Repose Yoga in Mount Waverley

I celebrated my birthday just a few days after Papa passed away.

A birthday so close to losing someone you love brings with it so many mixed emotions. I felt sad, and I had very mixed feelings about celebrating at all.

We hear it all the time: every day is a blessing, be grateful for the people you love, appreciate the time you have together. It can sound like a cliché. But when you lose someone, and especially when you’ve also gone through cancer treatment yourself a few years ago, you understand those words in a much deeper way.

So I turned 53 feeling the sadness of losing Papa, but also feeling genuinely grateful for my own life, for my family and friends, and for every ordinary day I get to spend with the people I love.

I’m 53. I’m proud of that. I’m happy to be here, and I’m choosing to celebrate my life.

And I truly believe that blessings and good wishes carry something with them. I’m a sucker for your wishes, so send them my way. ❤️

PS Studio Yoga Classes, Private and Corporate Yoga classes have also re-started in full swing. See you in class 🙏

Papa the Great
8 January 1939 – 3 August 2026

Papa, you always said you were going to live until you were 120. 😢

As a diplomat, you showed us the world — so many countries, cultures, languages, all because of the life your career gave us. You never stopped learning. You taught yourself new languages and new scripts simply because you loved to learn. Your love for the Bhagavad Gita ran deep, you found such joy studying it and sharing its wisdom with others.

There are so many memories, more than I could ever put into words. These are just a few that make me smile. They might seem ordinary to others, but to me they capture exactly who you were.

You told me not to be scared of history, it was just a story with a “hi” attached to it. You’d sound out restaurant so I’d remember how to spell it. I still hear your voice every time I write that word.

You taught me how to do a headstand. Your jokes were terrible, but somehow they were always funny, because you were the one telling them.

You were one of the most intelligent, self-taught, self-made men I’ve ever known.

I’m so grateful I got to see you happy and celebrating just a few weeks ago.

Thank you for everything, Papa. I will carry you with me always.

And thank you for singing and dedicating that song for me a couple of weeks ago. I love you.

Your Gugo Chunno Munno.

PS to my students: All classes are cancelled for now. I’ll be extending everyone’s passes, but I’m doing this manually so it may take me some time to get to each one — thank you for your patience while I do.

Just saying

Do this now. Just saying.

Surya Namaskar is one of the most complete movement practices in yoga, developing mobility, strength, coordination and movement quality in a single sequence.