In 2011, yoga instructor Fareena Farid shunned a life of glamour to learn and teach yoga. This 32-year-old quit modelling, packed her bags and went to the Bihar School Of Yoga. “I think I got slightly tired of seeing myself in high heels and fancy clothes. When I went to learn yoga, I walked mostly barefoot and wore a dhoti and kurta all the time,” says the former model. After missing from Hyderabad for seven months, she came back to teach.
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Now, she is one of the most sought-after yoga instructor in the city; there’s seldom any slot available for her classes. She has several students in the city who don’t mind waking up at odd hours just to learn from her. This year, she also had a successful three-day monsoon yoga retreat called Soul Shower at Kathiwada Raaj Mahal, Baroda. This tattooed beauty, whose flexibility and ability to master difficult poses has left all and sundry awestruck, says yoga isn’t just workout but a way of life. In sync with that principle, Fareena has incorporated variations in her practice that aren’t a norm in yoga studios. “I ask my students to pick up chits in the beginning of the month. On those chits, the name of a virtue is written. In accordance with that, they practice that virtue consciously for a whole month. For instance, a student gave up meat after picking up ahimsa,” says Fareena. She also takes meditation classes on alternate Saturdays for free. So what is coming up for Fareena next year? “I want to organise a donation drive for street animals in need of care. People can come and learn yoga on those designated days and donate some money, say a minimum of `100. And I will donate the same to organisations who take care of strays,” she says. After all, as the guru herself maintains, most of the asanas are inspired from animals postures, be it the downward facing dog or the cat and cow posture. So why not do something to take care of them?
Pics: Shreyans Dungarwal