Yoga in Festival of Colors - Holi 2016

The bright sunny Saturday morning of March 29, 2016 saw about 500 people come together to celebrate the festival of colors (Holi). This event was organized by Net Effect media, Tradecraft and Skoolcare.org. 

Yoga Bharati took an active role and put together a grand yoga show. This show also had the audience participate and do all the yoga postures set to an upbeat music to suit the Holi spirit. It got the young and the old alike in the mood to stretch, twist and turn in tune with the rhythm!

Holi comes every year during the Spring season when the Sun begins to shine bright and the empty branches of the trees start to spring with new life. The birds migrate from the North to enjoy the greener pastures where the land is ready to provide and nurture the needs of all the creatures. Holi represents the human urge to celebrate life. There is sprouting of new life on earth everywhere and everything in nature seems to dance to the songs of the migratory birds. The variegated colors on the faces of joyous people represent the diversity of each of our thoughts, cultures, tendencies and paths to perfection we each have chosen and continue to journey on. 
There is no discrimination of any sort when it comes to playing Holi —  no one is left behind. Everyone is dragged and drenched in Holi colors, laughed with, laughed at and made to laugh with a positive spirit. Such a spirit of Holi is indeed a spiritual festival, matching the theme of yoga that aims to spread peace and harmony in the world. 

Saturday's Holi at the Rainbow Park in West San Jose was one such festivity celebrated with a spiritual spirit where yoga added yet another holy color to the colors of Holi. Yoga Bharati volunteers were seen everywhere with their blue T shirts, colored faces and immersed completely in the spirit of the event amidst a riot of colors! On the stage were the youth and the adult volunteers of Yoga Bharati who conducted a yoga based performance consisting of asanas and Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) set to the tune of M.C.Yogis's Hara Hara Shankara song from his album, ‘Pilgrimage’.

The later part of the show was interactive and the crowd was kept engaged by getting them to participate in yoga – the spirit was so contagious that everyone present, the young and the old alike did various yoga poses. Some of the poses were the Tree pose, Triangle pose, Dancers pose and the Warrior pose. 
 
Savita Joshi — Yoga Bharati volunteer and one of the main organizers for this event said, "The entire event was very well received and event host from Net Effect Media, Kapil Sethi and Anjali Kauser from Skoolcare.org were very happy. They would like to host many more of Yoga Bharati's events".

Madhavi Jain, who choreographed the Yoga show said "It was a great experience to be here and to conduct the show". Ankita Jain, who was one of the demo-er in the yoga show said "It was so much fun to celebrate Holi like this".

Six year old Eesha, who had never played Holi before, drenched herself with colors and did not want to leave the event. It was the case with most of the kids who attended such an event for the first time and were ecstatic with the colors — Amruta, Atulya and many other little ones. The dry powder used for colors proved to be safe and enjoyable especially for the kids.

There were also a number of mainstream Americans who had never witnessed such a riot of colors before and were simply thrilled being a part of such a festivity.
 
 Some of the other Yoga Bharati volunteers who took an active part in the program were Jolly Bose, Ratna and Basu Ullagaddi, Anil Surpur, Sharat Joshi, Pramod Srivatsa, Siddu Rati, Reshma Amen, Sushant T, Rekha Shivapa and Vanaja Konduri. 

Willow Brazier, Yoga Bharati Yogaksema center massage therapist provided more than 30 free chair massages at the booth for attendees and had a blast herself with all the colors and music! Local bands and great food from Peacock restaurant completed the fun scene at the event.

Holi at the park streaked everyone with the color of innocence, culture, happiness and a spirit of oneness, thus bringing the entire community together!

Video of Holi Pictures below: