Khiv Raj Gurjar, from Jodhpur in the Indian state of Rajasthan, has taken extreme yoga to new heights – literally. He spends an hour each day striking yoga poses on a bicycle perched precipitously on the edge of a 300ft cliff.
He said: “When I balance and perform complex yoga postures on a cliff, I don’t feel fear or think that I will fall from this mountain.
“I can do anything on this mountain. I don’t panic anymore.”
It does help that he has 20 years of experience to keep him from plunging to a rocky death but that’s not all, for Khiv, the practice serves as therapy to help him cope with intense personal tragedy.
On November 4, 2014, Khiv lost his son, grandson and wife in a road accident.
It does help that he has 20 years of experience to keep him from plunging to a rocky death but that’s not all, for Khiv, the practice serves as therapy to help him cope with intense personal tragedy.
On November 4, 2014, Khiv lost his son, grandson and wife in a road accident.
“It was terrible accident and it will take time to heal,” he said.
Khiv began practicing yoga at the age of 12, and says he has been visiting the cliff where he does his stunts since childhood.
“As a child, I used to come here from school. Then I brought a BMX cycle and started doing extreme yoga,” he said.
“I am confident that I will not fall, I believe in myself.”
A man of many talents, Khiv has represented his country at a national level as a cyclist and even competed in his country’s national football league.
You’d think his family would have gotten used to his extreme routine but for them, the apprehension is ever present.
His granddaughter Yoga Gurjar, 15, says she is proud of her grandfather and wants to imitate his feats – but does worry that he will hurt himself.
His granddaughter Yoga Gurjar, 15, says she is proud of her grandfather and wants to imitate his feats – but does worry that he will hurt himself.
She says, “I feel a bit scared when my grandfather performs these kind of stances, but I feel also proud because he is the source of inspiration for me and he is the person I want be when I grow old.
“I also want to perform like him. Having a grandfather who does stunts on mountains is like having an in-house superhero.”