The Story of the Soul- December 2021
– A Margazhi (mar- ga- li) month special
In Tamil Nadu, south India, from the mid of December to mid January is especially devoted to the arts and spirituality. Chennai witnesses the music season called the Margazhi festival, where classical music artists around the world get a chance to showcase their talent. More than 500 organizations put up over 2,000 music performances in the city. For the city, Margazhi has been written into its DNA. During these days one prepares for the harvest festival of Pongal (overflowing/ plenty). In that spirit we will uncover the deeper meanings in a rich fairytale through learning to tell the story, while exploring the special personal psychodrama “conversation” that replenish our lives. The shape of each session will be a ceremony of engagement beginning with creating a kolam* (ko-lam)
What is a kolam and why do we celebrate margazhi with kolam?
A kolam is a symbolic design made of rice flour that women traditionally create at the entrance to their homes. Kolam is thought to protect the home, and at the same time feeds the birds and insects. Women draw kolam in front of their house to welcome lord Lakshmi to their temple which is also one of the traditions in Margazhi month. The month of Margazhi has started, and people are marking the auspicious occasion by drawing kolam outside their homes to begin the month-long celebrations. This month of the year is dedicated to worship Lord Vishnu, the preserver and protector of the universe and is especially auspicious for his devotees. Kolam or muggulu is much more than just an aesthetic art, they are thought to bring happiness and prosperity to homes. In millions of households in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, women draw kolam in front of their home entrance every day at the break of dawn. There are several kinds of pongal kolam designs. The kolam basically consists of dots and lines that together form a meaningful design.
In this workshop “Uncovering the Story of Soul- Margazhi month special” we will immerse ourselves in a tale, told in three parts, engage in psychodrama, and continuously increase the symbols on our personal kolams. During the last session we will share our designs, as well as discuss the telling of the story interwoven with personal insights.
*For more information regarding margazhi and kolam scroll down.
Date: 4, 11, 18 December, 2021 (Saturdays)
Time: 8:30 am – 11:00 am New York /14:30 pm – 17:00 pm Rome / 19:00 pm – 21:30 pm IST
Fee: 200 USD/ 200 Euros/ Rs.8000.
Platform: Zoom (online)
Facilitators:
Laura Simms – Storyteller, Writer & Humanitarian
She is an award winning performer, writer, and educator advocating storytelling as compassionate action for personal and community transformation. She performs worldwide combining ancient myth and true life story for adult and family audiences. She is the Artistic Director of the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center in NY and the founder of The Center for Engaged Storytelling (new).
Magdalene Jeyarathnam – Psychodramatist and Psychodrama Trainer
She is an expressive arts therapist and a board certified Psychodramatist working with individuals, couples and groups including family groups in India. Magdalene has more than 27 years of experience in working with addiction, HIV/AIDS and mental health issues. She has worked with several state and central government agencies in India, UNICEF, WHO as consultant on projects. She believes stories told and enacted can keep us healthy and bring about a positive effect on our wellbeing.
* https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en/wisdom/article/margazhi-a-time-of-stability
Disclaimer: Indian Institute of psychodrama and East West Center for counselling are not associated with Isha yoga and does not subscribe to the teachings of Sadh guru. We do not endorse any religious ideologies. This article has been attached for knowledge purpose only.
TED TALK on Psychodrama: https://youtu.be/CfDUUugbTeY
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Email: info@indianinstituteofpsychodrama.org