I have travelled to five different countries and all over India to compete in yoga competitions. I have won 76 medals, 102 certificates of merit and 56 trophies till date. I am 14 years old.
My journey with yoga began when my parents were searching for a solution. My teachers always complained that I was hyperactive and used to disturb other children. I was always being punished and sent out of class. My mother first sent me to music class but I hated it. Then she found a yoga class for me. The first day, I remember seeing people just sitting and sleeping. I was not happy to be here because this was my playtime, after tuitions, but my mother told me to try it for 21 days wholeheartedly. Sure enough, at the end of that stretch, I got hooked. When I was seven, I started meditating. It was hard at first, but now I am hooked!
I have always been a cricket buff. AB de Villiers is my favourite and when I grow up, I want to be a cricketer. Or a yoga teacher so that I can help heal people. At school, I used to be friends with pranksters, so I have also played pranks. We once filled a lab glove with water and dangled it above the teacher to spook her! I also have a younger brother and cannot sleep without fighting with him. When we fight, he starts bawling and then Mummy comes to take me away and he goes with Daddy. He never listens to me and is always irritating me. My Mummy makes the best chicken biryani! Oh, and I am a left hander. Now you know all about me!
When I was 7, I performed at Mummy’s office and got confidence. At 8, I participated in a state level competition in Bangalore. When I was 9, I watched Dr. Rajkumar’s movie ‘Kamana Billu’ and saw that he does yoga for 10 minutes. When I asked Daddy how old he is, he said he was about 50. That inspired me. If he can do yoga with such ease at that age, then so can I! After some time, I even got to perform in front of Dr. Rajkumar’s family and got a standing ovation!
They say they are going to introduce yoga in the Olympics. My dream is to compete in Tokyo 2020 and win a medal for my country. Till then, I will do my best at every opportunity. On March 3rd, I will be participating in the Yogathon from 6:30 AM at the Sports Stadium in Jayanagar. I am very excited. Will you come see me?
