Practice pranayam from Lalu's land

The half-a-century old Bihar School of Yoga that's gathering a following in the city, roots for tradition over pop fads

The half-a-century old Bihar School of Yoga that's gathering a following in the city, roots for tradition over pop fads

The seamless fluidity that's intrinsic to the character of waves that gently lap the shore outside, finds a reflection in Amit Kumar flexibility as he moulds himself into a peacock while performing the Mayurasana, holding his body parallel to the floor, using just his palms.


Bihar yoga practitioner Amit Kumar does the Vrikshasana, an asana
that makes joints in the legs, knees and ankles, flexible. It tones leg
muscles and strengthens the arches, tendons and ligaments in the feet.

Eknath as he known in yoga circles, hails from Bhagalpur in Bihar, and he is here to teach what he learned at the Bihar School of Yoga (BSY) located in Munger. The 31 year-old who conducts classes in an airy hall on Walkeshwar Road, says, "to spread yoga from door to door and shore to shore is the school's aim".u00a0 This philosophy lies at the core of the teachings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, who founded the school in 1963, and that's what brought Eknath to Mumbai.

Though this form of yoga follows traditional practices, the techniques go beyond tantric, vedantic and yoga teachings, to incorporate physical and mental health sciences. Eknath, who has a Teacher Training Certificate to his credit, lived the life of an acetic for four months at the school where guru-shishya parampara is a way of life.

Bihar yoga goes beyond bizarre contortions, with meditation and pranayama playing a key role. Yoga Nidra, a systematic method of inducing total relaxation, gains prominence. And so does the Pawana Muktasana seriesu00a0-- part one for rheumatic problems, part two for gastric problems, and part three for shakti bandha or postures that release energies from within the body. "We don't dilute yoga," clarifies Eknath. "Mix it up with more popular fads and you lose yoga's very essence."

Belonging to a community that's been at the centre of attacks from separatist political factions, doesn't seem to bother this yoga practitioner. He brushes the query aside, gently. "Yoga is above all that."u00a0

At: Sheetal Baug, ground floor, Walkeshwar Road, Chowpatty. Fees: Rs 1,500 per month. Private lessons available too. Call 9322216555u00a0

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