Raajeev Aggerwhil
By Raajeev Aggerwhil
As I mentioned in my previous column, I wrote about the comments that we have been getting on our social media accounts @Mr.CheapGupta. My wife and I started making dance videos and posting on Instagram and YouTube. Nothing wild — just two grown adults having a little fun, shaking a leg, and occasionally pulling a hamstring.
I also mentioned that some people in India have urged me to do more Bhakti and focus my time on reciting God’s name. Apparently, dancing doesn’t count as Bhakti—unless you’re doing the Nataraja pose mid-Bollywood beat! Recently, one of my Toastmasters friends in his 30’s saw the dance videos and he asked, “Where do I get all this energy from?” Which, in energy years, makes me roughly… a rechargeable battery!
In my discussion with my spiritual master, Shri Tarneiv Ji, I commented on this surge of energy since we started posting the dance videos. We discussed that, generally after age 40-45, body and mind decline. That’s when Google search history starts including “Best back pain patches” and “Where did I leave my glasses?” My Guruji explained that our belief is that God is eternal and omnipresent. So, there is a myth that after 50, God is not there. That belief becomes a superstition, kind of a blind belief and fueled by orthodox thinking. He then brought a rhetorical question. “Why do we take God’s name after a certain age, that too mostly in the middle age?” The thinking is that our next life will be better.
Also, with Bhakti, we get Shakti (inner strength) to create a mental state for euphoria – that everything is good inside. Again, this is despite when body is getting weaker and older. In the last 2-3 years, there has been more emphasis on rejuvenation. As Shri Tarneiv Ji explains, after 50, we become prisoners to our thoughts and belief patterns. The older you get, the deeper you get inside that prison. We become shackled by our old thinking. This phenomenon may not apply to everyone. Some people remain unconditionally happy and that is wonderful. However, for others, if by introspection, we realize that the joy of life is missing, it means something needs to change. Are we open to inviting a change in our life? Are we open to unshackle the old belief that we will be dull after a certain age, or do we prefer to remain in solitary confinement with nothing but relive the reruns of your own regrets?
Unfortunately, this old belief has become socially acceptable, and we inculcate it in our inner conscience. From our Guruji’s lectures, I have learnt that if Buddha or Nanak were able to realize that happiness, it means we have the capability to in our body to achieve that. However, we haven’t fully explored it. The goal of Bhakti is to bring in Shakti which ultimately brings Kranti (a revolution) to take on all the challenges of life.
People don’t slow aging just because they are eating organic food. Yes, eating healthy food helps, but there are people who smoke, drink and eat mostly junk food but they remain energetic well into their 80’s. The secret ingredient is verve — verve for life, which is much larger than life’s goal. That verve comes from a strong belief that we are contributing to society and that belief makes you enthusiastic about yourself. Some may get this enthusiasm a little from masala chai and WhatsApp wisdom memes but those may be ephemeral!
That brings back to my wife’s and my dances on @Mr.CheapGupta. I am not trying to toot my own horn, but what my wife and I are doing is a testimony of that new thinking. We believe that we have the agility that people can see through dances. It’s not just the agility of the body but the agility of the mind.
Our body is flexible because our mind is flexible. Our mind is flexible because our mind is open to new thinking – trying out new activities, some of them crazy as dancing to Bollywood songs in our middle age without proper training. Even as earlier as 3 years ago, my self-consciousness prevented me from dancing and truly enjoying myself at Indian wedding parties.
Yes, my best dance move was avoiding the dance floor altogether! We were able to overcome this barrier with the encouragement and guidance from our Guruji and openness of our minds.
Most people over 45, place “being energetic” on a high pedestal but don’t know how they can be in that state. If our dances serve as an example to others, we have achieved our goal. People as they grow older reminisce about their youth, how they used to dance or have so much fun. In their middle age they shun the idea and feel they cannot do those fun activities as they are not age appropriate. Through our dances, our happiness and unbridled joy is visible on our faces.
We are a testimony to that openness, and we are willing to share and inspire others. Yes, that’s joy — not just sore knees from the last Bhangra spin!
As Guruji mentions in his lectures, freedom of spirit is important. What spirit is saying is called “Inspiration.” Our goal of our art is to present our dances and comedy in a way where it inspires people. Each time we do a crazy dance, people who know us must wonder what happened to us, what caused the transformation in our lives and why do we have that euphoric feeling visible on our faces throughout the day. The secret formula, as shared by our Guruji in his lectures, is that God is creative. When we fully immerse ourselves in creative pursuits— be it singing, dancing, painting, or writing—we align with the Divine and discover true joy.
Some may see a middle-aged couple doing crazy dance moves and may comment, “Buddhe budhiya ko jawani aa rahi hai” (The old couple is getting intoxicated with youth.) We see our actions as a testimony of openness of our minds, unshackling the rigid belief patterns and trying to align our spirit with God. The result is the nimbleness of the mind which causes a nimbleness of the body. Essentially, that openness not only has wiped out dullness, but created a lot of inner happiness, allowing ourselves to inspire other people like us. That formula translates to: Oldies but goldies doing cardio disguised as choreography! Or as we like to call it: Geriatric Jhatkas with a Message!
Raajeev Aggerwhil is a Los Angeles-based comedian. Follow his latest work on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok @Mr.CheapGupta. He can be reached at raajeev24@gmail.com.
