Anshuka Parwani, Founder of Anshuka Yoga, Clears Apprehensions About Yoga For Beginners

Celebrity yoga and holistic wellness expert, Anshuka Parwani is the person to go to if you intend to ace those yoga asanas and flaunt that Bolllywood-like fitness levels. Parwani has conducted yoga classes for many celebrities including Jacqueline Fernandez, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Tushar Kapoor. With Adidas’ Yoga Make Space Collection campaign she believes more people would be able to understand how yoga can be used to create space and connect deeper to themselves as well as the world around them. In an interview, she opens up about her journey, clears novice doubts about the age old practice and helps us understand its importance in daily life.

What should a beginner keep in mind before starting yoga.

1. Remember, it is just you and your mat. There is no comparing and no competing. In your first practice, you may feel a little bit of stiffness, a lack of focus, some Asanas maybe hard or your breathwork may feel difficult. But, that is absolutely fine! Come with an open mind and stick with it.
2. If you have any injuries or contraindications, you should check with your doctor and get the green signal to start practicing Yoga.
3. Always practice and learn from a certified Yoga teacher. Do not blindly follow any class and try and connect with your teacher. Asking questions is never a bad idea! Figuring out which form of Yoga is for you may take some experimenting but you will get there.

An ancient practice, why do you think that the common man let go of practicing yoga all these years.

Truth be told, I don’t think we let go of it. I think life just got so fast and so stressful that we let it take a back seat. There are some people who don’t go a day without Yoga but also others who think they don’t have time for it. In the hustle bustle of life, we have forgotten to pause and just breath. The benefits that correct breathing gives you, no gym workout can match that. Your breath is a constant and focusing on that will only help you monumentally. That is a huge part of Yoga because it isn’t just a physical workout by a holistic wellness discipline.

Can you list the benefits in detail that yoga has had in your life.

My Yoga is my lifestyle. My practice is everything to me – it is my balance and my clam.

I found Yoga when I met with a near fatal accident with left me temporarily immobile for 8 months. Being a national level gold medalist swimmer, not moving or being able to walk took a huge toll on my mental, emotional and physical well-being. My mother recognized this and pushed me into joining a Yoga school. I came out of there as a certified Yoga teacher and never looked back ever since.

The benefits of Yoga for me are endless. Yoga makes my body feel strong, flexible and well built. It centres me and keeps me calm. It gives me the ability to be in tune with myself and to just be present. It has made me very harmonious. We all go through our ups and downs and when I’m down, my practice brings me back much stronger. For somebody who suffers from asthma, I know what struggling to breath better feels like and Yoga has completely managed that for me.

Can you explain aerial yoga for those unaware.

I pioneered Aerial Yoga in India and curated something called FlyFit. FlyFit is an amalgamation of Aerial Yoga, Aerial Fitness and Aerial Pilates. It is practiced using a kind of fabric which is suspended from the ceiling like a hammock. It is a prop which supports your practice and allows you to get into deeper Asanas, stretches and challenges you too. The most beautiful part about this is that it lets you get into a floating Shavasana which is exactly how we are in our mother’s womb. This is deeply therapeutic for your body.

The involvement of a brand like Adidas is sure to boost its popularity. How do you see this collaboration.

Adidas’ collection and campaign is surely going to boost Yoga and its message across the country. It is an international brand on everybody’s radar – it’s trendy, it’s cool and its relevant.

Having Deepika Padukone as their global brand ambassador is so exciting since she a student of mine and we both strongly believe in the messaging and values being put forth by Adidas with the Yoga collection and campaign.

Being an athlete myself, I am so grateful and excited to be an ambassador of Adidas starting out with their Adidas Yoga Make Space campaign. I have worn the collection and I love it because it allows for maximum freedom of movement during any form of Yoga. It is like second skin and breathable. I know people are going to love it! The material Adidas has used is recycled with the aim to reduce and eliminate plastic waste – it’s the need of the hour!

Its everything I believe in myself truly and I cannot wait to see what else is in store!

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