Interview on my Yoga Journey by Reema Jain for Ashmayu Yoga Studio.

I have seen many people who are quite inspirational. They are generally bursting with energy and carry enthusiasm inside and around them. People who inspire us do not become so instantly. There is always a story to tell and write about, a story worth listening to, a story to be inspired by. But what inspires them, what makes them special, what do they do to be who they are?

Well,

• They do what they are determined to
• They are disciplined
• They create their own path

One who belongs to this league is Kranthi Kiran, a yoga practitioner who believes in applying principles of Yoga to real life situations.

I was assigned to write a story on him, but I’m sorry! I hardly know him, I wrote something about him from the articles that were shared with me. That story was mailed to him via Mr. Naveen Sharma, Ashmayu Yoga, Bengaluru. When Kranthi read that piece of writing, he asked Naveen, “Please connect me to this lady, I need to talk to her.” That’s how I got the opportunity to talk to him over phone for exactly 18 minutes. Those 18 min of conversation allowed me to get a feel of his energy and personality. He didn’t talk about the changes required. He only talked about his beliefs in general, somewhere, he made me understand what should I be doing with myself and my mind is still captured in those 18 min.

Kranthi is a person worth knowing. He says, “There is no me in the past I remember. There is no me in the future that exists. There is just me in this moment that is real and alive.”

So, let me live this moment of writing this blog and ‘You do live this moment of reading it to the fullest.’

Kranthi Kiran –

• A person, who believes not only in himself but also on the world outside,
• is full of curiosity but doesn’t allow it to affect the stillness of his mind,
• pursues an active lifestyle; manages his energies using breath as a medium to connect his body to mind
• doesn’t try to balance the professional and the personal life instead he aims to create harmony between them,
• doesn’t try to change the world rather he is open up to new possibilities and changes occurring around.

Kranthi, an IIT-IIM alumnus and currently driving business excellence projects at a German conglomerate, believes in lifelong learning and sharing. He likes to experiment with his own views on life and leadership, through meeting people with varied backgrounds and exposing himself to unfamiliar surroundings. He loves a hands-on approach to problem solving and working in diverse teams. He likes navigating through chaos and finding creative ways to thrive amidst it.

He is an ardent traveler, thrill seeker, dance enthusiast, doodle artist, instant photographer and an avid blogger.

So, how does he manage to pursue so many activities and also excel in them all?

What motivates him?

From where does he get the energy?

Daily Practice of Yoga and Application of Principles of Yoga in everyday life

He uses yoga principles not only on the mat but also off the mat. He says, “Yoga for me is all about discipline and I follow the ashtanga method as laid out in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Yama – Niyama – Asana – Pranayama – Prathyahara – Dharana – Dhyana – Samadhi

According to him, Yama ( how we conduct ourselves in our interactions with others )  and Niyama ( personal discipline ) are the application areas of Yoga in our life while asanas ( postures ), pranayama ( breath control ), Dharana ( concentration ) and Dhyana ( Meditation ) are just tools to aid us in our social life. All these tools help us create a connection between the gross body (sthula) and the subtle mind (sukshma) and allow us to master our senses (Prathyahara) rather than letting them control our body and mind and therefore, our decisions.

 I live by the following two verses from Pathanjali’s yoga sutras:

Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodahah – Yoga stills the fluctuations on our mind

Sthira Sukham Asanam – Steady in our mind, Happy in our heart – that is a posture”

It helps him –

• In bringing clarity to his everyday activities
• In being a witness by seeing things as they are, not as he wants them to be
• In being adaptable and happily deal with life’s uncertainties
• To respond and not to react.

Yoga makes his journey more mindful and allows him to slow down and be in the now all the time.

He not only has his own home practice but also offers one-to-one counselling and group workshops. The workshop closest to his heart is ‘Yoga for Empowerment’ project, which aims to promote holistic wellness in the villages of India. Kranthi says, “Through these workshops, we teach local people about the importance of yoga and how to build it into their everyday lives. We also identify potential teachers from the community who could lead a session at the village, allowing them all to practice independently, thus making it a sustainable activity.”

Here are some of his musings for you:

• My Mind has a posture. Find out yours.
• The journey is you. The destination is us.
• The only thing ever known is that there is always something unknown.
• To seek the unknown. This pursuit is life.
• 100% theory. 100% practice. No half-hearted attempts.
• Stay focused on the path you have chosen. And you are already changing everything inside and around you.
• Your being is ever radiant. So let the sun shine.

Managing Energies – be at work or in life. Your energy is independent of your location or your position.

Carry an active body, still mind and a happy heart. At all times.  

The message to the readers from Kranthi Kiran –

“The nature around you and inside you must merge and you must cease to exist.”

So –

How clear is your mind? How still are you? What does your mind contain? Nothing or everything!

Only nothing can hold everything.

Stay clear. Stay empty. Breathe.

“Neither seek nor avoid; take what comes.” – Swami Vivekananda.