Say kalaripayattu
What does challenging your body in a new way look like this Spring?
Last week I signed up for a Kalaripayattu workshop. Did I spend the first 15 minutes just learning how to say it right? Almost!
To hear how it’s pronounced, hit play on the audio!
Kalari, is believed to be the mother of all martial arts. It first made an appearance 3000 years ago in the Dhanurveda — a treatise on the art of warfare, in what we now call India.
Over time, it’s significance as a combat code faded away. Kalaripayattu is now re-emerging as a source of inspiration for self-expression in dance forms and theatre.
Practice of Kalari increases flexibility, agility and muscle strength without the need for any equipment.
For a glimpse of what a contemporary practice looks like, click here.
Why am I talking about Kalaripayattu?
This is time of the year when I nudge my clients to bring in lightness and pace into their well-being regime.
As we move away from Winter, the need is to shift the cursor from rest and grounding to stimulation. More sunlight and warmer (but not yet hot) weather in Spring naturally give us the energy and endurance to sustain more movement and flow.
So liven up your exercise routine. Add a few extra rounds of sun salutations to your Yoga practice or complement it with martial arts, aerobics, dance or even something as simple as skipping the rope (jumping the rope if you are American)… Rythm, aerial movements and pace is what we are looking for.
This will go a long way to boost agility, metabolism, circulation and shake off the last of winter sluggishness. Plus, challenging your body in a new way is a sure way to get out of your head, uplift your mood and thoughts.
So what will challenging your body in a new way look like this Spring? Whatever you choose, keep it playful!
Wellbeing is a balancing act between how we eat, work, play and rest. It is all connected. Yoga and it’s sister sciences show us how to achieve this balance.
Healthy Hedonism is me making this ancestral wisdom relevant and pleasurable to you!