Breathe Life Into Your Soul: Through Krishna's Bansuri

Before the flute, my musical resume consisted entirely of sold-out performances in my own shower. During school, I was far "too cool" for music class, but deep down, I always harbored a secret wish to pick up an instrument—probably a guitar, to match the vibe. Instead, I spent nearly 60 years advising on the environment and climate change, and telling myself I was too busy with life. The dream stayed buried until now, proving it’s never too late to trade environmental consulting for a little harmony (with a magical bamboo wand).

Deep down, I always wanted to play an instrument—mostly for the social bragging rights. Right on cue, Harsh Sir appeared online with his flute MasterClass and, of course, with his pleasant personality. It felt like a divine intervention from Lord Krishna himself, offering to teach Kanha’s Bansuri in a structured, tech-driven way. With a sign that obvious, I couldn't make any more excuses. I took the plunge into the World of Flute Gandharvas, and I’m incredibly glad I did.

Surprisingly, blowing into a side flute came naturally to me—no training wheels required. The real battle began when the rhythm (taal) started. As a complete music novice, staying with the taal became my daily game of hide-and-seek (and the taal is still winning. Hopefully, not for too long though!). Pair that with trying not to pass-out during long compositions, and I quickly realized my lungs were on a steep learning curve!

The turning point came when my swar clarity gradually arrived, and the taal and I called a truce. Watching Harsh Sir, Rishabh Sir, and the mentors play so effortlessly is mesmerizing, though they modestly claim they once struggled too—a beautiful lie I gladly accept! I realized that becoming a flute player is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Fortunately, as a climate consultant, I'm already used to dealing with rising temperatures and burning the midnight oil! I think: the harder I worked, luckier my fingers got.

The bansuri turned out to be the ultimate beautiful mix of meditation and accidental aerobics cardio. Recording 20-30 video takes just to get one decent satisfactory version has forced a level of patience and discipline I didn't know I possessed. As a complete music novice, graduating from the Foundation Course (FFC) felt like conquering uncharted waters, proving that hard work always pays. Plus, all that intense breathing is basically a pranayama aerobic workout—I’ve never felt more energetic or well-oxygenated! Excitement and enthusiasm fills the room every time I hold Lord Krishna’s bansuri in my fingers.

As an ardent competitive tennis player, I used to often get gassed (breathless) during long baseline rallies—but all that bansuri lung-training is secretly turning me into an aerobic machine. My opponents are definitely noticing the difference, wondering what has hit me. Mentally, the discipline has brought a strange sense of calm to my game. My stress levels are down and my hypertension is well-managed, though I do now have a habit of involuntarily humming a classical Raga composition right before hitting an ace serve (to illustrate in the language of flute: P – P P, D M P D, D – M M, RM PM R S … Boom)!

Today, the bansuri is my favorite form of meaningful, high-stakes self-indulgence. It is the perfect antidote to sixty years of procrastination and a brilliant excuse to escape the heavy weight of environmental/climate change consulting. It has turned me into a more disciplined student, a zen-like tennis player with bionic lungs, and a nightmare for my wife and neighbors during those 20-30 video re-takes. It is challenging, it is meditative, and it has upgraded my musical journey from the privacy of my shower to the beautiful World of Flute Gandharvas. Lord Krishna knew exactly what he was doing when he sent Harsh Sir and the FG Team to me!