SISTACHARA

Postures Make One’s Picture

Postures play a key role in day-to-day life. The way we sit helps us to maintain our spine health. Positions and postures are extremely important in sports and in battlefield. Be it golf, tennis, or football, body language plays a vital role. The right kind of body language prevents injuries, and it also helps the concerned person to succeed in his/her endeavor. Similarly, the day-to-day postures and body language help in making an interaction comfortable.

Physiotherapists and physical directors alike tell the old and the young how to carry themselves physically. Alas! This advice is seldom followed. Our body language helps us to stay mentally and physically healthy. Postures reflect the mental and physical conditions of a person. Therefore, if a person behaves queer, one could trust this as a warning signal and use the opportunity to set things right again.

Students and teachers of yonder era can be taken as the best examples for their postures. Teachers used to sit cross-legged and straight with their spine erect while teaching and the students would listen attentively while maintaining an unbent-seated posture. Students would get up from the floor without taking the support of their palms while raising doubts or answering questions posed by the teacher.

Men and women walking in the streets would either look straight or watch the path while moving forward. This contributed a lot to maintain their physical fitness and nurtured the right mental attitude in them towards life. The postures adopted in front of one another defined the relationship that existed between them. The way one was seated in front of the cashbox made others understand the importance of the grace of Lakshmi.

Accountants of the yonder years sat cross-legged with their back resting on a pillar or a wall. It was ensured that the knees were properly aligned with the waist, for this would help a person avoid long-term back pain or knee pain. From carrying flower baskets to temples to carrying a pot of water from the well to the kitchen, postures played a significant role in the maintenance of agility, uprightness in everyone.

The postures adopted during conversation, or a presentation took the message across in a successful manner. Ancient Indians were masters in body language. They had distinctive styles and postures for every task. The body language of the priest was extremely important. He had to exhibit devotion and humility in front of the deity and display empathy and calmness to the devotees simultaneously.

The ruler in the royal court was master of everything that one surveyed yet he/she was supposed to present oneself like a parent or a teacher. The lady of the house was like the Grihalakshmi and therefore was supposed to maintain a pleasant appearance backed by a graceful body language. Bharatanatyam and other forms of dance in India continue to capture the essence of emotions and postures of a society. The dance dramas and musical plays eventually evolved into the modern cinemas. Youngsters begin to emulate the body language and behavior of the stars playing the lead roles. Therefore, it is incumbent upon them to send the right signals.

The body language of leaders instills different emotions at various times for the followers. The approach of Adolf Hitler ended up with the holocaust. The impression created by Chandragupta Maurya created a united Bharat which was full of valor and compassion. Anybody who had met Bhagavan Ramana would be blessed with an everlasting impression of the quintessence of Indian wisdom.

The attitude exhibited by Srila Prabhupada built the global organization, ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). Great saints like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda, Shivananda, Chandrashekara Bharati, Chandrashekara Saraswati, Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Pramukji, and Narayana Guru added to the luster of the society through their mental, philosophical, and physical posturing. The beholders and followers assimilated the cream of Indian goodness and got enriched themselves. In turn, a geometric progression got created and good behavior continue to make our country pride. If India today is to extend itself into a global superpower soon, the right attitude, posture, and body language of our leaders will play an essential role.

The interactions of Tenali Raman with the emperor Sree Krishnadeva Raya evoked the best at the royal court. The pun and fun of the Vikatakavi Tenali Ramakrishna was enjoyable. His approach taught many a lesson, created humorous scenes, but also ensured that none were made to feel small or hurt. His body language and communication ensured that the right one while also making sure that the wrong became right. The life and times of Tenali Ramakrishna can guide us during these troublesome times when etiquette and body language are being given a go by in the name of privacy and liberty.

Mr. Rajesh Govindarajulu is one of the founding members of the Verandah Club Pvt. Ltd. He is a leading columnist, historian, jeweler, entrepreneur, and a heritage enthusiast who is earnestly working to revive the past in the light of the present. Experiential learning about the history of Coimbatore is his main course of interest and he is also a panel member of many colleges in the city.