V. Nanammal

V. Nanammal
V. Nanammal
Born Zameen Kaliayapuram, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
Nationality Indian
Occupation Yoga instructor
Awards Nari Shakti Puraskar (2016),
Yoga Ratna award (2017)
Padma Shri award (2018)

V. Nanammal (Tamil: வி. நானம்மாள்) - is India's oldest Yoga teacher who comes from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. The 99-year old Yoga teacher who has trained one million students over 45 years and teaches 100 students daily. 600 of her students have become Yoga instructors around the world.[1][2][3]

Her work has been honored with India's National Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2016[4] and the country’s fourth highest civilian award the Padma Shri in 2018.[5][6][7][8][9]

Early life

Nanammal was born in an agricultural family at Zameen Kaliayapuram,Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. Her husband was a Siddha practitioner and was into agriculture and cultivation, She moved to Negamam after marriage and later to Ganapathy, Coimbatore. At the age of 8, She learnt yoga from her father, she mastered more than 50 asanas. Over the past five decades, Nanammal has trained more than one million students and continues to teach 100 students daily at the 'Ozone Yoga Centre' established by her. Around 600 of her students, including 36 members of her family, have become 'Yoga instructors' around the world.[10][11]

Yoga practice

Nanammal started practicing yoga when she was 8 years old. She learned yoga from her father, who was a martial artist, Nanammal's husband was a Siddha practitioner in the village and was also into agriculture. That is how she cultivated a liking towards naturopathy after her marriage. She never stopped practicing yoga at any point in her life.[10]

Nanammal's father and grandfather were both 'Registered Indian Medicine Practitioners (RIMP)', Yoga was their family tradition and they were not teaching yoga to anyone outside the family and it stayed within the group. During those days, the primary business was agriculture in Kerala state, where their family owned coconut and cashew farms, along with traditional Siddha medicine.[12]

There was an incident involving her mother-in-law that made Nanammal to realize that yoga could potentially help other people as well. Her mother-in-law was out in the farm and had wrenched her leg, Instead of getting treatment from a doctor, She offered to teach her some yoga poses and she got better wit this technique. After that incident, her mother-in-law became her very first student. Over the years, Nanammal began teaching her neighbors and other children, and by the time 1970s, she had decided to teach yoga to even more people. Hence, The 'Ozone Yoga school' was established and since then, Nanammal and her family have taught yoga to over 100,000 people.[12]

Nanammal and her family, including her children, grandchildren and even great-grand children, follow the traditions passed on from generation to generation. In the year 1972 they established "Ozone Yoga centre" in Coimbatore and they teach their traditional style of yoga, which focuses more on Pranayama (Breath control).[11][12]

Awards and honors

For her achievement, Nanammal has been conferred with the following awards and citations:

Current activity

Nanammal attempted to get on to the Guinness Book of World Records by teaching yoga to over 20,000 students and enthusiasts in Coimbatore. Currently, her objective is to create awareness among women, mainly girl students, about yoga techniques by going to various educational institutions to solve several health-related problems, especially after marriage.[14]

References

  1. ↑ GovOfIndia. "Story of Smt. V Nanammal, India's oldest Yoga teacher - Padma Awardee 2018". Online Edition MyGov India. 2018, MyGov India.
  2. ↑ Govt. of India. "Padma Awards 2018: V. Nanammal". padmaawards.gov.in. 2018, padmaawards.
  3. 1 2 K Jeshi. "Bend it like Nanammal". Online Edition of The Hindu, dated 19 June 2017. 2017, thehindu.com.
  4. 1 2 Government of India. "Nari Shakti Puraskar 2016". Online Edition of MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT. 2016, Government of India.
  5. 1 2 Staff. "Photos: Illaiyaraja, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, 41 others given Padma awards". Online Edition of Zee News. 2018, Express News Service.
  6. ↑ Madhurima Sarkar. "V Nanammal Receives Padma Shri; The 99-Year-Old Yoga Practitioner Continues to Follow A Lifestyle Close to Nature". latestly.com. 2018, latestly.com.
  7. ↑ "Padma Awards 2018, Know the recipients". The Times of India. 20 Mar 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "Nanammal, the yoga grandma, wins Padma Shri". The Times of India. 26 Jan 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  9. ↑ "Padma Awards 2018" (PDF).
  10. 1 2 MERIN JAMES. "V Nanammal: The nonagenarian yogini". deccanchronicle.com. 2016, deccanchronicle.com.
  11. 1 2 Staff. "Nanammal, the yoga grandma, wins Padma Shri". timesofindia.com. 2018, timesofindia.com.
  12. 1 2 3 Sushma UN. "India's oldest yogini says you're doing yoga wrong if you're working up a sweat". qz.com. 2017, Quartz India.
  13. ↑ Special Correspondent V.S. Palaniappan. "In Coimbatore Today". thehindu.com. 2018, thehindu.com.
  14. ↑ Staff. "Nanammal: The 97-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu who teaches yoga to 100 students". dailyhunt.com. 2018, dailyhunt.com.
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