Some 15 years ago, when I embarked on the birth of YOGALIFE magazine, many thought that I was insane. Insane because yoga was not a topic of much relevance in a country like Malaysia. There were also some other yoga magazines in the world that were contending with YOGALIFE magazine then, with many more locals refusing to support the mission of the magazine – it was arduous!
I persisted with the hope that SOME DAY, it would have its stage and the recognition it deserved to make a difference in its journey of existence.
Not long after its inception, the Hudud law was implemented and yoga was banned amongst the Muslims, driving a great deal of attention to the only voice of yoga in the country. We persisted to live in our true vision of bringing yoga home – of showing people that yoga was not about fancy backbends nor about sexy lycra garments that supported the billion-dollar industry. We provided information as we still do, that stay true to its 7,000-year-old tradition, not caring about marketing the magazine nor the who’s who on the cover of the magazine. We even defied the key rule of magazine marketing strategy – sex sells!
YOGALIFE magazine is the only Asian yoga magazine in the world with a fair share of men on its cover, paying no regard for skin tone. There is no other yoga magazine in the world with a man on its cover. Insane was a word I got accustomed to and the more it was hurled at me, the more I loved it.
15 years later being on stage as a WELLNESS AWARDS platform, awarding yoga on this very stage, took me back to the ban once yoga endured in this very country and of the ridicule we were often hurled right up to this day. It has been a phenomenal victory and one that culminated on Mahashivaratri with Shiva being the Lord of Yoga!
This day is not only poignant to me because of its auspicious date, but also because it is Bengali Language Day – a day that celebrates my mother tongue internationally.
I wish to thank everyone who made this event possible and to Datin Jeannette Tambakau and Su En from Hamam Spa for all the collaborative work, as well as, the Tourism Ministry for recognising our labour of love. I wish to thank Jasmine Kamal and Suchismita Das for all the compas mentis throughout the organising of the event.
We plan to create more awareness in the fields of alternative healing and spirituality so that we become the next wellness and spiritual matrix of the world.
CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN TO ALL THE WINNERS!
And as they say in Bengali, Nomoshkar!
SUJATA NANDY WORLD GURUKUL
www.sujatanandy.com
