Four friends in Kochi are encouraging locals to replace that Sunday boozy brunch with an outdoor workout at Aurah Social
We’ve seen ‘socially distanced’ running and cycling groups, and we’ve had Instagram live sessions and clubhouse rooms on lockdown fitness and home workout guides. With restrictions now eased, a group in Kochi is now mixing these elements with a bit outside. The brainchild of Riya Jithu, Ashwini Nandakumar, Hannah Muthoot and Anna Pauli, it came about when they were looking for a social experience that went beyond just dinner and drinks.
(L to R) Anna Pauli, Ashwini Nandakumar, Riya Jithu and Hannah Muthoot. photo Credit: special arrangement
“We wanted to go for a workout and a smoothie bowl. But a Google search did not yield any results for Kochi. So, we decided to host our own ‘social’ and co-founded Aurah Social,” says Nandakumar. The idea was to bring people from their gyms and makeshift fitness studios, aka living rooms, into the month. A bar was motivating to get out.” If you meet like-minded individuals such as the beach, on the pool deck, in the garden, or overlooking the backwater, join in a group workout [HIIT, pilates, yoga], and end it with a nutritious meal,” explains the 25-year-old, who works at an edtech startup.
Marathon and Smoothie Bowls
Aurah Social hosted its first event in April—an invitation-only gathering that brings family and friends together in the backwaters. “We wanted to see if people were willing to wake up at 6 a.m. for a wellness event. We increased our capacity and more than 50 people participated [the social kickstarted with yoga, followed by a breakfast of smoothie bowls and avo toast]Says 23-year-old Jeetu, who works at Cosmix, a superfood mix maker.
start-up network
- Supporting local brands is a natural extension of start-ups. He also owned oil and spice brand, Purveena; ORGANIC SHOP HORG; Kombucha labels Crackling & Co, among others. 25-year-old Muthoot says, “We are now keen to collaborate with wellness brands such as Pahari Local, Mason & Co and Cosmix outside Kerala.
When the second wave hit in May, the team moved to offline events. He raised ₹37,000 on a virtual fundraiser for the non-profit Corona Safe Network (CSN) – which focused on physical (HIIT) and mental wellness (tapping and meditation) with cooklong sessions. This was followed by a fundraiser bake sale for CSN in June in collaboration with artisan chocolate brands Paul & Mike. Post-lockdown, the team chose a 10K run for its August social. “We partnered with personal coach, CrossFit trainer and athlete Chris Jacob” [who has been training for six years now]. While most people found the challenge intimidating, by the end about 47 had finished the race,” says Nandakumar, adding that his events have been attended by people in their 20s to their late 50s. They all also follow the COVID-19 protocol. “Everyone has to submit a negative RT-PCR test report. In addition, we host outdoor events to maintain social distancing, and limit entries to a maximum of 50 participants. “
As for future plans, Pauley, 25, says he hopes to normalize gatherings that focus on health and fitness. “We want to encourage more communities to come together and exercise. We plan to offer our experiences in different cities of Kerala in the coming months.”
Ticket From ₹850 onwards. description For September social will be announced soon On Instagram at @aurahsocial.
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