At 5.30 every morning, as temple bells ring and newspapers land on doorsteps, a quiet community comes into view. No playlists, no mats, no matching leggings, just elders over 60, gathering to stretch and breathe. On International Day of Yoga, as social media fills with ‘that-girl’ routines and endorsements, their practice offers something quieter, steadier and shared.
R Padma, 61, has been a regular at the local volunteer-led class held under the gaze of a temple gopuram. “Kandippa yogavudan thodanguvom.” (“Of course, we begin with yoga”), she says. It wasn’t always that way. For most of her life, yoga was just a word she heard in passing. “I only came to know what yoga is after 55,” she admits.
Now it’s part of her daily rhythm and part of a growing movement of older adults for whom yoga came late, but stayed for good.
One of them is A Gnanamani, a retired professional, who joined the class seven months ago. “After I retired, I heard about it. I joined it,” he says. “They start exactly at 5.30 in the morning. Very sincere people.” Yoga, he says, has brought a lot of improvements. “I’m more relaxed. Even my breathing feels better.” But it’s not a quick fix. “If we don’t keep doing it, the body won’t cooperate.”
He’s become an advocate for the practice in his neighbourhood. “I’ve already helped four people join. I’m not a teacher, but I can offer some guidance. It’s a good programme.”
Unlike younger enthusiasts scrolling through yoga tutorials online, Gnanamani prefers the old-school approach. “I have a yoga guidebook from my teacher. I don’t know much online, but I follow what he says.”
If Padma and Gnanamani embody quiet dedication, N Elumalai — once a government employee — represents transformation through yoga.
Years ago, chikungunya left him with difficulty typing or opening his fingers. “Allopathy didn’t help,” he says. Then, on a visit to Ashok Nagar’s Anjaneyar Temple, he saw a modest sign: Free yoga classes, 6 to 7 am. The teacher, S Kalachelvi, gave him no guarantees. “She said, ‘Try for three-four days. You’ll feel better.’ I did. And I recovered.”
That encounter changed the course of his life. Today, Elumalai teaches three free classes a day, is pursuing a PhD in Yoga Sciences, and has been recognised with the Gnana Aasiriyar award. His students range from housewives to retirees — people navigating pain, illness or emotional strain. “Yoga heals all of that,” he says.
He’s sceptical of online instruction. “It helps a little. But blindly following it can be harmful. The body doesn’t behave like in the video. Especially for seniors.” Instead, he turns to the classics: Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar and Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
He shares the story of a woman in her sixties who couldn’t stand up without help. “After three months of regular practice, she became one of the most flexible ones in the group.” Another student, worn down by a troubled marriage, found emotional relief. “Now her husband and she live more peacefully.”
For this group, yoga isn’t a trend, just part of the day. “Back then, there were no yoga pants. We came in what we wore at home,” Elumalai says.
As yoga takes centre stage across India today, the seniors in the city will return to their quiet routine.