Monika Manohar becomes Jammu’s first licensed Booiaka and Functional trainer
By Ayesha Mahajan
JKNT
Born and brought up in a middle class family, young and full of life Monika Manohar becomes Jammu’s first licensed functional trainer. She has always been an active sports person and interested in all dance forms,
since childhood. She made a balance between her studies and her passion for dance. From a post graduate in two subjects – in Kathak and in English, to a fitness trainer; her journey is an inspiration for all.
“I learnt to emote through dance when I was a child and since then I am in love with the art form. Dance allowed me to dip myself in it completely and it simply became my identity. Even though I went on to complete my post graduation in English academically, dance was always my passion and my ultimate career path. I grew up with it in such a way that I did not know how to even dream of a life without it,” says Monika.
Monika explains that functional training is a mix of cardio and weight training. “It is catching up with a lot of youngsters. In fact, now girls are also going in for it.” She also explains that here the emphasis is on having fun, releasing the spirit, & feeling the beat. Booiaka Movement changes the way people feel about exercise and view their bodies, as well as improve their physical health and quality of life. It is easy to learn because it is intuitive: our bodies want to move to the beat.
“Keeping fit has become a fashion statement today but most people know little on the subject; that’s when people like me walk in,” says Monika. With the growing stress of modern living, trainers today take into account mental fitness as well. “A healthy state of mind is as much desired today as a healthy body,” adds Monika. When asked if she faced any difficulty while choosing the least heard profession, she proudly declares that the love and support of her family and friends sheltered her from any criticism.
She says fitness is not only a fad but a necessity because of our current lifestyle. She wants to make people much more fit and aware through dance so that, they enjoy each and every moment of their life with utmost fitness of the mind, the body and the soul. She has plans to hold workshops in schools and colleges of Jammu so that this unique dance form could be promoted among people of Jammu.
