On an aesthetically pleasing morning of 8th February’22, a group of about 35 badminton athletes were lazily setting their yoga mats on a dewy football field. They were all set to do Surya Namaskaras to honor the Sun on the auspicious day of Ratha Saptami (रथसप्तमी). Revered as birthday of the Sun God ( सूर्यदेव ), Ratha Saptami, marks the start of the harvest season and falls on the seventh day ( सप्तमी) of the bright lunar fortnight (शुक्लपक्ष) in the Hindu calendar month Maagha (माघ). Yoga enthusiasts across the globe, celebrate the day with Sun salutations (सूर्यनमस्कार), as the Lord Sun is believed to radiate physical, psychological, and spiritual wellness to one and all. Due to the rhythmic breathing and synchronous body movements involved, Sun Salutations help in enhancing physical and psychological fitness for players too.
These athletes were led by Dr. Srinivas who is their yoga teacher or yoga guru as they fondly call him. As, Dr. Srinivas was chanting the initial prayer , the Sun rays slipped though the leaves onto the misty football field and the session started. The athletes of AWSB school of badminton (https://awsb.co.in/), started out slowly and steadily , but eventually gained momentum as the intensity of the session was rising along with the Sun. As, Dr. Srinivas was chanting a mantra after each round, one could see the clear sync among everyone performing the Surya namaskaras. After, a silent 90 minutes of practice, everyone applauded themselves and others, for completing 72 rounds of Surya namaskaras, wow!😊💪. This was followed by a relaxation session led by Dr. Srinivas , where everyone could feel a level of inner peace and stillness. A productive and peaceful start for the day and the season👍.
(a write up by Surya)
It is really nice to see how well yoga integrates into elite athletic training. It definitely helps to calm the mind and body.
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