It is often said that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”…. as beauty can be a very subjective and a personal choice and experience of life. This attraction or admiration, after all, is an interpretation of harmony, of proportion in the features attributed to a culture for beauty.
Is beauty measurable to a certain standard? Well according to the Golden Ratio, the ideal result for an attractive face would be 1.6. Greeks believed a beautiful face is 1.6 times longer than its width. But then it has been refuted by attributing it simply to the ability of pattern recognition by humans. After all cultural differences have strange ideas of what is beautiful and they seem poles apart from each other. Such is the paradox of beauty!
From smooth skin devoid of wrinkles, a long neck and flowing hair, to face tattoos and body scars, long earlobes, shaved heads, pale skins to small feet, to full figures different countries and culture have different standards of beauty.
Take the case of some Eastern countries where straightened hair is considered beautiful and many are turning to chemical hair straighteners and flat ironing for holding up to standards of beauty. Girls in Mauritania, West Africa when shown an article about liposuction, laugh so hard in disbelief as it shocks their concepts of what is beautiful. In fact, this goes to extreme measures like ‘Leblouh’ the practice of force feeding girls to have heavy figures and stretch marks like in Mauritania, to the overwhelming numbers of rhinoplasty in Iran and where women wearing post-surgical bandages consider it as a badge of honour and wealth.
The human capacity to appreciate beauty has perhaps radically evolved with the species and men and woman see and process beauty differently. Humans are complex beings and if beauty were a language, its expression would be unique to every individual with respect to their nature and nurture.
So in the quest towards understanding the beauty and the ideals of beauty, there are many questions …
Is there a possibility of greater survival of what is considered beautiful.?
Or is the reverse true?
History is replete with numerous wars on account or on behalf of desire to possess own nurture, save and protect beautiful people animals or things.And beauty becomes a victim of situations and often is the cause of chaos and destruction.
The very beauty that emits an utter of exclamation of awe in the admiration of the exquisite creation can extract emotional outbursts and create and spread hate and malice, upheavals that can mar the course of peace in history and cause wars.
Beauty can thus become a two-edged sword.
Is there more to the reason there exists for the quality of beauty and its perception.The genetic codes that determine beauty can be there for the purpose of an evolution of the species and refinement in the subtlety of consciousness….
There is beauty in a soul that is kind without prejudice
There is beauty in choosing to transform to a better person inside out.
There is beauty in words spoken and deeds of generosity
There is beauty in making people feel valuable
As after all beauty is in the way you make another feel.
Savvy
Image Credits: An Artwork by Savvy Raj from a series Titled: ‘Faces’
Every step of our ‘Journey’ through time in life and living makes way for shifts in our internal compass. This is an intuitive guide on our path to create evolve and inspire the world.
As we learn to honour the steps we take
A better world we can all care to make.
Savvy Raj
Image Credits: A Digital Art and Verses by Savvy Raj.
as it beckons you to know your limitless potential.
Savvy Raj
Conversations in Oneness
To dance is to converse with your soul in oneness.
To dance is to acknowledge the living you in this moment
To dance is to move with your soul’s longings in this present now.
To dance is to feel the rhythm of your own beating heart.
To dance is dare to reach beyond the spaces visible.
To dance is to sense the magic as you touch the intangible …
To dance is to sense the preciousness of time.
As it glides with your movements sublime
In every move, the heart and mind is looped in joyousness
In every flight is the beauty of lightness …
To dance is to be connected to your being
In the contentment of life and living!
Savvy
I love to dance…
In every moment of my life….I relate to the fluidity of movements we make, to the rhythm of the words we write, to the harmony in the words we speak, to the synchrony of the breaths we take, to the connectedness in the flow of thoughts we have , to the strength in the similarity of one being to the other, to the heightened awareness of feelings and emotions to the consciousness of every deed and actions, to the mind and body connection we touch upon with a simple dance.
Dancing regularly has the power of release … from inhibitors like fear, seclusion, loneliness depressive states, mood swings, lack of confidence, social reservations and lack of communication. An hour of dancing regularly can bring a spring in the step and smile on one’s lips.
That said there are some parameters to take note of for enhanced benefits from dancing which need to be mentioned.
The dance and you:
Every individual is unique and it would be good to start learning gradually with an appropriate dance form suited to their innate nature and choice.
For example, there is no reason to push a beginner beyond their boundaries at they are introduced to certain dance movement without consent and choice. As the benefits of dancing can be seen when they love what they learn and dance what they love.
Take it easy and enjoy the journey!
Dance is not a war with oneself or another it is about being in harmony and at peace with the self so as to enjoy the dance.
The trainer the teacher you learn from always plays a much bigger role in making you love or hate what you learn.It is a huge responsibility as a teacher than to send out positive reflection appreciation and encouraging signals to communicate the power of dance and movement.
Although there are many wonderful teachers out there, try to work with someone chosen according to the goal plans you set for yourself as you begin to learn. That said …dedication discipline, attendance punctuality, appearance personal hygiene and faith and trust in your efforts are going to play a major role in the efforts from both sides.
Today as we celebrate the International Dance Day … I dedicate this post to the celebration of ‘Dance in and around us to the Dance and the Dancer in us all.’
Knowledge is one thing, understanding is quite another. Knowledge needs constant upgradation as it is never ever constant in the dimensions of time and space. The pathway to true wisdom is in acknowledgement of the possibilities of the new or the yet unknown.
Wisdom is in knowing beyond knowledge.
To think universally and act globally; to begin with and see the structure in chaos and relate to the rhythms in nature;
To follow along the infinite beginnings all leading to the same place — ‘Your true self’;
In a knowing that allows you to exercise free will to be who you are;
And that thoughts are but a tool for the thinking, that allows you to process the integration of the self and the entire cosmos.
Self and beyond —
Is there a distance and a difference?
If so, how far and of what?
Physical and social,
Mental and psychological
We may think immediately.
We may be set apart in time and space, yet we are so similar in vulnerabilities,
Persevering in hope and knowing the truth of mortality.
We breathe the same air, live in the same world.
We learn to see wisdom in change, in the interrelation, in the interdependence, in the interconnects.
So, in the wisdom of the wise, the wiser and the wisest
Is the understanding of the knowing behind the knowledge
To make sense beyond their meaning
And in the knowing, change begets wisdom
To accept from ordinary things can permeate untapped wisdom.
That the ‘ordinary’ possess nuggets of wisdom
In the knowing is the learning.
Then, there is no search, all is within —
The change, the changer, and the changing.
Change is inevitable, but you are the one in charge of how the change impacts you and how you respond to the changes.
Writing is a liberating experience if you care to steer your thoughts and string them in words. Every writer has many or no reason about what and why they write …
It is the most natural thing to do or it is a task to brings even two words together. It is an integrative experience or a chore to get done with depending on our attitudes, to begin with.
Writing is an art of construction of an abstraction, it can help evolve mass consciousness and propel new consciousness.
Writing is a trustful companion at your behest whenever wherever or a taxing exercise.But every writing is unique just as the writer behind it.
Reader and a writer a dance of symbiosis
There is an invisible bond that forms between a writer and reader a relationship that thrives if it is of mutual respect and understanding. As both are giving away their precious time of their lives in the writing and the reading. Ideally, it is a symbiotic relationship as there can never be one without the other. Both are valuable and contribute deeply in their mere presence.
A reader is as necessary to the writer as ink and paper as without a reader the writer will have no reason to put down thoughts in written format .. And if there is no one yet at least for the self to read on.
A writer matters a great deal too. To an avid reader of a certain writer, every word gives a unique connect. Sometimes writings can be shocking and jarring while some caress in the fluidity of the flow. It is but a matter of choice and with the freedom of will comes a great responsibility….
Writing can set free deep-seated emotions and in such freedom is the underlying responsibility…
Writing is a responsibility as once writ, the words have great power to stir emotions and touch hearts , to enthuse or infuse hope or hatred . So it is imperative to exercise awareness through every word written and published. Savvy
Why I write
I write when I am charged with an idea an inspiration. Or perhaps when there is nothing else to do.
I write to balance my emotions whenever it needs equilibrium.
I write to flow with the moment with a thought that aligns as it calls on me and as I write at times emerges into a pattern in prose or verse.
I write to understand better when thoughts overpower…overstimulate the mind.
I write to let go of all that comes to my mind which I feel and hope can make a positive difference somewhere to someone reading me.
I write at times in deliberation too to process and synthesise new understandings.
I write to unshackle from the many convictions I may unknowingly hold. As I write they break loose from restrictive spaces and help to align my thoughts in the sifting.
I write to express the bounties of life that I’m blessed to enjoy in gratitude.
I write to sense the bliss of being with all of me in the moment.
Time heals wounds and brings on wisdom as the pain settles in course. This helps in most cases when there are no answers for questions that have no end. Life is easier when time moves on and one lets things to settle without raising a storm.
Healing happens in accommodation and acceptance, in the understanding of an issue at hand as much as in acknowledgement and acquisition of a cure and the options available.
Intention begins the healing…
Actions takes the course
Cultivation of patience continues the healing
Dedication to the action ultimately heals.
So try to take care of any deviation disturbance and fluctuation from the path.
Healing the world through the art of giving
Give that which you may feel you have a lack for. Give of yourself more. And you will find giving the true nature of being.
There is an abundance of love within for you to realise. You just have to acknowledge its presence in your life. It is always in and around you waiting to envelop you for your own preservation.
It is the mental makeup that needs clarity amidst the reigning chaos. All the storms all the obstacles will be surmountable in the realisation of your potential to give more of yourself to yourself and then extending that to the world at large. The energy of love you help create has immense value to our world. Every vibration matters in space and giving positively manifesting with love and resonates the peace and goodwill across the dimensions. Such is the healing power of giving.
And our world needs this most in every moment … Care to give?
“Art is a creative intention arising from deep rooted emotion that connects the inner and outer world and bridges the gaps in the conscious awareness.” Savvy Raj
What is life if not sensed with the tenderness of the heart?
What is life if not sacrificed at the altar of love?
What is life if not moved from the depth of the soul?
What is life if not loved beyond the shackles of time?
What is life if not consumed sublime by the arrow of the heart?
What is love if not coached into nature of life by the nurture of love?
What is life if not cleansed through tears of yearning?
What is love if not set aglow through the embers of passion?
What is life if not basked in the warmth of love?
What is life if not pining in the patience?
As love conquers you, it blesses you in the knowing.
Make not a mockery of love.
Serenade love and allow it to speak truth.
Love surfaces from the depth of emotions
To mend you and this world a better place.
True love is eternal,
Free as bird in flights of oblivion,
Travelling in the abandon
Of the wilderness of the spirit
Yet bonded in the boundless infinity.
Endless love is a gift of grace.
Acknowledge this treasure,
Blending two souls in one
As a life loved is well-lived. It is such a rare sight!
What a blessing it truly is… A love like that!
Realizing the many miracles of life is also in knowing a love that can move your soul. We can consider ourselves lucky to have been touched by a love like that!
An Inspiring yet charmingly unassuming coastal wonder
Magnetic aura of majestic matrumandir
An act of meditative deliberation
Of grace in effort and goodwill
Simple living deeper consciousness
A gathering of like-minded
Artists who can create unhindered
By material worries
Bridging gaps
Of Humanity consciousness
With no ownership rights
Of land and living
In the cycle of evolution
Equality and brotherhood
Free will and intention
Go hand in hand.
Giving back to society
In useful ways
Volunteering and supporting
For others and self
Mutually coexisting
A green habitat for future living
Peaceful life in peaceful means.
Creativity thrives in every realisation
of the eternal soul freedom
The need to unshackle the boundedness
Anf move beyond bane of belonging
Knowing energy abounds in conscious living
Moving towards infinite unity of the heart in purpose
Powered by practice in perseverance.
My trip to Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu could never be complete and fulfilling without receiving the gift of being in Auroville the universal town. And what’s mystical is that it leaves you with a sense of nonchalant wonder and awe of everything about it every time .And like the pleasure of a puzzle that begins to fit in bits and pieces, I sense the rapture of its plenitude in quietude as its silence and bustle both speaks to my heart.
The name Auroville is derived from Sri Aurobindo, or Arvind Ghosh, a revolutionary, visionary, philosopher and sage who is very well known in India and whose revolutionary endeavours against the British regime predate those of Gandhi.
Auroville is in Viluppuram district mostly in the state of Tamil Nadu, India with some parts in the Union Territory of Puducherry in South India. It is an experimental township in the making dedicated to the ideal of human unity based on the vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. It was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa and designed by architect Roger Anger.
Mirra Alfassa, known to her followers as’ The Mother’, was the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo. Her full name at birth was Blanche Rachel Mirra Alfassa. She came to Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual retreat on 29 March 1914 in Pondicherry, India.
The ideals of Auroville are beautiful. Here is the charter, as drafted by ‘The Mother:’
Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole. But, to live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the divine consciousness.
Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.
Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realisations.
Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual human unity.
The Dream of Divinity
Auroville is said to be a manifestation of the Mothers dream … of Divine Will of the Universal Consciousness.
Envisioning a dream of such magnitude is empowering humankind with purpose and direction. Actualizing a dream is a lifetime commitment on the path of conscious awakening.
To live and coexist without disturbing the sentiments of a mini congregation of the world in representation calls for fortitude from its citizens and its council.
In deep respect for The Mothers universal dream and the Aurovilleans collaborative endeavour and in the enterprise of creating a peaceful and integrated habitat for human unity.
Am grateful for the beautiful times spent here at Auroville ….and hoping to be back sooner than later.
Creativity is abundant in the flow of life In moulding it to give form in the formless In blending in its essence to shape as you please In connecting the dots to structure it meaningfully
Every artist charts his path With the blessed touch of a mystical muse The muse appears uncalled and unforeseen But exits suddenly as it came …
Then when spaces prevail in the togetherness And the artist seeks on with a clouded vision What appears seems beyond comprehension Every moment begets its own challenge
When thoughts seem too scattered When emotions need time to settle When silence tends to stifle When every endeavour hits rock bottom
Trust in the knowing The muse will touch you In the oddest moment As it knows not time To give your thoughts a new pattern Although the path is of your own making.
Savvy
Every creative endeavour is an undefinable journey of peaks and pitfalls , of highs and lows. The artist can find themselves at crossroads questioning their very existence and therefrom find new paths to forge ahead in creativity. The challenge is to take it all in your stride knowing ‘to create is a responsibility’ and hence the apparent strifes prepare you in the process towards your purpose of being .
Flow is a matter of faith and trust when you know ‘All is in a state of flow’ Self belief takes shape in the form of a Muse and leads you on to a state of creative flow once more .
“It said, ‘Well Marianne, it’s come to this time when we are really so old and our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon.
“Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think you can reach mine.
“And you know that I’ve always loved you for your beauty and for your wisdom, but I don’t need to say anything more about that because you know all about that. But now, I just want to wish you a very good journey.
“Goodbye old friend. Endless love, see you down the road.’”
Mollestad told host Rosemary Barton that when he read the line “stretch out your hand”, Ihlen had stretched out her hand.
Across the distant horizon, resplendent in all its radiant hues sun shines on its blessings and bejewels the sky. The leaves unfurl themselves a little bit more ….with strength and energy and basking with confidence in its radiance. Knowing the biting cold of the night has moved away, they glide lovingly content in this moment that glows with warmth!
The buds awaken themselves and bloom willingly only to reveal their astoundingly tender beauty. And soulfully they turn seeking the brilliance of the magnificent sun …catch them dancing the dance of beauty and grace that’s shimmering in its rays…Maybe they know well the time they have with the sun is precious and know they must live it with all their might ….and behold it’s a breath-taking sight!
Who better to seek, to understand the preciousness and wisdom of time, than from a tender flower amidst its unabashed beauty.
Time is precious! Fill your day with purpose! Live the moments ….lovingly!
In every quest towards our being, the exploration at some point delves deeper into our own self. The inner self, speaks to us all the time at times complementing and other times contrasting with our outer self This can lead to altering states of awareness. Like our outer persona that is projected in this world our inner self is capable of wide range and facets of expression and although it is not defined by our disposition attitude or culture, it can express itself whenever it chooses.Our so-called subconscious other self and destruction amongst may other things can be an intuitive support, the forbearing friend from within our being.
Human beings are not one-dimensional in nature. To the inner self ‘the concepts of ‘bad’ and ‘good’ as usually interpreted are not defined by society’s culture and belief and destruction are the universal life truths evident in every decision we make , it arises from an inanate natural instinct for survival.The outer projections of the self is through an intricately webbed network of a balancing act between the emotional and mental states and its physical manifestations. So while the inner and outer self can be completely at odds with each other yet they feed each other and perhaps are evolving as they learn from one another.
Likewise every life exists on a physical plane as well as in a metphysical plane and perhaps amongst many other dimensions yet unknown, where the interconnects run deeper than we can fathom. Although life in every living being can seem an extremely individualistic in effort and approach and may seem justified as unique to its being, life thrives in the connectedness. This understanding is amplified whenever there is emergence of equanimity in thoughts and deeds in action and response than reaction. The arising patterns is seen then as a dance in every clarity in the consciousness. The ultimate truth is, we’re all one and interconnected in everything in sublimity .
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