“Action is movement with intelligence, the world is filled with movement, what the world needs is more conscious movement, more action,” said B.K.S. Iyengar.
I vaguely remember the beautiful pastures and my grandfather riding his horse through the thick green grass and disappearing into the sunset while chasing a pack of blue bulls that had been damaging the crops. I was only three when my father’s job made us move to the city of Gurgaon, near New Delhi.
By Pardeep Fogat
This article was written in 2018.
Six years later, it was the summer of 1996, I was almost nine, and a typical city boy piling dreams over dreams, life was wonderful. But my grandfather passed away that summer from a terminal illness. Let’s just say he was the strongest man I knew. For all of us children, he embodied all things superman, although he was known as Berryman. Every year, he had the habit of camping out in the farmlands so that he could collect enough berries for us. He did this right to the end of his days. I can just imagine his predicament—he made sure that none of his children knew of his ailment and continued to carry the 30-pound berry sack and catch the early morning bus to Gurgaon. All this knowing that these were the last memories that he would get to create. He didn’t wish for things, he didn’t wish to travel to see the world—he simply wanted to give.
Fast forward to the year 2000, I was officially a teenager, with a Walkman playing “Bailamos” on a loop. We’ve all been there. This was another exceptionally tough year for my family. I was diagnosed with acute asthma; and the same year my father met with a freak accident which put him into a coma for a fortnight. After a couple of surgeries and a few titanium plates, he regained consciousness. Although all the medical staff involved doubted that my father would ever walk, Dad did beat the odds. After three years of constant home therapy and my mother’s unmatched dedication, he took his first step. This was one of the happiest days for my family. My father could not drive us to school or play street cricket with us like before—but together as a family, we had a sense of achievement and contentment.
Years passed and there I was, an asthmatic overweight teenager with no drive or crave for success. The prescription steroids were taking a toll on my growth trajectory on a physical, and more importantly, on an emotional level. I decided to focus on my studies, and soon completed an undergraduate degree and an MBA (I am still pursuing a PhD).
On a subconscious level though, I never accepted the limitation my hardships had put upon me. My soul was craving for a purpose. My calling, or my realization, occurred to me nearly a decade ago. Or simply put, my soul said I’ve had enough.
In 2008, I found myself travelling with a colleague on a yoga vacation to the beautiful Sivananda Ashram in Kerala.
I will never be truly able to explain my transformation in words. But everything seemed to make sense then. The truth is that the reality of life is sometimes tough, and people become so hypnotized by the levers and cogs that they forget why they are working on the machine in the first place. In Kerala, I met such wonderful people with such beautiful perspectives and philosophy. My hardships, or my limitations, seemed to pale— let’s just say there is always someone dealing with something much worse than you are.
As the vacation was ending, I realized I must not become lost while operating the machine. I must find a meaningful outcome to this chaos. I was re-energized by emotions, and yoga brought everything to the surface. I set myself on a mission to try every existing physical regimen of exercise. I travelled to many countries, got certifications from Taiji to body-building, participated in National and International contests—and came to realize that Yoga is the father of every exercise, and not just physically. After learning, travelling and being part of the best ashrams, institutions and schools around the globe, my purpose became much clearer.
Whatever your profession may be, whether you are a doctor, teacher or a soldier, you want to share your knowledge and be of service to others. But you can only do that if you are aligned with the values of your profession. Yoga to me is a way of life—to be of service. In January 2018, I founded Jal Yoga with my partner, Jasmine, for the sole purpose of providing health and wellness to prevent and to cure, to meditate and to realize, to live and not just exist. This is just the beginning for me…
Namaste.
Pardeep Fogat can be reached at pardeep@jalyoga.com.sg.
Visit www.jalyoga.com.sg.
This article was first published in the print edition of Yoga Journal Singapore, which is now Yogahood Online.
