By Papri Das

The last weekend saw millions across the globe taking collective rhythmic deep breaths. Not to gasp over something but to celebrate International Yoga Day by practicing various asanas. The impact was such that 192 countries participated in it. Not to forget the awe inspiring act through which Prime Minister Narendra Modi led around 37,000 people to do yoga, setting a Guinness Book Record.

While the world and most of India reconnected with this ancient art of living afresh, there is someone who has been doing yoga right from childhood, and has received many accolades, penned many books and even trained several bollywood actors on how to attain a fit and healthy living through yoga. Fitness trainer, yoga instructor and author Payal Gidwani Tiwari calls her tryst with yoga as a spiritual calling.

We caught up with her on the launch of her latest book on World Yoga Day, Body Goddess, to find out how yoga has benefited her, and the many bollywood stars who train under her.

From interior designing to fitness trainer; how did this transition happen?
When I was in school I was not much into academics but physical education and sports played a major role for me. After I graduated it was time for me to choose a career path and back then physical education was not yet a sought after career choice. So I ended up studying interior designing. I did quite a few projects, but deep down I was not totally happy. Then in 2003, I decided to take up yoga as a way to good health keeping. At that time I had decided to try it out for 6 months as a trial and error method. To my surprise I was totally hooked on to it and decided on taking it further, and later I taught yoga in New Zealand for two months before coming back and starting my career as a fitness trainer. It has been over seven years and today yoga for me has brought about a change in my attitude and in physical dimensions.

What are the frequently asked questions or requests you get from your trainees?
Most people come to me seeking weight loss regimes and end up not only with the exercise bit but also the spiritual cleansing that is so integral to yoga. Many people think yoga doesn?t help you lose weight but it does. Several yoga postures have a greater degree of difficulty than most other forms of exercise.

I would like to mention that yoga not only helps u externally but internally too. All my students who have taken my class have found some form of self realization. Yoga is a way of living healthy. You need to practice it for a few years before you can achieve significant results. The best thing about yoga is that it helps you tone your muscles and also makes sure you don?t gain excess weight even if you get irregular in your regular routine.

What new to expect from your latest book, Body Goddess?

When I started writing my first book ?From XL to XS?, I took my clients as the baseline, taking into consideration their problems and situations. I realised people needed help and I couldn?t cater to every person around the globe individually. Therefore, I wrote the book in such a way that they could read it from their own perspective keeping their own situation in mind and relate to their problems better.

My second book that released on 21 June, World Yoga Day, called 'Body Goddess' is a complete guide on yoga for women. It?s focused on the beauty, health and well being of women, right from the ripe age of 15 years to 65+. This book addresses every issue pertaining to the age group of 15- 25, 25-35, 35-45 and so on because every decade a woman's body, mind and soul goes through a transformation. For example from 15-25 a woman goes through puberty, she changes physically, gets her periods and there is a certain level of emotional change as well. This book also deals with how yoga helps in those times.

Tell us about the celebrities you have trained so far. How serious do they take their yoga sessions?

All my celebrity clients are very disciplined and hard working. They are extremely committed to their workouts and it?s reflected in how it has enriched their lives and made them youthful and energetic. You can have a look at Sridevi who has been working with my husband Manish Tiwari for the past 10 years.

What is the best way to implement yoga for staying fit?

My method consists of eating healthy and exercising regularly which is the key to good health. What I do is help my trainees achieve their goals by guiding and setting workout sessions for them in the most healthy and beneficial way possible. Initially I focus on flexibility and stamina building which is often marked by some amount of weight loss. Special care must be given to each person separately as each one has a different metabolic rate, which makes some lose faster.

Healthy dieting tips that should go with yoga

There isn't any rigorous diet planning involved with yoga. However, if one follows these simple tips, the result is optimum.

1. Drink at least 4-5 litres of water daily along with a teaspoon of flax seeds every morning.

2. Maintain a balanced diet with right amounts of nutrients when it comes to your meals.

3. Don?t skip on exercise.  Exercise is a must six days a week (walking/ yoga/ cardio, or any form of exercise, etc)

4. Avoid coffee, tea and cigarettes and alcohol.

5. Start the day with fruit, nuts and milk.

6. Finish dinner at least two hours before going to sleep.

7. Eat what your body craves for, but eat in moderation

8. Substitute whole fruit for fruit juices.

MUMBAI: Bengaluru based Royal Orchid Hotel was recoginsed as ?Bangalore Hot 50 Brands? during the recently concluded Bangalore Brand Summit 2015. The property has 28 businesses and leisure hotels in 20 popular destinations across India.

Royal Orchid Hotels managing director Chander Kamal Bajlee said, ?This is very encouraging for all who work with the brand and for people who have worked so hard to create such strong home grown identities. This is also in line with the Prime Minister?s vision of ?Make in India? so we are definitely headed in the right direction with our vision and the initiatives that follow.?

Royal Orchid Hotels primarily operates 5 and 4 star hotels, enabling it to target the discerning business and leisure traveller. It currently operates 28 hotels across India in Bengaluru, Mysore, Hospet, Shimoga, Mumbai, Pune, Mahabaleshwar, Goa, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mussoorie, Gurgoan- Delhi, Bharuch, Bhuj, Baroda, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Haridwar and one on Lake Victoria, Tanzania and one in Nairobi.

Its other accolades include: National Tourism Award 2008-09 organised by the Ministry of Tourism, ?Hotel of the Year? in the First Class Business Hotel category at the Golden Star Awards 2010 and Pegas Awards for Excellence amongst others.

Today?s episode of Talking Point brings Exec Life to the Reliance Broadcast Network Limited office to chat with their dynamic CEO, Tarun Katial.

At the helm of one of India?s youngest media houses Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd., and with impressive stints at Star TV and Sony Entertainment Television, Tarun Katial, is considered to be one of the most successful executives in the Indian media industry.

Find out what inspires him in life, his tryst with Vipasana, and about his love for gadgets.

The film industry has been instrumental in building a very romantic idea about the monsoons. There are countless examples of romantic song sequences where the actors look picture perfect in the pouring rain. But anyone who goes out often knows for a fact how far moved from reality this idealism is. In reality, monsoon brings with itself a long list of skin and hair problems.

Lucky for our readers, Exec Lifestyle got in touch with beauty expert Blossom Kochhar and asked her for some tips to avoid common hair and skin problems faced during the rainy season.

Read on for some common skin problems faced during the monsoon and their solutions:

? Detoxification of the skin is very essential during monsoons as it prevents allergies, puffiness and skin diseases. Rather than using harsh soaps that have a drying effect, make your own special skin powder. Mix equal amounts of green gram powder and Bengal gram powder and half the quantity of fenugreek seeds. Prepare a paste by mixing all these in rosewater and apply this paste generously on the entire body. This method deeply cleanses and refreshes the body.

? During the downpour, when there is profuse sweating and the body is not exposed to air, red itching pustules appear on the body, especially on the chest, back, abdomen and forehead. A paste of multani mitti (Fuller?s Earth) and water helps attend to this issue. Apply the paste over affected areas and have a cold bath after it dries. Following this regime twice a week effectively controls this issue.

? Mash a banana and beat in a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Brush it on the face and leave it on for 15-20 minutes till it dries. Then rinse it off with plain water. This recipe is best suited for dry to normal skin.

? Mix together multani mitti (Fuller?s Earth), gram flour and sandalwood powder in equal quantities. Store in an airtight container. For applying mix one tablespoon of the powder in water to make a paste. Apply evenly on face and leave it to dry then rinse with cold water. This homemade face mask will help remove flakes and dust. This face mask can be used by people with oily skin.

How to keep your hair healthy and silky during monsoon:

? Sweating along the scalp line during humid days makes you shampoo your hair everyday as a part of the cleaning regime. However, we recommend do not resort to regular shampooing of your hair. Instead of using harsh shampoos try using a protein conditioner regularly. Beat one tablespoon of castor oil, a mild herbal shampoo and glycerin along with a teaspoon of cider vinegar and yoghurt. Leave this mixture on scalp for 20 minutes before you rinse it with clear water. Use this at least thrice a week.

? Dealing with the frizz: Prepare a mask by mixing two tablespoons of honey in one cup of pumpkin puree. Once you have applied this mask on your scalp thoroughly, wrap your hair in a shower cap and leave it on for 15 minutes. Honey is a natural humectant and repairs the damage caused by dryness to give you bright and smooth hair.

? Avoid excessive use of blow dryers, flat irons, chemical based products and alcohol based hair sprays. With consistent implementation of these tips you can easily win the battle against frizz to get beautiful, shiny and smooth hair.

Money can?t buy you happiness but it can surely buy the means to keep you happy. And for those with an eclectic taste in lifestyle, happiness often means being able to indulge in their passions. From antique collections, luxury rides, limited editions ranges, to auctions that the world have their eyes on, Exec Lifestyle gives you a sneak peek into the uber lifestyle.

This week, we bring you luxury accessories inspired by macabre, new eye shadow from Giorgio Armani, and new luxurious way to camp.

Bagging the skulls:

Just when you were getting bored of the all too familiar cuts, texture and prints in luxury accessory designs and thought there wasn?t a single variation you haven't tried, trust Delhi based designer Manish Arora to come up with something new. And this time, it?s skulls! For his new FW15 collection at Paris Fashion Week, this edgy designer has come up with what could be called a treasure trove for all bold fashionistas -- 3D skull bags that adorn embellished and bejewelled headgear laced with roses, spikes, lace and even the Indian maang tika and nathani. Colours include brilliant pink, gold, aristocratic mustard, royal purple, and amber that not only contrasts the skull?s imagery but also lets you play around with your different outfits. Prices start from a whopping Rs 50,000.

Liquid shadow:

Makeup junkies across the globe have a reason to do three cheers, as Giorgio Armani has come up with a rare and exciting range of eye shadow. The brand offers a whole new way to add colour to your eyes with their one of a kind liquid eye shadow formula called the Eye Tint. Blended in a special fluid this eye colour is rich in texture, has hints of shimmer that gives translucent or opaque finish to the eyes as per your choice.

What makes this eye shadow so special? When applied, the liquid evaporates from the skin leaving you with a silky smooth look -- a technology that is inspired by Armani?s own patented formula of Maestro Fusion Makeup. Available online on Giorgio Armani site, each of these liquid eye shadows are priced at approximately Rs 2500.

Pump up the volume:

Those who have an ear for fine sound quality, can never settle for mediocre sound systems and often find themselves upgrading from better to the next best. Those looking out to get a replacement for their car?s sound system, can amp up their SUVs with the Rogue Acoustics Audio System -- of course, if you have the money to afford it as this machine comes at a jaw dropping price of $72,000 to start with and goes to over $330,000.

No wonder it?s claimed as the most expensive luxury sound systems one can get for their car. Also known as RA:1k, this ?Made In Australia? sound system features digital signal processing, high efficiency drivers and most highly developed amplifiers. Most remarkable characteristic of the system is that you may modify almost each and everything, including Titanium amplifier housings and jewel encrusted logos or designs, using Rogue Acoustics' in-house design service for alteration according to your preferences as well as the constraints of the vehicle.

Camp in luxury:

There are executives who love their materialistic indulgences and can?t live without the comfort of luxury goods. On the other hand, some prefer to spend big moolah on experiencing nature in its unrefined form. And then there are those who seek the most of both worlds. To cater to them, French lifestyle designer Pierre Stephane Dumas has innovated a series of luxury tents called Bubble Tree, that lends one to a fun filled camping experience, not without the touch of luxury. The inflatable bubble tents come in built with wardrobes, sofas and electric lights for a comfortable stay. The series also features CristalBubble, a completely transparent tent for the exhibitionists, while ?Cocooning? is the version for those who seek privacy. Designer Pierre Stephane Dumas explained the concept behind his creations saying, ?A normal tent or camper van means people miss out on these things. So I designed this eccentric shelter with the aim of offering an unusual experience under the stars while keeping all the comfort of a bedroom suite.?

If you want to experience this ultra luxurious camping experience, who have to shell out around $11,914.

Nothing compares the bond a father shares with his ward. That is why, no matter how tough their schedule gets, our exec dads make sure not to forget the role of a father amongst the many portfolios that they juggle daily. On this Father?s Day, watch them open up on how they make the most of the time they spend with their kids