Special performance of Barata Natyam Indian classical dance by DidiMaa

Back at home in January 2005 after the big Tsunami on the 26th of December, I reflected on my experience in my home town, Chennai, which was badly affected by the Tsunami. I could see that the people had lost faith, and for me the greatest power in my country is FAITH OR TRUST. I believe in Mother Nature or the Universe which brought us to this planet, the Creator who made this planet and created each of us. In my country you can see such misery, poor children, men and women but they smile and believe that God is there and will give them the bread and protection they need. However after this Tsunami people were angry and did not understand how the temples could disappear and how innocent people could disappear in a fraction of a second. They had lost their loved ones, and it was such an injustice. Another result of the disaster is the fear of water. It is our custom to burn the bodies of the dead and we have to throw the ashes into water and pray for the soul of the departed person. Now no one went to wash in the water because their fear and anger did not allow them to go into the temple.

When I was in India, we all decided to do group prayers and we organized a special dance for Mother Nature. It is in the tradition of our South Indian dance, but I created an original dance in my own way, and I gave it much thought. I reflected that a child takes nine months to take birth and Navgraha or the influence of the nine planets is very important in life. I also believe that 9 is the science and essence of life and the 9 expressions of the body are connected with the five elements of Universe. I made this performance as a conversation with God or the Universe.

To lose one’s health renders science null, art inglorious,

Strength unavailing, wealth useless, and eloquence powerless.

Herophilus c. 300 B.C.

Ayurveda is the form of living and when life began all human beings lived with nature and had direct conversations with the Creator. In the Vedas it is said that the communication between Creator and Created is through expression. We express our feelings with action and sound. We were so well synchronized with the rhythms of nature we were a part of Nature. We could adapt with the change of seasons with the adaptation of our moods, sharing our intimate feelings and communicating our love and gratitude to nature. Every season we would do rituals and give thanks, feeling the gratitude from deep inside. Nature was so happy with us and things went very smoothly, there was peace and tranquility and good health.

Today there is so much fear, sadness, depression, anxiety, and nervousness and so it creates physical problems, nervous breakdowns, allergies, asthma, obesity, blood pressure, arthritis, rheumatism, cancer, AIDS. Where is that Golden Age and where are we now? Where is the love and peace? What happened to us and what are we doing? My heart breaks to see this. So I made this dance as a way of expression with my Creator and this is a piece that I totally devote to My Mother Nature, Muthyalama and to my Guruji.

After the dance we will have 2 Minutes of SILENCE for the victims of all natural catastrophies, the Tsunami, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and terrorism. God please forgive us and return our love for brotherhood.

Yes, the nine expressions of life are important. I have also done research in American Universities to prove how our emotions can influence our physiological makeup. When we communicate with each other, physiology represents 55% of our communication. The way you use your body represents the majority of what actually influences people when you communicate. The voice counts for about 38% and the words only 7%. This is the reason why the Yogis who lived in the mountains with nature could be in SILENCE and could communicate so much. It is my experience as an Ayurvedic doctor that even more that checking the pulse and breathing, when you look at someone for a few minutes, you know the person’s constitution.

In Vaasthu Shastra or Feng shui we use 9 Mandalas which are balanced with five elements of the universe- Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Space. These are connected with the five senses, touch, taste, to smell, to hear or listen and to see.

If we see things and think with a positive mind it gives a good feeling, if we think in a negative way and pass the message we destroy the thought. So let us believe and give a positive and loving message to our brain.

Today I want to show how our expression of negative emotions, like
jealously, anger, vengance, fury, fear, shocks and negative thinking is changing your AURA or the light around you and creates blocks and diseases. How important it is to keep our CHAKRAS or Centres of Energy open through dance and how by forgetting your EGO and forgetting the mind, just come to your heart and you can awake your inner child and your HIGHER CONSCIOUS and communicate with the Creator. I did it in Chennai and in Bangalore and I want to do this today here and be thankful for being here in Catalunya and for my Mother Montserrat.

Please forgive us mothers and Guruji and illumine and help this planet to be a happier place to live.

The Expressions of the Dance:

1. Begin with Namashte, salutation to the Mother Earth and the Cosmic light, without ego. To surrender and to bow down and control the Ego is an antidote to negative emotions.

2. Happiness, dancing with nature, enjoying the sun, the plants, the greens, the life, all the animals etc.

3. Suddenly someone enters the forest with an arc, a hunter appears and tries to shoot a beautiful peacock, the fear of the peacock. Looking in all the four directions.

4. The Creator sends the light and the hunter disappears and the peacock is happy and content. It is joy and faith that moves mountains and if we remember our Creator He or She is there to bless us and protect us.

Second part of the dance:

When the natural catastrophies begin I am dancing in the temple and praying with devotion.

5. Bhakti or devotion to the Mother Nature.

6. Seeing the injustice I am angry with my Mother and conversing with Her and expressing all the feelings with no Fear.

7. Suddenly the light appears and She is there and she says I am Here. It is we humans who are forgetting nature and throwing all the garbage and polluting Mother Nature. Dancing with joy, ectasy and bliss

8. Awareness and sharing all my joy with the villagers through folk dance.

9. End of the dance with expression of gratitude to the Mother Nature and bowing to Her. Total Surrender.

I would like to say that this is not a performance or a dance but a way to give my support to God and to pray to God and surrender to Nature and trust her.

When this was done in my country people were transformed and believed Nature and accepted our mistakes. They are trying to keep the environment clean and trying to love each other and spread peace.

I think the message is clear. Number Nine is the science of life and the nine expression show the nine forms of life.

Welcome to all peace-lovers

SAMSKARA ASSOCIATION FOR LOVE, PEACE AND INTEGRATION