Artistry Trailing The Seven Chakras
Human body is a miniaturised form of the universe around us. It is a ball of atoms and molecules. These vibrate continuously and produce energy. Thus creating different regions, some absorb energy others emit. But what does it mean to us ? Why is this energy important ? How does it affect our health, emotions, our existence?
Balance and imbalance of this energy maintain the environment within us. Movements of Yoga is one such thing which helps to maintain this balance; and the other is Indian classical music and Indian classical dance. The beautiful amalgamation of these three enlivens our whole body and is known as Euphonic Yoga a unique concept in itself.
To understand this blend one needs to know the prana or energy flowing in our body forming the Chakra system as explained in Sapta Chakra, an early 19th-century manuscript, illustrates the esoteric (Tantraic) correspondence between the subtle energy and Tibetan psycophysiology. This is common to Hinduism, Budhism and Jainism.
The Chakra system is enlivened by this natural blend of Euphonic Yoga. The creators of this came up with an aim to bring Yoga, Indian classical dance and music on a single platform for the world to know that dance and music has to offer more than just aesthetic sense. They have measurable effects on body and they are noṭ completely exclusive to each other.
It would be interesting for you to know, there are 7 swars (musical notes) in music corresponding to 7 energy chakras/ centers. These Swars makeup all the raagas thus basis of all the music. Yogasanas like matsyasana, sarvangasana or bhujangasana when performed along with Raga Bhairavi (its main note is Pa), affects Vishudh Chakra and has been found to uproot the diseases of kapha dosha e.g. asthma, chronic cold, cough, tuberculosis, some of the sinus and chest related problems etc.
This concept of Euphonic yoga has been able to incorporate 3 Indian classical dances- Kathak, Odissi and Bharatnatyam till now. A dancer enters the stage, be it in Kathak, Odissi or Bharatnatyam, invoking the higher deities. The dancer gets literally transformed into a channel to transmit divine energy. When the he makes an offering to Lord Ganesha, the deity of Mooladhara Chakra controlling the kundalini shakti at the base of one's spinal cord, at the same time he makes a symbolic offering of the entire being with salutation to Mother Earth in order to stay grounded with magnetic forces while reaching out and accessing the world of the stars making the divine connect and energising the whole being.
Kathak has profound leg movements enhanced by ghungrus (foots bells) and chakkars, enhanced and beautified by the flowing attire. The firm movements is determined by your physical and mental well being. Chakkar requires meditative level of concentration. It is said that, foot has nerve endings of all the internal body organs. Chakkar presses on to the acupressure points on the feet which helps in maintaining a balance within the body.
Odissi is a dance form of expressions and moods beautifully engraved in each part of the body of the dancer. The Sun and Moon shaped jewels relate to the solar and lunar energy and the central channel adorns the crown while even the fingers and toes are painted symbol using the five elements. Thus, Odissi can aptly depict all the different moods, emotions and mental state of a person experienced by balance and imbalance of any Chakra. Yog hasth mudras affects various psychological as well as physical being of a person for example Hamsasya mudra in dance is used to evoke deep feeling in the observer and joy in the practitioner, whereas the similaṛ Dhyan mudra of Yoga hastha mudra is used to increase concentration and calm down the mann. Mudras are an essential part of Classical Indian Dance, and are used to express the vast array of human emotion and experience.
Bharatnatyam, is the oldest Indian classical dance form. Being one of the temple dances of southern India It has very strong connection with deities. The 7 chakras are governed by 7 deities, for example... the common factor in the practice of yoga and Bharatanatyam, is the fact that both need to concentrate on the chakras (the psycho-physical centers) of the body. The chakras together form “the thought body of the trans-migratory soul.” These chakras lie on the central line of the body that demarcates the left and the right parts of the body (bilateral symmetry).
Yoga, dance and music all use rhythm and this rhythm is synced within us as a part of our heartbeat and breathing. The practice of Indian classical dances and other classical arts is said to be akin to meditation. The spiritual, mental and physical discipline required for complete harmony of mind and body is found in yoga philosophy. Thus, combining the three has been just so organic, like the water of a waterfall entering into a pond.
