The best gift from a heartbreak is probably an opportunity for self- discovery.
A government affair analyst by day, Audre decided to keep her evenings busy with yoga or tennis. She landed herself in a yoga studio recommended by a friend and under the guidance of her first teacher, she fell in love with Ashtanga Yoga.
Three years later, with the intention to further her practice, Audre began searching for a Mysore class at various studios and eventually “settled” at The Mysore Haus.
1. How do you juggle your personal commitments and trying to maintain regular practice?
Having a recurring “Ashtanga” slot on my calendar helps me make time for the practice.
Once I’ve locked down the practice timings on my calendar, I organise the rest of my schedule around that. If I can’t make it for evening practice, I’ll try to make it up with a morning session the next day.
I also make it a point to leave work on time as it is easy for me to bury myself in my work. If I have to go to work overtime on that day, I’ll go for my practice first and deal with work later in the evening.
2. What are some new discoveries about yourself?
Yoga has made me more self-aware by paying attention to how my body feels, what I fuel my body with and how making small adjustments to alignments matter.
While I’ve always been a physically active person, I’ve never been as conscious of my body until I started practicing Ashtanga Yoga.
Maybe it’s because I’m supporting my full body weight in the practice as opposed to just swinging a tennis racquet. Or maybe I’m just older now and everything starts to ache – but either way I do pay more attention to my body now.
3. What are some of the big lessons you have learned throughout these years on the mat that you have applied in your life?
Don’t try to force my way through things.
I used to ‘brute force’ my way through the practice. While it was effective in reaching certain physical goals in the short term, it strained my body and was counterproductive in the long run.
I have the same forceful approach towards life, especially since I’m a big believer in ‘creating my own opportunities’ and have often forced my way through challenges like a battering ram.
Yoga has taught me that sometimes it’s better to go with the flow and let the practice/ life take its course. Don’t get me wrong – I still am a try-hard but I’m more patient with progress and learning to let go.
4. Any tips to share on how to prepare yourself for an evening class?
Don’t eat a heavy meal for lunch, don’t stay in bed prior to the practice and leave your house/ office on time.
5. How do you feel about having your partner, Damien, join you in this practice?
Damien has always been supportive of my yoga practice but it’s different when he undergoes the process himself and starts to understand its joys and pains.
I particularly enjoy our post-practice chats when we discuss how our practices went, inspiring/ funny moments during the session and of course what we would like to eat for lunch. (The Mysore Haus is surrounded by so much good food!)
