Dubai: A seven year old expat girl from Dubai is world’s youngest yoga instructor.
Meet Praanvi Gupta, a Grade 2 student of Gems Wellington International School Dubai, who was recently certified by the Guinness World records for being the youngest yoga instructor.
Praanvi — a certified yoga trainer — has pursued her dream from a much younger age, keen to share an attitude of positivity to people young and old alike.
She said: “My parents applied for the Guinness World Records. After couple of months’ of verification, I was conferred the record of world’s youngest yoga instructor.”
Praanvi is an accredited yoga teacher within a US-based yoga alliance programme, giving weekly training sessions to the children’s batch at Vedic Yoga Centre.
“This is international body for Yoga affliated professionals, where first school has to be certified then the student should be certified. Praanvi has a certificate from this body of professionals,” explained her father Pramod.
Journey with yoga
Praanvi started her journey with yoga when she was as young as four. She was inspired by her mother Priyanka Sengar who practices yoga every day. Her passion grew day by day and soon she was practicing yoga independently.
An enthusiastic Praanvi who shared her love for yoga with family and friends was encouraged by them to join a yoga institute. “She was keen to keep her practice going. And so we enrolled her at the Vedic Yoga Centre in Bur Dubai during the school holiday breaks,” said her father Pramod who works as a sales director for a Belgian software company.
Training with a yoga master
Praanvi trained under Dr. Vincent, a yoga master with over 24 years’ experience and a doctorate degree, prepared Praanvi to become a teacher of yoga.
“My family and friends inspired me to join a yoga teachers’ training programme that was happening in September. Dr. Vincent accepted this request and I enrolled for the teachers’ training programme.”
Love and passion
“My yoga journey has not been an easy one. I have had to attend regular school, beside keeping pace with my academics and extra-curricular activities. But I have not given up on yoga. It is my love and passion.”
Praanvi added: “I am so happy I passed the teacher’s training programme. Now I can teach my friends and other children who want to learn yoga.”
YouTube channel
Praanvi runs her own YouTube channel “LearningwithPraanvi”. “My parents thought it was a good idea to spread the message of my Yoga journey just so it inspires young yoga enthusiasts to take their journey to the next level.”
“My message to children who are curious about yoga - it is very important for everyone - especially children. Yoga makes our bodies flexible. It increases focus and concentration which in turn helps a lot in academics and exam preparations.”
Her mother Priyanka added: “Children should be encouraged to do yoga for it creates positive minds. It develops positivity of the mind which is critical for all of us in today’s world. The pandemic put a lot of stress in people’s lives. Parents on their part should encourage to live and lead a healthy routine. Yoga plays a big part.”
