Entrechat with Anjali Dimri

A yoga instructor is a certified yoga teacher who conducts classes with groups of people which involves meditation and yoga poses. Today, Team Sheatwork avails the opportunity to deep dive into a ‘calming communication’ with a yoga instructor who guides students to “connect to breath” and relax while conducting a series of physical and mental exercises. Anjali Dimri demonstrates a fundamental knowledge of yoga, and possesses a dynamic and engaging personality laced with excellent communication skills. She is a woman who has ‘rocked the cradle’ and is now set out to ‘relax’ the world!

Q1. What propelled you towards becoming a yoga instructor?

Ans. I have always been interested in Yoga and have been practicing it for a very long time. I will forever be thankful to my Yoga trainer (sir), who encouraged me to take it up on a professional level as well. I took a short course to connect with, understand and practice yoga in my life and in the process, I started enjoying it. Having personally enjoyed the benefits of practicing yoga, I wanted to share the same with others. Hence my journey as a yoga instructor began.

Q2. What according to you, are the strengths that a yoga guide should possess?

Ans. As a Yoga Trainer, one should be empathetic and a good listener. One should understand the problems, needs, challenges and the physical and mental well-being of students in order to cull out the best yoga practices for them. Certain exercises need to be modified in order to suit the student and this is something the Yoga teacher should be able to do.

Q3. How long have you been practicing yoga? How do you find competition in your business
area?

I have been practicing Yoga since my teenage. Owing to my familial duties post-marriage, yoga did take a back-seat for a while. However, for the past 7-8 years I have been an undeterred yoga enthusiast and I thoroughly enjoy it. As far as competition is concerned, it is across fields and jobs. Lately, with growing awareness around mental well-being, we have seen increased interest in Yoga.

Q4. Could you tell us about the challenges faced by you?

The biggest challenge in this field is to convince people to start their Yoga Journey. There are many misconceptions surrounding this sphere. Often yoga is perceived as a tool to ‘get well’. Indeed, yoga can cure a number of diseases but it also is a tool to help people ‘remain well’! Also, some have the pre-conceived notion that yoga is for people who cannot exercise a lot, or that Yoga is boring. Most of the time, people start their yoga training because they are ‘prescribed’ to do it. In such cases, although people start their Yoga training enthusiastically, they tend to easily get bored along the way. So, the challenge is – creating awareness – regarding the benefits of Yoga and helping people to perceive yoga as a healthy way of living life.

Q5. How do you try to make your sessions different and more beneficial for students?

I try and be as true to Yoga as possible. I do modify the pace and the forms of exercise to make my sessions interesting but ensure that the base is purely Yoga. My foremost focus remains on making people aware of their breathing patterns, which is why all my sessions include ‘Pranayam’ at the end. I have observed that people are not aware of the the wonders ‘Pranayams’ can work for them. Having made my students conscious about the benefit of Pranayams has benefitted them on many accounts.

Q6. How has practicing yoga benefited your life? What are your future plans?

Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame. Along these lines, I believe, Yoga has transformed my life – physically, mentally and spiritually. Yoga has taught me a lot of things and made me aware of my body, breathing patterns, my mental well-being, among others. Yoga has had a very positive impact on my life, and I will be forever grateful.

Q7. Any tips for someone aspiring to make a career out of yoga/ meditation/ mindfulness? 

Please don’t be a part of the crowd. Yoga is a good fitness tool but let’s move beyond weight loss and concentrate on the wellbeing part of it as well. It is a beautiful career choice where you get to handhold people in their journey of wellness and awareness, while simultaneously adding unmatched value to your own well-being as well.