About the writer: Chaukei Ngai
I was born in Hong Kong, two months premature and because my lungs were not developed enough to breath on my own, I was put on a ventilator. My whole young life, I always felt like I was struggling just to catch my breath, and many took many trips to the hospital in order to get oxygen. This went on till I was in my 20’s. Then, when I was student at York University in Toronto, I went to my first yoga class and my life completely changed. I’ve never looked back. It was the first time I ever experienced a real connection to my body. I found my passion, and my calling. I found stillness. Eight short years after that Bikram’s class in Toronto, I became the International Yoga Asana Champion. And I have my beautiful son who does yoga with me. I always say that Yoga taught me how to breathe, but it’s also the fire in my life that propels me forward, both spiritually and competitively.
