Sunaina Rana is a classical Hatha Yoga teacher and spiritual seeker. She completed her Isha Hatha Yoga teacher training in 2015 and has since dedicated herself to offering yoga classes in India and Nepal.
She also volunteers at the Isha Yoga Centre in Tamil Nadu, India, founded by Sadhguru.
As part of the Sadhguru Foundation, Rana shares the mission of raising human consciousness, establishing a global spiritual foundation and facilitating spiritual growth and wellbeing for all.
Rana is currently in Nepal and will be conducting Hatha Yoga classes at Kupondre Heights, Sanepa from the end of July to the end of September.
In this conversation postof Sanskriti PokharelRana talks about the role of books in her spiritual journey, what drew her to yoga, and the lessons she’s learned from volunteering at Isha Yoga Center.
What book has had the most impact on your yoga practice?
For me, as a Hatha Yoga teacher and spiritual seeker, the deepest impact of yoga comes from consistent, daily practice.
Books also help provide inspiration and motivation. Some of the books that have helped me are Mystic Musings by Sadhguru, Life and Death by Jiddu Krishnamurti, Awareness by Osho and Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach.
Does yoga help your daily life and emotional wellbeing?
Yoga has played a big role in my daily life. It helps me deal with stress and anxiety. For example, if a situation makes me upset or angry, after a yoga session my perspective completely changes. As a result, I feel much calmer and more balanced.
What first got you interested in yoga and spirituality?
Ever since I was a child, I had a connection with prayer and chanted the Hanuman Chalisa before going to bed as a nightly ritual. However, in my late teens, I began to feel disconnected from these prayers. I wanted to better understand and uncover the science behind these chants.
Nine years ago, when I set my sights on studying abroad in the US to complete my master’s degree, I felt sluggish and stagnant due to lack of exercise.
I wasn’t feeling well and I wanted to change that.
I was attracted by the health benefits of yoga, and when I came across a marketing video on social media for a five-month Hatha Yoga teacher training, I was fascinated by the students’ experiences with their teachers.
I decided to start a new spiritual journey by enrolling in a Hatha Yoga Teacher Training course certified by Isha Hatha Yoga School.
After completing my five month transformational journey, I attended several advanced three-day programs with Sadhguru as well as a more intensive seven-day Samyama Silence program.
During the Samyama Silence program, I experienced a deep spiritual dimension that touched my heart and made me realize that life can be experienced beyond the body and mind. This realization led me to pursue the path of a full-time spiritual seeker and dedicate my life to Sadhguru’s mission of spreading meditation and yoga worldwide.
How do you deal with the train of thoughts while practicing sadhana?
When I started sadhana 9 years ago, my mind was flooded with constant thoughts like an explosion, now, although there are still thoughts during sadhana, they have reduced drastically and the experience of bliss and meditation is much stronger.
With consistent practice, I found my thoughts were fewer and less distracted. I realized that the more persistently I devoted myself to my sadhana, the better I was able to control the flow of my thoughts.
How has reading contributed to your development as a spiritual seeker?
Whenever I lack motivation or inspiration, I turn to books. For a seeker like me, reading provides me with diverse perspectives and reminds me of the importance of awareness, consciousness, and balance.
When I feel like my emotions are out of control and I’m being consumed by negativity, I turn to transformative books like Inner Engineering and Mystic Musings by Sadhguru.
These books give me wisdom and knowledge, guiding me towards clarity and stability.
What was your biggest takeaway from your volunteer experience at Isha Foundation’s headquarters in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu?
It has been almost a decade since I started volunteering with Isha Foundation. I believe it is a very unique approach to life and a special and noble path towards self-transformation.
Witnessing thousands of people enter deep meditative states has been deeply moving, and it has been rewarding to be a part of my own gradual liberation from obsessive thoughts and to watch others make the same effort.
Ashram life teaches you to transcend likes and dislikes. By minimizing the focus on personal preferences, you learn to respond based on the requirements of the situation, not your own desires.
This approach is crucial because it shifts our focus from ourselves to the demands of the present. It is not an easy path, but with conscious practice, we gradually become less tied to our identity and gain the flexibility to adapt to any situation.
Although I have yet to fully master this, this lesson has been extremely meaningful in my spiritual journey and remains one of the most valuable lessons I have learned at Isha Foundation.
Sunaina Rana Book Recommendations
Death: Insider Information
Author: Sadhguru
Publisher: Penguin Ananda
Year: 2020
This book broke down taboos about death and eased my own fears about death and those of my loved ones. It emphasizes that a fulfilled life leads to a peaceful death and explores the science of death rituals over three sections.
Eating animals
Author: Jonathan Safran Foer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Year: 2008
Fore’s work was truly life-changing. It convinced me to become a vegetarian – it’s a thoroughly researched exploration of the ethical and moral dilemmas surrounding factory farming and the consumption of animals.
What Millennials Want
Author: Vivan Marwaha
Publisher: Penguin Random House India
Year: 2021
Focusing on Indian democracy, the book explores the aspirations and fears of millennials across 13 Indian states. The author explores their attitudes towards religion, politics, sex, marriage and other topics.
Inner Engineering
Author: Sadhguru
Publisher: Penguin Books
Year: 2016
This book is a treasure trove of wisdom. It’s the book I turn to through life’s ups and downs and when I feel like I’ve lost my way. It gives me valuable insight into the importance of introspection as a path to resolution.
Singha Durbar
Author: Sagar SJB Rana
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Year: 2017
Packed with anecdotes, this book features around 100 one-on-one interviews with key figures in Nepal’s historical development, making it a valuable resource for historians and anyone interested in the history of Nepal.
