Conversations with a 98 Year Old Yogini from India

The oldest living instructor in India now bends forward and backwards into some of the most challenging asanas with a seasoned body and mind, showing no signs of slowing down. She effortlessly finds her way into postures we’d very rarely see our Grandmothers let alone great Grandmothers contort into.

Since the International Yoga Day on the 21st June, she has been recognised as India's oldest Yoga Guru. Amma Nannamal came together to demonstrate various yoga asanas in Bengaluru at Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium on the occasion with Tao Porchon-Lynch. The trainers performed asanas with 500 yoga enthusiasts at the venue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the International Yoga Day celebrations in Lucknow. The entire world has been equally thrilled and pumped up to observe the occasion, taking a pledging to keep their body, mind and soul fit. The age-old Indian practice has brought people from different culture and countries together and this could be clearly seen from the zeal and enthusiasm with which the people across the globe are practicing yoga.

Nanammal was introduced at the tender age of 3 to yoga by her Grandmother. Nowadays, Nanammal proudly shares that the wisdom of a lifetime has resulted in 36 Yoga Instructors within the family, an institute called Ozone, and a Diploma of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences in partnership with the Indian Government, which she oversees. 

Similarly to how a special recipe is passed from generation to generation within a family, Nanammal feels that the recipe and teachings of the art of living have been shared in this same fashion within her own family. She’s been devoted to pass this on to every single one of her students, having now educated 1000 teachers.  Her traditional roots of practise embedded in the Ashtanga method of practise, 

She has recently received global interest with over 16 million people finding and watching her BBC India Youtube video. Finding 20 minutes for 20 asanas, 5 minutes for pranayama and 5 minutes for meditation. Though she hasn’t competed since 1995, when observing a Yoga Asana Competition, and recognising a competitor being wrongly disqualified, Nanna Mal protested, and was dismissed as an old senile woman. She shared her wisdom by showing the alignment of 10 postures perfectly, and this won her a standing ovation. Unbelievably, she offers to share an image of her passport to prove age, as the centenary of her legacy arrives seems just around the corner, having a date of birth which dates to the early 20th century, 24.02.1920. 

If you want to be a yogi, wealth is always secondary. Health becomes your priority, and everything is achievable,”