Teachings

The yogic and tantric traditions tell us that in essence, we are our own Gurus. I believe we all dance to seek our own essential blissful Self and, in the process, meet the Guru within.  The external teacher is primarily a conduit to pass on traditional knowledge with clarity and to the best of their ability, while holding space for the student’s own personal and fulfilling journey.

All classes I teach are structured around deconstructing Odissi’s movement phrases into their pivotal positions and understanding them as energetic mandalas. It is within such a kinespheric space that peripheral body parts are moved to rhythm and melody. Repetitive practice with this vision allows for building an understanding of the kinesphere as virtual temple around your body.

The process had two aspects. The first is the ‘outside-in approach’ where the focus is on mastering external movements of the physical body in the classical language of Odissi and the second is the ‘inside-out approach’. The latter privileges bodily sensations and the experience of the movement. I liken this two-fold approach to another traditional precept that learning about our essential nature happens through shravana (listening/watching), manana (deep reflection or contemplation) and nididhyasa (assimilation through repetitive practice). These are made possible by the ’inside-out’ approach where movements are reflected on deeply with reference to the tantric and yogic body map. Sensitization to energy flows in the body becomes manana when you hold space for the awareness of how a movement is affecting and releasing held tensions in your body’s architecture.

Any classical Indian art form transforms your personality and Odissi practiced with a conscious reference to yogic and tantric precepts is no different. Mastering Odissi movement through Dance as Yoga is a psycho-somatic process which allows you to follow the ‘taste of alignment and pleasure’ as your guiding principles throughout the practice.  This is vitally important to safeguard against the pitfall of training over many years and acquiring a movement language that is fluent but mechanical – a situation that is a disservice both to the creative self and to the tradition. It is an approach that washes away your malas (impurities that cause mental, physical and emotional distress) and shows the way for a joyful and empowered embodiment of the Self.