do a backbend, something I could never do for the last 30 years. It may seem slow, but I got stronger both physically and emotionally. I became more disciplined, and would look forward to the practices. Adeline once said that even if someone looks like he/she is executing a pose perfectly, we would never know what internal struggles they are facing. Although I may not always understand, and I am still learning to, I try to empathize more and judge less.

4. What keeps you motivated on a regular practice?
The muscle aches that would come after every practice and also feeling the tension slip away as the class progresses.

5. What is/ are the poses you ( secretly) look forward to in the primary series?
Janu Shirshansana A-C. I always feel taller after those poses.  (Haha)

Coming to Mysore has always been a reality check for me. To realise how little I need, how much there is for me to learn, what do I need to let go of and where do I move from here.

At the start of the season, Sharath already made quite a few changes. He is more particular about practice timing, constantly reminding us not to turn up too early, no practicing on mats with the sacred OM symbol and no 3 stripes symbol on the yoga rug; and more controversially, the dress code during practice – no short shorts and sports bra.

Whether you are for or against the new ‘rules’ the fact is he is implementing all the changes. Either you follow them or break them as long as you are willing to bear the consequences.

Being back several times in Mysore (Gokulam) I am beginning to notice something which I have previously not realised. There may be a few more new cafes and malls sprouting up but the town remains conservative and reserved in its ways.

Sharath has always reminded us that it is a different culture here. They (the locals) are not used to the western culture. We need to respect the culture and behave appropriately because we are the guests, we are the visitors. We cannot expect them to accommodate to us but instead we have to learn their rules because we are in their land.

Back home in Singapore, t-shirts, shorts and flip flops are acceptable dress code for most casual occasions because the heat is unbearable. We are so used to dressing down and everyone accepts it as a local culture. We address strangers affectionately by ‘uncles and aunties’ as a common term which some may find it strange and awkward.

Few years back I went on a mission trip to Myanmar and learned a valuable lesson. Coming from a first world country, we are quick and efficient in giving suggestions and ideas to what should be done for the locals. It was until a friend asked – ‘How would you like it if I come to your house and started (re)arranging your furniture to my liking?’ That was an awakening moment for me. Such a simple analogy that made total sense.

Every country has their own unique culture and unspoken rules. Like it or not, it is definitely a personal choice as long as you are willing to accept the outcome of your choice. Yoga doesn’t starts only on the mat, it starts with our actions and thoughts.