Prime Personality
Shalini Chandra
Spiritual Guide & Mentor
Women Entrepreneur
Mumbai
Being a Spiritual Guide is quite enriching as it enables me to cultivate a deeper understanding of human values and ethics
You are highly educated and hold many qualifications. Our readers would like to know more about your educational achievements.
B.sc (Bachelor of Science) from Chinmaya Degree College, Haridwar (1999)
M.sc (Microbiology) from Kanya Gurukul University, Haridwar (2001)
M.sc (Value Education and Spirituality) from Annamalai University (May 2018) – with a specialization in Stress Management.
In addition to the academic qualifications mentioned above, I attended several courses and seminars. A few are listed below.
Medical wing (Raj Yoga Education & Research Foundation, Mount Abu from September 1-4,2017)
Vestige (leadership conclave held at Mumbai 18 to 19 March 2019
Certification Course on Skincare Workshop 28 to 29 Jan 2021
Certification Course on (Power of Personality) – A Management workshop organized by Mistral of Milan.
What is your topmost priority as a Spiritual Guide and Mentor?
Being a Spiritual Guide is quite enriching as it enables me to cultivate a deeper understanding of human values and ethics. In my opinion, mentoring involves synergy between Mentor and the Mentee eventually leading towards a healthy and peaceful life. This has always provided me immense satisfaction and I express my gratitude towards God for making me a medium for helping others.
Why did you want to be a spiritual guide?
Frankly speaking, I never aspired to become a Spiritual Guide. It just happened, when I first met the Brahmakumaris and was given a deep insight into God and its existence. Thereafter, I started practising meditation regularly and felt the serenity in me. In due course, friends, family, and other acquaintances started noticing the change in me and were curious to know what exactly I am practising. After I revealed to them about Raj Yoga Meditation, they requested me to teach them as well. This eventually led me to become a Spiritual Guide. However, I still feel that it is all God’s wish and intervention.
What is your topmost priority as a Spiritual Guide and Mentor?
Being a Spiritual Guide is quite enriching as it enables me to cultivate a deeper understanding of human values and ethics. In my opinion, mentoring involves synergy between Mentor and the Mentee eventually leading towards a healthy and peaceful life. This has always provided me immense satisfaction and I express my gratitude towards God for making me a medium for helping others.
Why did you want to be a spiritual guide?
Frankly speaking, I never aspired to become a Spiritual Guide. It just happened, when I first met the Brahmakumaris and was given a deep insight into God and its existence. Thereafter, I started practising meditation regularly and felt the serenity in me. In due course, friends, family, and other acquaintances started noticing the change in me and were curious to know what exactly I am practising. After I revealed to them about Raj Yoga Meditation, they requested me to teach them as well. This eventually led me to become a Spiritual Guide. However, I still feel that it is all God’s wish and intervention.
What are the must-have qualities one must possess to be a successful spiritual guide?
I think one should have a deep desire for knowing oneself and God. Rest everything follows in due course.
What is the significance of spirituality in one’s life? How spirituality can affect the course of life?
As per my understanding, spirituality has nothing to do with religion and these are two different things. You can be a spiritual person even if you are not related to any religion. We mostly are living with a false notion and the identity with which we generally associate ourselves is that of a body and not the soul. The body is just a costume of the soul, the true self. This differentiation is very clearly explained and understood if the spiritual path is followed.
You are an accomplished spiritual guide. Some practical people do not believe in spirituality, they find this to be a mere superstition. What do you have to say about that?
We live in a democratic world and every soul has free will to form his or her opinion. Having said that, according to me superstition is when we are not able to prove a point which ends up in a tangible or intangible result. More precisely, when we are not able to establish something scientifically, we categorize it as a superstition. However, spirituality can lead to real tangible and at times intangible results which can be practically seen and observed. For eg, a marked difference in behaviour can be observed in a person who chooses a path of spirituality. There are several incidents where very noticeable changes were observed in and around people who choose a spiritual path and hence, we cannot categorize it as a superstition.
What is your experience and what are your achievements as a women entrepreneur in your professional career?
I am currently associated with a Network Marketing Company holding the post of ‘Silver Director’ and have largely included women members in my team so that more women leaders are created who can independently sustain and lead a fulfilling and successful life.
In day-to-day life people of all age groups are suffering from mental health issues. What are the basic reasons you see as a holistic healer?
With each passing day, we find that more and more new diseases are being discovered. A few of these may be attributed to the ever-changing global climatic situation and the adoption of a non-healthy lifestyle. However, irrespective of the cause, the outcome is that humans are becoming more and more prone to diseases. The impact is not only on physical health but has simultaneously impacted mental health as well. In fact, according to one study, during the forthcoming decades, the number of patients suffering from mental health ailments is likely to increase manifolds. I think more consumption of the medicines by the patient is only going to worsen the symptoms and aggravate rather than cure them. I, therefore, very strongly feel that the panacea to this lies in spirituality and meditation.
How do you manage your professional work and personal responsibilities?
In addition to looking after my profession, I do have a responsibility towards my family. I am a mother and a wife and have a duty towards them as well. I try my best to do justice to all the roles I play and with God’s grace now, I have been able to accomplish it to my satisfaction. The only thing which I ensure is that I don’t mix my responsibilities and try to focus on one role at a time. Just to illustrate as a mother, I try to keep my work on hold and just give my time and energy to my kids. God has been very kind and given me all the strength to enable me to fit into each role with perfection.
In our society, women are facing various problems in their life arising out of negative thoughts and not getting support from family. How can you help them and how they can approach you for guidance on mental health and wellness?
I have always tried to help and guide women, who approached me with any kind of issues. As discussed above, today the most common disease from which humans are suffering is depression and no medicines are working on it. Whatever relief the medicines provide is temporary and it seems there are no permanent solutions to it. The solutions lie in practising daily meditation. I, therefore, recommend every soul to practice meditation and see the results themselves rather than blindly believing in it. The results of serenity and peace of mind experienced are everlasting and permanent.
What are your priorities for social work especially for women’s empowerment?
My involvement in social work is in various fields. I do participate in marathons whenever the cause is noble viz running for keeping the Kharghar area clean and green or helping in protecting the flora of nearby local hills (the Kharghar hill). I am also associated with an NGO that is engaged in dealing with women’s hygiene issues. we have recently distributed a large number of free sanitary napkins to the women who couldn’t afford them.
Who inspired you the most in your life?
My parents and Sister Shivani are my role model.
You have achieved many prestigious awards for your services. What is the meaning of these awards in your life?
The awards and achievements conferred upon me are for the contributions towards my work and I am extremely humbled and express my sincere gratitude for that. However, these are worldly things, and I would truly feel awarded if I can uplift even a few souls in my lifetime, and of course, make a difference in their lifestyle. It is my constant endeavour to work on myself first before I can preach. I feel God is alongside me in this endeavour.
You are always fit and energetic. What is the secret behind your fitness?
I practice early morning meditation regularly and for physical fitness I do dedicate some time to an evening walk and yoga. This provides me with enough mental and physical strength to keep me going throughout the day.
