Mysuru has become a hub for ‘yoga vacation’ among corporate employees from metros looking to beat professional stress.
Yoga studios of global standards are running to full strength with tailor-made courses, especially stress-busting ones, even during off-season, in part thanks to the decision taken three years ago to observe June 21 as International Yoga Day.
“I used to shut my studio in the off-season (April, May and June) every year. In the past three years, my studio is running full with the highest-paid salaried class from metro cities coming to us to learn yoga. Young women from the metros and from key Tier II cities are embracing yoga in a big way,” said yoga guru Shashi Kumar of Niravana Yoga Shala (Mystic School).
Speaking to The Hindu on the eve of International Yoga Day, he said it was not just foreigners who were queuing up in the city to learn yoga. Young salaried class members and entrepreneurs from the likes of Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru are being drawn to Mysuru for yoga. “I attribute this change to the international recognition given for the ancient practice,” he said.
Mr. Kumar, who has been into yoga training for over a decade now, said he has introduced off-season packages to cater to the new-found interest. “Now, me and my staff are completely engaged in the off-season, running daylong classes. This was not the case earlier,” he said.
‘Incredible effort’
On the Guinness world record attempt for the largest yoga demonstration that will be attempted in Mysuru on Wednesday, Mr .Kumar said it was incredible effort to promoting the ancient practice. A lot of foreign nationals from my studio are participating in the demonstration, he added.
Winter is the time when most foreign nationals head to Mysuru to learn yoga. South Americans, mainly people from Brazil, Mexico and countries in northern Europe, are learning various forms of yoga at his school.
Out of 150 yoga schools in the city, there are around 15 studios that are of international standard and offer yoga courses, accommodation and food to foreigners.
Mr. Kumar, who has a yoga studio in Greece and taught there in April this year, said e-visa has become a boon for promoting yoga as foreigners are applying for visa naming yoga as the reason for their visit to India.
