International Yoga Day: Kerala housewives bond over yoga mats and travel maps

For many over 40, midlife crisis also involves getting introduced to a 'stiff' life ahead. As their bodies challenge them more, professional lives inch towards the final phase, and children leave the nest, some may find the physically and mentally challenging period tough.

Selinamma Philip, a former secretary of the Kuttipuzha Service Cooperative Bank, was leading an active post-retirement life. However, she thought a community of fitness-minded women might have a bigger effect on her and others' lives. This resulted in the formation of 'Queens' Yoga Club,' a community of 25 women in Tiruvalla in Kerala's Pathanamthitta. They meet daily for an hour of yoga and mental rejuvenation. The free sessions, helmed by Dr Gayathri and held at team member Leena Varghese's residence, have had a transformative effect, they say. 

"From weight loss to improved energy, the sessions' effect on us is tremendous," says Selinamma. Apparently, many members couldn't even easily sit on the floor before the sessions started. "I don't think any of us are that stiff anymore. The yoga practice has also improved our moods and mental health," she says. Most participants are housewives, retired professionals and returned NRIs for whom the club has been a platform to build positive energy. For Leena Varghese, who returned from abroad to care for her ailing parents, the club has also been a haven of sharing and caring. "We also have meditation as part of the yoga sessions, and I can see how they have changed us for good," she explains. 

Queens, who have been bonding over yoga, have travelled together too. "A while ago, we visited Velankanni in Tamil Nadu. Now, we are thinking about travelling to Kochi on Vande Bharat, to explore the Water Metro and the like," says Selinamma. While space constraints limit their ability to add more members, Selinamma feels forming six-member units at ward levels should help them start more sessions and bring the benefits of yoga to more women. "We are waiting to celebrate this year's International Yoga Day (which falls on June 21), practising together in similar outfits, with renewed energy," she says.