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Bend it like Deepika
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Simple, sinuous and haute. That's Deepika Mehta's brand of yoga. T. KRITHIKA REDDY writes
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WHAT? YOGA? At Pasha? Sounds discordant. But Deepika Mehta's hip brand of yoga is all about demystifying the centuries-old art. So in the midst of mirrored walls, flowing taffeta, pounding music and racks lined with you know what, the "new-age yogini", as she is called, strikes various postures from plain plank to painstaking plough. Even before the crowd gasps with awe at one feat, she pulls off the next with amazing fluidity.
"Yoga isn't new. Much depends on the packaging. I've made it as simple and sinuous as possible. Seriousness intimidates youngsters. Make it fun, and you'll find more takers," says the fitness diva after sweating it out at a demo session for Ellements on Pasha's dance floor.
Tall and svelte, with rippling mane and glowing complexion, Deepika could be mistaken for a ramp star. But there is more to the 26-year-old. With Bollywood's movers and shakers among her acolytes, she is all out to make people's shape-sculpting fantasies a reality. "Yoga is the panacea," she asserts. "It leads from the physical to the psychological plane. It's a perfect mind-body synthesis, especially in our times that are ridden with complex lifestyle-related maladies."
In her non-preachy tone (and that's one of the reasons she finds acceptance) she goes on, "These days, a lot of negative energy is generated. Yoga helps one keep focussed and in touch with oneself. It's also a spiritual balm... " And this, Deepika did not realise till she met with an accident in her late teens. "I was a yoga regular since my school days in Dehradun. But then, it was the accident, which left me bed-ridden for months, that helped me explore the finer aspects of yoga. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was the experiential reality of yoga that helped piece together my battered physique and psyche," she adds, pointing out to the fading scars all over her body. "Then academics took a backseat. Yoga became an all-consuming passion and I got into the business of promoting its benefits."
Expounding the difference between traditional yoga and hers, Deepika says while the former is kind of static, her's involves fluid movements from one posture to another - almost like dance. Further, with unique breathing techniques, there is a greater possibility to work on the stomach. You can feel the difference in a week, provided you have the determination," she swears.
True... as Deepika goes about the demo like a willowy ballerina, her flexible physique and washboard stomach are an inspiration for others. Amidst "wows'' from middle-aged women, eager to see their waistlines diminish, she affirms, "Age doesn't make a difference. Flexibility works on principles. It comes with practice. Please don't think that it works for me and that it will not work for you. It's all in the mind. The only limitation is fear... "
As she traverses a host of postures, from sun salutation and warrior to ones that specially work for new mothers wanting to regain their pre-pregnancy figures, Deepika says, "Don't be careless with your body. Much depends on posture. Always stand tall, don't slouch. This firms up the stomach and supports your back. Body-alignment is vital. Also, don't bend or carry disproportionate weight on one side. Balance it out."
In a breeze of a session, Deepika proves that sculpting your body opens a brand new world of possibility. And for all those nattily-dressed women, enthusiastic about starting their own downsizing endeavours, the Mumbai-based yogini ends on a positive note, "I shall commence classes in Chennai sometime in December or January. And mind you, there's no PR exercise involved. It's just word-of-mouth publicity."
Cat pose and canny future. Anyone?
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