Lamya has been teaching dynamic vinyasa flow yoga, alignment inspired hatha yoga and meditation for the past eight years. Infusing aligned movement with meridian work, her classes are intended to create connection, release and relaxation.
As the co-owner at The Yoga House, Mumbai (a yoga studio & café), she successfully ran the brand for 4 years. Currently, she continues to teach part-time, coach, run corporate seminars and hosts yoga retreats around India.
Here Ladies Who Lead is in conversation with Lamya Arsiwala of Yoga House.
What is the story behind you wanting to be an emotional empowerment coach?
From as long as I can remember, I have wanted to help/work with humans. I’ve had a strong sensitivity and feel other people’s emotions; even as a young person – I had an idealist way of thinking, I couldn’t tell a lie- I didn’t see the point in it. When one of my best friends drowned and lost his life almost a decade ago, my yoga mat became my healing ground. I soon embarked on the journey of a teacher and studied various alternative healing techniques. Fascinated by the subtle, mystical workings of the subconscious mind, I studied Childhood Regression, Chakra balancing, Reiki, Eft, crystal healing and more in addition to my ongoing yoga trainings. I was a student of life eager to explore and understand our magical universe.
I went on to start and run The Yoga House for the next five years along with teaching yoga asana and meditation full time. However, working with individuals on the mat, I realized that work off the mat was more important. Yoga was starting to become more fitness-oriented and traditional knowledge was getting lost in modern practices. Over the years I had several students come in with chronic conditions and I was convinced about getting to the root of the issue. And so, after classes, I would chat with students offering them cathartic tools to release whatever emotion was creating a block in their bodies and their lives. At first, I used the playground of teaching in my yoga classes to incorporate intention work, release work, breathwork and much more. With time I saw more and more students claiming – their knee pain disappearing after years of living with it, IBS reversing after years, frozen shoulders healing. Soon students wanted to do consultations privately and I knew it was time give my work structure. I no longer wanted to be someone who merely teaches people how to align their bodies, I wanted to teach them how to align with their deepest desires and live a fulfilled life!
Daily self-care practices:
I think everything begins and ends in self-care and self-love. Without it, one can create no value in their lives. The simple act of applying cream on your body is an act of self-care. It is, however, the intention with which you approach self-care. For instance – people take care of their skin out of fear of ageing versus caring for your skin as a way of showing ‘love’ to your body is where the difference lies. The voice in your head – is it critical or kind? Is it coming from fear or love? That is the right understanding of self-care.
Some of my daily self-care practices include the simple act sleeping for 7 hours, quiet moments in meditation, curling up with a book or saying “no” to social scenarios when you need downtime.
What kind of sessions do you hold with your clients?
My Emotional Empowerment private coaching sessions run for 90 mins each and every session is different catering to the individual’s situation. Clients come to me to work on various things from creating harmony in relationships to manifesting their ideal careers, sleep and hormone-related issues to weight management. Some are birthing life into the world and some birthing their lives purpose into a reality.
I also conduct workshops in corporate settings where we have focused on Effective Communication, Stress management, Goal setting and actualization and Building confidence.
You recently got married. What was the experience like of entering this new phase of your life while merging it with the old?
Yes! And I now have a roommate in my best friend 🙂 it’s awesome! The transition of old to new has been smooth because communication is our strongest suit.
As I see it – emotionally I don’t like to ride the “highs” and get into ecstatic phases, my focus is to stay at “zero” or at equilibrium because often the higher you go, the harder you fall – it’s a natural law. For me, steady and moving is the way to go!
I continued to work until a few days before my wedding and was back at work two days after. Like any pivotal moment in your life – it’s just another chapter. Also, even though a relationship is two people, they have to feel separately/individually fulfilled, only then can they create joy together.
When one is authentic, there is freedom and sustenance.
If there was one practical emotional well-being tip you could share that would start to set life on a more desirable path, what would that be?
Don’t sweat the small stuff – suffering lasts as long as you hold on to it.
Stay authentic to yourself – the only person’s love or approval you need is your own. When you can treat yourself with respect and – others also will!
