Bhondsi jail inmates train to become experts in Yoga

The 2,200 inmates of Bhondsi Jail in Gurugram are all set to practise yoga on International Yoga Day this Thursday. The two-and-a-half-hour celebrations, which will also include music and dance performances, will begin at 6.30am on Thursday.

For weeks, hundreds of inmates have been attending yoga classes every morning at 7. These classes are presided over by inmates already well-versed with techniques of Yoga exercise and meditation, jail officials said.

Apart from these regular classes, inmates are also learning to become professional yoga and meditation trainers. For this purpose, around 60 inmates, including temporarily transferred ones, have been coming together at 8am everyday for a 45-day course, which started on June 6, conducted by experts from Delhi.

Jail officials said the classes last for three to four hours and include theoretical and practical knowledge. The inmates will be given training completion certificates at the end of the course.

According to the trainers, the yoga classes have had a great impact on the overall environment

in the jail, and have helped inmates deal with various health problems.

On Thursday, all inmates will come together for a huge display of yoga postures and meditation techniques. Men and women will

be practising yoga in the lawns of their respective wards.

Bhondsi jail superintendent Jai Kishan Chillar said, “The chief guest for the occasion will be wrestler and Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar.”