At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Ruchika Poddar for an exclusive interview with us. Ruchika is an Internationally Certified Face Yoga Instructor & Expert and an Influencer. Let’s learn more about her background, journey and her advice for our community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Ruchika:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
My journey has been an interesting blend of creativity, wellness & personal growth.
After passing out from NIFT, Delhi I started my career as a fashion designer working with export house. But soon I got married and moved to Kolkata from Delhi. It was a big change for me as both the cities are really different in terms of culture.
There was a big shift in my life but being patient & accepting the change helped me and then when it was least expected I was introduced to Face Yoga.
How did you discover your passion?
I’ve always been drawn to the power of Yoga and holistic wellbeing and this helped me discover the power of face yoga.
My journey of face yoga started in 2013 when it wasn’t really popular. I had TMJ issues for which I visited the dentist. The pain was so bad that I was prescribed medication for it.
Being a curious soul I started looking for a natural cure for TMJ pain and then I stumbled upon face yoga. Just out of curiosity,y I started practising a few exercises and I was AMAZED by the results. Not only it helped me healing the pain, but it also helped me with the slight jaw dislocation I had.
The practice kept me fascinated by it’s benefits. People around me started complimenting me for my improved skin and jawline.
And then I decided to make people more aware about the wonderful practice of face yoga. I decided to know more about facial muscles and the deep science behind face yoga. I completed the Teacher’s Training Program and embarked on the journey of teaching face yoga.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
The biggest lesson I learnt:
1) Not Everyone Will Like You & That’s Ok. I was always a ‘ Pleaser ‘ trying to keep everyone around me happy. As I moved on my journey I realized that as you long as you are keeping your integrity and being respectful to people around you, you don’t have to burn yourself trying to make others happy.
2) IF YOU WANT SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR IT. You will be much more protective of whatever it is if you earn it rather than having it handed to you.
3) BE GRATEFUL. Gratitude involves showing appreciation for the things in life. It magnifies positive feelings and gives courage to deal with tough situations in life. So, it is important to be grateful for everything no matter how big or small you have.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
I will say it straight that there are many factors but if you really have to have the key elements then to me these are the ones:
1) Growth comes from consistent effort, self-awareness & continuous learning are important.
2) Prioritize your goals
3) Prioritizing mental health
4) Invest in yourself
5) Be open to new things
6) Don’t be scared of competition
What is one thing you want to convey to our women’s community?
Self Love is everything. ‘You can never pour from an empty cup.’
Don’t feel bad about Prioritizing yourself or your happiness. Find time to recharge yourself. Whether it is going to a salon or a cup of coffee, dedicate time to this.
Be kind to yourself, celebrate yourself everyday.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
The most exciting part of my journey is seeing beautiful transformation not only physically but mentally.
Whether it’s a housewife being happy about getting compliments from her husband, or a professional sharing her experience of getting compliments from colleagues, every success story fuels my passion.
Making people feel good about themselves makes my journey fulfilling. It is less about recognition and more about happiness because it serves as a reminder from the Universe that I am on the right path.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
