Yoga.Neha

🛑A stable front split begins in the back leg 🛑

Swipe through the carousel to see how to shift your mindset (and your mechanics!) ➡️

IF you’re only focusing on the front leg, you’re missing half the pose—and sacrificing your stability.

To avoid passive dumping and build true stability, you need two things working at the same time:

Back Leg = Glute Fire 🔥
Don't just let the back hip sag. Squeeze your back glute. This stabilizes your pelvis and safely opens the hip flexors.

Front Leg = Quad Engagement ⚡
Contract your front thigh. Engaging the quad signals your hamstring that it’s safe to relax and lengthen (hello, reciprocal inhibition!).

Drop me a 🙌 if this info helped your practice.

Question for intermediate yoga practitioners: Are you practicing your Headstand, or are you just "visiting" a place where you already feel safe?

There is a point in every intermediate practitioner's journey where the pose that used to terrify you becomes your new comfort zone. You kick up, you find your balance, and you stay there because you know you won’t fall.

But staying where it’s safe is how we STAGNATE.
If you aren't willing to wobble, you aren't giving yourself room to grow.
Swipe through to see the headstand leg variations I’m using to disrupt my balance.

I started my Instagram back in 2017 to document my outfits. It was a space to be me, with nary a worry about impressing anyone. I remember 15-minute walks around the neighborhood with a friend, hunting for the perfect backdrop for an OOTD. It was pure joy.

But when I started this yoga account, something shifted. I found myself looking at advanced postures and "super bendy" shapes, feeling constantly inadequate.

IG became a "marketing channel."
Posting felt like "work."
That’s why I skip months.

But last night, a thought struck me (maybe in a dream, maybe while awake): My fears have been keeping me small. I want 2017 back. I want the joy of sharing things simply because they make me happy and help me explore my style—on and off the mat. I’m opening myself up to that now. No more boxes. 🌿✨

The answer to 'do you know what time it is?' 🕚

While this might look like a from the outside, the true work is in the foundation—finding that deep core engagement to lift the spine while letting the hamstrings breathe.

Hi! It’s been a hot minute since I introduced myself.
I’m Neha—practitioner, teacher, and proud Kathmandu resident 🗻

It’s been quite a journey to get here: from Delhi to Nepal, and from high-pressure edit rooms to the yoga mat. 🧘🏽‍♀️
Swipe through to see the highlights 🫰

My current disposition: sunny, funny, and fashionable 😉

If you’re new here, welcome! And if you’ve been following along, thanks for being part of the journey.

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind in Nepal. A time of absolute rage and uncertainty has given way to hope. With the festive spirit of Dashain beginning to fill the air, I find myself holding both the hope of this season and the raw memory of the past week.

In the midst of it all, when I was truly grasping at straws, my practice was the one constant. It wasn’t about finding lightness, stillness, or silence. It was simply about finding a small semblance of 'regular life'—just showing up on my mat and breathing.

I’m so thankful for the messages from friends and fellow practitioners, especially from India, checking in on me. And for my teacher, Vikas-ji .panchayoga who would consistently ask, "How are you doing today?" Those words mattered more than he'll ever know.

Words are powerful. They can ground us, heal us, and remind us we're not alone. As we step into this festive season, let's remember to use our power to speak up well and to check in on one another.

I turned 40 early this month and I’ve been thinking about the person I was in my early 20s 🫣 and the beliefs I held so tightly back then 🙊.

Back then, I truly believed:

1. It is ok to be a little rude for your jokes to land.

2. The only way to lose weight was to cut out everything I loved: fried food, sugar, cheese.

3. My 10+ hour workdays were enough "physical activity." That I didn't need any mental health practices as I was 'strong'.

4. Faith and traditions were uncool and outdated.

But one of the most beautiful truths I've learned is that we are not a final draft. We have the power to change any time we want if it helps us grow. My perspective has completely shifted. After all, we aren't the same person from Monday to Tuesday. Every sip of your morning tea is a different experience, so why hold on to such rigid views of what is right or wrong?

I've learned that 🌹you can be funny without being unkind 🌷That movement is a lifelong gift for both body and mind 🌺That rituals and traditions can be anything you want them to be, as long as they bring you joy.

Our practice isn't just on the mat. It's in every choice we make to become a kinder, healthier, and more open version of ourselves.

What's a belief you've let go of to make room for a new one?

P.s I still don't do sugar as I don't know how to consume it in moderation 🫣

My parents had a mud piggy bank at home that we couldn't open until it was full. We'd put in spare 10s or 100s, and when it was finally time to break it open, we'd all guess how much was inside. The person with the closest estimate would get a reward 💸. We were always shocked by how much they'd saved just by stashing a little here and there🫣

​My journey to advanced yoga postures feels exactly like that. Each day, I make small "deposits" with consistent practice and attention to alignment. It's not about one big effort, but the cumulative effect of those tiny, mindful moments. The real reward is that moment when a challenging posture finally comes together—a powerful reminder that every little bit of effort adds up.

(Yoga practice, beginner yoga, yoga teacher Kathmandu)

In our yoga practice, we deliberately choose repetition to cultivate discipline, strength, and inner calm. It's how we progress and find our rhythm.

Yet, off the mat, particularly here in Kathmandu, I'm often employing strategies to avoid certain repetitions 😂

For instance, those daily bike taxi rides bring a familiar set of questions. Back in 2019, they were simple; now, with my Nepali, they're more detailed and persistent: "What do you do? Do you earn enough?" or "Do you have kids? WHY don't you have kids?"

So, while we lean into consistent movement on the mat, sometimes navigating the world means a quiet "Can't understand a word because of my helmet," creating space from those repeated inquiries.

Kupondole's Next Top Model (KNTM)

Who is serving it? (In order of appearance)