About

Yoga has been helping me to overcome my mental health issues, befriend my mind, accept and love my body as it is. This blog is an avenue to share what works (and don’t) for me throughout my inner self journey and healing process. The posts are meant to be reminder for myself and hopefully inspire others who are going through difficult times in their lives.

Yoga practice has been embedded in my daily life as a mental health survivor. After I obtained my Master’s degree from London School of Economics, I moved from London to Kuala Lumpur. I then had a full time job in an established Think Tank, however, I felt my life purpose doesn’t end there. I enrolled in silent vipassana retreats, continued to deepen my yoga practice and eventually went on to complete the 200-hours Yoga Teacher Training (Ashtanga and Hatha) from AYM School, Rishikesh, India. I was also given a full scholarship to train for Ashtanga Intensive with Kino Macgregor in Bali, Indonesia. I am also a graduate of Level 1 Yoga Therapist from Swasti Yoga School, Pune, India.

Since 2019, I’ve been teaching yoga classes and private yoga for beginner and intermediate practitioners. I moved from Kuala Lumpur to my hometown in Palembang and created a shala for my yoga class. Since Covid-19 pandemic hit, I closed down my shala, moved to Bali and started to focus on giving private yoga sessions. I teach in English and Bahasa Indonesia, where appropriate.

I started asana practice with zero strength and some flexibility. I was not a dancer, gymnast or an athlete. I was not confident in my strength while attempting challenging asanas yet I was a perfectionist too. Indeed, the pit of my depression has allowed me to reassess my life and viewpoints. On the mat, I am continually practicing acceptance and non-attachment of my practice. Through my daily yoga practice, I am so grateful to have become stronger physically, mentally and spiritually.

In my class, I emphasise the importance of the awareness of breath, body and mind while doing the asana. Asana practice for me is a moving meditation, where we should be aware of our movement and the sensation arises from the asana. I always highlight the element of non-competitiveness in yoga so that the students will not compare themselves with others in the class as yoga always accomodates different body sizes and shapes. Thus, Yoga is about achieving a delicate balance between effort and surrender.

I am based in Canggu, Bali, Indonesia. Contact me for private practice or yoga therapy consultatipn at dwinthamaya[at]gmail.com.

May you be happy and free,

Maya Yoga @dwinthamaya