Radhe grew up between the Isha Yoga Center at the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains and Rishi Valley School. In the early years, before the ashram expanded, it was home to a small community, and she was simply one among the children growing up there. The environment was informal and inclusive. She travelled often with the community, spending time in villages, farms and cities, and was exposed early on to people from varied backgrounds.

 

At Rishi Valley, learning extended beyond the classroom. She remembers long hours outdoors, reading under trees or perched on rocks, and being encouraged to question and engage rather than passively absorb. Academic performance was never the only measure of growth; curiosity, participation and wellbeing were equally valued.

 

Though she began learning Bharatanatyam at the age of nine, it was after watching Leela Samson perform that dance became a serious pursuit. That experience led her to train at Kalakshetra, where the rigour of the form, its geometry, music, literature and discipline, gave structure to the sense of freedom that had marked her early years.