60,000 take to yoga camp for a cure

For 12-year-old Sriram Gowda, it was an early morning wake up call on Monday—not to study for any test, but to attend the week-long yoga camp organised by Swami Ramdev Baba at Bandra Kurla Complex.

The bespectacled class VII student went to the camp hoping the yoga exercises would cure his myopia.

“Swamiji, in his programmes on television, says that yoga can rectify myopia. We wanted to attend the yoga camp in Mumbai to cure my son’s myopia,” said Indira Gowda, Sriram’s mother.

The Matunga resident was not the only one who attended the camp in the hope of being cured of ailments otherwise considered incurable. Around 50,000 people attended the first day of the camp.

“I have been suffering from spondylitis for three years. Even my doctor suggested yoga; I hope the exercises will help relieve the pain,” said Vinod Kashyap, 46, a resident of Goregaon.

Baba is visiting Mumbai for the fourth time to hold the yoga camp. His claims of curing diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and even myopia through Pranayama or breathing exercises has people thronging the camp for the cure.

“Pranayama yoga can cure any disease or defect without side effects, but it should be done under proper supervision. I’ve had cases where cancer was cured without any chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Myopia can be rectified by pressing certain points on our palms, following a strict diet and other exercises,” said Swami Ramdev Baba.

Dr Nagendra Shah, eye-specialist at Bombay Hospital, said, “One cannot cure myopia or any refractive error through yoga.  Yoga can help reduce weight, correct hormonal and muscular imbalance. Hence, it can cure high blood pressure,  diabetes and reduce cholesterol levels.”