At the crack of dawn the head constable makes his colleagues bend and stretch and take deep breaths, ensuring his orders are followed without any sloppiness.
At the crack of dawn, 54-year-old head constable Manohar Wangade heads to the Shivajinagar police headquarters where his colleagues are waiting for him.
He makes them bend and stretch and take deep breaths, ensuring his orders are followed without any sloppiness.
As the sole yoga teacher of the Pune police personnel, Wangade’s orders are followed, thanks to his reputation of being a hard taskmaster.
He ensures his colleagues are in good health.
Wangade, who joined the Maharashtra police force in 1978 as head constable, has made teaching yoga his life’s mission. The story began in 2000, when some of his colleagues informed their senior IPS officer about his ability.
Wangade was later given the duty of imparting lessons in yoga to his colleagues. Wangade said, “I learnt yoga in 1982 at Ganeshpuri, near Mumbai. I soon discovered the benefits of yoga and thought it would be a great idea to use it for the benefit of the police force as well.”
Attending a course in yoga is mandatory for personnel present at 29 stations of Pune police. Every police station is required to send two policemen for a 15-day course. Besides, attending this course is mandatory for all the officers and staff. The extra working hours, unhealthy diet and stress are taking toll on the city’s policemen.
“I emphasise on yogasanas that help the police personnel in dealing with their stress and long work schedules. I stress on pranayam as it shows benefits in a short time. I teach simple asanas that the personnel can later practice at home,” he said.
“Most of the policemen meet me after finishing the course and often give me positive feedback about their improved health. This is a reward for me,” he explained.
Constable HC Kamble of the Chatuhshrungi police station, said, “I had fallen prey to a physical ailment from which I just could not recover. Amazingly, a 15-day course of yoga and pranayam did wonders for me,” he said. Head constable PS Borole of Faraskhana police station also discovered the benefits of yoga.
“My busy and erratic schedule led to serious acidity problems. I have never practiced yoga, but doing asanas for just 10 days, I feel fresh and feel my health is improving,” he said.
BL Awagade, a constable attached to the Vishrambagh police station, said that yoga helps him concentrate on work better, especially during bandobast in the city.
Wangade, who lives with his son and daughter in the city, plans to continue teaching yoga to the police personnel. Speaking about his experience of 11 years as a yoga guru at the Pune Commissionerate, Wangade said, “I have taught yoga to over 13,000 policemen including deputy commissioner of police (DCP), assistant police inspectors, police inspector and police constables. I would love to be of service as long as I can.”
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