From high stress to headstands: Hyderabad techies quit corporate jobs to become yoga teachers; here's what they say

HYDERABAD: Even as corporate India grapples with whether to work 70 hours a week or not, many young professionals in Hyderabad are making a mid-career shift and becoming full-time yoga instructors. If it means a pay cut, so be it. Those 15-hour workdays packed with PowerPoint presentations, deadlines and unending meetings have finally got to them.

TOI spoke to many techies who have swapped high-pressure jobs for the calm, flexible life of full-time yoga.

Mrudula Neelam, 31, was a techie with a major corporate and spent nearly four years buried in spreadsheets and regulatory frameworks at a multinational firm. "My body just couldn't take the 14-15 hour work days any more," she says. "I was constantly sick and stressed. The turning point came during 'Wellness Fridays' at her workplace, where she began teaching yoga to colleagues. Already certified, she started taking it more seriously. A scholarship for an Ashtanga immersion course in Bali sealed the deal. "It all shifted from being a weekend side hustle to a full-time career for me."

Mrudula now runs classes from her online studio, teaches in-person sessions, and even travels to retreats and workshops in other cities.


Apart from techies, students and homemakers are also rolling out their mats with new intent.

Mumtaz Amalani, who spent most of her life as a homemaker, now leads classes at Satva Yoga in Secunderabad as a freelance Yogini. She also holds sessions in her community. “Yoga gave me something I never had — financial freedom and a strong sense of self. I walk into a class now and know I have something valuable to offer,” she adds.
A 20-year-old final-year student, is currently pursuing her teacher training certificate at Yoga Nirvana. She says that once she graduates, she is going straight into teaching.