In a new book, a lifestyle coach uses real-life examples to show how art can be ‘personal strength’

Twinning music, art, literature, play, joy, love and life – that is how Vedi Sinha, a musician with the Aahavan group, grew up, entwined with her twin sister. Their parents being artistically inclined, her home environment and childhood were immersed in music, arts and literature. However, Vedi’s was meant to be an expansive journey, transcending the known and the settled. It was meant to be a new realm of art and life uniquely her own.

Vedi grew up intimately attached to both her siblings – her twin sister and their elder sister. With her twin, though, she felt a deep emotional anchorage, even dependence. It wasn’t until her late teens, when a long trail of traumatic events started rocking Vedi’s life, that she began searching for strength within – her own strength, separate from and independent of her twin. The distressing rupture of a close relationship, breach of trust, unfair and exploitative treatment by the affiliate group, setbacks and abuse at workplace – a dense, stormy gush engulfed Vedi at the threshold of young adulthood, which is anyway a tough transition phase for most people. Dilemmas, self-doubts, shame, guilt and an invisible load of trauma – anyone would stumble and crumble. Not Vedi. She decided to choose the path of forgiveness, resilience, regeneration and creativity. She owned and acknowledged her brokenness, faced her fears, honoured her tears and allowed her cry of anguish to be released. She gave herself time and waited – in faith, hope and responsible awareness. She witnessed her emotional turmoil and gave it a voice; the voice of experiential poetry and narrative music – an art form uniquely hers.

As Vedi set out on the path of existential discovery, she found solace, creative release and spiritual inspiration in the kind of Nirguna philosophy that the 15th-century Indian poet-mystic-saint Kabir Das spoke about. Her journey has been about exploring the lived meaning of the philosophy that believes in realising that we are all unique yet one. Thus the quest is as much within as outside. It was in the Nirguna life-view that Vedi found catharsis and inspiration to seek healing, regeneration and creative growth.

Healed, transformed and sculpted anew, Vedi left the broken strings of life behind. And picked up only one string – literally – the single-string Indian instrument called ektara (“ek” for single and “tara” for string) that is like a soul-companion in Nirguna singing. Vedi’s courageous and expansive journey led her to create an art form that is a unique amalgamation of Nirguna philosophy, narrative poetry, folk wisdom and simple, minimalistic music. Like the ektara, she started solo. Soon, the world – that had almost written her off – was partaking in her immersive art, which began not only being appreciated but also emulated.

For Vedi though, her art is not for performance alone. It is her sacred journey to realising the Nirguna “prakriti” (nature) within herself and facilitating the same for others. Her practice faced a test of faith and courage when she learnt that even while her siblings were going through trying times themselves in their respective life journeys, they continued to hold Vedi warm and strong. It was an intensely painful realisation. Vedi felt remorseful for being so absorbed in herself that she couldn’t notice her siblings’ suffering despite their deep bond. But instead of slipping down the vicious spiral of shame and guilt, Vedi’s Nirguna faith inspired her to seek forgiveness. It was time for her to invoke and enliven what her practice had taught her, and find strength within to become an emotional anchor for her sisters and herself. Thus emerged a soulful composition of realisation, forgiveness and compassion. Although deeply personal, this composition found widespread resonance and appreciation. After all, aren’t we humans connected in our pains and love!

Vedi believes it is not she who has created her art. Rather her art has transformed her and given her a new life. In true Nirguna spirit, she offers it with the same devotion and energy to one and all, be it music and arts congregations, citizens’ rights movements, buzzing public events, low-income or marginalised communities, or discerning paid audiences. She has named her endeavour The Aahvaan Project. “Aahvaan”, meaning “call” or “invocation”, raises a call to RISE – in courage, compassion and creativity. There is no jazzy zing or preaching. Yet Aahvaan’s music leaves you feeling creatively fulfilled and reflectively inspired. Aahvaan is Vedi’s karmic child. But she does not clutch it tight. It is an open and inclusive collective where each member has an equal co-creative influence and responsibility to uphold the Nirguna way. The Aahvaan Project recently started an expansive initiative called “Hashiye Se” (“From the Margins”) that seeks to facilitate the recognition of artists from the margins and support their art through collaborative creativity and on-ground enablement. Their very first event brought together 25 marginalised-gender artists from three countries. Vedi honours the precious treasure she has found in her Nirguna practice and art – the wellspring of her supple strength. And she generously and gracefully shares it with the world.

Hopefully, reading Vedi’s story stirred you as much as it moved me while writing it. I feel happy and grateful for knowing her. It is sheer bliss watching her perform. I marvel at her art, her life, her gentle grit, her compassionate courage, her calm confidence and her supple strength. Vedi Sinha, dear readers, is a Nirguna singer, narrative poet and contemplative storyteller in the oral traditions of Kabir, other such mystics, and lived folk wisdom. She is the founder and lead artist of the growingly respected The Aahvaan Project. Above all she is a Nirguna seeker who lives by the belief that strength at its core is gentle, kind and supple.

The word “strength” holds different meanings for different people. It may even evoke different feelings and meanings in the same person across different contexts, scenarios, life-phases and time trajectories. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines it as “the quality or state of being strong: capacity for exertion or endurance.” Some other words used there to explain the meaning of strength include solidity, toughness, energy, force, power, potency, firmness, muscle, vigour, and more. In contrast, the contemplative aspects of deep resilience are missing from the popular definition of strength. Strange but not surprising.

In a world that prizes toughness, might and force, no wonder this definition of strength is considered right and proper. I don’t disagree. But is that all? Does it convey a complete sense of strength? Let us consult the thesaurus as well. It offers a large spectrum of synonyms for strength. Broadly not much different. Until you patiently scroll down to the end where a unique word – eudemonia – is almost invisibly waiting to greet you. It leads you to some more inspiring words such as contentment, happiness, satisfaction, wellbeing, ease, equanimity, hopefulness, vivacity, serenity, healthiness, wholeness, and more. Also spelt as “eudaemonia” or “eudaimonia”, this evocative word with an almost melodious feel, combines eu (Greek for good, well) with daimon (Greek for indwelling spirit) to convey a sense of a good guiding spirit that helps create a mindset of suppleness conducive for wellbeing and happiness. How meaningful! The true nature of strength is just that – inherently supple. Let me explain with a real-life example from my last book, Grief … Growth … Grace:

Like an adaptive willow, it (strength) knows when and how to bend, and when and how to resurge. During a recent cyclonic storm that hit the west coast of India, a video went viral where the lashing cyclonic winds and rainstorm were beating a palm tree down. It was an awe-inspiring sight, to see the grit and grace with which the tree swayed from side to side, neither fighting the brutal storm, nor letting the storm rip it apart.

The cyclonic storm mentioned above happened during the early months of the pandemic. The mesmerising visual of the palm tree surviving a ferocious storm reinforced faith and hope for the world locked down with pandemic anxiety and trauma. The tree held itself up – firm, perceptive, sensitive, mindful, creative, responsive and adaptive. It swayed with the same supple strength that accords us the courage for a receptive and poised awareness of our inner turmoil; the sagaciousness to discern and respond; a strong back to endure, adapt and stay nimble; and the compassion to share and enable strength in others. Supple strength honours vulnerability and celebrates strength. It may seem paradoxical. But such is the unique spirit and fusion energy of supple strength, which emerges when its seemingly opposite yet simultaneously active elements affirm, complete and complement each other.

Excerpted with permission from Rise: The Deep Resilience Way, Neena Verma, Rupa Publications.