Dance, laughter, meditation to invoke love...

Participants, mostly women, dressed in red and white, gathered on the premises of the Mysuru Race Club, at the foot of the Chamundi Hill, early on Sunday morning, for ‘Love Thyself’, a health wellness and meditation programme, to mark the Valentine’s Day.

The participants danced to popular music tracks, laughed heartily, and meditated by chanting ‘Om’ 108 times. Love Thyself, a programme for empowerment through health, had been organised by Innerwheel Central Mysore, in association with Deccan Herald and Prajavani publications. Various business establishments sponsored prizes to the winners in the lucky dip of the counterfoils of the tickets. Retired principal Rallie Ganapathy inaugurated the event.

Jahnavi and Namratha, trained dancers, set the stage in motion. There was music, dance, bright colours, bright smiles, loud laughter, positive energy, bright light of the rising sun through the gaps of mighty trees, and also spirituality. The participants started arriving at the venue from 6 am itself. Most of the participants knew each other and the new ones on the block were welcomed warmly.

Malini Krishnamurthy, an elderly woman, who fell down while displaying her energy in lifting her legs over her shoulder, bounced back and repeated the fete a few more times.

Charity

Anitha Suresh, president of the club, said, the proceeds from the sales of the tickets will be used to build a toilet complex in a school. Rachana Nagesh, coordinator of the event, a meditation therapist, said, “The motto of ‘Love Thyself’ is ‘healthy people and happy society’. The event focuses on empowerment through health. Its theme is ‘love and peace’.”

Suma Mahesh, the member of the core committee, said, “Love thyself is an effort to make a difference in the society with spirituality”. A G Bharathi, member of the core committee, said, “The concept of the programme is healthy partying, where people enjoyed the sunrise, dance, laughter and meditation.”

Rachana Nagesh, who designed the 21-minute package, said, “The first seven minutes were for dance. There was no choreography. The participants were asked to just enjoy and dance with energy. The second seven-minute duration was for laughter. The participants were asked to recall the happiest moment in their life and laugh openly. The last session of seven minutes was for meditation. It was on Padmasana, Vajrasana or Sukhasana, whichever was comfortable for the individuals. The elders, who could not squat, sat on chairs. They participants chanted ‘Om’ 108 times.”

She said, “If the participants practise the 21-minute package for 21 days, they can feel the difference. The aim of the therapy is to heal most of the basic health problems — physical, emotional and psychological. One who cannot love oneself, cannot love others. So, to mark Valentine’s Day, in a meaningful way, Love Thyself is a beginning. If one is healthy and confident about oneself, one can spread the love.”