Deepika Mehta

If there is one story in the Indian yoga world that encapsulates what this practice is truly capable of, it belongs to Deepika Mehta. Her journey to becoming one of India’s most respected Ashtanga Yoga teachers began not in a studio but in a hospital room, after a near-fatal rock climbing accident in 1997 that left doctors convinced she would never walk again. She proved them wrong, through yoga, discipline, and an extraordinary will to heal.
She went on to study under the legendary Shri K. Pattabhi Jois at the Sivananda Yoga Kendra in Kerala, beginning her formal training in 2002, and has since earned her Level 2 Authorisation from KPJAYI, one of the most rigorous credentials in the world of Ashtanga. Her influence has reached well beyond the mat: she served as a master trainer on The Biggest Loser, helped Priyanka Chopra prepare for her role in Don, delivered a TED Talk at the UN Headquarters in New York, and was honoured with the Yoga Expert of the Year title by Vogue India. She has been featured across publications including India Today and Elle, and appeared on the cover of India Today. Now based in Bali with her husband Mark Robberds, himself a globally celebrated Ashtanga teacher, Deepika continues to teach, travel, and share her practice online, bringing the richness of traditional Ashtanga to a worldwide audience. Her YouTube channel is a treasure trove of asanas, philosophy, and living proof that yoga can do things medicine sometimes cannot.