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Indian arm of Hachette UK
The Yoga Sutras For Children - A Conversation with Author Roopa Pai
Welcome to the Ask an Author series on swell, where we deep dive into the minds and stories of the brilliant authors who paint our world with words. I'm your host, Ramya, and together we'll unlock the secrets behind the pages and bring the voices of these talented authors to life. Today I'm going to be speaking to Roopa Pai, the much loved author of several bestselling books for children
Having read the book and having watched some of your videos, I must say that humor comes very naturally to you. So can you share your insights on the importance of humor and simplicity when presenting complex concepts like the yoga sutras to young readers? How did you strike a balance between conveying the teachings and keeping it very accessible and enjoyable for children?
Roopa Pai
@Roopa_Pai · 4:44
And then that's where when I reach that stage is when I start writing the book when I feel I have enough of a grasp on it to make it simple enough for other people, young readers to understand
So one aspect of the book that I really appreciated was the fact that regardless of whether one reads the book from the beginning, chapter by chapter, or even randomly go through the book, it all comes together very well. I think that's because of the way in which you have structured the concepts as ten concise chapters with numerous simple actionables. Could you tell us more about your approach to structuring the book in this way and how it enhances the reading experience?
Roopa Pai
@Roopa_Pai · 4:31
But I have to say, I was surprised when she said it and as surprised when you said it, and I mean happily surprised, because that was not the intention when I wrote the book. I thought I was being very correct. I was being keeping with how Maharishi Patanjali had structured his own sutras. So I guess the credit has to go to him. The yoga sutras are very nicely built up, one on top, one on top of the other
Roopa Pai
@Roopa_Pai · 5:00
You know, I think in India we have the advantage of learning from the best about how to reduce or make profound concepts accessible to people. I mean, the sages of the upanishads, they put their thoughts down, their revelations down in a very abstract manner just in a moment of of epiphany those words would pour out of them and they would teach them as they came out. And somebody thought that perhaps was too difficult for common people to understand
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Roopa Pai
@Roopa_Pai · 4:24
He's not only Adjuna's best friend, he can be anyone's. That is his capacity to make himself everybody's friend, everybody's best friend. So there is that. So with the Yoga Sutras, that human element was missing. It was a very clear, no nonsense, matter of fact text and it's quite rigorous in what it says
So before I move on to my last question for you, Roopa, I wanted to take a couple of seconds to thank you for taking the time out and being a part of this conversation. As a parent and as a reader who has very recently read the book, I must say that you've managed to introduce the Yoga Sutras in a very playful and accessible way to kids. So thank you so much for writing this book and I look forward to many more from you
Roopa Pai
@Roopa_Pai · 4:24
They have been reading my book since they were 13 and 14 respectively, and they've been with me on my writing journey. So it's been ten years since they have been following me and reading my work. So I thought for the launch of my book, which happened on Sunday in Bangalore, I invited them to be my interlocutors