Participants taking a wefie after the hour-long yoga session.
The rising sun was the perfect backdrop for over a thousand yoga practitioners who gathered for the 10,000 Smiles Yoga and Smiles Market event held at Setia City Park in Shah Alam.
It was organised by the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) Malaysia with the aim of encouraging a healthier lifestyle among Malaysians.
Apart from Setia City Park, the event was held at two other locations concurrently, including at SJK(C) Yuk Choy, Ipoh, and Dataran Pahlawan in Malacca.
IAHV president Lau Sing Ngoh said a total of 5,000 participated at the three events.
“Our aim is to promote values like compassion and sharing, and more importantly a healthy lifestyle,” she said.
Lau said a healthy lifestyle should begin with young children and she is hoping to have more yoga classes in schools.
There were a number of stalls set up by health conscious individuals and companies promoting a good lifestyle.
This was one of the reasons they chose SJK(C) Yuk Choy as one of the venues for the 10,000 Smile Yoga event, she said.
According to Lau, students in both primary and secondary school tended to be stressed out and needed activities, such as yoga, to clear their minds.
Shah Alam city councillor Simon Siow, who was also at hand to help the team of volunteers at Shah Alam, said the event was a great way to help create a healthy lifestyle and environment.
He said the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) was happy to collaborate on events like this as the promotion of green living was in line with the council’s green city status vision.
The yoga lovers turned up as early as 5.30am for the session dressed in a special T-shirt designed by 12-year-old Tang Guo Hao.
The T-shirt depicted a hand spreading happiness, one of the main aspirations of the foundation.
Setia Alam mass yoga event.
After the energising exercise, people milled about the special Smile Market set up by health and eco-conscious traders. The food sold was vegetarian, with some offering organic meals.
There were also farmers who sold raw food in hopes of promoting fresh food instead of processed food.
IAHV said the funds raised from the event would be channeled towards four major service projects: Malaysia Smile Campaign (stress-management courses for teachers and students), Thailand Miracle Tree Planting Project, Phil-Empowerment in the Philippines, and the Emergency Response Fund.
Local celebrities, including Pei Pei, Bell Yu Tian, Natalia Ng, Danny Koo and Uriah See, also participated and made the event all the more lively.
Courtesy: The Star Online
