Unmasking The Perils Of Yoga

Yoga teachers and medical professionals on whether it is safe to do yoga at a public institute with a visor and no mask

- Ornella D’souza

One of the Unlock 3.0 guidelines by the Ministry of Ayush for fitness and yoga institutes, states that students must wear a visor while practising yoga, but ‘use of a mask (in particular N-95) may cause difficulty in breathing.’

City yoga teachers and medical professionals agree that a mask hinders smooth breathing, vital to improving the flexibility of each step that constitutes an asana. But, they have differing views whether it is safe to do so in a public space. Latest studies indicate that SARSCoV-2 virus particles can linger in the air as aerosols. It is futile therefore to strictly adhere to the other SOPs – six-feet social distancing, sanitisers, thermal checks, personal yoga mats, water bottles, napkins, no centralised air-conditioning – if you ditch the mask in the first place. It is why many teachers want to continue holding live sessions from home and not at a studio.

Rajni Raikwar, 26, a HathaAshtang-Transformational yoga teacher from Paschim Vihar, is content with her daily intake of 10-13 students to her individual and group virtual sessions. The gym she is associated with asked her to resume classes on their premises, but she declined. “I tried reverse/ forward bending postures doing Chakrasana (wheel pose), Sirsasana (head pose), and Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) wearing a mask, but it was uncomfortable. Using a visor is less risky, a step better, but I won’t step in public without a mask on.”