Indian professional beats stress, tastes joy of life through yoga

Sundar Pratap Singh left his job to spread the joy and benefits of yoga after sessions in Nepal and India.

When managing workplace stress began to drain him mentally, Abu Dhabi-based expat Sundar Pratap Singh turned to hills of Kathmandu and Himachal Pradesh for a place to meditate. And yoga sessions gave a new slant to his life. Later on, Singh gave up his professional career to spread the joy and benefits of yoga.
Singh, who now manages Open Circle in Abu Dhabi, stresses that yoga is for every body and not only for yogis who can 'touch the roof with their heels'.
"I had to work round the clock with no time for personal life. Modern day office stress takes a toll on your personal life. You get frustrated and disturbed but later regret such situations. I became a victim of my own anger. I began to doubt and question myself. I wanted to break free and sought help. I went on a journey to discover myself and found meditation as a way to find the real you. But meditation was very difficult as my mind was filled with hundreds of thoughts."
Singh found answers to his troubles in Nepal.
"I had read about dynamic meditation which helped manage stress. It has different phases and prepares you for meditation. I went for a 21-day 'life transformation course' at a forest retreat in Kathmandu. It had three phases - 'shudhi' where you clean yourself mentally and physically, 'sadhana' where you dedicate yourself to different types of meditation and 'shunyata' where you enter a state of emptiness and silence. It gave a new perspective to life. There was new hope that I can be a better person."
Fully satisfied with the benefits of yoga, Singh went for another course in Dharamshala in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. "I luckily had enough holidays to go for this course. It was very helpful. It gave a different direction in life. I felt this was something I had to do in my life. On my return to Abu Dhabi, I quit my job and started Open Circle. Now I take classes for corporate houses where people struggle to cope with stress and demands."
Singh places his life as an example to beat stress with a smile.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE
• Abu Dhabi

Ashwani Kumar

Ashwani Kumar is a versatile journalist who explores every beat in Abu Dhabi with an insatiable curiosity. He loves uncovering stories that are informative and help readers form their own opinions.

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com