acknowledgments

First and foremost, I have my mother to thank for raising me to believe in myself and always putting my needs before her own. How truly she lives up to her name “Mamta,” which means “motherly love.”

I am also deeply grateful to my brother, Sachin, for his you’d-better-write-a-book admonitions that finally worked; my husband, Hemant, for being my friend and unflattering critic; my son, Harshvardhan, and my dearest friends, Shirin, Chetna, Bena, Prita, and Sylvia, for filling my life with their affection; Vasu Nargundkar for her tips, advice, guidance, and tremendous support throughout the writing of this book; Vaidya Ramakant Mishra for sharing with me his infinite Ayurvedic wisdom; Bob Rose for his insights on yoga, and his generosity with resource material; Georgia Hughes for lifting my proposal off the slush pile, giving me this chance, and encouraging me throughout the writing of this book; and Katie Farnam Conolly for her incisive editing, kind words, and infinite patience.