Mumbai police personnel take to yoga

Mumbai, Nov 26 (ANI): Mumbai police officials have taken to Yoga to beat the stress of their hectic schedules.

Around 5,000 officers of the Mumbai Police Force are participating in a weeklong yoga camp to fight the stress caused by their overstretched duties.

The yoga camp has been organised after the city's police department sought help from a 90-year-old yoga institute to distress its personnel. The institute readily obliged free of cost.

"Seven days before, the Additional Commissioner had approached me and informed me about the sufferings of the police personnel. More than 150 police personnel died of stress, heart attacks, paralysis, and other chronic diseases. The problems of high blood pressure, diabetics, migraine, and asthma are increasing among police personnel. In addition, problems like frustration, dejection and domestic clashes are also increasing because policemen are not able to give time to their families. The commissioner was very upset over this and asked me to do something. We have designed a special programme, keeping in mind the hectic schedules of the officers," said Hansaji Yogendra, Yoganstructor.

Everyday the police officers dutifully make a visit to the institute for their daily set of exercises.

"This weeklong camp has to be attended by every officer. We are being taught various techniques including breathing exercises and other yogic exercises which have really helped us to relax," said Rajesh Kale, a police inspector.

Yoga is said to modify the body response to stress of various types, thus, helping the officials to cope better with their duties. (ANI)