Here’s Deepika’s spiritual secret to fitness

Deepika Padukone’s personal fitness trainer Farhan Dhalla believes that fitness is not only a physical phenomenon but is also about tuning into your internal GPS – your spiritual health. Farhan shares with us his fitness ideology and how he differs from others in the industry. Who knows if this is the secret to the charms of the dimpled diva of Bollywood?
How do you link spirituality with fitness?
As a ‘spiritual personal trainer’ I help people bridge the gap between fitness and spirituality.I personally view spirituality as a means to live a heart-centred life - making choices that are based on love, in fact also your thoughts and actions. I believe that we are spiritual beings having a human experience and we can’t separate our bodies from our spirit, not even when we are working out in the gym. I believe that when we set intentions that are positive and tap into our divine wisdom, or one may call it our internal GPS or our spirit, then we can only have a positive outcome. With all my clients, including Deepika, I do some special meditation techniques that help augment the benefits of the workout by simply connecting to their spirit. In my opinion, this is what makes all the difference in the results my clients receive and experience. I strongly believe that these techniques have been an important part of Deepika’s transformation.
Is Deepika’s lean and thin body type the new age definition of ‘hot’? Are curves no more in?
I believe the new age definition of ”what is in" must be "self acceptance" and that includes everyone and is inclusive of all body types. Why should one person and one body type be the determining factor of what’s in? That makes no sense to me at all. Curves, no curves, whatever is your make up, love and appreciate it. Treat it with kindness. Your body is a gift from God and should be treated with love, and respect. It is your divine right to take care of your body. No one should aspire to look like anyone else. No two people are made alike. We should encourage people to celebrate their uniqueness. Not loving ourselves for who we are is what can make us sick and lead to disease. This is the message I want people reading this to really know.
I know Deepika has a huge fan base and much of what she does inspires a lot of people. One of the reasons I wanted to post videos of her training was because I knew it would motivate people, men and women to workout. You don’t have to necessarily train like her or try to be like her but choose your own activity that you love and based on your fitness level do something that helps you reach for your personal goals. Try to become your best self. If today you don’t have the body you want, love it anyway. I teach this to all my clients who come to me wanting to lose weight or get in shape. You can’t fix on the outside with something wrong on the inside. It never works. Nurturing our bodies begins with self love and from here a true transformation is possible because you can only have a positive outcome from a positive intention. This is the basis of my practice and it is what I call Spiritual Personal Training.