About Me

I was sitting in an audition for Peter Pan when I made the final decision to change my name and, in the words of the deed poll, 'fully relinquish Thomas Leiby forever' bit dramatic but fair enough. I quite fancied myself as Peter Pan, maybe that stems from enjoying my legs in green tights one fancy dress party. The part was not to be mine but the audition served it's purpose to launch me into deep thought around my identity, who I really want be and what is my truth. No more NeverLand anymore, you growing up boy! I arrived and was nervous to introduce myself as Jote Prakash so I thought I would stick with Tom, you know, for simplicities sake. For that whole year, my eighteenth year of life - aptly related to an 18-year Life Cycle according to Yogic Philosophy, I had been tussling with the idea of changing my name to my spiritual name. I was doing the Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training at the Rising Dawn Sanctuary and it was swiftly turning my life inside out. I had quit drinking, weed, sugar and meat and was committed to the steady practice of Kundalini every day. This meant my previous identity was becoming a little redundant and I felt the call to switch it up. Did you know anyone can change their name to anything, apart from Jesus or Big Booty. Actually I'm not sure about the validity of Big Booty... but seen as how Jesus was out of the question I was left with Jote Prakash Singh. I kept seeing the name on a placard my Mum had since I was 8 years old. She changed her name back then and I thought it was the weirdest thing ever, who's laughing now? I knew about this so-called spiritual name long time. It was like it had always been there like a pair of shoes, waiting for my feet to grow big enough to be able to comfortably slip them on. With that said, it was rather uncomfortable at first, my biggest fear being: no one will be able to pronounce it. Well, no one can pronounce it but that ain't a fear no more. So there I am in this audition with 9 other people and we play an introduction game. You throw the ball around and say your name as you catch it. *Throw* I catch. "Tom" I say confidently (in my head I'm thinking I should have said Jote Prakash). *Throw to another* "Tom". Ah another Tom, oh well. *third throw* "Jenna". *throw* Tom. For Goodness Sake. *fifth throw* "Tom". Nahhhhhh, now the Universe is having a laugh with me, there was literally a 40% Tom ratio in that audition. Too many Tom's littering this Earth, not enough Jote Prakash's. So, I got home and changed my name. I had to.