Beyond the mat
Things I love
the little joys that keep me curious
Music
Keys, flute & rest
Music has always been a way home for me. At the piano or with a bamboo flute, the busy mind goes quiet and there is only the next note, the next breath.
The flute especially is pure breath turned into sound. From strings on the ghats of Pushkar to the dholak at a satsang and the call of the shankh by the Ganga, it is the same feeling I look for in meditation: full attention, no effort, and a little bit of joy that stays long after the last note.
Adventure
Under water, on the road
I love saying yes to the unknown. Whether it is diving beneath the waves or setting off on a motorbike, adventure keeps me curious and wide awake.
Under the water everything slows down. You breathe slowly, move gently and notice everything. It turns out the ocean teaches the same lessons as the meditation mat.
Photography
Seeing, slowly
A camera is a wonderful excuse to really look. Light, faces, a moment of laughter in a classroom: photography asks you to be completely present.
Some of my favourite pictures are the ones of children discovering something new about themselves. Those are the moments I never want to miss.
Animal lover
Every creature is a friend
Animals have always found their way to me, and I to them. A dog leaning in for a hug, a cat that finally settles in your hands, a parakeet that decides your wrist is a good place to sit.
They love without conditions and live completely in the moment. Whether it is a friend at home or a young orangutan in Indonesia, every animal reminds me how simple joy can be.
Painting
Colour, line & devotion
Painting is where I let go completely. A brush, some water and colour, and hours pass like minutes.
From quiet pencil sketches of the Nataraja and an ancient seated figure to the wild energy of the bull fight series, each piece holds a mood I wanted to remember. All of these are painted by me.
Sandhyavandanam
Pausing at the meeting points of the day
Sandhyavandanam is an ancient Vedic practice of pausing at the sandhyas, the meeting points of the day at sunrise, noon and sunset, to offer water to the sun, chant the Gayatri mantra and sit in silence.
For me it is a daily homecoming. A copper tumbler, a few drops of water, the breath and the mantra, and the whole day is gently reset.
- PratahSunrise
- MadhyahnaNoon
- SayamSunset
Whatever you love, do it with your whole attention. That is where the magic is.
— Shreya
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