Christmas is a celebration of love. It is the love of God for all of humanity, and thus a celebration the yogi must participate in. While this Christmas we are in Kerala, known to the world as the “God’s own country”, we rejoiced in celebration of the God’s light in the universe. To be a part of the integrative course of Yoga and its sister discipline- Ayurveda in the birth-land of the disciplines has been a momentous experience for all our students. On the day of Christmas, while in togetherness we remembered the God’s glory on earth, prayers were offered in soulful thankfulness for this experience.

Enlightenment with Dance:
On this day, our students were given a taste of Indian classical music and dance with brilliant Bharatnatyam dance performance. This genre of classical dance has its origin in ancient India and is centered on similar religious and spiritual themes as in yoga. The dance postures displayed in the performance invoked an awe-inspiring sense of reverence to the Supreme Being and gave rise to joy in the hearts of the assembled audience.

The sequence of Bharatnatyam dance is set to the tune of Carnatic music raga, the heritage classical Indian music. The presentation effectively displays the harmony between music, rhythm, and movements. The element of “harmony” is also an important aspect of yoga which binds the practitioner with the supreme Spiritual One through perfectly harmonized working of the body, mind, and soul. To remember the grace of God on Christmas day with the vision of the divine harmony being played out on the stage has been an enlightening experience for all.

Ashram Visit to Know Love and Service:
To develop the idea of holistic spiritualism, on this day of celebration, our students were taken on a visit to the Sri Narayana Guru Ashram. A social reformer who worked for the social and spiritual freedom of people in a caste ridden society, the founder of the ashram, Sri Narayan Guru led the nation to embrace the notion of universal love without boundaries. To come face to face with this great example of love and service to humanity inspired our students immensely.

The day was well spent in merriment and joy in the spirit of Christmas, becoming another landmark in the transformative experience of our students on their yoga journey in India.