Fit & Fabulous: You gotta do yoga!

We get the scoop on why yoga is becoming the ‘in’ thing in the city.

KARACHI:

The practice of yoga seems to have taken the upper crust of the city by storm. We contemplate whether this is because of its health quotient or simply because it is ‘fashionable’. The Express Tribune gets the scoop on why yoga is becoming the ‘in’ thing in town.

Amid the growing stressors in society, individuals often find it difficult to strike a balance between completing chores and maintaining physical fitness. Actor-choreographer Joshinder Chaggar, who is a student of yoga, comments on the problems people are facing in the city that may lead them to opt for yoga. “Over-eating is a big problem in the city. Eating is a big part of the Karachi lifestyle and it needs to be balanced out with exercise.”

Joshinder attributes yoga’s all-encompassing nature to be the reason why people are turning towards it. “Yoga is incredibly holistic. It’s a physical and mental workout – all in one,” she says. “The wonderful thing about it is that it comprises multiple forms. Power Yoga is a very aggressive workout. Then, there is Yin Yoga and many other slower forms. There is a yoga type for everyone and all personality types.” She adds that yoga has the power to make one feel good. “No matter how much we talk about it, you just have to experience it for yourself.”



Maha Abbas, a yoga therapist who is working for the Body Beat Recreational Centre, says that the practice started in Pakistan a decade ago. She thinks that the reason behind yoga gaining momentum in the city is that not only is it an exercise, but a lifestyle in itself. “It’s a therapy to treat people physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and socially,” she elaborates. “It de-stresses people, makes them happy, and loved in society by instilling in them positivity and the will to deal with a challenge.”

According to model Nadia Hussain, who has been practicing yoga for more than five years, people are taking keener interest in it with growing awareness. “It’s free for all [those who practice it at home] and a fulfilling way of exercising. Even if you’re doing it half way, you will yield some benefits from it,” she comments. “While in other exercises, you need to be particular about the movement, yoga is not restrictive.”



She personally took up yoga due to its positive impact on physical well-being. “I started practicing yoga for stretching purposes. The flexes and kind of poses you can do during yoga are essentially why I took up this form of exercise. You can literally feel the blood flow through the lesser worked-out body parts.”

So, does yoga help in attaining physical health? According to Nadia, “it definitely does.” She switched to doing yoga after doing Pilates and is presently doing Power Yoga, which involves physical movement, breath work and meditation. Power Yoga is usually practiced in a hot room.

Being a dance performer, Joshinder acknowledges the importance of yoga. “Personally, I started doing yoga here because of a lack of dance classes,” she explains. Hailing from Australia, she says that while she took dance classes there, she couldn’t find proper dance teachers in Pakistan. “So, I turned to yoga and fell in love with it instantly. It’s so physically challenging and when you start to see your flexibility improving and your body changing, it feels as if you are having a dialogue with your body,” she comments.

While some may argue that yoga is an ‘elitist’ practice that has become a fad, others may acknowledge that it’s an effective de-stressing tool. Maha says, “It’s certainly an effective tool and a form of self therapy. It helps people overcome depression and insecurities, and motivates you to live a healthier and wiser life.”

For Maha, yoga is therapeutic. Through the practice, she has treated special children, patients with paralysis and chronic ailments. “Yoga is essentially a union of the mind, body and soul. I use it as a therapy that is simply holistic; it doesn’t require medicines and also reduces weight,” she states.

Joshinder agrees with Maha on yoga’s therapeutic nature. “It’s a practical experience that is felt through your body,” she explains. “Moving the body, in any way at all, is therapeutic. Your muscles need to stretch and move. Otherwise emotions, stress, memories just keep collecting and filling you up and if you don’t release them, you have an emotional outburst. In yoga, there is also emphasis on breathing deeply and quietening the mind,” she adds.

Top 10: yoga poses for new yogis

Yoga improves muscle tone, flexibility and balance, and it helps you relax and reduce stress. Studies reveal that yoga can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety and chronic pain better than traditional therapy. For those who are new to yoga, here are the top 10 poses compiled by some help from The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed that need to be added to your yoga regimen. 

BRIDGE POSE

CHILD’S POSE

LEGS UP THE WALL

WARRIOR POSE

STANDING MOUNTAIN POSE

PIGEON POSE

UPWARD FACING DOG

EASY CROSS LEG

TREE POSE

CAT-COW POSE

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2014.

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