Meeting yourself where you are with yoga teacher Shaifali Kapur

“I started to feel exhausted by my own self-care.”

When Shaifali realized this, a lightbulb turned on. In our pursuit of health and balance, we can sometimes do too much that we may not always need, in a day-to-day sense. 

This interview with yoga and meditation teacher Shaifali Kapur is a beautiful and gentle way to start 2025. Shaifali reminds us of the importance of connecting with your intentions, when it comes to wellness, and deepening our communication with the people around us.

After reading this interview, we hope you feel inspired to ease into the year with your favorite forms of movement and with Ghlee's Muscle Balm at your side. 

Q. Tell us about yourself, Shaifali!

I’m a fashion model, certified yoga and meditation teacher, and I have a degree in Psychology. As a person, I would say that kindness is important to me. I love my friends and family; having these intimate relationships and support systems in life are important for mental health. 

I’m a proud fantasy fiction nerd — your typical Harry Potter-loving millennial who grew up waiting for my Hogwarts letter. And also a Lord of the Rings and Tolkien lover (this will come up later!). I’m an Aquarius, so getting lost in my imagination and different worlds is how I actually find my normal.

Q. How did you get into yoga?

Yoga and wellness has been a part of my life for a very long time. Even as a child, there were things that I would pick from my dad. As an adult, I wanted to dive deeper into the practices. Yoga was feeling so westernized — with yoga studios on every corner and golden lattes at coffee shops. 

So, I thought, “Let’s go to India and see where this all comes from.” As an Indian woman, I felt like it was important to reclaim these things. Yes, we can share and appreciate cultures, but it’s important for us to connect with our own roots, too. 

Q. What does yoga mean to you?

We forget that yoga is not all about flexibility. I’m not one of those really flexible pretzel girls. It’s not about doing the splits, for me. It’s about doing what you can. I have to work with the strains in my own body, day to day — like limited range of motion or general soreness. 

It’s great to connect to these practices and understand why they make you feel the way you do: How can I feel grounded and gain some control when things feel out of control?

Q. What does self-care look like for you, right now?

My self-care routine, believe it or not, isn’t always centered around yoga. It is a big part of my life, but I started to feel fatigued and exhausted by my own self-care. So, I came to the realization that I don’t have to do yoga because I should, but because it’s good for me. And not doing it when it doesn't feel right. 

These past few months, I had a lot on my plate. I recently graduated with a degree in Psychology, and I have my sights on obtaining my Master’s degree next. And while my work and friends were in Toronto, my fiancé was in North Carolina. We were navigating long distance, planning our wedding, and I was preparing for a move to the U.S., while holding onto (and rediscovering) my own identity. There’s so much shifting around me. So, prioritizing moments of calm has become essential for me.

For now, self-care isn’t about pushing myself to the yoga studio or gym. It’s waking up and having that first cup of hot water and starting my day feeling like I did something right. Doing some Pranayam (breathwork) for independent grounding. And sometimes, all I need is a warm cup of chai and a good book to get the jitters or heaviness out of my body. Overall, I approach my practice with grace, knowing that “doing it all” isn’t realistic, and that’s okay. 

Q. What is your philosophy on wellness?

Wellness is about meeting myself where I’m at. Sometimes, that means naming the stress or anxiety I feel and not judging myself for having it, just because I’m a “certified yoga and meditation teacher.” I think it’s important for all yogis to remember that yoga goes beyond physical poses and the hot room. It’s about using movement and Pranayam  to move stress and stagnation. Sometimes, that’s just enough to find a single moment of calm.

There are so many tools at our disposal: physical movement, Asana (yoga posture), going for a walk, using Pranayam, and more. Having sessions with a trained mental health professional is another great tool. I remind myself often that as women with ever fluctuating hormones, our brain chemistry can change a lot throughout the month. It doesn’t mean we’re “crazy.” But our neurotransmitters rely on these tools, such as exercise and support systems, to keep us balanced. 

Q. What is something interesting you’ve learned about your own self-care practice?

Self-care can also be about honest communication. So, that can look like letting my partner and friends support me, as I support them. I feel like many of us can be afraid to ask for support, yet we are so willing to offer it to others. But it’s important to remember that we are worthy of sharing our load with loved ones or trusted professionals. This can look different for each of us. Chatting with trustworthy friends is extremely healing, especially for women.

There is actually a great representation of this in Lord of the Rings, between Sam and Frodo. As Frodo carries this great burden (the ring), there is a point where Sam says, “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.” It’s this beautiful acknowledgement that we don’t have to carry the weight of the world alone.

Q. What advice do you have for people exploring their mind-body connection?

Allow yourself to be where you are. What does that even mean? Just give yourself permission to not be this positive, bubbly, peaceful, impenetrable human all the time. In that same vein, self-care doesn’t have to look perfect. It stops being self-care, and instead, turns into exhaustion. 

Honest, small steps toward calm are often the most powerful ways to find balance. And it might sound cliche, but we’ll be more at peace if we see the mind-body connection as an ongoing practice that ebbs and flows, rather than a destination.

A resource for you: I have a guided meditation page here on Insight Timer! I found that guided meditations can be fun and allow us to use our imagination. For those who are into fantasy and fiction, I'm looking to create a series of meditations that welcome that. 

Q. What is your favorite remedy you learned from an elder?

Many Indian women have grown up creating and using natural remedies with ghee or haldi (turmeric). Ayurveda is rooted in a lot of things we do. I grew up watching my mom make her haldi facials, and seeing what that does for her skin. Plus, using ghee on her lips. When the weather changes, we would start adding ghee in our food or cook with it a little more.

Q. What are your favorite skincare & bodycare products?

I’m in my early 30’s, and I prefer a gradual approach to skincare now, saving any intensive treatments or complex routines for when I reach my 40’s and beyond. It also comes back to simplifying my self-care. I want to reduce the overwhelm in my mind and in my skincare. 

Hyaluronic Acid & Sunscreen. I will not go a day without hyaluronic acid to retain moisture, and sunscreen to protect from sun damage. Other than that I’ve kind of simplified everything and I’m not loyal to one brand (— is that a typical Aquarius trait?). 

Drugstore Skincare. As a fashion model I’ve tried plenty of high-end products. And some of them are amazing. But I find myself always coming back to a solid drugstore salicylic acid face wash, and products by Cetaphil and CeraVe. I think that when we do too much and as our skin adapts, it ends up needing more and more. 

Ghlee’s Muscle Balm. I get a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders. A lot of us get this “tech neck” that we have to deal with. So, the Muscle Balm is really soothing; it’s cooling and takes some of that pressure off. 

Q. Finish this sentence with a bit of wisdom you want to share: “Because I’m Made With Ghee…”

I’m learning to be intentional and give myself grace in all things wellness and self-care, and letting it adapt to my life and circumstances.