My name is Meghna Nambiar, and I am a yoga and movement facilitator based in Bengaluru, India. I've encountered Yoga many times in my life, and every time it has given me something.

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My mother introduced me to yoga as a teenager, and I stuck with it briefly. My memories of it are of my joyful teacher, Shastri aunty, and playful explorations of asanas on slippery rugs with my friends (a characteristic of that time) and of my mother admonishing me and my friend for distracting her. The strongest memory I carry to this day is the chants that my teacher, Shastri aunty, would play sometimes at the end of class as we rested in Shavasana. I would eagerly look forward to the days when we would rest to the sounds of the chants. It brought me a deep sense of calm and peace, and even after I stopped attending the class, a part of me continued to search for those sounds that brought me peace and stopped the stirrings of my mind.

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The next time I encountered yoga was when I began my training as a professional contemporary dancer at Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in Bengaluru back in 2009. Being older and more keen, I was drawn to the shape and form of the asanas. I enjoyed how the practice gave me a feeling of exhilaration and calm all at once. As a dancer, my approach to yoga was to draw from the strength and fluidity that the practice provided. The ancient practice of yoga gave me a stillness, a presence, and a quietness from which I could draw—a quality we sought as dancers. I spent seven and a half years of my life as a professional dancer, and yoga complemented it perfectly. However, I only knew yoga as asana—the physical postures. The beauty, diversity, and applicability of asana took me to the next step: to become a yoga teacher.

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Little did I know that in 2015, my first teacher training program at a1000yoga Academy in Bengaluru would introduce me to a world where asana was just one dimension of this ancient practice. At a1000yoga, I was introduced to the history, science, and philosophy of yoga. This experience ignited a deeper curiosity within me to learn and understand the practice and also to share it. After my training, I began offering classes to the community through various studios in Bengaluru. I am also a performing arts teacher for young children at a school in Bangalore, and my yoga training informs my teaching there.

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In 2017, when I was going through a challenging transition, I met Reegesh Sir, the founder of Aayana Yoga Academy. Through his understanding of the body and psyche from a yogic perspective, he offered me practical guidance to navigate the transition. While the circumstances around me did not change, I now had practical tools to manage them. Once again, I encountered yoga in a way that helped me handle my life. Inspired by this, I pursued my second teacher training at Aayana Yoga Academy in Bengaluru, wanting to immerse myself in a different approach to the practice. I haven't had one big transformation story, but rather several small ones in which yoga has played a significant role.

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Curious about every experience I had in the city, I wanted to immerse myself in a place steeped in yogic tradition and surrounded by nature. I decided to go to the Sivananda Ashram in Uttarkashi, located in the foothills of the Himalayas. I spent one month at the ashram, where yoga was much more than just asana. It focused on Karma Yoga, Vedanta, and devotion (Bhakti). It was one of the most transformative experiences of my life, and I hold it very close to my heart. A majority of our time at the ashram was spent in chanting, prayer, studying the scriptures, and bonding with my classmates as we all huddled together, experiencing the joys and discomforts of the ashram. Of course, we practiced a lot of asana as well. But it was different. (The purpose for asana is the same all along -but I just could connect with it a lot more in my time here.)The joy and teachings from the ashram have stayed with me and they continue to inform my teaching.

 

I have been sharing the practice of yoga, and teaching is an essential expression of my learnings and understanding of yoga. Yoga has been an anchor for me, and I believe it is an incredible tool to connect with ourselves in today's times. It serves as an anchor physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The beauty

of the practice is that, no matter what capacity you are at, there is something in it for you.

 

In 2022, I decided to organize all my yoga offerings under the name Amayah Yoga. "Amayah" in Hebrew means "close to God," and my intention for Amayah Yoga is to create a safe and inspiring space for students to come closer to their inner-self.

 

Our intention at Amayah Yoga is to empower students to create a sustainable and fulfilling yoga practice that supports them on and off the mat. We invite you to join us at Amayah Yoga to explore the beautiful ancient practice of yoga that helps you connect with yourself.

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Leaving you with the sounds of my childhood that remain with me,

 a sound of calm and peace.

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