Mangaluru: For most of us, hitting the gym or being an early morning runner is an integral part of our daily routine. Despite the inevitable blues and maybe a little whining, we push ourselves to maintain good health and shape. Well, good news for us, Belly fitness has brought in the much-needed fun element to our mundane workouts. Join me in getting to know a tremendously talented beauty, born in Goa and brought up in Mangaluru, a professional writer, tour guide for Lia Travels, Radio Jockey for AIR. She is a Masters Degree holder in Corporate Psychology from St. Aloysius College, and a Certified Fitness Instructor from Indian Academy of fitness training. She is the daughter of Vivian Sequeira and Rovena Sequeira and sister of Dr. Savaanha Sequeira. Presenting to you, South India’s first belly-fit instructor- Sharlaine Sequeira.
Here are some excerpts of the interview
What drove you to venture into the world of belly dancing and fitness?
At around 13 years, I used to watch a show called ‘Shimmy’ as a form of exercise which focused on belly dance as a tutorial. I absolutely loved it and kept practising whenever I was free. I taught myself by watching YouTube videos, but it wasn’t until late last year that I began learning belly dance professionally. I attended a workshop by Meher Malik and a belly dance festival called Wahda where I learnt at least 10 different styles of belly dancing from different teachers in Bangalore. It was organized by Vaishnavi TN, founder of Ira Belly dance School, who is my dance mentor.
I got into Bellyfit after my post graduation in Corporate Psychology. The 9 to 5 job just isn’t my cup of tea. I always wanted to start something in fitness and motivate and inspire people. Even though I love Zumba, I wanted to start something different and one day, by chance, I came across Bellyfit. Today, I’m proud to say that I am internationally certified and also am South India’s first Bellyfit instructor.
How different is belly fitness from belly dancing?
Belly dancing is one of the oldest forms of dance, having its roots in all ancient cultures from the orient, to India to the middle-East. Probably the greatest misconception about belly dancing is that it is intended to entertain men. This is absolutely false and it actually has numerous benefits that most of us do not know about.
Bellyfit, on the other hand, is a trademarked, standardized, Holistic Fitness System for women which is a workout designed by Alice Bracegirdle who is the CEO and Co-Founder of Bellyfit Enterprises. Within 60 minutes (40 minutes of stress-reducing cardio comprising of Dance Aerobics inspired by Belly dance, African Dance and Bollywood, 10 minutes of full-body toning and 10 minutes of relaxing stretches,) the movements activate, heal and empower the uniqueness of the female body. The hips, belly, uterus, and pelvic floor are all honoured and strengthened.
Why did you decide to conduct demo classes in Mangaluru? Was the turnout as per your expectation?
I conduct free demos to spread the knowledge of Bellyfit to countless women because at the end of the day it’s not about money. This unrealistic mission to have ‘flat abs’ is fuelled by mainstream advertising campaigns displaying photoshopped models that are half the age of the market they’re targeting. Due to this relentless marketing, many women suffer from anxiety, depression, frustration, obsession, envy and self-deprecation.
With education, motivation and inspiration, Bellyfit will help change all of this. The main mission is to help rewrite the conversation we’re all having with our bodies especially our bellies. Being fit in the belly is about connecting to the power in our centre and respecting and loving this area of our body as the life-giving, creative powerhouse of our being that it is…rolls, scars, dimples and all! It’s about loving ourselves unconditionally and honouring the many stages we go through as women throughout our lives. It’s about being connected to who we are- strong, sexy and sacred, with or without flat abs! I have successfully conducted about 15 demos so far and reached out to around two hundred women all around Mangaluru city.
Is there any restriction on who should try out belly dancing/ fitness? How beneficial is it?
Belly dance can be taken for young girls from the age of 9 onwards. Bellyfit does not generally appeal to a very young generation, there are exceptions, of course, but, again in both, it depends on the person and certain criteria as well. A Belly Dance class provides excellent brain exercise for focus, memory, creativity and coordination. The movements are artistic and feminine, creating a positive feeling of sensual expression and freedom. The Bellyfit system allows women to feel powerful in their bodies while maintaining the integrity of their femininity and also brings a powerful mind-body-spirit element into the traditional group fitness class format. Participants will tone muscles and lose weight, but they also want improved flexibility, more endurance, a clear mind, a balanced heart, a joyful spirit and of course, more ENERGY! For anyone simply looking for a safe, effective, fun new way to get in shape – Bellyfit is here.
What are your upcoming plans?
After conducting quite a few demos in Mangaluru, as of now, my plan is to spread the knowledge of Bellyfit to other states of India as well. I also plan on continuing my training in belly dance and never giving up on that. At the end of the day, for me, it is all about doing my bit and changing the mindset of people and educating them about belly dance and belly fitness.
What would be your advice to individuals who would like to give belly dancing and belly fitness a try?
I would say just do it! Follow your heart and never give up on your interests, no matter what. Never let what others say ever bring you down.
