UAE: Meet the coach who turned Bollywood's biggest name to breath-led yoga practice

In an age where yoga and wellness regimens dominate trends but often lose the depth and discipline rooted in their ancient origins, celebrity yoga instructor Anshuka Parwani is on a mission to restore its authenticity. Best known as the woman behind Bollywood’s fittest stars and the founder of Anshuka Yoga, Parwani also hopes to, one day, bridge this crucial gap in Dubai.

“I love everything about wellness, and the wellness community in Dubai is growing rapidly,” says Parwani, who was in the city earlier this year to secure her Golden Visa — a milestone she sees as a reflection of her deepening connection with the region.

“I was nominated by the UAE’s ambassador to India, and I’d love to explore opportunities here in the future,” says Parwani. “I see a real gap when it comes to bringing Anshuka Yoga to Dubai. There’s no one offering strategic or targeted yoga the way we do.”

But to understand why Parwani has become such a powerful force in yoga, one needs to take stock of where she began.

Before she was guiding Deepika Padukone through character embodiment in Gehraiyaan or helping Kareena Kapoor Khan through two pregnancies, Parwani was a commercial pilot. A trajectory suddenly rerouted with a near-fatal motorbike accident, which left her immobile for eight months.

“I had a cranial fracture and 28 fractures in my legs. I couldn’t move my legs for six days,” she recalls. “Yoga came to me post-physiotherapy, as a form of therapy. I started doing breath work and pranayama, and honestly, it worked like magic.” That journey, from being bedridden to rediscovering her body through breath, became the cornerstone of Anshuka Yoga,
her signature school of wellness based
in Mumbai.

However, what sets Parwani apart is her deep-rooted knowledge in traditional yogic practices and how she adapts them for modern routines. “It’s easier to come back from physical trauma, but coming back from mental trauma is harder. It’s intangible. That’s why yoga, and especially breath work, is so transformative. Your breath changes everything.”

Bollywood & beyond

Whether she’s working with a first-time student or a household name, her approach is the same: meet them where they are. “Every student is different. We first assess where they are physically, mentally, emotionally. We look at their time, sleep, fitness levels, injuries. Then, we customise the plan. It could be a mix of yoga, pranayama, functional training. It’s not one size fits all.”  

This personalisation is one reason why her clientele reads like the cast list of a film première. From Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, to Alia Bhatt, and Ananya Pandey, Anshuka has guided them all — not just through fitness, but through pregnancy, emotional resets, role preparation, and postnatal recovery. “It started with Kareena, then Sonam, Deepika, Alia… I’ve seen each of them through their journeys, even into motherhood. But the beautiful part is, they were already students,” says Parwani.

“With Kareena, I was there through both her pregnancies. We worked closely during the prenatal and postnatal phases. People assume pregnancy yoga is gentle — it’s not. Our modified Surya Namaskars can be more challenging than the traditional ones. You’re carrying extra weight, your centre of gravity shifts, and it becomes crucial to protect your posture, back, and core,” she explains.

“I always say: your doctor and your yoga teacher should be the first to know when you’re pregnant. I’ve often been among the first five people told. That level of trust, it’s everything.”

Her collaboration with Padukone on the film Gehraiyaan also became a defining moment for Parwani. “[Deepika] was playing a yoga teacher, so I wasn’t just training her physically. I was the director of yoga and creative director for the character. We started working online during Covid, and it was the first time I pivoted to virtual teaching. The connection we built was deep, even remotely. Her character needed to embody the philosophy, so we worked on breath, posture, even energy.”

Power of your breath

But breath is the starting point for all transformation, she insists. “I work with actors and athletes, and everything starts with breath. Whether you’re anxious or happy, your breath changes. I once had someone with anxiety and low oxygen levels, and with breathwork, their levels returned to normal. That’s how powerful it is,” she adds.

“Even now, as I speak to you, if I regulate my breath, I’m regulating my whole system. My parasympathetic nervous system is engaged, which is the rest and relax mode. It keeps my cortisol in check, and my hormones are regulated,” says Parwani. And the best part? The benefits are immediate. “People come back and say, ‘Add more breath-work’. Some ask for home practices. That’s when I know it’s working.”

The impact of breath-work also goes beyond stress management. “We’ve had women struggling to conceive who started practising with us. Touchwood, every one of them has had a healthy child. Husbands come up to thank us. Yoga resets your parasympathetic nervous system. It regulates cortisol, cholesterol, even hormonal health.”

It’s this tailored, holistic approach that keeps even the busiest celebrities returning. “They have access to every fitness regime in the world. But they come back because
yoga isn’t just a workout. It flows into everything… from HIIT, gym, Pilates. Yoga is mind, body, soul.”

For instance, with actors like Ananya Panday, the transformation has been both physical and emotional, says Parwani. “She didn’t love the practice at first, but she was open. We started with movement and fitness, and over time it became about emotional and mental wellbeing. Now she meditates daily, practises pranayama. It’s a holistic approach.”

Despite being rooted in ancient wisdom, Parwani is not rigid about the evolution of yoga in western society. “Traditionally, women had children younger. Now, people are having babies after 40. So the practice must evolve. I’m not a traditionalist. We use creative methods to engage people, whether it’s music, kriyas, or blending techniques, but we never dilute the essence.”

But beneath all the custom plans, movement guidances and sold-out workshops, Parwani’s underlying message remains the same: Yoga meets you where you are. “Some days the practice is powerful, dynamic. Some days it’s stillness. That’s the beauty of it,” she says. “Yoga is not a fad. It’s thousands of years old. What works is consistency, patience and a deep connection with your body. Not quick fixes.”

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