There was a great deal of excitement building up to the soft launch event at USC on February 12th amidst the Yoga and Love team. I was especially eager for the event, not only due to all the hard work behind the scenes for Yoga and Love, but also as an aspiring author, I was very interested in seeing what a book launch might be like.
Like with any big planned out event there were a few obstacles and detours along the way, both figuratively and literally. In my case these obstacles were definitely on the literal side. I had to travel to Los Angeles for the soft launch. If you have driven or tried to travel in Los Angeles traffic then you are probably groaning in empathy for me right about now. Los Angeles rush hour traffic is notorious for more than doubling, sometimes tripling, the length of your travel time. What should have been about a two hour drive ended up being five hours due to bumper to bumper traffic in addition to a police check point. Once we reached the campus it was completely dark outside and we easily lost our way on the unfamiliar campus grounds. But not even all these delays and obstacles prevented us from reaching the Doheny Library. By that point I lifted a small prayer to the higher powers to help us out in what appeared like a moment of disaster. Not even a minute later a kindhearted student approached my friend and I and asked us if we needed help. The compassionate young man even guided us to the exact location of the library. Once more I was reminded to have faith and the divine powers will send angels to assist us when things appear hopeless.
Once we arrived I was immediately taken with the enthusiasm of those in attendance. I was happy to see that the vast majority of the seats within the room were occupied. At that point I sat back and listened to the question and answer portion of the talk. I was very impressed with the thought and enthusiasm the students put into their questions. It was clear they were genuinely excited to learn more about the message Amy and Vish were giving.
The talk was moderated by Dr. Varun Soni, the Dean of Religious Life at USC. He did an excellent job of ensuring the talk went smoothly. We also owe Dr. Varun Soni a great deal of gratitude because without him the soft launch event at USC would have never happened. We also are extremely thankful to Dane Martens, Director of the USC Spectrum. He is the individual that put together the entire event. I was very impressed at how every detail was attended to from the event poster and website right down to providing refreshments for the reception and book sale after the talk. We are also grateful to Amy V. Dewhurst, author of Heartbreak Yoga for partnering with Vish for this event. Separately, Vish and Amy are dynamic speakers and storytellers. But together they were an unstoppable team and gave a talk that was every bit as informative as it was engaging to listen to.
After the soft launch I discussed the event with Vish and got his thoughts on it. I asked him what his favorite question was and he mentioned a young lady who asked him “How will I know when I found the right one?” Vish responded by asking the young woman what her major was in which she replied “an occupational therapist.” Vish says this one of the most intuitive questions we can ask. He told the young lady that just like she knew which major to pick, she will intuitively know when she has met the right person for her.
Everyone on the Yoga and Love team was especially happy with the turnout for the event, its organization and attention to detail, and especially the students’ enthusiasm for the message and to purchase Vish’s book. We were all pleasantly surprised and in awe to see how quickly the supply of books sold, especially when the number of books far exceeded original projections for sales.
Other than listening to Amy and Vish share their wisdom and insight, I truly enjoyed getting an opportunity to meet more fans of Yoga & Love. After putting work into all the social media platforms on a daily basis it was great to finally meet some of the fans face to face as well as see individuals I met at the soft launch showing up on the Yoga & Love social media sites. I also learned a lot more about Yoga & Love’s audience and I am so inspired to see so many young people eager to grow spiritually and to cultivate healthy relationships. The media too often casts a negative light on young adults ages 18 to 25. But in truth, I am seeing this younger generation truly embracing positive living and wanting to change the social status quo when it comes to romance and relationships.
I have seen my peers embrace the message of Yoga and Love who have been through several relationships, have experienced that deep pain, and earned their hard knocks through the School of Life, and are ready to fine tune their lives in all aspects, especially relationships. We have been through college, have been fighting to begin our careers in one of the worst economical crisis in America’s history, taking whatever job we can get just to be able to pay the bills. Maybe some of my peers have been married and are now divorced, or have been through failed relationships and engagements. I knew when Vish brought me into the Yoga and Love team that this book would speak to me and my peers. But seeing the unbelievable response from the students at USC gave me so much inspiration and encouragement. It made me so happy to see how many young women, especially, are willing to challenge the social status quo regarding love, dating, sex, and relationships that myself and my peers accepted and have come to learn through trial and error doesn’t work the way we were told it would. I cannot be any more excited to see how the younger generation, especially younger women, are asking questions and wanting to bring about positive change in relationships, but in the world as a whole. I look forward to meeting more of these beautiful spirits who are willing to be champions for true love.
All of us on the Yoga and Love team could not be any happier with how the event at USC turned out and it was an incredible honor to be a part of this milestone in Yoga and Love’s history as well as meet so many amazing souls who are every bit as passionate about Vish’s message.
"It is about learning to love from the inside out. Yes a big part of the book is about Yoga, but the core message of it , is learning to and how to love yourself on the inside. It emphasizes so much on focusing on yourself, that is such a refreshing perspective on relationships.” Paulina D, San Diego, CA
"The core message of the book is before you unite with someone try to unite with yourself. It is learning about yourself, finding yourself and then if you choose to you can find love on the outside . The book gives ways to do just that in simple step by step way.” 
"Yoga is a life long process and the goal of life is self exploration. The book inspires me to make myself whole, integrated, to feel complete unto myself. Once I do that , I will attract a holistic, integrated person who is a totality of himself, which is how a relationship is supposed to be.” 
"Yoga is love, love is Yoga. It is not a relationship book, it is not just a love book, it is a lifestyle book. It is educational, informative, a message that everybody can apply. It teaches you how to be a better person, so that you don’t just find the love of your life but learn to have better relationships with everyone.” 