https://sputniknews.in/20230622/meet-the-iyengar-yoga-aficionado-who-got-back-on-her-feet-after-being-bedridden-2603197.html
Meet The Iyengar Yoga Aficionado Who Got Back on Her Feet After Being Bedridden
Meet The Iyengar Yoga Aficionado Who Got Back on Her Feet After Being Bedridden
Sputnik India
Nivedita Joshi, a trained biologist and now a renowned Iyengar Yoga teacher, turned to veteran yoga guru, late BKS Iyengar, who helped her get back on her feet by practicing Iyenger yoga.
2023-06-22T13:18+0530
2023-06-22T13:18+0530
2023-06-22T13:21+0530
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It was that time of year when people in India were immersed in celebrating Krishna Janmashtami, a Hindu festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna.Clad in traditional Indian attire, 15-year-old Nivedita Joshi, sat on the floor praying, singing and chanting along with others who were part of the worshiping ritual.Little did she know that her life was about to take a cataclysmic turn and she would be rendered bedridden for years.Doctors Declare Her Case 'Hopeless' Because of a lack of proper diagnosis, Joshi’s condition deteriorated, and she lost the ability to move her hands and legs, making her completely bedridden and moving only with the help of a wheelchair.For eight years, her life was one of suffering and hardship.When all the doctors turned down her case, yoga guru Iyengar gave Joshi hope and started training her in Iyengar yoga at his Institute in Maharashtra state's Pune city.Path to RecoveryJoshi turned to Iyengar yoga, a form of yoga that focuses on precision, alignment, and the use of props to aid its practice. She started practicing yoga every day, using props such as blocks, blankets, and straps to support her movements.In her case, guruji improvised the asanas and made her achieve the impossible.When she started doing yoga, it was an uphill battle. On the 12th day of her training, Joshi experienced a positive change in her body and this turning point brought back her confidence and showed her a path of healing.From not being able to lift a cup of tea or being dependent on others to be fed to now doing everything on her own, Joshi underwent a complete transformation.She arrived in a wheelchair but emerged walking on her feet unaided. Yoga gave her back her life - and her life became yogaThough she continued her physiotherapy and treatment, it was Iyengar yoga that helped her recover faster.Joshi strongly believes that yoga has great power to heal. But she has no patience with the myth and false claims that yoga can cure a person from diseases such as cancer or diabetes. Joshi's dedication and commitment to the practice paid off in a big way. She has not only recovered but has also become an expert in Iyengar yoga, teaching others about this healing exercise and how it can help them overcome various physical and mental health issues.
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janmashtami, a hindu festival, nivedita joshi, gone case, spinal degeneration, yoga guru bks iyenger, precision, alignment, improvisations of the asanas, innovation of the prop, the timing of the asanas, sequencing of performing the asanas, bharadvaj-asana, healing people, cure, yoga, international yoga day
Meet The Iyengar Yoga Aficionado Who Got Back on Her Feet After Being Bedridden
13:18 22.06.2023 (Updated: 13:21 22.06.2023) Nivedita Joshi, a trained biologist and now a renowned Iyengar Yoga teacher, turned to veteran yoga guru, the late Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, who helped her get back on her feet by practicing the yoga he devised.
It was that time of year when people in India were immersed in celebrating Krishna Janmashtami, a Hindu festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna.
Clad in traditional Indian attire, 15-year-old Nivedita Joshi, sat on the floor praying, singing and chanting along with others who were part of the worshiping ritual.
Little did she know that her life was about to take a cataclysmic turn and she would be rendered bedridden for years.
“After two hours of the puja (worship ritual), everybody got up and went back to their home. But I couldn't get up from the floor. That was the end of my normal life," Joshi told Sputnik, as she recounted the tragedy that befell her and how she took back control with the help of Iyengar yoga.
"My spine had collapsed. There were no MRIs those days. Back then, the doctors said that it was a muscle weakness; but actually, it was a very early, young-age slipped disc,” Joshi added.
Doctors Declare Her Case 'Hopeless'
Because of a lack of proper diagnosis, Joshi’s condition deteriorated, and she lost the ability to move her hands and legs, making her completely bedridden and moving only with the help of a wheelchair.
For eight years, her life was one of suffering and hardship.
"I was in great pain and had no strength in my hand or to get up. I used to get up when I had to be examined. But it seemed impossible to even clear my exams. But my parents were very determined that I should achieve the impossible by training me every day, while I would cry to them and give up," Joshi said.
When all the doctors turned down her case,
yoga guru Iyengar gave Joshi hope and started training her in Iyengar yoga at his Institute in Maharashtra state's Pune city.
"No medical body was ready to work on me except by surgery. Everybody said that it was a hopeless case and they couldn't do anything. And here is the person who stands up and says, 'Yes, you're a hopeless case, but I can do it. I can bring you back to the surface'. So guruji gave me hope and since then there was no looking back," Joshi said.
Joshi turned to Iyengar yoga, a form of yoga that focuses on precision, alignment, and the use of props to aid its practice. She started practicing yoga every day, using props such as blocks, blankets, and straps to support her movements.
"In Iyengar guruji's case, there were five pillars of his Iyengar yoga which make it very effective with people. That is, precision, alignment of your body with mind, improvisations of the asanas without diluting the ancient effect, the innovation of the prop, the timing of the asanas and the sequencing of performing the asanas," Joshi said.
In her case, guruji improvised the asanas and made her achieve the impossible.
"He made me do 'Bharadvaj-asana' which is usually done by sitting on the floor. But at that time, I was unable to sit on the floor. So I was taught on the chair. That's how he improvised the asanas," Joshi shared.
When she started doing
yoga, it was an uphill battle.
"Once guruji asked me to balance my entire body weight on my palms. So I looked at him and said 'Don't you remember - I can't use my limbs'. He shouted at me. He showed me first how to do it, and then I did it for barely 15 to 30 seconds. But when I came out of the pose, the first thought was, 'Yes, I can do it. My limbs can be used, and they can hold such a heavy body'," Joshi said.
On the 12th day of her training, Joshi experienced a positive change in her body and this turning point brought back her confidence and showed her a path of healing.
From not being able to lift a cup of tea or being dependent on others to be fed to now doing everything on her own, Joshi underwent a complete transformation.
She arrived in a wheelchair but emerged walking on her feet unaided.
"I don't think anybody else would have taken care of me or would have treated me better than my guru. What you expect and the way your life unfolds are two different things. One has to see things from that perspective. In terms of pain, yes, it took quite a long time but Iyengar yoga is the fastest recovery methodology," Joshi said.
Yoga gave her back her life - and her life became yoga
Though she continued her physiotherapy and treatment, it was Iyengar yoga that helped her recover faster.
Joshi strongly believes that yoga has great power to heal. But she has no patience with the myth and false claims that yoga can cure a person from diseases such as cancer or diabetes.
"Yoga is an amalgamation of science, art and philosophy. I always say that it is one of the most beautiful subjects I've ever studied as it holds ancient wisdom with an absolutely modern scientific approach," Joshi said.
Joshi's dedication and commitment to the practice paid off in a big way. She has not only recovered but has also become an expert in Iyengar yoga, teaching others about this healing exercise and how it can help them overcome various physical and mental health issues.
