Through Yoga, This Startup Helps In Holistic Transformation Sarvesh Shashi of SARVA talks about the benefits of fitness in his life and overseas expansion plans
By Puneet Kapani •
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While some are obsessed with physical fitness, lately talk of mental health has sensitized people towards the relevance of mindfulness. Founder Sarvesh Shashi talks about a combination of both through his startup SARVA. Here's what he had to say about their fitness and mindfulness approach.
Changing fitness routines
When asked about his personal fitness routine changes over the years, Shashi said, "I would answer it in two ways, it has and hasn't changed at all. In the ways that it hasn't is that Yoga has always been my go to for fitness, mental and physical." He talks about the benefits of fitness in his life, "It has given me tremendous benefits since I was six. And the way it has changed is that I play cricket on the weekends when I find the time." He talks about fitness activities taking a back seat in our lives as we get busier.
SARVA for a futuristic change
With SARVA's mission to touch the lives of 7 billion people across the globe, Shashi talks about its impact for change. "I sincerely believe that Yoga is the answer to the 264 million suffering from depression and anxiety or the 463 million people suffering from diabetes and the 1 in 10 women who suffer from PCOS or other hormonal disorders. That's the one thing I want SARVA to do, it changes the future for all the generations to come when we imbibe the importance of health," he added. Regarding business growth for the future he says, "In the next two years, we believe we want to get to a 50 million ARR with a very strong technology platform built on the authentic foundations of yoga across three major markets: India, US and Europe. Three simple KPIs would be, organic traffic, repeat purchases and retention."
Sarvesh Shashi, Founder SARVA
The Magic of Yoga
He shared about his discovery of the layered benefits of Yoga and how it helps him today. "I've been a practitioner since I was six. Of course, I was too young to understand the benefits, I did it because I was made to do it. But as I grew up I think the turning point came when I was 17. I feel strong, healthy, illness free. In fact when I contracted COVID, my temperature was normal and my oxygen levels were always at 99. That's testament to the physical benefits. Mentally, I feel like my will and my focus were also bounties from Yoga," he said.
Along with a multitude of benefits, there are some challenges that are faced in making Yoga mainstream. He talks about the age-old stereotypes and other struggles that he has observed: "Yoga has been stereotyped as slow, old, boring. A lot of misinformation has been spread. Like, Yoga can be done only in the mornings, Yoga doesn't lead to weight loss, Yoga is only to cure or manage a disorder." He still believes all is not lost. "Our average age used to be between 38 and 45, which has now come down to between 28 and 33! Younger people are finally waking up to the benefits of Yoga and I think that they will be the adopters and our ambassadors in the future."
ACHIEVE- a step ahead
After transforming the lives of over 500,000 people with SARVA, a step ahead is with their venture ACHIEVE. Shashi shares, "ACHIEVE compounds the reach of the brand with the reach of the celebrity with the powerful combination of reason and result. And if nothing else works, the motivation for the individual is to interact with the celebrity and start with Yoga! " "Participants are also really spoiled for choice. They can choose the celebrity they want, they can train with them live, they get handbooks, guides, access to the app, unlimited Q and A's with us, recordings of the classes to refer to later on, the works! So one the workshops are over, they're not alone on their journey, we're with them 100% until they've ACHIEVED their goals!" he elaborates.
He also shares their USP for SARVA Yoga: "What sets it apart is that we have 25 different forms of yoga. The same class isn't repeated in a month. We have 1500 hours of content around sleep, meditation, anxiety, mental health, weight loss, flexibility & general fitness, improving strength & stamina and so much more." He talks about 25 reasons to start!
Overcoming Struggles with Body Image Issues
In addition to several fitness benefits, Shashi also talks about rising body image issues and how they can be tackled. About body negativity he says, "IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT! We interact every single day with men, women, children, seniors, athletes, dancers, corporate workers, home makers and other individuals for varied walks of lives! And most of them feel under confident because of one flaw."
He shared some ways to cope with these issues: "Surround yourself with a tribe that loves you, cares for you and sees you for who you truly are. Remember to work on yourself because you deserve self care. Perfection is an illusion, excellence should drive your journey," Shashi shares with motivation.
