Embodying the Sacred: Charya Dance

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At Abiding Heart, we offer Charya Dance, a sacred Newar ritual dance practised for centuries by the priestly lineages of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

A practice of mudra, mantra, movement, and song, Charya is a form of moving meditation through which practitioners embody the qualities of Buddhist and Vedic deities, cultivating wisdom, compassion, and contemplative awareness.

Charya Nritya means “dance as a spiritual discipline” in Sanskrit and is traditionally practised by Newar Vajracharya priests as a sacred integration of body, speech, and mind.

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Learn Charya Dance Through a Living Tradition

Our Charya Dance courses are taught by native Newar Buddhist teachers who have studied with Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, a 35th-generation Tantric Buddhist priest and renowned master of the Charya Nritya tradition.

Our approach is grounded in direct, experiential learning. Students are encouraged not simply to learn the external movements of Charya, but to develop an embodied understanding of the practice and its relationship to Buddhist view, meditation, ritual, and the qualities of the deities.

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Two Pathways in Charya Dance

We offer two pathways for students wishing to explore and deepen their study of Charya Dance.

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Introduction to Charya Dance

The Introduction Course focuses on learning and experiencing Charya Dance itself. Students are introduced to movement, mudra, mantra, song, and deity practice, developing an embodied understanding of Charya as a contemplative and devotional discipline.

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Suitable for those wishing to discover Charya and deepen their personal practice.

Format: Online via livestream

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Full-Time Charya Dance and Education Programme

The two-year Full-Time Programme builds on Charya Dance practice, bringing together Himalayan Buddhist ritual dance, experiential Buddhist foundation studies, meditation, and pedagogical application.

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The programme includes:

• Experiential Buddhist foundation studies

• Buddhist view and meditation

• Charya Dance theory and practice, with the possibility of exploring Buddhist and Vedic deities

• Deity practice, mudra, mantra, and song

• Pedagogical applications of Charya

• Specialisation in teaching Charya Dance to children in Classes 1–8

 

Students develop a deep experiential understanding of Charya and explore how its wisdom and embodied qualities can be shared with children in a developmentally appropriate way. Charya Dance forms part of the Abiding Heart Education™ primary curriculum.

 

Flexible Study

The Full-Time Programme can also be taken module by module, with each module completed as a complete unit.

Format: In-person and online, or online only.

For in-person students, part of the day is spent in the Charya studio, with afternoon sessions available either at Abiding Heart’s centre or through the online classroom.

 

From Practice to Pedagogy

The Introduction Course offers a foundation in Charya Dance. The Full-Time Programme takes this further, integrating dance, Buddhist understanding, meditation, and education to explore how Charya can become a meaningful and embodied learning experience for children.