What is KolamYoga?

 

The word Kolam comes from the Old Tamil and Sanskrit root

Ko meaning ‘rising ascending, to aspire and breath in. In Tamil language Ko stands for ‘a cosmic influencer on all living beings of Bhumidevi; Mother Earth.

Lam meaning Muladhara Chakra that sits at the base of our spine, a descent, into matter, breathing out and exhaling.

Kolam word meaning could be ‘the descent of an Aspiration’ or ‘the manifestation in matter of an ascending aspiration’. In todays perception the word Kolam signifies Beauty.

 

The word ‘Yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit root ‘Yu’ which means, to add, to attach, to join, to yoke or to unite’. In a broader sense, it takes on the meaning of ‘employment, to put to use’, ‘application of’, ‘to harness’ and even ‘performance’.

 

When combined with the word Kolam, Yoga could mean a Kolam method or a Kolam connection, Kolam application, union of Kolam, or, Kolam union; ‘Union with the supreme’. Due to performing a Kolam practice in every day life. Yujir Yoga ‘To yoke’ to Harness the Kolam Yuj samadhau ‘To concentrate’ Kolam concentration or concentrate Kolam. I leave it now up to you to choose it’s meaning.

 

KolamYoga is an ancient training syllabus for the physical body, mind and spirit.

 

An ‘Ephemeral Art’ form that is made up of powdered grids of dots and lines.

White rice and, or chalk powder is poured skilfully from the fingers into a visual, non-verbal coded Language, aching to calligraphy, very much like writing and drawing on an Earth made canvas.

 

A Universal Language, a language of the Gods and Goddesses, a language of Nature, the Earth, and more..

 

The Body is actively involved in manifesting its rhythm and measure; arms act like a ‘pendulum dance’ laying down its design.

 

We find within the Kolam structures a treasure house filled with riddles, numbers, sacred geometry, sound pattern frequencies, mandala, yantra and mantra, tessellation, fractal, science, animal and plant DNA structures and more.

 

It is not a religion, but it holds all world religion, within its form and function.

 

 

We all know that over a century ago No cameras, printers, copiers, or online

images existed, if you wanted to convey information visually, you had to do it

yourself making the ability to draw a necessity.

Drawing Kolam must have been a natural part of a curricula.

Teachers; Mothers, Grandmothers, Devi’, Yogini’s, Guru’s passed on knowledge

in essential subjects like arithmetic, history, writing and… drawing.

 

All ‘students’studying about life and learning life skills were required to take a daily drawing, a Kolam class.

Why? To learn to observe, recognize, understand, participate and co-create life.

Of course, things changed. Eliminating also the deeper layers of understanding Kolam images and its function.

 

The abilities to see and to focus on detail and pattern require training, not talent. The Kolam practice helps us to let go of that what we perceive and have created in an act of perpetual offering, disengaging from all senses of involvement and possession. The Kolam is momentarily, ephemeral and creates insight, of looking behind the scenes of the world.

 

Symbols found in Kolam designs are in their function contrary to verbal

communication. Words separate things and insist on their differences, while

symbols in Kolam designs emphasize what they have in common.

This is why their translation into words does not convey their innermost significance. And for the same reason the study of Kolam symbols cannot be only an analytical science.

 

Sacred art communicates profound, timeless ideas. Ideas have no form.

They are nirguna. They can be given form, turned saguna, using sound. Thus, words or mantras come into being. They can also be given form using gestures or mudras.

They can also be given form using diagrams or geometrical patterns known as

Kolam, Yantras, or Mandalas often also associated with Tantra.

 

Kolam patterns are like words, once uttered they may seem fleeting.

But, when the words and the Kolam design structures are repeated several times

they become all potent and vibrate with intention and consciousness. Their

intention remains resonating long after the sound has been silenced and the image

has been erased.

We all know how words can wound us; one wrong word can undo our entire

integrity. Luckily words are also able to heal us, lift us up into the seven skies and

make us sing, a Kolam design can do exactly the same!