Mahak
The Early Years
Growing up, I was curious about how the world functioned, and what led people to believe in what they do. This seeking, I must admit, continues, up to a point at least. But I have, I would say, managed to consciously construct a part of my foundation of beliefs and processes.
As a child, I was always looking for answers to oceans of thoughts and social philosophies, which I would pick up listening to adults, from the music I was made to hear, and also through conversations I accidently—and sometimes consciously—was included in. I would then have detailed counter arguments, trying to draw conclusions for myself.
I had never been, I would say, a ‘simple’ believer. I approached spirituality with such a mindset and it didn’t work out well in the initial years. Born to chaste Brahmin parents who had a dynamic approach towards life, I was allowed to question but instead of answers, I received silence, or mythological stories, or more questions. So, we were left to think further, or adjust to the solutions offered. But in later years, the same overly pragmatic approach to spirituality helped me find answers to my questions.
Globetrotting My Way Through My 20s
It was clear to me that any spiritual/religious belief had to work for me literally. At the start of my professional career, my entire focus was on getting better at my job, and prayer meant just meeting the requirement, keeping the inner eye open to keenly observe the puja and the processes.
My work took me to states and towns all over the country. Slowly, travel led me to learn new flavours, beliefs, cultures, and practices. When I moved abroad to the Gulf, it unlocked a whole new level of understanding of life. I was travelling extensively, to cities around the world. The quest for seeing the ‘new’ in a town got me reading more and more. And suddenly, I was able to understand non-fiction books, which were beyond my ken just a few years earlier.
As cabin crew, I would fly to international destinations for work, and then have all the freedom to plan the time assigned to me in the ways I wanted. This was a powerful realisation. But the prep for my travels was basic: before reaching anywhere, as a group we would always discuss current affairs, the weather, festivals, famous travel destinations, and shopping secrets. This allowed exposure to a range of perspectives. From adventure, dining and sightseeing to health and beauty fixes, we could spend the day in a place in whatever way we chose. At the time, I was inclined towards history, nature, adventure and culture. I would also rent a motorcycle to move around, and walked as much as possible.
In the midst of all this grew within me the need to have a body sound enough to do all that I was eyeing, and to own a mind that can fit in all cultures, learn and adapt fast, and understand the way the world operated, a mind that could heal what was hurt inside. So, I indulged in more reading and exploration. And at my home, I regularly hosted multinational friends of all ages over herbal teas, for book-reading sessions, discussions on world affairs, or chats on culture; at such gatherings, I would absorb their life journeys. That, for me, was the key to unlocking books on philosophy; one by Ruzbeh Bharucha answered and clarified Hindu practices, and reinstated my faith in humans and their complicated societies.
Riding Towards Self-Fulfilment
I recall riding in Indonesia, across the hills of Bandung and in Jakarta, and also in Nepal, off the road in Pokhara. That’s when the adventure/riding bug bit me. Jungles became my healing zones and bikes turned into machines with solutions to every problem. Then in 2017, I decided to move back to India, to take a sabbatical after 13 years of a hectic working life—and to explore ancient concepts. I took up minimalism and committed to reading and learning Yoga. I packed my belongings onto my bike and moved to Rishikesh to find my grounding, gurus, and support system. I stayed there for over a year, studying at multiple Yoga schools. Over weekends, I would trek in the mountains nearby; the rest of the time I would learn Yoga. Soon, I got introduced to Vipassana, and life took a sharp turn.
In 2019, by accident, I was introduced to rally racing. Having no clue about how it is conducted, I applied at the last minute. Thanks to Yoga and meditation routines—my aids for a healthy mind and body (a prerequisite, surely?)—I was able to secure a trophy finish. And I found that motorsports came naturally to me, since I was comfortable with the risks involved, the solo nature of the activity, and the upskilling it called for. And I haven’t looked back!
I continue to manage a diverse professional life—as a marketing and realty consultant, as a Yoga coach and ADV trainer—and this fuels my motorsport journey. I have won many awards in various races, and continue to grow in my sport. The lockdown served me well and helped bring out the best in me, allowing me to dedicate my time to my practices. In fact, in 2021, Yoga saved my life twice when medical science failed me. Since then, it has helped reverse a lot of complicated conditions at home and in our surroundings.
In the same year, I created Motoyoga, a module of Yoga specific to the needs of bikers and athletes. Since then, we have tested this module on riders, and have found it to be very effective not only in addressing the physical and mental concerns they face, but also in transforming them into holistically healthier persons. Motoyoga teaches bikers accident management, and guides them on how to master offroad riding. But above all, it provides a user manual for the most powerful machine within them: their mind. And while motorsport, especially motorcycling, is a highly risky endurance sport that is often misrepresented and misunderstood, it is seeing a surge in interest, a trend visible in the growing number of ADV vehicles being made by automobile brands.
The path that Yoga offers does much more for a human than can be described, but for a pragmatic student like myself, it has served as a user manual on how best to utilise and maintain one’s physical and mental faculties, how to conduct business, how to treat others, how to unlock your true potential, and how to identify the good in the bad, and ace the art of staying focused. Most importantly, it has helped me master the art of living a life that is joyful and productive.
