How Shivali Made It: 5 Lessons For A Beginner

Do you all also sometimes wish to break away from this vicious cycle of a 9-to-5 job and do something more peaceful? Do you then shake it off as an impractical thought?

Well, relocating to somewhere in the middle of the mountains does seem like an impractical path but there are more pragmatic approaches to your dreams as well.

Two years ago, Shivali quit her corporate job to learn Yoga and heal her mind, body, and soul from all the stress. Today, she is a certified Yoga instructor with a large number of clients and social media followers. Read on to know valuable lessons from her journey to start your own journey-

1. Figure out your finances and have a plan.

As much as it is essential to be passionate about what you want to pursue, Shivali believes that nothing is possible without a plan.

“When you are making such a big life decision (quitting your job), it can’t just be a leap of faith. You have to have a plan. You can’t just put all your eggs in one basket.”

When Shivali started, she did have her savings from working about 6-7 years, but she also curbed her expenses and took every chance to work in the direction of her passion.

Currently, she is teaching online classes, taking classes for a yoga app, taking one-to-one classes with international clients, etc. Along with this, she is also making sure to continuously learn and improve her skill set.

2. Find your mentors.

Shivali quit her job because she was under lots of stress from working constantly and she felt burnt out. But she was only able to realize her problem and take an alternative life path because she met people who talked about their respective stories that were similar to Shivali’s.

“When I was listening to all these influencers, creators, I could connect and relate to them. I started looking up to them and made them mentors.”

Shivali seems to be a very intelligent social media user. She tells us that through her Instagram handle she follows only those creators from whom she learns.

“I don’t even follow my friends because I don’t want to give space to anything that does not help me grow. Mind is very fickle, it gets distracted easily. But when you look at these people doing things, you just gain back your inspiration.”

3. Create a niche, find your specialty.

Shivali posts content on social media that is for beginners although she is completely capable of more advanced techniques as well. Her content does not consist of highly advanced Yoga postures that are for someone who has been practicing Yoga for some time now.

On being asked why that was, she tells us that

“I want my niche to be for beginners is because I want yoga to spread to everyone. That’s my aim- ‘LiveBetter by Shivali’ so that everyone can live better. So people who already do yoga are aware of its benefits. I want other people to also start some form of fitness because in today’s world it’s almost tragic to not do some form of exercise and Yoga is the best one in my opinion.”

Among so many other pages that teach and show Yoga to the audiences, she is trying to do something that stands out by making it more specific to herself.

4. Do things differently; add elements specific to your personality to your work.

Shivali is a prime example of wholesome progress. She has completely adapted to the Yogic lifestyle so that her growth is full and genuine. She showers with cold water, consumes no caffeine, or any other food item that is not required by her body, wakes up and sleeps early, and begins her day with a pranayam. She is molding herself to that lifestyle but simultaneously, she is also adding her personality traits to her work.

For example, known to be a humorous storyteller, she adds jokes and stories to her classes. For any pose that she teaches, she has an associated anecdote or jest for it. This keeps her clients engaged throughout and helps them retain what they have learned.

She also uses props such as chairs, ropes, etc using which the clients can measure their everyday progress on their own, and be assured that they have learned something.

5. Online is a tremendous way to grow.

When Shivali started learning Yoga, the pandemic hit, and hence, everything for her has only been online. After learning for three years at the institute, she started teaching online, and she also got all her clients through the online mode, mainly Instagram.

As mentioned above, she also found all her mentors on social media, and they helped immensely in her growth. A very responsible and calculated social media user, Shivali has been using the platform to her utmost benefit.

Moreover, Shivali wishes that someday she will leave behind the hullabaloo of the city, move to a quieter place, and continue teaching her classes from there.

“I think studio spaces are anyway dying out because when people can learn from the comfort of their homes, they won’t travel distances to go and learn. Online is a tremendous place to grow.”

Shivali’s journey so far surely has something valuable to offer to creators who have just begun or are thinking about beginning their respective journeys.

You can know more about Shivali's work and journey here.

For many such insightful creator journeys, visit SocailBoat.