Featured in Deccan Chronicle

Bengaluru: Physical fitness may be the mantra of the young today who flock to the many  gyms that have mushroomed  around the city, but stress and long working hours are also pushing many to yoga in pursuit of balanced living.

Catering to the rising demand for the ancient art that has caught on in the West too, are the centres of Akshar Power Yoga Academy across the city, which see close to 4000 people walk into them every day to learn the various postures taught.

“People between the ages of 16 and 80 walk into our centres to learn yoga. We teach structured yoga  that helps them balance their lifestyle,” says Grand Master Akshar,  founder of the academy, who is himself expert in some 300 pranayams.

“Yoga is growing in popularity because people have realised the importance of living a balanced life. They are turning to it for stress relief, better health, and physical fitness and flexibility,” he explains,

The trend is also evident at the Nivesaa Dance, Yoga Fitness and Wellness Studio in the city run by Aastha Gulati and Sahiba Singh. Here people are taught Aerial and Hatha yoga. “We run full batches over the weekends for both,” says Aastha, explaining that the main component of Hatha yoga are asanas.

Seeing the growing interest in  ancient physical, mental and spiritual practices, Aastha has organised a wellness weekend on October 15 and 16 to teach people about auras and chakras. “There are many who come because they want to try new things and then  get hooked to them. The idea of yoga is to facilitate the flow of prana and chi within your body so that the vital living force remains healthy. It not only builds immunity but also helps people clean their prana,” she adds.

Dr Kshama Arhan Jain, who teaches Pathanjali , Power and Aasthanga yoga besides pilates, says people walk in with weight issues and other problems. Many opt for Pathanjali yoga as it is therapeutic  and helps with different ailments. “ Yoga  helps treat a person holistically by working on the mind, body and soul,” he notes, explaining its growing popularity.