Yogamaze

My theraputic yoga classes are different from other yoga classes. I focus on Pranayama, Asanas, deep relaxation and meditation.

How did I adopt Yoga into my life?

I can hardly recall a single day till the age of 35 when I was free to leg pain. For as long as I can remember, I suffered from leg pain that would get so intense sometimes that I won’t sleep all night. Often, in the middle of the night, I had to wake and ask my mom or sister to massage my legs, so I can go back to sleep again. I saw many specialists, did many tests, but everything came out as normal.

One day, I went to see a podiatrist who diagnosed the problem as flat feet and prescribed special orthotics. For few months, it worked miraculously as for the first time in my life I was experiencing life without pain. But that happiness didn't last for long, not even 6 months and got my pain again with no energy in body.

On a friend’s suggestion, I went to see a Chiropractor who quickly diagnosed the condition as, Fibromyalgia. He advised me to take pain killers, which didn’t seem like a solution.

Time went by, with me still struggling with pain, off and on. Exercise seemed to help a little, which I continued.

I had my first baby in 2000, after my delivery, I developed severe pain in my back, so debilitating that I couldn't even sit on dining chair. The joy of being a mother, nursing and taking care of my baby became onerous with my condition. One of my doctors suggested that I start with gentle and tradition Yoga.

I started Yoga classes in Sunnyvale Hindu Temple run by Yoga Bharti. Within just a couple of month, i started observing number of changes. My back pain was alleviated, my weight reduced, I was feeling energetic and best of all, my leg and body pain were gone. Overall my entire body was thanking me to introducing a new medicine, natural way of healing.

How I became an instructor?

While taking Yoga classes from Yoga Bharati, I came to know that the same organization has decided to start an accredited Yoga instructor course, taught by SVYASA teachers. Yoga having transformed my life, the decision came very naturally. I got my certification in 2003.

Teaching was initially a requirement for certification, so I started giving free classes to adults at Sunnyvale Temple and at my home studio. My daughter was around 2.5 years old and most of the time with me so I decided to teach to kids, so my daughter can accompany me. That time there were few classes for kids in bay area. I started teaching kids at Stratford in Summer of 2003 and by 2004 I was teaching 2 campuses of Stratford and 3 campuses of Challenger school, every week day. I enjoyed teaching kids and still do.

For Adults, I was teaching at Curves, Santa Clara Adult Education and my home studio.

How did I became a Therapist ?

In 2009, my husband suffered from severe back pain. That was alleviated with physical therapy and some strong narcotic painkillers. Another episode happened three years later while visiting Europe. He had to travel in wheelchair and was mostly bedridden for 2.5 months. It took him 4-6 months of physical therapy, pain killers and muscle relaxants to get back to normal routine. In spite of his skepticism about Yoga, my unyielding persuasion made him to start therapeutic classes in Yoga Bharati instead of choosing a cortisone injection.

That was a turning point for him. He started seeing change right away. Within a year of regular practice, he was pain free.

The result observed with him was all the motivation I needed to join Post graduation in Yoga Therapy certification in 2013. Since then I am continuing my journey in learning therapeutic aspects of Yoga.

How was Yogamaze started and why?

In course of my teaching, I came across a lot of people suffering from various kinds of pains, discomfort, lifestyle illnesses and resulting depression. I have observed my students coming with back pain and seeing result in their weight management, reduction in stress levels, lowered Blood pressure, Sugar and Cholesterol levels, getting relief with their migraine and other pains. Results are pronounced in students who understand how mind and body work together and practice regularly.

Yoga is classified in west as alternative medicine, while it should actually be the main thing to incorporate into the path of healing. Yogamaze is just an umbrella to drive this message, reach more and more people to adopt this into their lifestyle and get immense benefits. I think it is my job.

My bio with credentials

Yoga Alliance (RYT 200)

https://www.yogaalliance.org/TeacherPublicProfile?tid=141266

Linkedin

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lataanand/

C-IAYT certification

My goal is to communicate people that there is a non invasive, natural way to cure yourself with a little help of expert in that area like Yoga, Ayurveda, naturopathy without getting any side effect from traditional medicine.

Namaste