A 10-day yoga programme was on Sunday introduced for the inmates of Bhaderwah jail in Doda district a twin objective of helping them overcome depression and raising awareness about drug abuse, officials said.

The programme is part of continuing efforts of the Ministry of AYUSH to reach out to every section of society to eradicate the drug menace, they said. Yoga therapist from the Ministry of AYUSH Nidhi Padha taught various ‘Asanas’ to the inmates, marking the beginning of the 10-day training-cum-yoga awareness programme under 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan' with the tagline 'Say yes to yoga and no to drugs’.

She gave tips to the jail inmates to improve their mental strength so that they can stay away from negativity and imbibe the courage to say no to drugs. "Yoga will surely help to de-stress the inmates, especially those detained under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by improving their self-strength, balance, flexibility, meditation, breath work, and selfless action to stay away from negative thoughts and any kind of toxic addiction," Padha told PTI.

She said regular spiritual exercise would help prisoners overcome their depression and also come handy to integrate them with the mainstream on their release.“Yoga will help calm their minds and make them better citizens," she said.

The inmates expressed gratitude to the authorities with several of them saying that they felt less distressed and more positive after just one session. "I am spending one-year detention here under Public Safety Act after being booked in NDPS Act. I was an addict but my jail term has brought positive changes in me and this is because of the reforms here. I feel practising yoga will help further," Saddam Hussain (34), an inmate, said.

Irshad Ahmad (31), said he was in jail for the last two years and under depression due to staying away from his family. “After attending the yoga session, I am feeling better. I hope by following yoga and meditation regularly, positivity will return in my life," he said.