Foreign participants practise yoga with children during a special camp. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, April 18: More than the art, it is the desire of spreading knowledge about yoga that binds four foreigners who have arrived here to take part in the India Open Yoga Championship which begins tomorrow.

Conversations with Dorothy Chin from Hong Kong, Ellen Liu from China, Olivia from Macau and Vicky from Singapore revealed that all participants not only want to learn more of the art but also want to disseminate the knowledge so that others can benefit from it.

For Ellen, a nurse by profession, yoga has been extremely beneficial since she started learning it around three years ago.

Now, she intends to become a yoga therapist so that she can help people to stay healthy.

“In my profession, I really think that yoga can be of great help to keep patients out of stress and make them physically stronger,” said Ellen.

Yoga also helped her lose weight.

“I have reduced so much weight after I started practising yoga. Apart from getting peace of mind, it has helped me overcome physical obstacles as well. That is why, I want to disseminate the knowledge so that others can be benefited as well,” she added.

Olivia Lee related a similar story.

A teacher by profession, Olivia said teachers generally are very stressed out and this is a wonderful art through which one can unwind and de-stress.

“Just by learning yoga and keeping it to ourselves is not our motto. I want to teach people. The art is fast gaining popularity in our country,” she added.

The four participants also undertook a special yoga session yesterday at Rusi Mody Park along with children of different schools before the yoga meet.

The special session was aimed at preparing them as well as their competitors — the children — for the championship ahead.

The foreigners revealed that it is the Indian version of yoga that has gained popularity in Asia rather than the other foreign yoga experts who also are imparting training in their countries.

“The Indian version of yoga is much more spiritual and helps in meeting physical obstacles. But the experts from other countries mainly depend on sweating it out. It is more of a power yoga involving exercise of the muscles but does not give peace. That is why, Indian yoga is much more popular,” said Dorothy.

The India Open Yoga Championship, which is being organised by Tata Steel and Karmakar Institute of Yoga, would witness around 500 participants from 15 states including the hosts.

Officials pointed out that the yoga championship would be organised in 10 different groups for both boys and girls.

The categories are sub-junior (under 8 and above 12 years), juniors (12-18 years), seniors (18-30 years) and veterans (those above 30 years).