Indians are realising the importance of Yoga but we still have a long way to go. Through ‘Swasthyam’, I will tell you about Yoga that disciplined my life. I will teach you what exactly physical and mental fitness is and how it can be achieved through Yoga. So don’t miss this opportunity. Participate in this activity in a relaxed and fresh mood.
– Sarvesh Shashi
Yoga entered my life when I was six. The credit for this goes to my parents. Yoga disciplined a naughty boy like me who was whiling away his time on the cricket field. The arrival of a monk from Rishikesh in my life proved to be a big turning point for me. I considered him to be my guru and pinned all my hopes on him. I thought he would activate his ‘Adnyachakra’ and with the Yogic power, help me get a chance to play cricket for India. However, in our very first meeting, he brought me back down to earth. “Sarvesh, if you think that I can do this miracle, then you are crazy and if I make such a claim, then I too am crazy,” he firmly told me.
I was deeply moved by this realisation and I was convinced that this man could set me on my future path. It was under his guidance that later, at the age of 17, I started practising Yoga. I did penance for about a year. During that period, I did Vipassana, observed a vow of silence for 40 days and gave up meat. To date, I have not even touched alcohol or cigarettes. At 21, I realised how much Yoga had changed me.
People still have various misconceptions about Yoga. Some find Yoga boring but it is not. Yoga should become an integral part of your daily life. You should practise Yoga as naturally as you brush your teeth or have a bath after waking up. It was to promote the Yoga Revolution that I started my own company later. Whatever you see today is the magic of Yoga.
My Guru showed me the way
The original word is not Yoga but Yog. Yog means the union of body, mind and soul. There are eight aspects of Yoga. We focus on three things in Yoga at our studio – Asana (poses), Pranayam (breath control) and Dhyan (meditation). There are additional aspects like Yama, Niyama, Samadhi, etc. but we have started imparting Yoga training with an emphasis on the three things mentioned earlier. This makes a person physically and mentally fit. Asanas provide physical strength, Pranayama improves breathing and Meditation develops mental capacity, making a person spiritually and mentally strong.
In Yoga, Guru occupies an important place. ‘Gu’ means darkness, while ‘Ru’ means light. The person who leads you from darkness to light is your Guru. Initially, Yoga must be practised under the guidance of a guru. Your coach is your Guru, guide and trainer. Why just Yoga, I feel that no physical exercise should be started without the guidance of a Guru. Once you consider someone as your Guru, you should have full faith in that person and completely surrender to that person, but before that, it is your responsibility to choose a good Guru. For that, you need to be very careful. It was my Guru who gave me the right direction in my life. What I am today is because of my parents and Guru.
You must feel it from within
Everything came to a standstill during the lockdown. At that time, less than even one per cent of our country’s 1.3 billion population was working out as compared to the 10 per cent of the respective population in America, Britain and European countries that worked out in gyms.This shows how far we need to go as far as fitness consciousness is concerned.
The Government has started a good initiative like Yoga Day and we also observe Heart Day, Diabetes Day and so on. But I believe you don’t need to observe any of these days to take care of your body. You have to feel it from within.
You need to be fit to fulfil your familial and financial responsibilities. Even if you want to help others, you must first have the strength. Compared to other countries, people in India have little awareness regarding this. The number of people taking the initiative for the same is also minuscule.
Indian tradition has this great treasure of Yoga. But how we look at it is very important. Currently, people are stuck in the rut of ‘Food, clothing and home’. But when you are afflicted with an ailment, who cares about what you eat or what clothes you wear?
Preventive Healthcare System
People have now turned to Yoga due to increasing stress. Meditation in Yoga makes you aware of the present, so you are not stuck in the past or the future. People are taking to alternative healthcare systems these days and Yoga, Ayurveda and Pranic Healing are very important among those.
Sadly, Indians don’t respect their very own Yoga. Some people still find Yoga boring. Some think it’s only meant for senior citizens and women. But the situation abroad is different. Overseas citizens are using Yoga very well. They are using Yoga as a treatment after a major surgery. Besides schools, offices and colleges, Yoga is being practised in prisons there too. The corporate world too has realised the importance of Yoga.
Yoga can be of great consequence in major and chronic diseases. Take the example of diabetes. A person with diabetes needs to take insulin externally. Yoga has activities including Mandukasana, Kapalbhati and Anulom-Vilom. Meditation and Asanas can naturally produce Insulin in the body, so you may not even need to take it externally at times. Similarly, Yoga can be beneficial for diseases such as blood pressure, back pain, thyroid, etc.
The majority of people coming to our studio today are looking to lose weight. Yoga will not heal your fractured arm; for that, you will have to seek a different treatment. Yoga is a preventive healthcare system. Even if you do Anulom-Vilom for 20 days in a row, you will feel a lot better.
What we will learn in ‘Swasthyam’
At ‘Swasthyam’, I will interact with the participants and get them to do Yogasanas, Pranayama and Meditation. They will be told how to take care of their mental health, what to do daily and how to solve daily problems. This will be done through Yoga and music. Yoga detoxifies your body. This happens through different activities. Your body’s stability depends on the food you eat and also on your surroundings. Yoga facilitates this stability. This is what we will learn at ‘Swasthyam’. Therefore, everyone must spontaneously participate in it.
(As told to Gopal Kulkarni)
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