BY JYOTHSNA HEGDE
Atlanta, GA, June 5, 2026: The wooded trails of the Autrey Mill Nature Preserve & Heritage Center came alive with color, conversation, and movement on the morning of May 9 as the 4th Annual SARI MOVES 2026 brought together hundreds of participants for a Mother’s Day celebration centered on health, wellness, culture, and community connection.
The event was formally inaugurated by Johns Creek Mayor John Bradberry, who welcomed participants and praised the organization’s commitment to promoting wellness, community engagement, and cultural pride through innovative programming that encourages healthy living.
Organized by Saris to Suits, the event transformed the preserve into a vibrant gathering space where women in richly woven saris walked wooded trails, participated in fitness activities, attended health consultations, and engaged in conversations about preventive healthcare and women’s well-being.
This year’s program marked an important evolution for SARI MOVES. While previous years focused primarily on walk and run activities, organizers intentionally expanded the event to offer a more comprehensive approach to women’s wellness, particularly within the South Asian community, where conversations around preventive health, nutrition, and mental well-being are often delayed or overlooked.
Throughout the morning, participants moved between wellness booths, music performances, guided nature walks, laughter yoga sessions, sari showcases, and free medical consultations. Rustic barns, butterfly gardens, creeks, grazing goats, turtles, and winding wooded pathways created an atmosphere that felt both festive and restorative.
Founder Pratibha “Patti” Tripathi reflected on how deeply personal the event’s health mission had become for her over the past year.
“I had two surgeries and steroid treatment in July and August 2025. At a younger age, people often think they are invincible. I did,” said Tripathi, host of the Breathe Easy health podcast. “Things happen that are often beyond your control, like my automobile accident and brain bleed one year ago. After 50, how you lead your life determines whether you live with dignity or regret. Guard your health. ‘Health is wealth’ may sound trite, but it is a fact.”
Tripathi, who wore her mother’s sari to the event, also shared that her relationship with the six-yard garment itself had changed over time. Growing up in Indiana, she once viewed it simply as traditional clothing worn on special occasions. After losing her mother at the age of 56, however, the garment gradually became deeply symbolic of identity, heritage, memory, and womanhood.
For many attendees, the event also challenged long-held perceptions that saris restrict movement or physical activity. Women enthusiastically participated in step exercises, walking activities, and rhythmic clap routines while dressed in colorful silks and handwoven regional attire.
“It has been amazing to watch women realize they can move freely, exercise, laugh, and feel strong while wearing a sari,” one volunteer remarked as participants gathered for group movement sessions accompanied by upbeat music and energetic Tamil Parai drumming performances.
The morning’s wellness programming included warm-up exercises led by Deepika Chalke and Meghana Naik, guided nature walks through the preserve, laughter yoga, henna art, raffles, sustainable shopping booths, and live music performances by AskV Production.
The guided walk led by board member Renuka Thakur through the preserve encouraged participants to slow down and reconnect with nature while exploring butterfly gardens, creeks, wooded trails, and open meadows. Organizers noted that the event intentionally incorporated movement, mindfulness, and social interaction as part of a broader conversation around physical and mental health.
Mental wellness emerged as a recurring theme throughout the morning, particularly during the laughter yoga sessions led by Tona Barnes where participants gathered in circles, clapping, breathing deeply, and engaging in guided exercises designed to reduce stress and encourage emotional release. Many attendees spoke openly about the importance of creating spaces where South Asian women feel comfortable discussing anxiety, burnout, loneliness, and emotional exhaustion alongside physical health concerns.
One attendee, Jyoti Srivastava, reflected on the sense of connection and warmth that defined the morning.
“So many things were my favorite.. the camaraderie amongst all of us, lifting each other up, the nurturing nature walk, lovely performances, tasty masala chai. All of it was wonderful. Kudos to you and your team.”
The event also highlighted growing concerns surrounding health outcomes and chronic disease risks within South Asian communities. Medical professionals noted that while many South Asians follow vegetarian diets, nutritional imbalances, sedentary lifestyles, stress, processed carbohydrates, high sodium intake, and limited preventive screenings continue to contribute to rising rates of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and high cholesterol.
According to research shared during the event, South Asians often develop cardiometabolic conditions at younger ages and lower body weights than many other populations, making preventive care and lifestyle awareness particularly important for the community.
Beyond individual consultations and educational sessions, the event underscored a larger public health message: wellness is most effective when it becomes part of everyday life rather than a response to illness. Organizers emphasized that preventive healthcare extends far beyond annual checkups and includes regular physical activity, nutritious eating habits, mental well-being, social connection, adequate sleep, and routine health screenings. By bringing physicians, wellness experts, fitness activities, and community engagement together in a relaxed and culturally familiar environment, SARI MOVES sought to encourage women to take a more proactive role in managing their long-term health and to view wellness as an ongoing journey rather than a destination.
Expert speaker Dr. Priti Bandi, who was recently named to the TIME100 Health List, emphasized that many cancers and chronic illnesses can potentially be reduced through healthier lifestyle practices and earlier intervention.
“Prevention is one of the most powerful tools we have in medicine,” said Dr. Bandi. “Small, consistent choices around nutrition, physical activity, stress management, sleep, and regular screenings can dramatically influence long-term health outcomes. The goal is not simply to live longer, but to live healthier, with vitality and quality of life.”
Dr. Bandi discussed the links between cancer risk factors and cardiovascular disease, particularly among South Asians. She encouraged attendees to focus on regular exercise, healthy body weight, balanced nutrition, stress reduction, routine screenings, and stronger social support systems that encourage long-term accountability.
She also stressed the importance of addressing women’s health more broadly at a time when many global healthcare conversations are highlighting the systemic underinvestment in conditions that disproportionately affect women. While women often live longer than men, health experts increasingly point out that many spend later years managing chronic illnesses, untreated stress, caregiving burdens, and preventable health conditions.
Another major component of the event was the free health fair organized by Georgia Association of Physicians of Indian Heritage. Physicians from specialties including cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, geriatrics, ophthalmology, internal medicine, and family medicine provided free consultations and wellness guidance throughout the morning.
Participating physicians included Dr. Abhshiek Gaur, Dr. Herman Dodani, Dr. Swati Gaur, Dr. Rani Reddy, Dr. Vishal Sharma, Dr. Ritika Mahajan, Dr. Indira Menon, and Dr. Ritu Chadha.
Guests also enjoyed a healthy breakfast featuring fruit, upma, tea, coffee, and nutrition-focused snacks while watching the popular “States of India” sari showcase, which celebrated India’s regional textile traditions and cultural diversity.
Women from Nrupathunga Kannada Koota showcased traditional Karnataka weaves and silk saris, while members of UPNAA represented North Indian sari traditions. Participants from Kerala and Tamil Nadu displayed elegant Kasavu saris and South Indian silks, creating a flowing panorama of regional craftsmanship, heritage, and identity.
Founder Jay Sehgal of the Sehgal Foundation spoke about the organization’s work across nearly 4,000 villages in 13 Indian states, including sustainable agriculture initiatives, water management, sanitation projects, solar-powered schools, digital libraries, and nutrition programs.
“Sehgal Foundation is proud to support SARI MOVES, a celebration that brings together health, culture, and community,” Sehgal said. “Initiatives like this empower women to move, connect, and lead healthier lives.”
Guest of Honor John Bradberry thanked Founder Patti Tripathi and President Jyothsna Hegde for selecting Johns Creek as the venue for the event and praised the organization’s efforts to promote health, nutrition, fitness, and wellness through culturally engaging community programs.
Sponsors and partners for SARI MOVES 2026 included Sehgal Foundation, Mirus, Kunnatha Injury Lawyers, Sheth Family Foundation, Georgia Association of Physicians of Indian Heritage, Larry Erickson of Edward Jones, Publix, Healix Scrubs, DaVita Kidney Care, Atlanta Indian Women’s Forum, and BAGA.
More than a cultural gathering or fitness event, SARI MOVES 2026 reflected a growing effort within the South Asian community to address women’s health more openly and holistically, blending preventive healthcare, emotional wellness, nutrition awareness, movement, culture, and community support into one shared experience.
