All in the mind - and the body

From anger management to dealing with diabetes, yoga has surprising benefits. Gareth McPherson reports.

Who would have thought that the way you breathe air in and out of your lungs could improve your health and well-being?

But one Maidenhead yoga teacher claims that her life has been transformed after using breathing techniques to lose weight and avoid social confrontations.

Santosh Malhotra often struggled with feelings of anger until she started practising Swami Ramdev Yoga, developed by the eponymous Indian spiritual icon.

“When someone said something bad to me it used to get me really upset and angry but now I am much more relaxed. I was angry but now I am calm,” she said.

The yoga art-form relies on a series of breathing techniques ranging from small sharp breaths through the nose to long lung stretching cycles.

Although followers of the outspoken Swami, who has drawn 20million viewers to his early morning TV routines in India, have reported that his exercises have healing and preventative powers, many people remain sceptical.

“Some people don’t believe it and say that it can’t do anything for you but I tell them to try it and they will feel benefits,” said Santosh. “It provides so many benefits,” she added.”I have also lost weight from the breathing techniques but it can help diabetes and stress and all other kinds of problems.”

But what makes Guru Swami’s version of yoga different to the forms that have developed since it was first practised in India 3,000 years ago?

“This is different because this is more about breathing and the relaxation it brings,” said Santosh, who has been giving free lessons twice a month in Maidenhead this year.

“It’s always important to empty our minds when doing it, forget about who’s around us and don’t think about anything else.”

She wants people to feel as good as she does now so, with funding, has been hiring the 4 Marlow Road community centre, Maidenhead, to host the calming sessions. “It is all free of charge because I have felt all these benefits and now I want other people to feel the benefits,” she said.

• The sessions are held every second and last Sunday of the month from 3.30pm-5.30pm and are followed by an Indian dholk (drum) and dance workshop, led by Serla Sethi.
For more details about the yoga, call Santosh on 01628 637912 and about the music, contact Serla on 01753 527824.