Natya Yoga: The Science of Dance

All streams of education that took birth in India have the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment of the student. The primary purpose of education is to lead towards the union of our individual self (microcosm) with the universal self (macrocosm). Tagore reiterates this "The highest education is that which does not merely gives us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence." Classical Indian dance is a refined and comprehensive system of education with the same end goal. The practice begins with the training of the physical and mental to culminate in the spiritual.

In my opinion, no other form of education integrates at once the complete development of an individual. Training in dance not only cultivates all the faculties; the body, the senses, the mind but also awakens the sense of beauty, harmony and rhythm lying latent within us and found universally around us. No wonder why the knowledge of classical dance (natyaveda) is considered the ultimate knowledge (panchamaveda)!

na tat jnanam na tat shilpam, na saa vidya, na saa kala
naasau yogo, na tat karma naatye asmin yanna drishyate 
There is no wisdom, no sculpture, no stream of knowledge, no art,
no science and no action that does not find reflection in Dance. - Natyashastra 

Violin and Lessons on Life

As an adult learning to play the violin, there are many insights that I can draw from my learning which apply directly to life and living.

To play the violin an adult must unlearn a lot of bad habits that have accumulated over the years. From inattention, one must go towards becoming more attentive, sensitive and aware. From stiffness, tension and rigidity, one must become firm yet relaxed, soft and supple. From excesses towards moderation, the optimal placement and application of energy.

The journey to playing the violin well is a slow process of eliminating all that is gross in us to become more refined. In essence the violin holds up a challenge for us to become better human beings, sensitive, aware and alive!

When a person is alive, he is soft and supple
When a person dies, he becomes hard and rigid
When a plant is alive, it is pliant and tender
When a plant is dead, it becomes dry and brittle
Hence, the hard and rigid are companions of the dead
The soft and supple are companions of the living  - Lao Tzu

A hobby is a lifeline ..

I feel that every one must cultivate at least one hobby, one pure pursuit to devote oneself to in our spare time. Be it art, music, science or sport, a hobby can serve as a lifeline to grasp onto in times of crisis.

A hobby is a safe haven to retreat into when life or the world around is in turmoil. A hobby brings the mind to the present. It gives rest to a restless mind by eliminating pointless thoughts. Hobbies not only bring joy but also prevents us from spending our time in empty, material pursuits. 

Yehudi Menuhin: Deeper insights into playing the violin ..

Yehudi Menuhin, painting by Myfanwy Pavelic

Excerpts from Menuhin's memoir Unfinished Journey, to read and reread ..

"The performing violinist continually reviews the hours, days and weeks preceding a performance, charting the many elements that will release his potential ... he knows that when his body is exercised, his blood circulating, his stomach light, his mind clear, the music ringing in his heart, his violin clean and polished, its strings in good order, the bow hair full and evenly spread, then - but only then - he is in command ... But neglect of the least of these elements must gnaw his conscience. 

“So a violinist lives in training. He makes his body his vocation. His stance must be erect yet supple so that, like a graceful reed, he may wave with the breeze and yet remain perfectly aligned from head through spine to feet. He is a living structure stretched between the magnets of sun and earth. Just as only a stretched string can vibrate, so before a violinist's body vibrates he must feel drawn upward, his head delicately poised on the vertebrae, his diaphragm raising him on a cushion of air, while the working parts of his anatomy - shoulders and arms, hands and fingers -float and balance at different levels. Elegant management of the body is among the qualities civilisation denies us, and too often the violin, inviting surrender, only makes rigidity more rigid."

"All influences pointed towards less tension, more effective application of energy, the breaking down of resistance in every joint, the coordination of all motions into one motion; and illustrated the profound truth that strength comes not from strength but from the subtle comprehension of  process, of proportion and balance."

"..what the eye sees - the raised arm - is but the last link in a chain of events originating in the mind. To be conscious of these events as they happen, before they are apparent to the eye, is a lesson in the subtlety I believe to be a cardinal principle of violin playing; but just to awaken oneself to them is enough."

"Not for the violinist the exhibitionist and fiery springing from seat or keyboard of a virtuoso pianist, or the acrobatics of certain conductors. He is part of his violin, his left hand fingering its way, without any margin for error, over the millimetric subdivisions of a space that varies like a slide rule, and his bow never leaving the string but under precise, controlled conditions."

"Perfection cannot be achieved unless its pursuit becomes a way of life. My goal has been so to play the violin that whatever I play is an exercise for whatever I might play. Concentrated observation and practice of minuteness are gradually absorbed; the conscious brain is short-circuited;"

The path of Self-study ..

Self-study leads one off the beaten path onto a uniquely personal journey. One track leads to another and then another, guided purely by the stirring of ones heart. Self-study originates from the inner urge in us to understand and deepen our learning about life and the world we live in. It is learning without a curriculum, without a set pace and without a goal.

All great writers, poets, teachers, philosophers, scientist and artists spend a great deal of time in self study. The anticipation of reading the next book elevates us from the mundane activities of daily life.  All that is needed is a quiet uncluttered corner in our homes for pursuing our self guided study.

Tagore in his study at Shantiniketan

“Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.” ― Isaac Asimov

"Pursuers of Knowledge" and "Pursuers of Fortune":

As I understand, there are two types of communities ..a) communities that foster knowledge and b) communities that foster fortune. The primary goal of people in the former is their quest for knowledge, wisdom, freedom, truth and creativity. The people of the latter are only intent on doubling their wealth devoting any free time to monetary affairs.

The immense contribution of the Jewish community to the world in practically any field is attributed to them being the 'pursuers of knowledge'. In Einstein's Ideas and Opinion's he sheds light on these Jewish ideals ..

"The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice and the desire for personal independence these are the features of the Jewish tradition". "We shall continue not merely to survive as the oldest of living peoples, but by creative work to bring forth fruits which contribute to the ennoblement of the human race, as here to fore."

The very same ideals are upheld by the learned, progressive Brahmin communities of India who are inspired by the pure teachings of the Vedas and Upanishads. Their contributions to the world in science, social reforms, thought, literature, music, arts are on par with the contributions of the Jewish community.

“There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers of honor, and lovers of gain.” - Plato

The Joy of Learning

"Joy of learning".. I've heard this many times, but it is only now that I truly experience the joy of learning.

These days the highlight of my week is my violin and dance classes. How I look forward to the tuesday and thursday evening classes. In those few hours I completely lose myself. I forget who I am... that I am a mother, my profession, my age, the chores, deadlines, ..everything disappears!! I am oblivious to the surroundings, the little kids in the class decades younger to me or the frigid weather outside. In those brief interludes time comes to a standstill and I am just a humble student with a simple desire to learn.

There is no pressure, no goals, nowhere to reach, nothing to prove and no one to show. At the end of the day, after I finish all my duties as a homemaker, mother, wife, daughter-in-law and a working professional, I learn if time permits and when the opportunity presents itself.

As strange as it may seem, I have no desires for vacations, restaurants, shopping, movies and other forms of entertainment. I have everything I need in the ordinary routine of my daily life. 

That is the way to learn the most, that when you are doing something with such enjoyment that you don't notice that the time passes - Einstein

"Quiet" Matters

I went in to my son's kindergarten class today for an observational visit. My son's teacher Mr Janzen mentioned that just like his sister, my son too is usually quiet in the class. He also mentioned that the quietness didn't mean that he didn't know the answer, he just was not keen on being very verbal in school.

A few years back I was apprehensive about my daughter’s quiet nature, especially in school. Now I am more comfortable and accepting of this side of their personalities, primarily because I see a lot of the other side of them at home and other familiar environments. They are expressive, talkative and at times quite rowdy.

In today's noisy world, talking more is associated with confidence. There appears to be a need to verbalize everything. Silence is thereby associated with a lack of confidence and social awkwardness. This view I think is mostly a modern phenomenon.

Silence in the old days was associated with inner strength and composure. Silence and quietness was an integral part in learning and a prerequisite for great creativity. When we are silent, we listen more keenly. Behind the silence is a deep process of listening, comprehending and registering. It will do us all some good to embrace silence.

"That state which is beyond speech and thoughts is silence. Learning happens in silence." 

 "Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together; that at length they may emerge, full-formed and majestic, into the daylight of Life"

"Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom"

Dadirri : Deep Listening

I recently read about "Dadirri". It has always been a big part in the lives of the Aboriginal people of Australia. According to  Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, Aboriginal writer

“Dadirri is inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness. Dadirri recognises the deep spring that is inside us. We call on it and it calls to us.

When I experience dadirri, I am made whole again. I can sit on the riverbank or walk through the trees; even if someone close to me has passed away, I can find my peace in this silent awareness. There is no need of words. A big part of dadirri is listening.”

“In our Aboriginal way, we learnt to listen from our earliest days. We could not live good and useful lives unless we listened. This was the normal way for us to learn - not by asking questions. We learnt by watching and listening, waiting and then acting.”

“My people are not threatened by silence. They are completely at home in it. They have lived for thousands of years with Nature’s quietness. My people today, recognize and experience this quietness, the great Life-Giving Spirit, the Father of us all.”