RCB Celebrates International Yoga Day In Style

In court and jail
To mark International Day of Yoga on June 21st, 2022, Rotary Club of Bombay organised a special session for the
Honourable Judges at District Civil & Sessions Court (Fort, Mumbai).

Archana Shah, a Hatha yoga and Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga teacher, designed the module not just to teach participants
techniques but also stress management.

A similar session was organised at the opposite end of the judicial spectrum, for the prisoners of the female wing
of the Byculla Jail. Here, Ms. Archana designed the module keeping gender-based health issues in mind but also stress
and anger management.

After the session for the Judges at District Civil & Sessions Court (Fort, Mumbai), Ms. Archana headed to the jail
along with her co-teacher Priti Patel. The prisoners had already assembled, dressed in yoga-suitable track pants and t-shirts. Before beginning, some of them shared that a group of women within the prison do yoga every morning.

Ms. Archana focussed on forward bends which are very good for dealing with anger issues and, also, sectional breathing and cooling pranayamas.

At the end, the women discussed specific issues for which Ms. Archana was able to demonstrate some asanas.

She briefed both groups about the benefits and contraindications of each asana. She emphasised posture alignment to get the maximum benefit from the asanas.

RCB thanks Rtn. Ptn. Ekta Shah Rtn. Satyan Israni for putting this together to commemorate International Yoga Day.

In class
Ms. Archana Shah also took a special yoga session for the children of our Lighthouse Project. She also takes their
regular Saturday classes. The session began with the children doing various yoga asanas under the teacher’s guidance.
This was followed by group displays with children doing more complex asanas like head and handstands too. Finally, to
calm down after the strenuous activity, the instructor guided the class in breathing exercises and chanting ‘Om ‘.

With the tribal community
RCB held a series of yoga sessions for the Vaidu community in both Marol and Jogeshwari with the students of the respective study circles and Adult Literacy programme. During these sessions, the adults were educated about the benefits of yoga, how it helps children manage anxiety, emotional regulation, boosts self-esteem and concentration
along with flexibility and how it helps older students with strengthening bones, improves sleeping habits, and
alleviate aches and pains and many more other benefits.

1. We did yoga with more than 300 students over two days.

2. Even heavy rains did not hinder our dedication, classes continued.

3. However, we had to take classes in small batches indoors. When it was not raining, open-air sessions were possible.

4. One of our students, 12-yearold Sanchita Shah, from our Marol centre was selected the yoga instructor as in her school.