November 2023 - Singing and Dancing our way through
“Indian music…has almost always a psychic origin…it is very rarely embodied in a strong vital. It has rather an inner and intimate origin…. And truly one must then concentrate, and as it is…very tenuous, very subtle, as there are none of those intense vital vibrations, one can easily glide within it and climb back to the psychic origin of the music, It has that effect upon you, it is a kind of ecstatic trance, as from an intoxication…But if you remain only in the external consciousness, the music is so tenuous that there is no response from the vital, it leaves you altogether flat. …this manner of taking a certain number of notes in a certain relation (they are like almost infinite variations), personally I find it wonderful to put you in repose, and you enter deep within yourself. And then, if you are ready, it gives you the psychic consciousness: something that makes you withdraw from the external consciousness, which makes you enter elsewhere, enter within.”
- The Mother (Mirra Alfassa), Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on Music, a 1973 booklet published by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
The rains seem to be almost behind us and the cool breezes are heavenly delights! The sound of the birds and swaying trees are healing gifts for us at A Sunlit Path. And we are immensely grateful to be gracefully entering into the start of the peak season of our second year here. There is a certain rhythm that has been established by keeping the focus on deepening in a few quality offerings. And on establishing our online presence to reflect our core vision, even elements that are yet to manifest, such as Devotional Mondays.
Music and Dance
We sang and danced our way through November and it looks to be the way ahead for us! Ours is a finely curated community space where music and dance is an integral means towards a joyful transformation.
We started the month singing with Niloy Ahsan at the Dhrupad Retreat.
And then we sang twice a week with Lakshmi Santra at her Hindustani vocal classes and then we closed the month singing at the moon gathering!
We also danced with Vithya Arasu at her inaugural offering of Dance as Yoga..
Festive Community Gathering
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The closing of the Kolam Yoga Foundation course held by Grace spontaneously happened at A Sunlit Path on Karthikai Deepam which brought such a delight and beauty to the space!
The moon gathering on the same day was a musical one thanks to Louise leading us with her poetry and voice.
Looking Ahead
We look forward to continuing the rhythm of offerings and bringing more cultural activities, from mythology to temple visits and chanting of sacred texts.
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A Sunlit Path is a unit of Pappammal and Muthugounder Trust established and registered in India on Feb 4, 2010 under both 12A and 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961..
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