Today i participated in an event - Yogathon (comes from Yoga Marathon), inspired by Sri Sri. This was an all India event. On the occasion of World Health Day, to spread awareness about Yoga and inspire people to stretch their comfort zone, Art of Living, organised the Yogathon (Like a marathon). In this participants had to complete 54 sets of Surya Namaskar (108 rounds) at a stretch. If you have done even 1 set before, you will know that to complete 54 sets is no mean feat.
(The success has been outstanding. To unite a nation in such a unique way - to actually make Surya Namaskars the COOL thing to do - only Sri Sri could have done it with such finesse and class!!
The 12 steps shown in this picture make 1 round of Surya Namaskar (SN). So 54 sets is 108 rounds.
The Mumbai event was at MHADA grounds, Bandra Reclaimation. It was great, the energy was superb and everyone from a 7 year old child to a 73 year old woman to a blind man, lots of kids from the SSRVM(Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir), Dharavi, 108 youth from the Y ES+ team and many other enthusiasts joyfully and easily completed 54 sets.
This event is a new beginning for me as it is preparing for this event that got me out of the laziness and lethargy that had set into my life for the past couple of years.
Post the birth of my son, i had kind of forgotten to focus adequately on myself. It was always putting the baby first, and babies take up all the time you give them. Whereas this is natural to most mothers, for some period of time post the birth of their children, I felt i had crossed my time to make excuses. For whatever reasons, I was just not able to get the Exercise & Gym cycle set, between kiddo's school, some major domestic help issues, my own mind condition etc. (Anyway i am not comfortable leaving my son alone with a maid at home, so they had to tag along to gym), it was just not happening!
Just then news of the Yogathon came. I was telling our Yoga teacher, Parinda about it, thinking surely she would be able to accomplish this feat and also in case any of her other students would be interested. She was sharing an inspiring story with us that day, and i cant recollect now how the conversation progressed, I just vaguely remember Parinda telling me - "You take it up and i will match how many ever sets you do!!" And i realised that there was about 54 days left for the Yogathon and the sheer mathematics fit so beautifully, i decided that i would take up the challenge and increase my practice of Surya Namaskar by 1 set everyday, and i would be ready for Yogathon by 7th April. At that time my husband and Parinda both thought it wise to encourage me, they must have thought even if i manage 25-30, still good enough!!
The interesting part is that once i had made this decision, my usual excuses of no domestic help, son being unwell, etc didn't look big enough problems anymore. Why??
1) Surya Namaskar is a really fuss-free exercise - No need to leave the house (like in case of other exercises like Jogging, Gym etc). No need for any equipment, No complicated routines. Just 12 beautiful steps to be repeated, exercising all parts of the body! (And the skin glows !!:))
2) Its not very time consuming - You can actually do 55 sets in 35 minutes. I've done it!!
3) My mind was committed to it. This is the tricky part in this - to be committed against all odds. My son did go through a couple of bouts of ill-health in that duration and my domestic help issue was not sorted. (you have to know my son to realise that domestic help not in place is a huge setback!) but i still managed to do my SNs quite regularly (even if it meant riding horsey to my son in mountain pose).
Once i started, i was hooked. It was so energising and i felt so good! Parinda was a great support and kept encouraging me on !! i started doing my SNs with her on weekends, and she observed me and gave me some very useful tips to sustain my strength and stamina longer.
So i had actually done 54 sets 15 days before yogathon itself. Then i actually de-gressed from there for a while as an obstacle came my way - my son came down with Chicken pox, 12 days before Yogathon, and was so clingy it was difficult for me to even pee without him crying for me.
So few days i didn't do any SNs- but as soon as he got better, 3 days before the event, as soon as he slept off i did 55 sets in 35 minutes!! (I had just decided i had to do 54 that day if i had to do it @Yogathon!)
And now 54 sets - which was once a formidable number, seems easy!
In the journey of getting to 54 sets - I learnt
1) The mind is way more powerful than the body.
2) The breath is a very powerful tool linking the mind and body. Use wisely
3) Talk Less - DO more!!
I'll tell you a secret - i just LOVE being a part of the club which is special - I've really enjoyed friends and family telling me they are inspired - and they wish they can do it too!!
I LOVE that i pushed my body and mind to achieve what i thought impossible at some time in life!
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| Thats Parinda, me and parnida's friend, kamala after completing the Yogathon challenge! It was a great HIGH!! :) |
Its great to actually have done something which many people have not done and dream to accomplish some day!!
Stretch Beyond your comfort zone - THAT'S WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS :) :)
Love
Alpa
Inspiring....
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