Yoga’s Benefits Include Boosting Mood, Healthier Eating, Flexibility

Dance is a complete exercise of the body muscles similar to the yogic kriyas
By Vaishali Dar

The first sight and sound in the room, as we enter, is a mesmerising rendition of yoga asanas accompanied by chanting of ragas, stotrams and thumping of feet. It's a visual treat to the eyes and melodious, cheering music to the senses, one that you cannot miss. ?Dance is not just a medium to express, as it has immense power to alter the mood. This alteration is explained on the basis of the chakra system in our body. For eg., Muladhara chakra energises the base of our body that includes hips, legs, knees, feet and is affected by raga Shyam Kalyan,? explains the Delhi-based curator of Euphonic yoga, Shruti Chaturlal Sharma,? It's a unique fusion of yoga, music and dance techniques that can help achieve the higher magnitude of an individual,? she says.

The brainchild of Sharma and yoga choreographer Suman Kanawat Singh, Euphonic yoga was conceptualised in November 2016, combining dance and music. Dance and yoga are two different aspects but have been very well synchronised in this art form. The ideology behind this form makes dance as the most beautiful form of movement expressing the innermost thoughts while showcasing a therapeutic

relationship between the two.

So, how did it all start? When Sharma decided not to follow the footsteps of her grandfather, a renowned tabla player, Pandit Chaturlal, and explore dance instead. She discovered many similarities between yoga and dance and explored varied methods, practices, and gestures towards wellness. ?I decided to inculcate Indian classical dance forms in yoga, making it more interesting and easily knowable to the viewers whereas music worked as a catalyst,? she explains. Music is a science which directly affects mind and body, hence uses specific ragas for specific chakras. ?We have designed various modules which include music based on ragas and yoga asanas merged with Indian classical dance and its technicalities that include stress relieving exercises, learning and development techniques and deep meditation,? says Sharma, who regularly organises workshops and session for corporates.

Euphonic yoga is popular among office goers due to increasing knowledge about emotional intelligence. The corporate heads are searching for unconventional solutions to increase the efficiency of their employees, be it government or MNCs.

Dance in itself is a complete exercise of the body muscles and similar to the yogic kriyas stimulating the nervous and muscular system. For example, the taskbar which is the footwork of Kathak, the dance sound produced from stomping, stimulates the nerves. Similarly, the taal system or the clapping of the palms, counting the beats by touching of the fingers repeatedly activates the sensations and the pressing of the finger tips activates different pressure points in the body and balances the five elements that the fingers represent. Interestingly, the hand gestures, facial movements such as eye and neck movement are almost the same as yogic kriyas with innumerable benefits.

A customised Euphonic yoga session works as a stress buster, admits Sharma,?It improves the mind and body coordination, thus increasing efficiency and productivity, improves alertness, interpersonal skills and multi-tasking, reduces stress, anxiety and instils positivity and stimulates memory. It even helps in voice modulation, team building and emotional intelligence.?

Sharma feels that yoga is becoming incredibly popular due to its ability to impact people directly. ?With advance studies in this field, it is being adopted not only by individuals but also by various corporates in a big way,? she says.

Watch: Shilpa Shetty teaches yoga in Gujarat's Surat ahead of World Yoga Day (Asian News International)

The Rise Of Yoga.

Women in California are flocking to yoga classes, while men in Delhi are flocking to gyms. If this does not prove that Kalyug is here, I don’t know what does. Of course, there are other signs, such as Karan Johar, but we must try not to get distracted. How have we reached this situation? When did we lose track of our roots? And what is the explanation for Baba Ramdev?

The primary culprit is Bollywood. In the old days, heroes like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar were slim and wiry. They were lovers more than fighters, and so were we. Of course, we had Dharmendra, but it’s inconceivable that his muscles came from gymming. Whatever he may have done, it must have been Indian and almost certainly involved desi ghee. Subsequently, Amitabh and Rajesh Khanna rose to power. Both were pleasantly normal-shaped. One was tall and gangly, while the other was lushly full hipped. The question of wanting to see either of them without their shirts on never arose.

Meanwhile, down South, Rajinikanth was doing both loving and fighting, but his fighting was more about divine radiance than muscles. No amount of gymming will ever make you his equal. The rot started setting in with Salman Khan, who was man enough to take off his shirt on a regular basis. But for myself, and many people I know, the true turning point was when Shah Rukh Khan developed abs. The combination of his finely chiselled abdomen and his haunted, starving face is something that none of us has ever forgotten.

Soon after, both Shekhar Suman and his son also got abs, followed by Chunky, Lucky and Happy, who live on my lane, and the gym revolution had started. Today, if you sit in any Delhi bar on a bar stool, chances are that you will find on either side of you, two young men with arms the size of tree trunks. You will drink carefully and avoid making humorous remarks.

Does this mean yoga is dead or dying? Not as long as Baba Ramdev is alive. There are many things that a human being can do with their abdomen, and many others which we had no idea were possible, and Baba Ramdev has done all of them. Things are looking bad, it’s true. The sale of whey protein in major urban centres has outstripped the sale of baby food. Not to mention Tiger Shroff. But as I watch Baba Ramdev on YouTube, his stomach rippling, his smile heavenly, I feel confident that eventually, yoga will find a way.

Shovon Chowdhury’s most recent novel, Murder With Bengali Characteristics, contains a yogi, but he does not perform any miracles.

Swami Mukundananda Joins Sanya Malhota In Dallas Yoga Fest.

Dangal and Badai Ho fame actress, Sanya Malhotra joinedSwami Mukundananda, Yogi and international authority on mind management, at the one of the largest scale yoga and holistic health festivals in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In its 5th year running, more than 3,000 people turned out at Dallas Yoga Fest2019 to take their holistic health to the next level. Visitors had the opportunity to discover and experience natural health alternatives by partaking in a myriad of holistic health events, including seminars, workshops, yoga sessions, health screenings, not to mention a grand expo and marketplace.

Dallas Yoga Fest Swamiji and Sanya

Visitors packed the hall for the keynote program featuring a special conversation about wellness between yogi and actress. The combination of unique personalities of Mukundananda and Malhotra enthralled the audience.  

Their dialogue on wellness revealed a deeper inside view of both popular figures. The juxtaposition of their varied and contrasting backgrounds brings to light the potential impact that yoga can have on anyone of any background. 

Yoga Fest Dallas

'One thing about acting is discipline & flexibility which is key. More so, a disciple like Yoga makes the essence journey easier for an actor, I believe. This helps one to know oneself more, to begin with, and when the need is, be at peace with the character one has to play. Not just that, the balance one needs only comes from a soul journey that yoga has to offer in the purest sense. shared Malhotra on exploring her inner self and artistry with the power of yoga.

'Making my health a number one priority is the key to longevity and success in whatever we do. I am glad I was able to share my experiences and hopefully inspire others to their success. Dallas YogaFest was such a superb way to broaden my horizons and share my enthusiasm for yoga and good health. There was so much to do here, such a variety of learning experiences, I am amazed at what JKYog has organized and offered here as a free service to the community.

Dallas YogaFest organizer, JKYog, an international nonprofit focused on holistic wellbeing, presented Malhotra with the Inspiring Wellness Award, an award given to high profile individuals who have had a notable positive impact on society to inspire wellness. She received the award during the keynote program on wellness with Swami Mukundandanda. 

JKYog Founder, Swami Mukundananda, started offering holistic wellness and mind management programs in the US only a decade ago. Since then his organization has grown to over 25 centres around the country, and a huge following worldwide.

Yoga teaches that the place where contrasts intersect is a place of learning and discovery about ourselves. Swami Mukundananda's life took a turn from one lifestyle of a successful graduate of both IIT/IIM with a promising corporate career at an international conglomerate, to focusing on a life of spirituality. 'As I moved along with my duties in the corporate world, the more I felt the pull inside of me in a totally different direction. Though I decided to take sanyas, I would like people to know that does not mean that quest to evolve cannot coexist with our worldly life and duties. The beauty of the path of yoga is that it is every individual's unique journey.

'It was a pleasure having Sanya with us for Dallas YogaFest and to see her share the spirit for yoga with our Dallas Ft Worth area community. Everything for success and happiness is found in the yoga toolbox. We envisioned Dallas Yoga Fest to show people that yoga is much more than a physical exercise. Its holistic nature makes yoga deeply transformative. It can help you reach your full potential, no matter what age or stage you are in life.