In this week’s article of our Rediscovering Ayurveda series, we interviewed Shivangi Sharma.
Shivangi is a professional Yoga Instructor who’s currently pursuing a master’s degree in Yoga and Therapy. An admirer of self-awareness and consciousness, Shivangi recalls her journey of pursuing the path of Yoga and Ayurveda and tells us how earlier she worked as an engineer. “My last day as an engineer was the beginning of my journey of knowing myself”, she says. The hectic lifestyle and constant pressure to perform without any self-awareness seemed banal to her and thus, began her expedition of exploring Yoga.
“I suffered from heavy stress and was also exposed to a lot of physical problems that come with sitting on a chair for hours without any physical activity.”
On the advice of her mother, Shivangi started taking her Yoga practice more seriously. Although enthusiastic to incorporate Yoga in her lifestyle, she had little idea as to where to begin. After browsing through videos on Instagram and YouTube, Shivangi developed a sense of direction. Gradually, she started delving into Yoga more deeply and found her body become calmer and more relaxed with time.
Having witnessed first-hand the wonders and healing powers of Yoga, Shivangi decided to enroll in a year-long diploma course in Yoga followed by a master’s degree she’s currently pursuing. Her study required her to attend seminars and workshops which she believes have been extremely helpful and rewarding. She now proudly admits having a happier state of mind with more clarity and direction.
“What appeals the most to me about this divine philosophy is that it is based upon scientific foundations and is largely backed by meaningful theories. This is one of the main reasons that inspired me to adopt Yoga and Ayurveda in my life.”
Yoga and Ayurveda are known to bring vibrant and positive energies into our lives. The more one probes into nature’s principles, the closer they get to their level of enlightenment. The natural life allows you to relax and see the world from a more poised and tranquil lens. And for Shivangi, Yoga and Ayurveda seemed to have worked wonders as she talks about her new-found enthusiasm and self-discipline.
“There is very little awareness about health in India unlike European countries where people are keen on maintaining good health and constantly workout to keep their bodies fit”, adds Shivangi, “To see people across the world give so much importance to their health gives me a sense of motivation and makes me want to do what I do.” Keeping that in mind, Shivangi personally takes workshops to spread awareness about the benefits of Yoga and Ayurveda and continues to contribute to her aim of building a pillar of health in the country.
To keep her body free of any ailment, Shivangi practices Jal Neti and Sutra Neti (cleansing of nasal paths) every day and prefers to take an early dinner followed by a glass of turmeric milk an hour before sleeping. Like most natural life enthusiasts, she loves to eat fresh, seasonal and locally produced food items and refrains to indulging in processed or packaged foods.
“While Yoga deals with harmonizing the mind, body, and soul, Ayurveda takes care of the person’s health – both mental as well as physical. Both practices complement each other and are deeply interconnected.”
Different Yoga poses have varying effects on a person’s body and help in maintaining a balance of the three Doshas of the human body. For instance, forward bending poses help in cooling down the body’s Pitta Dosha, while poses involving twists are considered helpful for Kapha Dosha as such poses help stimulate the digestion process.
Shivangi believes that practicing Abhyanga (oil massage) helps getting rid of toxins in the body and relaxes the muscles. Abhyanga can prove to be very helpful before performing the Asanas.
“It is important to learn and gain knowledge in theoretical contexts as well. Otherwise, performing Asanas without sufficient knowledge would merely amount to performing physical exercises and one will not be able to experience the maximum benefits of Yoga and Ayurveda.”
According to her, there are four pillars of Yoga that act as a guiding light in one’s journey of discovering the self – determination, dedication, discipline, and devotion. One must follow and rely on these pillars if they wish to live this deific experience.
From Amrutam’s holistic list of products, Shivangi cannot wait to try the Nari Sondarya Malt as she suffers from Dysmenorrhea. Given the Keyliv Malt is known for its humongous benefits, Shivangi is also excited to try it!
At Amrutam, we take pride in having Shivangi as part of our #AmrutamFamily!
