KARUNA YOGA
Shraddha - I didn’t realize how much I needed this practice until my body started changing so clearly — moving from perimenopause into menopause, feeling it in my joints, my energy, my patience with myself. Some days, I came in frustrated or scared that this was just how things would be now. And somehow, through your teaching, I learned to be kinder to my body instead of fighting it.
There were moments in class when I felt emotional without knowing why — just relief, I think. Relief that my body could still open, still breathe, still feel supported. Thank you for seeing us through these changes with so much compassion. It’s meant more to me than I can easily put into words.
Viju - I just wanted to tell you… This practice has meant more to me than I usually know how to say.
With my parents aging and losing them, and my kids growing up and moving away, so much has felt like it’s been shifting under my feet. Your classes have been this one steady place I could come back to — a place where I could breathe, feel, and just be held for a while. Encouraging my husband to join changed things for us too; seeing how much it’s helped him has been really moving. Thank you for being such a constant through all of this. I’m truly grateful.
Swathi - This year, Pranayama finally started to make sense to me. Learning how different breathing practices support different seasons — and different states in the body — has been so helpful. On days when my body feels heavy or achy, I don’t feel stuck anymore. I know how to meet myself through the breath. I really appreciate how clearly and patiently you explain everything.”
Madhavi - I’ve been meaning to tell you how much I appreciate the weekly themes. They really stay with me. The Lakshmi Yoga practice, especially, made me slow down and notice abundance in such simple ways. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of my day, and something from class just comes back to me. Your classes feel like more than movement… they feel nourishing. Thank you for that.
Sunithi - I just wanted to say thank you. I’m really noticing how much stronger and more stable my body feels this year — especially my joints. The weight training has helped me trust my body more as it’s changing. And honestly, doing the 20-minute Shubhodaya practice most mornings has become such an anchor for me. I start my day feeling steadier and more awake. I’m really grateful for how you teach strength with so much care.
Madhurya - Hi Asha, Thank you for this year's practices! 😊
I’ve enjoyed and appreciated being part of this group, which has been a reliable support when I feel weak & anxious.
You have been a source of inspiration, strength, and positivity all these years.
Thank you, and I look forward to this journey for years to come…Namaste 🙏
Bhairavi - Hey Asha, I love how you teach, and you keep asking us to listen to our bodies and not to stress them. You’re a wonderful teacher, and I’m looking forward to continuing yoga next year as well. Thank you!
Sowjanya - Hi Asha, I have been trying to be as regular as possible. Even 1 session/ week has helped me a lot. I can feel the stiffness in my body if I have missed for more than a week. Wishing you and your family happy holidays and a prosperous new year.
Pooja - Thank you, Asha, for always listening & being so non-judgmental to us & giving all your positive vibes, wisdom & energy. I always look forward to my time with you. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season, relaxing with your family & so looking forward to next year. 🙏🏼
Viji -Thank you so much, Asha, for being my mentor both internally and externally ❤️Always enjoyed all the sessions and looking forward to continuing learning with you in the future. Wishing you and your family a very happy and prosperous new year 2026 👍
Shyamala - Thank you, Asha! It's been a pleasure knowing you and learning from you. Your passion and understanding of the subject are something I really admire. A very happy new year to you and your family! See you in 2026
Rajee - Dear Asha, I want to thank you for being there during a challenging period in my life. Your patience, compassion, and calming energy help me find balance when everything feels heavy. I’m deeply grateful for your guidance, and your teaching has been a source of comfort and strength, and I appreciate you more than you know.
Arthi - Dear Asha, I wanted to share something truly special with you.
This year, I climbed all the way up to the Vaishno Devi Temple — and for the first time in years, I did it without any back or knee pain. Four years ago, this journey felt impossible. But as I walked, I found myself naturally taking deep, steady breaths, just as you’ve taught me.
When the path became steep, my breath guided me.
When I waited in the long queue for Devi Darshan, I found myself practicing mindfulness — simply being present, calm, and grateful. It was as if everything I’ve learned on the mat had come alive in that sacred space.
This experience was more than a pilgrimage; it was a reflection of how Yoga has transformed not just my body, but my way of living.
Thank you deeply, Asha, for showing me how to carry the essence of yoga beyond the mat — into Life, into Devotion, and into every step of my journey.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Arthi.🙏
Jaya - Hey Asha, Thank you for today’s beautiful practice. In just 25 minutes, my body softened, my breath steadied, and I felt light, open, and completely at ease — as if Prana had finally found a clear path to flow. It reminded me how much kindness and compassion I owe to myself. Your words in class today- “the deepest release is from your softest breaths”- resonated within me.
Maturity, I’m realizing, is understanding that the practice changes and deepens when I honor my body’s connection to each movement.
After six years of learning with you, I’m still surprised by how much insight, healing, and tenderness your guidance brings into my life. You continue to help me grow into my best self, exactly as I am today. I’m deeply grateful for you and your teachings.
Jayashree - Hi Asha, I just wanted to write and say thank you. When we began the Reiki for my mother, both of us carried doubt, especially in the middle of her recovery after surgery.
But session by session, something gentle changed. Her pain eased, her body softened, and she began to move a little more freely.
Seeing this surprised us both and brought such relief to my heart.
This experience has opened our eyes to a different way of healing, one we didn’t fully understand before.
We are grateful beyond words and will continue the sessions over the next few months.
I feel moved to share this with others because what you offer truly brings comfort and hope.
Anjali - Thank you for the Reiki session—it felt like my entire system exhaled. There was a gentle release, a softening I didn’t know I needed. I walked away with more trust in my body’s wisdom and a clearer understanding that healing doesn’t always need effort—sometimes it simply needs presence. I’m truly grateful.
Anitha - I want to thank you deeply for such a meaningful Reiki healing. As a cancer survivor, my body has been through so much, and during this session, I felt an overwhelming sense of safety and support. It was as if I was being held in a warm, loving hug—something my body and heart truly needed.
I felt deeply relaxed, both physically and emotionally, and at one point, I sensed the comforting presence of my grandmother, as though she was near, offering love and reassurance. That feeling of being supported—seen, protected, and cared for—brought a profound sense of peace. There was a gentle release in my body, a softening of old tension, and a quiet trust returning.
Thank you for holding such a compassionate and loving space. This session reminded me that healing continues in many forms and that I am not alone on this journey.
Vidya - I want to sincerely thank you for sending Reiki to my sister in Bangalore. She has been navigating the aftermath of trauma, and over the course of the 5 sessions, we could both feel a remarkable shift in her energy. Each session seemed to bring her more peace, softness, and rest, as if her body and mind were finally allowed to exhale and just be.
It was touching to witness her gradually letting go of the tension she had been holding for so long, and noticing moments of ease and calm settling in. There’s a sense now of gentleness surrounding her, a quiet support that feels both comforting and nurturing. It’s as though your hands, even from afar, have held her with care and love and allowed her to feel truly seen and supported.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for sharing your healing energy. Your sessions have been a gift—not just for her body, but for her spirit—and they remind us of the quiet power of compassion, presence, and care.
Bhumi - I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for sending Reiki to me. Recovering from trauma has been a long and sometimes heavy journey, and your healing energy has brought me so much comfort and relief. Over the sessions, I felt a gradual softening inside me—a release of tension I didn’t realize I was holding.
There were moments when I felt completely at peace, wrapped in warmth, as if someone was holding me in a gentle, loving hug. I could sense your care reaching me across the distance, and it felt deeply supportive, like a grandmother’s presence, quietly reassuring me that I am safe and cared for.
I also noticed my body and mind resting more easily, my spirit feeling lighter, and a gentle calm settling into places that had been tense or anxious for so long. These sessions have reminded me that healing isn’t always about doing—it’s about receiving, being seen, and allowing energy to flow.
I am especially grateful to my sister for arranging this for me. Her love, care, and thoughtfulness have made this healing possible, and I feel truly held and supported by both of them.
Thank you both for this beautiful gift—I carry the peace, softness, and love from your sessions with me every day.
Priya - “The chair yoga class yesterday was so different and energizing. I personally felt like I could stretch into poses more easily. Especially Hanuman aasana felt really good. It is amazing how a simple addition of a chair can help you work out a little better. Like I always tell you, Asha.. I am a different person after finishing class. I am filled with energy and a lightness of being. Thank you for introducing new ways to connect and practice🙏🏻”
Nithya - “Hi Asha , Chair Yoga was amazing and difficult too! Definitely, it is not a senior citizen class. Ananthasana and Sethubandasana with that chair is really a killer😊. Thank you so much for teaching new sequences every week and challenging us!! Namaste🙏”
Anju - "Hi Asha , I really enjoyed Chair yoga ! It’s Natural to assume It's easy but it’s not the case! I think the chair is like any other prop that we use in class which provides some support but we have to do all the work! I think it’s practical to use a chair if the muscle is sore , trying to recover from an injury or some sort of imbalance in the body . So chair yoga in my opinion , offers strength training, stretching, flexibility, balance, and the ability to calm the nervous system after after a good work out !"
Archana - "Hi Asha, Thank you for teaching us the chair yoga sequence, it was a gentle yet effective way to practice and imbibe yoga into our daily lifestyles. Doing Pranayama while seated on the chair to help clear our minds, All of the stretches in the vinyasa sequence felt comfortable (using chair as support) and gave the required workout as well, I think these asanas are super beneficial to avoid aches and pains with our desk jobs . Thank you so much."
Aarti - "Chair yoga class was fun and different! It was relaxing and challenging at the same time. You need to try it to break our preconceived notion that chair yoga is only for seniors! The chair allows you to use it as a prop and get much deeper into the stretches. Thanks to Asha for bringing forth various techniques of doing yoga!"
Padmanjali- "Hi Asha, this is coming a tad bit late, but wanted to share, the Chair yoga sequence this week was simply amazing. It's very different to the sequence we did with chair the last time! It is amazing to see the body still work out the same or more in some of the asanas! Thoroughly enjoyed the class and looking forward to the rest of the week also! Thanks for always keeping it new and refreshing each week!"
Nithya - "Hi Asha The yoga sequence this week is amazing! I was able to focus more on Goddess Lakshmi's face throughout the practice. The mudras help to bring the mind to the present along with the Bheeja mantras! Overall it is a divine experience and Thank you so much for thinking and bringing different varieties into the practice! Namaste😊
Thank you so much for the wonderful Omkara chanting session! It was so calming and meditative and the vibrations are still ringing in my ears even now. Thanks again! Namaste 🙏
Today's Navasana sequence was amazing and challenging too😀. Even though the postures look easy we know how hard it is when we lift our legs! Thank you so much again for creating a new and motivating sequence every week! Namaste🙏
It is so wonderful of you for starting the Hybrid sessions! Even though I had signed up for online classes now, it is nice to have the option to come in person. The time you have invested in setting up the camera in your studio is awesome where we are able to see only you and not the in-person students. Thank you so much Asha for always thinking creatively and accommodating the needs of all the students. You are Amazing! Namaste 🙏🙏"
Ruby - "My yoga journey started a long time ago when I was growing up in India in the 70s.
Please do not think I am a hardcore yoga person, as I was not practicing it, but used to wait for the yoga program to be over so I can enjoy watching Chitrahar (Bollywood song show), which used to follow yoga broadcast.
As life continued I joined and quit the gym several times, but finally, after my children went to their college, I started taking my exercise seriously. I can say I was an active individual, going to the gym 5-6 times a week, and sweated myself by doing 100 jumping jacks or doing farmer's walk with a heavy kettlebell in my hands.
In my gym, I tried yoga but I did not enjoy it, as there were always a students few in classes who can do perfect poses while I struggle to manage my downward dog.
I have to admit my mind & body were telling me something, which I kept ignoring.
Then in Jan-2020, my right knee started hurting, and around the same time, while attending a pooja, I realized I could not sit on the floor for more than 5 seconds, and sitting in Vajrasana was impossible. I knew something was not right (later I realized it was a tight ACL). My doctor advised me to rest and take medication to relieve the pain.
In Mar-2020, the Covid pandemic started and it gave my body a well-deserved break and time to heal. I started focusing more inwards and started listening to my body.
Then, one of my friends forwarded me two yoga youtube videos and my self-practice started. Pretty soon I outgrew them and started looking for a real yoga class.
I was sure I was looking for a Zoom class and an instructor who is not teaching just yoga but who believes in it too. I wanted an instructor who is not pushing me but rather letting me evolve at my own pace.
I am done competing with others but ready to compete with myself in a much healthier way. And at that time I found Asha’s Zoom yoga class!
Once I joined her Zoom class, I quickly realized what I was missing. I started feeling my yoga evolve more and more. My flexibility increased and my pain decreased.
Golden nuggets she used to tell us during the class I started internalizing it. I started respecting my body.
I realized I do not need to push myself but I need to listen to myself.
I became kinder to myself, and interestingly my body responded in a positive way too. If one day I cannot do an asana perfectly, it’s ok, because the next day I know I will do better. Instead of seeing what others can do, I started feeling the difference between my last time Vs this time.
I learned each asana is multi-functional and they are good for multiple things.
My mind and body started tuning in with one another.
Though my journey continues, I can happily say I can sit on the floor for a longer time and I have learned how to deal with my knee pain (just do triangle pose, even on hikes to relieve the tightness of the muscle). I am working on my vajrasana. I am more confident on my hikes.
Yoga is healing me physically as well as mentally. It is a journey one day at a time.
Thanks so much, Asha."
Subha - "Goddess Lakshmi yoga sequence was indeed a divine experience, I have never felt that calm and the mind not getting distracted during the Meditation session. It was nice to learn the mudras and the Bheeja mantra and the balance of the mind, body, and soul was truly sublime.
Thank you Asha for always coming up every week with new yogasana techniques and motivating and helping us through it.
I forgot to tell you in class that the 2nd round of Chandra Namaskar was easier as we did only 2 breaths
Every week I learn something new from the class and I look forward to every class.
Today’s Shavasana was also too peaceful & calm. Time does fly fast when the mind is calm 🙏🏻"
Lalitha - "This was a long-due write-up on my journey with Asha's yoga classes.
I initially started classes with Asha to learn the basics of Yoga and I was particular about a teacher who would correct my poses and ensure I do the poses the right way. Little did I know, that I was signing up for way more than that.
Asha's classes are not only learning yoga poses but a much more holistic experience.
It is a journey of your mind and body trying to better itself and as a whole.
I love the way she emphasizes working with our own bodies and doing what is possible today but also how she encourages us to push ourselves a little more
to reach that final pose !! It trains your mind and body to push your limits in a reasonable way.
To achieve that in a group setting is remarkable.
I'm also amazed at how diligently she comes up with a different theme each week, maintaining a fine balance of new poses and reiterating some poses for us to keep improving. She relentlessly improves the student's experience in Zoom classes too, focusing on audio/video quality.
Asha has been a friend and a guide to me as with many others. She has helped me get a better perspective on life, to keep moving forward with hope, when life presents itself with twists and turns.
I can speak volumes to Asha's testimony but for now, I'm going to take my right hand, put it over my left shoulder and give myself a pat and say "Good job" to me for finding this gem as a tutor :) Thanks Asha!"
Sudha - "Hi, Asha!
Thank you for putting so much thought into designing your classes in a way that helps us go deeper into the Asana without having to worry about injuries. I experience this in every class and I particularly enjoyed today’s class where we used floor and block as props for practicing Anantasana, Ardha Chandrasana, and Ardha chandra Chapasana. I feel extremely blessed and fortunate to have found a teacher like you who stays true to the essence of yoga practice and still manages to get a good workout from us in every class!
I enjoyed yesterday’s class immensely. Thanks for reminding us constantly about how important self-care and self-therapy are and how these can help prevent a lot of problems.
Being in your class and doing the practice with you is a meditative experience in itself for me. 🙂
Love the weekly themes you come up with. Have a great week ahead!
I loved Monday’s class with yoga straps so much. I have been noticing that my flexibility overall has been better this week since the class. Loved how the sequence kept building up through the class - on knees poses, standing and sitting poses. Thank you!”
Padmanjali - "Hi Asha,
I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me a truly blissful divine experience through your classes! This week’s class has been great and so was last week’s!!
I started with you around August last year, and as I may have shared with you, I always regret why did I not find you earlier! There is not one thing that I love about your classes, I just about love everything, the fact that you change the theme every week makes it interesting and makes me look forward to each class! There was not a single class that was boring or less interesting! The way you pick your themes each week, the way you explain the benefits of that theme, and also how you explain what part of the body is activated with each movement and what physical and mental ailments it can help address!
I love how you share the Sanskrit name of every asana along with its meaning and, of course, the fun version of the name! Most of all just the way you conduct every class with the same energy, joy, and a very warm and welcoming smile!!! You truly have motivated me to do this for life and I hope to continue !! I have come to believe that Yoga is not just about the asanas, but a way of life!! You won’t believe me if I say this, I fear in my mind losing the opportunity of doing the class with you in person should you move or I move, although I have no intention to move anywhere!! :) And I hope you don’t either!!
The cherry on top experience is walking into your studio through your beautifully decorated tranquil porch!!"
Suriyaprabha - "I have been practicing yoga for the last 3 years with Asha and have seen many wonderful benefits physically and emotionally. I have hypothyroidism and was diagnosed 10 years ago and my thyroid levels have always been fluctuating until I started practicing yoga. For the last three years, I am on the lowest dose of medication and my levels have been within the normal range. Asha is a wonderful teacher and we feel encouraged, motivated to practice as much as practically possible to each of our own abilities and life commitments, all the while gently pushing to us try a little bit more with each practice."
Priyanka - "I have been practicing yoga with Asha for almost 3 years now. When I started, I was suffering from severe lower back pain. Practicing Yoga with Asha regularly helped me recover from it.
Asha works with each and every individual in the class very closely with specific instructions that suit one's body. Yoga practice with Asha gives me an opportunity to take a break from daily chores to concentrate and listen to my body. This has helped me over a period of time to increase body flexibility as well as self-awareness. I love practicing yoga with Asha. Thanks for being amazing and positive Asha..! Keep rocking.. :)"
Arya - "Let me begin by saying thanks. I cannot be grateful enough to Asha for introducing me to meditation and guiding me through different meditation techniques. Before her friendship and guidance, I struggled to find peace, struggled to come to terms with many realities of my life. Having practiced yoga and meditation with her, I can truthfully say that I am learning to put things in perspective, handle day-to-day stresses better, and practice the pause. Of the meditation techniques that I learned, I found that I could hold my focus the best with the Naadishuddhi Pranayama. I was also in awe of the positive energy felt during our group Om chanting meditation session. Yoga and meditation with Asha have been the most consistently positive and happy aspects of my life for the past three years, and I am very thankful for this grace"