“Breathe in deeply...one, two, three...hold for a while... breathe out slowly...one, two, three...” You are listening, squatted on the floor cross-legged, back straight, eyes closed. The mind, obedient to commands, is slipping into an engulfing silence.
The commands come not from a guru but from inside the pocket. The era when anything and everything goes hi-tech, the traditional, holistic wellness technique, yoga, is not far behind. The space of e-gurus and YouTube video tutorials is expanding to newer horizons. Yoga practising apps are gaining mass appeal whilst making their way to the state as we reach the second International Day of Yoga today.
Nuthan Manohar, CEO of Me Met Me at Panampilly Nagar has used the app Saagara for pranayama (breathing exercise). Breathing courses in this app are designed for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. “I haven’t tried any other yoga app except for breathing. It’s a very good timer specifically with tones to inhale and exhale. I recommend downloading the app for the most stressed out. Better results come if they practise it daily, say a three minute module for five times. Audio for guided visualisation or stress relief is also beneficial to relax your body parts specifically,” she explains.
The app vibe is not a trend restricted to down south, it resonates nationwide. This is when MoS for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik has launched a yoga app of 45-minute module as part of the gala plans to propagate yoga. Looking from the business side, developing an app for yoga practice is rewarding, feels Premjose Foji, CEO of Euro Info Tech in Kochi, behind the making of Daily Yoga — Weight Loss Pro on iTunes. He dared to take the plunge four years ago, at a time when it was an alien concept in Kerala.
“I had a personal interest in releasing the app after learning yoga myself. The app has a descriptive side with clear cut instructions and videos are there to help the learner understand each step thoroughly. There is room to make choices. If the user is in need of weight loss, blood sugar control, blood pressure monitoring or reducing tummy fat, they can choose the right package and try it out. Over the years, there have been 35K downloads, mostly from the European countries,” says Foji.
Yoga/meditation consultant Sudakshna Thampi has done a thorough study on yoga apps. “Fondue Yoga is an app by Indian instructors. It is crisp, clear and there is no wastage of time doing the postures. When everybody is in a hurry, an app like this can be useful. There are clear-cut precautions and benefits of doing the asanas. The option to choose an instructor is of great advantage and people can even contact them,” says the Kochi-based yoga expert.
Sudakshna Thampi
Meanwhile, several experts send across a message of caution; that blindly walking the app trail would invite more trouble than good. Aswani Dravid, a former television show-host of a wellness programme swears by learning directly from a guru. “Yoga is meant for the holistic development of a human being — covering the physical, mental and spiritual aspects. App learning demotes it to a mere physical exercise while the other key elements are ignored. Breath control is of utmost importance, without which the intended massage of internal organs won’t take place, diminishing the whole purpose of yoga practice,” she points out.
Nuthan also advocates the teacher-student direct learning for postures. “Apps are fine to master yoga philosophy and thoughts. For doing postures, it is recommended to learn the basics at least. Even if you can learn it from reading a book, you won’t get corrected when it is needed,” she remarks.
