Shivraj Singh Chouhan

POLITICIAN

I HAVE BEEN a practitioner of yoga for almost 50 years now. I was introduced to yoga as a class five student. Back then, yoga was not very popular as a form of exercise, much less as something that helps train the mind. I was never into heavy exercises or dand baithaks, but was always fond of reading. I managed to read books on yoga and was attracted to the idea. In those days, there weren’t many popular yoga gurus. Books, therefore, played an important role in explaining yoga to me. The importance of yoga in everyday life, especially for someone in public life, is known to everyone across the world. Yoga not only addresses the physical requirements of the body but also the mental ones, keeping both the body and mind fit. It makes you mentally sharp and focused. I bagged a gold medal for being a topper in my postgraduation course in philosophy. Philosophy helped me appreciate the role of yoga in attaining life’s larger goals and bringing me closer to god.

I have my own yoga routine on the basis of my requirements. My regular workout comprises of Sookshma vyayam, Surya Namaskar and Bhujangasana and my asanas last between 20 and 30 minutes everyday. There are days when because of paucity of time or travel, I am compelled to skip my workout. I am better placed to take on heavy work schedules when I have done asanas in the morning.