The Middle Path Of Natasha Mahindra

Founder at Anam Cara Yoga Retreats

#WhatWorkedForMe

From: Natasha Mahindra <natashamahindra@gmail.com>

Yoga literally saved my life, I was heading down a very destructive path in life and yoga arrived to teach me many lessons. The biggest one was that the answers to my internal conflicts were hidden within myself. If I worked on myself I would find all the answers. My yoga journey began almost 10 years ago, with basic Bihar school of yoga teachings, after taking my practice more seriously I did my first teacher training in ashtanga vinyasa and my second training was a Hatha yoga teacher training. Along the way,I was attracted to a more therapeutic approach to yoga and decided to study to be a yoga therapist, I would love to see yoga in the medical environment and be part of a integrative holistic approach to healing. I started a yoga retreat company called Anam Cara Yoga Retreats that brings travel, nature and yoga together allowing us to reconnect with our spiritual energies.

Anam Cara retreats are about creating intimate settings in nature where an exchange of knowledge and creativity can take place. May it be dance, art therapy or Buddhist chanting, it will always be rooted in traditional spiritual and esoteric systems. We will bring you the ancient arts of asana practice to the mysticism of Sufi whirling, from Kalari Payittu martial arts to Egyptian belly dance, always with a strong element of an asana practice and awareness of a yogic lifestyle that also goes beyond just the physical but includes meditation, pranayama and philosophy.

What is your daily source of inspiration? 

Always and forever nature. Even if I find myself living in a concrete jungle I make time to get out in nature, go to a park, run in the rain, get out for the weekend. I need my constant supply of the outdoors to truly thrive as a human being.

What is one life lesson you've learnt in your pursuit of fitness? 

To listen to your body and respect it, not comparing yourself to anyone or anything.

Do you employ any unconventional or conventional ways to motivate yourself to stay fit and disciplined? What are they? 

Honestly fitness, yoga any outdoor activities are now part of my life, I can’t function without it. What really keeps me going is to mix it up. I constantly take various yoga classes, go to a dance class. Play a sport, try a capoeira class.

When did you first start consciously thinking about your nutrition and why? 

Growing up in India and especially on a farm I never really indulged in junk food and always ate very balanced it was only in my late teens and during college things went a bit haywire but having the opportunity to study in Australia I was exposed to organic clean eating many years ago and I started to cook,that’s when I truly started changing the way I eat.

In 5 words, what piece of advice would you give your younger self? 

Be wild, be free!!!

What is your biggest indulgence? What's your favourite way to unwind?

Right now sleeping in 

I love to unwind by going out dancing and if I can do that barefoot out in nature, nothing like it.