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Author: Mandira Nayar
Publication: The Hindu
Date: April 18, 2006
URL: http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/18/stories/2006041815030100.htm
The Central Industrial Security Force unit at Mahipalpur in the Capital had a very special early morning visitor this Sunday -- yoga guru Swami Ramdev. Roping in the much talked about expert to make the men in khaki posted at Delhi airport better at their job, a special yoga camp was organised to teach the CISF functionaries the healing powers of "pranayam''.
Engaged as it is in an extremely high-pressure job for long hours, this CISF unit has decided to go in for the ancient way of life to become more alert and stress-free. It was probably the first time that the yoga guru had paid a visit to a CISF unit and sure enough it was house full with over 450 personnel attending the camp.
With Swami Ramdev apparently turning out to be the perfect ambassador for the yoga way of life, even the CISF personnel not present at the camp sounded enthusiastic about it.
"I was not there at the camp because I was on night duty, but people were very excited about Swami Ramdev's visit," said a CISF officer on Monday. "I think it is a very good step. If you do `pranayam' early in the morning, it ensures that you are disease-free for the rest of your life. It guarantees good health without a pill.''
Focusing primarily on healthy breathing techniques rather than just yoga, the objective of the camp was to make the unit more efficient and mentally stronger. "We have to spend 14 hours at a stretch on duty and stay awake and alert at night. Such camps will help us overcome fatigue and concentrate better,'' said another CISF personnel.
With the CISF unit at Delhi airport having won the Best Airport Unit trophy recently, initiatives like this are an attempt to raise the bar further, said the Senior CISF Commandant at IGI Airport, J. B. Kaushik. "It will help make the unit fitter and combat stress. It is also important to reduce the communication gap between the higher rank officers in the unit and the jawans. The idea is to improve the quality of life of the personnel so that they are not only more alert at their job but can also become better citizens.''
Not restricting it to a one-time affair, senior officers intend to ensure that the unit benefits fully from "pranayam" and have made the early morning breathing exercise a matter of daily routine. Kicking off this drive for healthy living with Swami Ramdev on Sunday, this ``pranayam'' programme will continue and the officers involved expect to see visible results by year-end.
"We will be a much fitter unit in the New Year,'' said an officer cheerfully.
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