E38: How To Share Your Voice Compassionately w/ Pranidhi Varshney
Episode 38 of We are Open Circle’s Beyond Listening Podcast saw Pranidhi Varshney come on to the show to share her experiences as an Indian American yoga teacher experiencing cultural intersectionality, motherhood, community and change.
For the full podcast, check out the episode here.
In this episode, we cover...
The rewards and difficulties of sharing culture, and what this has taught her.
How she has channelled new life learnings into a calmness in the face of ‘not knowing’.
Why we should strive to build more nuanced relationships with our lives.
Pranidhi Varhsney is the founder of Yoga Shala West, a community-supported Ashtanga Yoga studio in Los Angeles. A dedicated practitioner and teacher, Pranidhi shares her voice on topics including shared culture and cultural appropriation within the Ashtanga community - seeking to develop the conversation through nuance and compassion.
Here are some of the key insights from the conversation...
The parallels for seeking change are mirrored in Yoga practice and society as a whole.
”There’s just a lot of complexity, it’s not simple. And yet I think that the opportunity is to see the beauty in all of it and find the synergy that’s gonna work in this moment for the people that are in front of you right now. As a yoga teacher I think that that’s really what we’re trying to do - find something that works right now for that person, where they are in their life right now.”
The key to fulfilment, integrity and growth is through finding our inner compass.
”I think there's nothing like parenthood to really humble you and show you how imperfect you are. At least that's the journey that I've been on as a mother... it's just wow - like how many times a day that I fail or don't live up to my highest ideals of myself. So it's not about perfectionism but it's about having a sense of your inner compass. That inner compass that's going to guide you towards integrity.”
Recent changes in Pranidhi’s outlook have seen her transform her perception.
”I'm somebody who wants to know what life is going to look like for the next 10, 15, 20, 50 years... that's always been my temperament. And for me to not know and be sort of okay with it, even a little bit comfortable in the not knowing, is sort of radical. It's new for me and I like it.”
The best place to find Pranidhi and Yoga Shala West is here.
For Pranidhi’s free YouTube Yoga series see here.
See you next week!