01/03/2013
Yoga has become the buzz word of this century; now it has come to Kenya with a bang: The Nairobi Yogathon 2013. This grand event attracted over 1,150 people from all walks of life in its first year and is aimed to grow larger every year. The atmosphere at the Jamhuri High School Grounds on the morning of 17th February was highly charged as yoga enthusiasts, young and old, geared up to perform 108 Surya Namaskar. It was an inspiring moment to witness at the crack of dawn when children smaller than their yoga mats, walked in with excitement shining on their faces to learn something new. This event was organized under the banner of Hindu Religious and Service Centre, in the spirit of promoting fitness and health and to celebrate Swami Vivekananda’s 150th birth anniversary.
Swami Vivekananda was asked once: “To develop ourselves physically, should one concentrate on exercise, yoga or martial arts?” Swamiji responded, “Either of these will do, they are all capable of increasing the physical strength but I would recommend Yoga, as this does not limit itself to the physical development but develops the mind contributing to the spiritual development.” Swamiji further illustrated that the physically weak are unfit for Self Realization.
To celebrate Swamiji’s ideologies and the benefits of doing Yoga regularly, 17thFebruary 2013 was set as a global event to perform Surya Namaskar worldwide. In Kenya, the event took place simultaneously in Nairobi, Mombasa, Meru, Nakuru and Kisumu. All in all approximately of 18000 Surya Namaskar’s were performed in Nairobi on the day and the vibe of spirituality and happiness was experienced by one and all, with the Sun shining bright as ever!
The event began with the National Anthem to achieve that calm and serene start for the event, leading onto 4 experienced Yoga instructors, namely: Dr. Arvind Pathak, Dr. Komal Shah, Nikhil and Moses taking people through various asana’s, predominantly demonstrating Surya Namaskar. The crowd geared and ready with their Yogathon ‘kits’ (Tshirt), showed keen interest, with many attempting to complete all the cycles. The biggest revelation was how, many Kenyans were so keen to share and learn. Small breaks were included in between the session, which included the ‘health-bites, Yoga demos from Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and Africa Yoga Project.
With the forthcoming elections, prayers were recited for a peaceful general election ahead. The message being that the light that comes from the sun should radiate through every one of us Peace and Love.
The ultimate session was highly appreciated by all including the organizers and volunteers – Laughter Therapy, it was the perfect way to end a perfect morning of yoga.
To view the pictures of the event, see link below:
https://plus.google.com/photos/114780195417320881404/albums/5845942924289476753
Nairobi Yogathon 2013 (126 photos)
