World International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 to promote yoga as a powerful tool for physical vitality, mental clarity, and spiritual harmony. As the world rolls out mats and enjoys yoga, renowned jewellery designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni is one who has always loved yoga.
Born into the legendary Kapoor family, Riddhima's lineage is steeped in cinematic history. Daughter of veteran actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, and sister to Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, Riddhima finally had her moment in the sun, on the screen, with her appearance on Netflix's Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives.
She also runs a children's clothing brand, is a mother, and now an actor. She does it all while looking fabulous. In case you wonder what she does to stay fit - it is yoga.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni shared her love for yoga and what keeps her going.
Riddhima Kapoor On Her "Love Affair" With Yoga
Before yoga became a definite part of her life, Riddhima was not a fan. She first tried yoga after her mother Neetu Kapoor urged her to enrol at Bharat Thakur's yoga sessions. A self-professed fan of high-intensity workouts and gym training, she confesses she found yoga "boring" in the beginning.
"I thought it was too boring. It didn't work for me at the time." But things changed after she got married to Bharat Sahni and pregnant with her daughter Samara, who is now 14 years old.
In 2011, while she was expecting Samara, Riddhima was advised by her doctor to stop performing high-impact exercise and switch to something lighter. "My doctor asked me to do something light and suggested yoga. That's when my love affair with yoga started. It's been 14 years now and I've never looked back."
Yoga in the Kapoor-Sahni household is now a family affair. Her daughter Samara joins her on the mat, occasionally mirroring poses. In 2023, Riddhima posted a video with Neetu Kapoor and Samara, celebrating three generations of women practising yoga together.
"Yoga Helps Calm Me Down": Riddhima Kapoor Sahni
Yoga is believed to be beneficial for both physical as well as mental wellbeing. According to a study published in Harvard Health Publishing, yoga offers mental health benefits, such as reduced anxiety, stress, and signs of depression.
Yoga has become a big part of Riddhima's daily ritual. What really draws her to yoga is not limited to fitness, it also brings the promise of clarity.
"It helps me declutter my mind, and it has really helped me de-stress. I feel livelier and fitter after doing yoga. I feel good about myself, which is what matters at the end of the day. It's not about physical appearance or how you're looking on the outside. It's all about how you feel, and I feel good."
Along with yoga, Riddhima relies on meditation. "While yoga helps me, meditation helps calm me down. Yoga and meditation has helped me beat stress."
She has made it a habit to meditate every day."I feel that 10-15 minutes of meditation can help me clear my mind, and whatever bothers me vanishes."
Riddhima also keeps distractions such as phones away during her yoga and meditation sessions. "I practice phone detox and dedicate that time to keep myself calm." And she even shows up on days when she does not feel like it.
A Healthy Lifestyle Also Plays A Pivotal Role
The holistic approach she has towards yoga also extends to her diet and lifestyle. And it can be even more difficult when you belong to a family known for their love for food.
When asked how she manages her love for food while keeping herself fit, Riddhima shares, "I don't diet. I don't believe in the concept of fad diets because diets are temporary. You have to make your diet a part of a healthy way of living."
She prefers having fresh, home-cooked food, but enjoys her binge days in "moderation".
"I don't believe in starving myself. If you deprive yourself of something you want it twice as much. Overdoing and underdoing are both bad for you. You have to strike a balance and eat in moderation - that is the key."
Riddhima recommends and practises a simple mantra - "Follow a balanced diet, drink enough water, and, of course, practise yoga".