‘I get to share with the world the talents and skills of African and Malagasy craftsmanship’
I spoke with Maysun Hassanaly, founder of the first yoga enterprise in Madagascar
Some months ago, in my search for a yoga retreat in Madagascar, I reached out to Ladinayoga on instagram. The lovely Maysun Hassanly responded to my message and invited me to join her for some yoga sessions while on holiday. It not only turned out to be a memorable vacation, but I made a friend as well! What Maysun is doing with her work inspired me and I asked her if I could share with you some of her story.
Hi Maysun, I’m so glad we can have this conversation together. I thought it would be great to start talking about Ladina Yoga and to hear how that came about, also because from our previous conversations, it touches a lot on your heritage and your culture and how it connects to you as a person.
Absolutely, I think it's such a great start as well and basically defines everything. I've been practicing yoga for maybe 10 years on and off. I took it more seriously about five years ago. At the end of 2019, I left my job as an Engineer and decided to take some time off and see what else I could do in life, just to explore and reconnect with my creativity. Part of that was spending a month back home with my family in Madagascar, and then the plan was to go to India to get to know more about yoga, come back to London and then get another job after a few months. When I was in Madagascar, I went to yoga class with my dad who was doing a lot of yoga because of his asthma and his back pain. There was this really authentic yoga teacher, and she was teaching yoga on mats made of grass and I felt super connected to the earth. I felt that I'm practicing yoga which is something I love, I feel connected to my Indian culture, I feel connected to my Malagasy culture and this is so beautiful. Then I thought about the kind of yoga accessories that I was using in London like my mat which was made of PVC, my yoga blocks were made of foam, my yoga strap was made of plastic; everything was made of something toxic. Something didn't sound right.
And then when I went to India and I learned more about yoga and became a teacher, I learned a bit more about the philosophy of yoga and the values of yoga. One of the values is called Ahimsa in Sanskrit, which means non-harming, non-harming the planet, and not having negative thoughts for yourself or for others, for example. It can be used in a very wide context. I think that's when it really clicked and I started looking at the different yoga brands out there, the products they were offering and the material used. They were mostly very, very toxic, or advertised as sustainable, but there was nothing sustainable about them (essentially greenwashing). It was really concerning and there was definitely a gap in the market there. So when I came back to London I started working on Ladina Yoga and launched it in April 2021. I think for me it was a passion project, something I really wanted to see happening.
But it was only recently that I realized how connected Ladina is to my culture and my identity. It's basically an expression of myself. And when I realized that, it was like, oh my god, it's like giving birth to a baby, but also a bit scary because you're so attached to it because it represents your identity. If one day I had to let go of it, it might be difficult and the reason is that through Ladina, I get to express my passion for yoga and also my Indian and Malagasy cultures. I get to because I work with African artists and Malagasy artists who create handmade eco-friendly accessories like meditation cushions or bolsters and things like that, I get to share with the world the talents and the skills of African and Malagasy craftsmanship, and in that way I connect with my Malagasy culture as well.
I think we all try to find our place in the world and our voice and for me I think I did that with Ladina because for me it's a yoga brand that is not homogeneous but full of colors, like out there in your face, but still teaching you the concept of yoga and showing you the way if you're a beginner and trying to build a community. So it's not just a party full of colors but also, yeah, let’s do this properly, let's respect the roots of yoga, let's shine a light on African art. We also do a conservation project. We partner with an association in Madagascar called Bondy which does reforestation and other environmental activities in Madagascar. For every mat sold they plant a mangrove tree and they also help farmers get educated on sustainable farming so it doesn't just stop at, I'm going to plant a tree and go away, it's like, how can I make this sustainable for the future? Ladina is not just your average yoga brand. There's a sustainable, environmental, and educational initiative behind it. And for me, it's really a way to express myself and my cultures and my knowledge. It's my voice.
That's amazing. When you look back, do you remember moments where you realized that you hold many different identities and cultures and heritages?
This is a tough question. It depends on where you are in the world as well and where you are in your life. For example, the way I grew up in Madagascar, at home we had to speak Gujarati. I'm Indian-born, so my ancestors came from India, from Gujarat, a century ago. My parents always spoke to us in Gujarati, we would reply in French, but they wanted us to reply in Gujarati. There was a strong emphasis on keeping the Indian culture because we went to a French high school and we're also French citizens. My parents never told us, hey, you need to also embrace your French identity and your Malagasy identity. We were always told, me and my Indian friends, you are Indian. That was very reductive, I think, because it did not make us aware of our other identities and it didn't match with the way people saw us.
When I went to London to study, people saw me as Malagasy. I always thought I was just Indian, and yes, I have a French passport but I always knew there was more and I always knew that I didn't just feel Indian. I went to India the first time when I was maybe 16 or 17, and I didn't feel at home. I didn't feel like this is the country that I belong to despite having some cultural references, I still watch Bollywood, etc. but I've never lived there. I don't know what it feels like. It was only when I started studying and met a lot of international people that the questions of identity came up and there was a lot of reflection. Right now I'm more in a place where I'm happy to say something like, hey, I was born in Madagascar, I'm from Indian descent and I'm also French. But that also depends on where I go. If I go to India, I would tell people I'm from Madagascar. If I go to France, I would tell people I'm either from Madagascar or London. It really depends and you have to adjust every time depending on the person you're talking to, depending on how much time you have.
When it comes to the gap you're talking about and that internal debate about identity, it also depends on the people you meet, maybe. I think for me, meeting Indian people helped me, and finding various social media groups talking about brown girl problems or Indian girl problems helped me so much because I recognized myself in that, and I was like, oh, it's not just me. It’s definitely how much you relate, who you hang out with and how you feel on the inside and that can change and that can vary, and that can vary from person to person.
When it comes to holding different identities, I think for me I’ve had to learn to sift through all the external expectations, and because of that I feel like it’s taken me longer to figure who I am with and without those identities. It’s difficult.
Especially when those expectations are opposite and seem to conflict. It becomes even more difficult. What helped you to do that?
I think that probably just time and asking myself some tough questions and sitting with myself, and sifting through all the external expectations, and being able to see, who am I without that? But then realizing at the same time, who am I with that? And then being able to realize that I can choose some of the things instead of having to take on everything, right? So I think it's just a process. Writing probably also helped a lot and having conversations with friends in similar situations helped a lot.
I picked up on something you said about taking yourself out of the external expectations and out of the culture, and asking who are you with and who are you without? I think that's so powerful because it's only when you peel off the layers of the onion, and go beyond the surface level thing, then you can start asking who am I without my job? Who am I as a person without my family values? And that is such a tough question, I think.
I think it's a lifetime question!
I'm also curious to ask you what you think about belonging. I know it’s a broad topic but I’m wondering, what does it mean for you? Do you think belonging is overrated or it's truly really important for our well-being?
I think belonging is something I always struggled with, and I don’t think it's overrated because we're human beings, we all need connection. We all want to belong somewhere, we all want to have a safe space where we feel accepted and we don't feel judgment. One of the ways that I am starting to understand now on how to belong is through communities. Community is formed by people who have the same beliefs and values as you. So for example, volunteering in a shelter, you can create a community there as well and you can feel like you belong there. I grew up in a community of Indian Muslims of Madagascar and that is essentially what I call my community, but now I feel like I have different communities. I have that community, the community I'm creating with Ladina Yoga, my community of friends in London, and I really like to bring people together so that everyone meets and everyone gets to know each other, and that’s so important because I want my people to like each other and I’m always looking for ideas on how to connect people. But I think belonging is hard and part of the reason why I'm still creating all these communities and connecting people is deep down I really want to belong. We're all different human beings, especially when you come from different backgrounds, it's really hard to know where you belong. If I go to India, I would have the impression that I don't belong there because I have never lived there, I don’t know how to speak Hindi, for example. In France, I’m not white and even though I’m French I don’t feel like I belong there as well. I could belong, maybe, if I tried harder, if I complied with the codes and tried to fit in, I could belong. In Madagascar, I feel like belonging has been such a tough thing as well, because Indians who've been there for a hundred years are still considered as foreigners. We call them Karana, which actually comes from the word Quran. So we’re designated as Indians, not Malagasy. And for me, it's really sad because I came from that, I came from a place where I knew my family's been there for a hundred years, we speak the language, we have aspects of the culture, we’ve been engrained, we have businesses, everything, but I don’t feel like we're fully integrated into the Malagasy culture.
So it's coming from a place where even growing up, you’re already made to feel like you don't belong in the environment you're in and then you're constantly looking at, okay, where can I belong then? Maybe London has helped with that a little bit because everyone is from a multicultural background but I'm starting to realize now there is still British culture. Do I belong to British culture? Well, I'm not sure. So that opens up another window because I’m not just hanging out with international people. British culture is influencing me and that is part of me whether I want it or not. It's as you said, sitting down with yourself and being like, okay, what is the culture? And do I want to belong? I'm not sure if I provided an answer to your question. It's more of an exploration.
It's totally an exploration. I think that's how I see it too. There's no answer, really.
I think it also feels safe. Maybe that’s what it means to belong. You understood what I was telling you, I understood what you were telling me. I felt that when we connected a week or so ago because we had so many similarities. There's an acceptance, there are differences for sure, but there is a nice safe connection.
Yeah, I like that a lot. And in the vein of celebrating our mixed, multicultural backgrounds, I wanted to ask you, do you think that we kind of have an advantage in the world today somehow?
Oh, yes, 100%. So yeah, I mean, a lot of studies have shown that bilingual kids have better cognitive flexibility and may be able to focus better. When you learn languages, each language has its own interpretation of life. Each word has an approach to life. So when you learn different languages, you grow up in different cultures and that widens your perspective so much which gives you a stronger introduction to life. I have a language for different contexts. So for example, French is my friends and family’s language. English is my everyday work, relationship language as well as personal development, because I started my personal development when I was in the UK. Gujarati is my family language and Malagasy is my language that I speak in Madagascar, it's my practical language. So it's great to have those different perspectives, but it also makes it harder to not have one single language for all these areas of life.
There’s a part of me that envies people who have one language, you date in the same language, you work in the same language, you have all the conversations in the same language, and maybe that's easier. At the same time, we can approach people better when we come from different cultures. French culture is very direct and also individualistic, and Indian culture is a bit judgmental but also there is this whole love for people and bringing people together, feeding people and caring. So it's, as you said, picking those things that you want to keep and also sharing that with others that you meet. I think it's important to realize that early on the cultural richness instead of feeling bad about it.
Yeah I think it's a strength, and you just need to kind of realize that I think sometimes.
You know, I have a few friends who are from different cultural backgrounds, get married, have a kid, and there's always that conversation of what language will the kids speak. Which culture are they going to belong to? Is it going to be weird? How are we going to make sure they feel like they belong in both cultures? I don't know if they found the answer. I think it's about the kid's personal experiences and as the kid grows up, the environment, the experiences that the kid is going to have, the way the kid is going to feel, that's going to affect everything. For example, my older sister feels more French, and my little sister and I feel more Indian, Malagasy, and French. My dad felt completely Indian. My mom feels like a mix. They all have the same background, but they see their identity differently and that affects their approach to life, and to the different cultures. It’s definitely a strength.
Yeah, it's great to hear. And here's a question that I have also talked with my friends about as well, and I'm curious what you have to say about it. How do you think this multicultural identity affects romantic relationships and/or dating?
I think it's still something that I'm trying to understand. I tend to go for people with whom I think there's a shared understanding, a shared culture, or upbringing maybe. The way I grew up, my parents, people in my family and in my community always told me when you meet someone who is outside your culture, it's going to be really difficult if you ever get married with them so it’s better to stay within your community because marriage is already hard but if you get married with someone from outside your culture, it's going to be even harder. Now I'm realizing, hmm, maybe not. Now I'm trying to peel off those things a little bit and being like, what if I tried someone who is not from my culture? How would that feel? And would that be a big deal? I don't know yet. There are so many levels of our identity that maybe we want to share with someone and it's almost impossible, or at least feels like it, to find someone who would be able to. For me, they have to be open to learn, open to accept, and open to trust me as well and share.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, Maysun!