Indian Classical Dances as Yoga: A Route to Powering Positive Psychological Traits

Paper

Indian Classical Dances as Yoga: A Route to Powering Positive Psychological Traits

Published Jul 1, 2016 · Chirmi Acharya, M. Jain

Journal of psychosocial research

UNKNOWN SJR score

2

Citations

1

Influential Citations

Semantic Scholar

Abstract

"You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts, no paintings, no poems, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive."- Merce CunninghamINTRODUCTIONDance has been a vehicle carrying the culture since ancient times. Dance with its various styles across the globe is like the language spoken through body, face and also mind. Dance is a discipline involving the unification of emotional, psychological, spiritual and creative energies. (Kashyap, 2005).Indian classical dances find their origin in the ancient scriptures of Natyashastra and Abhinaya Darpan. Natyashastra the oldest scripture on stagecraft and dance emerged when the world was seeped in negativity. Brahma then drew out the fifth Veda deriving basic aspects of the other four veda which is now called as the Natyaveda or Natyashastra. Thus Indian dance forms are divine in nature. These scriptures describe the dance as the expression of celestial movement of the universe and the space. They describe dance as a manifestation of the living and breathing universe of which we are a part thereby connecting the dance to the higher being. Dance according to these scriptures is the rhythmic expression of moods, emotions through the use of hand gestures i.e. mudras, postures of the body i.e. bhangas and facial expressions i.e. rasa. All these combinely are called as abhinaya or the art of expression. Of the four abhinayas described in Abhinaya Darpan, Sattvik Abhinaya means pure from the soul in which the dancer becomes one with the character being played i.e. merging one's individuality with the performance thereby transcending to a higher level of consciousness.Indian Classical dances can be rightly said to be a form of yoga (Gupta, 2013). Lord Nataraja is considered the God of dance in Hindu mythology, who delivered not just dance but also the gift of yoga to the humankind. Yoga means connection and Rukmini Devi, founder of Kalakshetra, rightly observed that dance is a form of Yoga. Dance needs true Bhakti or devotion. Every performance not only makes the dancer one with the higher divine self but the audience too thereby forming connection. This oneness is "Yoga". Yoga is anything that involves an activity of mind and body, similar to the Indian classical dance forms. Indian classical dances use set of body movements codified in the shastras, in aesthetic manner and are performed as a means of serving to the higher energy; yoga is also a self discipline or sadhana which paves the way for transcendence of the yogis.The paper tries to draw parallels between the Indian classical dances and yoga and tries to emphasize their importance in promoting health and positive psychological traits. Classical Indian dances echo the value of yoga through its artistic structure and hidden in the much repeated devotional themes of dances, lie the subtle scientific application of the principle of yoga.Yoga means to join, a movement from the physical to the metaphysical. The seven principle types of yoga are Bhakti yoga that focuses on the unison between individual and divine, Hatha yoga which involves priming the physical body for self realization, Jnana yoga that focuses on attainment of knowledge for self discovery, Karma yoga which involves improving the outer and inner environment i.e selfless actions, Kundalini yoga helps awaken spiritual energies, Raja yoga focuses on meditation for controlling thoughts and the last being Tantric yoga which involves using multiple disciplines to derive an understanding of the spiritual existence. Natya Yoga as described by the Natyashastra comprises all the main yogas. More practically speaking Yoga, like dance involves a lot of exercises that involve breathing and stretching (asanas) which enhance balance, spirituality, stamina, concentration and flexibility (Doraswamy, 2016).Hath yoga places special emphasis of the therapeutic value (Bala & Singh, 2010). …

Study Snapshot

Key takeawayIndian classical dances, like yoga, promote health and positive psychological traits by combining mind and body movements, connecting to the higher self, and fostering a higher level of consciousness.

PopulationOlder adults (50-71 years)

Sample size24

MethodsObservational

OutcomesBody Mass Index projections

ResultsSocial networks mitigate obesity in older groups.

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Paper

Indian Classical Dances as Yoga: A Route to Powering Positive Psychological Traits

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References

Citations

Bharatanatyam and Art activism in the Networked Digital Space

Bharatanatyam's use in art activism on the internet has led to stylistic changes and viewer reactions, but also reveals old conflicts and tensions about traditional art and its uses.

Therapeutic Use of Mudras in Dance/movement Therapy with Children in a Partial Hospital Program: The Development of a Method

Mudras from Indian classical dance and yoga can enhance self-expression and build body-based coping skills for stress in children in a partial hospitalization program.