Yoga took me away from alcohol

When Dennis Super was 18 years old, he came across an online video by Jaggi Vasudev commonly known as Sadhguru, a renowned Indian yoga instructor. In the video, Vasudev talked about yoga and the benefits that came with the practice. Yoga includes physical, mental and spiritual practices involving body movements, meditation and poses.

“It was the first time I had come across a video that talks about health, self-improvement and spirituality. I was deeply moved and vowed to start doing the exercises soon,” he says.

A few months later after watching the video, Super travelled from Netherlands to India on a self-reflection mission. While in India, he encountered a man in his 30s who caught his attention.

“He was very relaxed and did not seem stressed by anything. He was also very strong and he seemed younger than his age,” Super recalls, adding, “Later, when I asked him the secret to his peaceful state of mind and strength, he said it was all because of yoga practice.”

Super’s yoga routine
Now 23, Super has been practicing yoga for three years. He mostly does hatha yoga (encompasses a lot of physical postures) and clear yoga (involves a lot of meditation and focusing one’s mind on a particular subject at a time).
“I do yoga every day. I may practice for two to three hours but when I have time, I can even practice four to fivehours,” he says.
Currently, Super conducts daily classes at Kabira Country Club in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb. He works under the Isha foundation which offers a new and diverse selection of Hatha yoga and meditation sessions designed for health, mental clarity, fitness, among other benefits.

Benefits of yoga
Super says his life has improved greatly because of yoga. “I stopped taking alcohol and smoking, habits I started as a teenager,” he says.
“I do not feel a lot of tension in my life even during tough times. Yoga helps me stay calm and figure out the best way of handling a particular issue at hand,” he adds.

Advice
For those interested in attaining health, personal and professional benefits, Super advises they too embark on a yoga journey.

He reminds those interested in the practice that while yoga is for everyone at every level, and can fit into every lifestyle, it is a very personal practice.

“What is safe and effective for one person may not be safe or effective for another. While most yoga poses are completely safe, it is important to listen to your body and set your own limits as you go,” he advises.