How Shilpa Shetty Kundra made yoga a way of life
Shilpa discovered her spiritual and physical grounding in the ancient discipline even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015.
Actor, entrepreneur, and fitness icon Shilpa Shetty Kundra (Photos | PTI/Shilpa Shetty website)
CHENNAI: What started as a treatment for cervical spondylosis has evolved into a way of life for 50-year-old actor, entrepreneur, and fitness icon Shilpa Shetty Kundra. Yoga has been an integral part of the actress and businesswoman’s personal ritual for more than 22 years.
Shilpa discovered her spiritual and physical grounding in the ancient discipline even before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015. She didn't just follow yoga — she lived it, practised it, and helped popularize it among a new generation of Indians.
She released a yoga DVD in 2015 which gained global appeal, particularly in the United Kingdom and the Middle East, and was dubbed into several languages, including Hindi and Spanish. She also promoted yoga and holistic health through her wellness app Simple Soulful by Shilpa Shetty (launched in 2019). The app has garnered over a million downloads and remains a popular resource for both beginners and enthusiasts.
Additionally, by starting her YouTube channel in 2015, Shilpa has attracted 3.77 million subscribers. Free yoga lessons, guided meditations, workouts, nutritious recipes, and motivational talks are all available on the channel. With millions of views and comments from viewers worldwide, Shilpa’s yoga videos have become especially popular.
A true pioneer of Indian yoga
Shilpa believes yoga is much more than physical postures; it’s a path to self-awareness and transformation. “I don't look at it as an exercise regime. I look at it as a way to keep myself balanced and to keep myself in sync with my soul,” she told YourStory.
She believes her greatest learning from yoga is that it’s all about staying in control of oneself and not handing that control over to anyone else. “When you become aware of your breath, you realize that no external circumstance or person can dictate your state of mind. As everyone knows, I’ve been through many ups and downs, but what kept me going was staying in control of my breath and my thoughts. No one can tell me how I’m meant to feel. Yoga teaches you to know and own your truth.”
Even on hectic days, Shilpa says she always makes time for ten minutes of pranayama. The yoga icon wrote on her Instagram page, “Dear Instafam, ‘prana’ means life (no life without breath), and ‘ayama’ means practice/control.”
In addition to pranayama, Shilpa sets aside time each morning for basic poses like Naukasana, Vrikshasana, and Surya Namaskar. Using her trademark hashtag #MondayMotivation, she frequently shares her practice on social media, including partner yoga poses with her sister Shamita Shetty. She also noted on Instagram, “I have been chanting the Shanti Mantra after every yoga session because it helps me tell the universe that our guiding force is nature. I accept that I don’t know it all, and I want to be drawn toward a better existence.”
(Compiled by Riya Raman)
