With love from Athens Greece … 🙂 At the World Dance Research Congress Greece UNESCO as a representative member from India 🙂 An example of Unity in Diversity…. Approximately 400 conferees from 40 countries of the 5 continents.!
Today in India, so glad to write this, the dance community that represents India internationally has grown from strength to strength … yet ‘Spot me’ if you can … I was the only woman representative from India at that time.
An amalgamation of such an association and the resulting experiences leaves one enriched for a life time. The practice resulting thereof in pursuit of excellence becomes important. In the awareness of the possibilities in dance applications on the human psyche and form, the responsibility of making a positive difference in your purpose is strengthened.
Power to more such immersive and experiential collaborations in the art of dance movements across the world. 🙏
A dedication and fond wishes to my daughter on her Graduation Day!
Congratulations and many blessings!!!!👏 ❤️ 🙌
Today as I prepare to attend my daughters graduation ceremony in one of the prestigious institutions in France, serendipitous moments washes over me of the many memories of nurturing my child.
I present here, one of my older posts written when my daughter was a growing teenager… but still true in every word.
On Staying Happy In the Now….
As a mother of a growing teenager I have been witnessing a number of amazing experiences that only a mother and child are privy to and I hold each of these moments close to my heart. I watch as my child is evolving into a vivacious yet emotionally intelligent teen, bubbly,full of life yet practical and sensible with a heart and mind of her own.
Although my heart oft yearns for some of these wonderful moments to stay on forever, I know I have got to let it go, as time and tide waits for none. But each time I have this immense respect for this power of the infinite to carry on creating, and wonder where all this harnessing of energies is taking place. And to this divine form, which could possibly be creative feminism or the power of Shakti, the creator I humbly bow and hope that you bestow some of latent creative potential on all the beings around for them to evolve to the best of their beings .
Coming back to the silent amazement that I feel is the way in which a child is moving from a situation of pure bliss of ignorance on to the happy in the here and now state of existence and later on moves on to a state of awareness of the world with all its actions and consequences.
Gradually the child starts searching a meaning to this life and its relation to the world at large.
More than everything else I watch as the curiosity leads to discoveries and at times frustrations to accomplishments.
I, as a parent can try to necessitate an awareness in my child to be holistic in her thinking process. For instance, from a very young age, if reading and writing are made an enjoyable habit, it definitely hones & helps balance thoughts, as one learns to be aware as well as acknowledge the sequence of changes bound to happen…
After all change is inevitable and the natural order of growth . It enables one to have a beginning, middle and an end to a thought or action and thus helps you learn to be present in the moment and also let it go. This makes you less prone to being a victim of situations & circumstances of life.
Happy in the here and now is a wonderful habit to cultivate for all of us; however it is equally necessary to have a focus in life and necessitate actions towards that goal and evolve further. This adds meaning in to life and life begets the ultimate satisfaction of having lived consciously.
Loving every moment of life and learning to be aware and conscious of each moment as it passes by is a fact ,which also can be so easily learned watching your own child grow…
Thank you dear child as you teach me the lessons of life and living fine.
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 experienced in my travels earlier in France.
A sense of deja vu, a throwback to the fond memories of teaching dances to people in the different places, all thanks to the Dance & the magic of movements.
While visiting France I met my colleague from the world of dance, Celine Maheo who resides in Rennes 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 very similar dance sessions as well, especially remembered our Seniors 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.
To dance is to sense connections beyond the dancing bodies.
To dance is to honour life and its unique expressions in the movements.
Savvy Raj
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.
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 the few months I was there.
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, in those sessions is a beautiful memory etched in my heart, that I will cherish forever.
I chanced on these beautiful moments again as I found the photos I clicked back then and I decided to give them a little artistic effect.
All across the world April 29th every year is celebrated as International Dance Day, although every day is a great day to dance!
I dedicate this post to all my dance friends and colleagues and all the dance educators in the world who are making the world a better place, with every step in time.
Universal Oneness is an awareness In reflections of the truth of the being Interweaved and interconnected in every life . Strength shines through the vulnerabilities. As a power in the very fragility Touched by divine grace Enmeshed in the senses Fired in the cauldron of life and living Comes a consciousness of the flow In and around us Beyond the illusion of separation. Is the dance of connection.
PTSD: Conquering The Invisible: – A Holistic Approach to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder –
Exactly six years ago, I was approached by my friend now, Maria Teresa to write a chapter and contribute to her book from the perspective of healing through the art of movements.
Privileged to have contributed my bit to this book on PTSD and how Dance can play a vital role in reducing the symptoms of the same . Available on Amazon now at http://tinyurl.com/qbcvqjs
True learning happens when we realize we are the teacher and we are the student. And life teaches the greatest lessons without anyone uttering a word or at times in just the sheer presence of a good soul .
Likewise as we dance from our heart without a spoken word and open ourselves to realization and acceptance of new possibilities… true dancing happens!
Savvy Raj 
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