By Ac. Ananda Sainjana Avtk.

As someone who loves to dance, I was thrilled when I heard that we were going to learn a yoga dance from the “man in orange” who is always proper and composed. There was always a volunteer who would demonstrate the yoga poses, this time it was an Indian lady. It was just appropriate for her to demonstrate this “almost Indian classical looking groove” groove I thought when I first watched her dance to instruct us on the steps.
What looks so simple was actually quite a challenge for us to coordinate our limbs and body into the four-directional maneuver. Finally, there is the mental ideation that accompanies the gestures. Singing mantra also comes with the steps, which makes the dance even more frustrating as we might not synchronize at the right syllable. This was just at the crossing of the millennium, and I was all ready for a new experience.
Fast forward, I am still practicing it, and teaching this Mystical Dance to my students regularly. This special practice is such a treasure as it has an amazing transformative effect for our well-being. Invented by Shri Shri Anandamurti on 6 September 1978, it is known more as a panacea than a dance, the continuous repetitive movements skillfully coordinated to impact our body and mind, enhancing our spiritual awareness.
The dance has been cleverly invented to include important movements that enable neuroplasticity and psychoneuroimmunology effects that support our homeostasis balance and wellness physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
The brain can change, a few references follow. “The Brain that Changes Itself” by Dr Norman Doidge, Psychiatrist; Healthy Brain, Happy Life by Dr Wendy Suzuki, Neuroscientist; The Whole-Brain Child by Dr Daniel Siegel, psychiatrist; Brain-based Learning Dr Eric Jensen, Educator.
The exercise involves contralateral and symmetrical movements of the limbs and torso, crossing all three main planes of the body: the frontal/coronal plane with the lateral movements, the sagittal plane with the symmetrical forward and backward movements, the transverse planes with the slightly twisting of the body while stomping the ball of one foot at the back continuously during the dance with repetitive plyometric effects at each cycle. All these movements in the dance are effective in training our fascia, the three-dimensional web-dense connective tissue found throughout our body that encases and supports our muscles, organs, nerves, and blood vessels. That shapes our body and holds the tensegrity form of our body. That plays a crucial role in maintaining structural integrity, transmitting forces, and providing a pathway for communication between different body parts.
Crawling, walking, running, and climbing involve our opposite limbs working in coordination together. Human gait depends on a complex interplay of major parts of the nervous, musculoskeletal, and cardiorespiratory systems. Our gait pattern is what feels, heals, and shapes our brains. It ties our brain together by laying neuro-connections down between the left and right hemispheres of our brain. Our brain becomes efficient when this happens. It is through this cross-patterning or cross-lateral limb movement we build amazingly strong, healthy, and resilient minds and bodies. In Kaoshikii, the same cross-patterning movement applies in such an intricate coordination involving the human gait pattern. The calculated steps in the dance offer enough challenges to stimulate cognitive function and to trigger the effects required for an overall holistic healing that one can practice it as regularly as one desires it. Hence, it is not surprising that it is an anti-aging regime that is ideal for overcoming all issues relating to diminishing health of body and mind.
One obvious movement in the dance is the effects on the torso, particularly the abdominal region, the continuous four-directional effects would be very relevant to bring off healthy environment of the gut microbiome, the ecosystem of microbes that live in our intestines. Our gut microbiome is not only affected by what we eat, but what our sleep, moods, habits, lifestyle, etc. It is not a surprise that regular practice will address such issues raised by our gut.
Dancing has always been one of the things that can help improve one’s mood. Kaoshikii is made just for that, creating a balanced emotional state of being by improving the psychic neuro and immune systems. It is especially an instant in eliminating states of hopelessness, depression, melancholia, and anxiety.
The dance was especially invented for females, but males can also do it without any side effects, just in case you are concerned. It is useful to know that it has been carefully put together to assist the female corporal to assist women during their natal term and their delivery of infants. I have had received many comments of appreciation for this dance from all mothers who have been practicing this yogic dance before they started conceiving and even during their confinement term until the body allows it to.
It is a novelty for your body and mind to pick up these especially coordinated movements that will continuously enhance their capacity to maintain their cognitive function and spiritual development.
This special practice covers every aspect of our being that it is impossible to believe unless you try it. Learning something new is what keeps the brain and mind going strong and resilient. The only way to know more and experience this mystical dance is to start learning it.
