Dancing, Chanting, Germs and Books...

Saturday I saw my first performance by the Nataraj Dancers, one of whom is a good friend of ours. The core of the troupe's repertoire are Odissi, traditional temple dances of India that include elaborate costumes, devotional music, tinkling ankle bells, and percussive rhythms. Much of the story behind each dance is related through mudras, the Sanskrit word for a hand gesture depicting a thought, an idea or a word. Both the language and the mudras were completely foreign to me, but the performance was beautiful and it's timing perfect. The past month has turned out to be a bit of a crash-course in Indian culture for me as I immerse myself further in both Kirtan and research. Photos and videos were prohibited at the performance but I hope you'll check out their website. The dancing was followed by the most amazing Pakistani Chai tea I've ever tasted.

Speaking of Kirtan, Sunday morning I found myself at yet another unfamiliar but nearby location for chanting at 10am followed by an incredible vegetarian Indian feast for lunch. There were enormous bowls and pots of jasmine rice, curries, flavorful chickpea and lentil stews, tangy Raita, fresh baked Naam, and sweet balls of cheese floating in a thick rose-water syrup for dessert. There was more spicy Chai to ladle out of huge aluminum kettles, and it was all just delicious. Thanks to Kirtan I've now visited 4 new places in the past month and met quite a few new people.

I found that Kirtan in the morning has a very different energy than at night. It could have been the brightness of the windowed room, or the coffee coursing through my system, or the energy level of a couple of little kids who attended...but it was different. I think I prefer the gatherings that happen at night. I think if my mom could have seen me smile at the little girl who came up and sneezed in my face while I had my eyes closed, she would have laughed hysterically and wondered how on earth I kept my peaceful composure. Which made me smile. A big germ-covered grin. Did I mention that I (calmly) drove home between chanting and the Indian lunch to drop a tablet of Airborne into a tall glass of water and gulp it down? Yes, I sure did. I'm determined to stay healthy for my trip to the city.

After the Indian feast it was off to a friend's family Christmas gathering where we were welcomed like members of the clan, a priceless gift this season. Later on, at home, I finished the book Breakfast with Buddha, a comical novel of road-trip-meets-spiritual-quest. If you're already familiar with Eastern religion this book won't reveal any earth-shattering secrets, but it's entertaining. I read it easily in two sittings. I'm still working my way through The Way of the Wizard as well, which I would describe as Deepak Chopra lite. I'm waiting for a new shipment of denser titles to arrive in the mailbox any day now — Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation by Daniel J. Siegal, Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness, and Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience, both by Sharon Salzberg.