We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bhawika Gaur. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bhawika below.

Bhawika, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I had a humble upbringing. My mom being a single parent was the sole bread earner. I remember when there was no food on plate for days and at certain times when my mom used to pretend that she was already full and sleep starved as there was just enough food for me and brother. But I always remember one thing that she taught me whenever I was disheartened and used to compare our finances with those to my cousins who had a lavish upbringing, “ God gives the biggest battles to his strongest soldiers.” This definitely changed my perspective towards any challenge. I wasn’t really good in studies, not that because I was dumb, but because there was so much anger and anxiety inside me that I always wanted to vent that energy out of the class in Co-curricular activities. I hated studying. But I always knew that I will change my life and mom was always there to support if not financially but atleast emotionally. Childhood was tough. But looking at my mom who was and is the epitome of strength, I became tougher. When I left city for higher education I remember telling myself to never look back and that I can achieve anything that I dream of only if I have enough strength to face the Challenges that come in the way. Life’s not supposed to be easy, but the upbringing my mom gave me made me more empathetic towards situations and people. I don’t take anything for granted, I appreciate everything that comes in the way, good or bad. Most importantly I have learnt not to give up, no matter the circumstances. Provided an easier childhood, I wouldn’t have been where I am today and I’m grateful to my mother who gave birth and built the strongest survivors and soldiers.

Bhawika, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi everyone, I am Bhawika Gaur from a small town of Kanpur in India. I own an International Fitness brand named “Tapah” – A Gym For Your Mind. Tapah is derived from a Sanskrit word that means “Tapasya” which means to burn, austerity. The logo is that of a fire. I believe in order to achieve anything in the world you have to burn, either your bad habits or that excess fat (if you’re trying to loose weight, haha). In my life I Call Tapah (and it’s fire logo) as the fire that burns inside me and makes me want to work hard to achieve my dreams.
Post my high school I wanted to go into acting, but couldn’t because of the financial difficulties but I persuaded my mother that I want to move out of the town for higher education. Little did I know that I would be enrolling myself into yoga university and doing an undergraduate course in B.Sc Yoga Therapy and the rest is history. Yoga did definitely change my life for good I travelled the lengths and breaths of India and UAE. I worked under several fitness brands and institutes, got trained in so many different fields of fitness from yoga to Pilates to barre to Zumba to strength etc. But mid of 2018 I realised that I just couldn’t work under someone else hence I decided to come back to my home town and start with something of my own. It wasn’t easy, honestly. I had no idea about the market, I had no finances to start a business so I decided to take atleast a year to understand the market and worked with almost every gym in my city. October 2019, I launched Tapah, in the heart of the city from a very small space of 500sqft. My mom helped me to get a loan of 500,000INR from the bank and I was able to successfully launch my brand. But little did I know that things are going to turn upside down super soon.
March,2020 India was stuck with the first wave of Covid, there was a lockdown. It was a really difficult time to get through the expenses.
That’s when I planned on expanding Tapah over an online platform. I had an experience of conducting online sessions and had few people across globe who were associated with me prior to covid. Though it was challenging but slowly thousands of people across the globe starting enrolling with us over our online platform. In literally no time we had a family of 5k+ across globe. We survived covid with flying colours.
2021 March, I had investors who started noticing Tapah’s potential and wanted to join the team and that’s when we launched our Healthy Munchies- a wide range of Vegan, high protein snacking options, delivered on Amazon pan India.
Slowly by 2021 end, we started looking out for bigger spaces in Kanpur as the older studio was not having sufficient space. 2022 June we relocated to the most prime location of Kanpur with a studio space that’s thrice bigger that the older one. More people started getting associated with us.
That’s when Tapah got an opportunity to be featured on Daily Hunt, The Medium and Google News. I was even featured on the top ten Entrepreneurs of India. This still feels unreal.
2023 we launched our own format of workout, “Pregance” – a pregnancy dance fitness routine which is being loved by millions of mommy’s to be across globe.
We are still in process of providing the best fitness solutions to our clients by making them realise how important the mind is and so our the thoughts. It is the mind that we need to control to see permanent changes on the physical body.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My life has taught me to be sensitive, reciprocative and empathetic to people. In the world where everyone wants to speak, there’s hardly anyone who wants to listen. That’s exactly who I am, I listen and I guide. With the current lifestyle especially post pandemic, everyone has developed stress related disorders and it is so difficult to break the chain at times. Those who know, know well, that we at Tapah, don’t transform your body, we help you in transforming your life and with time everyone is realising that. Those who have, want to join us.
There are many gyms in the world but there’s only one “Gym For Your Mind” and that’s Tapah.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I remember the days with my father, whenever I asked him for anything he always used to say, look at the ones below you, they have nothing. Learn to live like them. With time I realised that I had to unlearn that. It is necessary to know your roots, but it is very important to look beyond and above the horizon and aim for that, that’s when your wings open and that’s when you fly.
No one has done anything insurmountable by looking down, people who aim high, reach higher.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tapahbybhawika.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tapahbybhawika?igshid=NzZhOTFlYzFmZQ==
• Facebook: Tapah by Bhawika
• Linkedin: Bhawika Gaur