The Bodhi Tree of music

Nithya Rajendran sings the praises of Indian classical music through her venture Music Vruksh, which promotes its mood-lifting and meditative qualities

I was the stereotypical Chennai girl, initiated into Bharatanatyam and Carnatic classical music at age five and brought up with some of the festive traditions typical to a Tamil household: the Golu dolls display during Navratri, drawing tiny feet with rice flour for Krishna during Janmashtami, early morning oil bath on Diwali day followed by 4 a.m. firecrackers, and so on. I was also lucky to be in a school that placed immense importance on music and dance. So, culture and the arts were so interwoven into my being that I could not imagine a life without them.

Outwardly, I was all this. But my inner journey has been far from stereotypical. Starting from middle school, I saw my personality acquire some very distinct traits: questioning everything, pondering over philosophical matters, leaning towards reading self-development material, gravitating towards introspective people, and veering towards discussing somewhat profound subjects (at least for a child that age). Of course, teenage and youth came with its share of paradoxical ups and downs too. Anxiety, an eating disorder, and fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) accompanied the great highs: recognition from society and peers for my musical accomplishments, scholarships, stage performances, and audience appreciation.

As life chugged along, I dabbled in different professions like advertising and photography (while Carnatic and Hindustani music, including concert performances, were active side-pursuits). Meanwhile, I also got introduced to meditation and have now been a practitioner for more than a decade. As the years passed, I grew to realise more and more profound connections between classical music practices and my spiritual path of meditation and mindfulness.

The magic of music