I HAVE BEEN in India for 12 years, and yoga and meditation have been an essential part of my life. They help connect the mind and body, improving overall fitness and wellbeing. The breathing technique used while doing yoga is a powerful tool to handle any tough situation in a better way. Additionally, yoga helps reduce stress and anxiety, and improves sleep.
Besides an actor, I am also a certified nutritionist and author of Keep Eating Keep Losing, and I see that insomnia, chronic stress and depression are becoming common. In fact, 80 per cent of chronic diseases can be managed by changing the lifestyle to a healthier and holistic one. I think yoga and meditation are perfect tools to do so, besides a balanced diet and adequate sleep. Yoga has endless benefits. It boosts immunity, and helps prevent many diseases. I treat yoga as a lifestyle and not just a form of exercise.
You can find good yoga teachers in every country you choose to travel. Yoga retreats are becoming more popular, and you can practise yoga anywhere, because you don’t require any equipment.
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I would like to quote Albert Einstein who said, “In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” When the [Union] government imposed a lockdown during Covid-19, I was alone in my Mumbai apartment for months, which was extremely challenging as I am a social person. This is when I started practising yoga and meditation on a daily basis, which helped me stay calm and positive. At that time there was a lot of panic, negativity and uncertainty. Yoga helped me stay positive and strive to see the silver lining. I realised that it was a time to discover myself, work on myself to be a better human, learn a new skill, chase other passions. That mindset was the changing point for me.
Ciesla is an actor and nutritionist.