Every year on June 21st, the whole world celebrates the beautiful occasion of International Yoga Day. Whether it’s speaking about the benefits of yoga or raising awareness of how it completely transforms someone’s life, it’s one of the world’s most celebrated days. It is a well known fact that yoga is a beautiful amalgamation of physical, spiritual and mental practices to lead a better life. Unfortunately, many people think that yoga is all about having a good physique. Unfortunately, however, what they are not aware of is that yoga helps reduce stress, improve healthy eating, improve sleep quality and self-love and the list goes on.
Yoga is also very popular with celebrities and over the years we have seen many actors, cricketers and celebrities promoting yoga and showing how long it has been a part of their lives. So today we bring you a list of celebrities from different backgrounds who have been the pillars of promoting yoga in India. So without further ado, let’s jump straight into it!
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Table of Contents
#1. Malaika Arora
Whenever we talk about yoga and celebrity in one sentence, Malaika Arora is undeniably the first person whose face flashes right before our eyes. Over the years, Malaika has been the face of yoga in Bollywood. Time and time again, we’ve seen her talk about the myriad benefits of incorporating yoga into your life. Whether we’re talking about Malaika’s mental well-being or the fact that she ages backwards and her toned physique rivals any young actress, the secret is yoga. However, yoga is not just about changing your physical appearance; it also changes how you look at life.
On International Yoga Day, June 21, 2020, Malaika Arora went to her Instagram and shared a video showing her doing some exercises asans. Along with the video, Malaika wrote a lengthy note in which she openly shared how yoga had transformed her life over the years. Thinking about it, Malaika had explained that yoga also taught her to be thankful for the positive things in life instead of worrying about the flaws. If you think about it, Malaika’s note in the caption could be read as follows:
“People who know me know that for me every day is International Yoga Day. Not many of you know this, but yoga has helped me through some of the most difficult moments of my life – both personally and professionally. And I’m not just talking about yoga asanas, I live my life focusing on the positive, being thankful for the life I have, the people I have in my life and working on it every day, getting better at it taught me all of that. I wish everyone a nice international yoga day!”
#2. Taapsee Pannu
Taapsee Pannu is quite famous for playing complex roles in her films. Again and again we have seen how she slips into the skin of complex characters and thus conquers the hearts of the audience. The actress proved her fitness with her appearance in the film. Naam Shabana, iIn it she played the role of a secret service officer. The film was packed with numerous stunts and intense shots. One of the main reasons Taapsee found it so easy was her longstanding relationship with yoga. The actress has been engaged in yoga for so many years. It was June 21, 2022 when she explained how yoga changed her life.
Taapsee Pannu had shared a picture of herself doing yoga on the balcony of her apartment and opened up about her own journey. In her lengthy note in the caption, Taapsee had also added that she only does yoga for a few minutes but does it every day, assuring her huge fan base that it has helped her lead a healthy lifestyle, both mentally and spiritually physically. Your note could be read as follows:
“Like most of us, I always thought yoga was all about twisting our bodies into intricate contortions and being a human pretzel. Until @munmun.ganeriwal told me it wasn’t. Sitting on the mat for a few minutes each day, trying to get in tune even when endless thoughts might interfere, offers just as many benefits for our mind and body. The act of meditating is actually classified as ‘Upasana Yoga’ in the yogic scriptures.”
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#3. Shilpa Shetty Kundra
The utterly gorgeous actress Shilpa Shetty Kundra is known for her stunning looks, flawless skin and toned body. Over the years, Shilpa has indeed aged gracefully. It’s not a one-day miracle, however. The actress follows a strict diet and has been practicing yoga for over a decade. Time and again we have seen and heard Shilpa educating people about the importance of yoga in today’s world and how people can transform their lives by investing a few minutes each day in the practice of yoga.
In an interview with Pinkvilla, Shilpa once spoke openly about her views on yoga and also shared the reason why yoga has been an integral part of her life over the years. Thinking about it she had said:
“I was suffering from cervical vertebrae problems and that’s when I came into contact with yoga. My physical therapist recommended it to strengthen my spine. So I started it just for that purpose, but I just felt attracted to it about 16 years ago. I just fell in love with yoga. Slowly, yoga became synonymous with me. The benefits of yoga go beyond the physical. It helps me organize so many things in my life. If I may say so, it has actually aligned me in regulating and controlling my emotions and balancing my mental abilities as well.”
#4. Narendra Modi
The Honorable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has fundamentally changed the way yoga is viewed around the world. Back in 2014, PM Modi had addressed the importance of yoga in our lives during his speech to the UN General Assembly and suggested the idea of celebrating June 21st as International Yoga Day. The United Nations welcomed the idea with open arms, and the whole world has celebrated it with great enthusiasm every year since. Narendra Modi once spoke about the benefits of yoga during his speech and said:
“Many countries in the world that don’t know our language, our traditions, they don’t know our culture either, but through yoga the whole world connects to India. Yoga – that connects body, mind and spirit, that yoga plays an extremely important role in connecting the world to India.”
#5. Shichar Dhawan
One of the most fearsome batsmen in the world of cricket, Shikhar Dhawan needs no introduction as his impressive records and titles are enough to tell the story of his legacy in Indian cricket. Not only that, Shikhar is also among the fittest cricketers in India. Whether we’re talking about his mobility on the field or his endurance, Shikhar has always praised yoga for improving his mental and physical fitness. During a conversation with a yoga startup, Sarva, Shikhar had been candid about the role of yoga in his profession and how it had helped him up his game. Discussing the benefits of yoga as a cricketer, Shikhar had stated:
“My body used to be stiff. As an athlete I need good mobility. Now I feel a lot younger on the field because I can bend more easily. I’ve become more patient as you have to hold your asanas with a smiling face if possible. All these things helped me in cricket. Even the breathing exercises improved my stamina so much that I didn’t get tired. Kapalbhati, Bhramari bring a glow to your face. See how my face shines.”
#6. Milin Soman
Popular actor, supermodel, fitness enthusiast, and the man known for making headlines with his thoughts and ideas, Milind Soman is undoubtedly the epitome of a thorough gentleman. However, the actor has always been a firm believer in yoga and is one of the pillars of popularizing yoga in India. Milind Soman once spoke in an interview with Business Insider about the importance of yoga in today’s world and how everyone should make it a part of their lives. He had said:
“I firmly believe in the power of yoga and make it a part of my activities. But I also believe that eating consciously and healthily is just as important to getting the best benefits from your workout. I prefer healthier foods like almonds to unhealthy or fried snacks. Almonds are lightweight and easy to carry, making them a great on-the-go snack.”
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#7. Soha Ali Khan
Popular actress Soha Ali Khan is one of the most beautiful and fit moms in Indian film industry. Whether we’re talking about her body or her mental health, Soha is always there to inspire the world with her thoughts and actions. The actress is the proud mom to daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu and we’ve been spotted doing yoga with her baby daughter time and time again. Additionally, in an interview with Business Insider, Soha once revealed what types of foods she includes in her diet to complement her yoga routine for maximum health benefits. Soha opened up about the same thing, sharing:
“Yoga is one of my favorite forms of exercise as it benefits both the body and the mind. To complement my yoga routine, I also follow a healthy diet and make sure to eat a handful of almonds each day. Almonds are considered as sattvic foods and are a source of 15 important nutrients such as protein, vitamin E, magnesium etc. In addition, almonds provide energy and according to Ayurveda they also help to tone all body tissues.”
There is no denying that yoga is not just about fitness as it also helps improve a person’s mental well-being. Therefore, everyone must get into the world of yoga if they dream of living a peaceful life.
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