KOCHI: Yoga cannot be offered as a course as it is not something that can be commercialised. “It should be imparted from the guru to the shishya. Nobody is interested in yoga or its depth. People believe the yoga shown on public platforms. However, it is has deeper aspects which people fail to understand. They are looking for all the acts shown to promote their product by the various ‘gurus’,” said Yogi Ashwini. He was talking to Express when he attended an event here in the city.
“All temples, mosques and churches should come under government control. I also believe that anybody should be able to enter anywhere. Women is the embodiment of ‘Shakti’. Whoever stops them should give them the vedic reason if the woman still wants to go, it is their choice,” said Yogi Ashwini when asked about the Sabarimala issue which has created controversies across the country.
Yogi Ashwini also believes that our culture is under represented across the globe. “Our culture is rich and it is only of late that yoga has seen light and is gaining acceptance. It is because we have no respect for our culture or for ourselves,” he said.
Yogi Ashwini is the founder of the Dhyan foundation. The foundation has yoga centres which teach yoga free of cost and simultaneously run animal shelter homes across the country. In Kochi, the Dhyan foundation yoga centre is in Mattancherry. They also have an animal shelter and dog shelter in Kochi.
They take care of animals injured in accidents. He is known for his unique approach to Yoga and staunch disagreement against its commercialisation. The Dhyan foundation has centres across the globe. They also do langars (food distribution) at fixed destinations.
His shishyas have experiences to share about his unique approach to Yoga. Nandini, one of his pupils, spoke of her experience wherein she was told by Yogi that she shouldn’t drop anything that is to be consumed so as to adapt her body to yoga. “He said that our body would reject what was unnecessary as one performs the sadhna. He also does not ask his shishyas to stop consuming alcohol or tobacco. He only asks them to do the sadhna,” she said.
As Yogi Ashwini believes charity is the only way to achieve, he is also a part of various charities and encourages other yoga disciples to do the same.