INTERVIEW WITH HEMALAYAA BEHL
BY CHERI BLY @ NATURAL JOURNEYS

1.Please tell us a little about your background and how you first became interested in yoga.

My parents are both from Punjab, India. I am the first generation born in North America. My earliest memories of yoga are from my father. One day I found him in the dining room standing on his head. I asked him what he was doing, and he answered, "yoga."  I of course wanted to try what he was doing, so I did a mock headstand.  There started my curiosity!

2.  What exactly is "Urban Yoga", and why did you create these programs?

The title "Urban Yoga" comes from my own life experience. I've always lived in big cities, and for the most part I love being amidst the hustle/bustle, fast moving madness. But, there have been many times when I've found the pace being more than I could comfortably handle. I would feel a need to get away….. live in an ashram, or in the mountains, or a remote forest, just get the heck away from it all!
What I really wanted was the best of both worlds, to continue my life in a big city, and a way to be quiet within myself. By practicing yoga I am able to maintain a sense of serenity, in spite of what is going on around me.  In the moving meditation called "yoga" I get the quietness I need to survive and feel calm amidst the "urban life" I love!
As for why I created these programs, after a lot of thought, I realized I was looking for a way to introduce my practice and share it in a way that made it available for the largest audience to gain from it. I myself learned a lot by watching and doing, but not everyone is able to go to a studio or a gym to take a class, which can also be very costly.  Practicing in the comfort of my home provided me with a way to feel connected to my environment and myself. Knowing this, a video that could be purchased by everyone and practiced in the comfort of their own home, was the perfect vehicle to share my programs, and bring it to many people.  I really encourage a meditative practice to allow you to connect to your true self in the sanctuary of your own home.

3.   You have a very unique style of instruction, please describe it for us.  

I guide these programs as though I'm practicing with you. It's not that I'm the teacher, and you are the student, we are both practicing something together, which helps us connect to our higher selves and the divine.
This is a very sacred practice, which I take great care in sharing with you. The asanas (postures) are meditative, or, as I like to say, "contemplative". They are designed to quiet our minds, to help us be "cool", so anxiety and chaos don't reside for long.

4.   Is there any special advice or wisdom you can share with someone just beginning a yoga practice?

If you are new to yoga don't be alarmed if you feel anxious when you first begin to practice.  You may feel a sense of disruption, which can affect the way you have been doing things, how you have been living your life.  It eventually changes to a feeling of a very beautiful state of mind, filled with contentment and clarity. Actually feeling angst is positive, it means you are cleansing your mind to be truly happy, with a sense of peace.  
I like to use this metaphor to describe yoga:  Yoga is a boat in the middle of a storm.  The boat is calm and riding the waves peacefully.  In the same sense this is what yoga can bring to your life, the presence of peace through the storm of life.

5.  Who is this style of yoga best suited for, and please describe these three very unique programs.

My three programs, Morning Quickie, Daily Connection, and Evening Bath are for every level of yogi, from beginners to more advanced practitioners.

Morning Quickie is done to replace, or in addition to, your morning cappuccino! This invigorating routine is designed to create heat and vibration in your body. Morning Quickie will help you to generate an energy that will carry you through your day, and put a spring in your step!
With Daily Connection, you treat yourself to a deeply beneficial workout that promotes a sense of focus, strength and balance in your life.  I've created this custom routine combining the principles of yoga to connect body, mind and soul. The postures that flow together are meditative, strengthening, invigorating, and relaxing.
In Evening Bath, you take a break at the end of day with a relaxing and calming work out. This special program is especially effective for people who have trouble sleeping, as this mentally cleansing yoga routine is designed to sooth the body of tension and anxiety built up during the day.

6.  Are there any other things you can suggest for someone to do to enhance their practice?

I'm an avid reader of studying yoga.  One of my favorite books/scriptures to read is "The Bhagavad-Gita."  This book addresses the philosophy of yoga. I also have a great teacher, Jeffrey Armstrong, a westerner and scholar of yoga philosophy.  I've learned so much from Jeffrey that has helped to enhance my practice as well as how to better live the yoga life I desire.  I feel it is wonderful to receive knowledge from someone who has had it passed on to them in a traditional manner. I really advocate reading and working with a teacher. I feel both these will help you to receive all the benefits physically and spiritually that a yoga practice can bring.