Life has a funny way for us to take on unexpected routes. For Natasha, a woman from Russia, her life and journey through belief and spirituality have been characterized by change. With 15 years of intense Christian following, she now lives at the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore, India. Her story is not of leaving one faith behind; instead, through the new practices of the new life, she comes to know God even more deeply.
Life in the Church
For most of her life, Natasha was praised as a committed churchgoer. She attended a Protestant Christian church every weekend. She wasn’t just a contributor; she participated. She taught kids in Sunday school, led home groups and took part in weekly Bible studies. She belonged anywhere the church was, and was always there for one in Russia, in travels abroad. It provided her with a sense of community, direction and feeling as though she belonged.
“Hello everyone, my name is Natasha. I am from Russia . Now I live in Isha yoga centre ashram which is located in Coimbatore Indian city.” 🥰🧘🧘🏽♀️🧘♂️🇮🇳
— JIX5A (@JIX5A) January 30, 2026
Most people in my life know me as a church goer and I've been for over 15 years.
Every weekend I went to Protestan Christian… pic.twitter.com/qO69FsznxO
A Turning Point
It was also two years ago when Natasha's whole life changed. She calls it something “inexplicably big” that came into her life, an energy that would not be denied, a love that would not be ignored. That turned into taking up yoga, meditation and spiritual practices outside the church. What started as curiosity quickly became established ways of living. She relocated to the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore, where she lives and practices on a daily basis.
Embracing Yoga and Rituals
At the ashram, Natasha does yoga asanas, and chants mantras, in ceremonies. Often assumed to belong to the Indian spiritual traditions, the practice has given her tranquillity and joy. She says that she is “happier than ever before.” Yoga is less a physical exercise for her than a spiritual path that binds her to that which transcends her body and soul, she said. She says doing the chanting of mantras and the rituals fills her with the sense of devotion and being in touch with the divine.
Facing Questions and Doubts
Natasha says that people around her are confused. To them, her new practices appear wrong according to God herself. They ask how a person so committed to the church could now live in an ashram, chanting mantras, following rituals. But for Natasha, there is no contradiction. She thinks her journey is having closer connections to God than before. For her faith transcends any one tradition spirituality is for her the relationship of soul and divine.
A Deeper Connection with God
Natasha experiences a deeper connection with God despite others doubting the matter. The energy she feels from yoga and meditation is indisputable. It’s love, tranquillity, and lucidity. She contends that God is not a religion or practice. Instead, God is there in every earnest effort to touch truths, love and compassion. Her journey makes plain that faith can look manifold. Each person may choose to go his / her own way to the divine.
Lessons from Natasha’s Journey
Natasha’s narrative teaches us numerous important lessons:
- Faith is individual: Every person has an individual relationship with God and this relationship might change over time.
- Spirituality is something universal: Practices such as yoga and meditation can enrich one's bond deep down, irrespective of one's faith.
- Courage to change: It takes courage following a new path or other people's doubts about your own right.
- Consecrated in faith: Religious life is nothing less than a form of joy and peace and fulfillment.
What Natasha has in mind is not a past she can shake but the way that she is experiencing God differently in ashram. Her story reflects humanity's universal search for meaning, love, and spiritual connection. Whether through Bible study or yoga practice, the heart of faith is always the same: Your heart reaching out to God with sincere sincerity. For Natasha, being in the Isha Yoga Centre, living away from home and at home with God is the same. She has never experienced spiritual distance that would ordinarily cross boundaries.
