Bio

          Kaya Mallick is a scholar of yoga (MA, South Asia studies), a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (200-RYT), and creator of The Woke Yogi. She is a Fulbright-Nehru Research Fellow (2024-25) and a two-time Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow (2022-24). Kaya discovered yoga eight years ago by accident, stayed out of spite, and ultimately fell in love with the tradition. Her classes now integrate modern psycho-somatic practices with a rich lineage of Indic philosophies.

          Before yoga consumed her life, Kaya was a playwright whose stage plays were produced across the U.S. and India. While pursuing her BFA, she discovered an inherent theatricality in the Hindu myths, and so she began to weave these tales into her own. Yogis of centuries past inspired her to study yogis present and future. Despite her disciplinary shift, Kaya continues to tell stories through her scholarship, on the stage, and in the yoga studio.

My Yoga Journey

          I began practicing yoga just over eight years ago, in the brightly lit university gym in southeastern Ohio. I probably would never have set foot in a second class had it not been for two extremely lucky conditions. One: my best friend was an experienced yoga teacher. Two: my sophomore spring writing course was cancelled at the last minute, so I was suddenly—and begrudgingly, I might add—thrown into a class titled “The History of Yoga.” After studying Indic myths for only a semester, I was fully invested in my practice and study of yoga. 

           I earned my 200-hour yoga teacher certification in Denver, Colorado in the summer of 2018. That December, I set off for India, where I studied yoga and Ayurveda for five months. I went on to teach yoga in gyms, rec centers, studios, and private settings across the U.S. and India. Convinced that modern postural yoga was in dire need of an ethical makeover, I earned my MA in South Asia Studies in 2024. Now, I am currently living in Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world, where I am conducting an ethnographic study on yogis & ascetics as a Fulbright-Nehru Student Researcher.  

          The more I learn, the more I itch to know. And as I scratch that unsatiable itch, I realize that I could spend my entire life devoted to this path and still only unlock a fraction of its wonders. So, I have made a commitment to embody the yogic teachings in my everyday life. Now, I hope to share my understanding of this rich, ancient practice with anyone who could benefit from it!    

My Philosophy

          There are ten principles I strive to abide by in my everyday life. These ten principles are heavily inspired by the Yamas and Niyamas — the first two limbs of the eight-limbed path prescribed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

          The first five principles pertain to my relationship with the outside world:

MINIMIZE HARM (Ahimsa)

            I aim to work and play ethically, with special attention to how my actions may bring harm to fellow humans, other living beings, and Mother Earth. 

LEAD WITH HONESTY (Satyagraha)

            I intend to forever be forthright and forthcoming. I do not knowingly lie or conceal information. I approach others with humility and gratitude, willing to integrate their teachings into my lifestyle. 

SPIRIT OF ABUNDANCE (Asteya)

            I recognize that my own needs are always met in abundance. As I encounter less-privileged individuals on my journey, I am necessarily called to share my abundance with them. I am obligated to offer fair, generous compensation for all goods, services, and especially for cultural and spiritual practices in which I partake.

ALL THINGS IN MODERATION (Brahmacharya)

            I aim to regulate my impulses so I will not act on greed, lust, or excessive indulgence. I pledge to direct my energy towards pursuits that are not just fulfilling for myself but also productive for my community.

RELEASE ATTACHMENT (Aparigraha)

            I believe that mental freedom comes at the expense of oversized luggage, and so I’m continuously learning to release my attachments to places, connections, habits, and material things—rather, I’m cherishing the present moment and all the fleeting wonders of our reality. I strive to experience life with perpetual immediacy.

          The last five principles pertain to my relationship with myself:

CLEAN BODY, PURE MIND (Saucha)

           I consciously release that which does not serve me. I try to approach each new situation without assumptions, judgments, or generalizations.

HAPPY WHERE I AM (Santosha)

             I live in the moment, embracing the full spectrum of emotion as it arises. I trust the hands of fate; I am always in the right place at the right time.

SELF CONTROL (Tapasya)

             I practice austerities (acts of self-discipline and self-denial) to challenge the luxuries that I take for granted and actively practice non-attachment.  

FOREVER A STUDENT (Svadhyaya)

            I vow to never stop learning and seeking greater understanding. Even as I teach, I remain receptive to the infinite wisdom I have yet to unlock. I must always remain humble.

SURRENDER TO THE UNIVERSE (Ishvara Pranidhana)

          We are all individual parts of a larger collective, separated only by illusion and Ego. Darkness allows for light; destruction brings rebirth. I feel quite confident about these things, and still, I know almost nothing about this reality and my place in it. Therefore, I relinquish control to the powers that be. I forgo my selfish desires for the greater good. Above all else, I try to think, act, and manifest from a place of unconditional compassion.

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