Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone - Part 2(The Quiet Kind)

Ready for Part 2? Don’t worry – this one doesn’t involve slipping on doormats or clinging onto a pole for dear life. 😅

This part of the journey happened before all the slipping, spinning, and secondhand embarrassment you might have read about earlier (if not, highly recommend catching up here). Unlike what followed, this step out of my comfort zone didn’t come with dramatic entrances. It was slower. Softer. More grounded. But still unfamiliar in its own way.

Not So Unknown After All

I visited the yoga studio a day before the rest of the adventures began. Yoga wasn’t completely new to me, this wasn’t about diving into the unknown – it was more about intentionally adding something I knew I needed. But it was a new place, a new environment, and something about showing up for a class full of strangers still felt a little out of my comfort zone. I had never done yoga in a studio setting before, and that alone was enough to make me feel a little uneasy. Still, stretching, and a bit of stillness felt like exactly what I needed. So, bright and early, I attended the Morning Yoga session.

On my way to yoga studio… with sleepy eyes, a quiet street, and a little Old Montreal magic in the air!✨

As usual, I was late and ended up in the last row. I quickly set up my mat, expecting a typical yoga session – until the instructor started playing the harmonium. The moment I heard that beautiful, melodious sound in the early morning, I was so happy. As she led us through chanting Om, her fingers moved effortlessly on the harmonium keys, while her other hand played the board with perfect rhythm. She was absolutely flawless.

Honestly, I love seeing Indian traditions and roots being embraced globally (proud Indian girlie moment!). It’s amazing how yoga, which has its deep roots in India, has now found a home in every part of the world. Seeing it celebrated, respected deeply and practiced everywhere just makes it even more special. This just made my morning even better, and I couldn’t wait to see what else was in store for the session!

The Moon, Ganesha & Perfect Timing

I was even happier when she started talking about the poses we were going to perform during the yoga flow – and the star of the show was - The Half Moon Pose (Ardha-Chandrasana). The moment she said that, I was dancing in my head. And as if the universe was perfectly aligning things for me, I realized that as I write this, it’s a Blood Moon night, a lunar eclipse. Talk about timing!

And then, to make it even better, she started telling us a story about the Moon and Lord Ganesha.

She introduced Lord Ganesha as the Remover of Obstacles – and I smiled instantly. I had grown up knowing that. In Hindu mythology, Lord Ganesha is deeply known and respected for clearing paths and helping us move through life’s challenges. And just the night before my yoga session, I happened to rewatch Eat Pray Love, where they mention the same thing. The timing felt too perfect. I thought to myself, Yep, I have definitely come to the right place. This is the sign. She then went on to share the beautiful story of Lord Ganesha and the Moon, explaining how that tale is connected to the Half Moon Pose – and how that shape got its name.

As she continued, she shared more about Lord Ganesha – not just as the one who clears the path, but as the one who transforms obstacles into something sweet. In Hindu mythology, he is also known as the god of wisdom and knowledge. She explained that devotees offer him sweets like laddoos or modaks, along with milk and ghee, as a symbol of turning life’s challenges into blessings.

Lord Ganesha’s Sweet Lesson (Literally)

The story goes that on his birthday, Ganesha spent the evening happily feasting on all the sweets offered to him. As the remover of obstacles, he had taken away his devotees’ troubles and symbolically consumed them. With his belly full and heart content, he got onto his trusted mouse, Mooshak, and set off for home. But on the way, a snake crossed their path. Mooshak got scared and ran off. As a result, Ganesha fell to the ground, and his belly split open, and all the sweets spilled everywhere.

Up in the sky, the moon god, Chandra, saw this happen and burst into laughter. He found it hilarious that the mighty Ganesha had fallen so clumsily and was now scrambling to gather his scattered sweets. Not wanting to lose his sweets, he quickly grabbed the snake and tied it around his belly to hold everything in place. But Chandra kept laughing. Frustrated and angry, Ganesha decided to teach him a lesson. He broke off one of his tusks and threw it straight at the moon, punishing Chandra for his arrogance.

And this is where the Half Moon Pose gets its shape – one hand reaching down to gather the fallen sweets, the other raised as if throwing the tusk at the moon.

The story doesn’t end there. Ganesha’s anger caused the moon to disappear, throwing the world into endless darkness. After a few days, Ganesha took pity on Chandra and agreed to restore his light – but with a condition. The moon would no longer shine at full brightness all the time. Instead, it would grow and shrink, becoming fully bright only once a month on the full moon.

And that’s how, according to legend, the phases of the moon were created – all because of a playful but powerful lesson from Ganesha himself.

And with that, she wrapped up the story. Of course, she shared it in a shorter, more summarized way during the session – but you know me, I had to dig a little deeper into the Half Moon Pose story and add those extra details here for you all.

And if there is one more lesson to take from this story, it is this: if Ganesha can turn obstacles into sweets, maybe we can learn to do the same. Instead of fighting every challenge, what if we looked at them as something to work with rather than against? Struggles will come and go, but when we stop resisting them and start embracing the lessons they bring, life flows a little easier – maybe even sweeter…!❤️

More Than I Signed Up For (In a Good Way)

After the story, we slowly transitioned into movement. We began with gentle stretches, following her lead, and then she guided us into Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutaion) – a symbolic flow of 12 yoga poses performed in rhythm, like a moving prayer to the Sun. It was sweaty (very sweaty), but it felt so good afterwards – like my body was both energized and grounded at the same time. We flowed through some basic asanas, and in the midst of everything, she kept reminding us to breathe… in sync with our movements. Inhale, exhale, flow.

When I first walked into the studio, I had one thing on my mind: Shavasana. Yep, the sleeping pose. If you know, you know! That glorious moment of lying down like a starfish after moving your body through every possible shape – pure joy. I was so sure we would end the session with it. I mean, I knew a tiny bit about how yoga classes work (thank you, YouTube and random wellness reels!), and Shavasana is the reward at the end, right? I was ready for that moment.

I also figured we would do some of the usual suspects – Warrior Pose, Tree Pose, maybe a Downward Dog or two. But what I did not see coming was the one pose that would completely take me by surprise – Half Moon Pose.

Physically and mentally, it was the most challenging part of the session. My balance was all over the place, and my flexibility definitely needs some improvement. But with the help of yoga blocks, I gave it a go. And that pose taught me a lot – not just about strength and alignment, but about how much more I needed to stretch, not just my body… but maybe also my mindset.

The first thing that greeted me at the studio!

Inhale. Exhale. Be Here.

One thing I became very aware of during the session was my breath – or rather, how inconsistent it is in everyday life. In yoga, every inhale and exhale feels intentional. Conscious. Deep. And it made me think: what if we actually breathed like that more often? What if we slowed down enough to notice it – how breath fills the lungs, calms the body, anchors us to the present moment? It felt like a moving meditation, a soft reminder to just be here, now.

As someone who has been learning to stay more present, this session nudged me to lean into that practice a little more. Just another quiet, unexpected lesson that felt like it came at the perfect time.

And yes – Shavasana finally happened (bless!), followed by a soft round of chanting to end the session. And that was it. Simple, grounding, and a little bit magical. 🌿✨

A Calm Exit, for Once 😅

So anyway, I walked in with sleepy eyes and a hungover-looking face, and I walked out with my head full of new lessons – both physically and mentally!

Overall, this was such a beautiful experience. It made me realize just how deep our Yogi Sanskriti(Culture) and mythology run, and I am sure there is so much more out there that I haven’t even heard of yet. I bet many other yoga poses also have fascinating origin stories behind them – just like this Half Moon Pose. And that’s the best part – not only are they intriguing, but they also leave us with lessons that go beyond just movement.

So that brings us to the end of Part 2 – no surprise puddles(looking at you, Part 1 😅), just a calm mind, a stretched body, and a story I didn’t expect to walk out with. If you have made it this far, thank you for being here!❤️ Part 3 is on its way – and let’s just say, it felt like home the moment I stepped in. Stay tuned! 💛✨