The best and the most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart – Helen Keller.

“Sab Ka Mangal Ho” in association with SOSVA foundation started a study in 2018 when we began our “Yoga project” for orphaned and underprivileged children to have a stronger and healthier life. The purpose of this study was to establish whether yoga can help these children focus on self-growth and build a stable and happy life for themselves. Over the past six years, we have reached out to many orphanages and provided over 600+ children with the knowledge of yoga. To our surprise, more than 90% of these children experienced a great change in their behavior. They were tranquil and resilient and had started to look at their day with a purpose. More than 200+ children who at the beginning of this process were extremely hyper-active and mischievous have turned into calm and rational personalities. Around 100+ children had significantly improved in studies. Curious to know more about their process, We asked the student how their experience was with this journey, and here’s what they said…

1) Yash Pawar (Matruchaya)

Age 15

Practice: 5 years 

When I first started learning Yoga I didn’t quite understand how it would be beneficial to me. It was only after the 1st year that I realized that it had made me physically stronger and more flexible. Now I feel like doing yoga every day, even when our teacher is not coming. The best part about learning yoga is that it has given me a deeper understanding of my body and I am thankful that I got to learn it. 

2) Vasant (SOS)

Age 17

Practice: 1 year

Ever since I began learning yoga I have witnessed a great change in my body, I am more focused and flexible than before. It has always been my dream to be a sports instructor or karate coach and yoga has helped me improve my chances of becoming either one. Yoga also gave me the opportunity to perform in front of the Prime Minister at the Mysore Palace during The ‘International Day of Yoga  2022’, which will definitely be one of the best experiences of my life. 

3)Parshu Kale (Nirankar)

Age 12

Practice: 2 Years

At a young age, I was diagnosed with calcium deficiency which meant I was constantly facing pain. Ever since I started learning yoga, that pain seems to have gone away, now my bones are stronger than ever. At first doing yoga felt like a strenuous chore I never wanted to do but now it’s like a game that I just don’t want to stop playing. I aspire to participate in yoga competitions and win gold medals. I love doing yoga every morning, it keeps me energetic throughout the day. 

Ever since they started their practice these children have experienced tremendous growth. They now understand the importance of self-care and so they begin their day with yoga. This is not coming from us, this is from the administrators and caretakers of these children. 

Madhuri Shinde (Founder & Secretary of Dhyandeep Balgruha) 

Dhyandeep Balgruha became a part of the Sab Ka Mangal Ho Yoga Project in 2017. We actually learned about the health benefits of Yoga when we saw significant growth in our children in the past 5 years. They have become more active, and more energetic, they behave in a disciplined manner and have learned to assess situations in a calm and organized manner. 

Shushtan Gathe (Caretaker of Matruchaya) 

Our children have been learning yoga under Sab Ka Mangal Ho for the past 4 years. And in the past four years, these children have excelled in their own personal way. I have seen a drastic improvement in their focusing powers. Some of them have even begun to organize their daily chores better. We can see they are more disciplined. Initially, some children who were extremely notorious have now started behaving in a peaceful and rational manner. 

Nikhil Bhankar (Senior co-worker at SOS village) 

We started the yoga project in your orphanage in 2020 to keep the children busy throughout the lockdown but since then I have noticed that these children hardly ever fall sick. They have developed a sense of mutual understanding and behave in a well-mannered way. They take the initiative to get up on time and reach the practice hall for their yoga class every day on their own. 

The feedback from these administrators and caretakers makes us believe in our cause and proves that we are making a difference. “Sab Ka Mangal Ho” and SOSVA envision reaching more and more children with the gift of yoga to ensure even they get to live a happy and complete life.