Want to catch a breather? Attend these weekly yoga sessions at Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The forest yoga session ends with a short meditation routine to promote mindfulness. Pics/Nimesh Dave

As we stroll through the main gate of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, we're greeted by a gentle rustling of leaves around us. It's not the morning breeze, it's the park's rhesus monkeys - already up and swinging before the clock strikes 7 am. It seems yoga instructor Dipali Rege, who is leading the park's new forest yoga sessions inside, has travelled the same route. "The mind is like a monkey," she smiles as she begins the hour-long session. "If you can't tame it, practising yoga is pointless."

We're in the company of a healthy mix of senior citizens, young runners, and casual morning walkers who have all settled into their own cosy spots at the park's amphitheatre nestled near the Nature Interpretation Centre. We later learn from nature interpretation officer Shubham Hadkar that the mini-amphitheatre had been non-functional for a year. "We wanted to slowly bring it back into operation, and so we decided to start with these weekly sessions with Rege," he tells us.

Participants perform stretches before the session; Rege demonstrates ushtrasana for senior citizens; Dipali Rege

The session begins, naturally, with taming the monkey inside us. We're asked to extend an arm and hold our thumb out at eye level. The goal is to channel our focus to the thumb to get into a meditative mood. "Focus on your thumb like you focus on your mobile screens for hours on end," Rege laughs; her prompt works like a charm. Some basic body stretches and warm-ups later, we're pumped up to get into the thick of it.

"You need not replicate every step. Yoga is not the same for everyone. Identify your physical limitations and don't compare yourself to the person next to you," Rege instructs the participants who are itching to perform some asanas by now. For absolute beginners like this writer, the instructor's warning is a blessing in disguise. Before assuming the ushtrasana (camel) position, the instructor walks up to the older participants in the group to suggest easier standing variations that they can follow. We appreciate the personal touch that senior citizens who usually choose to follow yoga tutorials online might be missing out on.

Participants learn the standing chakrasana at the amphitheatre

Over the next 30 minutes, Rege takes us through a range of asanas, while patiently answering concerns like, "Can I perform this if I have unstable blood pressure?" or "I have a back injury. Should I continue?"

"You're better off safe than sorry. Performing an aasana the wrong way can leave you feeling exhausted. Feeling a strain on your muscles is natural. But it should never be a struggle," she points out, as we approach the penultimate pose manduk asana, which Rege claims helps improve gut health. For positions like this, the instructor suggests participants get their own yoga mats from home.

After some gutsy twists and bends, it's time for our favourite aasana from the day - shavasana, the corpse pose. There are no disclaimers here, the group assumes a sleeping position and Rege talks us through a step-by-step relaxation routine. Given the 6.45 am reporting time for the session, slipping into a quick nap doesn't seem like a bad idea. "Keep your eyes closed and your ears open," she instructs a participant who has possibly tried to sneak a peek of the blue skies above us. We comply. "Easing out of a session is just as important as warming up. If you're waking up every day, and hurriedly performing a quick pranayama or asana, you're doing yourself a disservice," the instructor points out.

Following a pranayama session to end the day, participants huddle around Rege for advice - some regarding their health conditions while others for their fitness goals. We step up for the average Mumbaikar, and ask Rege why someone who doesn't have either must join her sessions. She leaves us with an anecdote, "I was invited to a school in Bandra to host a session last year. A visibly disturbed seven-year-old walked up to me and complained about being under the stress of academic expectations. In that sense, you are never too young to feel stress, or start practising yoga to beat it."

ON Every Sunday; 6.45 am
AT Amphitheatre, behind Nature Interpretation Centre, Sanjay Gandhi National Park
MESSAGE 7738778789 (registration mandatory for free entry at gate)
FREE

Breathe easy in the city

Head to these green, open-air spots in the city to reconnect with nature

. Bhandup Pumping Station
This popular flamingo sighting point is a birder's paradise with native birds frequenting the area before the flamingos arrive in November.
AT Off Eastern Express Highway, Bhandup East.

. Nirvana Park Powai
This Japan-themed park is spread across four acres of lush green land with stone paths and koi ponds.
AT Central Avenue, Hiranandani Estate, Powai.

. Culvem Village
This village nestled in the Manori neighbourhood hosts a scenic sunset point where the Arabian Sea meets a cliff.
AT Near Ambedkar Nagar Bus Stop, Gorai-Manori Road.

. Bhavan's Nature Centre
This green oasis in the busy suburb is home to a lakeside walking path, native birds, reptiles, and adorable bunnies.
AT Bhavan's College, Azad Nagar, Andheri West.