SoBo's latest zen-zone

En route Colaba, all you got to do is veer into the byway from the Fire Station, and a little ahead of the second right, you’ll find a peerless space; one where fitness enthusiasts can find their zen. The four-year-old brand The Yoga House (based at Bandra) has now opened a branch in the heart of SoBo, thus permitting yoga lovers to wrap up their complaints about the sparseness of fitness studios in downtown Mumbai. Part of a 3,500 sq ft space, which also houses a three-level toddler/children play zone and Sundance Café, this yoga studio sprawls across 600 sq ft. 

In a new space
Walking into the last door seen at the ground floor of Sidhwa House and post nudging the café door adjacent to the reception, what you'll first notice is a play area for little ones. This space might tempt you to forget ‘being an adult’; they’ve got it all, be it large-size slides and trampolines to space for basketball and football, and even a toddler zone with a music piano carousal, role play house and more. In a tech-savvy world where kids have forgotten the idea of playing, this is a place that’ll help them be themselves…exactly why the name 'Go Bonkers' is so apt for this section. Right down the kids zone, to your left, you’ll find Sundance Café; a highlight of which are the lights attached on tires, which hang from the ceiling. A kitchen that serves healthy yet tasty delicacies, high chairs with tables and a medium-sized shelf that holds books, magazines and board games, this café is your option for some bite-sized meals at this site. Adjoining it is The Yoga House, a serene space that seems like it can hold about a dozen yoga students at a time (we’re guessing). The quietude of the location, pastel walls and blue curtains only add to the repose that a slot like this requires. 
Yoga, the art
Launched on the 1st of this month, The Yoga House is the answer to busy mothers, those engrossed in baby care, who hardly find the time to commit to fitness-related activities. Ask Lamya Arsiwala, co-partner of The Yoga House alongwith Maud Chuffart and Achal Mehra, on whether the art really aids to transform the body for the best and she says, "When you start, you definitely see your body change; you handle situations better and feel good. Post a certain time, you tend to commit to the form and end up with an ‘I must go for practice’. In a while, you only end up being self-aware; your body goes through good change.” We ask Arsiwala, who has taken up yoga for about nine years now, what the other benefits of yoga are and she adds, “The essence of yoga is the breath; in that moment you’re aware of your breathing process. With this you’re (technically) living in the present and switching off temporarily, thus letting go of the issues you are experiencing at that moment. Yoga also helps in coping with grief. I lost a very close friend while at Melbourne and yoga, for me, was a tool that helped me with my grieving process." What exactly does yoga really mean to Arsiwala? She responds, "Yoga helps you evolve spiritually. It is about uniting with one's inner self (the inner self being the higher self). To me, yoga is about being in equilibrium; not being too excited or too upset."

No affiliation to religion 
With the controversy on yoga ahead of International Yoga Day (June 21), we question Arsiwala if yoga has any affiliation to a particular religion. She responds, "Yoga has got nothing to do with religion. It is to do with the universe. There are a lot of Hindu chants but that’s only by virtue of it being practiced by Hindus during its inception. Today, by default and history, other religions have come to India but yoga doesn’t differentiate between religions. A yogi might disagree with you if you tell him that people in Varanasi believe you attain moksh by being cremated in the holy city. Yoga does not propagate that. A yogi is practical and reasonable." 
An aspect of The Yoga House that has helped it gain relevance in the suburbs is their café, which also goes by the same name, and an organic brand, which sells organic spices, veggies, organic food and other products. Arsiwala tells us, “We don’t plan to have a café here. It is a kid’s play area and children don't really eat salad and healthy food. The idea is to stay true to the space we own. In SoBo, we wanted to have a presence; because here there are many good teachers, and we wanted people to have access to yoga. The idea of this centre is to make yoga accessible to moms in particular, and we don’t only propagate practising it for the purpose of health; we also try making it fun and relevant.” 
So all you fitness enthusiasts, especially mothers at SoBo, who want to continue with a healthy lifestyle, it’s time you go check out this new space. Like Arsiwala says, “When kids spend their energy at the play zone, the moms can spend their energy here through a session of yoga.”

Where: The Yoga House, Go Bonkers, Sidhwa House, N.A. Sawant Marg, Near Colaba Fire Station, Colaba/ The Yoga House, Nargis villa, Sherly Rajan Road, Pali Hill, Near Rizvi, Bandra (W). 
Timings: Classes scheduled from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.