((PKG)) 71-YEAR-OLD YOGI
((TRT: 08:12))
((Topic Banner: 71-year-old Yogi))
((Producer/Camera/Editor: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Germantown, Maryland))
((Main character: 1 male))
((Blurb: Meet Shrikant Sabnis, a yoga guru who is defying the myth of aging with challenging yoga poses that very few can master. Discover his contribution to a global community during the early days of the pandemic and what yoga means to him.))
((MUSIC/NATS: Shrikant doing poses and breathing))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Asana is a pose. In that pose, you stay for some time. Say hello to all major joints and muscles. Make muscles tight and release them so that that helps to increase the flow of energy throughout the body.
((MUSIC/NATS: Shrikant breathing))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
The breath is called Prana. Pranayama [control of breath] helps you to control your emotions and manage them.
((MUSIC/NATS: Shrikant breathing))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
My name is Shrikant Sabnis. I’m 71 years old. I’m from India originally, from Pune.
((NATS/SOT: Shrikant))
Let me get my jacket.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
My wife’s name is Rekha Sabnis. We both were students in Pune University. That’s where we met. And then later on, we came to Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1977.
((NATS/SOT: Shrikant))
Alright, let’s go to Black Hill Park today.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
So, both Rekha and myself are retired.
((NATS/SOT: Shrikant))
Alright, Rekha.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Most of my career, I have been working in safety critical systems, designing and implementing air traffic control systems.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru)
When I was about 60 years old, I got a gift from my wife and son, for the birthday gift, was like yoga teacher training for one semester. So, when I completed the teacher training, I started teaching classes for free.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Courtesy: Shrikant Sabnis))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
People got more and more interested that considering that it's a free service. And also, there are some really good community people
((end Courtesy))
that wanted me to conduct the classes and help in every way.
((NATS/SOT))
((Courtesy: Shrikant Sabnis))
Creating harmony between mankind and nature.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Before the pandemic, there [were] like at 13, 14 different places we had the classes.
((NATS/SOT: Shrikant and crowd))
((Courtesy: Shrikant Sabnis))
All together, take a deep breath in.
Om.
((end Courtesy))
((NATS: Setting up Zoom))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
After that, you know, we hit the pandemic.
((NATS/MUSIC))
People started approaching me.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
And because they want to help the community, one person, Sreeni, he helped to set up the Zoom setup.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Good morning, Priya.
((Courtesy: Zoom))
So first, we start with Bhastrika [bellows breath]. So, bring your elbows together, open up, inhale, arms up, belly forward, open up the fist. Exhale, arms down, belly in, close the first. Again, inhale, arms up, belly forward, open up the fist.
((end Courtesy))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
The main during the pandemic was
((Courtesy: Zoom))
providing people this support to meet other people online
and also some venue that’s taking care of their health.
((NATS/SOT))
Thank you very much.
((NATS/SOT: Shrikant))
Hello, Alka. Good morning. Namaskar.
((NATS/SOT: Alka Dharmadhikari))
((Courtesy: Zoom))
Good morning.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
People are meeting each other, developing new friendships.
Many people have said that this is really kind of a
((Courtesy: Zoom))
savior for them during the pandemic. They couldn’t have survived without such a support.
((NATS/SOT: Shrikant))
One more time, inhale halfway up, look forward, exhale forward.
((end Courtesy))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
People attended from different parts of the world.
((Courtesy: Zoom))
((NATS/SOT))
Hello, Guru Ji. Thank you. Namaste.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
There are some people that attend from Canada. There are people attending from France, from England, from India.
((end Courtesy))
People from Singapore attended for a while.
((NATS/SOT))
((Courtesy: Zoom))
Namaskar.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
We had some occasion where people from Australia
((end Courtesy))
also attended.
((Courtesy: Zoom))
So overall, it has been growing. Different people,
((end Courtesy))
different age groups, starting from
((Courtesy: Zoom))
age 4 to 92.
((NATS/SOTs: Shrikant and children students))
I think Vaishnavi is teaching the class today.
No, she’s not. Guru Ji is.
Yeah, I’m teaching but, you know, if somebody else wants to teach, that’s fine too.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
There were kids that really were affected by the pandemic.
((end Courtesy))
Just having that venue where they can meet people
((Courtesy: Zoom))
and share their thoughts, and also same time, they're practicing yoga and meeting other kids.
((NATS/SOT: Shrikant))
You exhale through mouth, as if you’re trying to blow a candle that’s far away, and then you inhale, bring arms back up. So, it will look something like this. You make a fist first…
((end Courtesy))
((NATS/SOT: Shreekant outside))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Again, inhale arms up, exhale arms down. Two more. And relax. Let’s do a few jumping jacks.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
During the pandemic, I received lifetime achievement award from President Biden
((Courtesy: Shrikant Sabnis))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
for the community service that I have been providing. I feel that I haven’t done much, enough to do,
((end Courtesy))
get something that’s so special, but it was recognized and so, I’m happy about it. In any way, it doesn’t make any difference to what I do. It was just helping the community.
((NATS/SOTs))
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
I give a lot of credit to my wife and all the teachers and the members that have been helping.
((NATS/SOT: Shreekant and participants))
Very, very regular.
Oh, she really enjoys.
And we have started many in-person classes and also in-person events. There are some extra mats also. So, in case you need a mat, please use it.
((NATS/SOT: Shreekant))
As you inhale, open up, elbows go sideways. Exhale, bring the elbows together. Again inhale, elbows go sideways. Exhale, bring them together. One more time, inhale, elbows go sideways. Exhale, bring them together.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
There are many teachers. Now there are 30 plus teachers.
((NATS/SOT))
Deep inhalation and exhalation.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Both adults and kids that got the training and are teaching yoga. And this is all voluntary.
((NATS/SOT))
Slowly bend forward.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Kids are so creative. It’s just amazing how they come up with different themes for the classes. It gives them self-confidence to be able to conduct the class, tell 12 people, 15 kids to tell them what to do and how to do it.
((NATS/SOT))
Stay here for the count of five, four, three, two, one.
((Shrikant Sabnis
Yoga Guru))
Some people think that only the spiritual aspect of yoga is what is the real yoga. In my view, from a more practical perspective, I feel that, you know, the yoga has to be more practical, more experimentative, where you actually do it, and the benefits are, it's more like a social activity. The social aspects make people help in their physical, you know, well-being as well as the spiritual well-being. So, this is part of the service that Shri Yoga is providing.
((NATS/MUSIC))