It is often said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”…. as beauty can be a very subjective and a personal choice and experience of life. This attraction or admiration, after all, is an interpretation of harmony, of proportion in the features attributed to a culture for beauty.
Is beauty measurable to a certain standard? Well according to the Golden Ratio, the ideal result for an attractive face would be 1.6. Greeks believed a beautiful face is 1.6 times longer than its width. But then it has been refuted by attributing it simply to the ability of pattern recognition by humans. After all cultural differences have strange ideas of what is beautiful and they seem poles apart from each other. Such is the paradox of beauty!
From smooth skin devoid of wrinkles, a long neck and flowing hair, to face tattoos and body scars, long earlobes, shaved heads, pale skins to small feet, to full figures different countries and culture have different standards of beauty.
Take the case of some Eastern countries where straightened hair is considered beautiful and many are turning to chemical hair straighteners and flat ironing for holding up to standards of beauty. Girls in Mauritania, West Africa when shown an article about liposuction, laugh so hard in disbelief as it shocks their concepts of what is beautiful. In fact, this goes to extreme measures like ‘Leblouh’ the practice of force feeding girls to have heavy figures and stretch marks like in Mauritania, to the overwhelming numbers of rhinoplasty in Iran and where women wearing post-surgical bandages consider it as a badge of honour and wealth.
The human capacity to appreciate beauty has perhaps radically evolved with the species and men and woman see and process beauty differently. Humans are complex beings and if beauty were a language, its expression would be unique to every individual with respect to their nature and nurture.
So in the quest towards understanding the beauty and the ideals of beauty, there are many questions …
Is there a possibility of greater survival of what is considered beautiful.?
Or is the reverse true?
History is replete with numerous wars on account or on behalf of desire to possess own nurture, save and protect beautiful people animals or things.And beauty becomes a victim of situations and often is the cause of chaos and destruction.
The very beauty that emits an utter of exclamation of awe in the admiration of the exquisite creation can extract emotional outbursts and create and spread hate and malice, upheavals that can mar the course of peace in history and cause wars.
Beauty can thus become a two-edged sword.
Is there more to the reason there exists for the quality of beauty and its perception.The genetic codes that determine beauty can be there for the purpose of an evolution of the species and refinement in the subtlety of consciousness….
There is beauty in a soul that is kind without prejudice
There is beauty in choosing to transform to a better person inside out.
There is beauty in words spoken and deeds of generosity
There is beauty in making people feel valuable
As after all beauty is in the way you make another feel.
Savvy
Image Credits: An Artwork by Savvy Raj from a series Titled: ‘Faces’
Every step of our ‘Journey’ through time in life and living makes way for shifts in our internal compass. This is an intuitive guide on our path to create evolve and inspire the world.
As we learn to honour the steps we take
A better world we can all care to make.
Savvy Raj
Image Credits: A Digital Art and Verses by Savvy Raj.
Titled: ‘Transcendence– Clarity amidst the chaos in the Interconnects ‘.
From circles in the spheres
And shapes unknown
Of thought to imagination
You to me is a continuum
Of expression in life and living.
As you and I see it
In unique ways.
Every perspective
Every interpretation
Creates shifts in space
To accommodate every emergence
And all matters
In the infinity of being
Beyond scale or count
And boundless beyond measure.
Every single flicker in participation
Every bit of intention
Every action is your contribution.
Impacting the world for you and for me.
Leaving imprints in time, altering the energy
Such is your value in the synergy.
Care to sense the responsibility
In making sense of it all!
Savvy Raj
All our insights and shares in understanding and the uncertainity, in clarity amidst the chaos, create the shape of things to come and therein is the reason to continue on the path of shaping ourselves by chiselling at a transformation towards transcendence. Savvy
as it beckons you to know your limitless potential.
Savvy Raj
Conversations in Oneness
To dance is to converse with your soul in oneness.
To dance is to acknowledge the living you in this moment
To dance is to move with your soul’s longings in this present now.
To dance is to feel the rhythm of your own beating heart.
To dance is dare to reach beyond the spaces visible.
To dance is to sense the magic as you touch the intangible …
To dance is to sense the preciousness of time.
As it glides with your movements sublime
In every move, the heart and mind is looped in joyousness
In every flight is the beauty of lightness …
To dance is to be connected to your being
In the contentment of life and living!
Savvy
I love to dance…
In every moment of my life….I relate to the fluidity of movements we make, to the rhythm of the words we write, to the harmony in the words we speak, to the synchrony of the breaths we take, to the connectedness in the flow of thoughts we have , to the strength in the similarity of one being to the other, to the heightened awareness of feelings and emotions to the consciousness of every deed and actions, to the mind and body connection we touch upon with a simple dance.
Dancing regularly has the power of release … from inhibitors like fear, seclusion, loneliness depressive states, mood swings, lack of confidence, social reservations and lack of communication. An hour of dancing regularly can bring a spring in the step and smile on one’s lips.
That said there are some parameters to take note of for enhanced benefits from dancing which need to be mentioned.
The dance and you:
Every individual is unique and it would be good to start learning gradually with an appropriate dance form suited to their innate nature and choice.
For example, there is no reason to push a beginner beyond their boundaries at they are introduced to certain dance movement without consent and choice. As the benefits of dancing can be seen when they love what they learn and dance what they love.
Take it easy and enjoy the journey!
Dance is not a war with oneself or another it is about being in harmony and at peace with the self so as to enjoy the dance.
The trainer the teacher you learn from always plays a much bigger role in making you love or hate what you learn.It is a huge responsibility as a teacher than to send out positive reflection appreciation and encouraging signals to communicate the power of dance and movement.
Although there are many wonderful teachers out there, try to work with someone chosen according to the goal plans you set for yourself as you begin to learn. That said …dedication discipline, attendance punctuality, appearance personal hygiene and faith and trust in your efforts are going to play a major role in the efforts from both sides.
Today as we celebrate the International Dance Day … I dedicate this post to the celebration of ‘Dance in and around us to the Dance and the Dancer in us all.’
Knowledge is one thing, understanding is quite another. Knowledge needs constant upgradation as it is never ever constant in the dimensions of time and space. The pathway to true wisdom is in acknowledgement of the possibilities of the new or the yet unknown.
Wisdom is in knowing beyond knowledge.
To think universally and act globally; to begin with and see the structure in chaos and relate to the rhythms in nature;
To follow along the infinite beginnings all leading to the same place — ‘Your true self’;
In a knowing that allows you to exercise free will to be who you are;
And that thoughts are but a tool for the thinking, that allows you to process the integration of the self and the entire cosmos.
Self and beyond —
Is there a distance and a difference?
If so, how far and of what?
Physical and social,
Mental and psychological
We may think immediately.
We may be set apart in time and space, yet we are so similar in vulnerabilities,
Persevering in hope and knowing the truth of mortality.
We breathe the same air, live in the same world.
We learn to see wisdom in change, in the interrelation, in the interdependence, in the interconnects.
So, in the wisdom of the wise, the wiser and the wisest
Is the understanding of the knowing behind the knowledge
To make sense beyond their meaning
And in the knowing, change begets wisdom
To accept from ordinary things can permeate untapped wisdom.
That the ‘ordinary’ possess nuggets of wisdom
In the knowing is the learning.
Then, there is no search, all is within —
The change, the changer, and the changing.
Change is inevitable, but you are the one in charge of how the change impacts you and how you respond to the changes.
makes me want to share my bit about the guest blogging experience.
Guest blogging now this was something I had seen instances of other people doing it. The reasons could be many from simply promoting your site to increasing traffic on the site. It is basically about publishing your work in another’s blog site. Your writing meets a new set of readers organically and you learn from the perspectives. My first guest blogging has brought me a few like-minded and varied writers upfront and that is wonderful as well.
There are many blog sites which offer guest bloggers posts, all you need to do is to send your work and if accepted you are on.
Just the experience of it all, to understand how it works, that is the reason I tried Guest blogging for the first time.
Here is my first guest blog on the ‘Circle of Life’ and the unending hope in humanity….
Have a go at it and if you wish to and do contact and connect with Sue Vincent’s blog https://scvincent.com/ Not only will you find her very warm and welcoming but also some amazing writers sharing their inspirations. And am pretty sure you will find many takers for your style of writing as well.
Where one senses the calm of compassion, ears listen to sounds of silence.
In the chaos that may reign around,
The way of the heart finds its home
And roots itself deep within the core of the being.
Where peace and love abide side by side,
Where everything that matters is let to be,
Where talking is less and listening is more,
Where strength is not measured by power alone,
Where kindness of heart is the true wealth of being
In these eternal truths, contentment reigns,
Always in realization of what is than what was or might be.
And every heart knows the way.
Such is the way of the heart!
Savvy
About the Author:
Ms Savvy Raj is a Member of the International Dance Council UNESCO the official world wide organization for all forms of dance. As a Dance Educator and Corporate Wellness Trainer she conducts workshop in Social Dances, Holistic Well Being as well as Personal Effectiveness. She is a certified adult trainer who uses the creative medium of dance towards bringing empathetic consciousness in her students. Using International Social dance forms and a variety of improvisational techniques as well as creative movement exercises she brings forth the human connect in it all. Working towards the development of an individual through dance applications and nurturing in the learners an enthusiasm to see and live life positively and empathetically.
Savvy is also certified Graphologist who pursues this as a hobby in her spare time along with a passion for writing, painting, poetry, drawing, sketching and designing.
Time heals wounds and brings on wisdom as the pain settles in course. This helps in most cases when there are no answers for questions that have no end. Life is easier when time moves on and one lets things to settle without raising a storm.
Healing happens in accommodation and acceptance, in the understanding of an issue at hand as much as in acknowledgement and acquisition of a cure and the options available.
Intention begins the healing…
Actions takes the course
Cultivation of patience continues the healing
Dedication to the action ultimately heals.
So try to take care of any deviation disturbance and fluctuation from the path.
Healing the world through the art of giving
Give that which you may feel you have a lack for. Give of yourself more. And you will find giving the true nature of being.
There is an abundance of love within for you to realise. You just have to acknowledge its presence in your life. It is always in and around you waiting to envelop you for your own preservation.
It is the mental makeup that needs clarity amidst the reigning chaos. All the storms all the obstacles will be surmountable in the realisation of your potential to give more of yourself to yourself and then extending that to the world at large. The energy of love you help create has immense value to our world. Every vibration matters in space and giving positively manifesting with love and resonates the peace and goodwill across the dimensions. Such is the healing power of giving.
And our world needs this most in every moment … Care to give?
“Art is a creative intention arising from deep rooted emotion that connects the inner and outer world and bridges the gaps in the conscious awareness.” Savvy Raj
What is life if not sensed with the tenderness of the heart?
What is life if not sacrificed at the altar of love?
What is life if not moved from the depth of the soul?
What is life if not loved beyond the shackles of time?
What is life if not consumed sublime by the arrow of the heart?
What is love if not coached into nature of life by the nurture of love?
What is life if not cleansed through tears of yearning?
What is love if not set aglow through the embers of passion?
What is life if not basked in the warmth of love?
What is life if not pining in the patience?
As love conquers you, it blesses you in the knowing.
Make not a mockery of love.
Serenade love and allow it to speak truth.
Love surfaces from the depth of emotions
To mend you and this world a better place.
True love is eternal,
Free as bird in flights of oblivion,
Travelling in the abandon
Of the wilderness of the spirit
Yet bonded in the boundless infinity.
Endless love is a gift of grace.
Acknowledge this treasure,
Blending two souls in one
As a life loved is well-lived. It is such a rare sight!
What a blessing it truly is… A love like that!
Realizing the many miracles of life is also in knowing a love that can move your soul. We can consider ourselves lucky to have been touched by a love like that!
An Inspiring yet charmingly unassuming coastal wonder
Magnetic aura of majestic matrumandir
An act of meditative deliberation
Of grace in effort and goodwill
Simple living deeper consciousness
A gathering of like-minded
Artists who can create unhindered
By material worries
Bridging gaps
Of Humanity consciousness
With no ownership rights
Of land and living
In the cycle of evolution
Equality and brotherhood
Free will and intention
Go hand in hand.
Giving back to society
In useful ways
Volunteering and supporting
For others and self
Mutually coexisting
A green habitat for future living
Peaceful life in peaceful means.
Creativity thrives in every realisation
of the eternal soul freedom
The need to unshackle the boundedness
Anf move beyond bane of belonging
Knowing energy abounds in conscious living
Moving towards infinite unity of the heart in purpose
Powered by practice in perseverance.
My trip to Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu could never be complete and fulfilling without receiving the gift of being in Auroville the universal town. And what’s mystical is that it leaves you with a sense of nonchalant wonder and awe of everything about it every time .And like the pleasure of a puzzle that begins to fit in bits and pieces, I sense the rapture of its plenitude in quietude as its silence and bustle both speaks to my heart.
The name Auroville is derived from Sri Aurobindo, or Arvind Ghosh, a revolutionary, visionary, philosopher and sage who is very well known in India and whose revolutionary endeavours against the British regime predate those of Gandhi.
Auroville is in Viluppuram district mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu, India with some parts in the Union Territory of Puducherry in South India. It is an experimental township in the making dedicated to the ideal of human unity based on the vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa and designed by architect Roger Anger.
Mirra Alfassa, known to her followers as’ The Mother’, was the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo. Her full name at birth was Blanche Rachel Mirra Alfassa. She came to Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual retreat on 29 March 1914 in Pondicherry, India.
The ideals of Auroville are beautiful. Here is the charter, as drafted by ‘The Mother:’
Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But, to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the divine consciousness.
Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.
Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual human unity.
The Dream of Divinity
Auroville is said to be a manifestation of the Mothers dream … of Divine Will of the Universal Consciousness.
Envisioning a dream of such magnitude is empowering humankind with purpose and direction. Actualizing a dream is a lifetime commitment on the path of conscious awakening.
To live and coexist without disturbing the sentiments of a mini congregation of the world in representation calls for fortitude from its citizens and its council.
In deep respect for The Mothers universal dream and the Aurovilleans collaborative endeavour and in the enterprise of creating a peaceful and integrated habitat for human unity.
Am grateful for the beautiful times spent here at Auroville ….and hoping to be back sooner than later.
Savvy Raj 
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