QUETTA: Yoga expert Wajahat Ali Afridi has said that depression, anxiety and other mental diseases are on the rise in the country because people do not give time to themselves and refrain from exercises like yoga.

He was speaking at a seminar “Yoga: Nation in Motion” organised by the Balochistan chapter of the Pakistan Orthopaedic Association (POA) here on Sunday.

The seminar was held to spread awareness about yoga and attended by parliamentarians, psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors, politicians, journalists and civil society activists.

Yogi Wajahat said that people, particularly professionals, doctors, women and students, devoted little time to themselves as they remained too busy in their work, which caused physical and psychological diseases among them.

“Our society lacks positive attitude and has been infested with intolerance,” he said, adding that one could rid of such negative tendencies if he gave a little time to yoga exercises on a daily basis.

He said yoga created calmness and tolerance in the mind of its practitioner by triggering positive attitudes.

Dr Lal Mohammad Kakar, the provincial president of the POA, said yoga helped one to stayin shape physically and gave him mental peace. “It is ideal for those professionals who cannot spare time for outdoor exercises.”

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2015

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