Oum'nipresent republic

Patriotism is in the air! What better way to pay an ode to the country than by celebrating Independence with the age-old practice from the Vedas? Taking patriotism and adding spirituality and entertainment while making a difference to other’s is the MO this Republic Day. Today, January 26, hundreds of yogis are coming together to practice yoga for a cause. They feel that education is the most powerful weapon we have, and that’s why they want to bring a change to society as they donate and live by example.

While some are doing 108 Surya Namaskars to kickstart Republic Day and donate for the education of the underprivileged, others are teaching asanas to those who cannot afford to join such classes.

Clearly yogis care and can make a difference to the society around us. There are many organisations out there that work tirelessly to create better futures for the people around us. Grandmaster Akshar of Akshar Power Yoga who is doing his bit to motivate the community, states “We will be performing sadhana and surya namashkars at Sadashivnagar on Republic Day. Yogis are known to live by example and that’s why we are pledging to educate 50 underprivileged people, especially women on Republic Day. We are going to empower the unfortunate few in the nearby villages like Chikballapur, who are not able to pay with the art of yoga. We will also create job opportunities for them in health and wellness sector.”

The spiritual Karma Yogathon where hundreds of yogis will come together will be followed by high-energy performances by Karnatic-based fusion band, Mishram followed by popular rock band, Suraj Mani’s Tatva Trip. Manish Pole of Total Yoga states, “Meeting up and doing yoga in a group is a great bonding experience to cherish and better still when you do it for a cause. A large group of yogis will be meeting for karma yogathon at UB City today to do 108 surya namaskars and make a donation of Rs 500 towards Vidya Foundation! The money will be given to sponsor a child through one year of schooling at Vidya Foundation. We are glad that we are in a position to help educate the few who aren’t so lucky. Doing 108 suryas with hundreds of the yoga community is also a bonding experience to cherish! Even if one can’t do 108 suryas, one can do either 54 suryas or 11 if you are a beginner.”

Namrata Sudhindra of Nikaya Yoga who has also taken to a yogic way of living adds, “As yoga practitioners celebrate Republic Day for a cause, I as a yogi feel it is our way of giving back. In the past, we have raised money for Odanadi, an NGO that rescues girls from trafficking. Bengaluru city peeps are known to be large hearted and always come forward in large numbers. I’m sure this time they will do the same.”