Staying inspired and healthy through COVID-19

Mina Iyer, Nova Dance's newest Board Member comes to us from a background in Clinical Social Work and Bharatnatyam. We spoke to her about staying inspired, keeping healthy and what drew her into our orbit.

What inspired you to join the board of Nova Dance at this time?

I’ve been a Bharatanatyam dancer since I was 5 but I had a lot of health issues growing up, and had to stop dancing at multiple times in my life, which was such a loss for me. I think I would have really benefited from a teacher who had this approach of ‘regardless of what you’re coming with, you can dance’. I get that approach from Nova and it seems like something that is known about her, and I think that’s important because young people and people in general deserve to have spaces where their creativity can be nurtured regardless of their abilities. I also appreciate the way she incorporates her values around social justice into her art-form. So there’s a lot of admiration on my end, really, and I think there’s something really special here.

I know you work in counselling, so I was wondering what your thoughts are on the connection between arts and mental health?

One of the forms of therapy that I practice, or that I try to incorporate into my practice, is what we know about our bodies. I believe that there is a lot of wisdom and knowledge in our bodies that we are often not connected with, and I try to facilitate and practice that connection.

We have knowledge not just from us, but from our ancestors and guides, people that have come before us, that really live in our bodies. I think for me, that’s the connection here. I think a lot of liberation and freedom can happen for a person when we’re really connected to what’s happening inside of us.

Do you have an artistic practice that you’ve (re)connected with during the pandemic?

I do a lot of creative things, but not an artistic thing. I think that’s something I’m really actually craving to be connected to. I’ve thought a lot about what it might be like to have a movement practice in my life again or to have dance be part of my life again, so I think that is something that I really want, but it’s not something I’m really able to connect to in the way I see for myself at this time.

When you said “creative”, what were you thinking about?

I’m a baker. I make a lot of bread. I love baking and I like sharing food with people. I see myself as someone who crafts more, I think.

Mina’s Coffee Tip:

The grind matters. Typically if your coffee tastes bad, there are two problems: either your grinder, or whatever you’re making your coffee with, needs to be cleaned out, or, your grind is completely off.

I am very passionate about making a really good cup of coffee, and a lot of time and effort goes into thinking about how to do something like that.

And so I have a lot of little things in my life that I put a lot of energy into thinking about, and doing really, really well. I write a lot, I journal, and I am constantly am reflecting and contemplating and I think that can be a form of art too.

What is inspiring you right now?

I listen to a lot of podcasts and it’s something that’s been helping me a lot during this time. I’m really intentional about what I listen to -- and typically it’s people doing a lot of spiritual growth and a lot of learning.

I’m also really into ritual -- I’m into tarot and I love astrology – so I’ve developed a little bit of a ritual around reading tarot and I guess that’s something I’ve been learning more about and reading more about. It’s helped me connect to my empathy and my instincts and just connect to myself.

Is there one or two of those podcasts that you would recommend?

How to Survive The End of the World podcast with Adrian Marie Brown and her sister Autumn Brown, and The Black Girls Guide to Surviving Menopause -- it’s all about decolonizing the Crone, to tap into this wisdom that you learn as you approach menopause.

Is there anything you’re doing specifically to cope with stress at this time?

Yes. This is a really hard practice that I’ve been working on, and that is to learn to pause and step into whatever it is I’m feeling. It has felt so important to be present with it all.