Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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On Wholeness

A share from ISHA UPANISHAD

The Shanti Mantra :

Om purnamadah purnamidam purnat purnamudacyate | purnasya purnamadaya purnamevavashishyate || Om Shantih Shantih Shantih hi||

This is One of the greatest gift to the humanity.

The concept of Zero comes from this very Shanti Mantra.

In linear mathematics, we will always find that when something is taken out from something, that something from which things are taken out lacks.

If we take some furniture out from a room then that room is minus those furniture.

That means this room is not what it had before.

This is a linear thinking.

But here the Rishis gave us a completely different outlook towards life.

The spherical thinking is :

That is full. And this is also full.

This fullness has come from that fullness. And in spite of this fullness having come from that fullness, that still remains full.

A mother gives birth to a baby.

A baby is also complete. The mother is also complete.

Just because the baby is born, the mother is not lacking something. In fact, it has added to her glory.

The concept of Zero, without which nothing could have happened in this planet.

No computer technology, no science could have progressed.

That has (its) origin here in this very Shanti Mantra.

From the fullness, comes out the fullness, and still the fullness remains fullness.

We can go on analyzing this very Shanti Mantra on various levels:

Spiritual level, Material level, level of Mathematics, level of Physics etc.

It is pregnant with huge information.

When we share our Peace with others, our peace will not be lost.

When we share our Knowledge with others, we won’t lose the knowledge.

It remains complete inside us.

Similarly, this Universe, in fact it is multi-verse, enormously huge, is dynamic. Many things are being born here everyday and dissolving back into it everyday.

Still both the manifest is complete and the unmanifest is also complete.

The Rishis say Shanti Shanti Shanti – three times.

When our environment is disturbed, we cannot sit there and think about or contemplate on Knowledge.

When the Knowledge is to flow and transfer, the environment needs to be Congenial.

Our body-mind complex needs to be fit on the third level, the level of the Self, the Being and Inner Peace. Hence Shanti-Peace is emphasised.

A Peaceful mind can probe into something beyond, can grasp that something which cannot be grasped by the little mind.

The intellect cannot access to things which our spirit can get access to.

And for that the wholeness is essential.

On Humanity

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Flames afire

Sharing a beautiful message with you…

A man, who regularly attended family & group meetings suddenly, without any notice, stopped participating.
After a few weeks, one very cold night the leader of that group decided to visit him.

He found the man at home, alone, sitting in front of a fireplace where a bright fire burned.

The man welcomed the leader. There was great calm & silence.

The two men only watched the dancing flames around the logs that crackled in the fireplace.

After a few minutes the leader, without saying a word, examined the logs that formed the fire and selected one of them, glowing most brightly of all, and removed it to the side with a pair of tongs. Then he sat down again.

The host was paying attention to everything, fascinated. Before long, the lone log’s flame subsided, until there was only a momentary glow and the fire soon went out.
In a short time what was previously bright light and heat had become nothing more than a black dead piece of wood.
Very few words had been spoken since the greeting.

Before preparing to leave, the leader picked up the useless piece of wood with the tongs and placed it again in the middle of the fire. Immediately, the piece of wood was rekindled, fuelled by the light and heat of the burning logs around it.

When the leader was about to leave & had reached the door, the host said: ‘Thank you for your visit and for your beautiful lesson. I’ll return to the group soon.’

Why is a group important in our lives ?

Very simple:
Because each member that withdraws takes fire and heat from the rest.

It’s worth reminding group members that they are a part of the flame.

It’s also good to remind us that we are all responsible for keeping each other’s flame burning.
And we must promote the union among us so that the fire is really strong, effective and lasting. Keep the fire burning.

THE GROUP IS ALSO A FAMILY
It doesn’t matter if sometimes we are bothered by so many messages, quarrels and misunderstandings.

What matters is to be connected. We are here to meet, message, learn, exchange ideas or simply to know that we are not alone

Let’s keep the flame alive.

Life is beautiful with friends and family.

😀🙏😀🙏😀🙏😀🙏


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A Stream of Abundance

Gratitude creates a steady stream of abundance into your life.

When you offer thanks for the many wonderful things that come into your life,

You merge with the limitless power of the cosmos…


GRATITUDE is a GREAT ATTITUDE to have!


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One heartfelt move

Power of one candle to light the darkness

Power of one tree to give shade

Power in one smile to change the mood

Power of one hand to feed the hungry

Power of one kind word to change hearts

Power of one heart to ignite hope in the world

Power of one touch to lift the soul

Just one heartfelt move… makes all the difference!


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On Kindness

If only we could realize how valuable it is to be appreciated and supported .

If we could only know how important it is to feel inclusive in our diverse ways.

We must understand that love and kindness is the only way besides adopting a non-judgmental approach.

We must realise how vulnerable life is, but beyond feeling victimized and create further suffering due to negative thoughts

We need to respond with empathy, show unity through kindness and compassionate deeds.

The power of kindness is truly infinite.
KINDNESS IS THE PRAYER IN ACTION.

Savvy


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A Dedication To Dance

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.

Savvy Raj


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Attitude of Appreciation

True Appreciation nurtures

The nature of the individual.

Care to nurture an attitude

Of true appreciation and share

Whenever and wherever you deem fit.

It doesn’t hurt to appreciate in authenticity

You might be surprised by melting walls.

And at work how teams bond along the way.

Savvy


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Flow through life

‘Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children‘ Kahlil Gibran

A life well lived

Includes experiences

That makes us who we are.

We are not set in stone

Or cast in iron that cannot mould

Our emotional being cannot be suppressed

We are life living breathing and exploring possibilities.

Our infinite ways of expressions is unique to our being

We surf the tides of changes and flow

And we learn as we go.

Savvy


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On Education

The Degrees that we acquire

Are but an endorsement of our skillsets

But degrees do not define our nature.

No matter the set expectations.

Our behavior day in & out,

Is a testimony to our true education

No amount of degrees can guarantee our behaviour.

Our ways of being and our attitude towards others speaks a lot more…

Of how we apply our education in our lives.

Savvy


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On Receptiveness

Allow the self some food for thought

Acknowlege that there is something more

To understand learn and explore

Allow space for growth

To evolve in the journey

There is much knowledge gained this way

And much to discover more along the way.

Savvy


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Gratitude

Gratitude :Savvy Raj

Savvy


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Art of Speaking

There is more to speaking than what we simply hear.

And the power of positive speech cannot be underestimated.

Speak as you would like to be spoken to

Speak clearly with confidence & certainty

Speak to convey the message than try to control.

Speak using positively affirming words.

Speak politely and avoid sarcasm.

Speak with empathy and avoid criticism.

While speaking  to children…

A child hears and understands the tone of your voice well.

Keep it balanced as far as possible

Use it well to convey the messsge without yelling.

And most of all

Speak with words that appreciate than admonish.

It makes all the difference.

Savvy


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Real Joy!

If ever you feel the need to be uplifted

Simply bring yourself 

To look around  and within

To consider all the things

That gives you real joy!

There is so much more to living

Even the ordinary day

Can turn extraordinary

If you choose to see it so.

Savvy

D


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On Expectations

Our expectations are our internal picture of what we anticipate will happen in future. When our expectations are met we are happy but when not, they set us up for disappointments.

Setting the expectations and giving clarity can be effective in a professional environment. Yet when we do not communicate it or when we set unrealistic expectations it can lead to anxiety frustration & loss of trust.

A few traits to develop that help in handling our expectations better.

Communication : Acing our internal and external communication establishes an understanding of the expectations.

Adaptability : An art of change management. In being adaptable to a new and different reality we learn to manage our expectations.

Kindness & compassion : Both help us hone our attitudes. The way we feel and emote during a challenging moment helps us manage and alter the situation.

Patience : A virtue that helps us to not be too exacting on ourselves and others.

Equanimity : Being non judgmental helps in being less edgy and more balanced in our expectations.

After all…

Less you expect
Less  you worry
Less you stress
More is the faith
More the love
More life

Savvy