1.8 million Participate in Art of Living’s Yogathon

1.8 million people of all ages rolled out their yoga mats to take up The Art of Living’s challenge of performing 108 Surya Namaskars during an event titled “Yogathon 2014.” The organization has been conducting a series of Yogathons across the world.

Just 3 days ago, the UN had declared June 21st as the International Yoga Day.

Aimed at promoting the multiple health benefits of Yoga, the event was held at 3380  locations in 28 States across India - in locations ranging from schools, colleges, parks, stadiums, prisons, and rehabilitation centers to malls, orphanages and clubs.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living, says, “India is the land where yoga was born. And it must finally take the responsibility to spread it everywhere, starting from classrooms. This will help young people to move away from gun culture and violence.”

Educational campuses across the country met the challenge with great fervor, with 2050 schools and colleges joining the event. Hundreds of Art of Living teachers and volunteers all over the country led the Yogathon initiative.

The spectrum of yoga-enthusiasts who took up the challenge was interesting as well as exhilarating: blind children in Udaipur, 9950 defense forces, police forces, 18,000 prisoners in more than 100 prisons, IITs – all alike contributed to the nation-wide campaign to popularize Yoga.

The event witnessed participation from young and old alike. Pradeep Sangwan, who completed 108 rounds and won the “Gold Certificate”, observed, "After completing 108 rounds, I feel enthusiastic and excited. I feel I have broken a self-imposed barrier.”  R. Patnaik, 60, who won a “Spirit of Yoga” certificate for achieving 80 rounds of Surya Namaskar, said, “Completing 80 rounds at my age felt like an achievement." And there was 10 yr. old Mahika who achieved 108 rounds.

In an eco-friendly move, the certificates were issued online.

In Delhi alone 1.5 lakh people, including students from over 150 schools, joined in.

Gurudev has, in a statement, congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his initiatives on the UN declaration of June 21st as World Yoga Day, saying this would “further spread the benefit of yoga to the entire world.”

In the last 3 decades, The Art of Living has taken yoga to 152 countries and has 26,000 yoga teachers worldwide.