All is not, what is
What is, is not all..
Savvy
A Space Beyond
On Dancing Ten Dances
I wrote this piece earlier but it was in my drafts as I missed posting it. Better late than never they say and I hope the movie is still streaming on Netflix.
As a lover of dance and as a ballroom and latin dance educator for two decades and more, I have always been delighted to watch any good dance related movies, especially those centered on partner dancing. Having enjoyed wonderful movies like’ Shall we dance’ and ‘Dance with me’ and so many more, I eagerly await such rare kind of movies. As the love of movements runs in my blood and passion for dance in my spirit and soul.
They are truly far and few good movies in this genre. So in these holiday times while exploring Netflix , I stumbled upon 10 dances as a movie to watch and immediately set a reminder for it .
The film depicts all the Ten dances that are danced in the Ballroom & Latin dancing repertoire. I have been teaching them socially over the years. So from the first poetic sequence I was hooked.
Though the movie is set in the backdrop of the world dance competitions, at its heart is partner dancing which is my favorite of dancing forms. It captures, the sheer joy and thrill of dancing with another, matching move to move… I loved the beginning of the movie, the introduction to the dances and also the way it brought out the distinctive difference in both styles.
The movie at its core is based on competitiveness and the complexity of human emotions. The entanglement of love & rivalry in personal relationships & most of all the importance trust in and between one another. Though at times I did feel the narrative steered too much into their personal stories, that I felt it diluted the dance essence.
Yet the movie also revealed the truth of how much adaptability is the key and how challenging, it can be for different personalities who are dancing together, be it as a learner or a teacher and how difficult it is to unlearn to learn…
Someone trained in structured forms finds it so challenging to let go and dance from the heart. Whereas someone who dances with all their heart may feel stifled by excessive structures.
Over all, it was compelling to watch the changing dynamics portrayed at times, so very poetically in a dance movie to say the least. Do watch if you love dancing and especially so the magic of partner dancing.
Savvy Raj
Creating Resilience
Resilience is developed in time.
In every fall.
In every blow
In every painful experience.
The power rests with you to work on yourself.
Resilience is about nurturing what is beautiful within you,no matter, while battling the situation at hand.
Resilience is the art of appreacting the ordinary moments that you have with you.
Resilience is being able to smile from the heart, knowing your circumstances dont define you.
In your deepest breakdown there is a choice to emerge from it stronger.
While resilience is in learning from experiences and strengthening & refining the self for the better. Resilience is also about allowing life to happen…
Bending when necessary like a blade of grass without breaking like the mighty oak tree,
Resilience is creating yourself in such times without fear of the inevitable, for change is part of the flow of life.
Resilience means, you are very much present and it means you are evolving from your experiences for the better.
In times of being resilience
You become the master of your life.
You steer on in faith
no matter the rudder is way off.
Knowing you are meant to be, do all that you are ordained to.
Yet resilience m is not blind faith but a faith born out of inner self belief. In knowing that the road is yet to clear, you are ready for possibilities using the time to see options and new perspectives
You are like an artist creating something from what seems to be blank and formless. Yet resilience is full of potential.And in exercising this muscle of resilience results are awaiting you in trust & time.
Trust that this very resilience is in you and in me and it surfaces in our difficulties to tide us through in time.
What is resilience to you?
When did you last feel your need to exercise your resilience?
Do share your thoughts how you create and develop your resilience muscle.
Savvy Raj
Umbrella of Grace
Magnanimous grace
Of the divine infinite,
Blessings flow in its presence.
In this ocean of abundance,
Stay still in the tremors.
Keep the faith
In every moment..
Let go of fear & worry.
Know you have the universe
Within, with & around you.
Savvy
The Quality Of The Spirit
You are not defined
By riches or possessions.
You are defined
By the attitude you carry.
Anchored in faith
No matter the storm.
You are defined
By the energy you emanate…
In the choices you make,
In the decisions you take.
Way beyond circumstances.
It is a quality of the spirit.
Greater the refinement,
Greater the grace.
Savvy Raj
A question in reflection…
When the world outside gets chaotic, what is that within you that keeps you anchored?
The Power of Calm
There is charisma in calm
It’s the power of calm
In life’s highs and lows.
In calm lies confidence
Invoking assurance
Being calm in a conversation
Evokes the energy of stillness
Emits vibrancy devoid of agitation.
In the calm there is depth of awareness
In the center of calm
Is potential to assimilate
No matter the chaos
You find equilibrium.
When was the last time you felt the charismatic power of calm?
What does calm feel like to you in this now?
What is the distance between you and your sense of calm?
Where & how do you think you can find your calm?
The morning moments
My morning moments have the preciousness of calm for me.I choose dawn to intend the calm for the day ahead. In the quiet moments of dawn where the world is still sleeping, I find my creative state of flow. Although I have been able to connect with my calm through the day, the vibes of this part of the day resonate so much. The early morning sets the tone of the day for me.
How do you relate to the calm of dawn?
How do you sense the power of calm?
Savvy Raj
Listen on Spotify
The Art Of Noticing
In every now
There is so much to note
Notice the bigger picture
The grand plan of nature.
Notice the sky
Holding the sun & the clouds,
The moon & the stars.
Notice the transitions
The fleeting nature
The pain & pleasures of life
Appear and disappear.
Notice the expansive infinite
Widening in your thoughts
Notice your breath dance,
Finding its rhythms.
Notice how the movements
And the stillness therein,
Are all part of the dance.
Savvy Raj
Living Meaningfully
The challenge…
Often relationships are exacting,
at times to the point of saturation.
The heart & mind battle
in contemplations of resolutions.
The space…
For your own well being,
create a meaningful space around you.
The renewal…
Fill it with all that you want,
be it a hobby or passion.
Let it be something, that gives emotional comfort.
And watch it awaken your inspiration.
Savvy
In reflection, here are three questions, for you.
In the battle of the heart & mind which one do you usually tend to listen first?
When the outside world feels just a little too heavy, what gives you emotional comfort?
If you could carve an hour out of your week just for yourself, what passion would you fill it with?
The Gift Of Change
Savvy Raj
In the vortex of life
arrives the gift of changes;
the breaking of the bubbles,
Of long held beliefs,
Of false ego and resistance
Of fear that limits.
Like the wind that’s too fierce to contain…
Cleaning the cobwebs of confusion.
And life transforms for the better.
Savvy Raj
Pockets of peace
Pockets of peace
Are powerful healers
That you can invoke
Anytime, anywhere.
Identify your pockets of peace
In a day, times that feel peaceful
Is it early morning, noon
Or is it evening or night?
What places makes you feel at ease?
Mountains, oceans or forests
Or do you enjoy a quiet open space…
Like looking at the vast blue sky,
Or the twinkling stars at night.
Do you breathe easy in silence,
Or do you feel lonely for some company?
Does, being with animals birds and nature
Feel peaceful to you?
Alone or with company,
Find your pockets of peace
And sense the connection
Whenever & wherever.
Savvy
All in time
Every thought has its own flow
Every word finds its own space
Every space has its own synchrony
Every sound its own frequency
Every element, its own energy
Lets enjoy the space between the steps.
And acknowledge the harmony in the synergy…
All in time.
Savvy
Meet me in the middle
This poem will resonate with those in strong relationships that stands the test of time and yet may find themselves challenged and at crossroads with differences in thoughts and opinions. Pretty much most who have experienced life together will find themselves in such predicaments time and time again.
In relationships when you are unable to see eye to eye, where past misses surfaces or future expectations sideline the precious present, perhaps this poem can be a reminder of how far you have traveled together to reach here.
All is not lost just yet… if you could only meet in the middle. For the strongest relationships survive in empathic understanding of each other through the thick & thin.
Meet me in the middle,
With an open mind,
Set aside differences,
We’re the same kind…
Today we may be at crossroads
looking with a different lens
But our hearts beat as one
Like it used to, years ago.
The feelings just the same…
So dearest one, sense it all
Memories are meant
To be revisited in time.
Think of how far we have come
And meet me not in the past
Nor in the the future
But right here in the middle
Of this present now.
© Savvy Raj
Let’s nurture nature
Every bit of matter
In this now is integral
To the whole of existence
Every man made change
Changes our world
In more ways than one
For subtle shifts of energy
Can create massive environmental phenomena
Altering the course of future.
Isn’t it time to recognize
The misses
Alter the errors
And pave the way
For a more responsible
Coexistence
Life is a gift
Let’s nurture nature.
Even a single step matters …
Let’s start with even one of the three things we all can easily do…
1. Grow native plants that survive and thrive easily and create an ecosystem that will improve the biodiversity.
2. Save water recycle waste water lets treat every drop of water as precious.
3. Water plants with water used for washing vegetables rice or lentils.
Then not a single drop of water will be wasted .
Savvy Raj
Lines not walls
Clear lines
Not walls that break
But gates that define
Your edges in space
And anothers beginnings.
Setting a boundary
Creates safety & value
And is respectful to one another.
Be it your time & energy
Or for mental stability
Protecting personal space
Creates a sense of peace.
Truth is relationships are healthier in the long run with clear lines that protect your own unique sense of space, privacy & comfort levels.
In professional relationships often the fear of conflicts, or being misunderstood as unempathetic, can make people skip setting them early on only to find themselves challenged.
Actually, setting healthy boundaries is an act of clarity…
What do you think?
Savvy
Every Decade Teaches
Every decade teaches …
At ten
Life is innocence
At twenty
Life is discovery
At thirty
Life is pursuit
At forty
Life is awareness
At fifty
Life is experiences
At sixty
Life is expansion
At seventy
Life is inclusion
At eighty
Life is rememberence
At ninety
Life is grace
At hundred & plus
Life is a testament
Of a lifetime lived.
Yet life is in this now…
Live life lovingly.
PS : A simple take on life so far, and in witnessing life & the living around me. I know life cannot be summed up in a word and there is much I want to add for every decade… moreover some words I have described may be experienced earlier or later.
So to each their own…
Savvy
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