18. TrooRa Magazine The Women’s Issue Spring ’23

WOMEN IN YOGA As for being a woman in the yoga world, Sudhakaran says that she doesn’t approach yoga through the lens of gender. However, some poses are tailored to women’s bodies, although they can be practiced by most people. She mentions that although historically, Hatha yoga, where movement in yoga originates, was a male-only practice in ancient India, women practiced several other forms of yoga that involved study and service to others. As for more modern women in yoga, “Asana opened up to women primarily through Indra Devi, who was a student of Krishnamacharya in Mysore in the 1940s. She brought asana to Hollywood, and the rest is history!” UNIVERSAL QUEST FOR WISDOM To her, yoga is about the universal quest for understanding and wisdom, regardless of gender. “At the end of the day, we’re still asking the same questions as the yogis did thousands of years ago. Who am I, why am I here, and what’s next for me? The human mind hasn’t changed. The environment has, but the questions remain the same.”

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“I am cognizant at all times that yoga is a spiritual tradition that has existed for many millennia, has traveled the world, and is constantly changing and evolving to connect to different cultures and bodies”

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