Embracing the Kahankar and the Ahankar: A Reflexive Inquiry into Body, Movement, and Consciousness, Interwoven with the Warli Philosophy

Abstract

This article aims to deepen the understanding of existential intrasubjectivity and intersubjectivity as they relate to the body, being, and nature, as experienced through the lens of Warli philosophy, particularly the Kahankar and the Ahankar. This reflexive inquiry lies at the intersection of the author’s identity as a researcher, a dance movement therapist, and a spiritual being. The contemplation includes experiencing Nature as a witness, another facet of the Warli conviction of the profound interconnectedness with the natural world, recognizing our inherent composition as part of nature. Another dimension of engaging with this philosophy is through the practice of Authentic Movement, where the imagination, the psyche, and the soul all dance together as they are witnessed nonjudgmentally. I employed an external witness as well as used self-witnessing in the form of an “inner witness.” Lastly, it explores the dance between the body as the storyteller and the consciousness as the affirmer of the spoken word, the truth.

Keywords

• warli philosophy
• authentic movement
• consciousness
• nature
• cultural identity