Yoga expert eyes schools

Sports Reporter

DURING her teenage years, Kumbirai Msonzah endured morning headaches and neck pains.

Every medication she tried could not help her.

She later turned to yoga, but initiatively this proved futile.

“My first yoga practice was in 2013.

“I had a lot of neck pain and morning headaches, and I thought that one yoga class would fix it, but that was not the case,” she said.

“When I discovered that I needed to commit to regular practices to get consistent relief, I was disappointed and immediately quit.”

The pain returned and was more severe than the last time.

In desperation, she decided to try yoga sessions one more time.

“My problem worsened.

“I was tired of taking painkillers several times a day . . . and I felt trapped . . . I did not stop practising until I got the liberation that I wanted from the suffering.

“I wouldn’t say that yoga saved my life; it did more than that. It empowered me to break my limitations without fear of failure,” she said.

Now 31, and an expert in yoga, Msonzah has since embarked on a mission to take yoga sessions to schools to fight drug abuse and create mental awareness.

“We have a lot of yoga instructors here in Zimbabwe but they are expensive, and schools have been among the neglected areas when it comes to yoga sessions.

“There is a void that needs to be filled in terms of mental health in school-going children,” she said.

“School-going children have to deal with pressure from parents, who want them to pass, leading to some mental health issues, and yoga is something that can take away that mental pressure and be responsible for being who you are.”

It is believed the benefits include a boost to self-confidence, increase in productivity, loss of weight and general wellness.

“At the moment, I am working with adults who want to lose weight and relieve stress, but if I have my way, my target are the school-going kids.

“Yoga is extremely important because this is a discipline that one can do alone when he or she feels overwhelmed or wants to deal with stress.

“When we start having yoga sessions in schools, it helps to create self-confident kids and it also plays a part in the drug abuse fight, as it gives someone time to exercise while meditating.”