YOGA REACHES ROOTS

Rs 250 per class, Patna doesn’t mind - Yoga institutes mushroom in capital, thanks to increase in lifestyle-related problems among residents

AAROHI KESHAV

A boy shows an asan as others look on and (above) girls practise yoga at an institute in Patna. Pictures by Ashok Sinha Patna, Aug. 16: It went to the West from India, and now it’s making a return to its roots. The desi fitness mantra, yoga, is being received enthusiastically by the residents of Patna. Several yoga institutes have come up in the Capital. Yoga practice is gaining popularity as a remedy for lifestyle-related problems, including stress, back ache, obesity, depression, arthritis, pain etc. Jitender Kumar, yoga instructor at Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati Yog Kendra, Boaring Road, Patna, has been teaching yoga for the past 13 years. When he said: “People have become health conscious and are showing great interest in learning this art. It helps them get rid of various aliments.” About the age groups of clients joining his institute, Kumar said: “In recent times, the trend has changed. We have been teaching yoga to young people, including young corporate and students. They feel that with the help of yoga they can increase their concentration power and enhance their abilities and perform better in whatever they do.” The classes at the Kendra are conducted seven days a week. They start from 6 am and continue till 10 am. Each batch gets a one-hour session. On an average, the institute receives 30 to 35 students every day. The Kendra offers a yoga course for a duration of six months and charges Rs 750. The package includes training in pranayam and hathyog. The institute takes special care of patients and teaches them only those asanas (postures) that will help them treat their problems. Many doctors, who know and practise yoga, are associated with this institute. They conduct special sessions for clients suffering from physical ailments. of Yoga Kendra held special classes for students under the programme “Bal Yog Kalyan Peeth”. During this session, he helped young boys and girls focus more and increase concentration and memory power. The institute charges Rs 250 for a 12-day course. For poor children, it organises free classes. Another yoga guru, Kumar Umesh Chandra, owner of Jyotishi Yoga Centre at Dak Bunglow Road, Patna, holds classes to help clients increase concentration and decrease stress levels. His clientele includes bureaucrats, professors and government officials. Chandra said: “I organise classes in the evening as most of my clients are government employees and my sessions focus more on stress relief.” He charges Rs 250 for each class, and in-case of a personal visit, he charges Rs.1,100, plusthe conveyance. Amit Sinha, a corporate professional and a yoga enthusiast, said: “I have been learning yoga for the past three months. I can feel great changes in my personal and professional life. At the end of the day, half an hour of yoga practice can be relaxing and rejuvenating.” A number of senior citizens have adopted yoga as a way of life to get rid of ailments like diabetes and arthritis.