Visakhapatnam: In a highly competitive world, there is always something or the other to battle in order to achieve goals.

When it comes to students, the fight gets all the more intense as there is so much to handle in terms of academic demands, peer pressure, social acceptance, financial concerns and, not to mention, distractions.

Decades back, being a student was not so emotionally-draining and physically-demanding as it is now. Back then, social media was almost non-existent and entertainment was confined to simpler ways. Today, screens essay a predominant role in people’ lives, especially among young individuals. Caught in the web of reels and other short video platforms, paying sustained attention has now become a challenging task for most students.

But those practicing yoga for a long time share that their perception towards handling challenges changed and that they are able to cope with stress in an effective manner than they were before.

Practising yoga for the past four years transformed Digavalli Deepika Dhatri’s life. The BA student, who plans to pursue Masters in International Business in UK, says, “As a student, life is often overwhelming due to academic pressure, deadline and expectations from society. However, with consistent practice of yoga, I could create a safe space for myself to reflect, reset and, more importantly, pause.”

The student shares that consistent practice of yoga not only improved her physical strength but also enhanced her flexibility. “I find yoga as an effective tool to bring a sense of discipline and calmness. Over years of practice, I could also see a huge difference in my clarity of thought, emotional stability and concentration level,” she elaborates.

Yoga for young: Chalapaka Sireesha, a second year MA student and Kuchipudi dancer, says that her 3.5 years of yoga practice made her become strong. “Many assume that yoga is meant for the elderly which is not right. In fact one should start yoga in school years to derive umpteen health benefits the ancient practice offers. An hour-long yoga a day has been giving me amazing results for over three years. Also, certain Asanas like ‘Setu Bandhasana’, ‘Balasana’, ‘Uttanasana’, ‘Baddhakonasana’ aid in alleviating menstrual problems,” emphasises Sirisha.

Like ‘Yogandhra-2025’, Sirisha underlines the need for mass campaigns to advocate holistic health through yoga. “However, unless large-scale awareness drives are in place, it is tough to reach out to communities and make them realise the importance of yoga,” she opines. Life is not free of hurdles for Singuru Hemanth Raj, who is working in a shop that sells and repairs air-conditioners. He has to overcome financial constraints right from his academic years. Juggling between work and study turned out to be so stressful for him to handle. “But getting trained in yoga Asanas and Pranayama techniques made me overcome negative thoughts and self-doubts,” shares Hemanth Raj, who is pursuing BA second year through distance education.

He stresses that the ancient practice works wonders for managing stress and anxiety. “After four years into consistent practice, I am able to multitask with ease and concentrate on my studies much better,” the yoga practitioner and trainer says. Observing that an increasing number of youngsters are making yoga a way of life, founder of Aum Free Yoga Centre Chilaka Venkata Ramesh says that the ancient practice has been a powerful tool in battling stress and anxiety. “Youngsters are now realising the goodness of yoga. Some of them opt for Asanas and Pranayama techniques to overcom depression. Customised Asanas along with meditation help alleviate multiple health issues, maintaining overall well-being,” mentions the founder of the centre. Yoga instructors say that growing awareness through social media platforms is another factor that is drawing youth to embrace yoga as their choice of workout.