# stay in the moment | Upsana Tendulkar | TEDxDaly College Youth Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiJIccjpQNE Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/TiJIccjpQNE Generated: 2026-02-04T16:32:41.453+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Upsana Tendulkar shares her personal journey of discovering the profound connection between scientific concepts and traditional Indian dance forms like Natya and Nrtya, emphasizing that true participation means fully inhabiting the present moment rather than being preoccupied with past achievements or future goals. **Key Points:** - The speaker introduced the central theme by asking how one can apply the concept of 'staying in the moment' to classical dance forms like Natya and Nrtya. - Tendulkar highlighted the ancient text Natyashastra, which outlines eight characteristics of Natya, emphasizing that everything is a 'Natya' (drama/art) and every moment is 'Nrtya' (dance). - She recounted her personal experience of dedicating 10 years to Bharatanatyam, culminating in her Arangetram performance in June 2010, which required intense practice. - A key realization occurred during a trip to Rishikesh where she experienced a state of deep engagement where the 'dancer' and the 'dance' merged, leading her to forget her knee injury. - She contrasted the rigorous practice required for formal dance with the state of 'being in the now,' which she experienced in nature, suggesting that true performance requires full presence. - The speaker stated that the power of Sadhana (discipline) is the internal force guiding one toward the Guru, contrasting the external knowledge gained from science (like quantum physics) with the internal realization of being present. - The talk concluded by encouraging the audience to realize that everything is a dance, and true participation means shedding the self and fully inhabiting the present moment. ![Screenshot at 00:09: Speaker Upsana Tendulkar is introduced with her name and title card at the TEDxDaly College Youth event.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TiJIccjpQNE/00-00-09.jpg) **Context:** The talk is a personal reflection delivered at TEDxDaly College Youth by Upsana Tendulkar. The speaker uses her background in classical Indian dance, specifically Bharatanatyam and its debut performance (Arangetram), to illustrate the philosophical concept of 'staying in the moment.' She contrasts the rigorous discipline required for performance with the spontaneous, unthinking joy experienced in nature and through dance, advocating for present-moment awareness as the highest form of participation. ## Detailed Analysis Upsana Tendulkar delivers a personal narrative about the concept of 'staying in the moment,' drawing parallels between scientific principles and Indian classical dance. She begins by greeting the audience and introducing her topic: how to truly stay in the moment, specifically within the context of dance. She references the ancient text Natyashastra, showing a slide detailing its eight characteristics, and quotes a verse stating, "Everything is a Natya, Every moment is a Nrtya." She explains that while she studied these elements rigorously for ten years leading up to her Arangetram (debut performance) in June 2010, the true internalization of this concept happened later. An incident in Rishikesh, where she was dancing and felt completely absorbed by the flowing river and breeze, caused her to forget a severe knee injury she sustained while studying science (quantum physics) previously. This profound experience led her to realize that the ultimate goal—whether in dance, science, or life—is to fully participate in the present moment, becoming one with the activity, rather than being worried about past achievements or future performance. She contrasts the Guru's role, which is to provide knowledge, with Sadhana (discipline), which is the internal force that helps one achieve this state of 'now.' She concludes by urging the audience to recognize that everything is a dance (Natya) and every moment is a dance (Nrtya), and that by surrendering the self, they can achieve this blissful state. ### Introduction & Theme - Om Namaste to everyone - The topic is 'being in the moment' - The best way to do this is to experience being in the moment. ### Contextualizing Dance - Everything is a Natya, Every moment is a Nrtya - Discusses Arangetram (debut Bharatanatyam performance after 10 years) and the intensive practice required. ### The Rishikesh Realization - The experience in Rishikesh where the dancer merged with nature (river, breeze) and forgot her knee injury - This taught her that the movement/dance is not just about the form but the experience. ### The Power of Sadhana - Guru provides theoretical knowledge, but Sadhana (discipline) is the internal force that helps one be present - She realized that the subatomic particles of science are also 'dancing' and that she couldn't merge science and dance until she learned to simply be in the moment. ### Conclusion and Call to Action - The connecting link between Natya and Nrtya is to 'Participate' - Pause is participation; one must participate with the soul, body, and mind, shedding the ego ('self') to fully experience the present. ![Screenshot at 00:05: Slide displaying the theme "STAY IN THE MOMENT" before the speaker begins.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TiJIccjpQNE/00-00-05.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:09: Speaker introduction slide featuring Ms. Upsana Tendulkar.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TiJIccjpQNE/00-00-09.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:33: Speaker gesturing while discussing the need to experience being in the moment to apply justice to the topic.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TiJIccjpQNE/00-00-33.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:48: Slide showing the Nataraja statue and the quote: "Everything is a Nâtya, Every moment is a Nrtya."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TiJIccjpQNE/00-00-48.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:09: Speaker transitions to an interactive segment, asking the audience to dance with their eyes closed.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/TiJIccjpQNE/00-01-09.jpg)