I still remember the unfamiliar feeling of ECSTATIC JOY taking me over as soon as I set foot on the dusty ground of Calcutta’s airport, surrounded by unimaginable chaos and shabby ambassador taxis. I was overjoyed by the availability and tangibility of spiritual experience in everyday life. I felt like a sponge submerged in water for the very first time and soaked it all in. I dove deep into the studies of Yoga, Meditation, Buddhism, natural healing, and spiritual arts. One thing led to another, and when I had the chance to catch a glimpse of Odissi Dance, I felt my soul stir. I knew I had to learn this alluring form! I found in it a natural integration of sensuality and spirituality in a way I hadn't conceived of as yet.
I’ve seen many of my dancers oscillate between exhibiting an inflated sense of confidence, as to say “I got it” only to swing fiercely off the other side of the pendulum, feeling rejected and valueless. We all feel at times “on top of the world” and at other times, in the despair of facing our utmost contractions. These swings are natural and are part of being a living, evolving, shifting, and growing being.
Cultivating awareness of the waves of contraction and expansion, acknowledging these two dynamics at play: one of division, and the other of connection, allows us to release what is no longer serving us and stay present with the complexity of every situation. Finding our sense of humor with it, and nurturing our care, empathy and sincere love to ourselves and to our sisters allow us to embrace jealousy as one strand among many in the fabric of a resilient community.
