Meet Swarali Karulkar

We recently connected with Swarali Karulkar and have shared our conversation below.

Swarali, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Born into humble means, my childhood was marked by the kind of pain most people never talk about—scars of abuse, silence, and survival. I grew up feeling disconnected from my body, like it wasn’t mine. It felt like something to hide, to protect, to escape.

But dance—movement—it was always there.

It became my refuge. A space where my body felt safe, where emotions could rise and fall without overwhelming me. Movement taught me that I could feel everything and still be okay. That my emotions didn’t have to destroy me—they could move through me. It helped me manage my anxiety, make sense of my pain, and reclaim the parts of myself that the world tried to break.

But before I found movement, I found my mother.

She lived in the same broken home. She faced the same trauma. But she chose to rise. I watched her fight for the ones she loved, work tirelessly against the odds, and hold joy in the same hands that held pain. She introduced movement into my life—not as performance, but as power. She made sure I had that outlet, that lifeline. She modeled resilience not just in words, but in every breath she took.

So where do I get my resilience from?

From my mother’s fight.
From my own body’s wisdom.
From movement that healed me when nothing else could.

This is why I do what I do.
To create spaces where other women can remember their strength.
To help them feel seen, safe, and sovereign in their own skin.
Because resilience isn’t just about pushing through—it’s about coming home to yourself again and again.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

“You are what you think.”
The truth is… we are how we move. 💫

I was born and raised in India, in a home filled with both love and survival.
My body carried the imprint of domestic and sexual trauma.

I never imagined that one day I’d be living in New York City—leading global movement wellness workshops and guiding women to reclaim their agency through dance, psychology, and cultural healing.

Despite being a recognizable face on Indian dance reality shows, I silently battled low self-esteem, chronic anxiety, and a deep mistrust of my own worth.

That changed when I began studying Dance Movement Therapy.
For the first time, I stopped performing for approval and started listening to my body’s wisdom.

Today, I blend my movement therapy training with over 15 years of experience as a dance educator to offer something unique:
A signature framework rooted in South Asian cultural dance and somatic psychology.

This work is more than choreography—it’s cultural reclamation, nervous system regulation, and spiritual restoration.
And it resonates deeply with women from immigrant communities who may feel disconnected from traditional therapy but are drawn to healing through creativity, culture, and community.

What I Do:
✨ Director of BollyHeals™ – a movement wellness company rooted in South Asian culture
✨ Creator of Goddess Synergy Movement – a program for feminine embodiment and leadership development
🎥 Producer of Body Unveiled – an upcoming documentary exploring healing through movement

Coming Up:
✨ Austin, TX | May 16–18
I’ll be leading a 3-day immersive workshop series in collaboration with Sway with Pray—a transformative experience designed to help people reconnect with their bodies through intentional movement and dance.

This series will weave together:

Feminine movement & embodied confidence

Dance technique & choreography

Performance guidance & personal feedback

Whether you’re a seasoned mover or stepping into this space for the first time, this workshop will leave you feeling seen, accomplished, and in touch with your power—both on and off the dance floor.

You’ll learn how to move with purpose, express with presence, and embody confidence in a way that’s backed by science and rooted in soul.

In a world increasingly driven by technology and performance, we’re becoming disconnected from ourselves—forgetting who we truly are: powerful forces of nature.

My mission is simple:
To help people reconnect with their bodies and reclaim their power.

Because no matter who you are—you have a body.
And your body holds wisdom.
We’re just here to help you unlock it. 💃🏽✨

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Over the years, I’ve learned that the foundation of self-belief isn’t found in hype or hustle—it’s built through consistency.

Showing up for yourself, even in the smallest ways, creates an unshakable inner trust.

I’ve developed systems and routines I can fall back on, no matter what season I’m in. These include:

Practicing yoga, dance, and movement three times a week

Taking daily walks

Drinking water mindfully, not just habitually

Strength training regularly

Reading at least 10 pages a day

And most importantly—committing to these even when I’m low, traveling, unmotivated, lazy, or exhausted.
Because every time I show up for myself—especially when it’s hard—I prove to myself that I have what it takes to move through adversity.
I strengthen my belief in who I am.

There will be days that feel heavy. Days that knock the wind out of you.
On those days more than ever, we need to meet ourselves with love—not judgment.

But no one teaches us how to love ourselves.
So here are three ways I’ve learned to practice self-love:

1. I’m mindful of my inner narrative.
I choose kind words. I speak to myself like someone I love.
I remind myself: I am always learning. I am always growing.

I used to tell myself I was an unlucky person, cursed by my past lives—meant to suffer.
But none of that is true.
We create our own reality. So why not design one where we are seen, loved, and held?

Kind self-talk didn’t come naturally. It started with small shifts. One loving sentence at a time.

2. I touch my body with gentleness.
This was the hardest.
I used to punish myself for every mistake—through self-harm, through shame, through body hatred.
I took pride in my wounds. I lived in pain. I cut myself, I hit my body when I made mistakes, I used to slap myself and pull my hair till my scalp hurt.
But slowly, I began to soften. To release trauma responses.
To feel the warmth of my own hands, gently resting on my body—and allow that to be healing. I started during my showers as the water made me felt safe, like I was in the womb again – tuning into the gentleness of my fingers on my skin. I closed my eyes and danced and tapped into that flow state. When my body was in pain, I held her, hugged her and told her she is strong and she will get through this.

3. I nourish my body like a temple.
I pay attention to what I eat and drink.
I give my body grace.
This isn’t about control or discipline—it’s about devotion.

Live in Love Mode, Not Fear Mode

This final shift changed everything.

As someone who’s lived with anxiety and depression, I know survival mode well.
Everything felt like a fight. Like I had to be “on guard” all the time.

But now, I choose to live in love mode.

That means embracing life with curiosity instead of control.
It means surrendering the need to have all the answers and simply experiencing what is.

One small shift helped me rewire my nervous system:

🌟 Whatever happens—good or bad—I say out loud, “That’s great.”

An opportunity I’ve been striving for didn’t come through? That’s great.
Someone I love treated me with disrespect? That’s great.
My computer stopped working before a big deadline? That’s great.

Not because I enjoy setbacks—but because everything is guiding me toward the most aligned version of myself.

I trust that things are working for me, not against me.
I don’t have to make sense of everything.
I just have to feel it. Learn from it. Move through it.

These three shifts didn’t happen overnight.
They came with time, patience, and a deep curiosity about how I can grow.

We weren’t placed on this earth to figure it all out.
We’re here to experience it. To learn, unlearn, and love ourselves along the way.

✨ You don’t have to do it all.
You just have to keep showing up—for yourself, with love.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Books That Changed Me: The Midnight Library 📖✨

I’m an avid reader, and over the years, many books have shaped the way I think and live. One that deeply influenced me in recent years is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.

It tells the story of a woman who attempts to end her life, only to find herself stuck in a realm between life and death—a magical library where each book represents a different version of her life, based on the choices she could have made.

As she revisits her alternate realities, she slowly starts to understand the power of perspective, regret, and ultimately, self-acceptance.

While the book is a work of fiction, it had a profound impact on me.
Reading it made me pause and truly evaluate my own life—the choices I’ve made, the paths I’ve taken, and the experiences I’ve grown through.

It helped me shift from shame to gratitude.
To stop longing for a different past, and instead, honor the one that brought me here.

Because no matter how messy or painful certain chapters were, they all shaped who I’ve become.

And for that—I’m grateful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bollyheals.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swarali.movement/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swaralikarulkar/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Swarali.movement
• Other: https://www.goddesssynergymovement.com/