Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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Dawn paints the day

An interesting  dawn

I woke up earlier than dawn today.

And positioned myself in my favorite space

To watch the glorious dawn

Before I could realise

A bright orange ball 

Just popped up over the horizon…

It was as if the sun was in a hurry

To awaken the world & light  the day.

As I just began to ease into the brilliance …

I saw the corner of the sun

Disappearing  into the blanket of clouds

Looming large, to dull the senses once more…

The light is hidden now

From plain sight.

Do know the sun is up 

There may be a lull in the now

But darkness is a passing cloud

Think of it, as moments to pause 

In patience for light is on the other side

Awaiting its turn to light up your day.

And yes, before I could pen these words here…

The light of dawn paints the day.

Savvy


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Twilight

Twilight expresses the moment of change
In the most gentle of ways.
Change that allows
Change that accepts
Change that acknowledges…
that transition takes time.
It also holds moments of awe and wonder.

Yet change is rarely felt this way…
For change can be the difference
Between the dark and light
Of the night and day.


Humans are hardwired
To fear change in doubt and  uncertainty
But change is the only constant.

However… humans are also wired in hope
To trust transitions of change is hopefulness
And hope is here to stay.

Savvy


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Bridge on the river of time 

On Awareness

Between what was understood and what we understand, and what we are yet to understand, is the bridge of awareness in time.


Our shifting perspectives are  simply signs of  changes as we continue to flow in the river of time.

Savvy Raj


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On Blooming 

Our thoughts need space to grow

Sitting in silence

Sensing stillness

Witnessing the dance within.

As the thoughts settle

From chaos to calm

Give time to your thoughts

Countless thoughts birth itself

Some that makes you smile

Some that carry other emotions

Your thoughts have a reason to be

Let them come and go 

Like nature evolves in time

Thoughts have a life time too.

Think well… Life blooms.

On blooming  

Cultivate in your children a thinking mind

Guide them to steer it to a thoughtful mind

Cultivate  in your children a grateful heart

Guide them to deeds of goodwill.

Their development begins with you 

But remember the bud that blossoms to a flower

Support their journey that unfolds itself …

As every flower unfurls in its own time

Trust life to bloom.

Savvy


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Hopefulness


Calm eyes and ears

Resting and recovering

From relentless chaos

Blowing in the wind…

Seeing only a trickle of light

And sound from nature in harmony.

To energize in hope once more.

Savvy

Sharing my visual verse… inspired  by the photo.

Image Credit to the unknown photographer


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Retrouvaille

Meeting an old friend
A kindered spirit
Or a loved one …

The joy of uniting
After being afar 
Speaks of interconnections…
Where time and space
Evaporates without a trace
In the moments together.

Its often said
Absence makes the heart
Grow fonder…
So is it the distance
That makes reunion sweeter?
Gibran wisely said…
Let there be spaces
In your togetherness

So whatever the relationship
With another or with the self ,  the very act of reconnecting  with an old hobby, that you  were once passionate about,  makes it truly memorable.
For what is truly meaningful, is never lost … it’s simply awaiting a return.

Savvy

PS: The word Retourvaille (often spelled Retrouvailles in French) is a beautiful, untranslatable French word that perfectly captures a specific, deeply felt human experience.
Literally translated, it means “rediscovery” or “the finding of something again.”


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On Wings Of Grace

As you choose to fly free

As you brave new winds

As you discover new horizons

Always remember who has your back.

The bonds of love are there for a reason…

To be nurtured and cherished by its sheer presence

For to be lovingly supported is a blessing of grace. 

Savvy


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Art lives on…

An artist leaves much more
than creativity in the artwork.

There is a voice in every frame,
speaking deeply if you care to listen.

That voice carries the artist’s choices
of color and composition,
of style and strokes,
of moods and feelings
breathed into the birth of art.

The artist speaks through the work.
The energy of the artist is embedded
in words, in lines, in shapes and forms.

When a piece feels complete,
the artist releases it to the world.
And yet, the energy lives on,
transforming itself through time
and the spaces it inhabits.

Art is transformed again
in translation and interpretation,
reshaped by those who encounter it.

As creators, whether of images or words,
our work continues to live,
each viewer or reader sensing its energy uniquely.
And so it flows…
transforming itself in time.

Savvy Raj


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On Dancing Ten Dances

 

I wrote this piece earlier but it was in my drafts as I missed posting it. Better late than never they say and I hope the movie is still streaming on Netflix.

As a lover of dance and as  a ballroom and latin dance educator for two decades and more,  I have always been delighted to watch any good dance related movies, especially those  centered on partner dancing. Having enjoyed wonderful movies like’ Shall we dance’ and ‘Dance with me’ and so many more, I  eagerly await such rare kind of movies. As the love of movements runs in my blood and passion for dance in my spirit and soul. 

They are truly far and few good movies  in this genre. So in these holiday times while  exploring Netflix , I stumbled upon 10 dances as a movie to watch and immediately set a reminder for it .

The film depicts all the Ten dances that are danced in the Ballroom & Latin dancing repertoire. I have been teaching them socially over the years. So from the first poetic sequence I was hooked.

Though the movie is set in the backdrop of the world dance competitions, at its heart is  partner dancing which is my favorite of dancing forms.  It captures, the sheer joy and thrill of dancing with another, matching move to move… I loved the beginning of the movie, the introduction to the dances and also the way it brought out  the distinctive difference in both styles.

The movie at its core is based on competitiveness and the complexity of human emotions. The entanglement of love & rivalry  in personal relationships & most of all the importance trust in and between one another. Though at times  I did feel the narrative steered too much into their personal stories, that I felt it diluted the dance essence.

Yet the movie also revealed the truth of how much adaptability is the key and how challenging, it can be for different personalities who are dancing together, be it as a learner or a teacher and how difficult it is to unlearn to learn…

Someone trained in structured forms finds it so challenging to let go and dance from the heart. Whereas someone who dances with all their heart may feel stifled by excessive  structures.

Over all, it was compelling to watch the changing dynamics portrayed at times, so very poetically in a dance movie to say the least. Do watch if you love dancing and especially so the magic of partner dancing.

Savvy Raj


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Umbrella of Grace

Magnanimous grace

Of the divine infinite,

Blessings flow in its presence.

In this ocean of abundance,

Stay still in the tremors.

Keep the faith

In every moment..

Let go of fear & worry.

Know you have the universe

Within, with & around you.

Savvy


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The Art Of Noticing

In every now

There is so much to note

Notice the bigger picture

The grand plan of nature.

Notice the sky

Holding the sun & the clouds,

The moon & the stars.

Notice the transitions

The fleeting nature

The pain & pleasures of life

Appear and disappear.

Notice the expansive infinite

Widening in your thoughts

Notice your breath dance,

Finding its rhythms.

Notice how the movements

And the stillness therein,

Are all part of the dance.

Savvy  Raj


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Living Meaningfully

The challenge…

Often relationships are exacting,

at times to the point of saturation.

The heart & mind battle

in contemplations of  resolutions.

The space…

For your own well being,

create a meaningful space around you.

The renewal…

Fill it with all that you want,

be it a hobby or passion.

Let it be something, that gives emotional comfort. 

And watch it awaken your inspiration.

Savvy

In reflection, here are three questions, for you.

In the battle of the heart & mind which one do you usually  tend to listen first?

When the outside world feels just a little too heavy, what gives you emotional comfort?

If you could carve an hour out of your week just for yourself, what passion would you fill it with?


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The Gift Of Change

Here I share one of my own paintings and a personal  favorite fron my collection.
Savvy Raj

In the vortex of life

arrives the gift of changes;

the breaking of the bubbles,

Of long held beliefs,

Of false ego and resistance

Of fear that limits.

Like the wind that’s too fierce  to contain…

Cleaning the cobwebs of confusion.

And life transforms for the better.

Savvy Raj


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All in time

Every thought has its own flow
Every word finds its own space
Every space has its own synchrony
Every sound its own frequency
Every element, its own energy
Lets enjoy the space between the steps.
And acknowledge the  harmony in the synergy…

All in time.

Savvy


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What kind of reader are you ?

Are you the kind who travels back in time,
Rereading pages you’ve already turned?
Sensing memories and vivid imagery
Reflected in the lines.


Do you leave a bookmark behind,
Making your presence felt and remembered?


Or are you the kind who reads on the go,
Welcoming whatever comes your way?
The kind who leaves yesterday in its place,
Eager to explore new horizons…
Aspiring to look ahead, to move forward,
And experience so much more of life.

Sometimes we turn back the pages to honor the words that shaped us.

And sometimes we choose to look forward at the horizon ahead…

Whatever the way, simply know,

We have within us,the words and this now.

Reading is a mirror to living.

Savvy