ODISSI DANCE AND YOGA BEST HEALTH CONCERN
The regular practice of Yoga brings out the best in a dancer as good health. As a dancer one can work towards a spiritual, mental, and physical discipline. It is the lineage of directly passing healthy knowledge from a succession of gurus to students…
BY Madhumita Raut
Odissi dance and Yoga are two ways to become one with the divine force. In fact, they are from the same source. Shiva as Nataraja is the lord of dance. He is also worshipped as Aadiyogi or Yogiraj. Shiva is believed to have created more than 840,000 asanas. He is the one who inspired Patanjali to write Yoga Sutras. Shiva is also the one who brought the universe into existence with his cosmic dance. Both dance and yoga also seek the awakening of ‘kundalini’ energy.
The aim is being salvation. The final dance piece in an Odissi repertoire is called Moksh – becoming one with the Supreme Power. As an Odissi dancer I believe that Odissi is a form of yoga at two levels- spiritual and physical. Odissi uses yogic positions like Gomukhasana, Talasana, Vajrasana or ardhacheera etc.
We use similar Mudras like the Gyana Mudra, Prana mudra, Prithvi mudra etc. These mudras have immense significance in Odissi dance as well as Yoga. In the words of Swami Satyananda Saraswati, performing and doing mudras are “higher practices which lead to awakening.” There is a spiritual aspect too as both are margam or paths of Sadhana to become one with the supreme power. Body and mind become one to reach another realm.
Yoga and classical dance, both make us aware of our body, breath, and mind. For a dancer, they are similar disciplines. The yoga and classical dance traditions of India have been always inter-connected. The classical dance postures, depicted in sculptures in ancient Indian temples are similar to Yogasanas. The exacting hand gestures, postures and movements of Indian classical dance can only be achieved through yogic concentration. The aesthetics, symmetry, and dynamism of dance enhance the practice of yoga. These two traditions are complementary to one another. Both the traditions require a strong core (with a connection with the inner self) and immense breath control. They are both grounding and stabilizing to the Self. Both Yoga and Odissi dance require complete harmony of mind and body.
As a dancer I have felt that the regular practice of Yoga brings out the best in a dancer. Another important aspect to take into account is that both Yoga and dance are taught in Guru-Shishya tradition. It is the lineage of directly passing knowledge from a succession of gurus to students. Guru Shishya Parampara has its root from ancient times, more than 5000 years ago. It is believed that Lord Shiva is the first Guru who taught Yoga, Dharma and Shastras to the Sapta Rishis, the seven great sages. It is said that Shiva, the Adiyogi taught yoga to the saptarishis so they could pass on the knowledge and tradition to humanity.
For thousands of years, both Indian classical dance and yoga were preserved and propagated through the Guru Shishya Parampara. The legendary yoga Guru Shri B. K. S. Iyengar’s famous saying, “The body is my temple and asanas are my prayers” is also true for an Indian classical dancer. Dance for me is a prayer too. An offering to the divine power! As a dancer I work towards a spiritual, mental, and physical discipline. For me, Odissi dance has always been a medium of meditation and reaching out to The Divine. So has been Yoga – a dance of stillness, meditation and becoming one with the supreme power.
(The author is veteran Odissi dancer Yoga teacher)