CHENNAI: Yoga in recent times is often viewed as a Hindu pursuit, or a niche activity as portrayed in American chick-flicks. But a slew of Indian newbies or ‘noobs’ as current slag would have it, are bending over backwards to break these stereotypes. These yoga novices, both young and old, have dispelled the fear that yoga is some sage-gimmick meant for enlightenment. Instead, they have made it part of their daily fitness routine, even managing to personalise it.
On Sunday, June 21, the world took to social media under the hashtag #YogaDay to celebrate the first International Yoga Day. Art of Living, headed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, organised a mass yogathon on the Pachaiyappa’s College grounds which drew a crowd of nearly 3,000. The organisation, which has kept yoga at its cynosure, made the exercise more appealing to the next gen. The yogathon that kicked off as early as 6.30 am, saw schoolkids from over eight schools and 20 colleges in the city jumping to a very Venga Boys-esque theme and trying out funny asanas that certainly kept them more than just awake. When yoga master Rudresh Kumar asked them if they were having fun, one could no longer hear the ambient music in the background; only the chorus of a thousand ‘Yes!’.
Mubarak, 22, said that in his first month of yoga class at Indira Nagar, he discovered that it was more than what he anticipated. “It wasn’t all that different than zumba or aerobics. It was fun and I got to make friends,” he said.
Fifty-year-old Jaishree, though discovered her love for fitness only when she was bored at home after her two sons left town for work, found a great tutor who put her on the right track. Her tutor would, in her words “do the asanas over and over patiently, till she got the hang of it.” Interestingly enough, her tutor is also one of the most highly sought after yoga teachers in the world — YouTube!
“I stumbled upon a yoga routine on YouTube seven years ago, and I just laid a sheet on the ground and decided to try it,” she said. Today, she teaches the children at her apartment in RA Puram every evening.
The number of yoga novices looking up techniques on YouTube, Pinterest and on other media platforms is increasing, as the idea that it might be a cult thing is dissipating. “I use Daily Yoga and it’s the best app out there for someone who has as little time as I do,” said 23-year-old Ashima Marwah, a medical student.
