India’s Air Is Toxic—This Himalayan Yogi Says the Answer Begins Within

 As winter smog chokes cities like Delhi, and Mumbai, making every breath risky, one man is turning to centuries-old Himalayan practices to give Indians a simple defense: their own breath.

Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar is the driving force behind Akshar Yoga Kendraa. He is creating a movement to integrate the old traditions of pranayama with current scientific practices to provide a way for people in India to help heal their lungs and minds due to air quality issues.

Himalayan Roots and Early Discipline

Born in the beautiful hills of Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh in 1983, Akshar spent his childhood in a military household and learned lessons about discipline and adaptation to change through numerous moves throughout India. In addition to the consequences of his family's lifestyle, it was the grandeur of the Himalayan Mountains that had the greatest influence on him.

Raised up in the sacred land associated with Sidh Baba Balak Nath ji, revered across the region. From the tender age of five, he began receiving guidance from wandering sages, yogis and Siddhas who moved through those mountain regions. Sitting with them, observing them, and absorbing their teachings through the traditional guru-shishya parampara, he entered the Himalayan sciences as a lived and experiential journey.

For Akshar, yoga is a system of refinement that organises the body, mind, and awareness. Offering this yogic knowledge to society is the service through which lives are strengthened and enriched. “You are remembered by how you help and enrich the lives of others through the service you provide,” he says encapsulating his drive to impact billions.

Building a Global Wellness Empire

Akshar Yoga Kendraa, founded by Akshar, has trained 20 million+ practitioners worldwide, with a strong presence across East and Southeast Asia, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

A respected authority in yoga and Himalayan sciences, Siddhaa Akshar is the author of bestselling books including The Science of Mudra and Yoga Namaskar, and has published 10,000+ articles across 100+ global platforms.

He is the founder of Siddha Abhyaas, a structured Himalayan discipline designed to strengthen the spine, organise the nervous system, and stabilise the human system, and has introduced key techniques such as Siddha Walk, Healing Walk, Siddhohum Kriya, advanced meditation systems, and refined mudra sciences.

Under his leadership, Akshar Yoga Kendraa has created 21 Guinness World Records, including 12 records in a single day, reflecting the precision and discipline of his training systems.

Launching #IndiaBreatheAgain Amid Crisis

Akshar has responded to India's air crisis with what seems to be the most important piece of news to come out of the situation so far. In November 2025 Akshar launched the #IndiaBreatheAgain Challenge, an invitation to people to take part in a 7-day conscious breathing ritual at the height of record AQI levels. The ritual introduced one carefully structured pranayama each day, making it accessible for citizens to practice daily for seven minutes.

Based on research demonstrating how breathing techniques can help us deal with stress more effectively than mindfulness, as well as increasing our lung strength, there is a breathing awareness program that combines daily 60 second breathing sessions with a weekly live streamed 'breath in unity' event every Sunday at 6PM. Many participants across the country, including urban professionals and rural families alike, have experienced improvements such as: greater clarity; improved quality of sleep and reduced levels of anxiety by as much as 44%.

"Before we transform the world around us, we must learn to transform our inner environment," Akshar explains, highlighting how this inner shift addresses India's happiness paradox: high daily contentment from family bonds, yet a low global ranking due to environmental strains. "The most reliable environment we can regulate is the one within ourselves.”

A Collective Breath Forward

Akshar’s initiative is a temporary solution to the fact that 1.6 million people die from pollution every year in his country, and that there are many policies that have not yet been implemented. He combines modern technology with ancient traditions to show people how to breathe correctly; he also inspires everyone around him to share their own experiences of living a healthy lifestyle and being happier.

Akshar's Instagram (@aksharyoga) is full of many exciting videos of him doing both of these things along with working together with other yoga instructors from around the world, showing how Akshar is changing wellness within India today.