This Mancherial man is a teacher by profession, yoga instructor by passion

Mancherial: Garimilla Srinivas Reddy, a government teacher by profession, used to get frazzled after taking four classes a day till 2002. Reason: he was overweight. But, he can now effortlessly take classes and teach students yoga twice a day. He worked on becoming fit through yoga and is now regarded as a senior yet dedicated […]

Mancherial: Garimilla Srinivas Reddy, a government teacher by profession, used to get frazzled after taking four classes a day till 2002. Reason: he was overweight. But, he can now effortlessly take classes and teach students yoga twice a day. He worked on becoming fit through yoga and is now regarded as a senior yet dedicated yoga instructor and crusader by passion.

“I used to get exhausted from taking classes, because of my weight. I used to weigh 78 kg. I initially learned four asanas from senior instructor Bellamkonda Malla Reddy of Chennur. I practised the asanas and reduced my weight to 55 kg. I achieved unprecedented physical and mental fitness, which significantly enhanced my performance at the school,” Srinivas Reddy told Telangana Today.

Explored theories of yoga

After experiencing a wide-range of health benefits of asanas, the 50-year-old pursued diploma and post-graduation diploma from Annamalai University in Tamil Nadu via distance mode in 2007-08. He also did a PG Diploma in Yoga Therapy from the prestigious Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, also known as S-Vyasa, in Bengaluru in 2013. He received a level-2 certification from the Ministry of AYUSH in 2017. He went on to pursue MSc in Yoga from the Tamil Nadu Sports University in 2018.

Hailing from the remote Kammarpalli village in Chennur mandal, Srinivas Reddy has been playing a vital role in promoting the ancient experiential science of self-study invented by sage and teacher Pathanjali between 400 and 200 BC. He has been not only practicing the ancient science of wellness for two decades, but also selflessly imparting it to students and enthusiastic learners for 14 years.

Taught yoga to 50,000 people

As a teacher at the Zilla Parishad High School in Dwaraka village of Dandepalli mandal, Srinivas Reddy has taught yoga to 50,000 people, including students, for free. He has conducted camps in 100 schools and trained students in improving concentration. He has produced 200 students, who successfully completed the Yoga Instructor Course (YIC) offered by S-Vyasa.

His disciples had also participated in a national-level competition and won the third prize in 2017. Srinvas Reddy and his group participated in an international competition in Bengaluru in 2013. He also created a YouTube channel, Swami Vivekananda Yoga, which got 25,000 subscribers during the Covid-19 pandemic. He uploads videos, creating awareness about the benefits of yoga and its various disciplines, including Pranayama or breathing exercises.

Plans to set up wellness centre

A staunch follower of spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda, Srinivas Reddy plans to establish a full-fledged wellness centre to treat various diseases through yoga at affordable costs. He purchased a 7,865 sq-yard land at Mudigunta village in Jaipur mandal a few years ago. “My objective is to make the centre a reliable destination for curing ailments without using drugs and surgeries,” he said.