Yoga, Football and I

There are some days you don’t just live through —
You feel them.
You breathe them.
You carry them within you long after the sun has set.

Today was one of those days.

At the iconic DFB Campus in Frankfurt — a place built on the blood and dreams of footballers — I found myself barefoot on the grass, breathing slowly, moving gently, flowing through asanas under the open sky.

It was International Yoga Day, co-hosted by the Consulate General of India, Frankfurt and the German Football Association (DFB).
Over 400 people had gathered. But for me, it felt deeply, almost impossibly personal.
Because today, Yoga met Football.
And I was standing quietly in between —
not as a guest, not as a spectator,
but as a bridge between the two.

My First Love: The Ball:

Football was my first language.
As a boy, I found freedom in its chaos.
The roar of the crowd, the echo of cleats on concrete, the taste of dust and determination — that was my rhythm. That was my home.

Football taught me to fight.
To lead.
To rise every time I fell — even if the fall was public, painful, or permanent.
It made me believe in teams, in timing, in triumph.

It taught me to dream loudly.

Then Came Silence: The Breath:

But life — like football — has seasons.

There came a time when the cheers faded.
The floodlights dimmed.
And I found myself searching not for applause, but for peace.

That’s when Yoga found me.

It didn’t rush me.
It didn’t ask me to win.
It simply asked me to breathe.

Yoga taught me how to listen again — to my body, to my emotions, to the spaces between the noise.
Where football pushed me forward, yoga pulled me inward.
Where football taught me to chase, yoga taught me to let go.

Together, they shaped me — one with fire, the other with flow.

The Moment They Met:

This morning, on that sacred field of footballing ambition, I watched the two halves of my soul finally meet.

There were children and elders, Germans and Indians, athletes and artists — all moving together, breathing together.
The pitch — usually a battleground — became a sanctuary.
The turf — where players chase glory — became a place of surrender.

Yoga met Football.
Football bowed to Yoga.
And I stood there, overwhelmed.

Gratitude in Every Corner

This gathering was made possible by people whose hearts beat for more than just protocol.

To B.S. Mubarak, Consul General ,Consulate General of India in Frankfurt — whose vision brought this fusion to life.
To Kay Dammholz, Director, Media Rights and Alexander Deutmarg ,Head of Campus from DFB — for opening the gates of football to the breath of yoga.
To Arunava Mitra, my ever-steadfast comrade in digital and spiritual spaces.
To Vibha Kant Sharma,,Head of Chancery
Consulate General of India whose grace anchored the event.
To the many yoga teachers, volunteers, and the ever-loving Indian diaspora who made this not just an event, but a shared experience.

And to Ruchi Frankfurt — your food wasn’t just nourishment. It was love served warm.

A Moment Beyond Time:

As the yoga session ended, I lingered.
I looked at the goalposts in the distance.
I remembered every game I’d ever played — and every moment I had needed to pause.

I felt my younger self — chasing the ball —
and my present self — chasing breath —
finally understand each other.

This wasn’t just an event.
It was a full-circle moment.
A reminder that strength doesn’t always roar.
Sometimes, it sits in silence and smiles.

The Path Ahead:

I left the field today not just with memories —
but with a mission.

To help others see what I saw.
To believe that our children can grow up not just faster, but wiser.
Not just stronger, but softer.
That we can build a future where football sharpens the body, and yoga softens the soul.

If you ever find yourself torn between movement and stillness —
Know this:

You don’t have to choose.

You can run with your heart.
And rest with your breath.
You can kick, you can bow,
And in between the two —
You might just find yourself.

Let us raise a generation that is not just built to win,
but to feel, to heal, to breathe.

Let’s create a world where children chase footballs with fire in their eyes —
and sit in silence with peace in their hearts.
Where speed meets stillness.
Where strength is measured not just in muscles, but in mindfulness.

If today taught me anything, it’s this:
The future of sport is not only in the legs. It’s in the lungs. It’s in the heart.

Keep running. Keep breathing.
And when in doubt, find the space where Yoga meets Football.
You might just find yourself there too.

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