Demanding practices, quick fixes, and why real transformation requires showing up—especially when it’s hard.
There’s a particular kind of discipline that comes from doing the same thing, in the same way, at the same time, for years. Not because someone’s watching. Not because it’s trending. But because the work itself demands it—and because you’ve learned to trust what happens when you stay consistent.
Sonakshi Dhamija knows this rhythm well. For nearly a decade, she’s been practicing and teaching Ashtanga yoga, one of the most physically demanding forms of the practice. It’s the kind of discipline that doesn’t announce itself, doesn’t promise overnight results, and certainly doesn’t fit neatly into a five-day crash course. It’s also exactly the kind of practice that changes everything—if you’re willing to put in the time.
The Accidental Beginning
Sonakshi’s journey started, like many transformative ones do, almost by accident. In 2015, while completing her Master’s in Literature, she took a spontaneous trip to Mysore. She was 21, navigating anxiety, searching for something she couldn’t quite name. A chance meeting with renowned yoga teacher Deepika Mehta in Goa led her to return to Mysore in December of that year—a trip that would recalibrate her entire trajectory. “My first trip to Mysore wasn’t an easy one, but it was definitely what I needed,” she says. “Which is why I keep going back. Even after ten years.” At the time, structured yoga courses were hard to find. So Sonakshi turned to YouTube, teaching herself the fundamentals. When she returned and completed her degree, she realized her path had shifted. Teaching had always called to her—yoga became the medium through which she could answer that calling. What she discovered in Mysore was the practice of Ashtanga yoga in its traditional form—something that brought her back to herself, that gave her a glimpse of what it feels like to be truly grounded. “It was the first time I experienced something so traditional that gave me a sense of connection to myself,” she reflects.
