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 

Composter and a lesson on Maya ..

For over a year, I have been dumping all kinds of kitchen and yard waste into my backyard composter. Some time goes by and they are all transformed into the same black organic matter we call compost. From this matter arises all things and everything dissolves into it.

Now just imagine how dull the earth would be if all the land was simply covered with this inert black matter and nothing else. Gladly that is not to be! Nature loves infinite variety which she forms and transforms from this very same matter. The earth is her eternal playground where new art is created endlessly. This is Maya according to Hinduism, the grand illusion!!

All the myriad objects that form the universe are the external reality that we perceive. The true reality is the hidden principle of nature, of matter and energy that transforms and animates everything. 

A quick dip into Tranquillity ..

It is with great joy that I am reading the book titled "Meditations" by the great Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius. To understand the Greek stoic philosophy and discover that it echoes the exact thoughts of ancient Indian philosophy is such a joyous revelation!!

Marcus Aurelius - Stoic philosopher

Here he shows us how to quickly return to a state of tranquillity no matter what perturbs the mind. Tranquillity can only be sought within and not in vacations or other escapes.

Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains; and thou too art wont to desire such things very much. But this is altogether a mark of the most common sort of men, for it is in thy power whenever thou shalt choose to retire into thyself. For nowhere either with more quiet or more freedom from trouble does a man retire than into his own soul, particularly when he has within him such thoughts that by looking into them he is immediately in perfect tranquillity; and I affirm that tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind. Constantly then give to thyself this retreat, and renew thyself; and let thy principles be brief and fundamental, which, as soon as thou shalt recur to them, will be sufficient to cleanse the soul completely, and to send thee back free from all discontent with the things to which thou returnest.

Tranquility is nothing else than the good ordering of the mind - Marcus Aurelius