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Rising for a cause
through Yoga

On December 6th 2014, over 40 yoga enthusiasts got together to compete for the "Yogathon Challenge" of completing 108 rounds of Sun Salutations. Interestingly, the Yogathon challenge with its main theme- "Rise for a Cause", aimed to inspire people to care for one another through yoga and meditation. The host organization, The Art of Living, donated all proceedings from the event to the Kely Support Group, Hong Kong. 

This event was a part of the International Yogathon Challenge, in which over 3 million people from across the world have participated till date. It began with some light yoga postures, followed by Sun Salutations and ended with a refreshing meal.

 

Sun Salutations, or Surya Namaskars is a series of 12 powerful Yoga postures which rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit. It helps overcome several lifestyle related health problems like obesity, lethargy, insomnia, digestive disorders, skin diseases, hormonal imbalances, anxiety and stress and so on. Recent studies have also shown that it improves concentration and confidence. Many profess Sun Salutations to be the epitome of yogic exercises, which provide holistic healing to the entire body and mind. 

The event was a phenomenal success! Participants felt rejuvenated and elevated at the end. 

"This is a great beginning! I will continue the practice. A Saturday well spent." said one of the participants. 

"Many people who participated were at first very apprehensive about their abilities, but the group's enthusiasm overwhelmed their own inhibitions, and they participated to their fullest, with no hesitation in completing the challenge!" shares Seema Hirandani, an Art of Living Teacher. 

Those who completed the challenge were awarded a Gold Certificate. In 2012, 75,000 people were awarded the Gold Certificate in India alone! The event was hosted by The Art of Living Organization, an international nonprofit educational, charitable, and humanitarian foundation, dedicated to serving society by strengthening the individual. The organization believes that only when the individual is empowered, can he/she contribute to the rest of the society. The Foundation works in formal consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO): “Development of a Global Health Policy for the 21st Century”. With centers in over 152 countries, the organization aims to create a peaceful and stress-free world. In Hong Kong, their regular events and courses have been able to create a spirit of wellness and happiness in the lives of over 10,000 people.

The event, in its aim to create awareness among individuals about the benefits of Yoga, also ended up collecting donations, which were given in entirety to The Kely Support Group. The Kely Support Group is an open charity that offers empathetic, non-judgmental, confidential and inclusive support to youth between the ages of 14 to 24 in Hong Kong. Looking at the astounding success of the event, the organizers are now planning regular follow ups with the participants, and starting to prepare for the next year. They believe that it is only through Yoga and meditation can we relieve the world of all its illnesses and live together harmoniously as a one-world-family.

 

Writer: Aarshi Asmita