With its myriad beaches and don’t care attitude, Goa exudes an invigorating aura symbolising Goans’ zest for life. Inculcating ‘living life to the fullest’ mantra in their younger generations, this state is buoyant with energy and high spirits. But what does Goa has to do with spirituality or yoga? In their search for ‘joie de vivre’ Goans today are highly hinging on yoga for exfoliating their mind from external impurities. And it is a Malayali who breathes the first lessons of yoga to them in simple yet enlightening verses.
Suresh Kumar, hailing from the capital city, had shifted to Goa in 2000 with his family, when his wife, a government employee, was transferred there.
Suresh, who has a black belt in Karate, had been taking Karate lessons in Thiruvananthapuram for many years, and has a large number of disciples from the city to boast of. His love affair with yoga started years before, when he ascertained the need for spirituality in day-to-day life.
The yoga tutors in Abhed Ashram in Kerala and similar ones in Kanyakumari and Haridwar gave wings to his love and he indulged in that therapeutic spiritual world.
“A sports person requires three factors to succeed, physical fitness, emotional balance and intellectual stability. In order to achieve them, one must practice yoga. Goan Government insists on taking yoga classes as part of every sports item and I am the only government accepted yoga tutor in Goa,” says Suresh Kumar.
It all started when Suresh, a freelance martial arts tutor and yoga practitioner, approached the SAG in a resolve to promote his skills in yoga and Karate on the banks of Goa. SAG found Suresh capable and gave him a job as an yoga instructor with them.
As a daily wager, Suresh had been imparting his knowledge to the Goan sports addicts for the last seven years.
“In a sports person’s curriculum, it is very important to add the following- plan, preparation, rewinding, revising, learning, practicing, focusing and concentrating. After school, today’s children go home and work on mobile or watch some television or access internet. For them concentrating 45 minutes on their studies is difficult, if you can focus for 45 minutes you have achieved inner peace,” says Suresh.
From conducting a yoga camp for Goan cops to being the first preferred yoga instructor to the number one academic institutions in Goa, this 49-year-old Malayali, has come a long way. Today his name is popular in the Goan Sports circuit.
“Mind is a monkey. Monkeys do not sit straight for a second. Likewise one cannot think straight for a second. By learning yoga one can empower the mind and calm it down,” says Suresh.
Suresh who does not want to promote any religions through his classes, is a firm believer in God.
“If you look at the world you can see there are many man Gods but none of them shake hands together and pursue goodness, but work under banners. I do not believe in giving a name to my classes because of this. I don’t believe in banners,” he says.
Suresh defines sports as Smartness, Purity, Observation, Regularity, Thoughtfulness and Sincerity.
He guarantees that when sports is combined with yoga, it will give fitness, mental peace and alertness. Many athletes in Goa dedicate their success to this simple man’s classes.
“Yoga brings purity and freshness to one’s mind. It throws away the negative energy from your body and brings in fresh positive attitude. You write down all your hatred towards a man and keep it underneath your pillow and sleep over it. In the morning, all your anger towards him will melt away and you will be able to tear it. But if you send that angry note to the person concerned, will you be able to gain peace?” asks Suresh. With these philosophies that question the follies of human mind, Suresh’s journey to attain inner peace goes on.