Sometimes the end of a contract can give us the opportunity (or the excuse we needed) to do something radically different with our life – a life change.
After checking my savings, I didn’t hesitate twice. My personal situation allowed me to walk the talk to embark in a transformational journey which started 7 months ago. Since then I have been adding pieces to and shaping the puzzle of my life the way I want.
I left Switzerland in early January with some clear objectives: self development, giving back to the society and overall living my dreams; taking the time to do things I always wanted to do without schedules nor obligations. Free as a bird!
My journey started the best way possible, in India, where I ended up staying 5 months. I attended an International Yoga Festival followed by a 200 hours Yoga Teacher Training (TTC) in an Ashram somewhere in the countryside of Maharastra state.
Having practiced yoga on and off over the last 15 years, the time had come to learn yoga in the traditional philosophy and where it was born, in order to teach other fellows and let them benefit from the outstanding power of yoga. The time had come to help spread body and mind awareness and consciousness.
Practicing 4 hours of yoga a day for one month was quite a challenge but what I learned was definitely worthwhile. After endless asanas (body postures), mantra chanting, pranayama (breathing techniques), prayers, body detox (from caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, animal protein, etc) while nurturing the mind and spirit with interesting lectures about yoga philosophy, I experienced inner peace, a higher connection with myself and a very pleasant sensation of well being. I found myself oxygenated, inspired and elevated… like in a new dimension.
I left the Ashram with the satisfaction of having achieved an important milestone in my journey by becoming a certified “yogin” along with truly inspirational teachers and colleagues.
One month after the ashram experience, after I’d backpacked in beautiful destinations, I flew to Northeast India, in the state of Assam to join Aaranyak as a volunteer, a local NGO working to protect biodiversity.
A brand new overwhelming experience was just about to start… 3 months of Indian summer in a region where the humidity reaches peaks and squeezes people. Probably, I didn’t choose the easiest country, place and time, yet I lived the most rewarding personal, human, social, cultural and professional experience.
Over the past years, while I was working for a renowned International Conservation Organization, I nurtured the desire of leaving the office to get involved in field work and of course, I wanted to see wildlife.
Being a nature lover, I found myself in one of the richest bio-diverse regions of the world, at the heart of two stunning national parks. There for the first time in my life, I saw the most incredible wildlife in the wild that I could ever have dreamt of: one-horned rhinos, elephants, wild buffalos, languor, deer, birds and many other species that Aaranyak has been working tirelessly to protect.
My collaboration with Aaranyak allowed me to meet many project beneficiaries and understand nature conservation through a social perspective. The dots between the realities of the office and the field where connected and I was happy to see a “bigger picture”.
As I was privileged to have the time, I thought it would make sense to do something useful to society and give my time, energy and skills to support a (universal) cause close to my heart.
I worked with low-tech equipment, sometimes in extreme weather conditions, sweating in permanence, with mosquitoes in the office; I was frightened by a strong earthquake and many times I felt like I was just surviving. Yet the list of good moments, experiences and encounters is far longer.
I was there to “give” and I received so much! I was overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality of the Assamese people and specially the empathy, care and warmth from my colleagues. I made good friends and I met young and passionate conservationists which gives me hope for the future; I attended a traditional Assamese wedding (where some confusion abounded as my name means ‘groom’ in Assamese); I ate the most impossibly succulent mangoes; I taught yoga to colleagues, I gave lectures on nature conservation and had interactions with thousands of students in Guwahati schools; I was the guest honor at Gurukul Grammar Senior Secondary School a the occasion of the International Yoga Day where I demonstrated some Asanas to an impressive audience of 1500 people and shared my views about the link between yoga and nature on which I would like to conclude this testimonial.
“Yoga is union, connection between the body and mind (and the spirit).
If we are able to connect with ourselves, we will be able to connect with each other, with all living creatures and with nature. Likewise, if we can’t care for nor love ourselves, we can’t care for nor love others, nor different forms of life, and we can’t care for nor love nature.
When I look at the way we are treating nature I don’t see much respect nor care nor love. I believe this is because we don’t respect, care for nor love ourselves.
Yoga allows us to be conscious, aware and mindful about our thoughts, behaviors and actions.
Let’s make a vow together to take at least 5 minutes a day just for ourselves. Let’s set an intention to generate love and compassion, for ourselves, for others, for other living creatures…. and by doing so we will generate love for nature.”
To the people I meet on my way, who ask me what I am going to do next, I answer: Who knows? The future is yet to come, only the present moment is real and I welcome it as it comes. I am confident that I will find a job on my return; perhaps I will open a yoga studio.
I am extremely grateful for the chance I have to live such an incredible experience – a truly meaningful one – and every day I express my gratitude to the universe and embrace the new day to come with a smile.
I encourage everyone to embark in a new life experience. We all have an unlimited potential and many talents, which are there, waiting to be awaken.
