Parsi Times caught up with the one and only Dr. Mickey Mehta, one of the world’s foremost Holistic-Living and Wellness Guru, on the occasion of his 59th Birthday. PT writer, Razvin Namdarian shares an enlightening conversation with him and returns ‘Mickeymized’ with a crash course in Spirituality, Physiology, Mindfulness, and of course, Fitness!
Aapro Dr. Mickey Mehta is celebrating his 59th birthday today, on the 29th of August, 2020. It’s a milestone for him as it marks 50 glorious years of his living and breathing Yoga! Few can believe that at the shy age of nine, Mickey took his first steps into what would become, not only a career, but a fulfilling way of life that would inspire millions!
His has lived a life of self-exploration and gained knowledge and inspiration from many learned gurus along the way. He says, “It has been more a case of Eklavya and Dronacharya. I have imbibed my learning from such greats as B K Iyengar, Maa Hansaji, Deepak Chopra, Baba Ramdev, and Sri Sri Ravishankar, among others. I believe that yoga is a non-religiously aligned ladder of evolution.”
39 Years Dedicated To A Career In Wellness And Holistic Living…
One recalls that Dr. Mickey Mehta first came into the lime light as a coach who would, “teach swimming in 24 hours.” He says, “For me, wellness and fitness cover the entire spectrum, including swimming, yoga and calisthenics in addition to other forms.”
When we do a ‘Google Search’ for ‘holistic health guru’ on the internet, Dr. Mickey Mehta’s name pops up first! “I’m proud to be the pioneer of holistic health in India. I guess I had the early mover advantage on my side. I have had many firsts to my credit over the years, including being the First Columnist on Holistic Living, First Personal Trainer, First TV Presenter, and so on. Now I have my own series on holistic health on platforms that include Hotstar, Tata Sky and Airtel DTH.”
He is recognized in this leading light, by not just our Parsi Community and our nation, but throughout the world. In April 2016, the KEISIE International University, South Korea, conferred upon him an honorary Doctorate in Philosophy, Wellness, and Holistic Science.
He is a published author with two books to his credit – ‘The Shoonyam Quotient’ and ‘Lose Weight, Gain Shape’. He was invited to speak at the prestigious Harvard College, where he presented his paper titled, ‘From Harlem to Harvard’. “I am currently working on a book titled, ‘Immunity For Humanity’, which, in the light of the current pandemic, will be invaluable for building invincible immunity for all. We did not realise that we had compromised our bodies – more diseases will arise if we continue to abuse our outer (nature) and inner (our bodies) environment. The coronavirus pandemic has been a major wake-up call,” he shares.
Parsi Special…
The Parsi community will always hold a special place for Dr Mickey Mehta. “I would like to see our community, India and the whole world, adopt a more holistic lifestyle and get naturally immunized. However, I feel that on the one hand you cannot have ‘khao, piyo Parsi’ and then reconcile that with ‘Jiyo Parsi’ on the other! We have to wean away from our unhealthy eating habits – all the bhakras, popatjis, dhansak, sali boti and of course the beer and whiskey that go with them! You have to have control your diet to avoid disease, decay and death. Our genes are very good but you can’t take them for granted. Remember, old age is the sum total of what you have consumed and how you have lived your life. I would like to do more to encourage holistic living amongst the Parsis; we need to use Yoga and Ayurveda to prevent viruses from proliferating in our bodies. For those who feel that they can’t do it, I would advise baby steps – just start with five minutes of stretching and bending and slowly increase the level and time of exercise.”
59 And Raring to Go!
Dr. Mickey Mehta is certainly not one to rest on his laurels. He has a lot of projects in the pipeline, one of which is, of course, completing his new book – ‘Immunity for Humanity’, which is likely to be published in three months. “I am also planning an online/offline project titled, ‘Woman – The Healer’, which will equip every woman to heal herself and the members of her family.”
The unstoppable energy that is Mickey Mehta wakes every morning by 6:00 am and eats ‘breath’ for breakfast and soaks in the sunlight. “I am a vegetarian and have only one meal a day, snacking consists of fruits and dry fruits. Also, I ensure that at least 50% of what I eat is raw or uncooked.”
He believes, “If wellness is your religion, then your devotion will become million-fold. A human being is blessed with a superior consciousness and by adopting a life of faith, wisdom, learning and realization, one can become the choreographer of your own change. Get Energized, Get Optimized, Get Naturalized, Get Mickeymized!”
Here’s wishing Many, Many Happy Returns of the Day to our very own Fitness and Wellness Prodigy – Dr. Mickey Mehta! May he continue to shine and share his radiance and brilliance, and Mickemize us all to elevated levels of all-round wellness!
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