Chetnath Adhikari starts his day with Surya Namaskar—a sequence of 12 yoga poses, which involves moving from a standing position into downward and upward dog poses and then back to the standing position. It has been a part of his morning routine for the last 30 years and he says it’s the perfect way to stretch in the mornings before he moves on to other asanas.

“It is very important to maintain sound mental health in today’s fast-paced life, where I even see even young people burn-out,” Adhikari says. “Yoga can help you heal from any physical as well as mental stress.” The founder of Chetana Yoga Foundation of Nepal believes that yoga helps balance one’s physical, mental and spiritual health.

Yoga has been gaining global popularity in recent years for the many benefits it has on one’s physiology, psychology and spirituality. While most exercises are focused on physical health, yoga lays emphasis on the mental and spiritual health of an individual.  

One cannot be healthy without striking a balance in one’s body and a proper regulation of altogether nine systems of the body and seven chakras, says Adhikari. “There are 72,000 energy channels in our body, and stress blocks these channels. Yoga unlocks and balances these energy channels and chakras that result in a peace of mind.”

Chintamani Gautam, who has completed his doctorate in Yoga sciences, also reiterates Adhikari’s claims. With an experience of 22 years, Gautam claims that yoga helps improve blood circulation, increases metabolism, activates joints, reduces toxins, and stimulates systems in addition to acquiring the right body weight.

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“Nowadays, people follow yoga just to lose weight. But the benefits of yoga aren’t just limited to physical health,” he says. “It increases concentration and memory power, increases creativity and productivity. Additionally, breathing exercises help decrease restlessness.”

According to Gautam, yoga can be divided into two categories—preventive yoga and curative yoga. Preventive yoga mainly focuses on preserving one’s physical and mental health condition whereas curative yoga focuses on tackling mental health problems such as anxiety, insomnia, depression, and physical health conditions like problems in neurological, digestive, joint, circulatory, and excretory systems.

“There are five vital energies that keep moving through the body known as prana vayu. They are directly proportional to breathing. For peace of mind it’s important to control the energies,” says Gautam. It is when these energies are not in balance that the mind becomes restless, he says.

However, Gautam states it would be unwise to resort to yoga expecting it to treat chronic health problems. Yoga is not the solution to all health problems, but it definitely helps people live a disciplined life and thus help people lead healthier lives.

“Healing through yoga is a long process and the person should be able to actively participate with a dedication to healing. Pursuing it half-heartedly will not be helpful as yoga is not just about different asanas or postures, it also includes food habits, social relationships and lifestyle,” he says.

But people are only concerned about the aesthetics of yoga rather than maintaining a wholesome healthy lifestyle.

“Many people find it difficult to accommodate even an hour of their day to pursue yoga but it is only a matter of habit,” says Gautam. “If not everyday, I encourage people to do the exercises at least two to three times a week.”

On the other hand, Adhikari also blames the growing habit of popping different analgesic or antibiotic pills when someone suffers a general health condition. “Nowadays, people depend on drugs rather than eliminating the root cause of the pain. But it is important to understand your body—both mentally and physically—to let it heal,” he says. “Yoga can be your spiritual guide.”