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was taught to get her groove on to Bhangra by her friends as a result of her parents' encouragement to get involved in Indian community activities. And being a restless soul, involved in the fitness industry since the age of 15, the fusion of the two was a natural progression. She has a degree in Communications and Public Relations, and the Sarina Jain marketing machine is going from strength to strength. To date she has released four Masala Bhangra workout videos and teaches the classes herself as well as sessions in Cardio-Salsa, Hip-Hop, Kick-Boxing and Step, to name but a few, with the help of fellow instructor Earla. The Masala Bhangra workout has even gone bi-coastal, being taught in San Francisco as well as New York, by her sister, Sheila. Remarkably, Sarina also finds time to present the popular American television show V
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Desi, where she interviews the show's viewers. With that kind of schedule, Jain Spirit jumped at the chance of Sarina giving us her own shout out from her New York City studio.
For Personal & Private Use
LIFESTYLE Thanks for talking to us, Sarina. How are you today? ▸ I am doing well today - just getting ready to launch my 4th workout video. What can you see out of your window? ▸ I see the sun out the window - it is a beautiful day today but it is sooo00 cold! What does being a Jain mean to you? I am a Jain...I am not sure what Jainism means to me. But when I think of Jainism...I think it is a way of life just like Hinduism but more pure. I have grown up with it and have been taught the Jain prayers and I say them all the time but I am not that much into it. However, I am noticing that I am becoming more religious and following the traditions more so now that I am getting older. How does Jainism enter into your everyday life? | do pray every morning and whenever I need to just relax and calm down - sometimes I get very stressed out and so to calm down, I say the Namokar Mantra. What part has Jainism played in your enthusiasm for healthy living?▸ Jainism is a healthy way of living it plays a part but I'm not sure how much. I think Jainism is more of a spiritual lifestyle than anything-it can ground you if you believe in this. Want to give us a quick day in the life? My days vary with responsibilities - typically I teach three to four classes a day. I wake up at 5am to go and teach a 6am class and then come back and work - I do my entire PR for my company and so am always working on something or the other. I sometimes take orders, talk to customers and am always trying to build new relationships with different vendors. I usually go to sleep around 11pm-reading a book! What are your current projects? Currently, I am launching my 4th workout video - Masala Bhangra Workout Volume 4... Total Body Conditioning Style. I am also training others to teach for me, which has been very successful. Plans for the next 5 years? In the next 5 years I see myself producing more workout videos, have others teach for me, get married and raise kids. How do you feel about the invasion of Indian culture into the mainstream? I feel that it's great - if it did not happen, we would not be recognised as much. However, the respect and the quality should not be lost because it has gone mainstream -the culture and the values should be kept the same. We need the mainstream support to survive and to be more creative. However, I do not agree in placing a ganesha on shoes
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