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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

From Body to Bliss: Essential Yogic Principles to Know

Not mere exercise, yoga is much more than posture – it is the art of aligning the body with the soul.

Yoga is not just a fitness routine or a set of postures. It is a complete science of living – connecting body, breath, mind, intellect, and spirit. Rooted in the wisdom of the Vedas and codified by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, yoga offers practical tools for harmony in daily life. To practise yoga meaningfully, it is vital to understand its core foundations. Let’s explore five key concepts that shape the yogic path: Koshas, Prana & Nadis, Elements, Chakras, and the Gunas.


Five Sheaths (Pancha Kosha)

Human existence is described in the Taittiriya Upanishad as five layers, or koshas.

Annamaya (Physical): Nourished by food, made of the five elements. Balanced with asana, kriya, and pranayama.

Pranamaya (Energy): Governs life force and connects body with mind through breath.

Manomaya (Mental): Seat of emotions and thoughts. Balance here brings emotional stability.

Vijnanamaya (Wisdom): Intellect and higher knowledge. Sharpened by study, reflection, and meditation.

Anandamaya (Bliss): Pure joy, closest to the Self. Experienced in deep meditation.

Yoga is essentially a journey from the physical to the blissful sheath.


Prana and Nadis

Prana is the vital life force. It flows through subtle channels called nadis. Of the 72,000 nadis, three are central:

Ida (moon): Cooling, linked to the mind.

Pingala (sun): Heating, linked to action.

Sushumna: The central pathway, balancing both and leading to spiritual awakening.


Breath practices purify these nadis, allowing prana to flow freely. Modern science mirrors this wisdom—alternate nostril breathing, for instance, is shown to calm the nervous system and balance both hemispheres of the brain.


Five Elements (Pancha Mahabhutas)

The body and the universe are made of the same five elements – “Pindi te Brahmandi” (the microcosm reflects the macrocosm).

Earth (Prithvi): Bones, muscles – grounding.

Water (Jal): Blood, fluids – flow and flexibility.

Fire (Agni): Digestion, energy transformation.

Air (Vayu): Breath, circulation – movement.

Space (Akasha): Sound, communication – vastness.


Balancing these through yoga brings health, stability, and cosmic harmony.


Chakras (Shat Chakra)

Seven energy centres line the spine, each with a seed sound (bija mantra) and unique qualities:

Muladhara (Root): Stability. Lam.

Swadhisthana (Sacral): Creativity. Vam.

Manipura (Solar Plexus): Willpower. Ram.

Anahata (Heart): Love. Yam.

Vishuddhi (Throat): Expression. Ham.

Ajna (Third Eye): Intuition. Om.

Sahasrara (Crown): Higher consciousness. Silence/Om.


Kundalini energy, coiled at the root like a serpent, rises upward through these chakras, awakening higher states of awareness. Each chakra not only supports spiritual growth but also reflects emotional health and personal expression.


Three Gunas

All of nature is guided by three qualities:

Sattva: Purity, clarity, wisdom.

Rajas: Energy, drive, restlessness.

Tamas: Inertia, ignorance, heaviness.


Through yoga, sattva is cultivated, leading to balance, calmness, and clarity. Even food and lifestyle choices affect the gunas—fresh, light meals increase sattva, while overstimulation or lethargy fuels rajas and tamas.


Yoga is far more than physical exercise. It is the art of aligning the microcosm within with the macrocosm outside. By understanding its core concepts – the koshas, prana, elements, chakras, and gunas – yoga becomes a tool for inner transformation. When practised with awareness, yoga not only changes how the body feels – it reshapes how life itself is experienced, helping practitioners live with greater balance, resilience, and joy.

(The writer is a yoga educator and researcher based in Pune.)

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