Shipra Uppal
FOUNDER : SAARTHI
NLP COACH & PRACTITIONER │SPIRITUAL HEALER I HOLISTIC &
MINDFULNESS COACH I LEADERSHIP COACH I SOFT SKILL TRAINER I
VOICE OVER ARTISTE I CORPORATE EVENT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST I
BHAGAWAD GITA PREACHER & COACH
Q1. From winning Mrs. India Classic 2019 to becoming a Mental Health Ambassador, your journey is truly inspiring. What has been the most defining moment in your career so far?
When it comes to talking on our life journey, I believe it has to be raw and candidly brave. While embracing my journey for Istoryy, a flash of my entire history crossed my mind not just the major milestones and events but the greatest joy in rediscovering the tiniest detail was popped up which I had brushed aside long back. It’s like observing past and presence all at once, the outlines still visible beneath the baking papers and rolling pins ha…ha..ha…! While counting on my blessings I could see the spark, the warmth and happiness in my own journey and the joy of re-discovering me with my life purpose. My most defining moment was’nt a single event, like winning a pageant or completing my training as a helping practitioner and healer. Instead, its been a gradual realization, a shift in every perspective that solidified my path, be it a corporate woman, a title holder, a first lady of Rotary (Regional) global network, an entrepreneur, a healer, trainer, a preacher of Bhagawad Gita, a family saga, all in one. It happened during my pageantry days, I was gifted with a workshop on Neuro Linguistic Programming woven through the experiences of both winning and then working with others and thereon the saga of my becoming a certified healer and practitioner in the realm of science and spirituality begin.
Shipra Uppal
FOUNDER : SAARTHI
NLP COACH & PRACTITIONER │SPIRITUAL HEALER I HOLISTIC &
MINDFULNESS COACH I LEADERSHIP COACH I SOFT SKILL TRAINER I
VOICE OVER ARTISTE I CORPORATE EVENT MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST I
BHAGAWAD GITA PREACHER & COACH
Q1. From winning Mrs. India Classic 2019 to becoming a Mental Health Ambassador, your journey is truly inspiring. What has been the most defining moment in your career so far?
When it comes to talking on our life journey, I believe it has to be raw and candidly brave.
While embracing my journey for Istoryy, a flash of my entire history crossed my mind not just the major milestones and events but the greatest joy in rediscovering the tiniest detail was popped up which I had brushed aside long back. It’s like observing past and presence all at once, the outlines still visible beneath the baking papers and rolling pins ha…ha..ha…! While counting on my blessings I could see the spark, the warmth and happiness in my own journey and the joy of re-discovering me with my life purpose. My most defining moment was’nt a single event, like winning a pageant or completing my training as a helping practitioner and healer. Instead, its been a gradual realization, a shift in every perspective that solidified my path, be it a corporate woman, a title holder, a first lady of Rotary (Regional) global network, an entrepreneur, a healer, trainer, a preacher of Bhagawad Gita, a family saga, all in one. It happened during my pageantry days, I was gifted with a workshop on Neuro Linguistic Programming woven through the experiences of both winning and then working with others and thereon the saga of my becoming a certified healer and practitioner in the realm of science and spirituality begin.
Initially, pageants were all about external validation. The crown…The Title… those felt like the defining moments. But even in those moments of supposed triumph, there was an underlying sense of something missing…where I could leave a legacy for my people and for the society even after I am gone.
I realized that true fulfilment was’nt about the applause, but about the impact I could create – – a change – – a shift in people’s lives…by taking them into trans where they connect inside, so they can connect outside and fill the gaps. That realization became the bridge to my work as a helping professional and a healer, especially after seeing the struggles of other young women, even those who seemed to have it all, resonated deeply. It mirrored my own internal battles and sparked a desire to create a space for genuine connection and healing.
The defining moments that aren’t the accolades, but the quiet moments of connection with individuals.
· It’s the moment, where a client shares a breakthrough;
· The moment I see a flicker of hope in their eyes;
· The moment someone tells me what they felt, saw and heard for the first time. These moments, though often unseen and uncelebrated, are the ones which defines my life purpose.
They are the moments I understand that my purpose is’nt limited with winning a crown, but about empowering others to find their own.
It’s the ongoing journey of using my experiences, both the highs and the lows, to help others navigate their own. That’s the defining narrative of my career, and it’s one that continues to unfold with each person I have had the privilege to work with.
Q2. As an NLP Practitioner and Chakra Healer, how do you integrate mind-body wellness into your work and personal life?
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and Chakra Healing can be integrated to promote mind-body wellness in both work and personal life as in my own experience, they are connected and they complement each other.
NLP focuses on the connection between our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. It provides tools and techniques to understand and change our patterns of thinking and communication, enabling us to achieve our goals and improve our overall well-being.
And ,Chakra Healing, on the other hand, is an ancient practice that focuses on balancing the body’s energy centres, known as chakras, where each chakra is associated with specific physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our being. When these energy centres are balanced, we experience a sense of harmony and well-being.
Integrating NLP and Chakra Healing can create a powerful synergy for mind-body wellness. NLP techniques can be used to identify and address negative thought patterns or limiting beliefs that may be contributing to imbalances in the chakras because chakras are directly and highly impacted with your thought process.
By combining NLP with chakra healing practices in my sessions such as meditation, visualization, or energy work, individuals can release emotional blockages, promote healing, and restore balance to their energy system.
In work life, this integration can help individuals manage stress, improve communication and interpersonal relationships, enhance creativity and problem-solving skills, and increase overall job satisfaction.
In personal life, it can support emotional healing, improve self-esteem and confidence, enhance relationships, and promote personal growth and self-discovery. By incorporating NLP and Chakra Healing in our certified programs as well as in daily life, I have observed how me as well my trainees have cultivated a greater sense of self-awareness, develop emotional resilience, and create a more fulfilling and overall balanced life experience.
Q3.You have been a strong advocate for anxiety issue. What challenges do you see in breaking the stigma around mental wellness, especially in today’s fast-paced world?
Breaking the stigma around mental wellness, especially in today’s fast- paced environment, is a complex challenge. Here are some of the key obstacles, what I observe:
Lack of understanding and awareness: Many people still don’t fully understand mental health conditions, often confusing them with weakness or personality flaws. This lack of awareness further fuels the misconceptions followed by the prejudice;
Fear of judgment and discrimination: People may fear being judged or discriminated and even ridiculed, if they admit their struggle with some mental health condition. The delay in seeking any help or even talking about their experiences can further exploit their condition;
Cultural and societal norms: In some cultures, mental health issues are stigmatized or seen as shameful. Even when children are diagnosed with some mental anomaly, parents openly refuse any family history & the child’s mental fog and suppression keep piling up and suddenly outburst as a big problem. Such norms can make it difficult for individuals to seek help or support.
Fast-paced and competitive environment: Covid 19 pandemic especially contributed in the accelerated the fast-paced and competitive environment which has exacerbated the mental health challenges. As discovered through many studies that the prevalence of Bipolar disorder increased significantly during pandemic.
Lack of Comprehensive Training – these days social media is crowded with trainings which equip the participant with the outline therapies. These short termed workshops and certification courses, somehow can be best suited for self-help technique. But in the absence of period designated degree courses can lead to mis-interpretations of symptoms and inaccurate diagnosis.
By addressing these challenges and working together, we can create a more supportive and understanding society where everyone feels comfortable seeking help for their mental health.
Q4. What role do self-confidence and emotional intelligence play in personal transformation, and how do you help others build these qualities?
Self-Confidence empowers individuals to take risks, pursue goals, and overcome obstacles, while emotional intelligence enhances their ability to navigate social dynamics, build strong relationships, and manage emotions effectively. As an NLP Coach & Practitioner and chakra healer, I help others build these qualities as a step by step process as mentioned below in our training programs:
Raising an awareness in their present emotional and mental state and try to fill the gap in between the present state and the desired state with the person specific techniques like sensory awareness, internal dialogue awareness, emotional check-ins etc…
Identifying and addressing limiting beliefs: In NLP, there are number of techniques like Anchoring, Reframing, Visualization, Modelling and sub- modality shifting, I try to help individuals identify and replace negative thought patterns with positive triggers that hinder their self-confidence and emotional intelligence.
Balancing chakras: By balancing the energy centres in the body, I try to help individuals release emotional blockages and cultivate a sense of inner peace and self-acceptance.Teaching emotional regulation skills: I provide tools and techniques for managing emotions effectively, such as mindfulness, meditation, and breathing exercises.
Building self-awareness: I try to guide individuals in exploring their values, strengths, and weaknesses to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and decide where they need to transform.
Promoting self-compassion: As a helping practitioner, I try to encourage individuals to treat themselves with kindness and understanding, fostering self-acceptance and resilience.
So, in a nutshell, by combining NLP techniques with chakra healing and emotional intelligence training, I try to empower individuals to transform their lives and achieve their full potential. Take it this way, I am just showing them the pathway and guiding them with techniques rest of the inner hard work, working on self and seeing the reflection outside is all done by my trainees.
Q5. As a Soft Skills Trainer, what are the most essential skills people need today to thrive in both personal and professional life?
As a soft skill trainer, I believe the most essential skill people need to thrive is the Communication skill. Because it is the communication that sets or spoils the entire game. Be it personal life or professional life, effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. One word expressed differently can create a communication gap, which coils the listener in so many Ifs, Buts, and commas.
Firstly it includes, active listening and clearly expressing your thoughts. Honestly people are falling short of listening these days and it can be because of internal and external distractions, few pre-conceived notions which lead to become judgmental and jumping on conclusions, etc… Understanding the verbal and non-verbal cues are the part and parcel of learning effective communication.
Q6. Your voice-over work adds another creative dimension to your profile. What excites you most about using your voice as a medium of influence and storytelling?
As a voice actor, I have always appreciated the power of voice as a medium of influence and storytelling. Why there is a sudden onset of a podcasting wave..? Because voices are incredibly expressive and human voice with gifted word modulations conveys a range of emotions which in turn creates a deep emotional connect in between the voice actor and the audiences. Voice acting can breathes life into characters. Today while recording my Gita sessions or chakra healings or even doing the poetic podcasts we ourselves gets into the character and we even try to transport our audience to a distinct world, making them feel and live the part of the story.
Coming back to what excites me using my voice as a story teller or an influencer is while conveying an idea via a story allows me to connect with others. Honestly my voice overs and training sessions are the pep up dose for me as well.Story telling allows me to step into someone else’s shoes. So be it fictional or historical, I develop empathy and discover the different perspectives all together. I started my Voice career with E-content series while recording the chapter contents scripts, complex Mathematics formulas, physics and chemistry lab assignments given by the subject matter experts. So, the voice acting had broadened my understanding and the complex world started making sense to me because I started understanding the framework of solving a problem or completing a task. As a story teller, I started getting the insights of different human conditions and feelings which further participated in broadening my learning and growth as a problem solver, a healer and a coach.
Q7. As a leader and mentor, what is your mantra for inspiring and empowering individuals to achieve their full potential?
Self Love & Believe in yourself will eradicate the self doubt. My mantra to achieve your full potential is to maintain an inner focus and embrace yourself and embrace your growth. What appears small today may end up as a huge contribution to something bigger tomorrow…; even if we talk of Kiazen and connecting it to self-belief then we realize the power of continuity Let’s break it down further and see why this is so powerful? kiazen focus on small baby steps towards continuous improvement. Its an idea towards small incremental changes, which can lead to significant progress because continuity encourages focus then perfection will follow. And self belief is the engine to fuel potential and we start believing that “Yes I can do it” which derives actions or say it “Karma”.
Why it matters to me to become my growth mantra? Because kiazen intervened with self –belief and self love helps you to bounce back from the failures, as there’s a pre-supposition of NLP that says – “There are no failures…only feedbacks “and thus it fuels your motivation because the fear of failure is eradicated and then you start testing your potential and discover your mettle. The crux is Kaizen provides improvement while self belief provides motivation and self love keep yourself in priority and together they empower you to achieve your full potential.
Q8. Can you share a personal story where your coaching or healing transformed someone’s life in a profound way?
Well here I feel extremely grateful to say – there are many! For this I would invite you to please refer my LinkedIn page and go through the recommendations, where people have written their heart out and bestowed their blessings.
To present a few
1. Ms. Ligimol Unnikrishnan, Sr. CRA & CRC eTMF Expert in Gloal Clinical Operations, Bangalore. A clinical researcher on cancer cell and stem therapy, Ligimol worked on her chakras and practically applied NLP to kill the nagging voices inside her head suddenly got a 90 percent jump in her new job after the long career break of 9 years. When she realized that it’s her self-doubt that kills and erase every mark of motivation she prepares her with before applying or starting something new both in personal and professional life. Chakras helped her to realize her own energy status and why she thinks that ways and NLP helped her to kill those voices and she successfully took her leap.
2. Gande Jayalakshmi, Procurement Specilist and Ex Genpact and very hard working soul. Being a proud daughter of a hard working mother as a support staff and a single parent, Jaya diligently worked on herself in every context and she could manage to change her mind set. She reprogrammed her mind and has observed a big welcoming change in personal and professional life. As a result of interweaving kiazen with self belief, she took a big role in her organization and simultaneously could launch her dream idea of running a cookery show, dealt with separation and now leading a very successful life while realizing her dreams.
Q9. What are some of the key projects or initiatives you’re currently working on that excite you the most?
Some of my close to heart projects are my Podcasts on Chakra Healing and Bhagawad Gita which was my dream project has successfully taken a launch. After connecting with Kyaa Matlab Network my dream has become my successful reality.
After successfully completing 10 episodes on Chakra Healing – podcast series named as – Talkathons with Shipra Uppal”, after experiencing the impactful podcasting experience, now my second series on Bhagawad Gita – “A walkthrough for life with Shipra Uppal” is on Air.
As a result, As a founder of SARATHI, alongside my diversified healing profession, now I am enjoying a new feather added to my cap as a Bhagawad Gita Preacher & Coach.
Q10. Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave behind in the fields of empowerment, wellness, and leadership?
My legacy is not limited to personal recognition but also contributing to the world at large, where more people are empowered, with overall wellness and powerfully equipped to lead fulfilling lives.
I want to be a contributor to support human potential and carve positive changes for many generations to come. I will be gone but my legacy will keep navigating lives. This is my dream.. AMEN..!