Yoga and me were poles apart throughout my life I perhaps did not take yoga seriously. But I always knew about the Mumbai-based 'The Yoga Institute' and admired it.
One thing was clear in the back of my mind that yoga is good for physical, mental and spiritual health and I did have some examples before me. I did my schooling in Jabalpur, where my father worked in the Indian Ordnance Factories. Most of my schooling was in Kendriya Vidyalaya or the Central School, with weekly one or two periods dedicated to yoga. Those were the days of Doordarshan and I recall having taken tips about Asanas and Pranayamas from the programmes conducted by Smt. Hansaji Yogendra and Dr. Jayadeva Yogendra.
I was in my teens and still remember some images and videos of those black-and-white yoga programmes. Me and my wife, Ruma, both have memories of those Doordarshan programmes and we have always admired the personality and oratory skills of Hansa Maa. But once I completed my education and started working in the early-nineties, fitness and other things seemed to have gone for a toss.
As a journalist, I had covered events of The Yoga Institute, and even attended a weekend workshop for journalists some years ago. But I did not pursue it or make it a habit. When I came to Mumbai more than three decades ago, I weighed between 55 to 60 kgs.
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