Within the celebrity world, she works with the likes of Rhea Chakraborty, Megha Gupta, Mandana Karimi, Aastha Sharma and Nicole Madell to name a few. Other than that, because of her life experiences that have led her to be a truly heartfelt empath, she is known to share her knowledge and practice with people who are at all stages of healing and growth in any way at all.
Here is a quick chat we had with her.
I am sure you have been asked this multiple times, but what or who lead you to start practicing yoga and what got you hooked?
My mum introduced me to yoga at the age of 10, with the simple intention of channeling my highly active energy into some sort of direction so I wouldn’t keep bugging her. It wasn’t until I was 19 that I realized how much this practice had been helping me subconsciously. Spurts of anxiety and anger that kicked in when I was a teenager only seemed to subside after a couple of classes. This helped me identify and acknowledge the anxiety and how important my mental health was.
Being a very scattered teenager with no direction, my parents convinced me that I would be a good lawyer. I listened to them and got myself a law degree, after which I worked in the media law entertainment space. I lost my drive for yoga and general well-being in the middle of all this. It was only when I became aware of my binge eating disorder as an actual disorder that I decided to quit a career that did not serve any internal purpose for me. Instead, I committed to being happy, healing myself as well as giving what I had always loved an actual shot.
What kind of yoga do you specialize in and why have you chosen it?
Ashtanga Yoga is what I specialize in. The reason that I have chosen this as my primary teaching form is because it is free-flowing which resonates with me.
How has yoga transformed your life?
To start with it has helped me battle my binge eating disorder immensely. Other than that, my mat is a place I go to every time I need an internal shift or manifestation. It works every single time. We all have our personal battles and because of the holistic approach yoga has, it is a sure shot transformational practice.
Living in the midst of a busy city life, what is your experience with getting clients to commit to a regular practice with you?
To be honest, I do have to follow up a fair share with clients because mostly everyone suffers from the ‘I am so busy’ syndrome. However, as I have observed, after about 3-5 classes, the same people who used to be so busy actually do take the time out and fit it into their schedule. I would like to attribute the tangible benefits of yoga to this. This is a constant cycle I am in with my clients as they travel quite a bit, but it is always a happy challenge to get them back to a regular schedule.
What is your favourite yoga place in the world and why?
Mysore for sure. This is where I go to eat, pray and love every year. I go to the India Yoga Shala to recharge, learn and grow so my cup gets refilled for me to be the best version of a teacher that I can for the rest of the year.
How does one find you for a yoga class?
I teach at Movement Sanctuary in Bandra West in Mumbai. Other than that, I have private sessions where we address particular issues one at a time in some cases. I also experimented with a fun yoga class in the park when I was in Amsterdam earlier this year and it seemed to be my new thing to do on my 2-month work and play stay in Europe.
You could check out my work and reach me on my Insta handle @samikshashetty.
Is there any favourite affirmation you use before starting a class or your self-practice?
Most definitely. I think affirmations should be a repeated daily mantra with our generation because of the conflict with internal and external influence.
MIND
I am strong and confident in my ever changing mind and body.
BODY
I love and accept my body for what it is in the present and the future.
SOUL
I am enough. I am abundant.
