BY Udbhavi UpadhayayWhoever said that there are no young takers for yoga hasn’t visited the parks in the city. While it’s not uncommon to see the spaces filled with people practicing yoga on colourful mats, the fact that most of these people are from the 18-30 age group is quite interesting. Yoga, particularly the acro variant, has brought to them the much-needed peace of mind. Yoga trainer Chetna Joshi claims, “The average age of yoga practitioners is decreasing. In fact, with acro yoga becoming popular even school kids are getting involved in the sessions along with their parents.” On International Yoga Day, we spoke to the young yoga enthusiasts and asked them what is driving them to take up this form of exercise.“Yoga enables one to go beyond their boundaries and gives them the confidence to achieve anything and the self-reliance to excel in life,” says Pankaj Soni, another trainer. He believes that confidence, which arises from training, is is what has attracted the youth towards yoga. Hectic work schedules have resulted in a lot of stress-related problems and many youngsters are giving in to the pressures of getting good grades, securing a good job, maintaining steady relationships and burden of fitting into the society.Deepti Somani, who is an MSc in yoga and a certified trainer, is of the thought that it is not only asanas or pranayamas, but the concept of living that, when accepted as a lifestyle, can result in a lot of benefits. “Yoga concentrates on ‘Chitta Vritti Nirodhaha’, meaning removing distractions or obstacles from the mind. This leads to peace of mind and youngsters are increasingly adapting to such a lifestyle,she says.Yoga picks up among city youngstersWhen asked about the reason as to why yoga trainers have a very substantial impact on the minds of youngsters, Yashvi Punjabi, a student is of a similar view. “I detested getting involved in any physical activity at first. But learning from someone who is passionate about the form changed my perspective. I started to enjoy these sessions and it helped me maintain a good physique and posture. I practice yoga regularly and even motivate others to do it now.”Celebrity influence has also had a lot to do with teenagers and young adults taking up yoga. For instance, after Shilpa Shetty’s yoga videos became popular and Sushmita Sen mentioned the benefits of yoga in her interviews, there has been a lot of buzz about it. Barun Kushwah, a yoga trainer, says, “A lot of social media posts from celebs, ad campaigns and free sessions have led a number of youngsters to switch to yoga. Many a times I get questions from youngsters about a particular asana that they have seen a celeb performing.”Another reason behind yoga picking up among youngsters is because most of them share their yoga activities on social media and that leads to their friend circle wanting to try it too. Meghna Upadhyay, a young yoga practitioner, shares, “I find yoga very relaxing. It has made me independent, confident and proud. I get many queries on my profile when people see my yoga videos, and I’m quite glad to answer them.” Sakshi Sharma, a student from DAVV, adds, “I started doing power yoga due to social media influence, but I have never regretted that decision. It has helped me balance my life and maintain focus.”With more people indulging in yoga, the number of young trainers has also gone up in the recent past. Pandit Radheshyam Mishra, a yoga trainer who has conducted more than 100 yoga camps across the world, agrees to this rising trend. He says, “Youngsters are enrolling for yoga teacher training programs. A recent programme I conducted had students below the age of 19 participating and getting certified as yoga trainers. Young teachers go a long way in inspiring others.” Chetna, 24, is one such trainer. She has already travelled to countries abroad to train people in yoga. “Yoga is popular among all age groups. I have been practicing it since my college days and it is heartening to see more youngsters taking up yoga these days for a better lifestyle,” she shares.

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