Can you dance your way to a better life?

If you huff and puff your way through a Zumba class, and the thought of doing jazzercise makes your thighs burn, step aside for 49-year-old Tejashree Adige. An artist as well as a business owner, Adige runs her own dance academy, teaching Bharatanatyam to dozens of students. “Nothing makes me prouder than this,” says Adige.

After moving to Pune as a young bride, Adige has managed to build a home and a life for herself that she takes pride in. She’s raised a pair of twins who are now grown up, all while educating the new generation in classical dance — a demanding art form that requires dedication and discipline most of us could only aspire to.

But don’t run away with the idea that Adige is some kind of iron lady who never takes a break. Her favourite pastime is karaoke singing old Bollywood songs, and above all, she cherishes the peace and comfort of her home at Lodha Belmondo.

In Better Life with Lodha, we go behind the scenes into the private worlds of accomplished women whose every day might look different from ours and each others’ but who are united by their need for a space to call their own.

In this episode, we venture into the expansive greenery of Lodha Belmondo Pune — the place Adige happily calls home. “The shanti I feel cannot be compared,” she says, of walking around the gardens and the endless stretch of the compound’s golfing greens. Whether spending time with the trees or watching the sunset, being surrounded by nature helps Adige replenish her creative juices (here are 5 brain exercises to help you get over a creative block).

“My home is where I recharge for another full day of work,” says Adige. What enables her to calm her mind and let go of the physical stress of her usual day? A cup of piping-hot masala chai and a catch-up session with one of her neighbours — fellow nature lovers who can always find time for a moment of connection. It’s the reason she continues to sustain her practice, her business, and all the other elements of her busy life.

“I have built a community here at Lodha,” says Adige. “They make me truly happy within a place that offers me peace every single day.” Maybe that’s the real secret to building a better life.