Shabbir Ahmad Dar, a 40-year-old resident of Padshahi Bagh, Srinagar, began his journey as an athlete—however, a permanent injury cut short his sports career. In 1997, he turned to Yoga, which helped him overcome his trauma and paved the way for a new job. Shabbir became a qualified yoga coach and has been working to popularize Yoga in Muslim-majority Kashmir for the past 20 years.
Yoga as Therapy in Troubled Times
In 2004, during a period of turmoil in Kashmir, Shabbir received a call from a senior bureaucrat seeking help for his son, who was struggling with drug addiction. This incident inspired Shabbir to launch the Yoga Society of Kashmir (Y.S.K.), positioning Yoga as a wellness and therapeutic regimen. He successfully helped the bureaucrat’s son overcome addiction and even participated in national-level yoga competitions. Shabbir’s approach has since helped many young people battling depression, anxiety, and drug addiction in Kashmir.
Breaking Barriers and Creating Opportunities
Initially, many Kashmiris were hesitant to embrace Yoga due to misconceptions about its religious affiliations. However, Shabbir’s efforts have led to increased acceptance of Yoga as a way of life, with people realizing its health benefits without interference with their religious beliefs. He made history by leading a University of Kashmir contingent in an All-India Inter-University Yoga competition introducing Kalma recitation in Surya Namaskar. Today, Shabbir works as a Yoga Coach for the J&K Sports Council and provides yoga training across all ten districts of Kashmir Valley through Y.S.K. His work has improved the health of many Kashmiris and created job opportunities, with at least 50 of his student’s finding employment as yoga instructors. Thanks to Shabbir’s pioneering efforts, Yoga is now a source of livelihood for many young Muslim men and women in Kashmir.
For detailed story, please visit: Awaz the voice
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