“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'
"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.
"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.
Path to Recovery
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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
"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.