All this while, my YouTube yoga adventures were happening in the UAE, where my son lives. During Covid, when restrictions eased just a little, I finally managed to step out for walks and later—practice yoga under the open sky.

Everything around looked dead quiet. The streets were still, the air heavy. Sometimes the only sound piercing the silence was the sharp fire alarm from building mock drills. I stayed in Tower 7 of a cluster of 14 tall towers. That open space at the base became my yoga studio.

With no yoga mat, I simply rolled out a thick sheet of cloth and began moving, breathing, and grounding myself.