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 Cha Cha 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 more 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.
Blooming in my terrace garden… Roses have a beauty of their own Colours contrasting with the green leaves They blossom and capture hearts Arrestingly captivating To look at, enticingly fragrant So delicate and fragile But in all their vulnerability Their charm flows in abundance Always a sight to behold! Amazingly significant, For a life so short lived. Such is the wonder of life and living Amazing nature! Amazing beauty! Teaching us it is not the length of time we live , but in how best we can live the time we have!
Notice the good Sometimes the simple act of noticing something good can make all the difference… Trust there is always more Than what your eyes can see In the sensing and the knowing The yet undiscovered good manifests Right before you for you to notice.
We are but mirrors in reflection Across dimensions of space and time Such is the eternal truth of our being. We construct and deconstruct In our imagined cosmos The truth of our own existence.
We bounce and reflect our perspectives In and on to each other. We shine our brilliance. We mirror perceptions. We are vulnerable and yet volatile beings Beaming energies boundlessly. The task is to recognize the strength of our souls.
Mathews, a hotshot sales manager, on a Sunday evening, was in the parking lot of a shopping mall. The parking lot was packed. Cars were crawling with anxious drivers looking for that one vacant slot. Mathews, sharp and aggressive as he was known to be, spotted a vacant space ahead and quickly zoomed in. He could see another car trying to reverse into the same slot, but Mathews was determined to beat the other man to it. And he did! Mathews felt jubilant – as we all sometimes do with life’s little victories. The old man driving the car was disappointed. He looked Mathews in the eye and continued his search for another parking slot.
Two days later, Mathews was preparing for one of the biggest moments of his career. He was close to winning a big contract for his company. And all that was left now was the formal handshake meeting with the client’s CEO. As Mathews walked into the client’s office and saw the CEO, he felt a sudden sense of discomfort. Yes, it was the same man from whom he had snatched the parking slot on Sunday. And you can guess what happened thereafter. Alas! If only Mathews had grown up with the HTDO habit!
So whats HTDO?
It has probably happened to you before. As you walk towards the door of an office, or a hotel, the person walking in front holds the door open for you. Remember how good it made you feel – if only for that moment.
Isn’t it surprising that although we all feel good when someone holds the door open for us, we seldom do the same for other? How come?
It’s probably because we are all preoccupied with ourselves and obsessed with getting ahead. Here, then, is a life-changing lesson they don’t teach you in any B school – ‘Hold The Door Open’.
The world can be divided into two types of people. Those who push open a door, walk through and let it slam behind them. That’s the 99% of the population. And there’s the 1% who hold it open to allow the next person to walk through. Learn to do that, and you too could join the select 1% club. HTDO doesn’t merely make other people feel good. It makes you feel good too. HTDO translates into a behaviour of helping and caring.
Winning in life is less about naked ambition and more about helping other people win.
Someone once said, “It’s nice to be important. But it’s more important to be nice”
Make a beginning. Hold The Door Open.😊👍🏼
I loved reading this inspiring forward so much that I simply wanted to share.
If there is any of you who would like to share their stories of holding the door open pls feel free to do so.
Keep the Spring in your heart Then no Winters are too harsh Or Summers too hot to handle As Seasons change around you You sense it all from the hope of your heart. And hope springs forth eternally…
I see… A borderless world Overflowing abundance In the kindness of being. Beyond assumptions Notions & judgments In fear and confusion Over man made division. The beauty of creation Survives the human frailties.
The world without borders Is one of awe and intrigue Of all pervading consciousness. Of manifestations beyond compare Of artistry beyond words All strewn for us to sense In the tapestry of life.
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