Wellbeing: Heemali Inamdar explains how yoga has shaped her life

In celebration of World Yoga Day this month, trauma-trained yoga facilitator Heemali Inamdar reflects on her journey and consequent discovery of ‘wild stillness’

*Pictures by Charmaine Pourier @meraki.and.aesthetics*

Every June, World Yoga Day invites us all to pause, breathe, and reflect -not just on the asanas we practice, but on the deeper roots of yoga, its rich history, and how it’s shaped our lives today. For me, it’s also a deeply personal reminder of where I come from, and how yoga became the bridge between my British upbringing and my Indian heritage.

I was born and raised in England, but my ancestry is rooted in India. Growing up, there was always this quiet thread of culture and spirituality running through family traditions, little things that, in hindsight, were deeply yogic. But it wasn’t until later in life, during a time of personal transition, that I truly leaned into yoga. Not just as a physical practice, but to find grounding, clarity, and connection.

That journey led me to create Leave Her Wild Yoga, a space that offers something I had been searching for: gentle, trauma-informed practices that honour both ancient tradition and the raw, real emotions we carry today.

My work is rooted in the belief that yoga isn’t about ‘fixing’ yourself; it’s about remembering who you are beneath the noise. It’s about feeling safe in your own body and empowered to move through life with softness and strength.

Yoga itself has travelled a long way. It originated over 5,000 years ago in ancient India as a spiritual discipline- a way to unite the body, mind, and spirit. The earliest teachings, found in texts like the Vedas and later the Yoga Sutras, spoke to a path of breath, stillness, ethics and meditation. There were no gyms, no Instagram-worthy handstands, just the human heart searching for peace.

In the late 19th century, yoga began to make its way west. Swami Vivekananda introduced yogic philosophy in Chicago in 1893. Later, teachers like Indra Devi and B.K.S. Iyengar brought asana practice to the mainstream, helping it take root in Western culture. But in doing so, some of yoga’s depth and cultural context was lost.

That’s why World Yoga Day matters to me; it’s a celebration, but also a moment to pause and practice with awareness and respect for the tradition yoga came from.

So, this year, I invite you to take just a few minutes before your day begins. Maybe try a simple asana- child’s pose or a gentle seated twist, or simply place your hand on your heart and breathe. Notice how it feels. See how it shifts your mood, your thoughts, your body. That small pause can shift your entire day, and over time, your life.

Yoga doesn’t ask us to be perfect. It invites us to return to ourselves, to our breath, to this moment. Yoga isn’t something you need to strive for. It’s already within you, waiting to be remembered.

Heemali Inamdar is a trauma-trained yoga facilitator, women’s holistic health coach and founder of Leave Her Wild Yoga. Find out more at leaveherwildyoga.com