In a first, Yoga classes are being held inside a mosque in Hyderabad in Southern India. The classes are aimed at fighting non-communicable diseases and obesity.
The mosque committee of Masjid-e-Ishaq at Nawab Saheb Kunta at Tadbun, Hyderabad has given the nod to conduct Yoga classes.
Earlier, one of the three floors in the mosque was converted into a healthcare and medical counselling centre.
In the mosque our counsellors are not only demonstrating Yoga asanas but also giving YouTube links to some patients to follow Yoga on mobile phones to reduce their waistline, says Mujtaba Hasan Askari, who runs the clinic.
Every alternate day, Yoga is taught to patients in the mosque.
Yoga classes started following a survey among patients who attend the clinic.
It was found out that many had lifestyle-related ailments.
Since the premises of the old city was narrow, Yoga emerged as a solution instead of outdoor exercises.
The focus is more on exercises and diet control than on medication.
The lifestyle clinic at Masjid-e-Ishaq has two dedicated dieticians and two counsellors under the supervision of a lady doctor.
