Conversations with Mirra and Aadil

Thank you, Gary, for this sweet birthday wish!   You are and have been very dear to me.  Gratitude from my heart for your dedication to yoga, and your clear and knowledgeable insights.

Gary Kraftsow on Aadil Palkhivala (1:27)

For me, yoga is every part of my life.  So, I am never not doing yoga.

Never Not Doing Yoga (0:51) Aadil Palkhivala

We are so honored to have received this beautiful testimonial. With our deepest gratitude to Memo, we share it here hoping it may remind others of the joy that awaits the journey of self-discovery. 

“Here is a guy who can shatter your ego” said a voice sitting in front of Aadil less than two years ago at a 2007 Yoga Conference in South Florida. Maybe this was the soft whisper of the inner self or a thought passing by, I am not sure. What I am sure of was that the four hour mini workshop was nothing short of educational, eye opening and energizing. I can confidently state on behalf of everyone there that Aadil had full command of the class and a vast knowledge of yoga and the human body. What impressed me the most and made me evaluate my commitment to better my life was Aadil’s way of patiently and very effectively translating the principles of yoga to real life examples. The concepts such as surrender, dharma and energy were starting to come alive. During all my interactions with Aadil both in and outside the classroom, I felt his passion toward serving his purpose and his commitment to inspire others to discover and live their purpose. Above all else, Aadil’s utter most respect and love for his wife Mirra, his daughter Zenia and the mission of Yoga Centers is truly heartwarming.  

Having returned from Aadil’s workshop, I wasted very little time to travel from Orlando, FL to Bellevue, WA to attend Mirra’s meditation workshop, expecting to learn to calm the occasional inner turmoil, and to relax and enjoy silence. Having discovered how energetic, committed, compassionate and disciplined Mirra was, I knew I was wrong, but I did not know how wrong. The day I stepped into that workshop is the day I started the real journey of self discovery. Come to think of it, what a short distance it was to travel to find one’s self! Mirra showed us the truth that lies in our hearts allowing us to feel whole, beaming with confidence. 

Having lived outside the country of my origin by myself for more than twenty years, I often thought my travels, my degrees, and my profession were shaped mostly based on my perception of cultural expectations. When I pause to reflect on these experiences, I feel that they were propelled by the inner desire to search for the meaning of life. I am eternally grateful that Aadil and Mirra have been two gracious guides who shed their light onto my path.

Memo Emec
Regional Manager, Operating Participants, Walt Disney World
Orlando, FL

Evolution cannot happen without involution. Unless I spend my time knowing who I am, any effort to try to become something more becomes a facade, a pretense, or it becomes what my wife Mirra calls, the “White Shadow.”

What we are working on in Purna Yoga is quite different. What we are working on is integrity. This means that until I know myself, it is pointless trying to be something that I am not. In fact the exact opposite is true.

Involution (2:18), Aadil Palkhivala