You could see it in the way the morning in Gurugram was taken over by a sea of mats. At DLF Cyber Hub, Shilpa was in charge of an upbeat session with a no-nonsense line: let this be a part of your routine, not an annual photo op. The 2026 theme is all about ageing well, and the room had the right kind of energy for it.
If you were at the venue, you’d have seen her put in a ‘Superb!’ when the crowd got in sync. Then there was the bit where she put a kid on stage for a lesson – a nice touch that shows how open and unpretentious the whole thing can be if you don’t overthink it.
What Shilpa was after: a lifestyle, not a fad
She put aside the star persona and put on the hat of a coach, telling folks to put in the work. ‘I feel this is the perfect day to make up your mind and let yoga be part of your life,’ she put it. For her, it’s about having the discipline to show up, not just for show.
Then she redefined what you get out of it. ‘Physical fitness is one thing, but I put more stock in your headspace. Yoga is what keeps you in check and in good spirits.’ To those who are new to it, she offered a simple truth: you won’t know the value of it until you start.
Some credit where it’s due
Shilpa has no trouble pointing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the attention yoga is getting these days. ‘Our PM has made it a priority. He is the reason for the recognition it has. I want to thank him for that,’ she said, in a way calling it our offering to the rest of the world.
She tied it back to the Fit India plan he put in motion. ‘It’s a dream we should all be part of making come true,’ she said, in effect saying that your time on the mat is a small part of building the nation.
The appeal of ‘Yoga for Healthy Ageing’
This year’s focus is on being able to do it for the long haul, regardless of age. It’s not only about how far you can bend; it’s the combination of a sound body, a steady mind and some emotional fortitude that makes for a better life.
With the 12th International Day of Yoga in the books, the pattern is there to be seen. You have to go back to 2015 to when Mr. Modi first started hosting these in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, and even at the UN in New York. What was once a cultural export has become something of a tradition.
How the morning in Gurugram went down
Over at the Cyber Hub, Shilpa put the group through their paces, with a word to the novices to do what they can. It had the feel of a bootcamp without the hard sell, and everyone was on board for the consistency of it.
Here’s the run-down from the session:
– Theme: Yoga for Healthy Ageing
– Where: DLF Cyber Hub, Gurugram
– A word from Shilpa: ‘Superb!’
– An impromptu lesson for a young one on stage
– A firm nudge towards the Fit India cause
Stars and their yoga across the country
There was more to it than what happened in one city. In Delhi, Akshay Kumar was at an event with Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, with wellness expert Anshuka Parwani on hand. The idea is to put in the work, not to put on airs.
Mumbai put on its own display with Shahid Kapoor and Sreeleela in all white for their event. Elnaaz Norouzi put together a session at Elan Miracle Mall in Gurugram, and Jackie Shroff put up a pic from his, with a certain old-world flair to the modern exercise.
Making it a habit: the way forward
Suniel Shetty was blunt about it: stick with it. He called it our heritage. And Neil Nitin Mukesh brought in the home front, with his daughter now in on some of the breathing and stretching – showing you don’t have to be an athlete to start.
But it was Shilpa who kept coming back to the point. ‘I want people to make it a way of life, not just some form of science or a workout.’ Judging by the response in Gurugram, a lot of them are in for it.
