Meet Prerana Shah the model from our Spring Summer Earth Matters campaign. Prerana is a certified Holistic Lifestyle Health Coach and Soundhealing Therapist. We ask her expert advice on self-care.  

How did you begin your journey into Holistic Wellbeing?   

When I was 17 years old my mother was diagnosed with Vascular Disease, she was very young, just 45. The medical doctors were unable to help her, and it was just on-setting, so I thought yoga would help. I tried to take her to yoga classes but unfortunately, she didn’t even go for a week.  

Yoga was not as popular then as it is today. I started enjoying it a lot and by the end of that year I received my yoga teacher’s certificate. I started teaching where I used to be a student and opened my first yoga studio when I was 20. I then got into Reiki, Pranic Healing and Sound Healing. My family has always been very much inclined towards a spiritual way of living so it felt very natural.  

When I was 26, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. My doctors wanted me to have surgery followed by radiation, which was not my choice of healing. I then tried to find out how I can heal myself without the external interventions. That lead to different courses from Hippocrates Health Institute to Cornell University, to Ayurveda courses, CST, Access Bar, etc.  

My life hasn't been the same ever since. It has been more than a decade that I have been helping people with health and well-being. I have been privileged to work with people from all over the world from different ways of life. It has been an incredible journey so far and I am still learning and growing every day.  

What are your top five daily rituals?  

My top 5 daily rituals:  

1. Drinking 1 liter of luke warm water upon waking up in the morning. I add ½ a lemon and ½ a teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt and a 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric.  
2. Meditation: I meditate minimum 30-45 minutes in the morning before I do anything.  
3. Yoga: 20 mins to an hour of Aasana practice and Pranayama.  
4. Journaling: I write a gratitude list of things I want to focus on and set intentions for the day. 
5. Reading for 30 minutes.  

How do you practice self-care at home? 

• Eat Healthy - I normally eat home cooked meals. Preparing a healthy meal is so easy and I love making healthy nutritious meals for me and my family. I feel it’s one of the most beautiful and easiest ways to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.  
• Hydration - I make sure I am drinking plenty of nourishing liquids and water throughout the day.  
• Unplug - I switch everything to airplane mode and I free myself from the constant bings of social media and email. 
• Juice Cleanse - It’s a good way to heal our mind, body and soul. Practicing juice fasting helps us not just to detoxify our physical body but it helps us on a mental, emotional and spiritual aspect. (You should consult with your medical practitioner or health care personnel before you do any fasting.)  
• Gardening - Gardening has taught me so many things. When we plant a seed, we need to make sure the soil is prepared well, then the seed is healthy. After we plant the seed, we need to water it and make sure we protect it. There is no instantaneous satisfaction in gardening. In todays world where we are always looking for instant gratification, doing a bit of gardening really helps me ground myself and realize that good things take time, we need to learn to have patience. The analogy here is the soil is our life, our minds and the seeds are what we want to grow in our lives. Once the seed grows into the plant or tree then we can enjoy the fruit. We cannot expect to plant weeds and get apples and mangoes. We need to learn to cultivate good in our lives, nothing comes out of nothing. 

Best books, documentaries or podcasts on wellbeing? 

Books: 

• The Power of Now: Eckhart Tolle 
• The True Power of Water Masura Emoto   
• Tools of Titans by Timothy Ferries  
• Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza  
• Gita - As it Is  

Documentaries:  

• What the Health  
• Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds 
• The Missing Link  

Podcast:  

• Brain Health and Beyond with Team Sherzai  
• The Tim Ferriss Show  
• Tony Robins   
• The School of Greatness  
• The Rich Roll  

What would you advise to help boost your mood? 

We are what we eat, and we are what we think. Staying in a certain mood, eating a certain type of food, it is all habits. We need to recognise the patterns first and change them or break them. Until and unless we realize that if the habit of eating a certain way, sitting a certain way, thinking about certain things are creating a foul mood. We keep on getting back to the same space and that’s the downward spiral.  

Getting into a healthy habit is important but I always advise everyone to make a conscious choice every day. We need to make sure that the choices that we make are constantly feeding our mind, body and soul, the food it needs. If it doesn’t help you become better, then you should completely avoid it.  

There are quick fixes like going for a walk, listening to your favorite music, hitting the gym, deep breathing, but I like lasting change, everyone does. So, for lasting happiness and a fulfilling life we need to change the way we live, eat, feel and make sure it a consistent conscious choice. 

What are your top five healthy foods? 

I love all plant based whole foods and for me verity is the key! 

1. Wheatgrass, celery and other vegetable juice  
2. Soaked Nuts, seeds, sprouted legumes and beans  
3. Quinoa 
4. All vegetables and leafy greens 
5. All seasonal fruits 

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