Every once in a while, our heart beckons us to follow it, often somewhere in the unknown. It enjoys the excitement, the adrenaline rush of it and the tingly sensation of looking forward to the possibility of new discoveries. Yet, our choices are often made by the brain, which sometimes, takes us away from a dream.
Garima’s story is a slice of motivation so you can take that leap of faith. Her adventures will push you to let the brain in on a collaboration; not stop you from chasing something. This chirpy yoga teacher who has travelled the world taught people to introspect, and continues to knit communities wherever she goes, shares her story.
Table of Contents
The Leap of Faith
A Lucknowi girl who’s made Pune her home for the last 8 years, Garima’s first big adventure took her to Delhi University. As an undergrad student, the possibilities of growth were endless, especially in a University that provided artists with a platform. Her passion for dancing was noticed by a friend who urged her to take it up.
“I auditioned for two societies and both said I could dance but I lacked technique”, she mentions with a giggle. “Finally I did get into one, where I learnt a few things but still felt overwhelmed by these pro dancers with a decade of experience. It was fun while it lasted. While dancing didn’t stick around for long, movement in all its forms has stayed close to my heart.”
Eventually, Garima graduated and started working in Pune. The corporate gig did not feel like her calling. A few months in, she began considering a yoga teacher’s training course and pursuing it full-time.
“I was kinda broke and quitting my job would mean asking my family for financial support, but I knew I wanted to try this out. My family didn’t pull me down either. They knew I loved being physically active. When I’d lost my father, I got into running, CrossFit and even dancing for my mental health. Yoga too, held me through grieving and it was just another reason why I was motivated to teach it full-time.”
She gave herself 6 months to figure it out, offered a lot of free classes and worked relentlessly to upskill.
“There are so many yoga teachers out there and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. I got really good feedback in the initial years even though I barely made INR 6-7k a month. My family was supportive and helped me build my practice, even with creating an account on Instagram. I’ve been teaching for 8 years now and without those initial 2-3 years of hard work and my family’s support I wouldn’t be here.”
The Travelling Yogini
“A lot of us want to follow our dreams, something that makes us jump out of bed. If you have financial security, it’s easier to do what you are passionate about, but if you are starting from scratch it’s not as easy. You’ll need to find a balance between something for the soul and something for the kitchen, and once you’ve built up financial security, it leads the way to following your passion. Again, it’s not all black and white, but with time chasing your dreams can get easier.”
When Garima started teaching yoga, it was fully offline. When COVID hit, it was a little stressful for her to figure out how work would go.
“I eventually started doing online sessions and realised that it was completely doable. Moreover, I didn’t have to be in the same city anymore. So once the lockdowns were lifted, I travelled quite a bit with my then-partner. We went to Ladakh, Rajasthan, and Goa. I even went to the USA to visit my family a few times.”
Garima loves slow travelling. While she could only take a few short vacations when she was working offline, her remote work gave her more freedom.
“You take a 3-day vacation and end up feeling more exhausted at the end. There is so much to do in a new place. That’s why I prefer staying in a new place for at least a month – work during the week and travel when I have free time or during the weekends.”
Garima has travelled solo and in a group both. She believes that solo travelling can push you to meet new people and find unique experiences. On her solo adventures, she’s been to the Kerala, Bir, Assam, UK and spent 2 months in Bali. There, she made connections and friendships worth remembering. Volunteering as a NomadGao Resident Coconut was just another challenge she gave herself to experience something new. While it did push her out of her comfort zone, eventually she ended up acing it like a pro.
How community built a community builder
The NomadGao Resident Coconut primarily focuses on community building. While Garima believes that it was a novel experience for her, she’s always had a knack for community building.
Garima grew up in a community. Her friends and family helped her build and mould her yoga practice, providing her with a nurturing space to take her time to grow and heal. Her Human Library seemed like a reflection of the same and received great praise from the participants.
“I am a movement therapy facilitator and have worked intensively on understanding emotions and facilitating these groups. The Human Library has been around for over 20 years now, and it is one of the safest spaces you can create. You need to know not to ask triggering questions, how to bring the energy down and so on. It’s a vulnerable space and needs to be treated as such. It’s a nice way to talk about deeper things instead of just jumping to a short talk.”
Garima continues to facilitate human library sessions in Goa. You can stay updated by joining this WhatsApp group.
“The community at NomadGao feels very organic. I never had to go out of my way to meet new people, I could just meet them at the gatherings here or at the coworking space. No one wants to be lonely but somehow it’s difficult for people to admit that they need community. Here, people just do things on their own – hang out, go out and make plans together. It’s very nice!”
Some Life Hacks from Garima
1. How to take care of your body when you’re travelling:
“My solo travels pushed me to be innovative about what I ate. It’s easier at home – everything is accessible and ingredients are familiar. I came up with fun smoothie and salad recipes. If anyone is looking to eat well when travelling, I’d suggest that you do these things:
– Instead of emptying your pockets on expensive fruit salads, you can just buy fruit from the vendor and make your own. This will save you so much money and fruits make for a light and healthy breakfast.
– Carry veggies like carrots in your bag. You can snack on them when hungry and they’re great for gut health. If you’re starving it can prevent overeating, especially junk food.
– Carry a portable smoothie blender so you can whip up yummy things.
– Eat local food. It’s cheap and will digest better in the destination’s climate.
– Keep a box of dry fruits and nuts on you for quick energy and to prevent junk snacking.
2. Frequent travellers need to have a base:
There will be a time when you get homesick, no matter how much you travel. Try to have a home base where you can go back to take a break and relax.
3. If you are a woman travelling solo, or with friends:
“It’s an unfortunate and infuriating reality that the world is not conducive for women travelling solo. It’s a question we all face – how can I have a safe and fun trip, right? However, finding things to feel safer can help. You can use the Life360 app and ask your family to track your location. That said, don’t hold back on exploring and going on that adventure, and let’s hope that the world becomes a safer place.”
4. Advice for those wanting to start their remote practice:
“If you work hard and keep on grinding and churning and trying to find your direction, things do work out. That said, think about your plans thoroughly and keep a check on your financial safety nets. I was privileged enough to have my family’s support but it was still difficult. I had my off seasons where I had no income.
That’s when I started to look at my annual income goals instead of monthly ones. It requires patience and hard work, but with the right approach you can make it work!”
Garima’s story is an urge to follow your heart, no matter where it takes you. With the right amount of hope, lots of support from your community and some careful planning, you’ll reach where you’re meant to be. So if you are stuck in a battle between your heart and your head, this is your sign to follow your heart and trust that (with a little planning) the universe will make it happen for you!
