SZA nearly paralyzed by herniated discs

SZA’s 36th birthday wasn’t celebrated with champagne or glittering parties. Instead, it came in the solace of an Indian ashram, where the singer spent a full month recovering from a neck injury that left her unable to sit, stand, or turn her head comfortably.

The “Kill Bill” singer, known offstage as Solána Rowe, had her C5 and C6 discs herniate last year, just before her birthday on 8 November. The accident sidelined her physically, but it also nudged her toward an unexpected spiritual reset.

“I used to really make fun of girls that were into the woo-woo and the crystals, and here I am,” she told I-D. “God is very funny.”

Her refuge was the Isha Foundation, where she immersed herself in yoga and meditation, including the intensive Shambhavi Mahamudr practice, which pairs controlled breathing with meditation. “It was somehow the best birthday, because it was like, ‘Let’s get real and do something that can stop the running and the constant disappointment,’ ” SZA explained.

For a month, she embraced silence, stepping away from the whirlwind of her career. Between promoting One of Them Days, her 2025 comedy with Keke Palmer, and prepping for her Super Bowl halftime show with Kendrick Lamar, she returned to the ashram to reset, taking time to recalibrate both body and mind.

She described the yoga’s transformative effect bluntly, “I could be pissed as f--- before a session, and then feel calm afterwards.” For SZA, the physical practice became a mirror for her inner life. “It made me realize I’ve really got to get in control of myself, and be the fully-realized version of myself. I can’t hide forever off stupid insecurities,” she said.

Even as a self-proclaimed “happily clumsy person,” SZA found clarity in the ritual. “It’s crazy, because I find myself thinking that I’m free in different junctures, but it’ll be some new s--- that shows you you’re actually [still] very affected. I can tell it’s my task to get free.”