Coimbatore: It was a special Wednesday feeling for students of Nehru Arts and Science College where `Women’s Day’ was celebrated. The special guest on this occasion was 99-year-old Nanammal, the oldest yoga instructor in the world. She is also a Padmashri award winner.

The dignitaries included Dr P Krishnakumar and Dr B Selvaraj who emphasised that, “Woman should be individual and autonomous. She should not depend on anyone and should be aware of herself in this 21st century.” Also present was Dr B Anirudhan, who talked about the importance of women’s health and how they should balance career and personal life without stress or strain.

Nanammal said, “Yoga is in my blood. I have never had a day in my life without practising yoga, which is secret behind my good health.” She told students about the importance of asanas for staying physically and mentally fit.

She told the gathering that she would wake up at 5 am daily and after finishing her morning ablutions would do yogasanas and after that take a bowl of porridge made of millets like kudiraivaali, saamai, wheat and kambu along with peerkangai poriyal. Giving tips on how to stay healthy, she said that one should eat lots of green leaves and vegetables and avoid fast food completely which are the cause for diseases.

It is believed that there are over 84 lakh yoga postures of which only 1,000 asanas are left, she said, adding that she performed 50 asanas which included `paschimottanasana’ and `sarvangasana’. Practising yoga regularly would keep away paralysis said Nanammal who ever after performing amazing yoga postures, which included difficult ones like `kandharasana’ and `sirshasana’, there was no sign of fatigue.

A a teetotaler who prefers only sukku coffee made of powdered dry roasted coriander seeds, jeera, dry ginger and kalkandu (palmyra jiggery), left all stunned by her good eyesight, perfect hearing and sharp memory.