By Ragoo Raghunathan

During your professional transition, you may find yourself finding new avenues. You may find yourself following a different path from what you were trained. It is OK to pursue such passions and make a career out of it. This issue we talk to Dr. Rajaneesh Gopinath about how he pursued his passion in writing and communication after a PhD and postdoctoral research in the field of molecular and cellular biology.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences with our audience. Having had an extensive experience in research you seem to have taken a serious turn in your career path. When did you decide to venture into science communication?

I always had a flair for writing in my formative years as a scientist but hadn’t explored it thoroughly. Back in 2018, while trying to transition out of a postdoc job and work within the limited networking options I had, I met the CEO of GeneOnline. At the time, the company had already built quite a reputation as a fast-growing biotech media in Asia. They were looking to expand into the global market using their new English platform and replicate an identical growth curve. Although I was more interested in business development and similar such client-facing positions, I decided to give science communication a go. So, I began freelancing as a scientific editor and helped them curate scientific content. That was when I realized I could excel at this job and have fun presenting readers with a unique perspective.

How did you end up as a business development manager?

I would say it was great timing because my plans almost aligned with the ambitions of the company. GeneOnline was waiting for an opportune moment to initiate operations in the US. So when I decided to move to the States, the company proposed a tempting offer where I could work at the intersection of scientific editorship and business development. I just grabbed it with both hands. There is a bit of serendipity in all this, but I would also attribute that to clear communication. I made my interests known to the company right from the start and even took initiatives whenever possible.

What did you learn from this transition, and how do you define success?

I am fortunate to assume a position of leadership in my current role. Just like a scientist, I acquired different skills through trial and error. I have learned a lot in the past year, but the biggest takeaway for me is the realization that “done is better than perfect.” Most researchers are natural perfectionists, but “success” is adhering to deadlines and keeping clients happy, and I am still striving to master it.

How do you find gratification in your job?

I have slowly started innovating with visual storytelling. I am trying my hand at infographics and small videos to communicate science visually. I have also transitioned into a senior editor role where I try to enhance the scientific content that my team of writers come up with and help it become the best version it can be. There is an immense gratification in mentorship and giving. I hope it takes me closer to leading a team of science communicators who cater to people speaking different Indian and foreign languages.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Writing is very similar to some forms of art, which gets better with practice. So, I urge aspiring writers to hone their skills as early as they could. There are several courses available for writers today, but there is no substitute for learning-by-doing. It’s also essential to handle several writing projects at once and adapt to the demands of each within a strict timeline. Therefore, an internship or voluntary work is worth its weight in gold. In addition to validating the individual’s decision to switch to science writing, a short stint informs whether one is suited to the lifestyle.

How do you look back on your transition journey?

I am glad that I transitioned and wish it could have been sooner. My role allows me to brush shoulders with eminent professionals from both academia and the industry. If I have to give a piece of guidance to my younger self, it would be that academic research is not the be-all and end-all of science. A scientific ecosystem exists outside of the academe, and one can find nobility working for the biopharma industry, or regulatory agency, in science policy or even public outreach.

By Pravin Trivedi

Children are not afraid to try anything, including communicating. They have no fear of rejection, being laughed at or misunderstood. Dada, on the other hand, was very concerned of making mistakes, perhaps more so since he was a teacher. He had hardly learned a dozen sentences in Arabic in the nine months he had been there. They were perfect in all grammatical sense. He had them written down, in Gujarati of course. Most of the time he preferred to communicate by pointing and showing.

Ba talked in Gujarati to all the school workers, even to shopkeepers and occasionally picked up some Arabic words in her vocabulary. Overall, she was faster in her broken conversational Arabic than Dada. She had to deal with two servants, Hassa and Ahmed, and the school bus driver, Burai. It was hilarious to watch, but she did not mind our laughing or correcting her. The three locals had to figure out what she wanted from her actions, mixed words, and the tone of her voice. Communication theory was in full swing. As we learnt many years later, this one sentence may describe it well.

I know that you believe you understand what I said but I am not sure that you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.

We siblings were more adventurous. My eldest sister Manju was the most conservative. Kiran tried out anything without fear. I tried to get my point across with whatever it took - words in any language, actions, pictures. Wherever we went, apart from the few Indians who spoke Gujarati, we had to communicate in Arabic.

In India we spoke Gujarati at home. Hindi was spoken in offices and most of the movies and songs were in Hindi. Sanskrit was heard all the time in the temples and at weddings. Coming to Mumbai gave us exposure to Marathi as well. Living in The Sudan however, meant at least a third major language had to be included in our repertoire.

Early one morning, Dada was getting ready for the day. He had some hot water in his shaving mug, and soap and brush to lather for a leisurely shave before having his shower. We really did not have showers since the tap water was so uncomfortably hot. One of my few chores used to be to fill two buckets of water an hour before his shower to cool it down for his use.

Getting ready to shave, Dada realized that his blade was quite dull. We had a small Yemeni shop (run by people from Yemen) next to the school. It was a structure made of clay bricks with a straw and mud roof. They sold anything and everything. The shop owner knew my father well and was hoping to meet the rest of the family after we had settled in. Dada asked Kiran if she would go to there and get him a blade. Ever ready to run errands, she asked Dada how she would ask in Arabic. “Adina Moos,” Dada said. Nothing could be simpler. “Give me a blade.”

Seeing my sister go to the main door made me curious. I knew she would not want me to ruin her solo act. So I followed her slowly to the door, slipped outside and ran after and joined her. She was not too happy to share the task, but glad to have company in case things went wrong.

We both stood politely near the store, in front of his counter dwarfed by all the big containers and bottles containing sweets and candy. We were not that visible to the Yemeni who was digging some peanuts out of a large sack.

“Adina Moos” she said softly. He did not turn around. We waited for a while and realized he may not have heard Kiran.

“Adina Moos” I shouted. That got his attention.

He turned around and saw nobody. He thought the neighborhood kids might have shouted and run away.

“Adina Moos” I shouted again.

Now he came forward and peered over his counter and saw two new kids that came only halfway up to him. He cleverly deduced that we must be the teacher’s family and offered some peanuts. We declined, having been taught not to accept anything from strangers.

He wanted to understand what we wanted. “Naam?” he spoke. In Arabic, that meant “Excuse me?”. In Gujarati it meant “Name?”.

Very politely I said “Pravin”.

There is no ‘P’ sound in Arabic, so he said “Baramil?”

We laughed at this, confusing him further. We did not know it then but baramil meant a barrel in Arabic.

He tried again. “Naam?”. My sister decided to take over and said “Kiran”.

Now he was thoroughly confused. We gave our names a couple of times and then decided that we were getting nowhere. Knowing that Dada was lathered and waiting, we decided to leave. He kept on throwing a barrage of words at us, but we beat a fast retreat and told Dada that we had failed.

On our heels, the Yemeni followed us to our house and asked our father what he wanted. As soon as he saw Dada’s lathered face, he understood at once. Dada asked us to follow the Yemeni back to his shop for the blades then and said it was fine to take the peanuts from him and say “shukran” (or thanks).

That is how we made a friend for as long as we lived there. And, though I was skinny I was always baramil to him.

By Pradnya Cowlagi 

Raksha Bandhan is a tradition that has been practiced in India for hundreds of years. Traditionally, the sister ties a piece of string (Rakhi) onto her brother’s hand, saying that the brother will protect his sister forever. It also signifies the connection that they share as brother and sister. Even long ago, in the times of the Mughal empire, Rani Karnavati sent a rakhi to Mughal emperor Humayun, asking him to protect her fort while it was under siege. Rakhi is one of the oldest traditions there is!

My brother and I were both born in America, though our parents were born and raised in India. Raksha Bandhan is a way for us to stay connected with our culture, even here in the US, so far away from India.

In our home, we usually change a few things. For example, we both give gifts to each other instead of the traditional version where only the brother gives a gift. We also might make an American sweet for the occasion, instead of a more traditional Indian one.

This year, my new baby cousin joined us. Though he probably didn’t have the faintest idea as to what was going on, he was interested throughout the whole process. You could see that already at such a young age, our culture was already being introduced, and he associated it with an interesting experience.

By Ragoo Raghunathan

Smiti and Abhinit are new residents to Shrewsbury, MA. During these COVID times, they have focused their energy on creating an alternative channel of entertainment and communication for themselves and their family back in India. I caught up with them to get a glimpse into their journey:

Q: I know you recently started up a YouTube channel called FunIndians, and you are having fun doing it. Over the past few months, you have gained over 300 subscribers. We think that there may be other people in the community who might want to do similar things during these COVID times. Would you mind sharing some of your thoughts and experiences with us?

For people who don’t know you, please tell us who you are and a little about yourself, when did you come to Shrewsbury?

I am Smiti Nagar. I married Abhinit in January 2019 and came to Albany, NY where my husband was a Ph.D. student. We moved to Shrewsbury in November 2019 when my husband got a post-doc offer at UMass Medical School. I’ve pursued an MBA (HR) in India and am currently on a F2 visa. As my visa’s restrictions prevent me from working in the US, I’m currently a homemaker.

Q: When and how did you figure out you wanted to start a YouTube Channel? What message do you want to convey thru this effort?

As I cannot work in the USA, I was planning to enroll in some diploma course. Unfortunately, due to Covid pandemic the whole country went on a lockdown and I postponed my study plans for one more year. During the initial period of lockdown, I realized that it was going to be a very depressing time for people like us who love to travel. I have an inclination for videography and as a result wherever we have travelled in the past year, I would shoot small clips. Also, I love cooking and would occasionally make videos of something new that I would try. The purpose of these videos was to send it back home so that my grandmom could try the same. When I was going through all these videos during lockdown, I decided to start a YouTube channel. I named it FunIndians as “Fun” is the common element in all my videos, whether it is about cooking, travel or anything else; and “Indians” obviously to denote our origin. Initially, I was posting our old videos which matched with my theme (Fun, Travel, Food) but now I have switched over to posting weekly vlogs. There is an interesting story behind this switchover, which I have described briefly below.

One day my husband received his Ph.D. diploma and found out that it was all wet as the delivery guy left it outside on the porch (it rained all night). So, to cheer him up I decided to cook for him. As a habit, I recorded a video and later decided to post it on YouTube. Surprisingly, I got an overwhelming response for that video. From that day onwards, I decided to post-daily/weekly vlogs as people are interested to see the life here. I want my videos to be a window through which everyone can view how life in the US is different or similar to one in India. Also, through these videos I wish to convey the feelings of every Indian living in the US to their relatives back home.

My goal is to spread happiness and to motivate people to show the world their creative side, their inner child and to ignore the surrounding negativity even during such a grim situation like this pandemic. My vlogs are mostly in Hindi, so that it can connect with most of the people back home.

Q: What drives you to keep going and what is your long-term goal?

I see my YouTube channel as a medium which teaches me some basics of videography and motivates me to expose myself to new software. In these three short months on YouTube, I’ve learnt so much. The happiness and satisfaction that I get from the love that my subscribers show me is another factor that keeps me motivated. At times I’ve got pings on our FB page (FunIndians) when I got delayed in posting my videos. My long-term goal is to create a few more channels where I can specify the contents (like cooking, art of homemaking, tips on getting on to YouTube etc.) It will be a long journey and I hope to reach there soon. Apart from all this, this channel provides me the platform to save our memories forever. So, twenty years from now, when we would like to cherish our memories, I know I’ve to just tune in to our YouTube channel and hit play on our playlist.

Q: How do you define ‘success’?

For me success is never ending. I feel success is when you achieve what you have aimed for whether it is small or big. With this channel, I’ve aimed to share the happiness with the world and connect with people back home. Once these goals are achieved, I would call it a “success” but that would give rise to another set of goals and hence would start another race for “success”.

Q: What advice/tips would you give to an aspiring YouTube enthusiast?

I would suggest that just keep things simple in your mind and do what your heart says. It is useless to worry about getting subscribers, rather focus on the quality of your content. Ignore any criticism you get and focus on people who are liking your vlogs. These are the people who are going to watch your videos, so focus on their likes and dislikes. Once you see yourself growing and maturing, you will be motivated to continue this forever.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

Be happy and try to make others happy. I would like to end it in YouTube style, if people like you, they will definitely subscribe to your life and share it with others.

Feel free to check out our vlogs at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtrlMXJ8Mt1Zdx2ncIWPjzg/

By Pravin Trivedi

The bus was just resting, like many of its passengers. This station was a lunch break on the way to Amdavad. There was a small Hanuman Temple where the elder folks went to pray. Many monkeys, including a really naughty one, were hanging around for handouts, trying to get gifts from the believers and to play with the kids. Dev was, as usual, selling cookies and staying away from the policeman. Chachi, his cigarette and tea selling buddy was also selling his wares. He too was staying away from the policeman.

Chachi was also playing with the cover of a biscuit box to reflect sunlight on anyone or anything interesting. The monkey liked to watch him do that as he liked shiny things.

The policeman standing by was gently twirling his handcuffs. They too were shiny and also caught the monkey’s attention. Chachi shone the biscuit box cover on him and on the handcuffs alternately. Once he was sure the monkey was engaged, he speeded up the shining game driving the monkey wild. No one else was aware of what was transpiring.

The policeman put down the handcuffs on the chair near the tea stall in order to get to the tobacco pouch in his shorts pocket. Very slowly the monkey came down the tree and approached the tea stall. Then, when he was close, in a flash, he darted at the table, grabbed the handcuffs and ran up the tree with his new toy. By the time the policeman realized what had just happened, the monkey was flashing his newly acquired toy from halfway up the tree. The policeman was beside himself. His immediate reaction was to reach for his revolver. He was about to pull it from the holster but slowed down. It would not be right to use a gun in such a public place.

“And not against God in god’s house,” said the priest.

He calmed down and patted the holster instead. “But I’ll be the laughing stock at the police station,” he painfully dragged the words out of his mouth.

“May be the monkey will get tired of the new toy and throw it down soon,” said the priest, being hopeful and helpful.

“He will throw it away and I’ll never find it, and it costs a hundred rupees,” cried the policemen. “That is almost a week’s salary,” he kept on lamenting.

The priest took him by the hand and nudged him to the door of the temple, saying “May be there is a way to reason with the monkey”.

Calming the policeman down was the first step. The policeman was always mean to the boys selling things at the bus stop. He expected free cookies from Ved and tea and cigarettes from Chachi. The policeman was always rough on Ved and Chachi. The kids were afraid of him but could not figure out what to do.

Chachi said that with the priest’s help they had a plan. The priest got hold of Chachi and they went into the temple with the policeman. Chachi signaled to Ved and pulled him in too. A few minutes later they all came out and dispersed.

Life went on as usual until next day when they all gathered at their respective stations. All seemed normal except the policeman had his handcuffs in his hands and seemed happy. He was buying cookies and cigarettes from the boys and paying them money. Everyone seemed content. Chachi and the monkey were making faces at each other. Even the monkey had a shiny cover of the cookie tin high up in the tree.

By Ria Deshpande

Ragini Seth is an involved member of our community, and has played an incredibly active role in the India Society of Worcester for over twenty years now. Beyond ISW, she has always been actively involved in her local communities. Prior to ISW, Ragini founded and was the first president of the Golden Club, a cultural club for elderly South Asians that provided a venue for senior citizens to share their common issues and an outlet for fun activities. Ragini is also an enthusiastic member of the Northboro Junior Woman’s Club. She volunteered to be the Recording Secretary for NJWC for two years, was co-president and also was the Corresponding Secretary for the club. She is never shy about volunteering her services when the need arises. After September 11, 2001, Ragini co-founded the Indo-American Solidarity Foundation and was its President. The organization raised funds and held a vigil to show support for the victims. This same aspect of her character can be seen with all the work she has done for ISW. She is always ready to help in any capacity, whether it be initiating a new event idea or introducing new people to the ISW community. With her support, ISW’s Garba, Karvachowth, and Hindi Kavi Sammelan events have really thrived and become a great success. Through it all, she always brings her positive attitude to brighten all those around her.

As she now moves onto the next chapter of her life in Texas, I had the opportunity to ask her a couple questions about her experience with ISW. Read her story below!

How did you first get involved with ISW?

I get involved with all organizations through Shiamin, my sister. Though I came here before, I used to commute to Boston so I didn’t get the chance to be involved with any community organizations until Shiamin introduced me to ISW in 1996.

Throughout the years, what aspects of ISW were you involved with?

When I first joined ISW, I joined the executive committee as a member at large for four years. After that, I was Vice President for four years, then Assistant Treasurer for four years, and then finally President for two years. I am now a member at large again. With this, I was also a Hindi language school teacher throughout the years. I first taught older kids, and now I teach elementary school kids.

What will you miss most about ISW?

I will really just miss being a part of ISW. I enjoy giving my time to the community and I have loved being part of this volunteer organization. One of my favorite memories has been going to all the sports games. We first went to a Red Sox game in 2008, and one of our community members had a chance to sing the National Anthem at Fenway - that was really exciting. A couple years later, we had the opportunity to have our dance team perform at a Red Sox game but unfortunately, the game was cancelled due to rain! I felt so bad that they could not perform after practicing for hours and hours, so I called the Celtics and asked if our dancers could open one of their games. They agreed, and since 2010, ISW has been attending and performing at TD Garden! I have had so many fun memories with ISW, and truly I’ll miss it all.

(Photo credit: Ragoo Raghunathan)

By Pravin Trivedi

We had lived for two years in Springfield, MA. We did not know anyone when we moved to Massachusetts as it was my first job after emigrating to the USA.  We bought a ten-year-old Plymouth Valiant that was burning and leaking oil. I knew so little about cars. We could not afford a second car, so we had to use this oil bucket for everything, my work, my wife’s college, taking our child to the doctor’s.

Then the brakes died one day. Being an engineer, I thought how difficult can it be to repair brakes! I had a Lambretta 80 cc scooter and a bicycle, and always fixed them.   So, I went to local auto parts store and bought everything the technician recommended. It being the only family car I had to repair it in a short time when we least needed it . So the next Monday evening my wife had school from 7 p.m. till 9:30 and I thought that would give me enough time to take her to school, go home, fix the brakes and go back and get her when school finishes.

Little did I know things that can go wrong!!  The wheels had rusted on their rims to the car. It took me an hour to hit them loose with a 10 pound sledge hammer. I also did not know that I knew that many swear words. I was not careful that my three-year-old son was within listening distance. Looking at the watch, I had to hurry now.  I quickly put on the new brake shoe pads on and rushed to lower the car.  The jack slipped and scraped my knuckles. More cursing, change of clothes and quick trip to the school. 

She was waiting for me, got in the car and off we go home.  There was a traffic light and a left turn to be made out of the school. I made the light and the turn when the light turned red. I tried to stop the car but some how the brake pedal went all the way to the bottom. The car did not stop. Fortunately, the car had slowed down going around the turn, but it did not stop.  On he other hand, the car in front of me had stopped just after the turn.  When the front bumper of my car found the now stationary rear bumper of the car in front, both cars came to a grinding halt with a slow screeching noise. 

I turned off the engine and with hung head waited the inevitable. I saw the door of the car I had hit open slowly. I opened my car door and slowly got out. I could see ahead a yelling from him, a call to the police, exchange of license and insurance information, etc.  The person that got out of the car was more than six foot tall and he tried to direct the traffic away from us. He slowly walked towards me and looked beyond. He looked behind my car and that is the first time I noticed a pool of liquid on the road.  He touched the liquid and said, “Brakes?” “Yes, I just fixed them” I said. “Looks like you did not quite,” he said.  For a guy who had just been hit in the rear, he was vey calm.  I went to the passenger door of my car and looked in the glove compartment.

“What are you looking for?” he asked. “Did you bleed the brakes after you replaced the cylinder bushings?  Did you get the rotors ground?” 

He saw the answer on my face. I had not. 

“My insurance papers,” I said.

“We don’t need those,” he said, still calmly.

“We need to get our cars out of the traffic, or someone will hit us again.” He opened the trunk of his car.

“But I cannot move my car,” I said.

“I can see that, but we can, where do you live?”

“Sixteen acres,” I said.

“Oh, that is where I live,” he said.

It was when there were no cell phones, so we would have to wait for the neighborhood patrol cars to arrive.  He took a wide fabric belt in his hand and wrapped it around his rear bumper. He took the other end of it and wrapped it to my front bumper.

“Now I will drive very slowly. You keep your hand on the emergency brake and do not brake hard if you feel me stopping.”

“But, but,” I was mumbling.

“Do you have any better ideas?” he said and got in his car.

I got in my car and the two cars slowly started moving jerkily forwards.  We were fortunate, there was very little traffic and apart from a couple of bumps, we did not do any further damage.

I also made up my mind that I will not tackle such a big job without working with a friend!  I also did not think nice people like that man existed anymore.

By Ragoo Raghunathan

As a part of this series, this week we introduce you to a local entrepreneur. Dr. Venkat Kolluri is a Shrewsbury resident and has been a member and well-wisher of the ISW community for many years. I recently got the opportunity to interview him about his entrepreneurial journey and experience.

When and how did you figure out you wanted to start a company? 

In 2002, I was working as a technologist at Lycos.com. When everyone panicked during the internet 1.0 bubble burst and left the dot coms, I saw the true long-term potential of the web as a powerful matching engine connecting advertisers and online consumers. I quit my full-time job at Lycos and started an ad tech company, along with another colleague, Alden Dorosario, kick starting a journey that led to the creation of one of the largest contextual ad networks, Chitika.

What drives you to keep going and starting up new companies?  

Being a tech geek at the core, I tend to gravitate towards the intersection of data and technology, especially when it gives me the opportunity to solve real world problems. The world of online web advertising attracted me when I noticed that it can be significantly improved using technology and data to match advertisers and online consumers. Similarly, with the advent of mobile phones, using mobile GPS tech to present users with location specific relevant offers from local advertisers turned out to be another opportunity that attracted me, leading to the creation of a mobile marketing company, Cidewalk.com. 

How do you define ‘success’? 

Taking an idea from inception to creation to launch and getting users to like it and use it. Seeing your idea in action in the real world, making an impact and getting positive feedback from customers, is simply priceless! 

Do you think there are certain core values that companies should instill in their teammates? If yes, what are they?

An irresistible passion for problem solving. In business, as in life, day in and out you get hit with unexpected challenges. You have two choices: either look at those challenges and simply get frustrated or tackle those problems as if they are interesting puzzles to be solved. The first approach will quickly wear you down. The second approach will tend to make the journey very exciting and successful. 

What advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur? 

YES you can do it, IF you truly believe in it AND if you are willing to go all in. 

Also, don't hesitate to ask for and take help. We are all surrounded by people who are ready to help when needed. You just need to be true to your vision and ask for help when needed.

What is your perception of the impact of small businesses to the local community?

Small businesses are the pulse of the local ecosystem. If we can nurture and support local businesses, it will lead to a healthy ecosystem we all can benefit from. Along with a group of like minded entrepreneurs, we started Krosslink.org to help nurture the entrepreneurial spirit within local communities, using local public libraries as the launching pad.

What are some of your hobbies and what do you do in your free time?

Being the crazy wacky husband to my better half, and the goofy dad to my two kids.

by Snehalata Kadam

Namaste! I would like to demonstrate Surya Namaskar in this video. This is one of my favorite everyday routines. It is a fast pace complete workout and it takes only 4 and a half minutes. So no excuses! :)

It has multiple health benefits:

1. Improves our posture and strengthens our wrist, something that we need to be aware of during this virtual world of learning and working.
2. It strengthens our bones for our longevity as well as for the young growing kids to increase their height.
3. It enhances our immune system.
4. It boosts our energy to stay active and positive throughout the day.
5. Believe it or not it absolutely improves our skin tone for us to look as graceful as we want and for a very long time.

We can do either just one set every day for the above benefits. We can also do 5 sets to melt some extra pounds if we want. So let’s get started! We need to breath-in at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 counts and breath-out at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 counts. The video shows one set of 11 Surya Namaskars done in 4 and a half minutes.

By Ria Deshpande

Bharti Bhakta is the owner of Manor on the Hill Assisted Living Community, and in the past twelve years, she has also become a yoga and meditation instructor. She credits her practice in aiding her to become a more grateful and balanced person, and encourages everyone to try it as well. Read her story below!

How did you get into yoga and meditation?

I run an assisted living facility, and around thirteen years ago, this one lady came to place her elder sister. She asked me if I do yoga, and after telling her that I do not, she suggested that I buy a yoga book titled “Do Yoga in 30 Days”, saying that it is the best book she has ever bought. After that, every time she visited, she used to ask whether I have bought the book and after months of me saying no, she finally gave me the book so that I would have no excuse. So, I have been practicing yoga since receiving the book in 2008.

What kind of training do you have? 

I did a six week teacher training session in 2010, and a second asana training in 2014. I completed both in India. 

What is your favorite style of yoga? What about your favorite way to meditate?

It really depends. Some people feel comfortable doing simple asana style yoga, whereas others like to sweat with hatha yoga. I enjoy all styles, as long as it helps my body feel healthy. I feel that no matter the style, yoga and meditation is extremely rewarding with physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. It helps the body feel energized and balanced. For example, I enjoy doing pranayam (breathing exercises) and meditation for mental awareness and feeling lightness in the body while at the same time making my life force feel very energetic. It is important to keep in mind that yoga and meditation makes the mind feel very compassionate for any being, and I always tell people that it can help you do anything you pursue more efficiently. 

How do you think yoga and meditation has changed your life?

Physically, I have lost some weight and I feel more healthy, but beyond that, I see many mental changes. I have lost interest in arguing with anyone and overall, I am a more calm, level headed person. Meditation goes beyond the mind and can help change your personality to what you want to become. In fact, some jails in India even have prisoners practice yoga and meditation to change them into a better person. It really is powerful. 

What advice do you have for people who want to start yoga? 

I see many people who say they do not have time for yoga, but I always tell them, even if you don’t have time for a full one hour yoga session, give at least thirty minutes or even five minutes -- just keep going. You need to make it a habit, a lifestyle, and after you do, your body and mind will ask for it and it won’t feel like a chore anymore. The hardest part is always getting started.