By Esha Chaudhuri
Yoga is an age old practice that has been existent for centuries. ‘A way of life’ as the yogis would call it, yoga has been deemed a state of being active that features a harmony of the mind, body and soul. Over the years, yoga earned a standing of health through the gateways of a globalised world as well as catapulted by pop culture. With relentless efforts, India went on to pursue the United Nations General Assembly according June 21 to Yoga in 2015, celebrating its salubrious value and immersive benefits. Embarking on this thought ahead of World Yoga Day, Sunday Shillong engages with Shillong born Tara Goswami (40), a multidisciplinary artist, yoga teacher and practitioner, who endorses its merit and its transformational impact in her life.
Tara, the Yogini
“When I say yoga, I don’t just mean my āsana (postural) practice but prānayāma, mindfulness, diet, self-reflection, time in nature, study of philosophy and scriptures, chanting and twice daily meditations. It has been a slow, sure and a highly enjoyable process of getting here, though not always easy. I am ever thankful for it.” states, Goswami.
Fifteen years since Goswami took the plunge, she says she cannot imagine life without it.
“I went for my first class at the Sivananda Nataraja centre in Delhi and it was love at first class! I haven’t turned back or stopped practising/learning and growing since then. I did four teacher’s training and advanced teacher’s training and many immersions. It was in 2014, after enrolling in the gurukul system, when I would say my real yoga journey began.” shares Goswami.
Having had a spiritual bent of mind, the journey of yoga has had a purifying effect in her life.
“It is a constant process of refining yourself through practice of the eight limbs of yoga and thereby honing your understanding of Reality. It’s much more than peace and love and long hugs and glamorous photos as it requires one to look very honestly at oneself and tread all those uncomfortable territories that we would much rather ignore. Yoga is like the purifying fire which, when practised with dedication and over an extended period of time burns away all the impurities that keep us from knowing our true nature.” she explains.
Goswami, who is also a teacher of the age-old way of life, reveals that teaching yoga has been a gift because disclosing the magic of yoga to her disciples pushes her towards self-improvement. “It is important for me to teach from a place of clear personal experience, so I am a constant work in progress myself. I focus on simple awareness, attention to detail, and gradually build intensity and depth.” shares Goswami, who conducts workshops in Shillong when she’s in two and online classes too.
Hailing its supremacy in her life, Goswami believes Yoga has been a life changing turn that has reaped benefits in many facets of her life. She expands, “Yoga without a doubt has been a gift in my life extending beyond the time I spend on my mat. Starting with the outer physical benefits of building and maintaining a healthy and strong physical body, to making me a strong, independent and self-sufficient person, as well as strengthening my intuition and unleashing my creativity in my art practice which draws directly from my yoga practice.”
Her sessions are based on the traditional Hatha yoga style(a branch of yoga which uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel the vital force or energy) along with Mantras (a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words usually in Sanskrit, Pali bearing spiritual powers) and chanting that add to the experience by bringing in sonorous and vibratory dimensions.
Getting it right
Endorsed as a supreme health discipline, the art of perfecting the different asanas is dependent on the different breathing techniques and form. In fact, most health coaches and nutritionists recommend yoga for overall wellness. What sets yoga apart from other forms of health regimens? Reflecting on the knowledge acquired, Goswami shares, “Yoga is such a vast and comprehensive science that even in its most watered down form it can bring great benefits. Health coaches and nutritionists mostly recommend yoga for the benefits it brings to the physical body. While yoga brings wellness to both the body and mind, it is certainly not limited to it, as its scope goes far beyond that.”
“I am someone who likes to be in motion so I try many different things but there is a clear difference between how one ‘feels’ after practising yoga and other physical activities. The constant repetition and return to that ‘feeling’ is what brings about transformation, healing and heightened awareness. Ultimately yoga is a subtle practice which transcends the physical body and works on an energetic level to bring about an awakening.” she adds.
Apart from building the regime, like all forms of workout specify a certain attire, does yoga, too, require one? Recent health studies have suggested that regular nylon apt for gymnastics or working out in the gymnasium may not be well suited for yoga. Asking Goswami if there is a particular gear that she’d recommend for practising yoga, she answers “My favourite item to wear, especially in the hot months, is a soft cotton cloth that can be worn as a dhoti!” (she laughs)
“I recommend clothes that are simple, breathe well, minimal and devoid of loud patterns or any kind of writing/slogans or brand names. If you are practising in the privacy of your own home, keep it down to the bare minimum but most importantly it really isn’t about the clothes but the practice itself.”
Sharing some of the dos and don’t while practising yoga, Goswami discloses, “Always practise on an empty stomach (at least three hours should pass after a meal), never with shoes on, best to bathe before your practice or 30 minutes after, drink plenty of water when one finishes, and for women, its advised to avoid certain poses like inversions while menstruating and must be consulted with their respective yoga teachers for more.”
On being asked three reasons why she’d recommend yoga for all, Goswami replies, “First and foremost, it makes one feel great inside out – looking after one’s own body and mind is important, even as we age. Secondly, with time, one is sure to discover inner wealth that no material object can replicate. Lastly, it is a great way to build a strong relationship with oneself independent of external factors.”
Global appeal
Worldwide, events are organised and observed on June 21 marking a solidarity among practitioners exhibiting the array of asanas owing to flexibility and motion of one’s body.
Owing to its magnetism and allure, our Prime Minister will lead the International Yoga Day celebrations at U.N. headquarters on June 21.
Celebrities worldwide vouch for its wholesome virtues and often take to their social media to unveil a variety of postures to sing its praise. Moreover, a switch towards yoga and Ayurveda witnessed an upsurge especially more so during the covid induced lockdown. Rightly so, this was particularly an easy go-to workout that was accessible and hassle free given its inexpensive mode of operation and virtually almost nil usage of equipment. As per Live Yoga Teachers, between March 2020 and 2021, there was a whopping 400% increase in the students who practised yoga through online classes.
Concurring on its growing popularity, Goswami comments, “While it is great to see the popularity of yoga increasing, it is good to be 
aware of the larger picture. With yoga turning into a million dollar business, a lot of times the term yoga is just applied for its sale value like face yoga, artistic yoga, beer yoga, yoga-lates, and flying yoga. While it’s great to try all things new, it is important to be discerning and mindful of what the true meaning and purpose of yoga really is and not treat yoga as just another form of fitness.”
Goswami also points towards the westernising of traditional practices and believes in preserving its sanctity. She says, “The 
western/modern approach to Yoga is treating it like an extracurricular activity – yoga classes like the gym are something that one goes to when we can take time out of our lives. In the traditional sense however, life revolves around practice. It pairs best with mindful nutrition and other forms of consumption (media/entertainment), to the company one keeps and the experiences that one is willing to have. One tends to be less attracted to the superficial and gravitate towards more simple yet meaningful, profound experiences. Popularity and external validation tends to lose meaning in the wake of the richness of the inner experience.”
Cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time, Goswami believes that she has now started to become a yogi/yogini. It has taken time.