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Woman who lost her legs in accident is inspiring people one yoga video at a time
Arpita Roy lost both her legs in an accident in her 20s.
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it,” these words by renowned author Maya Angelou perfectly capture the story of resilience showcased by this yoga instructor who lost both her legs in an accident. Hailing from Hyderabad, with her hometown in West Bengal, Arpita Roy is a survivor who is inspiring others, through her yoga videos.
Roy told HT that she was on her 20s when doctors had to amputate both her legs following an accident. She was in the hospital for more than four months at the time. Finally, she came back home to her new life and it was not easy to accept. However, eventually, she gathered her strength to face the challenges head on.
“I went through many emotional roller coaster rides. Initially it was difficult when life put me in new challenges but then I started to take it positively. I believe when we can't change a situation, better to change our attitude towards it. So, I accepted each and every challenge and tried to make that my strength,” Roy said. “I started to follow some habits like yoga, meditation, reading a good book for 30 min daily, watch and learn from inspirational videos and most importantly follow that in my lifestyle,” she added.
While talking about her new found passion for yoga, Roy shared, “Yoga gave me a new life. It not only helped me physically but mentally as well.” Seeing how it helped her, she decided to use it to make life better for others too. That is when she started sharing her yoga videos on Instagram. Soon, she received immense love, respect, and praise from netizens. Eventually, she decided to turn her passion into her profession and began taking online classes.
Talking about how yoga helps others, she shared a story of one of her clients with rheumatoid arthritis. “One of my clients has severe rheumatoid arthritis. She couldn’t sit on the floor and that made her feel so sad. She belongs to a family that often performs different pujas but due to her condition she couldn’t participate fully. Being a bilateral amputee I can totally understand her pain and tried my best while working with her. Her situation improved and within 2 months she was able to sit on the floor with slight support. Her happiness and words made me feel that I got my lost legs back. Her review about me always puts a smile on my face,” Roy said. This incident is very close to her heart.
Her online journey is not without its own challenges – mainly in the form of trolls. Roy, however, always keeps her positivity intact. In her own words, “I believe that I can’t change a person’s mentality, better to handle them in a positive way. Also, why to give someone so much privilege to make me feel uncomfortable or sad.”
On being asked what message she wants to give to the world, Roy said, “Love and accept yourself, change your attitude towards any situation rather than try to change the situation. Peace comes from within so don’t try to find it outside. Tough times never last but tough people do.”
