An interesting story share that conveys the importance of making the most of lifes difficult situations…. do read.
After 60 years of ideal married life , they had no secrets between each other. The wife’s only request was not to ask anything or open the wooden box she had kept in the attic. The husband respected that.
On her deathbed the wife told the husband ok. I want to tell u everything. Pl. Bring the box on the attic.
When he opened the box, there were 2 woollen dolls, his wife made and 10 lakhs. in cash.
The wife explained,when I came newly married to your house my grandmother gave a wise advice. She told never to argue with you for anything. If I’m angry she told me make a woolen doll which I was good at. I practiced that all these years.
Only 2 dolls. The husband was so happy he made his wife angry with him on only 2 occasions in theses 60 years.
What about the 10 lakhs? he asked.
Oh! That is the money I got by selling the other dolls I made.
Life is unique and cannot be boxed in frames
We cannot be a confined statement, as we are so much more.
To accept to be defined, is a defeat of possibilities.
As we are unpredictable in spontaneity,
As much as we are disciplined in character.
But we cannot be one without the other.
There is much of everything in us
That is how we are born
As a cosmic expression
Of creation asserting itself as a
being.
Each individual needs space and sound in the right balance.
To each his own
The choice to speak, share
And stay silent
Rests within us.
In every shy person there is a voice and opinion waiting to speak.
In every gregarious person there is a need for quiet and silence.
There are shades and tones hues and gradients in every one.
Every one is best the way they are.
When dance lessons are adapted to suit the requirements of a specific group there is greater relevance in dance education and its application.
Here are 6 Valuable Tips while conducting Adapted Dancing workshops.
1. Empathetic Communication
Communication is a very important part of any dance education. Especially so in dance workshops in special groups. When addressing a session it is important to keep a clear and empathic tone to establish a sense of connection and care. Whatever the language of communication, maintaining appropriate eye contact provides the necessary connect of being spoken to in the session.
2. Simplicity of Steps
Breaking a pattern to teach by dividing it into simple steps or simplifying it all for every one by choosing easy to do steps makes it more relatable.
In case of dancers with balance issues it is necessary to initially modify / alter steps or reduce directional changes to suit these parameters and progress from there.
Ideally starting of with simply the foot work without working on the arm movements helps focusing on learning one thing at a time. The progression must be gradual in time.
Photo& Artwork credits Savvy Raj
3. Matter of Repetitions.
It is necessary to do a number of repetitive movements of the same steps in order for the muscle memory to form. Hence repetition helps more than switching to other movements.
Depending on the groups capacity to continue, taking a pause, interspersed with explanation or some motivation in between is also a good idea so that it does not get too challenging or monotonous.
4. Ease ofFormations
There are different dance formations like the square circle and line etc. However conducting the dance workshop in circular formation is known to bring about a sense of community.
Adapting other dances creatively to this formation initially helps when the participants can see the instructors movements in the center.
5. Slower Music
Besides choosing appropriate songs even decreasing the tempo of the music aids in keeping up with the music Especially for new group of dancers and dancers with special needs.
6. Value ofInclusiveness
Most importantly ensuring everyone in the group is feeling included & addressed to, is positively impactful.
Coaching another and transferring skillsets is an art.
Dance, it feels wonderful when you do.
Dance for your life to feel at ease.
Dance when you feel like and dance often!
Dance makes it all worthwhile.
Your body feels light and easy, as you dance.
The trick is to keep flowing
With the moves and continue dancing
As long as you enjoy the feeling…
Dance is not meant to harm the body.
But to heal your body and mind.
Integrating the spirit within you
So keep dancing …whenever you choose
For the body likes it best when you dance!
Whether at work or in family or socially we all may have encountered people who are extremely difficult in behavior to the point of putting people down, having arguments and fights in every interaction.
Often in the first meeting with another, within seconds our brain is gathering information creating its impressions on them and we seem to be convinced somehow on many things about the person. Our intuitive instincts comes to play .That is where our system involuntarily associates pieces of information and puts it all together. We may be right or wrong but that’s another story.
But the truth is we know how we feel about the person. Most importantly.
when we are put in a situation, we simply know, we cannot see eye to eye with the person at all and feel we just cannot handle them.
Our body often gets into a flight or fight mode . Our stress hormones increase and our nervous system is on an overdrive. This can be often a cause for major health issues in the long run.
Clearly we feel we are not equipped to handle such a person’s energy and we may come away angry or depressed in every meeting with such people.
It is time then to read more into the equation.In such moments of frustration one thing is very clear no matter what we say or do we cannot change the other person.
They could exhibit any of this range of behavior from being non cooperative, uninterested, dominating & aggressive dismissive, prejudiced, overpowering, controlling, overwhelming, angry , and even too powerful.
There is one thing however that is still within our abilities. If we cant change them then take a look at how we can change the way we perceive them as a threat to us. And why would we want to do that?
Well we owe it to ourselves. It is our body and it is the one that is getting affected in every such situation.
So what do we do when we have to deal with such difficult people?And what can we do to reset our system.
The truth is that it is not easy facing and encountering such an environment on a regular basis. Every thing said or done seems to backfire and there is unreasonable behavior and even simple communication seems to get difficult by the day.
An immediate countermeasure is that we start with taking deep breaths.
This shifts the bodily reactions and resets it from fear to relaxation. It actually works on calming our frayed nerves and easing the body inside out by reducing the state of panic and pressure on the body to react in such circumstances. Simply put, it distracts the mind and body to channelling the rhythm and flow of energy.
Secondly we take a moment to pause and rethink how we are addressing situations ourselves.
At times we are not very inclusive.
And perhaps may have unknowingly hurt someone by our own assumptions and actions.
We need to start with using, more of ‘us’ and less of’ you ‘ when we speak.
That way we show we are in it together.
Thirdly we need to disengage and keep healthy distance if possible with people that are negative and volatile. They are simply not worth the effort or time.
Choose to see if the situation is even worth engaging and indulging in.
Counting slowly to ten still works when situations are reactive, as it would give you time off to respond mindfully and space to assess the circumstances.
And lastly ensure we give the benefit of doubt and try seeing things from their perspective and check if perhaps we could be more reasonable.
Our abilities to observe us as part of process, will help in minimizing any misinterpretation on our part. That way we become more proactive than being negative about communicating with the person.
However,there are extreme scenarios at times, when we are faced with bullies who actually are very insecure within and may also perhaps have been victims at one point of time. We then need to adopt measures that ensure personal safety and that there are witnesses before interacting with them.
So let us always remember… we are the ones who need to take the necessary steps to change for ourselves because we are the ones who are getting affected.
For ultimately we owe it to ourselves and our health is most important to us.
How is life well lived asked someone to me recently.
While each of us has an answer that is perfectly tuned for our souls purpose.
Yet life is well lived…
In the letting go
Of the unnecessary
For then we experience life best
In the lightness of being.
When we persevere enough to let go…
Let go of the little niggles along the way
Those that seem to bother for the moment
They will diminish in time
Let go for the need for self importance
Remember our uniqueness
There is truly no one like another.
Let go of over stretching,
to meet up to overcommitment,
And the over expectations of society.
It is a disastrous road not worth taking .
Let go of over perfecting
Every thing said or done.
It can be truly overwhelming .
Let go of unkind and inconsiderate behavior.
One cannot and need not please them all .
We are born to do better than that.
Let of the unnecessary squabbles and arguments.
Leave it for there are others who wish to do so.
In the letting go, gratitude and contentment begin to surface
From the depths of our being.
Let us be drawn by just our vision and dreams.
For they are related to our purpose of being.
Let’s continue on our path in
perseverance..
We will have a journey well done.
Life reflects itself through the things you do, the people you meet as well as in your passions and perseverances, in so many intriguing yet enthralling ways.
One such beautiful reflection I am experiencing is right here happening in France.
A sense of deja vu, a throwback to a decade ago, fond memories of teaching dances to people in the different places, all thanks to the magic of movements.
I am visiting Rennes France currently and last week I went to met my colleague from the world of dance, Celine Maheo who resides here.
Celine is a practicing clinical psychologist and an Argentine tango dancer.
What’s beautiful is that she is a dedicated professional who uses the dance therapy for helping Parkinson’s patients with their movements through Tango dance sessions.
My interest was piqued, as earlier I had been conducting similar dance sessions for Seniors, namely the Dance for Wellness workshops back in India.
So over a beautiful meet and greet sipping cups of hot herbal tea at the Les Grands Gamin at the heart of Rennes, ensued a free flowing conversation where we exchanged notes on each others life. Our passion for dancing was the visible to see as we hardly knew how moments passed by.
And when Celine invited me to her next Tango Therapy Workshop, it was an offer I could not refuse. I was actually keen to understand whether and how the cultural differences change the way of conducting and experiencing workshops here.
Dancing can improve the mobility and balance in senior adults.
Adapting the dance to suit the requirements of the group, like simplifying the steps, the placement of the feet, improves their coordination, mobility and balance.
The dance session was deeply engrossing & truly inspiring to witness and participate as well. The music played that day stayed with me well after the session.
So the next step turned out to be me conducting a Chacha session for them. The challenges of language barriers were surrmounted easily as Celine offered to translate my teaching from English to French.
Everything fell in place beautifully and voila time flew again.We danced a bit of Chacha that day and also some more in the next few sessions as well. I was told later by the learners how much they enjoyed it!
It was an amazing experience sharing the joys of movements and I thank Celine for her inclusivity in requesting me to conduct the dance sessions as well. And I deeply appreciate all her beautiful learners that I met,connected and danced with. It was a truly warm and wonderful time spent with them all.
As dancers, our every endeavour to bring smiles from the heart is a beautiful and creatively fulfilling experience.
Savvy
After the sessions we would gather together and discuss opening many facets of the learning and imbibing. It was a beautiful way of empathising and understanding each other.
Some of the beautiful souls I got to interact with in these few months…
Dance has a way of soothing your entire being and bringing forth and connecting you with the depth of who you are. That is when dance begins to feel meaningful and transforms life.
The dance connects established here in these sessions will be a beautiful memory etched in my heart, that I will take back home with me and cherish forever.
Today is 8th March 2020 and celebrated as Womens Day all over the world.
I dedicate this post to my friend and colleague Celine Maheo and all the women in the world who are making the world a better place, with every step in time.
Have you seen the whales breach
In such confidence they soar upward
They even maneuver a twirl
And fall back in complete trust
In the support of the water below.
How beautiful an example can mother nature give
Of unfolding grace in trust and confidence
Much of our lifes story can be just as beautiful.
When it is in a flow like that
When we rise in success with faith
Being completely confident of our purpose
When we surrender in complete unflinching trust
Knowing there is support and love flowing in the roots.
Why are humans rising and touching the stars?
Why are we progressing phenomenally
Yet why are we crash landing at times?
Why are we failing?
While it is the faith in ourselves that may take us upwards
Bu the lack of trust and support for one another brings us down.
Perhaps we need to learn from water
How to be flexible in its fluidity.
To be adaptable in its buoyancy
And then we too can rise again with every fall.
For inspite of every ability we have …
Support from our family and friends
Matter more than we know!
Wouldn’t you agree?
When you have faith in your roots then every leap of faith is of a trustful knowing
That no matter how far you reach you have a home to come back to!
“A tree nowhere offers a straight line or a regular curve, but who doubts that root, trunk, boughs, and leaves embody geometry?”
~George Iles
The above collage of artworks is based out of one of my photographs of this adorable tree I pass by every time, during my walks in Rennes France. I then enhanced my photo digitally and I am sharing the artworks out of my photography of this tree. I am always amazed how this tree would look different during different times of the day. And the changing weather would make it a treat to capture. While I clicked the pictures I couldn’t help notice the play of light on the tree and how its autumn leaves would shine through.
Sometimes there is no logic,
It is just the nature of being.
It may seem like just any other tree but for me this beautiful tree lives in my heart forever.
We as humans of the so called evolved societies with education and global experiences and connects on our sides are often the ones who take the most time to smile at one another as humans traveling in the same journey of life, let alone share a laugh in the open. I wonder why?
We live within boundaries for our own safety which is good for our protection and yet it robs us of our freedom to live life.
We are always so careful in looking to put our best foot forward that we lose the joy of spontaneity.
Our life is controlled by our own doings that we throw ourselves into little boxes every day and night and we forget what it feels to think feel and sense beyond the box literally.
And sadly those who do are ridiculed for being the odd one out.
True freedom is unshackling the self from these chains of false convictions…of how to be. And just be.
This kind of thinking is what can transform the world.
It is a treat for me to come across this interesting post share on Facebook by Vijay Anand who I personally may not know, but am sharing it with joy!
I have a friend who lives in Finland and works in the education space – she works in the government department that skills immigrants, so that they become productive and assimilate into the society.
During one of our conversations, she mentioned about how in a lot of Scandinavian countries all public transport is free [1] – you can hop into any bus, and go anywhere and even the trains are free. In Finland, you can also study whatever you want – go to school, college, go get a PhD for free – if you want.
I went “hmmm” in my usual, “I am not sure how this works” thought process. And remarked “I guess that works in a socialistic society”
What followed was insightful.
She asked me what I thought was the most important asset in a society. Honestly, that caught me by surprise. Our economy is measured (and GDP seems to be the holy measure) by movement of money, and hence companies?
She remarked, “Well, its People. It should be, isnt it? – atleast in the 21st century”. Her point was that the days of “companies” being valuable is a outdated model. Natural resources, companies being valuable, made sense for the industrial era, not really for the knowledge economy era.
She said, “Most democracies, even so called capitalistic democracies see people as a liability – a bunch that needs to be taken care of. So education is seen as a cost, healthcare is seen as a cost, but in Finland the model is that people are assets”
Her example : If you charge people a “fee” in college, they will pay a one time fee. And because of financial difficulties, they might not even pursue further education. Whose loss is it, she asked? I guessed, it was the individuals. “Nope, cause if someone who has the potential to be a PhD scientist ends up being a librarian because they couldn’t afford to study, it is the loss to the country – in more practical terms, the govt losses 30% of a much higher revenue that they could have made. Instead they have a citizen who hasn’t reached the full potential but still continues to consume the same amount of resources – might even add to the burden.”
If one looks at each individual that way – that everyone has a potential and if the govt helps them achieve the best version of themselves, then for a lifetime (say 40 odd years) they get 30% of everything he/she makes.
How does the free bus and trains work, I asked. If you remove traffic and remove headaches, employees reach offices faster. Companies get employees who aren’t half drained by the time they reach office. The more productive the workforce is, and the more profitable the company is, the government benefits from both – more tax money. A scientist who is able to do his/her best work creates assets for the country.
When people are the assets, the system starts as early as the mother being pregnant itself, to ensure that care is provided to deliver a healthy baby, and when the baby is born, the formative years are provided for to ensure nutrition and a healthy mental faculty, and periodic tests to map out the trajectory of every individual and set them on that path.
“So really Finland is very capitalistic, she said. What the societal model is, is that we value human beings and every human being as an asset. Whereas most “capitalistic” societies see them as liabilities and spend most of the money on welfare schemes and burdening the middle class.”
#Mindblown
The role of the government should be to enable its citizens / institutions / companies to be the best version of themselves and get the heck out of the way.
0. This idea is simple but radical. It took a few months for me to digest it. Give it time. I know the first reaction you might have will be similar to mine – cynical. But it makes sense.
1. India having a bigger population actually makes this even more attractive. People are assets. The more of that you have, the more you win.
2. This is fundamentally flipping the economy on the head. Today there are a few companies that create value (GDP) that is divided by the population. This model empowers individuals that Population x productivity = GDP
3. 90% of a country like India today lives off of 12,000 Rs per month. 5% of the country pays taxes that supports the rest of the country and the aspirations of infrastructure building. That is simply not sustainable.
4. This seems to be one of the few ways to not just get India to the 5trillion economy (as a bi product and not the goal) and beyond. In a day and age where civil liberties violation and environmental abuse will and should not be tolerated, this model paves a way. Most countries that are developed today got there through slavery or burning through the environment, which is a option we dont/cant have.
5. Getting ready for the knowledge economy, not only will get us into the world stage, but will get us far ahead in terms of the future – with being a young country, that is a service to future generations we cannot ignore. As they say, “skate to where the puck is going, not to where it is.”
Savvy Raj 
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