Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less travelled by, annd that has made all the difference – Robert Frost
Motivational speaker, singer, actor, writer, equity derivatives broker…. Shivali Bhammer is a woman who wears many hats. Always known to break barriers by choosing the path less taken, Shivali established herself as the youngest devotional singer at the age of 22 after giving up a career in equity trading.
Once while at her erstwhile firm, Goldman Sachs Investment Bank, she was told by a volatility trader that she should be on five screens, rather than just staring at them. And she never forgot this. Today, she is all set to become one of the youngest female Indian motivational speakers, a space that has largely been dominated by men till date. Her eloquent talks are highly popular as they are inspirational with the ability to instil a sense of purpose in the audience.
As a prolific public speaker, Shivali delivered the keynote address in New York for the International Women’s Day Conference. She also led a talk on diverse topics like mindfulness, mantras and meditation for the Alchemist Kitchen, New York and was the workshop leader for the Spiritual Directors Conference in St Louis where she conducted a session on the nature of Karma Yoga to a predominantly senior Christian audience, who enthusiastically took copious notes.
This year, Shivali performed at the prestigious De Dolen Theatre in Rotterdam where she spoke for over an hour without break on nine love stories in Mythology. It is heartening to note that the theatre which is famous for its representation of western classical arts opened its doors for the first time to a young Indian woman. Shivali also leads “Conversations with Shivali” for the Eros Now platform where she has interviewed Sister Shivani -Brahma Kumaris, Sadhvi Bhagwati, and most recently the India Love Project co-founders.
Shivali firmly believes that no one understands the pain and sacrifice like women do as they are constantly struggling to balance commitments with careers and their own ambitions. “We have this ability to succeed across the world because there is an openness and fluidity to our philosophy and culture. People globally are in conflict with their own selves and ask me several questions.”
“All of this links back to one thing; what is our relationship with our own self. We are constantly living in a world that is virtual and dominated by social media. Hence we end up comparing ourselves to others and get depressed when we fail to measure up” says Shivali who focuses on finding the divinity within and believes that both the saint and the devil exists within the playground of every mind.
She believes that the intrinsic feminine power is a great force and can work wonders in helping people understand themselves while finding happiness, love and respect. Her lectures cover various subjects including women supporting women, meditation, learning to let go, changing one’s life through action and purifying the mind.
“You do not need to spend a specific number of years as a monk or believe in God or go anywhere to find yourself. You have it in you and you are that Goddess and that God. And you can have it all. That is my aim. That is what I am trying to do and it is hard because we still live in a man’s world. But this is the time to change. We are shaking the status quo which is our birthright” adds Shivali who has delivered public talks on Vedanta, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.
London born Shivali who has a degree in Economics and Philosophy, was the youngest and only artist to ever be signed by Sony Music BMG for bhajans. Her devotional albums, The Bhajan Project and Urban Temple reached the top position on the iTunes world chart. Shivali was nominated for two Global Indian Music Awards at the age of 23 and was listed as the Top 25 under 25 South Asian Artists in England. An accomplished performer, Shivali has given several public and private concerts. Pandemic pending, Shivali will be releasing her third album, The Bhajan Project 2 by Sony Music.
Shivali holds a diploma in acting, Kathak and ballet. As a writer, she has been published in newspapers like The Financial Times, The Orange County Register, Science & Spirituality, Spirituality & Health, Spiritual Directors International etc on topics of philosophy and faith. She is also an award-winning playwright and has done documentaries and recordings for BBC Television, BBC Radio and other radio channels in both India and U.S.A.
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