This class has only gotten better with each day, and that says a lot since I enjoyed it from the outset. With most classes it is the other way around and I get less enthusiastic as the semester progresses. Every day is a new adventure here. Last week we learned several new steps to build on what Kalyani already taught us. We also did an activity balancing plastic cups on our head while trying to portray Rama and Lakshmana. I really liked seeing how the steps and the mudras can be combined to portray the characters.

At the end of that class we started learning the chant while sitting in the Kecak circle. When we watched the video the previous week, I was amazed by how the one performer recited that entire chant. It seemed impossible, especially since it’s in a foreign language, but the way Francis broke it down made it possible to learn a few of the lines in just a few minutes. I continued singing it to myself for a while after the class.

Monday we spent the class outside, which made it even better since the weather was beautiful. What particularly stayed in my mind from this class was the discussion of what we give to the circle and what we get from the circle, our so-called fish. For most people the class helps them to relax. It serves as a break from the conventional classroom and all the other things that stress them out. I feel the same way. This class is my last of five classes on Monday and Wednesday, but I always feel refreshed and energized when I walk out. It helps me get through my morning and early afternoon.

I am ready to see what tomorrow will bring.