BSF turns to yoga therapy for combating stress

Aizawl, Aug 11 (UNI) In a bid to combat mental stress among the jawans, the Border Security Force (BSF) has intruduced 'yoga therapy' in the morning physical training schedule in select areas.

''We have already introduced yoga during the morning physical training for about 500 jawans in Tripura-Cachar-Mizoram as well as Kolkota region informally, where the results were very encouraging,''the former commandant of the Tripura-Cachar-Mizoram (TCM) frontier of BSF told UNI.

''Now we have recommended the Defence Ministry to introduce it formally at least for the personnel deployed in far-flung NE region,'' he added.

According to sources here more than 85 per cent BSF jawans deployed in NE states are from outside the region and due to poor communication facilities they can't enjoy leave and holidays most of the time.

Long separation from the family and relatives sometimes causes mental dipression, leading to suicide and homicide among the security forces, said state's leading psychiatrist Dr John M Ralte.

When Jayapaul saw his 'boys' suffering from stress which led to suicide sometimes, he could not remain a mute spectator.

Frequent complaints from the jawans spurred him to combat the stress illness, what he calls, 'enemy no 1 for the profession' and came up with the idea of introducing yoga therapy, which he has been practicing for the last 30 years.

Sharing his experience, he said he has recieved a good feedback from people including jawans suffering from hypertension, hereditary daibetes and other psycho-physical complications.

Introducing the yoga therapy to the jawans posted in Tripura area also resulted in their winning medals in the athelitic competition, Mr Jayapaul claimed.

''After practicing yoga, I won gold medal in the marathon event in the BSF national level competition'', Anil Kumar, a jawan posted in Tripura area added.

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