Intrigued and Amused

As a Kathak teacher , I have come across several hundreds of students through the years into training... 

As much as I'd like to believe that much of the teacher's personality gets reflected through his/her students, there is a method to this process...

It starts off with the exchange of two extremely important attributes - Acceptance and Surrender.

As years pass the student and the teacher duo come to know about each other both intricately and intimately. It is natural to start seeing each other's strengths and weaknesses as co - humans.

Keeping the respectful line between 'being friendly' and 'becoming friends' is crucial since if the line is crossed the assessment of the student may become challenging and the student may feel offended for any evaluation by the teacher if they become FRIENDS.

I speak from neither side since I have been in both the roles and for long enough to appreciate and value the amazing dynamics that a teacher and a student can share...

I haven't been a big fan of rituals in personal or professional life but a huge practitioner of Discipline. 

Simple things like how one touches teacher's feet give a flash on what's going on within... 

There is much energy that can be exchanged as the student prostrates and bows down before the teacher...

Some students bow from a distance of about a meter, touching their foreheads on the ground... ( I wonder how their heads may feel with the cold non living sensation at that distance)

Some students touch knees (really...)

A few students do the traditional Mahashtrian 'namaskaar karte haaa' with a pranam that shakes in an ancient style,

Some students come and bend and Almighty knows how but manage to slip away before one can understand who was it ,

Some run towards your feet with a 'let's finish this'

A few others jump at your feet and it feels either super ticklish or painful as they bang their head or brush their fingers over your feet...

And of course there are many many who patiently wait for their turn to come or till when the teacher has a breather to truly ENJOY this act of precious togetherness....

Their hands on the sides of the feet and forehead on the foot (they sit in vajrasana), they pause , absorb , feel and let it flow.

This prostration lasts for about a couple of seconds maybe, but gives divine joy to the (Guru and Disciple - in spiritual connect) and teacher and student relation as well.

A the journey from a follower to a devotee to a disciple takes time, once this happens there is a transcendental connect. 

When a Disciple comes into the Energetic field or Aura of his/her Guru, thoughts , frequencies and vibrations are interchanged... There is so much of give and take that happens at that moment which is undescribable and is known only and exclusively within the Duo...

Many spiritual Guru's do not allow any lay man to touch their feet since their own sadhana Shakti flows and may dissipate through their feet...

I have been blessed with best of both the worlds...

I am no Guru, but a teacher to my students and I still say that since the word Guru conveys a very high meaning in my term...

I feel enriched since absolutely loving students have touched my feet with such love and respect that I have been in a blissful Bond with them forever...

Having said that I have been blessed in life and consider my highest blessing that I have found my only Guru - my God , Guruji Naushir. And I have been filled with out of this world blissful healing divine light energy every single time I have surrendered on his lotus feet.

As a mother , I make Kanha observe me as I bow down before elders , Teachers, ( Idols of Gods out of habit since I was trained to bow in a traditional upbringing), in front of nature and my Guru not because of customs but because I genuinely want to. 

However I would never make him bow or prostrate as a compulsion but I want to be able to let him explore and experience what it feels like and how it feels like to do what needs to be done... 

He may chose to emulate me and may or may not learn from example but he must definitely be able to take a call as to whether to bow down , in front of whom to bow down, how to bow down - through experience. There is nothing right or wrong here... 

It's but mere a form of personal choice.

It was a productive , calm and an AMAZING Monday morning.

The vibe of the day is light and fresh. 

I am counting my blessings and making most of this fabulous start of the week. 

Are you?

Tasmay Shree Guruve Namah 

- Prajakta Sathe