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Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

Health in your hands Participants undergoing an exercise schedule at the camp (left) Girish Patel

Visualising a healthy India he says, the strength of a country depends on its young workforce and if that is hit by chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity and asthma then, ‘we are down and under’.

The trainer observes that chronic diseases are on the rise among the younger generation due to the stress related jobs, especially in vibrant sectors like IT, ITES, insurance, marketing and banking. Long hours of work coupled with factors like targets to achieve and jet-setting lifestyle are primarily responsible for it.

Recipient of the Award of Honour from the Royal Medical Society, Dr. Patel has studied several methods of yoga propagated by various schools of thought. A practitioner of the ancient technique, he has toured over 40 countries and has aired over 5,000 lectures. For a healthy body and mind, his advice is simple, ‘Just go back to the roots and reap the benefits’.

On a one-hour schedule to keep fit, he says, “It should be a combination of 20 minutes of pranayama, 20minutes of physical exercise and 20 minutes of meditation.”

“Each has its own implication and usefulness. Through pranayama, one can rejuvenate the divine energy or the prana shakti within us.” He suggests ten types of basic pranayamas to start with. “Five are meant for activating the energy centres and the other five bring peace to the mind. Apart from the physical benefits, one would also experience rich spiritual gains in the course of time. And when I talk of spiritualism, it transcends the misrepresented tenets of religion.”

Dr. Patel has devised a seven-step approach to a healthy life. The steps involve knowledge, exercise, diet, freedom from stress, mind, medicines and de-addiction. “One should have the knowledge of both the diseases and the efficacies of pranayama, exercise and meditation. Stress activates certain neurons in the brains which in turn accelerate blood pressure, release certain harmful toxins and anti-insulin hormones. With the help of pranayama and meditation, one can get hold over the mind and thus overcome stress. They act as brakes. Mind is the most important aspect and it is responsible for both ill health and good health. So for a healthy body a healthy mind is important,” he points out.

The trainer says that exercise and diet work as partners in progress. “The 20 minutes of exercise could be a combination of yoga, aerobics and stretch and it could work wonders on the body. But at the same time, diet is very important. One should follow a strict vegetarian diet. The diet should contain more of fruits, vegetables, sprouts and whole grains and less of sugar, salt, maida, oil and butter. One should also try to bring some change in their daily life, take the steps instead of the lift or alight a stop before the destination and walk the rest.” He also says that people who are on regular medicines should not stop the course, but gradually try to reduce the dosage with the advice of a qualified doctor.

“Lifestyle plays an important role in life. And lifestyle at times includes addiction to certain habits like smoking or drinking. My seventh step deals with the de-addiction of such habits. There is no specific therapy - it is a mind game. In the beginning, the withdrawal symptom period could be a difficult phase to pass through. But if one can overcome it, one would be free of the bondage forever.”

He advocates the theory of ‘quantum leap’ and says that it is possible to achieve only through guided meditation. “Meditation is nothing but bringing home the mind. The technique is simple: Turn, tune and test.

Turn your mind inwards, tune to the supreme and test or experience the feeling. If successful, one would see a quantum leap or change in their attitude and personality,” says Dr. Patel.

He is here to conduct a five-day camp that began on Thursday and is being held by Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya at the port diamond jubilee outdoor stadium and at the Kendriya Vidyalaya- II, Nausenabagh, in the morning and in the evening respectively.

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