Circle is a monthly reflective retreat — a shared space where conditioning loosens, perception opens, and habitual patterns begin to soften.
This March edition continues the exploration of Rejoice in Art as an Aspect within the 5×5 framework, focusing on Sensory and Dissolve, through guided exposure led by Hari Nair and two Leela Life specialists.
The Circle creates a shared environment where fixed ideas around art and creativity begin to loosen, allowing perception to deepen and moments of absorption in sound, space, and form to emerge more naturally in everyday life.
To Rejoice in Art is to treat beauty, creativity, and aesthetic experience as integral to life. In Indic traditions, the senses are refined through artistic experience, and immersion in sound or form gently softens the boundary between observer and experience.
Hari Nair is the creator of the Leela Life Method, a structured approach rooted in Indic knowledge that helps modern lives hold both success and joy. His session introduces Rejoice in Art through the lenses of Sensory and Dissolve, exploring how refined perception and moments of absorption in sound, space, and form deepen attention and make aesthetic experience easier to live in daily life.
Sashikala Ananth, an architect by training, has been researching and practicing Vaastu Shastra for over three decades. She studied under Sri V. Ganapathi Sthapati for a decade, gaining deep textual and practical knowledge of Vaastu. An accomplished Yoga teacher and scholar of classical Indian music, she integrates Yoga, Ayurveda, and Vaastu into her unique offering, Chikitsa Vastu, a holistic approach to harmonizing spaces for well-being. She has authored several books, including The Penguin Guide to Vaastu and Vaastu: A Path to Harmonious Living, and translated Shilpa Chennool into English as Pratima Mana Lakshanam. She also contributed to the award-winning film A Shilpi Speaks. She has been a dedicated student of Yoga and Vedanta for 35 years, mentoring young minds in Indian wisdom. She now lives in the Nilgiris, South of India, where she and her husband have established a meditation center - integrating Vaastu principles into modern living.
Pelva Naik is a highly accomplished Dhrupad vocalist with over 14 years of experience. Born in 1986 in Ahmedabad, she was raised in a family of artists and nurtured by the rich virtues of Indian culture and literature. Trained under the eminent Dagar Gharana, she is a disciple of the legendary Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and has received guidance from Rudraveena maestro Ustad Mohi Bahauddin Dagar. Pelva’s music is deeply rooted in traditional elements like Alaapchaari, Meend, and Jhala, though she constantly strives to cultivate fresh, personal characteristics in her performances. As a solo vocalist, she is passionate about both performing and teaching, offering a distinctive blend of traditional and modern techniques to her students. Having performed at prominent international venues like the Darbar Festival in London and Theatre de la Ville in Paris, Pelva’s natural ability to connect with diverse audiences has made her one of the most acclaimed and admired young Dhrupad practitioners today.
Beth Giersch is an executive operator and strategist with over 20 years of experience in fitness, wellness, and personal growth. She has led transformative initiatives at Equinox and WeightWatchers and now guides Circle & Path as host, creating an environment of warm connection and collective reflection.
Arrive, breathe, and gently loosen from the speed of the week.
An orientation to Sensory and Dissolve as ways of refining perception and entering deeper states of absorption through sound, space, and form — beyond expertise, performance, or artistic training.
An exposure to sensory awareness as a way of refining perception, introducing the premise that environments and spatial form influence how attention settles and how life is experienced.
A guided exposure to dissolution through sound and listening, offering a direct experience of absorption where the sense of separation between listener and music begins to soften.
Reflection, clarification, and shared sense-making to identify one opening to carry into the month ahead.