Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!

Category Archives: Travel


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On Learning Spaces

My reflections after a chance visit to Swadhaa A Waldorf School in Pune.
In my spare time as a hobby, I enjoy visiting offbeat places and interacting with people from all walks of life to broaden my perspectives. To envision the world through the eyes of another is always an insightful experience.
When I visited Auroville in Pondicherry last year amongst the many inspirational insights I came across a bit about how Waldorf Schools started by Rudolf Steiner who was inspired by Sir Aurobindo, stands for holistic education that speaks to the soul and strives for human goodwill and integrity and instilling a sense of creativity and wonder through its unconventional schooling methods.
Besides that, I also had come across words of praise for her schooling and education received from the well-known actress Jennifer Anniston an alumnus of a Waldorf School herself.

Jennifer Aniston, Actress, former Waldorf student:

“I was always fascinated by acting, but my experience at Rudolf Steiner [school] encouraged me to pursue it as a career.” “Steiner was a free-spirited school that encouraged creativity and individualism.”

As a dance educator myself I have always felt schooling at conventional schools can be rather stifling for it focuses more on procedure and protocol than allowing freedom to explore. The root of our individuality and personal expression is often stubbed in the process of conforming to the norms and practices unless it is balanced out when there is a gateway to open communication and positive support on the homefront.

Recently having shifted my residence in Pune City and in my foray into understanding what my area had on offer as a creative educator myself, I came across. SWADHA Learning Centre. My interest was piqued that it was based on the principles of a Waldorf school.
I decided to experience the place on my own. Luckily for me the day I visited the school it turned out to be their Annual Day and there were elaborate festivities planned out for the entire day by the school for one and all.

There were workshops galore… I attended a few out of curiosity and came away heartened by the immense enthusiasm and support from the parents and children alike for this schools annual activity. I took my time to interact with some of the parents.

What I was immediately drawn to was the amount of openness that was there reflected in so many ways from children who were learning life skills experientially to how parents were so beautifully integrated into the educational activities of the children.

The pictures speak for themselves I must say!
In an era of grades and marks that decides destinies of children as future adults,
the learning concepts observed here come as a breath of fresh air. Like the lack of grading systems and adding only an individual assessment by the educator annually to ensure that each child is addressed and understood for their unique potential. And the breakdown of hierarchy which makes everyone an involved collaborator working towards positive transformations. And I believe they also help and guide a child gradually, who wants to integrate into conventional schooling system if they wish or need to for whatever reasons. The question is would we want to?
Perhaps the varied schools under the Waldorf umbrella are as unique as the people collectively managing them, but the fact remains that there is a happier learning space we can co-create for our future children if we have the willingness to come together and contribute our time and resources.

” A space that’s open yet bounded with a focus can be conducive to learning as when the process of exploration begins it is helped by a structured approach. But while boundaries may be reminding of a journey having a destination, it is the openness that reflects the never-ending source of creative possibilities.”

Savvy

An excerpt from my reflections on Learning spaces…. (read more )

https://savvyraj.com/2016/10/03/learning-spaces-2/


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Circle of thoughts 14

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With care and consideration

Sometimes like coaxing a unwilling mule

Thoughts can be harnessed

For each has great potential…

Savvy

This above digital artwork Titled ‘Circles of thoughts,14 is a creative interpretation of encircling thoughts, The verses that follow is the 14thpart of my series of micropoems on interconnecting thoughts.

Savvy

To be contd …

Related links to read more…

/https://savvyraj.com/circles-of-thoughts/1

/https://savvyraj.com/circle-of-thoughts-2/

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/03/circle-of-thoughts-3

/https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/06/circle-of-thoughts-4/

/https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/08/circle-of-thoughts-6/

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/08/circle-of-thoughts-7/

http://wp.me/p6a0yZ-1hZ

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/17/circle-of-thoughts-8

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/18/circle-of-thoughts-9

https://savvyraj.com/2017/07/01/circle-of-thoughts-10

#Micropoetry #PhotoFusion #Metaphysics

Artwork by Savvy Raj


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Power of Possibilities

 

Explore the Immense Power of Possibilities!

At times we find our road has got rough

Many times we give up when the going gets tough

At such times if we muster the strength to persevere

The very perseverance leads us to new paths

Paths we may have never accessed in the fear of trying.

To try to forge ahead in spite of hopelessness

To try to discover the power of possibilities

To try to seek the connecting dots that may have faded in time

To try to find new pathways in the making

Such is the power of life in the living.

There is always a way

To make it happen

Often enshrouded in

All we need is to see beyond the looking

Envision the potential that rests within

Trust the options we have at hand,

And lo and behold!

There is so much more than what we thought was possible.

Come let us dare to explore the power of the possibilities!

 

Savvy


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Strings of love

 Sharing this  beautiful story that touched a chord in me. 

Mother  is  flying  a  kite. 

Her son is watching her carefully. 
After some time son says “mom. 

Because of the string the kite is not able to go any further higher.
“Hearing this, the mother smiles and breaks the string. 

 The kite goes higher and then shortly after that,  it  comes and falls on the ground. The child is very dejected and sad.

The mother sits next to him and calmly explains: 

“Son, in life we reach a certain level and then we feel that there are certain things that are not letting us grow any further like Home, Family, Friends, Culture etc. 
We feel we want to be  free from those strings which we believe are stopping us from going higher. 
But, remember son.”That our home , family, friends and culture are the things that will help us stay stable at the high heights . 
If we try to break away from those strings our condition will be similar to the kite.”we’ll fall down soon..
*Moral:*

*”Never try to cut  away  from Home  Culture,  Family, Friends  and  Relationships as they help keep us stable while we are flying high…”*
      *Life is Beautiful*

      *Stay connected*

So much truth in these lines 

 

 The bonds of love are there for a reason 

To be nurtured and cherished by its sheer presence .

As to be lovingly supported  is a blessing of grace!

Savvy 


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Life and Living 

The Circle of life

Plays on its game of being

Yin and yang hides and seeks

In perfect harmony

In perfect synchrony

In perfect balance.

Flowing with life and living 


Yet as every being is endowed

A nature all its own

In a bid to discover the self

Man explores spaces and beyond

At times creates sometimes destroys

The very meaning of life itself

Yet manages to mark his time

Leaving soulprints in the sands of time.


Crossing many lunar and solar cycles

Having felt the extremes of nature

Of people and places.

Comes a call from within,to choose balance

And acknowledge the need to arrive

At an equilibrium of sorts

In life and living.


Having  taken the world for granted

Both internal and external

Then wisened by experiences

With self and beyond

Man desire for balance is awakened

And resurrected in the passage

Of the night and day

Of life and living.


To live and learn

To sense and share

To dream and dare

To act and respond

To transform and transcend 

Such is the nature of life and living …


Savvy 

 


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Travel Trails 

The Mystique of the Middle East

The mystique and majesty of Abu Dhabi is well enshrined in the beautiful exquisite and holy mosque Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Al Mushrif, a district in Abu Dhabi the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, and is considered to be the key site for worship in the country. The design of the mosque was done by a Syrian architect named Yousef Abdelky.

Breathtaking architechture combined with amazing royal  blue lighting from the ornate  chandliers in the evening hours  gives out the feeling of heady opulence and extravagance  throughout the beautiful structure  as much as the keen sense of subtlety of approach in maintaining uniformity of designs and colour.

It is amazing to see the well maintained courtyard  with  exquiste inlay work  and the  beautiful waterbody along the pathway.



The magnificent splendour of intricate carvings  the majestic coloumns resplendent with  matching motifs  continues in the gigantic green carpet splayed across the entire inner sanctum.

A visual treat no doubt but the sense of symmetry is almost meditative.. Walking along through the gilded coloumns corridors is a beautiful and zen like experience in itself.

The magnanimity of  the silence space is almost alluring as much as the effects of the beautiful lighting  throughout the interiors as much as the exteriors of the mosque .

What distinguishes  these motifs of Islamic architecture are the use of coloumns, piers and arches organized and interwoven with alternating sequences and use of fractal patterns and repetitive radiating structures.
Standing there at dusk witnessing the beautiful moonlit sky and our dancing reflections in the azure blue waters of the pool of water in this  magnanimous shrine one could  feel totally inspired in even simply visiting it once for this mosque is certainly a masterpiece of Islamic architechture. 

Much gratitude to my dear brother in law and family in Dubai who  offered to drive us from Dubai to visit to this grand mosque.  Certainly a trip to Abu Dhabi would be incomplete without visiting this beautiful Shrine! 

Every shrine is filled with a vibration that is unique to the place be it a mosque synagogue a church or a temple … for the  convergence of  countless positive intentions energizes the space filling us with a deep sense of peace and serenity.

Savvy Raj


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On being human.

What does it take to be human? 

A sensing of emotions 

A feeling for life and living 

A caring from the heart 

A knowing of pain as much as the pleasure 

A being in love with life 

A sharing that touches the soul.

A connecting with the living you!

Savvy 

 


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On Self Expression

Express to sense 

Express to let go 

Express to heal 

Express to feel 

Express to move

Express to balance 

Express to live 

For expression is to share 

The gifts of being alive to life.

Express in this now!

Because you can.

Savvy 


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Modern Marvels 1

Ingenuity of man is fascinating indeed But when coupled with the passion  it leaves quite an imprint ….

 Here’s a testament of a love story  finding a fixture  in reality .

Have you heard of the STATUES OF LOVE

Located in Batumi, Georgia, the statue of lovers begin to move every night at 7 p.m.And the two figures represent a Muslim boy, Ali, and a Georgian princess, Nino, from a famous 1937 novel  by Azerbaijani author Kurban Said. The tragic story ends with the lovers separated by the invasion of Soviet Russia. This powerful love story has been translated into more than 30 languages.

“Man and Woman” is a 8 meter (26 foot) tall moving steel sculpture by Georgian sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze.



Video link  Watch this

Sharing my verses in  appreciation of the  visions of beauty created by human collaborations in creativity…

An artist’s vision…


An  engineering  of marvel.

Of outstanding technicality.

Ingenuity of man interweaving emotions 

Interspersing with creativity.

Painstaking perfection.

Magnanimous task 

Cultivating  in collaboration

Perseverance and patience 

With teamwork and technicality.

Stupendous effort.

A sight to behold!

Imploring you to feast  your eyes on a visual treat! 

Savvy Raj



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The Call of the Dunes.

Desert Trails :

 

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The call of the dunes.

The desert has a way  with you.

Just sun and sand across and around you.

As much as your eyes can see in the yonder

The red tinged sands bears the patterns of movement.

Of many who walked in there in sheer amazement.

Of the eerie silence of nothingness around

Except the tunes, that the howling winds may sound.

 

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The charm of the desert  springs on at night

At the camp with carpets spread out

Surrounded by the bedouins tents

And a sheesha to indulge if you wish

Traditional Arabic hospitality peeks

And the swaying hips of the belly dancer speaks

Flowing and swivelling like the swirls on  the dunes

Mesmerizing you in the alluring moves to the mystical tunes.

Bring it on you may yourself  say…

You must at least for once pass this way!

Savvy

 


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Travel Trails

 

Musings on the Middle East:  Part 2


The Meet and Greets: 

While this trip to the Middle east, was a great getaway of sorts, between the work and pleasure,  it undoubtedly became a fodder for thought and much reflections in those moments of  chanced and planned connects  with some amazing people living there. And some of them  I met for the first time and bonded so instantly as if I knew them forever  and a few  who I knew for decades but didnt get to meet and connect earlier.

There were many more on my list of people who I wanted to meet but have left that for my next trip sooner than later.

Connects of empathy:

Meeting another human being for the first time is an enigmatic phenomenon. In todays age of technology although you may try to connect in so many ways online. Real time meet and greets hold their own a bag of surprises and treats in tow.
One such meet was planned … by me and  my dear warm hearted friend from online. Fatima.An eloquent writer with a heart of gold and a keenly developed insight of people and their resources who draws much strength in  positive reflections and most importantly a kind and brave heart following her dreams.

The  heartfelt connects established in moments of our first meeting was clearly visible. She treated me to an amazing  authentic Arabic  dinner that evening  and while catching up on our lives,  in between us was a complete ease of being which we both mutually sensed in the lovely ease of conversation and strength of connection in the little time we had that day. Her warm hospitality and generosity touched me and I truly  look forward to meeting her again sooner than later and wish her the best always from my heart.

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Then there was this local Arab woman dressed in the traditional Abhaya worn with the hijab and those alluring kohl rimmed eyes with whom I shared a lengthy conversation of their culture and learned much but who moved me in the  simplicity of her  words and in sharing her heart’s deepest desires for freedom of movement and  her eagerness in learning to dance…
Another  wonderful woman with whom my daughter and I shared a great rapport albeit in just a few minutes of conversation was a travel guide who invited us to her home in Abu Dhabi. We got talking about so many things in such a short span of time. We bonded without reservations.
There are many more truly endearing people I met and connected some who I managed to catch up with on phone …but simply put perhaps it is just my way of seeing but I found many friendly people from across the world living there making a living thriving in the tolerance and interconnects  that makes up  much of Dubai’s culture in recent times.

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And yes of course my visit to the traditional city  of Sharjah had its own share of charm . As the people I met there were my  very dear  friends  connecting after so long … yet the heartconnects were entrenched so deep that it felt home to me .

 

A short driving across the city  will lead you through the Corniche  where you can  stay on  to watch the beautiful Arabian Sunset  and may be drive further on to Al Ain as well.

 

Will not forget the trips to the Gold and Spice Souks and most of all the Creek and the dhow cruise on the creek one pleasant evening….

 


Foodwise :

Being a vegetarian I thought my choices would be limited to pizzas and pastas  and of course my saviour’ Subway’ besides the Indian food . But I was pleasantly surprised to find my flavour in Arabic food. Suffice to say the sumptous starters of the Arab cusine  and their  spiced tea was perfectly suited to my vegetarian and satvic senibilities. And I must thank my  dear friends, relatives and hosts who took so much care and put so much consideration while ordering  that I  will hold very fond memories of dining out in this delightful trip.

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Thanks to my amazing hosts I tried many dishes some  which were known  like the falafel and some  new to me…tabbouleh and  the zatar  and lentil soup 

were just divine. Midly aromatic and 

full of flavour  and bursting  with greens 

and a dash of lime . Awesome indeed!.

A city may be made of concrete

But homes are built with hearts

And life thrives in these homes.

Savvy

Precious time spent there…

About me: 

 

Wellness Mentor, Dance Educator & Writer, Motivational Speaker, Freelance Designer

‘Creativity stems from the acceptance of your authentic self. It is a never-ending journey of endless possibilities that is much beyond the pursuit of a hobby or craft and can be a habit of a lifetime. So besides being a Dance educator being a writer and a designer, creating art and writing poetry gives me immense satisfaction with the infinite ways of expressing myself as I believe in enjoying the journey as much as the destination.’

Travel Trails : From At the Top






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Strength of Subtlety

All matter is energy 

And we are unique speckles of vibrations.

All resonating in the universality of life and living.
Trust you matter, more than you know 

Believe you can and are making a difference 

As you connect deeply in the universal flow 

Tune in to reflect the truth of your being.

 

Every word every deed 

Every step every move 

Impacts the larger whole 

Just as much as the world  around affects you.

So start with who and what is around you 

Sense your intuitive self talking to you 

Telling much in all its subtlety.
Trust it for it is abound

With the strength of the subtle energies.

Resonate joy, abundance, balance

Resonate love ,harmony and peace

 For you have the power to transform your world
Savvy 

 

 


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 Lessons From Nature


Lessons from Nature…

The sand on the beach implores you to walk slow…

To watch the waves as the cool breeze blows.

To move with ease,  sensing the strength at bay

To see the precious gifts  nature has strewn across your way.

Savvy

 


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Travel Trails: Musings from ‘At the Top’.

Meandering the Middle East : Part I



Dubai : The modern marvel

Musings from ‘At the Top ‘

Constructed on these once very red dunes

A spectacle for the world to see

Is  the height of pinnacle of man’s quest

For higher greater and further…

In the heart of Modern Arabia

Stands the Burj Khalifa a marvel of man.

And as I stand on top of it this evening

In awe and wonder I am drawn

More to admiring the ingenuity

Of men who made it stand and shine.

Behind the glamour of its sparkling glass & lights

And the elegant sheen of its metallic constructs

For me what stood out was that

It stands strong in spite of its ridiculous heights

A labour of co-creation in collaboration

As the sweat and brains of many nations

Whose ingenuity built this structure

A majestic piece of human engineering …

The worlds tallest building.

At the top with its panoramic view…

Across  the sunsets  and the curving  horizon

That blurs into oblivion.

While the betwitching landscape enthralls

I am watching the horizon fade away

My eyes fall on the shimmering sunlight

On the red dunes beckoning me…

And across the distance tideless sea so invitingly blue.

Stepping back to ground in a minute or so…

You are brought back into one of the largest mall Dubai Mall that withstands and supports the entire structure .

In all an amazing experience of  gleaming glass the allure of metal and the glitzy glamorous spaces.

At the Top of the Burj Khalifa  the tallest man-made structure in the world is a one of a kind experience indeed .

Night view from the Burj Khalifa

An expansive evening view of the horizon curving  towards you greets you and the enthralling lights of Dubai by Night is a treat indeed .

My night vision from the Top of the World

The lights dazzle the senses and perhaps more oft than not, even the most earthy traveler is left struck at first sight by the sparkle of the city.

…Although truth be told I am left wondering  the necessity of such dazzling displays of opulence and materialism which is symbolic of  the very modern Downtown Dubai.

Perhaps such are the stakes when a city develops so rapidly and begets names like the City of Gold , City of the Future as even the City of Dreams and boasts of the largest landmarks and sets a global standard in lifestyle as it continues to develop its infrastructure and works at providing excellent opportunities for cosmopolitan life and living with an unbelievable 80% of  its population being of foreign origin making its culture a melting pot of different nationalities. And that in all is truly a stellar example of the strength of the interconnects in the interdependence .

Savvy Raj

Contd in Part 2 …The Meet and the Greets


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On Seeing beyond the looking!

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“Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.”  Dag Hammarskjold

Swedish Political Leader, Secretary General Of The United Nations

   These  above words may spell success or  be a recipe for disaster depending on the ability to keep the focus on that which you see!

  The acceptance of the manifold possibilities  of seeing beyond looking  could be the very reason for expansive outreach of potential in world affairs and resolutions whether it is a matter of peace or war. Having said so, solutions are in the emergence of a stream of consciousness in awareness of a meeting point in the melting pot from convergence to transcendence. An approach that is inclusive in temperament and expansive in the envisioning.

  Truth be told , we have travelled on far in time  and space and as we stand today, the realisation of the infinity  of consciousness beyond the horizons is well set already.  It is just a matter of  probability on where our sights are, as we envision our path beyond  and how it resonates in our awareness as it takes flight. 

   Speaking of flight unto beyond there is much going on before from take off  between the spreading of wings  and the flapping in flight. Would a bird be able to fly if its sight is fixated on the ground. Would the ship be able to sail  of to distant lands  and explore if it keeps itself safe harboured along the shores…. Its no wonder indeed that to fly  and explore the unknown you must first be ready to let go of the ground beneath your feet.

   In the same breath the awareness of when to take the flight  and where and how to land back  and find the balance on the high ground  is a task of a lifetime to master.

  So between the focussed planner of details and the far sighted idealist visionary…there are many paths  to envision, where do you see yourself ?

  Who are you? Are you  more of the visionary kind?

  Or are you the more cautious realist who weighs your options before every step?

  What are your views on this? Do care to share…

   Savvy Raj