I first did yoga when I was in the eighth or ninth standard. I remember waking up early in the morning and going to a dark, dingy building with my mom. I felt so bored by the slow motions of yoga asanas coupled with my sleepiness, that I lasted just two days. As I grew older, I always connected with more upbeat routines such as gymming, aerobics, dance etc.

My tryst with fitness has always been episodic, and in bursts. However lately, I felt the need to embrace fitness as a lifestyle change and not just with the goal of losing a certain number of kilos or inches. As Rancho (3 Idiots) would say, chase excellence, and success will follow. So I decided to give yoga a chance again.

Sometimes, the universe is just waiting for you to make the right decision, and then everything just falls in place. I learnt that a yoga instructor was  coming to our building thrice a week, and so decided to attend the sessions.

And it has been five days of yoga lessons, and every day has been a new challenge for me. I admit, I am intimidated by yoga. The thought that my body is capable of bending so much scares me. Aren’t we all used to being rigid? And the competitive spirit within me sometimes beats me up, when I can’t do some things as well as I want to.

However, at the end of every session, I feel an odd sense of peace. I feel as though my body belongs to me. I feel centered, grounded, and ready to face the day.Today as I was going through yet another challenging yoga session, I found myself thinking of the many life’s lessons one can learn from yoga. And, as I went through each asana, I kept getting more ideas. So, here goes the list….

Breathe: No matter how stressful the situation. As I struggle to lock my knee, and simultaneously touch my toe, I hear my instructor scream, “Breathe!” And I realize I am holding my breath and my body is stiff and constricted, and am unable to achieve anything. As I take a deep breath and relax, everything comes together, and yes, I am actually touching my toe. It’s a reminder to me, that in stressful situations in life, all we need to do is breathe, and it will all come together. The next time, I have to face a tough client or a challenge at work, I know what to do!

Persevere: It’s so difficult to stick to something, when you are not really good at it. But actually that’s the time when you most need to persist. I couldn’t even touch my toe on the first day, but at the end of the fifth day, I could. One month at this, and who knows what more I could achieve?  In life, we need to persevere, and remind ourselves that we are getting better every single day. We may not sometimes see visible results, but one day, that magic moment will come, when we achieve our goal with ease.

Be Flexible: Yoga is all about being flexible. Our bodies were born that way. My son can bend his body so easily. All children can. No wonder that children adjust to circumstances easier than us adults. In life, we stay rigid in so many of our beliefs, that we miss out on many positive changes coming our way. As my body gets flexible, so is my mind. I am more open and flexible now while dealing with people, circumstances and situations.

Draw Inspiration: My class has people who have been doing it for two months. They are all older than I am and I am amazed at their flexibility. Sometimes, when I can’t do a particular asana well, all I need to do is look around. If others can do it, then so can I. I find myself pushing myself harder. In life, the inspiration is all around us. All we need to do is look. Every single person we meet can be a source of inspiration to us. And today I look for inspiration in everyone I meet.

Mind  Power: My instructor shows me a particular asana, and my mind says, “No way, I can’t do it!” I give up even before I can try. Then, I try and remind myself to breath, to persevere, to draw inspiration, and slowly and steadily I succeed. How many times have I given up on a task, or a job that I couldn’t do? If only I could have realized the power of my mind. If only, I could have silenced the voice in my mind that told me I couldn’t do it. The next time, I hear that voice within; I do know how to drive it away!

Sustaining success: If doing a certain asana is difficult, maintaining the pose for even 20 seconds is tougher. You need focus and concentration. One distraction and you can fall. It’s like that with success too. We reach the top, but how many of us maintain our position? We start our exercise routines, but give them up after a week. Yoga to me is a reminder that not only do we have to work hard at getting there, but work harder at staying there.

I am glad I got over my initial inhibitions to see yoga in a new light. I don’t see it as an hour of self- inflicted torture now. I see it as an hour to practice the principles that will help me see my life in a whole new light. I see it as an hour of introspection when I look within and around for inspiration. I see it as a practice to persevere at real life challenges. I see it as therapy for my body and soul. But most of all, I see it as a discipline of  holding a mirror to my life.

Aditi Patil is an MBA and banker, and steal moments from her routine to tell the stories unfolding  around her. She is currently making the transition from steal-time writer to a full-time writer, Corporate-Trainer and Life-Coach. She is a certified Heal Your Life Workshop Leader (http://www.healyourlifeworkshops.com/myprofile.php?ids=868 ) and  conducts personal development, and life skills workshops as well. She has also written two children’s books which she is now sending to publishers.  She blogs at  http://sunshine-in-a-box.blogspot.com