In a country where public healthcare systems are often stretched to their limits, yoga is emerging as a powerful, homegrown solution to reduce India’s healthcare burden. More than just a practice of postures and breathing, yoga is a preventive healthcare tool that strengthens the body, calms the mind, and reduces the risk of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. As India grapples with the rising tide of non-communicable diseases, embracing yoga as a daily habit could shift the nation’s approach from reactive treatment to proactive care, paving the way for a healthier and more resilient population.
Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar – Author, Columnist, Founder of Akshar Yoga Kendraa explains on yoga as preventive healthcare, how its reducing healthcare burden in India; India has long been a place of health and well-being as a lifestyle. Yoga is one of the numerous contributions that this planet has given to the world that has helped to build body and mind. In the present times where lifestyle diseases are increasing, yoga is a non-violent but effective method of safeguarding the health even before any disease comes into play.
Wellness-based healthcare implies making provisions to ensure that we are healthy so that we do not succumb to illness. Basic breathing exercises, mindful movements and meditation creates strength in the body. They enhance blood flow, stabilize the nervous system and eliminate stress. When the stress is minimized, the immunity is enhanced, digestion becomes more effective, and sleep becomes deeper. These are the instinctive coverings we have that guard us against most of our mischief.
In the case of India this is more. Public healthcare is relied upon by millions of people and is usually overcrowded and expensive. When people embrace yoga as part of their routine activities, there will be a reduction of incidences of hypertension, diabetes, obese and stress related disorders. This will ease the load on hospitals and enable the medical resources to treat the people in need of urgent assistance.
Discipline and awareness is also taught by yoga and people become more aware of food choices, habits and lifestyle. It brings about peace in families and communities, developing a culture of wellness.
Through the adoption of yoga as preventive health care, India will have stepped to the path of a healthier, stronger and more balanced future- where health is not just a treated issue but also taken good care.
Yogacharya Akhil Gore, Founder of Routein Yoga, Visionary in Global Yoga Entrepreneurship says, “India spends nearly 3.2% of its GDP on healthcare, yet 60% of this is directed towards non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, hypertension, and stress-related disorders (WHO, 2023). These conditions are largely lifestyle-induced and preventable. This is where yoga emerges as India’s most untapped healthcare asset.”
Institutions like AIIMS Delhi and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga have conducted research proving yoga’s role in regulating blood pressure, improving insulin sensitivity, and reducing stress markers like cortisol. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry also highlights yoga’s measurable impact on reducing anxiety and depression—conditions silently inflating healthcare costs.
What makes yoga unique is its dual action: it is both a physical intervention (asanas improving mobility, lung capacity, immunity) and a mental intervention (meditation and pranayama reducing stress, enhancing neuroplasticity). Unlike costly medical infrastructure, yoga is low-cost, inclusive, and scalable—ideal for India’s rural and urban populations alike.
Akhil Gore further adds, “From an expert’s perspective, I believe India must reframe yoga not merely as a wellness activity but as a public health strategy. If every citizen practiced even 30 minutes of guided yoga daily, India could potentially cut lifestyle disease expenditure by at least 15–20% over the next decade. This would free resources for critical care while empowering individuals with responsibility for their health.
In my experience, yoga shifts healthcare from a reactive “cure” model to a proactive “care” model. That is the future India deserves—aligned and awake, healthy and self-reliant.”