CHENNAI: It was a sea of yellow at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium early Sunday morning. These weren’t Chennai Super Kings fans but participants in a Surya Namaskar challenge organised by Sera Yoga Manthiram Trust as part of Yogathon 2019.
People of all ages practised yoga postures on colourful mats to an audience consisting of yoga enthusiasts, excited family members and curious onlookers. The event was split over three sessions with brief intervals. The first session involved 30 repetitions of Surya Namaskars followed by another session which was 50 repetitions and finally the last session which involved doing 108 repetitions.
At the end of each session, the participants were given certificates. A total of 159 participants took part in the session for 108 Surya Namaskars.
“I have been practising yoga for around nine years now,” said 47-year-old yoga teacher Jothy Manoj. “I used to do about a maximum of about 15-16 Surya Namaskars. When I heard about this challenge, I began practising to do around 25 Surya Namaskars and thought of pushing myself to take on the 50 Surya Namaskars challenge.”
She met with an accident a while ago, but yoga managed to help her heal. “I really wanted to do this challenge. I think yoga was what cured me faster. Being able to finish the 50 Surya Namaskars challenge has left me with a sense of accomplishment,” she said.
For 37-year-old Anitha Prathap, who has been practising yoga for a year, being able to do the complete the 30 Surya Namaskars challenge was a feat too. “Yoga has helped me feel good and has increased my flexibility,” she said. “I used to do about 10-12 Surya Namaskars in yoga class, so I felt like the 30 Surya Namaskars challenge seemed plausible. I started practising more repetitions to prepare for the challenge and today I felt like maybe I should have attempted the 50 Surya Namaskars challenge because there were short breaks after 18 counts. Maybe next time!”
Even for children, it was an enjoyable experience to get together on a Sunday morning and do yoga to refresh their mind and body.
“I have been learning yoga in school for two years now,” said Karthik A, a class 6 student. “It has helped me focus better and perform well in my studies too. I fall sick less often and enjoy the breathing exercises a lot. Completing the 30 Surya Namaskars challenge makes me feel so proud. My parents will also be happy.”