Rupa MANEK responds to ThinkWellness360 questionnaire.
Your view on beauty?
Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder — a cliché, yes, but it’s one hundred per cent true, in reality. For me, beauty is a kind and warm heart — someone who is sensitive, respectful and spreads joy. Naturally. Nature is beautiful — I love the woods and the trees, the azure sky and the fluffy white clouds. Nature calms me, and I can travel into my own beautiful, happy space with the connect. There is abundance of nature around us. My recent trip to Kashmir was spectacular. The vast canvas of nature, with beauty all around, was, doubtless, a spectacle to behold.
Your ‘take’ on fitness?
COVID-19 saw me research and understand how optimal health could be achieved through what we eat. Health is, indeed, the best wealth. So is fitness. I follow a macrobiotic diet, which I believe is best for understanding one’s gut and attaining good health. It keeps me fit, from the inside out, too. It has also helped my family immensely. Food is medicine – most foods, in my view, can help ‘cure’ certain ailments. My teachers — Sangeeta Khanna and Shonali Sabrewal — are amazing. I often benefit from their ongoing guidance and advise. It’s all in the gut, right? I recommend that anyone that has a health issue should understand their gut and treat themselves — preferably under professional guidance — with the right food. Besides — you have meditation, yoga, and sports. Just go with whatever works for you.
Your view of health and wellness?
Health is not just the absence of illness alone. It relates to optimal health in our mind, body and spirit. Wellness is taking your being to the next ‘level.’ You’d call wellness the ‘new normal,’ especially after the COVID-19 horribilis. I love being surrounded by positive people to ‘up’ my confidence, also zest for life — this adds value to one’s health and wellness quotient.
Your ‘take’ on work-life balance?
Work-life balance is a mirage, especially in our frenzied world. The best thing one could do is — each of us, in our own way, should cultivate, or hone, their own equation. I feel — all the answers are within oneself. I have found what makes me happy. Life is a journey — so, keep discovering.
Your mantra to beat stress?
Each to their own, so to speak, to beating stress. For some, this could be music, cooking, cleaning, walking. For me, it is discovering new things to watch on OTT. Also, friends, nature, baking, picking up new skills. I like to go out of my comfort zone often and feel the thrill of achievement. I reinvent myself all the time, and see how it goes. So far, it’s been fantastic. There’s so much to learn and discover, all the time. I am an optimist. I firmly believe that one must learn to see the positives in every situation. Do good — without expectation — and, this will return, with accrued blessings, in one form, or the other. Even in jest, never ever say anything negative to anyone. Stay happy, kind, generous, peaceful, joyful, and all the good things will come your way.
