Dolly Singh is a media professional in Mumbai and a home-chef, who loves to cook Bihari delicacies as her hobby. Think that’s amazing? Well, wait. It doesn’t stop here. Dolly Singh is quite active on social media promoting YogaforAllMumbai, which promotes body positivity. By now, you must be thinking what is so different about it all. at a time when a certain ‘size’ and ‘look’ is being promoted by a majority of the fitness industry (looks first, health second apparently) Dolly’s message about believing in the strength of one’s own body is important for more than one reason.
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
She felt the need to document her journey on social media because it is a general notion that people who are ‘curvy’ or have ‘big bodies’ find it difficult to perform any physical task with precision as they lack stamina. To put this flawed notion of fitness to rest, Dolly started her yoga practice which she calls hashtag ‘Your body is not your limit’.
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
Although Dolly started practicing Yoga 4-5 years ago when she was recuperating after hurting her foot on a trek in Karnataka, and doctor advised her to lose weight. She tried different physical fitness regimes (Zumba et al), and even tried running and lost about 24 kgs. On a whim, she joined Yoga classes and the rest as they say, is history. When at home, she would YouTube Yoga videos and started practising it at home.
What happened next, will most likely blow your mind. Not only did Dolly find that not only can she do Yoga, she’s great at it, she realised that this could be a tool to not only help herself, but others.
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
She says,
”Yoga is for everyone, it is a sort of meditation which brings you closer to your body and gradually, while you perform the asanas (postures), you start to realise how aesthetically symmetrical and beautiful your body is the way it is.”
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
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She adds,
“The need for a teacher is overrated (not that one shouldn’t have one if one feels the need). But, I watched Yoga videos and practised it all by myself because what if I fall once or twice, it all boils down to getting to understand your body and building up that confidence in your bodily strength and knowing that you can do it.”
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
For Dolly Singh, being physically active is more important than losing weight. The more popular idea that ‘physical fitness leads to mental fitness is wrong’, it is the other way round and if you believe in the beauty and strength of your body and yourself, it will ultimately lead to happiness.
A sedentary lifestyle leads to depression and anxiety, she adds. “As soon as people realise the importance of physical activity, anything like walking, running, dancing, yoga, all of it will disappear.”
Photo Credit: Dolly Singh
What Dolly aims to do is start a conversation around the need and importance of exercising while spreading the message of body positivity. Achievement unlocked, we’d say!
Follow Dolly Singh on Instagram and Facebook.
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