‘We have only changed the language of teaching’

Appointed as the international brand ambassador of Yoga Alliance International in 2009, Grand Master Akshar, whose academy trains an average of 3,000 students every day, says he wants to “package” yoga so that more youngsters take to the art form. Advocating the need for altering yoga to suit the contemporary times, he says international recognition given for yoga will help in immensely popularising it.

Excerpts from an interview:

Q. How different is traditional yoga compared to the new forms?

A. There is not much difference between the new forms and the traditional form. The basics are the same but they are tweaked to suit the current needs. While earlier people would look at yoga to achieve a reunion between the body and the mind, now it is for fitness and weight loss. When the body is not fit, it would be difficult to talk about meditation and calming the mind. We have not changed the method. We have only changed the language in which we teach.

Some trainers sell yoga as a form of exercise for instant weight loss. Is that desirable?

Yoga is the best remedy for weight loss and comes without side-effects. People do not have time and are looking to yoga to address their lifestyle diseases. For instance, my form of yoga clubs best practices that I learnt from 15 gurus … Combining various methods helps in ensuring that all body parts receive adequate exercise.