KOLLAM: For clinical psychologist and yoga instructor Priya Antony, yoga is something that makes one happy. Along with traditional yoga postures, she focuses on mind power exercises meant for rewiring the subconscious mind for an attitude change in her trainees. Now, she is part of a new initiative of the District Tourism Promotion Council to provide yoga classes for integral development of physical and mental health.
Ms Antony resides at ‘The Shelter,’ Santhi Nagar, in Chinnakkada here. She started practising yoga at the age of 15 under her guru Haridas in Balabhavan. “I came to the world of yoga by chance. I was made to sit in the yoga class by Mr Haridas at Balabhavan as my violin teacher was absent that day. He taught me basics of yoga and was also given advanced postures knowing that my body was very flexible,” she says. After completing her MBA from Coimbatore, she did her postgraduate diploma in yoga before attending MSc in the same discipline.
“To update myself and to supplement the healing methods I practise in yoga, I have also pursued an MA in clinical psychology," the expert teacher says. "I have also observed that almost 95 percent of body illness comes from within the mind. Our thoughts are that make us happy and should be aware of our thoughts always for being self-realised. I give them brain exercises to get a new attitude in life to solve issues.”
Ms Antony works as an officer at the zonal office of SBT in Kollam. She says yoga is not an exercise, but a performing science. She is busy giving classes and practising herself during mornings and evenings sparing her leisure time after her work. “Yoga is something which makes you happy. If you are not satisfied, you should do yoga."
