{"id":717388,"date":"2026-06-21T13:05:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-21T13:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/717388\/"},"modified":"2026-06-21T13:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T13:05:08","slug":"international-yoga-day-neha-dhupia-my-dad-does-headstands-at-80-my-kids-do-them-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/717388\/","title":{"rendered":"International Yoga Day | Neha Dhupia: My dad does headstands at 80, my kids do them too"},"content":{"rendered":"

On International Yoga Day today, actor Neha Dhupia<\/a> opens up about her long-standing association with yoga, describing it as the foundation of her physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Having first embraced the practice during her Miss India days, Dhupia shares how yoga has remained a constant through every stage of her life, from pregnancy and postpartum recovery to marathon training and motherhood.<\/p>\n

\"NehaNeha Dhupia Yoga Day<\/p>\n

\u201cYoga is one of the most essential things in my life. If I start my day with yoga, I see how it catapults me emotionally, mentally, and physically into my day. I feel the difference because I\u2019m so used to the goodness it does for my system,\u201d she says. Dhupia is quick to address what she calls one of the biggest misconceptions about yoga: the belief that it is less effective than more intense forms of exercise. \u201cIt\u2019s such a big myth that people think yoga is just a slow burn. People feel they need to go to the gym and lift weights for fitness. I\u2019m not taking away from that at all, but the magic you get from exercising on that six-foot mat is something I realised very early in my life,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Introduced to yoga during her modelling days in Delhi while preparing for Miss India, Dhupia says the practice evolves with every phase of life and adapts to an individual\u2019s changing needs. \u201cI got introduced to yoga when I was a model in Delhi and prepping for Miss India. I realised the benefits of balancing my routine by doing yoga three to four times a week, and ever since then it has stayed with me. My body has changed over time and yoga has changed with it. I\u2019ve done prenatal yoga, postpartum yoga, yoga while preparing for marathons when it was more about lengthening my muscles. Whatever you ask of yoga, it has an answer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

She elaborates, \u201cWhether it\u2019s working on your eye muscles through practices like tratak kriya, improving your breathing with Anulom Vilom, doing twisting postures for digestion, supporting your thyroid health, or doing Surya Namaskars, which are far more physical, yoga has a solution for pretty much everything you\u2019re looking for.\u201d The 45-year-old adds, \u201cWhat baffles me is the lack of knowledge around it. Everyone feels that unless you sweat a lot or end up breathless, it\u2019s not really a workout. But yoga is immune system support, emotional support, mental support, physical support, and strength training all rolled into one. You\u2019re working with your own body weight. Even if you\u2019re doing Surya Namaskar properly, you\u2019re handling breath work, flexibility, and strength because you\u2019re doing a clean push-up with every round.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dhupia points out how yoga influences lifestyle choices beyond the mat. \u201cIt\u2019s not just exercise. It\u2019s also very supportive of healthy eating. It\u2019s not the kind of workout that makes you crave more food. When I get my yoga practice right, I don\u2019t crave sugar or unhealthy food. I just feel like hydrating, eating healthy, and taking care of myself,\u201d she says. Calling yoga one of India\u2019s greatest contributions to the world, Dhupia says it deserves far more appreciation at home. She recalls being inspired by her father\u2019s discipline. \u201cMy dad is almost 80 years old and, touch wood, he still does headstands. You can\u2019t fight that level of fitness,\u201d she says, using his example to underline yoga\u2019s long-term benefits.<\/p>\n

As a mother of two, Dhupia shares how yoga has adapted to her changing needs over the years. \u201cI\u2019ve done prenatal yoga, postpartum yoga, and yoga while preparing for marathons. My body has changed over time and yoga has changed with it. Whatever you ask of yoga, it has an answer,\u201d she says. Wellness, she adds, is a family affair: \u201cWe regularly visit Kaivalyadhama ashram with our friends and family. We go for two weeks. I do more yoga practices, and I take my family along. Everyone wants to go on holiday; my holiday starts with spending time there.\u201d She adds, \u201cYoga is such an essential part of my life that even my 7-year-old daughter, Mehr, knows how to do a headstand. Same for my 4-year-old son, Guriq.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an age-old practice that comes from India and it is something we should be proud of. I feel one of the finest exports India has given to the world is yoga. If you travel anywhere, you\u2019ll find people marvelling at its goodness. There are yoga centres everywhere. People across the world want to learn and practise it, yet here everybody wants to do everything else but yoga,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

For Dhupia, yoga\u2019s benefits become even more relevant as people navigate the physical challenges of age and modern lifestyles. \u201cAging is inevitable, but long walks, working out in zone two, and doing yoga are essential. People start having knee issues \u2014 strengthen your quads. Yoga gives you chair pose. Sit like you\u2019re sitting on an imaginary chair and hold it. It helps. People talk about gut issues; a lot of it is digestion-related. Do twisting poses. Do Trikonasana. There are so many simple practices that can support your body if you stay consistent,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

Consistency, she says, remains yoga\u2019s most valuable lesson. \u201cOne thing yoga has taught me is that consistency is key. Yoga is the base for all wellness, all goodness, all health, and every fitness-supporting exercise you want to do. I run and I do strength training, but if I don\u2019t do yoga, I cannot accelerate. Yoga is my foundation,\u201d she says. Even on busy days, Dhupia keeps her routine uncomplicated. \u201cI get up, do a few stretches, 25 to 50 Surya Namaskars depending on how I\u2019m feeling, some more stretches and breathing exercises, and I\u2019m done. I usually pair it with a walk as well,\u201d she adds. \u201cIf you don\u2019t have those inherent practices and if you\u2019re not in touch with your own breath, you can be in touch with anyone on Instagram and in direct messages, there\u2019s no use. It all starts with being connected to yourself,\u201d she ends.<\/p>\n

Rapid Fire Ft. Neha DhupiaSunrise yoga or sunset yoga?<\/p>\n

Sunrise yoga<\/p>\n

Your favourite yoga asana?<\/p>\n

Trikonasana and Shirsasana<\/p>\n

One wellness habit you would never skip?<\/p>\n

Yoga, hydration and sleep<\/p>\n

One thing yoga has taught you over the years?<\/p>\n

Consistency is key. Yoga is the base for all wellness, all goodness, all health and every fitness-supporting exercise you want to do. I run and I do strength training, but if I don\u2019t do yoga, I cannot accelerate. Yoga is your foundation.<\/p>\n

A musician you enjoy listening to while doing yoga?<\/p>\n

Annie Aluwadia a lot.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On International Yoga Day today, actor Neha Dhupia opens up about her long-standing association with yoga, describing it…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":717389,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[309066,337,97],"class_list":["post-717388","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-1-neha-dhupia-2-yoga-3-holiday-4-headstand-5-wellness","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717388","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=717388"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/717388\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/717389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=717388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=717388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=717388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}