How Classical Dancing Helped Me Grow Spiritually
No doubt why it’s called ‘Divine art-form
Growing spiritually means expanding our consciousness beyond our physical being.
Reading the definition, my first reaction was, ‘Ugh! That’s for yogis.’ But since I began meditating a few years back and studying spirituality I started understanding different ways to grow spiritually. I have been practicing classical dancing for about 15 years now. And it has helped me tremendously in developing spiritual qualities.
Dancing impacts your whole body, mind, and soul. Here is how it helped me:
- Root Chakra
Dancing helps in balancing the first chakra that is the Root chakra also known as ‘Muladhara Chakra’. It is located at the base of our spine. This chakra helps us to concentrate and stay loyal to the truth. Also, this chakra is a repository of our tendencies, habits, and our desires.
2. Bhakti Yoga
When it comes to yoga, there are four main paths by which one can achieve self-realization: Karma Yoga(action), Bhakti Yoga(Devotion), Gyan Yoga( finding god through wisdom), and Raja Yoga(combines the three yogas mentioned).
Indian classical dancing mainly consists of performing devotional songs. So, this is a form of Bhakti yoga. An Indian saint named Meerabai achieved self-realization through classical dancing.
Performing devotional songs invoked a feeling of love for God in me. And the key to spiritual growth is having eternal devotion toward God, knowing he is the doer.
3. Healing
We are nothing but energy. Healing is sending energy to the specific part of the body that needs healing.
In dancing, we send energy to a specific part to make a specific motion. This helps energize and heal the body.
4. Thoughts
Our thoughts are not what we think. Thoughts are energy.
There are different thoughts floating in the ether. And we attract those thoughts to us based on our energy level. Dancing helps in keeping your energy high which in turn helps in attracting good and positive thoughts.
5. Mindfulness
You need to be extremely mindful while performing dance.
There needs to be synchronization between mind and body. This helps in cultivating the quality of being present in the moment and having control over your mind and body.
Final Thoughts
These are the major spiritual benefits that I experienced during my journey. Different people experience different effects based on their receptivity. I have seen practitioners who did not have any spiritual benefit because they were not practicing it religiously. So, each soul has a different spiritual journey. Accept whatever comes your way and don’t forget to remain joyful throughout.
