Gurgaon’s Uniworld Gardens RWA finds new way to keep senior citizens health — chair yoga

Yoga instructors Ritu Baweja, Vinod Singh and Nidhi, help residents with the session. Most of the senior citizens are unable to sit on the ground so they use the chair. The residents have been practising chair yoga for a couple of months now and some have shown remarkable improvement in terms of fitness.

The senior citizens at Uniworld Gardens-1 on Sohna Road are keeping themselves physically fit and active with the help of a new techinique — chair yoga. When the clock strikes 7 in the morning, the senior citizens assemble at the clubhouse and spend an hour practising this new form of yoga.

The residents have been practising chair yoga for a couple of months now and some have shown remarkable improvement in terms of fitness.

Yoga instructors Ritu Baweja, Vinod Singh and Nidhi, help residents with the session. Most of the senior citizens are unable to sit on the ground so they use the chair.

The condominium with 506 apartments with more than 55 senior citizens, of which 30 are regulars at the yoga class. Seventy-year-old Nirmala Sharma, who was unable to sit on the floor before she started classes here, said, “I had a severe knee problem and regular practice of yoga has made me flexible and improved my confidence. Earlier, I had difficulty walking, which has now reduced to a great extent.”

For 63-year-old Meenu Seth, these yoga sessions have acted as a stress buster. “Since the time I have joined the classes, positive thoughts overpower my stress and I feel light inside. I enjoy my classes and make it a point not to skip a class.”

“You do the asanas sitting on a chair or standing, using the chair for support. It increases flexibility and deepens body awareness. This form of yoga is known to have helped people with health issues such as hypertension, anxiety, chronic pain, arthritis, and insomnia. It is highly recommended for senior citizens,” he said.

The residents have been practising chair yoga for a couple of months now and some have shown remarkable improvement in terms of fitness.

LB Rao, a senior citizen participant, said, “The meditation component is rejuvenating and refreshing. From your toe to the head, it is as if a sacred current is entering your heart and spreading through your body.”