Cruising on a creative trail
Born and brought up in Mumbai, Krupa Shah has been artistically inclined since she was a little girl. From a devoted mother to a dedicated artist, Krupa essays many roles in her life and she fulfils them dutifully. She believes that every woman and girl have a right to follow their true calling and her calling was in the field of art. With abstract paintings, Krupa portrays her feelings to her audience and lets them interpret them in the way they feel. She believes, “Art is an understanding which comes from the real world and the experiences lived.” She talks to Corporate Citizen about her health and wellness mantra
Corporate Citizen: Your philosophy on wellness? What do you do for your holistic well-being?
Krupa Shah: I follow the eight important dimensions of my life to balance my life in a holistic way. I believe if all these dimensions are not managed well then it will have an adverse effect on you. The eight dimensions which I follow are:
- Mental well-being
- Physical well-being
- Emotional well-being
- Financial well-being
- Intellectual well-being
- Social well-being
- Spiritual well-being
- Occupational well-being
These are the eight dimensions that are connected to your day-to-day life from the moment you begin your day till your day ends. These dimensions will certainly give your mind an open path on how to set up a holistic route with your mind, body and soul.
Krupa ShahCC: How does your art help you in dealing with stress and anxiety?
Art is a super creative path, so you really enjoy it when you are there with colours. It is scientifically proven fact that colours play an important role in life to relieve stress. It gives you a deeper understanding of each and every situation whether it is work, family or friends, it works in every dimension.
These days, due to our hectic schedules, art has sidelined in our lives. Art helps us reconstruct our thought processes and refreshes our mind. According to research done by leading counsellors and therapists, art is the best form of therapy and help us align our focus and surround ourselves with positivity. Art doesn’t see any age or gender. When you inculcate art in your day to day lives, you attract optimistic thoughts and indulge in something that helps you keep any sort of toxicity away.
CC: Your mantra for keeping fit and well?
Living a healthy and happy life has no procedure or a manual of guidelines to it. It is a lifestyle, not a process. Today, we have confused the definition of a happy life with how wealthy we are and how many trips can we afford in a year. However, a healthy lifestyle is all about being content with what you do and breathing in stress-free air.
For me, the key mantra of keeping fit is to be mindful of what you do. As we take care of our body by exercising, jogging and gymming, we also need to keep our mind fit and healthy. Mindfulness is equally important for real well-being and for staying fit and well.
CC: What keeps you fit and healthy? Share with us your secret ways of keeping your mind calm and cool.
Apart from focusing on physical health, it is also very important to focus on mental health. My secret mantra of keeping my mind calm and cool is art therapy. Art, in any form, be it writing, sketching, painting, drawing, dancing, absolutely anything, has proven to be a great stress-buster. Activities like painting, sculpting, and drawing are relaxing and rewarding hobbies that can lower your stress level and leave you feeling mentally clear and calm.
Leonardo da Vinci proclaimed that “Painting embraces all the ten functions of the eye; that is to say, darkness, light, body and colour, shape and location, distance and closeness, motion and rest.”
CC: How do you like to rejuvenate and recharge and de-stress?
A daily ritual that I strictly follow every day is yoga and pranayamas along with a combination of different workouts. In the night, a ten minute meditation is very important to be within me. Waking up in the morning and before sleeping, I give time to my own self and dust away all my thoughts about what happened in the day or what’s going on happen in the day. I build up a daily cycle that keeps me motivated for the whole day. In the whole day, my arts, colours and canvas are always with me which is one of my best stress-buster.
"I practice yoga since it helps me calm my mind and increase my focus. Yoga is not just an exercise for the body but an art that soothes the mind and soul"
- Krupa Shah
CC: Your food philosophy and your diet fads?
I am not very fussy about my food but yes, I avoid fried and junk food. I don’t follow a strict diet but make sure that I am not overeating. I believe that nature has given us so much to eat and our ancestors followed a tradition which kept them healthy and fine.
I believe in eating healthy and at regular intervals. I pre-plan my meals for the entire day and eat things according to what my body demands. I would advice everyone that eat whatever they like but be mindful about what they eat. Also, it is very important to consume at least three litres of water every day to keep your body hydrated and healthy.
CC: Your exercise fundamentals
I work out five days a week. My workout is a mix of yoga, zumba, jogging and high intensity interval training. I practice yoga and suryanamaskars regularly since I believe that yoga is not just a mere exercise but a lifestyle which helps us align the chakras in our body. I also strongly believe that yoga has helped me to maintain my focus on my artistic skills and find optimism in every situation. Yoga, just like any other forms, is an art that needs dedication, regular practice, and focus.
In today’s lives, we are always in a rush. Work, targets, household chores, examinations, leave us with absolutely no time to focus on our physical and mental health. I regularly practice yoga since it helps me calm my mind and increase my focus on the smallest of the things. Yoga is not just an exercise for the body but an art that soothes the mind and soul.
CC: How do you set out your priorities to keep your work and personal life balanced?
I do not consider myself a mother to only three daughters but also my craft, students, canvas, and business. I believe in looking at both, personal and professional roles, with a broader outlook and this changes the result automatically. I manage my passion for my art as well as a family by finding a balance between the two and then directing my efforts towards maintaining consistency and focus towards it.
So, whether you are a mother, wife, daughter or sister, my only advice to you would be to give yourself a “me” time, regardless of the responsibilities. Don’t let lack of time be an excuse to not pursue your passion or look after your family. The key is to master the art of juggling family and work-if you wish to meet your personal and professional goals.
CC: What helps you the most in maintaining calm and peace despite an overload of work?
I take a break every half an hour or one hour from my work to recharge myself. Either I take a quick 10 mins nap or do Anulom-Vilom which really enhances my mood again and recharges me to take up the next task in an energetic way.
CC: Five tips that work the best for you to maintain a work-life balance.
The five things that motivate me to be happy even in my tough times and helps me to maintain a work-life balance are:
- To be healthy
- To be mindful
- To be creative
- Create your own journal
- To be within yourself – give yourself “Me” Time
CC: What can others learn from your learnings?
Life is full of experiences and surprises so be ready to overcome any challenges you come across. Your body has the biggest aura and power in you. You will only understand the auras once you decide to give that “me” time to yourself. In the entire day before doing anything, it’s important to understand yourself because you are the base of your building. It’s important to not lose hope and be confident and resilient always.