“I am Aashna and I was born and raised in Chennai. My life has taken many shapes over the years. I tried my hand at biotechnology, media and even interiors before I finally found my ground with dance fitness and Pilates. I did not arrive here quickly. I arrived here slowly, through moments that forced me to look at myself with honesty.

There was a phase in my life when everything felt mundane. Nothing excited me. I was doing only what felt safe or comfortable, choosing what I was supposed to do rather than taking a risk and choosing what I truly wanted. Somewhere in that quiet numbness, I realised how far I had wandered from myself.

Dance had always been my healing space. It was the one thing I turned to when I needed room to breathe. So when life felt still and colourless, I stepped into dance fitness. It came to me like oxygen. But the field was already crowded and I knew I wanted to do something that challenged me and helped me create my own space. That is when Pilates entered my life.

My real turning point came during the years when I felt completely lost. I was working constantly, burning myself out and still feeling like I belonged nowhere. The frustration became a daily companion. I felt stuck inside my own life. But somewhere there, dance fitness began opening small windows of clarity. Clients who trained with me felt safe. They did not feel judged. They found joy in that one hour where the rest of the world disappeared. And their happiness became a quiet reminder that I was capable of making a difference.

Their trust changed something in me. And when my family and friends stood behind me without hesitation, I stepped into Pilates with a new sense of purpose. The challenge it brought, the discipline it demanded, the transformation it created in people, all of it made me fall in love with this path. For the first time, I felt like I was not living life on autopilot. I was choosing my own ground.

And then there is Chennai. Besides the filter coffee, which is practically a personality trait in itself, this city feels like podi dosa to me. It has the spice, the comfort, the crispiness, the love, the feeling of belonging and the certainty that it is very hard to go wrong with it. Chennai has held every version of me. The unsure girl. The exhausted woman. The hopeful trainer. And now, a Pilates instructor building a space where movement heals and people feel seen.

When I look back, the thing that changed my life was simple. Someone believed in me. Clients, family, friends. And slowly, I learned to believe in myself too. Today, I teach people to move, to breathe and to reconnect with their own bodies. In the process, I have found my own identity again.

This city shaped me as much as movement did. And together, they gave me the courage to start living with intention instead of just existing.”