As he prepares to lead a yoga session at Saharanpur Jail on the occasion of this year’s International Day of Yoga, Sachin Rana, a faculty with The Art of Living’s Sri Sri Yoga, reflects on his most remarkable journey that brought him there.
“Perhaps twice or thrice in my martial arts career, I consumed alcohol before a competition to numb the pain of blows and sharpen my focus,” recalls Sachin Rana, a 1st Dan Black Belt in Karate and Taekwondo who represented India at national and international tournaments and won a silver medal in competitions held in Thailand and Malaysia.
From the age of eight, martial arts had become Sachin’s world. Backed wholeheartedly by his father, he rose through the ranks, competing in junior and senior championships across the country and abroad. His family saw a promising future ahead for the young athlete.
Then, everything began to unravel.
When Curiosity Became Addiction
“My tryst with addiction started when I was about 12 years old. A friend was smoking and, driven by curiosity, I picked up my first cigarette. It grew into an addiction,” says Sachin.
Cigarettes soon gave way to alcohol. Beer replaced soft drinks, and the discipline that had once defined his life gradually disappeared.
“Sachin got involved in street brawls after consuming alcohol. Our bitterest moments were the days when police would come home looking for him. We almost gave up on him,” says his father.
Looking back, Sachin refuses to place the blame entirely on others.
“I cannot completely blame my friends for my addiction challenge, as I picked up alcohol and cigarettes to manage stress. The day I realised I was risking my life by consuming alcohol before a fight, I decided to work on my addiction.”
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The turning point came when he understood that alcohol was masking pain that could signal serious injuries requiring immediate medical attention.
“I think the fear of death helped me take up my addiction challenge seriously. I decided to quit alcohol, finally,” he says.
From Emotional Collapse to a New Beginning
Even after deciding to quit, life dealt another blow.
“As if the stress of performance wasn’t enough, I also had a difficult breakup with my girlfriend of three years. It brought me to the brink of committing suicide,” says Sachin.
The emotional turmoil soon manifested physically. He struggled with insomnia, nausea and digestive issues. His sporting career had stalled, and his hopes of joining the armed forces through the sports quota became uncertain, especially after recruitment processes were disrupted during the pandemic.
Then came an unexpected suggestion from a friend.
“A chance reference about yoga changed the course of my life. I thank my friend who suggested yoga as the remedy for my emotional turmoil and stagnant career growth,” he says.
What began as an attempt to regain emotional balance slowly evolved into a way of life.
“Who would believe that I too could be addicted to meditation someday?” he says with a smile.
Discovering a Larger Purpose
Determined to rebuild himself, Sachin carefully chose the environment he wanted to be part of.
“I didn’t go for star ratings. I gave the highest priority to testimonial videos,” he says.
His father remembers watching the transformation unfold.
“Sachin used to watch videos on yoga by different exponents. He developed a genuine interest in yoga after listening to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s discourse videos,” he says.
“What strikes me the most is Gurudev’s holistic approach towards yoga as a means and end of life, and not just a series of physical movements to improve health,” adds Sachin.
In Gurudev’s words, “Yoga is skill in action, skill to live life, manage the mind, to be with people, to be in love and not let that love turn into hatred.”
Today, Sachin’s ambitions extend far beyond medals.
“I am going to conduct a yoga program in Saharanpur Jail on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga this year,” he says enthusiastically.
The athlete who once struggled with addiction and despair now hopes to take the tools that transformed his own life to those living on the margins of society.
