Bharatha Natya Yoga: Understanding Bharatha Natyam as an Embodiment of Ashta Anga Yoga (Natya ~ Yoga ~ Therapy) (Volume 1)

Bharatha Natyam is a classical dance style from Southern India that is practiced as an interpretive storytelling dance. The ashta anga are the eight principles behind yoga practices, as described in the text of Yogasutra by Patanjali. By linking the ashta anga principles of yoga with the practice of Bharatha Natyam, this book proposes that the latter be understood as Bharatha Natya Yoga. Hermeneutic inquiry draws from several texts of Indian dance & yoga - such as Yogasutra and Natyasastra, while the author uses an engaging narrative style of writing to describe the multifaceted phenomenon of dancing. The narrative describes the author’s perspective as a researcher with a lifetime of dancing experiences while heuristic inquiry offers an embodied reference for the concept of rasa. The hermeneutic inquiry provides an understanding of the experience of rasa as it relates to the concept of samadhi, a goal of ashta anga yoga. Despite its long history, it is important that Bharatha Natyam does not become limited to an entertainment or storytelling form. This book seeks to re-claim its essence and re-present it as Bharatha Natya Yoga.