Ancient answer to modern life's turmoil

As we celebrate International Yoga Day, the world finds itself at a crossroads of unprecedented stress and unrest. In India's rapidly changing landscape, psychological distress has reached epidemic proportions—56 million suffer from depression, 38 million from anxiety disorders (WHO).

- Bhagirathi Jena

At the same time, a staggering 1.71 lakh lives were lost to suicide in 2022 (NCRB). Students are particularly vulnerable, with 11% reporting chronic anxiety, 14% experiencing extreme emotional swings, and 43% grappling with mood disorders—largely triggered by academic pressures. These statistics paint a grim picture of our collective well-being, exposing the hollowness of material progress divorced from inner peace.

In this crisis, Maharshi Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras emerge not as ancient scripture but as a vital prescription for modern living. When he defines yoga as “chitta vritti nirodha” (cessation of mental fluctuations), Patanjali addresses the core malady of our age: the restless, fragmented mind.