THIS Indian yoga practitioner taught a 102-year-old woman to be healthy, says ‘Yoga is like breathing’

Hello readers, this story about an Indian yoga practitioner – Urmi, who has now taught hundreds of students across the globe. She is the proud winner of an International Yoga Competition, where she represented India.

The Winged Women recently interviewed this determined woman who is improving the health of so many other people. Happy reading!

Tell us something about your yoga journey.

My yoga journey started in 2017.

I was preparing for CA while simultaneously working at a private bank. Besides that, I started learning Kathak, taking tutions and teaching as a side-hustle. But I always knew that I wanted to do something different in life.

In 2017, I left my job and started practising yoga to relax my mind. After that, some people in my dance class said that I am really flexible and should get into yoga. So, I started practising yoga more seriously for about 3-4 months. I dived deeper into yogic theories.

I was practising so much that I could easily do most of the challenging asanas. That’s when I decided to be an Indian yoga practitioner.

What was the next step after this?

I decided to get into Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh and started teaching in Ahmedabad in October 2017. I used to share pictures and videos on Instagram, so people started to enquire about yoga classes.  

At that time, I didn’t have a space to teach, so I used to drive more than 50 km in a day to train for 6 to 7 hours back-to-back. Besides this, I also used to do self-practice. Gradually, the number of batches increased. I was a part of yoga awareness campaigns and held corporate events for companies that wanted an Indian yoga practitioner.

Finally, I decided to start a yoga academy. In the back of my mind, I had only two things. Firstly, I wanted to start the academy with my own money, and secondly, I wanted to ensure a sufficient buffer to survive if I didn’t get a good response. By God’s grace, we are doing online teaching for hundreds of people in 19 countries today.

You seem to have a lot of interest in food and dance. How do you remain fit?

I was into many activities before I finally realised that yoga is my thing. I tried painting, dancing, banking and even worked in the share market, only to figure out my real interests.

Speaking about food, yes, I am a big foodie. Being a Gujarati and a Brahmin, it gets tough to control my sweets buds, but I try to maintain a balance throughout the week. I avoid eating junk more than once a week.

What is the main reason for your growing love for yoga?

When I started learning to teach yoga, I realised its benefits in everyday life. Besides giving flexibility, it also brings peace of mind. Also, when I teach people, and they feel their health improving, it is so relaxing. You would be surprised to know that I practised yoga on the day of my marriage too.

How has your partner’s presence changed your yogic life?

A lot! He is disciplined, and he brings that discipline to me too. He tells me that I have to focus on my health so people know that yoga can get good results. When he proposed, he asked me always to choose yoga first.

Tell us about the youngest and oldest person you taught yoga to.

My youngest yoga student is a 3-years-old girl. Her parents enrolled her on my classes because she was fond of my videos. She has been doing online classes with her sister for the past two years, and now they are so good that I have to always pre-plan something challenging for them.

My oldest student was a 102-years-old woman. She joined the classes with her 85-year-old daughter-in-law. These women inspired me so much because of their spirit to learn more.

I always learn from my students because everyone is a different kind of challenge.

We noticed that your family is also into yoga. How is that?

My father has done yoga and pranayama every day since his early childhood. But my mother and brother started practising after seeing my interest in yoga.

During the lockdown, my entire family enjoyed doing yoga together.

What is your most significant achievement related to yoga so far?

The best thing was the moment when I decided that yoga was my future now.

The next best moment was when I went to Nepal for an International Yoga Competition. I went there to interact and learn from other yoga practitioners. When I heard that Urmi Pandya had won the silver medal from India, it was the proudest feeling ever. At that point, I knew that I was doing something right.

Being an Indian yoga practitioner, how important do you think yoga is for a woman?

A woman’s body changes a lot throughout her life span. Endless hormonal imbalances and additional responsibilities make it crucial for a woman to practise mental peace. Yoga is the best way to get mental peace too.

This Indian yoga practitioner’s journey exemplifies that a woman can achieve anything if determined to do so. She encourages many others to live healthy and happy lifestyle.

If you enjoyed reading Urmi’s story, you can also check other women’s stories on our website – thewingedwomen.com.

If you think you have it in you to inspire someone, connect with us at @thewingedwomen on Instagram or e-mail at thewingedwomen@gmail.com.