LOL -- love it!

Who says there is no price to pay for fame? and you are as bad as Rahul-plugging your book like he begs for hits! priceless :) and great marketing strategy!

Really funny.

Sweet, but intense. Thanks for sharing.

Mallika,

Very sweet! You are a doll. You really can paint a clear picture in words. Like father, like daughter! (smile).

Mallika,

What a sweet story of being human. Isn't it nice that Sarah and the others were giving you the space to be "not the yoga master" during the class? I love the way you recovered (reconnected) and found your center while you were still with them.

I really enjoyed this post, and I can't wait to read "7 Practical Laws of Love." Sounds like a really good title! Will you or your dad be writing it?

Love, Bo

Absolutely adorable story; I was "right there" as I'd read the words, and drifted too, between the lines...

Bravo!! : )

North

Hi Malika;

This was too funny. When I was reading it I had a picture in my mind of Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. I just came from Yoga class and I suck as well but I love it anyway.

Faye

how sweetly funny [though, i know you were embarrassed at the time!]
are you going back next week? ;)

I am not sure if i find it funny at all-what has the world come to asking you to sign a book you did not write. mallika-i am so happy you are a woman of integrity. integrity is what this world is lacking.

Good for you, Mallika! I hope you do go back.

Love, Kristin

ps. So what if we slip out of downdog, what's more important is that we slip with awareness... :) I bet your daughter would have fun slipping out of downdog with you!

That was a cool story....sort of wanting some private moments and not having to be "on"....in your private free time I would imagine could be hard....maybe need to sign in under your husbands name next time. (Did you keep your family name on purpose or is that a traditional thing that one keeps their name in marriage....in other words, could you be Mallika Mandal?

Sounds like you were pretty resillient....and not the first person who is "sucky" at first with yoga, I certainly was. Good comeback with the comment about signing your own book lol!

Think you'll go back?

~joanie

Hi Mal!

Last night, I was at my friend Rod's birthday party and I didn't know many of the people there. He introduced me to someone named Mo. Rod, who normally doesn't make a big deal about me being related to someone famous, all of a sudden lit up: "Mo, do you know that Bharat's uncle is Dilip Chopra!"

:)

Oh, the horror of being inadequate in a Yoga class. Totally empathize.

Dear Mallika,
That was a nice way to tell us to be of our own instaed of carrying the baggage of legendary father or mother or relations. Hope we all remember the same and take pride of being ourselves.
Great.

Here is one more comment I would like to add on IPS news.
Comments on ‘RIGHTS-US: White House Losing Ground on Prisoner Treatment’

Today everyone except the white house agrees that ‘The war against terrorism by President Bush’ was an ill conceived one. It is for everyone to see that after months of fight, instead of reduction of terrorism, it is spawning everywhere. Today US is the most hated country among the vast majority of third world countries, which are the breeding grounds for terrorism. The Bush administration has provided a lethal weapon to the terrorists by the abuse of prisoners. There can not be any doubt that "The abuse of prisoners hurts America's cause in the war on terror, endangers U.S. service members who might be captured by the enemy, and is anathema to the values Americans have held dear for generations," as the 28 retired generals and admirals wrote to McCain.

It is rightly said "We're not only making it easier for our enemies to hate us, but harder for our friends to love us." The publication of these abuse reports are weakening the hands of US allies all over the world. In the volatile middle east, the regimes supporting the US are becoming weak and vulnerable to civic unrest. We should not forget the plight of Shah of Iran. In secular countries like India where there was a sincere sympathy and support for war against terror, the voices against US atrocities are becoming louder day by day..

It is really heartening to notice that more voices are raised. It becomes duty of every patriotic US citizen to voice their anger and let the administration heed to their call.

Thank you for sharing this story Mallika. I laughed out loud reading it. A great way to start my day!

Terri Lynn

Hi Mallika -

What a great story. I can relate to you completely. My father was a professional hockey player; my family played, our friends played and at best I was barely competent. It took me years to get other players and particularly other players parents to "lower their expectations"...oddly enough, once I was able to get to the point where I didn't care, I struck out and became a professional athlete, but in an entirely different sport.

Peace,
Scott.

Dear Mallika,

Thanks for sharing your Yoga class experience... It is funny... May be you should Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga... :-) it will be easy for you...

Love,
Venky

What's another lie? I would have said "Deepak who?" and hit the mat with total abandonment! (My dad drove a beer truck so I never had that problem!). Thanks for sharing your yoga story!
namasté!!
Sharon

i had such a neat yummy story ...
gone with teh wind ...
possiblity sensored ...

taht's rigth...

an XXX DNA gone wild ...
swallowed in no time ...

hummmmmmmm

Hi Mallika,you must be in the advanced Yoga class.I have been doing Yoga for a few years.But I am still a beginner. I still can not even master Halasana.I do not even try shirsasana.Compared to the likes of me you are very good.So go to the next class with that Chopra confidence,and show them what you can do.Mallika don't compare yourself with the best student in the class.

As far as lying goes,I have told falsehoods.Once after I told a falsehood, my conscience was really bothering me,so I picked up Patanjali's Yogasutras.The first limb,Yama,teaches us not to harm others by falsehood,theft and greed,etc.But my falsehood and yours did not harm any one or anything. So if your conscience is bothering you ask it to be quiet.

It is a very good post,humorous,crystal clear.God bless you Mallika.

:) that was cute. In classes I am unfamilar with or feel out of place in I usually have the greatest problem with "wind" asanas. If you get my drift. Or maybe I should say the drift.

I can emphasize with the teachers discomfort and yours also. It's an interesting feeling to teach something to people you feel are more advanced than you are.

Where I yoga names aren't exchanged and you sign in after class not before.

I hope you don't give it up :)

The ignoramus me googled to find Mallika's book.
It is "100 promises to my baby".

hahaha...What a cute story!

I have to admit come to think of it... it was his smile that drew me into checking out his work. (and curiosity that brought me here.)

I work in a resturant and so I get to meet all sorts of people. And you would be surprised at the way servers get treated. It's not fun sometimes. When you come across people who have warm smiles you notice immediatly because it makes your day. You tend to smile right back. It's amazing how much better you feel just from smiling.

This one couple, 'Ed-n-Eve', I waited on this summer were the perfect example of that. The first time I waited on them I had liked them right away because they both had nice warm smiles, and they were so friendly. Everytime they came in they would leave a note with their tip saying, " Thank-you for the great service and smile"! Naturally when others smile you tend to do the same. And you make sure everything goes right, because a smile turned into a frown is the worst feeling.

Awwwww....
This maybe a typical Hindu comment but maybe it was instant karma for lying :P

My first name is Deepak, and I used to work for one of Deepak Chopra's companies, and until I started to work there, I used to answer the phone as: "Hi, this is Deepak". Of course I would get an ear full of: "Oh You've changed my life", "I love your books", etc. Then I started to say: "Hi this is Deepak Singh". No difference - especially if an Indian accented male confirmed that he was a "Deepak". Of course this wiped out whatever persona I had built up - I just took it all - with my adopted "Chopra" smile.

Hi Pam,my yoga teacher does a whole bunch of Pawanmuktasanas.(wind relieving postures).There is not one student who has not, you know made the noise!So now when some one makes a noise, every one smiles,and we go on to the next pawanmuktasana! I had to share that!!

I bought "100 Promises to my Baby" for my daughter. I've been trying to interest my grown children in Deepak Chopra with a small amount of success. Anyway, she loves your book. She has read "how To" books but this is on a much more personal basis. She has a darling 4 month old boy named Kristopher says her grandmother unbiasedly!!!! Keep up the great writing. Bev

It appears as though the pressures of fame often arrive to teach us humility, and in your father's footsteps you've shown us that we all need to start from where we are now.

Having recently met your father at a hospice benefit I felt how he too had to pull himself through the pressures of doing the "Deepak-thing". Only true inspiration could allow him to offer himself so fully time and time again, and it comes from the very same energy I felt in your post.

Thank you Mallika, and namaste.

Katie Wreford

Hi Malika....
Sweet Story, Keep coming across lots of such stories as people keep forgetting who they actually are? And, when they realize they come to know that there is something that EXTRA-ordinary in everyone of them. Really loved it.