• A fighting culture and a meditative culture converge when a Maasai moran in Aboseli National Park meets an American enthusiast.
• Today he says he's the first moran practitioner and teacher who studied in the US who holds classes and raises money to build schools and arrange scholarships.
Image: KNA
You'd think they'd be perennial antagonists, like oil and water, never coming together.
Not so fast.
Jacob Parit ole Noomek, was working at a cultural village in Amboseli National Park when he interacted with an American yoga enthusiast, an interaction that completely changed his life.
Following their talks, Parit got an opportunity to go to Mombasa for a training in yoga before he went to the United States for further training in the Africa Yoga Project in the year 2009.
Parit, 50, who is believed to be the the first, or one of the first Maasai morans to practice yoga, took a liking to yoga because he said it brings people together as a family.
He believes if people keep practicing it, it could change the world.
“People say yoga is for the affluent, but that is not true. Yoga is for everyone. Every morning when you get out of bed, your body is asking for yoga and when you stretch, you are practicing yoga without your knowledge," Parit said.
"Yoga has physical and mental health benefits to people of all ages and that is why we should all practice it,” he said.
Parit, however, experienced challenges while trying to introduce yoga to the Maa community as most members viewed it as magic and a waste of time.
“For a long time, the Maasai disregarded yoga and viewed it as magic but they have since slowly adopted it after getting the physical and mental benefits from yoga sessions,” Parit said.
The Yogi says it is now common for members of the community to assemble in the morning and evening waiting for his instructions, whenever he is at home. He also engages several students in different schools during physical education lessons.
Parit also uses his interaction with some tourists who visit Amboseli to source for funds to build schools and arrange scholarships for children from the Amboseli community.
From training in yoga, Parit has been able to cater for his family’s needs though he also keeps livestock as a Maasai tradition.
“During tourist visits to Amboseli, many tour companies seek my services for their clients. This has enabled me to further cater for my family needs,” Parit said.
In partnership with My Chosen Vessels NGO, Parit also trains Maasai women in Amboseli who suffer from extreme backaches due to carrying water and firewood for long distances.
Yoga, a practice that connects the body, breath and mind using physical postures, breathing exercises and meditation to improve overall health was introduced in Kenya in the 1970s.
Some of the benefits of yoga include cardio and circulatory health, improved respiration, energy and vitality, increased flexibility, increased muscle strength and tone, stress relief, among other benefits.
(Edited By V. Graham)