Reflections

It was during the phase of a major personal crisis that I was led to experience the magic of Kalaripayattu . I was ready to experiment with anything to take me out of the state of numbness and purposelessness that I was struggling with, on a daily basis. I started off with a vengeance, ignoring the aches and groans; wanting to excel in the art and thus conquer the feeling of emptiness within. {For the uninitiated, Kalaripayattu is a martial art form with its roots in the mystic land of the brave Othenans*. The popular ballads on the heroic deeds of these experts in the art form spread the fame of Kalaripayattu all across Kerala and even beyond.Though used as an effective method of combat during the olden days,today Kalaripayattu is used as tool to train the mind and strengthen the body} I was used to a more fun based work - out, like dancing, where you stick to the rhythm and let the music transport you to another land altogether. Kalari with its huffs and puffs and otherwise dead sile...