Actress Rajshri Ponnappa recently enthralled her fans and followers with a video of her practising a unique routine involving stick fighting along with bits of yoga and animal flow. This, she says, is the gradual progression she has made from years of learning martial arts, doing yoga and other fitness routines.

"During these tough times, I felt that I needed a workout routine that was my own and didn’t need any expensive equipment. So, I combined my years of experience in Kalaripayattu with my new-found love for animal flow, and then added elements of yoga into it. So now, I have a unique and distinctive routine that helps me keep fit physically, emotionally and mentally," says Rajshri, seemingly happy with her unique fitness regime, adding, "I have always been purpose-oriented and not goal-oriented; when you are purpose-oriented, everything you do is a goal and that made me give everything to whatever I do each day. Mental health wise, it has helped my mind become stronger and made me less desperate.”

Her routine, Rajshri elaborates, also includes elements of Chinese martial arts. She says, "I have taken classes of the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun, which is the first technique that Bruce Lee learnt and then based on that, he developed his own discipline of Jeet Kun Do. I took inspiration from that and developed my own routine based on the various techniques that I have learnt and absorbed over the years."

The actress admits that it took her time to master the rugged routine, which looks tough to do. "This is my way of conveying to a lot of young girls not to let doubt seep into their psyche. Be strong, be confident and persevere when things are tough," she says.

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