Yoga has nothing to do with religion: Shilpa Shetty

Actor Shilpa Shetty at the International Yoga day celebrations organised by Shwaasa at Sri Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Bollywood diva and fitness freak Shilpa Shetty on Sunday said yoga has nothing to do with religion, but is a pure science.

“I don’t think it would have been declared as an international event if it had anything to do with religion.

Yoga is a pure science,” she said at the International Yoga Day celebrations at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, organised by the state government in Bengaluru.

About her favourite yoga posture, she said, “Each pose has a work on your body but there is no such thing as favourite. But I think all encompassing is the Surya Namaskar. When you do Surya Namaskar it works on every part of your body. You don’t need to do anything after that,” she said.

Shetty also advocated people to prefer yoga over workouts in gyms as the ancient science can be practiced free of cost.

“Yoga aligns your mind, your body, your soul, and if this happens, there is nothing in life that you cannot achieve,” she said.

Shetty also called upon people to inculcate yoga among children because they are the future.

She did a DVD on yoga to change the pre-conceived perception that yoga is for old people.

“I felt that yoga was associated with old people and I wanted to change that pre-conceived perception. So, I did my yoga DVD. Today, I feel so happy when people tell me that it is so cool to do yoga.”

The actress said it is a wonderful historic moment, for the country is bringing back the focus on yoga which belonged to it.

“It is a wonderful historic moment. We are bringing our focus back which was always ours,” she said.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to thank our Prime Minister Modi who has given yoga the importance and a huge platform,” she said.

On acting in Kannada movies, Shilpa Shetty said her priority now is her three-year-old son.

“I would like to come back (to Kannada filmdom), but obviously my priority is my son Viaan right now — he is three. I will come back when I am mentally ready — when he starts doing a little longer school may be in a year’s time,” she said.

She had acted in Kannada films like “Preethsod Thappa” and “Auto Shankar”.

“Preethsod Thappa”, which was released in 1998, was a musical blockbuster with all songs tuned by Hamsalekha.

The film was directed by V. Ravichandran.

D. Rajendra Babu-directed “Auto Shankar” ran for 100 days and Shetty was cast opposite actor-director Upendra.