At the time of writing this, it’s been one year since my life-changing and transformative trip to India — a journey that, looking back, feels like a divine setup for everything that has unfolded since.
The first part of that trip was a 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training with Anand Mehrotra at Sattva Yoga Academy in Rishikesh. I’ll be honest — I booked the course without doing much research (shock horror, I know). It aligned perfectly with my flights, the time off I’d managed to get, and the dates — so I said, why not?
Little did I know at the time that it was a Kundalini-based Kriya Yoga course and that saying yes to it would completely change the direction of my life.
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What I Learned (Without Expecting To)
Kundalini Yoga, sometimes called the Yoga of Awareness, is about moving energy not just physically, but spiritually. The word Kundalini refers to a coiled energy at the base of the spine that can be awakened through breathwork, movement, mantra, and meditation.
It’s about moving in the direction of more — more awareness, more authenticity, more connection to Source. Before this trip, I thought of yoga as something I taught, something I practiced, and something that helped me stay balanced.
But what I came to realise was that yoga is life itself it’s how we meet every challenge, how we respond to our emotions, and how we open to truth.
The Year That Followed
When I came back from India, I didn’t glide into bliss and abundance. I came home to a year that would test everything I’d learned and every ounce of sthira (steadiness) I’d cultivated. I’ve navigated:
- Deep frustration with online content and how noisy and performative it can feel
- Dishonest digital marketers (not my current team — Ashu and crew, you’re legends)
- Failed property leases and start-stop negotiations
- Health challenges that knocked my confidence
- Caring for my mum, who’s aging but still fiercely independent
- And yes… Invisalign. (Because sometimes personal transformation involves both your jaw and your spirit.)
Through all of it, my personal practice has been the anchor. Kundalini Yoga gave me purpose, a north star: to keep moving toward Source, toward truth, toward steadiness in an unsteady world.
Why Kundalini Yoga Is Different
Kundalini Yoga is not just about postures or flexibility — it’s about awakening awareness.
While styles like Vinyasa and Hatha strengthen the body and refine alignment, Kundalini goes deeper — it refines the energy that animates the body.
Through kriya (specific sequences), pranayama (breathwork), mantra, and meditation, it invites you to burn through resistance, shake off dullness, and step into your highest potential. It’s demanding physically, mentally, and emotionally — but it’s also deeply liberating.
For me, Kundalini has been the most powerful teacher in resilience, devotion, and grace.
It’s taught me that awakening doesn’t happen in isolation it happens in the middle of life, when you’re juggling deadlines, grief, and gum trays.
Here and Now: From India to Mittagong
And now, one year later, I find myself standing on the threshold of something new again.
In just a few weeks, I’ll be opening my own yoga studio — Sthira Yoga Academy, right here in Mittagong, in the Southern Highlands of NSW. It’s in a brilliant location opposite McDonald’s and next door to Toshi’s (because balance, right?).
It’s simple, grounded, and everything I could have hoped for: a space built from real experience, not perfection. I can honestly say that none of this not the courage, not the clarity, not the consistency would have been possible without Kundalini Yoga. It gave me the tools to keep showing up when everything felt uncertain. And that, to me, is what true yoga is all about. Steady. Stable. Strong.
So here’s to one year since India and to the practice that continues to change me from the inside out. If you’re in the Southern Highlands, I’d love to welcome you to a class, share a breath, and help you find your own sthira — your steadiness in an unsteady world.
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