Snigdha Bharadwaj is a qualified professional Yoga Instructor, with prestigious Yoga certifications that are internationally recognized and issued by the AYUSH ministry (a Govt of India Body that is responsible for certified qualified yoga teachers within India and Internationally through a very stringent qualification process)
- YCB level 2 (Yoga Certification Board)
- RPL- Level 5 (Recognition of Prior Learning)
- 200 hours – Teachers training program- Sri Sri School of Yoga
- Sri Sri Yoga 200 hours – Recognized by Govt of India and Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga school.
Snigdha Bharadwaj opens her heart out on Women Fitness on the occasion of International Yoga Day
Namita Nayyar:
Can you share your journey with yoga? How did you first discover yoga, and what inspired you to become a yogini?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
I was introduced to Yoga through Jal Neti Kriya while serving as a technical officer with the Indian Air Force in 1998. Some gentle but profound stretches & meditation made me realize the before and after effects of Yoga!
This sowed the seed of the future that I am living today. I instantly connected with Yoga and during the Kargil war, it was yoga and meditation that helped me keep my awareness at the peak in daring and challenging situations. I continued with whatever little I knew regarding aasans and a bit of meditation but was always felt the void for something more.
It was much later in life when I left the Indian Air Force and stepped into the corporate world, I realized the dire need to have a work-life balance. The overwhelming life had given me the gift of failing health- spondylitis, thyroid, acidity, low BP, Sciatica, etc. I still thank those tough days that made me get drawn towards Yoga once again …. this time it was serious.
I learned Sudarshan Kriya and asanas at the Art Of Living Centre and realized that yoga is just not making a pretzel of your body!! I can now proudly say that the quest for yoga gave me my Gurudev- Sri Sri Ravishankar ji – my inspiration!!
I soon became an Art Of Living Teacher & and a certified Yoga teacher by Ayush Ministry and Sri Sri School of Yoga. I started teaching Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga & Meditation to people and also learned about healing mudras that are helping close to 6 lakh people through my Insta handle #yogic_hacks! I dropped my corporate job to follow my passion- and transitioned from serving corporations to serving the society.
Recently I have also become a Nadi Astrologer which is a unique science of time and the remedies also leads one to Yoga!!
Namita Nayyar:
How has yoga transformed your life physically, mentally, and spiritually?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
I call it 3D Fitness- Physical, Emotional, and Mental – the combination of these automatically brings forth the Spiritual Fitness.
For me, Spirituality is – clarity in mind, purity in heart & spontaneity in action~Sri Sri ..and yoga has given me all of this.
Needless to say, I recovered from the physical challenges mentioned above and also realized that all these so-called “lifestyle diseases” are the outcome of a stressed mind. Everything starts at the mind level so save your mind at any cost- is my mantra now!
As Sri Sri says- We spend half our lives earning wealth and losing health…..then we spend the 2nd half of our lives spending wealth to earn back the health and it never comes back 100%.
I realized that yoga must happen every waking hour and not just the time one spends on the yoga mat! Every step of life presents something new and it’s up to our mental and physical health how to take it- we can get angry and aggressive and retaliate violently only to regret it later ..or absorb and accept and then take action from the space of calm but firm state of mind. All this became possible when I started doing my yoga asanas, Sudarshan Kriya, and meditation diligently every single day of my life!
Full Interview is Continued on Next Page
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2024 Women Fitness
Namita Nayyar:
In your opinion, what makes yoga such a powerful practice for holistic well-being?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
The regular consistent practice of yoga makes it very powerful.
Holistic well-being incorporates Physical, Mental, and Emotional well-being. One cannot say that he/she is “healthy” because they are not taking any medication.
Namita Nayyar:
What about the mental and emotional well-being?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
Yoga gives you that- the inner balance and strength, the focus (after effect of meditation), perseverance, etc. It brings in balance both at the body and mind level- through asanas, pranayama, and meditation. Every asana practice must culminate into a peaceful meditation – THEN YOGA HAPPENS!
Namita Nayyar:
International Yoga Day celebrates unity and harmony. How does yoga create unity among people from diverse backgrounds and cultures?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
We are all aware of how Yoga from India was looked down upon in earlier days! Now it’s become a fashion statement!
June 21st, 2014 saw the world coming together to celebrate the International Day of Yoga- a proud moment for my country! Yoga rises above the earthly nitty gritty of life – religion, caste, creed, culture & diverse backgrounds. The first union happens in the self when one does yoga- the union of body, mind, and soul – Breath plays the most important role! This individual unity later spreads in ripples into the society when all do the practice. I would like to elaborate more here:
Yoga addresses the truth of life which is – we are humans first- made of the same panch tattva- earth, water, fire, ether, and air. The balance in these 5 elements in our mind and body matrix through the practice of yoga, and meditation brings about harmony- wipes out the negativity and clears the negative vibrations! With regular practices, the world is realizing the worth of a peaceful state of mind and this is how unity blossoms through Yoga and continues to.
Namita Nayyar:
What common misconceptions about yoga do you encounter, and how do you think you could address them?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
My favourite question!! Here they are:
Myth: Yoga means tough asanas on the yoga mat. This is something to be done only by the “healthy” people
Answer: Wrong! Yoga happens even if you are raising your hand synchronized with your breath! It’s as simple as this. Everyone can do yoga asanas. We have sukshma vyayama ( subtle exercise) – that addresses the health of joints when done along with breath & awareness it gives amazing results. Anyone can do yoga- of course in case of some dire disease one must consult the doctor first.
Myth: I do Gym and a lot of jogging and walking. I don’t need yoga.
Answer: The gym addresses the musculoskeletal system of the body. It has nothing to do with the other 7 systems in our body- the nervous system, circulatory system, etc to name a few. The after-effect of Gym is tiredness in the body and the mind is not involved so not much work there. It works more on the sympathetic nervous system that is responsible for fight or flight! I have nothing against Gym but just stating the facts.
Walking is a must even if one does yoga and gym. It’s an aerobic exercise that the body needs.
Yoga is isometric and when done properly has a profound effect on our physical and subtle (mind, intellect, memory, and self) bodies. The deep calmness experienced after ending the asana session with a good meditation has its effect throughout the day at the mind level too. This works on the parasympathetic nervous system hence improving the vagal tone leading to a strong being. The world is not experiencing the outcome of Therapeutic yoga! One has to experience this practically to know what I am talking about.
Namita Nayyar:
As a yogini, how do you incorporate the principles of mindfulness and presence into your daily life?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
My day starts with 45 mins of yoga asanas and pranayama after which I slip into Sudarshan Kriya and meditation. This practice keeps me alert and aware of my own emotions and feelings during different situations that life unfolds throughout the day. I don’t say I never get upset but even if I do it’s for a very short moment and I bounce back into my calm and peaceful happy state of mind.
So I would say “mindfulness” for me, is awareness and doing everything with 100% focus and concentration joyfully without stress. I feel contented and that is the source of my happiness- all thanks to my yoga practices!
Namita Nayyar:
Lastly, on this International Yoga Day, what message would you like to share with those who are curious about starting their yoga journey?
Snigdha Bharadwaj:
Very short and sweet msg-
YOGA IS THE SWEETEST ADDICTION! It’s your life. You have already spent 20,30,40,50,60 years of your life without Yoga. Make the yoga mat your best friend and experience the other side of life …calm, peaceful, joyful, and living life to the fullest! Who doesn’t want that?
This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President of womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied, or hosted in part or full anywhere without express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2024 Women Fitness