Shambho!

I have spent over two decades at the intersection of yoga, wellness, and human transformation. What I share with you is not a curriculum — it is a lived practice.

Begin the Journey Explore Urban Gyan
I

A Seed Sown in Childhood

The earliest memory I have of yoga or spirituality entering my life takes me back to when I was four or five years old.

I was taken to have a darshan of the 68th Pontiff of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam — Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati, revered as the Paramacharya of Kanchi, or simply Mahaperiyava. People considered him a living god. Even today, his presence continues to be felt by those who were touched by him.

What I saw that day was a frail and elderly seer, seated in an easychair, calmly blessing hundreds of people who had come from far and wide.

"Little did I know that this brief encounter would leave a lasting impression on my heart. Even today, when I close my eyes in reverence, I can see that moment as clearly as if it happened yesterday."

A few years later, I was sent to a summer camp at Ramakrishna Math, where I was introduced to classical Hatha Yoga. Life eventually took me in other directions, and yoga stayed in the background — patient, waiting.

II

The Turning Point

Fast forward to when I was around nineteen and a half or twenty. My father passed away.

Like anyone facing such a loss, I was broken and in tears. But what struck me deeply that day was the way my father's closest friend, Hari Uncle, conducted himself. He walked in — calm and composed — chanting Aum Namah Shivaya. He placed my father's head gently in his lap. He stayed for a few hours, bowed to everyone present, and left. There was no drama. No collapse. Just complete stillness.

"I was spellbound."

After some time had passed, I called Hari Uncle and asked him, "How did you do that? How did you hold yourself that way?"

He smiled and said, "This is the effect of yoga."

He signed me up for an Isha Yoga program — designed by Sadhguru JV. I was initiated into that Pranayama practice, and it was a life-transforming experience. Something broke open in me that day. A deep inclination towards spirituality took root. My relationship with temples shifted — the religious aspect fell away, and something more purely spiritual took its place.

III

Theory Meets Experience

For years, much of what I was absorbing remained on a theoretical level. I read, I learnt, I attended sessions — but it hadn't fully moved into lived experience yet.

At such a crucial stage, I encountered someone I will call Mariyam. She touched me without touching me. In her own way, she helped me reconnect with my spiritual roots and return to a disciplined yogic practice.

At one such programme, something beyond ordinary experience unfolded. Long-held barriers dissolved, and a deep inner freedom emerged. I felt the presence and grace of the forces and teachers that had guided my journey — from Mahaperiyava, who planted the first seed, to Sadhguru JV's transformative role in my life.

"After that experience, yoga was no longer something I practised; it had become the very fabric of my life."

As Sant Kabir says: "Janam Janam ka taala khul gaya"

IV

Upheaval, Resilience, and the Decision to Teach

Life tested me further. I went through a major health upheaval followed by a surgery. People close to me had passed away in difficult circumstances. There were seasons of real darkness.

But I noticed something. The way I was conducting myself through all of it — the grief, the pain, the loss — was markedly different from who I had been before. I could see the gap between the person I was and the person I had become. And I knew: yoga had made that difference.

"If yoga had transformed me this profoundly, I had a responsibility to share it."

Current Venture

Urban Gyan

What began as a personal transformation became a calling. Urban Gyan is the expression of that calling — a platform for online Classical Hatha Yoga, therapeutic wellness programmes, and conscious temple darshan experiences.

Together with my collaborator, we offer structured programmes designed to help working professionals and individuals cultivate physical wellbeing, mental balance, and spiritual growth. We have had the privilege of teaching yoga to several hundred people through our programmes.

Visit Urban Gyan

Signature Programmes

  • Saptha Abhyāsa

    The Seven Practices — a foundational programme for holistic yogic living.

  • Madhyama Abhyāsa

    Intermediate practice for deepening the yogic journey.

  • MAPS

    Meditation, AUM Chanting, Pranayama & Surya Namaskar — a daily practice framework.

Yoga Collaborator

Smt. Varalakshmi

Smt. Varalakshmi's arrival in this work marks one of its most significant chapters. A certified Yoga Teacher and Yoga Therapist, she has been my constant source of encouragement, perspective, wisdom, and strength.

Through her unwavering support and collaboration, many ideas that once existed only as possibilities have found expression and purpose. I feel deeply grateful that this work has been shaped by her presence, dedication, and shared commitment to the vision we serve.

Vision

What Guides My Work

My vision cannot be expressed in a mission statement. It lives in three timeless expressions — one in Sanskrit, two in Tamil.

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu

Sanskrit

May all beings in all worlds be happy.

Anbe Shivam

Tamil

Love is God.

Naan petra inbam peruga ivvaiyagam

Tamil

Let the world experience the same bliss and joy that I have received.

Mera mujh mein kuch nahi, jo kuch hai so tera

There is nothing in me that is mine; all that I am belongs to You. — Kabir

Whatever I am today is because of the grace & Blessings of Lord Shiva, Paramacharya of Kanchi, and Sadhguru JV.

Guiding Principles

Principles of A.S.K.

Ten principles that shape the way I live, teach, and serve.

01

Śreyo Bhūyāt Sakala Janānām

May all people of this world be happy and prosperous.

A world rooted in peace, prosperity, harmony, and freedom from greed, hatred, and war.

02

Yādhum Ūrē Yāvarum Kēḷir

Every place is my hometown; everyone is my kin.

Every individual is collectively responsible for the wellbeing of society, humanity, nature, and the world.

03

Yogena Karuṇāmayaṃ Viśvam

Creating a Compassionate & Loving World through Yoga.

Yoga as the living means for inner and collective transformation.

04

Mānava Sevā Mahadeva Sevā

Service to humanity is service to the Divine.

Selfless service, support, and upliftment of others are sacred acts.

05

Sthira Sukham Āsanam

Steadiness and ease.

Cultivating physical, mental, and emotional stability, balance, resilience, and wellbeing in everyone.

06

Anbe Shivam

Universal Love.

Love itself is Divine. Beyond religion, caste, nationality, or ideology, humanity is one family moving toward conscious evolution.

07

Svadharma Paripālana

Upholding one's righteous duty and authentic purpose.

Discovering, embracing, and fulfilling unique responsibilities with integrity, dedication, and self-awareness.

08

Annadātā Sukhī Bhava

May all who nourish and sustain life be happy.

Recognizing our interdependence with nature and society, fostering gratitude, sustainability, and conscious living.

09

Austerity, Simplicity & Humility

Disciplined living.

Valuing humility, gratitude, simplicity, and mindful consumption in all aspects of life.

10

Īśvara Praṇidhāna & Tat Tvam Asi

Surrender to the Divine — Thou Art That.

Through devotion and surrender, realising the unity between the individual self and the universal consciousness.

Training & Certifications

Credentials

I hold certifications across multiple recognised institutions in the field of yoga and wellness.