was not something that I had ever really intended for myself as a career choice.
For years, I was perfectly happy being a desk warrior who worked night shifts and loved the thought of vegging out in front of the TV in my free time. Add to that, I was a self confessed food-addict who detested any ‘unnecessary’ movement.
By the time I was 30 years old, my ‘happy life’ as I had always described it, was at an odds with reality. I found myself grappling with multiple health issues. I weighed a 101 kgs, developed Anxiety, severe Hypothyroidism and a Fatty Liver condition.
I knew I had to do something quick. So, I did what any frightened person does. I tried a whole host of diets and signed up to every gym and weight loss program I could.
Needless to say, None of my efforts worked.
Somebody had suggested yoga. I reluctantly agreed to give it a try. I wasn’t really convinced that it would help in any real way, but I tried it anyway.
Yoga, for a long time too, hadn’t really fared any better in weight loss department.
But I found myself enjoying the practice nevertheless. I stuck with it. There was something about getting up each morning and having a place to go. A place where I felt no judgement and where I could breathe, move and find my thoughts. I found that very centering.
My consistent practice began to change me in subtle ways that were not immediately apparent to me.
The first transformation was mental.
A daily practice made me calmer and allowed me to accept myself more fully. I began to listen to myself on a deeper level and began to think about health in more holistic terms.
My breakthrough happened when I decided to test a simple idea. I tried to make many tiny changes to improve my life in every area I could.
Soon I was doing things like drinking more water, changing the composition of my diet, spending time in the sun, getting less stressed and angry and breathing more mindfully and resting on purpose.
This was in marked contrast to ideas that I held earlier that I needed to make massive changes within a narrow focus— like pushing myself in the gym to see progress.
With my new approach, I was punishing myself less and strangely, things really started to turn around for me.
I am a healthier and happier person today. I try and teach what I know so other people can experience the magic of little changes.
Follow my journey on https://instagram.com/samratpasham
