Nurturing body and mind with the learnings of Yoga at the age of 74.

An inspiring story of Krishnamurthy Ramaswamy (Khyaal Community Member)

“My name is Krishnamurthy Ramaswamy and I am 74 years old. I was born and brought up in Dadar, Mumbai. I have three brothers and three sisters, me being the second last one. My father worked in the private sector and my mother was a housewife. When I was young, I liked playing cricket. Me and my wife have two daughters. After matriculation I was fortunate to get a job at Mahindra Tractor. I got an internship for two years and then I was hired permanently.

At the age of 45, I started to struggle with back pain. This was because I was working shifts, which also affected my sleep. My colleague then suggested I take a 2-week introductory Yoga course. I completed the 2-week course and started practicing Yoga every day. My back pain also disappeared. I became fond of Yoga and decided to do a diploma in Yoga. In 1990, I took admission at Yogvidya Niketan. I used to attend training every Sunday morning. It had both practical and theory components and was very structured. After the one-year diploma was completed, the management of my company encouraged me to teach Yoga to my co-workers. I started teaching Yoga at office which continued for three years.

I took VRS at the age of 55. Retirement gave me plenty of time. So, I joined Yogvidya Niketan as a full-time teacher in 1993. It was an honour to teach in the same institute where I had learned Yoga from. In my journey as a Yoga teacher, I have conducted various types of Yoga workshops for different health issues. Things changed drastically during the COVID-19 period. We were not able to hold physical sessions and hence shifted to online sessions. That was a major learning curve for me. From learning to operate zoom to adjusting the camera, I learned gradually. The best thing about online sessions is that you can teach people anywhere in the world right from your home. The internet is a blessing for humanity.

This is the Golden Jubilee year of the Yogvidya Niketan. At the Golden Jubilee celebration, I was felicitated for completing 30 years of teaching Yoga. This was a moment of immense pride for me. I did not even realize how many years had passed by doing the thing I love the most. I also give private classes for people who cannot come to the centre. I teach Yoga every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 6 to 7.30 in the morning and evening.

Yoga is a lifestyle. It has not only helped me to maintain my health, but has also taught me many other things. It has taught me patience. I am able to be calm and control my emotions well. It has taught me discipline. Discipline is the most important virtue of Yoga. It is a lifelong commitment. As a Yoga teacher, I have the opportunity to meet so many people from different walks of life with different mindsets and approaches. I have learned how to talk and interact with people. I have made some really good friends along the way. Yoga has taught me to develop a positive attitude towards life.

One piece of advice to my fellow seniors is to live and let live. Learn to forgive and let go.” - Krishnamurthy Ramaswamy (Khyaal Community Member)