Consistency over Intensity: Seven years of Iyengar Yoga

14 June 2019. Seven years of sticking by Iyengar today, and it will be eight years of daily practice this August. Growing up, I was a sickly child who used to catch fevers and colds easily and was also emotionally tumultuous; in fact, the seasonal viral fevers stopped only a few years back. I am told it was because I was a plump newborn with a healthy weight, but I got tinier when I contracted a very high fever when I was nine months old.

May 2016 was the time I had gotten Entamoeba histolytica amoebiasis due to a broccoli infestation, which completely destroyed my gut, and I was looking for ways to heal the aftermath: chronic stomach pain, IBS, colitis, piles, a debilitating cycle of frustration, and more, and that is what actually got me into yoga and Ayurveda, though I was always attracted to spirituality since childhood. I did not want to live in the constant discomfort or be dependent on constant medical tests or medication.

I was clear about which school I wanted to learn from even the year before I enrolled; it was not that easy. Initially, I often fell ill after classes, primarily because I was nervous, didn't understand proper alignment, and wasn't able to gauge the form of my body accurately. The space was intimidating because not only were most people in the classes significantly older (50+), but they were advanced practitioners with ten to twenty years of experience in this form. My classes were in Sion, and I had to take a rick to Vidyavihar, then a train, and then walk it out.

Then I was sick in 2020 and lockdown happened, so classes were shut, and there was a break; then I joined my teacher online privately. After that, Sion classes were shut permanently, so I shifted to Lower Parel, and it was even tougher to travel there, as it took about one and a half hours each way. Now I shifted to Fort, and it's relatively easier.

While many younger practitioners are drawn to more dynamic forms, I found myself called to this particular practice. I was clear about which form I wanted to learn and why it resonated with me personally. I am drawn to what feels right for me rather than following trends, and this classical approach aligns with the foundational texts I wanted to study — the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

Seven years is not a long time in this journey; I firmly believe that consistency is more important than patchy intensity. There are no shortcuts to mastery, as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika itself clearly states that perfection is gained after twelve years of practice.

Apart from my family, I think one thing that's just been consistently there for me is my practice; it's seen my blood, sweat, tears, all my emotions, and held me right through.

I am reminded of one of my favourite quotes by Usain Bolt: "Dreams are free, but goals have a cost. The cost is time, effort, sacrifice, and sweat." And I have attempted to give my practice all these, praying for divine grace to continue doing so.

To learn Yoga and Mindfulness from me, DM priyamvadamangal or mail priyamvadayog@gmail.com! Online classes open for everyone, everywhere.