Friends,
My story begins in rural Illinois, where I grew up in the 80's and 90's. My parents had immigrated from India years before, and I spent my Sunday mornings in the basements of the small Indian community that my parents built. My father would read us teachings from various Hindu texts, which overtime, I would realize were teachings of Yoga. My father was a respected physician who practiced modern medicine, yet whenever I came to him with minor ailments, a headache or a stomach ache, his answer was always the same, "go do some yoga and meditation."
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My father's words stuck with me as I spent years exploring my own beliefs and spirituality, diving deep into every self help book and listening to leaders across all religions speak. It soon became apparent that when you go back far enough into most philosophies, the lessons are largely the same. I am not here to condone any religious institution. It is my strong belief, however, that connection to something greater is what leads us back to a peaceful state. The definition of the word Yoga, is just that. Yoga invites us to reunite with our highest self. Yoga invites us to feel whole.
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Most of us think of Yoga postures when we think of Yoga and that too is Yoga. I enjoy the physical postures of Yoga and practice them nearly daily. It is simply one part of the lifelong journey that is Yoga. When I decided to formally get trained as a Yoga teacher, it didn't take me long to realize that the eight limbs of Yoga that are described in teacher training are the same concepts that I had learned in those basement Sunday school classes years ago. As I dove more into Ayurveda, I realized that so many of my mother's recipes that I had grown up with, were in fact Ayurvedic recipes. So many of the strange food rules that my mother and other family members had told me about, were actually Ayurvedic guidelines that had been passed down, generation to generation. It occurred to me that my entire life was shaped by both Yoga and Ayurveda, without me fully realizing it.
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The journey of "finding ourselves" goes by many names. There are various paths and I don't claim that this way is any better or worse than another. It is simply the path that I have grown up with, the path that I love deeply, and the path that I wish to share with anyone who is interested. I have found it immensely helpful as I've navigated my own professional career and family life. I created Old Soul Yoga as an outlet to continue my own journey and bring along anyone else who wants to join. I hope to walk along side my clients in their own paths, as we explore the postures and the philosophy of this ancient practice. Our sessions will be in person and individualized, just as this ancient science was originally taught. They will come from the heart and are meant to create space for you, without any distraction. I hope you will join me.
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With love,
Nina
RYT 500, Certified Ayurveda Health Coach
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