Author|Yoga Teacher| Speaker/TV Host
Shailaja Menon is an Author, Speaker, Certified 500-hr Manasa Yoga Teacher, Author, Speaker and TV Host based in Malaysia with over twenty two years of teaching experience in the field of yoga.
She is the Founder of “Mat & Beyond Yoga Studio” in Puchong, Selangor. Shailaja’s acclaimed book, “Yoga Shakti” Awaken Your Own Power, was published in May 2018 and launched by Dr. Shashi Tharoor in Malaysia. He has also written the foreword for her book. It was since launched in her hometown in Coimbatore in July 2018 by Padmasri Dr. P.R. Krishna Kumar, Managing Director of Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore and in Novemeber 2018 at the Kochi International Book Festival by Bestselling Author Sri Anand Neelakantan.
Shailaja also hosts the weekly show “Yoga Shakti” on Anand TV, based in the UK with audiences in Europe, North America and New Zealand.
From Shape to State
For Shailaja, yoga is not just about stretching the body on a mat to create shapes but a philosophy and way of life that ultimately transforms and elevates the state of mind. “It is an inward journey, to connect to the core of ourselves, through the tools of the body, breath and mind. And that sacred connection leads us to express our highest possibilities and lead authentic and fulfilling lives”.
Her yoga journey
Shailaja began her yoga journey as a student at the Integral Yoga centre in her home town, Coimbatore, India in 1999. In 2000, she went on to become a certified Integral Yoga Teacher. She began teaching in Malaysia since.She continued her learning in Malaysia with Manoj Kaimal at the Manasa Yoga Centre, Selangor, Malaysia and went to become a 500-hr certified Manasa Yoga Teacher. Besides teaching yoga classes regularly at her “Mat & Beyond Yoga Studio” in Malaysia, she conducts online yoga classes with students based in the UK as well as USA. She regularly conducts yoga workshops and retreats in Malaysia and India which encompass yoga philosophy based on the Yoga Sutras, asanas (postures), pranayama (breath regulation), dhyana (meditation), mantras (chanting) as well as self-empowerment through deep introspection (swadhyaya).
Speaker: Shailaja is a much sought after speaker and is regularly invited to speak at Rotary Clubs in Malaysia and India as well as Entrepreneurs Organisation (EO) Coimbatore Chapter, India. She is also invited to speak and inspire students at leading Educational Institutions like Avanashilingam University, Nirmala College for Women, Sri Krishna Instituitions, GRD Instituitions, SSVM Schools, Coimbatore as well as St. Teresa’s College, Cochin to name a few. She has also had the opportunity to speak at the British Orchard School, Dubai and was invited as a guest speaker on “Yoga and Stress Management” at De Anza College, California, USA. She is also invited as a resource speaker at the International Webinars hosted by the Centre for Yoga Therapy, Education and Research (CYTER) of Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth (SBV), Pondicherry in June 2021 and 2022. She was also invited to present at Indica Yoga’s Global Festival of Yoga 2021 and YOGINSIGHTS 2022. She was a speaker at World Malayalee Council, American Region in 2021. She was also invited to present at Integral Yoga’s “Teacher Training Program”, conducted at San Francisco in 2021.
Media: In December 2016, she was featured in an interview and yoga demonstration by the television channel, ONE TV in Kerala, India. In 2018, she was interviewed by online channel Simpli-city.in based in Coimbatore, India. In 2019, she was again featured in an interview and yoga demonstration on television channel, Doordarshan, Kerala, India. She has also been featured in the Malaysian local television channel Astro Vaanavil, for yoga demonstrations. Shailaja and her book “Yoga Shakti” have also been written about in leading newspapers in India including The New Indian Express, The Hindu, The Times, “Pune Mirror”, “Bangalore Mirror” as well as Manorama.
Passion for writing
Writing has always been her passion and she has been writing for the last 22 years. She was the Editor of the Newsletter “Joint Efforts” by the Malaysian Arthritis Foundation for 4 years. Over the years she has been a freelance writer with leading magazines like Her World, Malaysian Women’s Weekly, Shape and “STAR” newspaper contributing articles on health, women’s issues and yoga.
Social Media
Shailaja is very active on social media on her Facebook and Instagram page. Since the lockdown in March 2020, Shailaja has also regularly hosts a podcast, “Shailaja Menon In Conversation With..” on Facebook with leading personalities in the field of Yoga, Ayurveda, Vedanta and Indian Classical Arts.
