Nhehern keeps his medal ‘stretch’ on & on

Herald: How and why did you start with yoga?

Nhehern Acharya: Accidents happen, but for me to get into yoga was not a mere accident. I was one of those hyperactive kids who had no control over their childhood energy. I was also into skating so I had energy overflowing in me. Around that time my dad was going around the world becoming a champion and returning home and practising his regime. At that time I started taking a fancy for the “crazy stunts” that I thought they were (and what most people still think they are). I would try and imitate my dad’s postures, obviously in a haphazard way and that would scare my mom. This continued until one day mom had enough and told dad to teach me the right way to practise or one day I would land up dislocating one of my limbs from its original place. And that’s when it all began.

Herald: Who was your great mentor/teacher and why?

NA: My parents have been my mentors right from my childhood. Even though it was dad who did the teaching part of skating and yoga in a very professional manner, it was mom’s cool-headed influence that kept me going and nurtured me to continue to try till I win when I got back home or was done with practice. So it has been the balance between the two that has helped me through my achievements.

Herald: What does the term ‘yoga’ mean to you?

NA: If you ask me in general, yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’, which refers to binding of energies. To me yoga isn’t really restricted to the Sanskrit meaning where it helps in harmonising the mental/spiritual and physical energies. To me it’s a way of changing your views, opening your mind to know and understand things better, learn new things (it doesn’t necessarily have to be related to academics), feel good about yourself, love the way you live, a way to find your inner peace, a way to relax, a way to health. It could mean so much more, it doesn’t need to be limited, it never has to be.

Herald:Tell us your practice style and how did you choose your yoga method?

NA: Unlike most orthodox practitioners, I prefer evening practices. I do my practice when I come back from college which helps me let of my stiffness of the whole day, just relaxing those muscles and knowing how your body feels instantly different than it was before you began. But I also try to keep up with the orthodox practitioners by practising on holidays in the morning. My method of practice isn’t any specific style. I just begin with the normal warm-ups and stretching exercises, followed by Surya Namaskar, my set of asanas and ending with cooling down and meditation.

Herald: What obstacles has yoga helped you to overcome?

NA: Ever heard people saying, ‘you do yoga, you should have amazing memory’. Well, I get that a lot. Yoga helps you change your mentality completely; you will be calm even in the most stressed moments in day-to-day life. You’ll probably have the ability to remember things from a long time back, and have a stable state of mind. Yoga basically has its long benefits, but in reality the way it affects people is very much subjective in nature. However, the fact that yoga and a healthy living go side by side should be a reason enough to practise it. It depends on the length of time you have been practising for, dedication, the aspect of yoga that you have been focusing on. As for me, it has helped me be a good human being in general and has improved my patience and creativity. Some even say I have heightened my sense of smell and observation XD.

Herald: What is your mind set when you step on to the mat?

NA: When I step on the mat I take yoga pretty seriously. I prefer not to be disturbed and I play some meditative or instrumental music to practise along.

Herald: What is your greatest achievement?

NA:My greatest achievement has never been winning. My greatest achievement is making my parents proud and being able to represent the country. Winning does add frosting to the cake though.

Herald:Do you feel anyone can enjoy and gain from yoga?

NA: Anyone can enjoy the benefits from yoga. All you need is to put your heart and soul into it.

Herald: Why is yoga so important for the times we’re living in?

NA: We live in perilous times where we have no time for ourselves or our family. People are so busy in their work that they often don’t realise how life is slipping away. Everyone is stressed about something and the smallest thing is enough to trigger a nervous breakdown. In times like this, the art of yoga can bring colours to their otherwise dull lives. Yoga needs to be inculcated in the young right from school going days so that they get become efficient in studies and perform better. And besides that, most importantly, cope up with stress.

Herald: What advice do you have for people who have never tried yoga?

NA: For people who have never tried yoga before, I suggest that if they are really interested and are willing to invest their time into it, then they will not regret it in the long run. But for those who are just temporarily attracted to it, and stop practice in a few months, then it’s rather foolish. Please try to continue to practise if you really want all the benefits of yoga. I can tell you this with experience. Whenever I take breaks from yoga (for studies or other activities) I can almost immediately feel the difference in my body, which may not be prominent, but is still there. But I also advise you to practise in the presence of a trained yoga professional or health professional and not injure yourself by trying everything out of the box.

Herald: Where do you see yourself in five years?

NA: I can’t tell for sure where I might be in five years for I could get an opportunity to do something completely different from what I planned. But that is life. We gotta go with the best choices. As for now, I am going to complete my studies and then later dedicate more time towards teaching yoga.

Herald: Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

NA: Yoga needs to be treated like a religion in a way that it should be inculcated in young right from school going days so that they get more efficient in studies and perform better and besides that most importantly cope with stress.

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Achievements