Bhubaneswar, June 21: Havildar Samresh Kumar Nayak of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) today recalled how practising yoga over the years had helped him hold on to his nerves while fighting Maoists.

"If you don't have a cool mind, its most likely that you take a wrong decision at the crisis hour and fall to Maoist bullets in the dense forest," he said.

Today, he was one among the 1,000 jawans, who took part in the 3rd International Day of Yoga at the CRPF and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) premises here.

"Every day, I practise yoga for half an hour. Even in our camps after doing regular physical exercise, we do yoga for 15 minutes. It has become mandatory now," said Kumar.

Recalling how yoga helps in fighting all odds, Kumar said: "We are soldiers. We are deployed for various purposes, which ranges from maintaining law and order to taking on Maoists in adverse terrain. As we stay away from our homes for months together, sometimes we come under severe stress. At such times, yoga helps us relieve our anxiety. It really works wonders to manage stress. It also helps in keeping us in good frame of mind."

The havildar became nostalgic when he recalled how he and his colleagues narrowly escaped an ambush planned by the Maoists in a dense forest of Chhattisgarh.

"We were on regular patrolling when we came across an old man cutting wood. We did not have any clue that he was giving signal to the Maoists that the police were near the trap laid by them. Suddenly, they started firing at us. All the members of our team kept their cool. We took our positions and retaliated and there was not a single casualty from our side."

Another jawan, Sepahi Mukesh Kumar, also recalled how yoga helped keep him fit. He narrated how he and his colleagues were saved during a close fight with the Maoists in the dense forest of Malkangiri.

"Yoga is a big help as we remain engaged in hostile terrain for months. As I stay alone and away from my family members, I have asked them to practice yoga for stress relief," he said.

Personnel of the BSF, the CISF and the ITBP, too, took part in the mass yoga demonstration programme today. Addressing the jawans, CRPF inspector-general (Odisha sector) Kamal Kant Sharma explained how yoga controlled, purified and co-ordinated the nervous system. "Performing yoga regularly rids the body of toxins, thereby improving general health. It also rids the mind of impure impulses leading to contentment and inner peace," he said.

Among others, CRPF deputy inspector general (Group Centre) S.K. Tigga and deputy inspector general Rajesh Kumar co-ordinated the yoga programme.