After havoc wreaked by Covid, yoga helps Ahmedabad breathe again

AHMEDABAD: For Bhavna Patel, 45, a resident of Naranpura, May 2022 marked a year of her discharge from hospital after recovering from Covid. With fibrosis, her lungs had weakened.
“After consulting my doctor, I started breathing exercises with a yoga teacher. We initially started with vibhagiya pranayama (sectional breathing),” Patel said. “Once I was confident that I could take deeper breaths, we graduated to anulom-vilom and bhramari.”
Patel said that her breathing has improved from shallow to stable, and along with modern medicines and treatment, yoga played a role in her recovery.
As the Covid pandemic completed two years in the state in March this year, the aftermath has seen a spike in attendance of 20-40% at yoga classes across the city. While many started the practice to improve their lung capacity, others took to pranayama and asanas to improve their immunity.
Hetal Desai, an Iyengar Yoga trainer in the city, said that awareness heightened about alternative ways to achieve well-being —including ayurveda and yoga — after the start of the pandemic. Desai said the number of students has been increasing.
“We understand that many quit the classes after a few days as they fail to perform asanas and kriyas perfectly. Thus, we often encourage the use of props including chairs to help them get the postures right,” Desai said. “Once they get acquainted with the exercises, they gradually start practising on their own.”
She said that after initial training, many can perform yoga on their own without any expense or specific place — a factor which has ensured that those who have learnt it once continue to practise.
Arun Oza, a trustee at Shivanand Ashram, said that they have organized multiple camps and training sessions for almost all sections of society over the past year.
“Many are also approaching us for tailor-made solutions to problems ranging from posture to short attention span,” said a Lakulish Yoga University official.