The Truth About Peloton Instructor Aditi Shah
Aditi Shah is one of Peloton's most popular yoga instructors. Her popularity has taken her far on the platform, once hosting a live class with over 2,000 yogis in New York's Times Square, per her Peloton bio. Her popularity stems from her lifelong relationship with yoga. She practiced it as a child with her family, but really reconnected with it during her time studying abroad in India.
Yoga wasn't Shah's only interest. She was also a model while living in Mumbai, working with brands such as Bare Minerals, Garnier, and Revlon (via Aditi Shah Yoga). Later, she tried her hand at acting, having appeared on Inside Amy Schumer and Elementary (via IMDb). While living in New York City and studying acting at Stella Adler Studio of Acting, she pursued her yoga teaching certification.
"My mission as a yoga and meditation teacher is to show others that a practice is more than making space in your body; it is making space in your mind. One of the things that gives me great joy is cultivating community around this sort of mindfulness," she told YogaScapes.
Aditi Shah hopes her presence leads to a change in representation within the yoga community
Shah explained her role at Peloton in a recent blog for her yoga practice. "I'm a yoga and meditation instructor at Peloton, which is much more than teaching classes. My day to day includes researching and creating unique playlists for each class, practicing while teaching, continually developing content, creating a personal brand within the larger Peloton umbrella, and growing my connection with the community," she explained. Aside from that, she's working on reaching more people with her personal yoga and meditation practices.
"At the moment, my entrepreneurial endeavors are all about building my brand," Shah continued. "As a yoga and meditation instructor, I have the capacity to connect deeply with people and empower them to live compassionate, fearless, fulfilling lives. I collaborate with brands who can support and amplify my voice."
She's also hoping her presence leads to a change in representation within the yoga community. "I'm also keenly aware of the lack of representation of South Asians within 'wellness' spaces, which derive from our own culture," she writes in her blog. "In some small way, I hope that my presence at Peloton can begin to change the way we think about what a 'yoga teacher' looks like, and that my voice can shed some light on the richness of culture and tradition from which these practices are derived."
Aditi Shah and fiancé Tony Peccatiello had to postpone their wedding because of COVID-19
Shah was among the earliest brides who had to postpone their weddings due to COVID-19. "I was supposed to leave for my wedding on March 13th. On March 11th, we learned that India was suspending all visas and we realized none of us would be able to go to the wedding, she told Neu Nomads. "My whole family, my planner, my photographer and my fiancé all got on Skype. First, I tried to figure out if there were any solutions for us to still be able to go to India and get married. Then we came to the conclusion we should try to postpone the wedding. So we emailed our guests ASAP."
Shah shares that the wedding has now been postponed till next March. "We are doing our best to be grateful for what we have," she told Neu Nomads. We are so thankful that we all are safe and healthy right now, and we still have the important things in life like each other and art."