Men do yoga | Ravi Dixit

Meet Ravi. Born in 1987. Modern Indian Yogi.
@raviyoga_goa  /  www.ravi.yoga

 

When and how did you start yoga?

I started doing yoga when I was 9 years old. I grew up in India, my grandfather was an astrologer and he started teaching me how to chant mantras and practise mudras. After that yoga was part of my life and I realised it was my calling to live a life with yoga. In my early twenties I moved to Rishikesh to study yoga in the Ashrams. That’s where my teaching also began.

 

What style of yoga do you practice?

I practise and teach Hatha Yoga, which is the most traditional form of yoga in India. But when I learned yoga I didn’t follow a specific style, to me Yoga was just Yoga.

 

How has it changed your life?

Personally it changed a lot of things in my life. Once I got deeper and deeper into my practice, parts of my life that I didn’t need any more naturally fell away and were replaced by better things. Professionally it has made me more connected and patient and yoga has allowed me to travel the world. Overall Yoga has made me a more loving person.

 

 

What is your most memorable yoga moment?

The first time I did peacock pose. I have no words to explain how happy that made me, it made me feel I could do anything, I will always remember that moment.

 

What makes a great yoga teacher?

The right knowledge, meaning you understand what yoga really is. That and a kind personality.

 

What is your favourite pose and why?

Peacock. When I do peacock I feel powerful and in control, both mentally and physically. If can do that and understand the behaviour of my body and how to harmonize myself, it motivates me to be a better teacher.

 

What do you do when not doing yoga?

I love to cook, classic Ayurvedic Indian food. And I like watching Cricket and Bollywood movies.

 

 

What are you listening to?

I listen a lot to talks by the great master Osho. Music wise I like Enrique Iglesias and Arijit Singh.

 

What are you reading?

I don’t read novels, I honestly don’t like reading very much but I do study a lot of Yoga books from Bihar Yoga, the first Yoga foundation of India.

 

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I would like to create and Ashram somewhere in India where everyone is welcome to come and learn yoga on charity basis. That is my dream.

 

 

 

If you could be any animal in the world, what would you choose?

I would like to be an elephant. Since I was a child I have seen the elephant as a spiritual animal, because of the Hindu God Ganesha, who has the head of an elephant.

 

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Dev Patel. He is the taller, handsomer and more famous version of me.

 

 

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Lots of sugar in my tea. Like really a lot.

 

When are you happiest?

I am happiest when I am doing my own yoga practice.

 

What is your greatest fear?

I’m afraid of drowning, as a child I almost drowned twice and I haven’t quite gotten over that yet.

 

 

Where would you go if you could time travel?

If there were no limitations on time and distance, I would like to travel to space. It has always fascinated me.

 

Why should people do yoga?

We should all do yoga to help ourselves. To be happier, healthier and kinder people.

 

Tell us something we don't know.

I am a very good dancer. Bollywood style to be specific.

 

We run monthly men's yoga workshops with Ravi at various locations around London. You can check these out on our Facebook page.