Gugulothu Lachi Ram Naik, 40, of Surya Tanda under Rayamadharam gram panchayat has been practising yoga on his motorbike in pursuit of his passion for stunt riding and mission to raise awareness on yoga as a means to attain physical fitness and mental well-being.

Capitalizing on his expertise in motorcycle riding, a former sarpanch of a tiny tribal hamlet in Enkur mandal has been spearheading a novel campaign to propagate yoga by performing various asanas of the ancient system on his motorbike.

Rigorous practice

Mr Naik, who served as a sarpanch of his native village during 2006-2011, embarked on his unique campaign to promote yoga by performing challenging feats on his motorcycle with remarkable ease in 2008.

It took nearly six months of rigorous practice for him to gain expertise in performing the tough postures of yoga on the bike at a speed of 40 km per hour for several kilometres at a stretch.

He earned wide reputation as a proponent of yoga for his numerous demonstrations featuring yogasanas on the bike, both in his native mandal as well as Manuguru, where his wife is working as an employee in the health department.

He continues to perform yoga feats while riding the bike without helmet and safety gear at regular intervals much to the concern of his well-wishers.

“I practice yogasanas on my motorbike, mainly in open grounds and places devoid of traffic with utmost care,” says Mr Naik.

Inspiration through TV

“A television programme on the breathtaking display of daredevilry of army men on motorbikes during the Independence Day fete inspired me to practice yogasanas on my motorbike over six years ago,” he says, adding that his aim is to motivate youngsters to practice yoga for becoming physically fit and mentally resilient.

“I learnt yogasanas on my own by referring to some books and practised them for several months in the past,” he recalls, saying his college-going son practises yoga regularly at his hostel in Hyderabad.

“I advice youth, including my son not to try the feats on motorbikes as it requires years of rigorous practice to demonstrate such tough postures while riding the bike,” he says with a word of caution for stunt riding enthusiasts.