The Buzz Bee and the Season of Spring
Do these buzzing pollinators hold the key to a cure?
With the spring season on its way, the spirit feels elevated. The changing weather marks the much-awaited end of a dreary winter, yet I cannot always vouch for my physical state. For many of us, spring is the season of runny noses, swollen eyelids, and itchy throats. It feels like preparing for war against our own immune systems — a strange conflict where our internal ecosystem treats the natural world as a threat.
When I was first diagnosed with pollen allergies a decade ago, it felt quite quaint. Back in my home country, a change in weather meant a simple sneeze that I would just brush off. But after moving, I was in for a surprise. Suddenly, those television advertisements for antihistamines — showing a lady breathing easily while effortlessly going about her day — made so much more sense.
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As I navigated my allergies, I began to look more closely at the source of all this seasonal activity. Out of curiosity, I started studying the Buzzing Pollinators- Bumble Bee. There are more than 250 varieties of these pollinators worldwide, and they are truly fascinating. A bumblebee, as stout as it looks, carries its weight on tender wings that flap 200 times every second. For a long time, it was thought that their flight defied the very laws of aerodynamics. However, modern research reveals that they stay aloft by creating tiny ‘tornadoes’ or leading-edge vortices with every flap, essentially swimming through the air. Encountering this humbled me once again, reinforcing my belief in the miracle of God’s creation.
Who thought an art form learnt in my childhood holds the key and cure to my current ailment? I was totally aghast when I found this hidden gem.
In Bharatnatyam, we learn various hand gestures called Hasta Mudras. The hand gesture used to represent a bee is called Bhramara. It is a single-hand gesture (Asamyuta Hasta) that mimics the shape and fluttering motion of a bee. Incredibly, in therapeutic yoga, the Bhramara Mudra is used to relieve the very symptoms the bee’s season brings: allergies, congestion, and respiratory issues.
It is a revelation that an art form’s depiction of the “cause” actually holds the divine healing connection for the “ailment” and goes beyond to teach us something invaluable.
The Bumble Bee teaches us a multitude of things through its very existence. It reminds us that while the world may measure us by our shortcomings, we are created with a divine purpose that transcends our physical limitations. Furthermore, it offers a lesson in persistence: even though the buzzing can be annoying, the bee remains undeterred. It teaches us to focus on the task at hand and continue forward, no matter the distractions or limitations in our way.
Ultimately, it is a beautiful reminder that the solution often lies within the heart of the problem; we only need to take the time to look at it correctly.
