Kota: When other children his age might not be familiar with yoga, seven-year-old Pratyaksh Vijay trains many children and elders on the ancient healing practices. Not surprisingly, he became the youngest yoga trainer in the world in October by curving his name in the Guinness Book of World Records by securing a certificate from the agency.
Pratyaksh lives in Devashish City in Borkheda of Kota. He picked up elementary yoga from his mother Diksha Vijay. After this, he enrolled in professional yoga classes and started training others. His father, Gaurav Vijay, said Pratyaksh made the record of becoming the youngest yoga teacher at the age of six, while he started learning yoga at four and training people at five. He applied for the record last year. Earlier this record was held by a seven-and-a-half-year old girl from Dubai.
Gaurav, a faculty of commerce, runs coaching classes while Diksha, a certified yoga teacher from the Ministry of AYUSH, is a housewife. She was the inspiration for Pratyaksh.
Diksha said she used to perform yoga and pranayam for health benefits. Seeing everyone doing this in the house, Pratyaksh also started doing yoga and pranayam. "When we saw his interest in it, we enrolled him in a professional course. After this, he started teaching other people. He attended yoga training and a certificate from the Yoga Alliance organisation of the US. He also practices yogasana, which helps him learn new forms of yoga. He moves forward with what he knows," she said.
Pratyaksh studies in Class II at a private school on Baran Road. He knows around three dozen yogas including Laghu Vajrasana, Garbhasana, Ekpad Asana, Ushta Vakrasana and Surya Namaskar. He has a channel on social media where he uploads videos in his free time to encourage people to do yoga. He also learns and takes training during holidays. Like his mother, Pratyaksh is a certified trainer from the Ministry of AYUSH.
He took sessions in 8 to 10 camps and attended yoga camps in his school and Gayatri Parivar. He taught yoga not only to the students but also to the teachers. He took part in the programs of social organisations and coaching institutes across Kota. Not only that, he elaborately explains the nuances of yoga to the elderlies of his colony by performing it in front of them.
Pratyaksh said children should stay away from smartphones. He does not use one and even abstains from touching his parent's phones. He only uses a phone to talk and is not fond of games and cartoons. However, he watches TV for some time. After receiving the title of the youngest yoga guru, he wishes to meet the Prime Minister. His advice to the children is: Stay away from junk food.
His mother said Pratyaksh wakes up at 6 in the morning and goes for a walk. After doing meditation and pranayam for some time, he leaves for school. He practices yoga from 5 to 7 in the evening. He teaches the yogas online that he learnt earlier and takes yoga camps on Saturdays and Sundays.
Pratyaksh's grandmother Chandrakala said his grandkid stays away from junk and fast food as he has not been habituated to these from the beginning. Except few occasions, junk and fast food are not included in his diet. He eats simple homemade food. He likes vegetables and chapati. In vegetables too, he mostly eats dry and leafy vegetables.
Pratyaksh's records so far:
- In March 2023, he won the national competition held online by performing 27 yogasanas in two minutes.
- He got the title of champion of champion in the Nav Rashtra Yoga Competition held in Kota in June 2023.
- In July 2023, he registered his name in the International Yoga Book of Records by doing plank asana online at the youngest age.
- In February 2024, the India Book of Records bestowed the title of India's youngest yoga guru on him.
- He was honoured for yoga training at the district level in August 2024.
- In October 2024, the Guinness Book of World Records gave him the title of the world's youngest yoga guru.
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