IDUKKI: As the morning mist hangs over the dense forests of Idukki, a quiet voice breaks the silence. “Take a deep breath. Raise your hands. Relax your shoulders. Close your eyes.” One by one, tribal men, women and children follow the instructions in sync.
Hidden inside the forests, remote tribal settlements that once remained isolated from the outside world are embracing yoga — not merely as a daily exercise, but as a pathway to confidence, awareness and social transformation.
Among them is Kozhiyalakudi, a Muthuvan settlement in Mankulam panchayat, where around 80 tribal families have made yoga an integral part of everyday life. For generations, the community lived in near isolation with limited interaction with mainstream society.
Today, yoga has brought not only physical well-being but confidence, awareness and social change. The transformation is the result of nearly 16 years of sustained efforts by volunteers of the Art of Living Foundation. Yoga, pranayama and Sudarshan kriya sessions were introduced in Kozhiyalakudi around 2010-11, gradually transforming the settlement into a complete yoga village.
The driving force behind the initiative was Adimali-based yoga instructor Anilkumar K G, who has been visiting the settlement for years to conduct sessions.
“Early on, I found residents struggling to interact with outsiders. Women would turn away the moment they saw us. Today, children, youth and elders alike practise yoga, pranayama and Sudarshan kriya. During the floods and the Covid pandemic, the relationship built through yoga also helped us bring development initiatives and support to the village,” he says.
For many women in the settlement, yoga has become a journey of self-discovery.
“We never knew much beyond working in the fields, buying rice and returning home. Through yoga, we gained an understanding of the world beyond our village. Earlier, Muthuvan women rarely stepped out or interacted with others. Now we move around confidently, meet people and speak without hesitation,” says Geetha, a local body member from the settlement.
Kozhiyalakudi is now one of two tribal settlements in Idukki to be recognised as complete yoga villages — the other being Chokramudi in Bison Valley.
Anilkumar says yoga classes will soon begin at the tribal settlement at Six Mile as well. “Apart from simply practising yoga techniques, our aim is the wholesome development of the community.”
The impact extends beyond physical well-being. Villagers say yoga has helped improve mental health, discipline and community bonding while enabling them to become part of the mainstream without losing their cultural identity.