Like many of us, Natasha didn't expect what would be her life-long passion at first. She didn't know she would be into singing, much more into Indian classical music and singing, until she felt it coming to her in her body.

In this podcast, I am very proud to share a conversation with an esteemed music teacher and a friend, Natasha Nandini, about how she found and continues to find herself in the realm of what the universe brought her to do-- TO SING.

Natasha fondly recalls here how oddly she first came across Indian classical singing. She used to smoke about 20 Marlboro reds that time but found herself in a workshop singing for 4 hours. When she came home, the cigarette suddenly tasted disgusting. She knew then, and this has something to do with how the wind and sound are passing through her body. And some shift happened.

Natasha shares how she studied and followed through this passion. From raga to yoga, which somehow complemented each other and made her practice stronger and more meaningful. She shares with us that music is not so much about how good a singer you are because it's not a performance, but about how much you can let go of your identification of how you sound and merge into the frequency that is bigger than us.

Natasha also takes this conversation to an essential discussion that she thinks teachers should have: the evolution and essence of learning. She bravely shares her thoughts about teaching yoga as a business now. She explains that a reality we have to face is that many want to be certified to make a living out of it, especially in a society where it is tough to make a living when something takes a long time to learn. It puts a lot of pressure on many us and perhaps created it the way we see science now.

Natasha gracefully raises these points and reminds teachers like her that everyone is on a personal path. And as people who help others, we can only help up to an end before moving on the next. To her, we should be mindful of doing as much as one can without feeling obligated to do more because less is more.

 

Links mention in the podcast

• NATASHA NANDINI YOGINI
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Podcast Highlights

• I know that sound is vibration. But sound penetrates the tissues. Like water or sand moving in geometrical patterns just from a vibration of sound. In the same way, creating a sound in the body can push things through. That's how powerful sound is! Also in the same way that when you speak of truth, the truth starts to be very powerful. - Natasha Nandini
• Raga, as a form of singing, is the term given to a melodic structure that has a deeper meaning. Each raga has an entity, an entirely different character from the other. But the essence these sounds wake up seems like they are meant to be brought up, like the sun touching the horizon. - Natasha Nandini
• We don't do enough stuff for fun. Look at children. They learn so quickly because it's fun for them. Let it penetrate you rather than you trying to trespass on its space before your time. It's a process of getting to know ourselves and doing the things that make us feel good. - Natasha Nandini
• I feel this is a time in the world and in my life when things are asking me to break open and out of lineage, out of all these regimented, rigid forms that have evolved even though their origins weren't thinking that way. - Alexandra Kreis
• First of all, there has to be a spark. It's always good to follow whatever is sparkling for you. The things that are right for you will always shine a bit brighter, but it will only be noticeable when we don't want things. When you see that spark, follow that spark deeper and deeper. But one has to gel with the teacher, someone you resonate with. - Natasha Nandini

 

Guest BIO: 

Natasha Nandini has been studying yoga, Indian classical vocal, and Indian classical dance as methods to cultivate the self since 1997. She is now living and teaching in London (and online) but she has been traveling to India for the last 20 years to deepen her studies and to host sacred tours. The tour is a window into the lives of the local people and their practices.

Her yoga focuses on building strength and postural corrections by working through from the feet up.