From humble beginnings to the journey of becoming a leading yoga teacher of the city of lakes.

Dr. Praveen Yadav is a physiotherapist and yoga instructor from Udaipur. He says that his family has been living in the city of lakes for the last three generations, and he says that his father belonged to a lower financial section of the society.

He studied at a government school and explains that he wasn’t too bright in the traditional education system. However, he gained a lot of knowledge from experience during his life and career. He lives in a joint family along with his wife, two kids, his parents, and his brother. He says that he likes this lifestyle of living with a family

Journey as a Yoga Teacher

He is a certified yoga teacher and practitioner from the city. But he says that he has been a learner of the craft, and has been teaching it for more than 20 years. He says that he started teaching yoga at an early stage and then went on to take professional certification at a later stage.

Speaking about his life struggle, he says that he had been through many of them and is still going through them today. His dad was a laborer in the city, and because of this, the financial condition of the family was not in the best shape.

He says that his father had an interest in wrestling and exercising after his day’s job as a laborer. Praveen’s father will take him and his brother to the local wrestling rings, commonly known as - Akhada. Because of this, Praveen was often spending time focusing on fitness and had a natural interest built in him from a very young age.

However, he does point out that at the start of it, he didn’t quite see the fitness realm as a professional opportunity. After a few years, when his body became stronger and as he wised up in life, he started seeing yoga practice as a viable career path.

His household didn’t even have a television because of their financial condition, but he used to watch a Sunday-special on Iyengar Yoga on DD News. The program was from B. K. S. Iyenger, a nationally and internationally acclaimed yoga specialist. It was the start of his yoga-learning journey as he started to slowly learn from the program.

At the same time, Praveen realized that to practice this profession it was also essential for him to have various certifications. Soon after passing high school, he moved on to pursue some diploma and degree courses in yoga. He also went for practical training to various yoga ashrams and yoga gurus. With his personal experience, he believes that self-practice is the best kind of yoga-learning one can do.

He says that yoga is a spiritual field, and in a profession like this one, the more you go on the path of realization, the more you get better at practicing and teaching it.

Early Realization

At the start of his journey, when he went to a school to learn, he was taken aback as the trainer at the institute didn’t satisfy an image of an ideal teacher. After this encounter, he thought that there’s a need for a proper yoga training facility in India. He also says that the yoga teaching classes are better abroad.

Looking at this, he started his journey to improve himself by training with several teachers across the country. He visited many places like Rishikesh, Lonavala, Pushkar, and so on. He says that he also focused on learning traditional yoga, which he believes is better compared to the new emerging yoga. He also explained that there are many different forms of yoga that one can practice. He says that yoga helps you develop your mind, soul, and intelligence, along with physical development.

He got one of his inspirations from a book called ‘Yog Sutra,’ by Baba Ramdev. He says that from that book, he came across Ashtanga Yoga—one with eight different forms of Yoga. These forms are Yam, Neeyam, Asana, Pranayam, Pratyahara, Dharna, Dhyaan, and Samadhi. He says that yoga is a way to get closer to God, and for this, he advises that aspiring yoga practitioners must focus on the practical part of the craft

He says that the pandemic has highlighted why fitness is so important. He says that one must engrain the practicing yoga in their behavior, and it must be taken up as a way of life.

His Inspiration

He says that he has followed a lot of gurus mentioning his learning journey, and believes that he has learned from a lot of people in his life, and is still learning. But he says that B.K.S Iyenger, Dr. K. K. Agarwal, and books from Bihar Yog Kendra in Munger have inspired him a lot.

He believes that even if his classes add value to the life of even one person, he feels rewarded by the happiness of that person. He says that his training has so far helped a lot of value to a number of his clients. His favorite quote translates to live life as it comes.

जाहि विधि राखे राम ताहि विधि रहिये|

He also says that apart from the above quote, there are several other Sanskrit shlokas that he likes and tries to draw inspiration from them. A good example is:

योगस चित्त वृत्ति निरोध|

This means that yoga is a liberator for the problems relating to one’s mind. Yoga helps us in keeping our mind focused and helps us reduce distractions. Also, he like the following shloka from Ramcharitmanas:

रघुकुल रीत सदा चली आई, प्राण जाये पर वचन ना जाये|

It essentially means to stand by your commitments, and Dr Yadav says that he always tries to uphold this value. He also recalls a poetry which goes like:

दिल को जला कर ज़माने को दी है रौशनी, जुगनू पकड़ कर कभी उजाला नहीं किया|

A message to Yoga Aspirants

For people aspiring to make a career in yoga, he says that unlike other fields, yoga allows you to make it big no matter what age group you are from. You can start at an early age, or you can also become a yoga teacher even if you start training for it after your marriage. He also highlights the difference between a gymnast and yogi that unlike the former, in yoga, you can become a later at a later age too.

He also says that a lot of people have lost their jobs during the pandemic. These people can re-skill themselves with yoga and take this as a profession. The presence of so many online tools enable anyone to learn yoga just by sitting at home and practicing. Giving his example, he says that he also learns something new related to yoga every day.

Even if you don’t get a job as a yoga teacher, you’ll at least be a fitter person, says Dr Yadav. He gives the same advice and training to his kids, hoping that they will at least be able to make a viable livelihood out of yoga, and at the same time, have the gift of health.

He says that he has so many clients who are very successful in their profession, and some of them are famous too but have many health issues. He says that to avoid this, one can invest in yoga with their time and energy for a long and healthy life.

Speaking about his work, he says that he goes to teach at many premium hotels in and around Udaipur. Because of this, he has many clients overseas as well. He was also part of a BBC series called The Real Marigold Hotel, where he taught the actor of the series. He says that he got a lot of exposure because of this, and got a lot of messages from people all around the globe. He also got many clients because of that, and respect is important for him, even more than the income that he makes.

A Multitalented person

Apart from yoga, he is also a dietician and nutritionist. He says that he had great interest in this and that’s why he chose to have a certification in the same. And, just out of interest he also reads a lot about diet and nutrition on the internet. He also studies a lot about the various foods available, which might help in contributing to a better and healthier life.

Social Work and Contributing to the Society

Dr Praveen also says that he had so many interactions with people into naturopathy and principles of large organizations. He says that he is a fast learner and knows how to transmit knowledge. He is a physiotherapist, fitness trainer, naturopathist, he is also working with many organizations for social work.

Speaking of his social work, he says that companies should aim to do it because, at the end of the day, a society contributes to the company too. It is a cycle, you gain from the community, and so you shall also give back to the community.

Speaking of his social work, he says that he has worked with more than 50,000 students, numerous orphanages, and other social works for various NGOs without any salary. He says that he had seen poverty very closely when he was young, as he used to go to athletics meets in the city without any shoes.

He also worked many odd jobs like as a painter, as a bookbinder, as a home renovator. He says that these experiences helped him to become what he is today. He studied at a government school, and there were a lot of instances when there were people distributing clothes and books in his school. He returned the favor by doing the same by donating to the same school. He enjoyed his school and the fact that it helped him keep his feet on the ground.

Struggle, a way of Life

He says that hard times make great human beings, and he believes that everyone should go through setbacks at an early age. This kind of lifestyle will allow you to prepare yourself for problems that come later in your career

Best Memories from the Childhood

He says that he remembers going on little excursions with his friends to the nearby ponds, to pluck fruits out of trees in the neighborhood. He remembers playing banta goti, gulli danda, and cricket with his friends. He also recalls buying one bat from Sukhadia Circle with his friends. Unfortunately for little Dr Yadav and his friends, they broke the bat while playing on the third day after they bought it.

But, he says that these childhood memories can’t be forgotten, because it was a stress-free lifestyle. Today he has many responsibilities like his children and parents, but his early childhood was stress-free. The taste from his mother’s food that he used to have in their small one-room house is something that he still craves.

Hobbies and Interests

He likes to listen to music and go on long walks on empty roads. He also likes listening to spiritual talks, motivational speeches, web series, and something that inspires him. He also likes teaching his kids, although he does admit that it is very difficult to keep them focused for long. Apart from this, he says that he is very emotionally attached to his parents and gives high regard to their blessings.