As we move swiftly into 2022 (and i’m finally getting the much needed rest and regrouping in isolation!), it felt really important to take stock of all the growth and learning from the year that just passed by. 2021! what a crazy year. Though it was challenging to say the least, I have total appreciation for so many glorious moments of music-making, achievements solo and duo, performances, collaborations, and the simple moments of love and connection. It feels like many years in one~ i remember at the start, I honestly had no idea what i was doing and if I would be able to continue life as a musician.
During that period of confusion and feeling utterly lost, the feeling of which admittedly has not completely vanished, I simultaneously had a notion of being found. In dec 2020 and sparked by my grandmother’s illness, I went home for a visit and ended up staying through the winter lockdown, what unexpectedly became three months at home with my parents. In that time, this deep feeling that I hadn’t experienced in quite some time took over- still ineffable in words but like a musical pureness, an innocence and enthusiasm and earnestness that i recall having when I was young~ just learning, practicing, playing for no other reason but for the music and for its magic. Though music comes alive in the company of others, in the exchange from performer to listener, I really didn’t need anything more than just me and my instrument at this time. I was reunited with my piano. There was nothing as satisfying as sitting down and playing for hours.
Though being home made me a dependent and stripped me of that ego that once strived to prove my independence and prove my ability to make it on my own and earn my credibility as a self-sufficient artist, I felt completely supported, nurtured, and respected. My parents and those of our extended community network who had watched me grow appreciated every note i played, every word i spoke. Without the London community that I had worked so hard to build and that had vanished between my fingers, the community that was mine without any effort came to light. i had a platform to share my music and share yoga. And i had eager listeners and learners on the other side. And most of all, I had someone to tell me that it would all be okay.
Completion of KYM Teacher Training - certificate and online graduation
During this time, i also got to focus on another important strand of my practice and passion of mine. I had begun a teacher training at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in March 2019 and got to travel to Chennai to study in person two times for 5 weeks at a time. The third time of course took a different mode and shape due to the circumstance, and what would have been a 5 week immersive became a 9 month study. Although it was very different from what we had expected—being in India, learning from our teachers up front and personal, side by side with classmates from all over the world—, the teachers really stepped up, adapted, and gave their 150% to our training. Being in the states, i was on Zoom at 5 AM multiple mornings a week practicing asana, learning theory, delving into new topics- course planning, Yoga Sutras, Sacred Texts, Psychology, Teaching Methodology. An ocean of knowledge shared over Zoom! And like everything else, perhaps a blessing in disguise. In this mode, we were able to spread our training over a number of times, giving sufficient time to practice, absorb, and study the material. Plus, it gave me some direction during a difficult period. I am honoured to have completed the training, though I know now that i have just scratched the surface. These are life-long tools that I will continue to explore and digest and hopefully impart to other individuals to affect their journeys.
