~ Sivaguruprasath, Preethi, Nithyasandhosh, Poonguzhali, Ajay, Sri Bhavani

This year’s yoga marathon was organized by SAIIER, Auroville for a week to celebrate International Yoga Day on June 21, 2024. School children from Auroville and outreach schools were invited to register for the Yoga Marathon. Around 130 children participated in this event, which took place at Bharat Nivas over four days and fifth day is in Matrimandir, Amphitheatre.

Sanjeev was invited as a special guest for this event and inspired the children by saying, “We are here to learn how to correct our sitting posture to make ourselves better”. Two senior Aurovillians, Varadarajan Iyya and Shyamala Amma, were also special guests for this event. They sponsored yoga mats for the children.
Last year, in 2023, the yoga marathon was held in Matrimandir, Amphitheatre. This time, the team planned and arranged everything to the best of their ability. They organized yoga mats for the children’s use and arranged healthy breakfasts. The children were divided into three groups: below 10 years old, 11 to 14 years old, and above 14 years old. This arrangement helped manage the groups effectively when teachers taught asanas and pranayamas.

@Amphitheatre, Matrimandir on Yoga Day
Sri Bhavani’s learnings:
I was inspired by the Organizing team in handling the children from different age groups and they took an effort to make things workable in the present which are missing in the past. Ajay, Sivaguru, Preethi, Meganathan from our team also contributed their support in distributing breakfast for the children with the organizing team. Shifuians (NithyaSanthosh and Pachayappan) were supported the event arrangement. I acknowledge the team members whoever supported this event and make it happen. I see the quality of Care, Sincerity and Generosity in them, I will use it in my life.
What do I notice differently this yoga session?
Usually, all the children were invited to Amphitheatre for this yoga marathon session. Techers will be at the center; children will follow the instructions of teacher. For this massive gathering it was hard for the teachers to handle the children to move forward the session.
This time teachers separated the children into 3 groups. Each day teacher will go in the rotational order for each group. One teacher taught us Surya namaskar and standing asanas, other teacher taught us pranayama’s and another teacher taught us sitting asanas and some difficult asanas. Children as well as teachers get enough to do asanas perfectly.
From our team, this time number of person showed interest towards yoga had increased. I felt happy for everyone’s participation.

Group Gathering @Bharat Nivas
Ajay’s Learnings:
I participated in the yoga marathon with children, and it was an amazing experience. I learned different asanas and noticed that practicing the old ones has greatly improved my physical health. The marathon lasted four days, with the fifth day being International Yoga Day. On that day, many people from Auroville joined us, and we also experienced a sound bath, which was wonderful. I helped manage the children and provided snacks for them daily during the five days.
I felt that my body became more flexible, and starting my day with some asanas made me feel refreshed throughout the day. Practicing pranayamas helped me to feel their benefits, and I learned about their uses. After Yoga Day, we continued practicing some of the asanas from the marathon in our campus in the morning after meditation, which I believe inspired some of my colleagues to join us next time to keep themselves healthy.

Sound Bath on Yoga Day
Poonguzhali’s Learnings:
My name is Poonguzhali I stand for courage for myself and others. When I participated in the Marathon yoga camp, I learned different asanas that helped me make my body strong, flexible, and balanced. I learned breathing techniques that calm my mind and give me more energy. While doing meditation I find out how to relax my mind and focus on the present moment to feel more peaceful. When I do yoga at Bharat Nivas and Mathirmandir, I feel close to nature. I enjoy hearing birds singing and feeling the cool breeze on my face. It feels like nature feels peaceful inside. I had a great experience.
Preethi’s Learnings:
My name is Preethi. I stand for courage and kindness for myself and others. My insight from the yoga marathon is that it felt good to wake up early morning and do something that good for my body and mind. When I did yoga, I felt calm and energetic the whole day. I learnt different Asana’s and exercises that make my body feel good and strong. And I find out how well I can concentrate and how to improve my focus. When I attended this yoga marathon I get to meet and practice with lot of children, which is really fun and helped me to feel more connected to those around me. I felt calmer and more peaceful and felt more connected to the natural world around me. The natural setting helps me connect more deeply with myself and my inner thoughts. It’s a wonderful opportunity to attend this workshop and I really had good time and enjoyed it.

Sivaguruprasath’s Learnings:
On attending the Marathon yoga, I feel energetic and calm and also, I felt responsible on guiding children to do Asana’s properly. Children were provided with morning breakfast, yoga mat and transportations. More number of students were participated than the last year. It was one of the very great opportunities for us to practice yoga regularly.
We practiced different Asana’s in different days of the week which enhances the relaxation of the different parts of the body.
Nithyasandhosh’s Learnings:
My name is Nithyasandhosh. I stand for kindness and equality for myself and others. I noticed that, practicing for YOSA for one week, dedicating one hour each morning, can be incredibly beneficial. This focused time allows me to make significant progress with consistency and discipline. Morning practice can enhance my concentration and set a positive tone for the rest of my day. Each morning session brings me one step closer to achieving my goals and excelling in my performance.
