Eraviperoor a Source of Inspiration for Yoga Buffs

TIRUVALLA: Senior citizens in Eraviperoor panchayat have become role models for others, especially youngsters, as they bear testimony to the curative powers of yoga. And the elderly has been taking part in the community-level yoga training programmes conducted by the panchayat for the last three years.

Sachithanandan Nair and Gaurikkuttiyamma practising yoga

The panchayat launched the training project in 2012, utilising the plan fund. Locals need to spend only Rs 50 towards fee for a 20-day training programme. Panchayat president N Rajeev said the programmes were started in a bid to keep Non Communicable Diseases at bay. “Absence of exercise and good food habit is the root cause of many health problems. Cases of diabetes and hypertension are on the rise and they create many problems for the senior citizens. Keeping this in mind, the panchayat started concentrating on its elderly population and offered them yoga as a solution,” he said.

Implementing Officer and Medical Officer of the Primary Health Centre (PHC), Dr P C Ajith, said the training programmes were being monitored by the PHC and the panchayat’s Standing Committee for Health.
Septuagenarian Sachithanadan Nair and Gaurikkuttiyamma from Othera, have no worries about their health now. Sachithanandan says: “Almost all of my ailments have been cured by practising yoga.” The training programme was conducted by the Senior Citizens Forum in association with the Yoga Project of the panchayat. Another senior citizens body — Pakal Veed — had also conducted training programmes. A unit of senior citizens from Kozhenchery, inspired by the fitness achieved by their counterparts in Othera through yoga, is set to organise a training programme from Wednesday.