'Yoga should be adopted for complete well being'

It's yoga in the air, with everyone gearing up to observe International Day of Yoga on Sunday.

Yoga teachers too are getting ready to participate with complete enthusiasm, and one among them is Dr Ramesh Mantri, an orthopedic surgeon and a yoga practitioner and guru. Mantri, who has developed the concept of Ortho Yoga Life, said, "Yoga is not (a) superficial exercise. It has to be reaped within the body and mind."

The Ortho Yoga Life is a guideline for those suffering from joint pains. Mantri has presented research papers on this concept at different medical conferences, which have been accepted well. Speaking to dna about yoga, he said, "The concept of yoga revolves around Aahar – Vihaar – Vichaar, which means Food – Behaviour – Thought. Patanjali gave a boon to the society 5,000 years ago and we realise that today we need it the most to maintain positive health."

Mantri emphasised that only yoga can lead to well being in all areas of life, including physical, mental, familial, spiritual and social. There are many forms of yoga, he said, adding that Ashtanga Yoga carries benefits as it is a holistic approach.

"If we adapt yoga as our lifestyle, it will surely lead to a healthy life and prevent many problems. Fast food and fast life take you closer to a fast death. We find that psychological problems in the society are increasing at a rate of 30%. If we need to stay away from such problems, the solution lies in adapting yoga as a lifestyle and not as a class or exercise. It should begin at a young age and should be ingrained within the person and one should follow the three-point programme of healthy food, behaviour and thought," Mantri said.

He, however, warned that yoga should not be done without proper training. "Learn properly and then practise and do it every day. Even an hour a day would be sufficient," he said.