Playing, Singing & Dancing

We have always had cultural and sporting events at the ashram, but now it is being stepped up in an even bigger way. One committee we have set up is Isha Kalachara for culture and festivals, and the other is Isha Kreeda for sports. In front of the Linga Bhairavi Temple every night, you will see either a dance class taking place, or a chanting class or drumming. And we have always had evening games at the ashram, but now we will also be offering Kalari, intense Hatha Yoga, monthly treks, and within the month, we will open a swimming pool.

The danger that people on the spiritual path have is that they tend to become dead serious, and once they become like that, there will be no spiritual process for them. They will only be doing spiritual exercise. So it is very important that you loosen your body and mind.  The psychological and physiological structures have to be loosened, and this can be done by just playing a game, singing a song or dancing.

Regardless of whether you are here at the Isha Yoga Center or somewhere else, at least two days in a week you must either be on the playground or be singing and dancing. It is good for you physically, mentally and spiritually. If you say you are not good at playing, then dance. If you cannot dance, do Kalari. If you cannot do Kalari, swim. If you cannot swim, you may walk upon water or sing. And if you say you cannot even sing, it does not matter. You don’t have to have a great voice, you don’t even have to have any music sense. You just have to open your mouth and make a sound, that is how Sounds of Isha started. You see how far they have come.

It is in the name of spiritual process that you don’t become lifeless. This is an opportunity; please make use of it. All residents at the ashram must be able to make a few more sounds than the Kaka Pranayam.

Tomorrow is election day, could be momentous for the state of Tamil Nadu, and I am off for an Inner Engineering program in Mysore, my hometown, for the first time. That could be something.