Streams That Shaped the Path

The work shared through subtl is the convergence of more than two decades of seeking and steady practice. Many teachers shaped the journey through guidance, kindness, and timely direction. Each stream added something essential.

1. Early Foundations: Energy Awareness (2002–2006)

Inner work began at home. Born to parents who are Reiki Masters, Praveen was initiated into Reiki in 2002. It was the first concrete experience that the mind and body respond to attention, energy, and intention. This opened the door to subtle practices and gave rise to the curiosity about the vast inner world.

2. Breath and Discipline: Art of Living (2003–2016)

On his parents’ insistence, Praveen attended Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living basic course in 2003 (led by Santoshji). The first experience of Sudarshan Kriya felt like a jolt from another world—proof that there was far more to the being than the physical body. However, it was the first Advanced/Silence Course (guided by Pamela Brockmanji) that laid the foundation for pranic awareness, yogic concepts, Advaita Vedanta, and disciplined practice.

For more than a decade, Sudarshan Kriya and silence programs formed the heart of his sadhana. Over the years, Praveen completed fourteen Advanced Courses, including a blessing course (guided by Swami Suryapadaji/Chayanna) across various ashrams and locations. These years introduced breath practices, asanas, emotional resilience, consistency in daily practice, the ability to sit for long periods, and a deep trust in the inner journey.

This period created the bedrock on which all further exploration rested.

3. Shadow and Grounding: Shamanic Studies (2017–2019)

In 2017, during a trek near Machu Picchu, an unexpected inner experience followed by an Ayahuasca ceremony with Peruvian shaman Ismael Romero Ochanavo Sanchez opened a new doorway. It became clear that all of Life communicates—plants, animals, landscapes, and the psyche itself. There were clear insights into how the tendency of the mind-body to “hold on and suppress” invariably shows up as dis-ease. That experience led to a year-long training with Neelam Nanwani and Paul Hinsberger. Unlike traditional spiritual approaches focused primarily on peace and transcendence, this phase brought: shadow work, emotional honesty, confronting repressed patterns, examining the subconscious, integration of the feminine principle and intuitive dimensions. Importantly, it highlighted the unprocessed pain often carries the gateway to genuine spiritual embodiment.

4. Practical Integration: Tony Robbins (2018-2020)

Inner work alone did not clarify how to thrive in the outer world—relationships, career, money, physical vitality, and service.
After watching I Am Not Your Guru on Netflix, Praveen attended Tony Robbins workshops, including Unleash the Power Within, Business Mastery and Wealth Mastery. These experiences helped: shed unnamed fears, break cycles of self-doubt, move through the fatigue of repeated struggle, integrate inner work with outer decisive action. This phase brought much needed alignment between inner clarity and practical life.

5. Structure and Classical Yoga: The Yoga Institute (2020–2021)

During the COVID period, a simple email newsletter led to formal training at The Yoga Institute, Mumbai. Praveen completed:

  • 200-hour yoga teacher training

  • 900-hour advanced teacher training

  • Yoga for Cancer program

This is where the search finally converged into a comprehensive framework. Yoga as a science revealed itself as an all-encompassing system—honoring both the outer world and the inner world with equal fervor. It was all there.

Training with Dr. Hansaji Yogendra, Sudalai Maniji (Samkhya), Anil Chandranji, Dharmesh Sukhadiaji (Yoga for Cancer), and Kalpana Mehtaji (in-depth yoga) refined: asana, kriya, pranayama, yoga philosophy, Samkhya foundation, yoga lifestyle and therapy.

This phase provided structure, discipline, and philosophical clarity.

6. Clarity and Subtle Transmission: The Himalayan Tradition (2021–present)

Personal yoga sessions with Kalpanaji laid the foundation for asana practice and gradually introduced the Himalayan Tradition and Swami Rama’s teachings. She eventually invited Praveen to Sadhana Mandir ashram, Rishikesh for a program on Tattva Bodha in December 2021 (guided by Dr. Prakash Keshaviah). It was here that all prior streams quietly converged. Subsequently, Dr. Prakash initiated Praveen into mantra in January 2022 and many significant inner and outer shifts occurred with increasing rapidity. Deeper subtle-body and pranic practices unfolded through several, ongoing transmissions from Dr. Ganasan. This phase dissolved unnecessary seeking, set the journey back to basics (how to stand, sit, walk, lie down, breath), and unified all earlier practices into a subtler, inner architecture.

Other Influences (2019–2025)

Additional streams that contributed to the journey include: inner child work (guided by Dr. Newton and Dr. Lakshmi Kondaveeti), subtle dimension inquiry and questioning with Sandra Branger and Kotaro Aoki, Tantra via Ma Ananda Sarita, Kalaripayattu at Athma Kalari, Maliollin mushroom ceremony at Oaxaca, Mexico (guided by Don Manual and Guadalupe), Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam, Dr. Arjun Venkat, Dr. Fehmida Chipty on chronic disease and inflammation and Peter Diamandis and Abundance360 (on AI). Each influence arrived at precisely the right time.

Convergence

The path was never linear. Many years felt stagnant—life was a struggle on the outside and often on the inside. Mistakes repeated themselves. Progress seemed invisible. And then, without warning, things began to accelerate. Connections formed. The right teachers appeared. Practices deepened. Old patterns dissolved. Transmission began to move through. subtl is the natural expression of a long inner inquiry—shaped through the generosity of teachers, refined through practice, and clarified through Silence.