What the Press has to say about Mickey Mehta

 

**  MIND, BODY AND SOUL IS MICKEY'S MANTRA
       Magic moments with Mickey Mehta

He's discreet and he makes it clear. "I hate name dropping!" and yet everybody knows Mickey Mehta is the highest paid and most sought after holistic health therapist today!

From being a Limca Book of Records holder for teaching swimming in 24 hours, to managing fitness levels of high-profile corporate head honchos, Mickey has come a long way!

So what makes this enthusiastic positively charged man tick? What had he got that other fitness gurus don't? "I want to heal the world," says the man, adding, "My stress is on health beyond fitness. My prime objective is to liberate the human society from suffering of  diseases, ailments, surgeries, trauma of pain, hospitalization and make this life full of love, peace and harmony, globally, through transforming of the gross and transcendence of the subtle!"

A lofty aim, undoubtedly, but can this happen? His own glowing countenance speaks volumes of this unprecedented success and faith - "Good health is a total integration of mind, body and soul. It's not enough to have those perfect abs or muscles, Health is an exhaustive spectrum of expertise in physical fitness, mind science and spiritual growth. Psychological equilibrium and meditation and prayers are equally important, as they harness the metaphysical and esoteric energies."

A powerful advocate of pure satvic vegetarian foods he has studied many sciences like the Kundalini yoga, Chakras and Auras nad has received as award from the Zoroastrian International college of alternative medicine and therapies, for popularising and promoting natural methods for wellness, vibrant health and spiritual growth.

He believes in nature and natural healing. By weaving and integrating ideologies and philosophies from the Vedas, Yoga, Zen, Tao, Tantra, Mickey says: "One can tranform lives and lifestyle. It is important to look at people as individuals. One has to take into consideration the specifics of gender, lifestyle, constitution, community, cultural habits and the profession before he's treated. Our industrialists are simply not power icons, but stand today, as role models as compassionate, highly evolved, well-rounded beings. If leaders are transformed, their teamwork and team relations change. If relations and communication is better, then the organisation gets a boost. Business organisations are extremely powerful today. If they are rejuvenated, if their consciousness is enhanced, then eventually, the planet as a whole gets energized. This is wholesome leadership, a very different paradigm, but the core of my training with hi-fi corporates and managers. If you work from the space of abundance, peace and love, the nature of your work and health will be different. If I am connected to my inner bliss and joy moment, strategies are taken care of. No theory can work today. The only theory which can work is "be theos" that is be the divine!"

Having produced great international winners for India like Diana Hayden, Yukta Mookhey, Lara Dutta, Bipasha Basu, Priyanka Chopra, Diya Mirza, Aryan Vaid, Manpreet Brar, Shweta Jaishankar - Mickey remains the only elected trainer to Femina Miss India and personality pagents and is trainer to Coke Channel V Popstars 2003!

.....Uma Ajmera, DOWNTOWN PLUS, 29 June 2003

 

 

**  ZEN AND THE ART OF TOTAL FITNESS

Mickey Mehta says he wants to help people by taking care of their all-round development

Seated behind the car wheel, Mickey Mehta sips a health drink. Next to him is a pile of bananas. But then what else do you expect from Mehta, a holistic health and spiritual guru whose mantra is "health beyond fitness." He's come a long way from being a Limca Book of Records holder for teaching swimming in 24 hours to managing fitness levels of high-profile corporate head honchos like Kumaramangalam Birla, Anil Ambani, Vindi Banga and the Miss Worlds and Miss Universes.

"I'm not about weight loss only as it is insignificant in the larger picture," says Mehta. "My prime objective is to liberate human society from sufferings, like diseases, through transformation of the gross and transcendence of the subtle. The result: a positive metamorphosis. And this involves mind over matter - awareness over mind - and consciousness over awareness which leads to the ultimate alchemy." In laymen's terms, that's all round development of body, mind and soul.

His is a "natural and nature-oriented healing" which weaves in the ideologies, philosophies, and essence of Vedas, Yoga, Zen, Tao, Tantra and looks at transforming lives and lifestyles. But for Mehta, it's important to look at people as individuals. "One has to take into consideration the specifics of gender, lifestyle, constitution, community, cultural habits and the profession before he is treated," he says.

......BOMBAY TIMES, 3 March 2003

 

 

**  EXPERT'S GUIDE

Where we ask Mickey Mehta, a fitness guru for advice on being cool.

No hi-fi diet, no jargon and no hi-tech equipment are what I believe in. Just simple, responsible living. According to me, rather than concentrating on food, the emphasis should be on the quality of cosmic nutrition, via sunshine and fresh air.

Psychological and spiritual rest is important, as is regulated breathing. Drink clean healthy water, have regular massages, seek out positive and metaphysical energies, and choose foods that are alive and that can give you dynamic energy, like fresh fruit, veggies, sprouts, seeds, nuts, herbs and roots.

These positively influence your mind and body, harnessing your thought processes and attitudes and creativity. Positive physical activity is also very important to strengthen the nervous, glandular, cardio-respiratory and muscular-skeletal systems.

Also one should cleanse the physiological and psychological toxins and impurities out of ones system such as vengeance, aggression, hatred, depression, etc

I believe that more than strenuous and mindless exercise and dieting, the positive and simple methods that lead to good health of mind, body and soul, are most important.

  

......ET VANITIES, Economic Times, 12 October 2002

**  MICKEY'S CALL TO KICK THE MEAT

Mickey's New Mantra: Hyderabad Times dives into the depths of healthy living as fitness guru Mickey Mehta throws water on myths about vegetarianism

Over 1,200 restaurants across the nation have received a letter urging them to serve more vegetarian cuisine. It comes from the health and fitness guru, Mickey Mehta himself. This time around, he's on a new campaign for the Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) to encourage good health by endorsing restaurants that serve a wide variety of vegan options. "Vegan food is in demand by health conscious comsumers." says Mehta.

Being a staunch supporter of vegetarianism and a crusader of cruelty against animals, this does not come as a surprise. "The purpose behind the entire drive is holistic health. This is an effort to liberate the global society from ailments and the trauma associated with diseases." Mehta, a vegan himself, sets an example by eliminating not just meat but also dairy products and eggs from his diet. "Vegan fare reduces the risk of illness," he says.

Mehta states that kicking the meat will put an end to many health ailments. "This will help cut the risk of cancer, obesity and diabetes. Medical research shows that milk and diary products are linked to a host of diseases like prostate cancer, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. People are by nature lactose intolerant. They outgrow their ability t digest milk sugar after infancy. Lactose intolerant people who consume dairy products suffer from unpleasant symptoms like stomach cramps," he adds.

But what options does vegan food offer for desserts that predominantly contain egg or milk products? "It's easy to veganise by replacing one or tow ingredients. Soya milk can substitute for cow's milk in any recipe. Use coconut milk, almond milk or moong phalli milk. They are great nutritious substitutes. Tofu in honey, jaggery, or crushed extracts of raisins can be used for sweetening." 

The response to his current campaign, he says, has been sizable. "If you've noticed, there usually aren't too many choices for vegetarians at most of the eateries. We wanted to tell people that there are a lot of other healthy options."

Next on this crusader's agenda is a drive against tobacco and alcohol. "I'm working with the CATS (Crusaders against Tobacco). I know Hyderabad has passed an act banning public smoking. This is commendable. I am always happy to support the cause of health and take up an anti tobacco or alcohol drive. If your chief minister Chandrababu Naidu wises, I ma most willing to offer my consultancy, free of cost," he says

......Sangeetha Devi K, HYDERABAD TIMES, 31 August 2002

 

 

** IN TOP COP CONDITION?

Fitness guru Mickey Mehta sizes up seven of Mumbai's top police officers

PICTURE this. Chhota Shakeel's main man is within reach of the nearest cop. The villain makes a run for it, zigzagging through traffic with diligent gun-toting cop close behind. Then, our hot-shot cop runs out of breath.

Why? Because our heavy-weight has, in all probability, never thrown his weight around one of the spanking new police gymnasiums that have been constructed at considerable expense for his benefit.

We picked seven of Mumbai's top cops to see if they have the physique to outrun their target or if they're just potatoes shoved into pants. Fitness expert and holistic health therapist Mickey Mehta was shown photographs of our men-in-brown and rated them on a scale of one to 10 in terms of physical fitness.

Commissioner MN Singh and Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) Javed Ahmed topped the list, while the pot-bellied Deputy Commissioner (Anti Narcotics Cell) Jawahar Singh scored a zero.

Mickey Mehta is a judo instructor, swimming coach and fitness instructor and believes in an integration of spirituality and fitness for a healthy life.

To read the complete article, visit:
http://www.mid-day.com/news/city/2002/may/24212.htm 


......Raksha Shetty, 9 May 2002, MID-DAY

 

** Everything is either too much or too little here

I am not shut to opportunities of settling down somewhere other than Mumbai, but every time I return to the city from somewhere and the plane lands over the slums of Mumbai, I fall in love with the city all over again. The slums, and the skyscrapers that rise beside them remind me time and again about how Mumbai is a city of extremes.

Everything is too much or too little here, some have too much money while some have too little, some places are unfit for living because of the pollution while others have crisp clean mountain air. At some places whole families live in a single room while at others a single person occupies a mansion. It is this extreme character of Mumbai that fascinates me.

With its dirty roads during the monsoons, pollution and slums the city may seem quite ugly at first sight, but it has its beautiful aspects too. The first of course is the sea and the beaches whose beauty, at times, is spell-binding. The parks, gardens, museums and shrines come next. Not many people know it, but Mumbai has some of the best museums and shrines in the country.

That was the physical aspect of the city. When I think of the spiritual aspect, only one word comes to my mind:hyperactive. Mumbaikars, even with their busy schedules, are always ready to help others in need. The spirit of the city is nothing short of magical. In the same way a magician conjures rabbits out of his hat, Mumbai provides unending supplies of money and sustenance to the thousands of people who arrive in the city every day. But one has to know how to deliver the goods for him / her to taste the magic of Mumbai.

But through all this, there is an all-prevading sense of secularism that binds Mumbai and makes it the city it is. Shrines like Haji Ali, Mumbadevi, Mahalakshmi, the fire temples of the Parsis and the churches and cathedrals together form the spirit of Mumbai: Secularism bound by religion.


Mickey Mehta is the self-styled health, fitness and spiritual guru of India

.....Mumbai City Info, August Second Half - 2001
 

 

**  MICKEY MOKSHA 

What has he got that the other fitness gurus don't? Priya Pathiyan finds out what makes Mickey Mehta one of the most sought-after personal trainers in the country
 

"I'm not an outstanding exponent of whatever I do, but by the grace of God, I'm a great teacher," this, coming from Mickey Mehta, the much sought after fitness trainer, may sound unbelievable, but it explains his unprecedented success. 


He started off as a martial arts exponent and health club instructor. "While I was a gym instructor at the Holiday Inn in Oman, I used to teach the residents and staff swimming in my free time. Many of my colleagues came to me over the Thursday-Friday holiday for their swimming from me overnight. That's how I got the idea for the 'Learn Swimming in 24 hours' course that I started at Mumbai's Hotel Sea Princess." Apparently, an astrologer had once told him that he would make his fame and fortune from water. "That's why I took the chance and put my all into that venture." The fruits of which he is reaping even today. Once he was an established swimming instructor, his metamorphosis into an overall fitness trainer was only a matter of time. And soon, he hopes to have his own television show called Om Nirvana, Om Moksha. "It's all thanks to four people who've influenced me - Osho, Deepak Chopra, Dr Vijaya Venkat and Mahesh Yogi," he says.

Whether it's martial arts, swimming, fitness training, spiritual and physical well-being, he's able to get the message across to his disciples. And disciples there are aplenty - Anil Ambani, KM Birla, Ananya Goenka, Nita Ambani, Diana Hayden, Mr International Aryan Vaid and others.

"I am not interested in people who merely want trainers to help them lose inches. They should have genuine goals," he says, adding, rather reluctantly, that he does train deserving people who cannot afford his fees, and also gives time to help the disabled.

What's he got that the other fitness gurus haven't? The gift of the gab, for one. "I know that I can connect with anyone. I understand people and am able to find ways to make them relate to me," says Mickey, who believes that if you are balanced and living every moment to its utmost then the question of eating unwholesome, chemically treated foods will just not arise. "When you are tapping into the life force around you, feeling that surge of exhilaration, things like cheese and chocolate will lose their appeal. "

This enthusiastic, positively charged man, who claims he can see auras has studied many sciences like kundalini yoga, charkas, and more, is a powerful advocate of pure, sattvik food. Mickey claims that he puts his students on the road to a healthier, more spiritually cleansed lifestyle, that allows them to get in touch with the divine. "I don't promise weight loss, I promise to bring people closer to nirvana and moksha!" says the guru whose own glowing countenance speaks more for him than any before-and-after testimonal.

......Priya Pathiyan, SUNDAY REVIEW, 18 February 2001

 

 

**  HEALTH BEYOND FITNESS 

When health and fitness guru MICKEY MEHTA says that simply being fit isn't enough, you can't help but be surprised. Then he drops the spirituality card, and you know just what he's talking about. "Health goes beyond fitness, it subtly orients each one of our daily lives," says this integrated health master who's recognized as the country's leading fitness trainer.

Today, as Mr India ARYAN VAID puts his best foot forward amongst over 30 participants from all over the world at the Grasim Mr International 2000 pageant in Jodhpur, its going to be examination time for trainer Mickey as well.  "Aryan was not born with an advantageous body frame," he says. "So I've worked on those intricate muscles to get a high level of strength and conditioning on a relatively small frame."

Then he goes on to tell us about light weights and maximum repetitions to failure, and you realize his passion comes from deep within. So does he think Aryan's gonna win? "That's not for me to decide, it's up to divinity," says Mickey humbly. "But you can be sure he's gonna leave a really long lasting impression."

....BOOMTOWN RAP, Bombay Times, 13 October 2000

**  KARMIC REGIME

Mickey Mehta pledges a harmony of spirituality, vegetarianism and nature's offerings as the new age mantra for fitness

Mickey Mehta's philosophy is simple. He recommends rising with the sun, surround and mingle yourself with universal cosmic energy and then use them to charge and translate thoughts, beliefs and convictions into a reality. This is manifestation of mind which is supreme over body. The man best known for the magic he performs on Indian beauty queens and models and top industrialists and powerful media barons, actually prefers not to dwell on his success. At the moment he is consumed with a desire to "transform society". I am trying to plead people to pledge their service and financial support to start a worldwide campaign against non-vegetarianism, dairy products, smoking, drinking, the use of medical supplements, genetically-engineered foods and any such process which is unethical and abusing the ecology in the name of good health. "

And the first step in that direction comes from practicing what he preaches. Mickey is not only a pure vegetarian, he also has given up mithai, chocolates and soft drinks - despite an incredibly sweet tooth. But it is not a big deal for him as he insists on leading by example. "I am 110 per cent free of anything refined, processed or un-natural. All these things create an artificial intellect that becomes a breeding ground for all the ill-manifestations that create disharmony. I try myself to be as righteous in making all the choices. As harmony inside is equal to harmony outside."

.....Mumbai Newsline, INDIAN EXPRESS, 28 April 2000

 

** THE NEW GURU

India's answer to healer Deepak Chopra is none other than Mickey Mehta himself, who does much more than teach swimming and martial arts. In fact, Mickey has trained a whole roster of celebrities in fields ranging from swimming and martial arts to personality development and therapeutic massages. And these celebrities include famous names and faces like Aditya Birla, Helen, Sohail Khan, Padmini Kolhapuri, Ujjwala Raut, Priya Arora, Suman Ranganathan, Suresh Oberoi and many others. Besides, there were the children of celebrities like Salim Khan and Helen, Anuradha Paudwal's daughter. Padman Khanna's kids, and currently veejay Raageshwari is training under him after doling out a fat sum of Rs 1 lakh. In December, villain Amrish Puri will also train under Mickey. Some achievement, wot? But Mickey's ultimate dream, he reveals, is to train none other than the Big B himself, who Mickey says, will come out a more refreshed and relaxed man after training under him.

...............BOMBAY TIMES, 18^th October 1996

**  X-B-heXed!

Doubts have been raised recently about the popular Royal Canadian Air Force 5BX and XBX exercise plans

According to Mickey Mehta, to be really productive, any exercise schedule needs a minimum of 10 minutes of warm up. This is almost as long as the entire time span of the 5BX and XBX. The warm up is required for improved blood circulation and to enable the muscles to cope with the additional strain. During the warm up the heart rate accelerates and the body is limbered up. Because the warm up and cooling down provided for are not at all adequate in the 5BX and XBX plan they are not ideal, Mehta says. "There is a very high possibility of the individual injuring himself. Cramps, lower back injuries, ligament tears - all these could be caused as the warm up is not sufficient." Mehta says the lower back is particularly susceptible to injuries. Bending too hard or coming up with a jerk could cause injury, and, perhaps, untold damage over a period of time.

The XBX and 5BX plans should be followed by people who are already fit or by laymen under careful supervision and montoring. A layman doesn't know if he's crossing musculo-skeletal limitations, and may unwittingly head for muscle injuries." Moreover, if the entire regimen of exercises must be finished in 11 or 12 minutes the person will strive hard to do so and will, consequently, exercise in a tense manner. As a result, due to undue pressure, things could just snap. If the pattern were stretched for an hour or so, it would be more useful.


...Shraddha Jahagirdar-Saxena, TIMES OF INDIA, 10 February 1990

 

 

**  SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT

Mickey Mehta is the type of human being who makes me want to spit - out of envy. Manager of the Oberoi Health Club, every muscle in place, this 27-year-old-guru of fitness has a cruel streak in him. Ruthlessly, without a thought for fond hopes for the future, he tells it like it is. There is no way you can get the best out of life without good health. There is no way you enjoy good health, without working hard at it. His message is quite simple - shape up or ship out. And he tells you how to do it.

Holistic approach
"The programmes I conduct at the health club here a combination of everything I have learned, tailored to individuals. Mine is the holistic approach. I attend to mind as well as body. Fitness as a complete subject has always fascinated me and I suppose I was following my instincts."


...Carol Andrade, AFTERNOON DESPATCH & COURIER, 15 February 1990

 

**   THE MEDIUM IS THE MASSAGE

The therapeutic value of the massage has been recognized ever since the beginning of medicine, and several techniques are practiced today. Popular among them are those based on the principles of reflexology and shiatsu

The human touch has always had a therapeutic effect on people suffering from either physical or mental strain. In the early fifth century BC, Hippocrates - the 'father of medicine' - wrote: "The physician must be experienced in many things but assuredly in rubbing..For rubbing can revitalise a body, alleviate pain/stress; and can bind a joint that is too loose and loosen a joint that is too rigid."

Today, too, the curative value of the massage is recognized. Over the last 20 years, the science of pressure therapies - scientifically known as shiastsu and reflexology - has developed with the discovery of pressure points, meridians and reflex action points in the human body. These, when stimulated by pressuring and rubbing, activate the flow of ki (inner vital energy) into various zones - thus benefiting the corresponding organs, glands and nerves.

....Mickey Mehta, SATURDAY TIMES