I admire the spirit of trees
& want to live learning from it.
I want to be one with the tree
But I do not want to be a tree…
For if every man becomes a tree
Who would be there to nurture & witness their beauty?
Trees need us and we need them. There is synergy dancing between us.
As we care to nourish the nature around us.
We are nourished back by nature.
We are born to live along with trees
They are lifes longings for itself
Like our sons and daughters
They are fragile and strong
And share untold wisdom within
And live sharing themselves.
They protect us with their shade
as much as they nourish us with their bearings.
In the strength of their interconnects we realise
The value in the interdependence.
They are because we are
We are because they are!
Presentation is about a sense of aesthetics that makes the difference between a job done and job well done.
Often the drive to succeed in an increasingly complex world leaves little time for the aesthetic endeavour, as it is often about rushing through to deliver than about commitment, care and connection to the work we do beyond the delivery.
Creativityis enhanced with a passion for artistry in any field of work.
In life, there are many ways to live…
To live fully and deeply, a richer life that is inspiring and empowering to follow.
Or to live drifting along to whatever comes your way.
To each their own!
But if one wishes to leave a footprint, make a mark that is felt, then the idea is to be present to every moment that presents itself.
Value life and consider living every moment artfully.
That will change our present and future to degrees we may not even have imagined.
All is in the consistency of presentation
Consider the self for a moment…
Look closely at how we are sitting at this moment.
What is our posture like… can we work on bettering it. And try to be more aligned?
How is the breathing? Rushed? Or have we held our breath in any way …
Breathe in and exhale deeply and lovingly.
Consider the clothes one wears
Our clothes tend to reflect our own state of mind .
Dressing well is a form of good manners.
Tom Ford
Caring to dress neatly and looking and feeling comfortable at all times shows in the way we carry our self.
It is also wise to check our sense of grooming and hygiene. It matters.
After all we are presenting ourself…. every day to the world.
It is would be good to make sure we feel like getting introduced to ourselves,
and be presentable as we would want someone else to be with us.
In paying attention to where we are in this moment to our surroundings and
seeing if we could make any positive difference always matters.
If we can get ourselves to make even tiny changes step by step, we evolve in time.
Every learning is a two-way process. There is the imparter of knowledge, skill & wisdom of truth who could be called a guru, teacher or a facilitator. Then there is the one who receives, assimilates, processes synthesizes & is then convinced about his or her interpretation of assimilation of truth enough to be called the student, shishya or disciple.
Now as learning is a never-ending process of growth and realization all the seekers of knowledge should have the channels of thoughts, words & deeds open for correction, improvement to be able to retain & sustain the available information to the best of their abilities.
The interpretation of knowledge may happen with respect to the personal state of mind and matter of the receiver, no matter whether he is the student or a teacher. Both are only human and are bound to the vagaries of human nature.
Poise & Composure
The sheer physical or mental magnetism a teacher or student exudes or otherwise must not undermine the purpose. So certain restraint in conduct, both in the physical emotional & mental sense must be in place for a mutually symbiotic relationship to take place. It’s very important for this realization to be clear and apparent enough between both of them before they can begin a journey of refinement that knowledge brings forth. In a situation of misplaced judgement, it is important for the other to coach and coax the unwilling and astray mule in the mind of the erring person, back on to the road, whoever they are, student or teacher. As learning is a two-way street. The learning will at times make the student a teacher and the teacher a student in the journey of realization.
Channelling the learning
Many times the temptation of thoughts will bring even the most dedicated of students or teachers to testing the real purpose of their efforts and practice. At this juncture, the control of mind and body actions must be exercised. This, if left unchecked could leave room for unnecessary situations which could harm the beautiful synthesis and symbiotic nature of the student-teacher relationship. The boundaries of mind are easily even more difficult to fathom and clarify.
It is simple and wise to let the mind be grounded, focused and steadfast in its purpose enough to be clear about the distinction and discernment while the learning relationship is taking place. As a single stray thought, or action could cause confusion enough to completely toss the relationship boundaries to levels which may be difficult to tilt back to states of equilibrium that needs to be maintained.
Steering the learning
The teacher must make it clear to himself or herself and to the students that he is there for the purpose of teaching and sharing the knowledge that he has been privy to, probably because of his own levels of ability, understanding, karma, dedication or steadfastness and discipline in acquiring the related skill. This act itself clears the ground for proper acceptance of a teacher’s education.
The thought and senses need to be checked before every movement such that there is respect enough for the student towards the teachers’ knowledge and in doing so the teacher manages to gain the required acceptance from the student and learning resumes.
Respect
But this is only one side of the coin the student too, has certain modes of conduct which needs to be observed and never crossed.
It is very important to understand first of all that neither a teachers time must not be taken for granted nor his teachings. They will be there for you as you need it and thus trust enough to understand that you cannot learn more or less of anything than what is required for you at that time.
Secondly, it is important that both accept and follow the principles of conduct in which learning is taking place which is ideally laid down by the form or subject to ensure that both do not stray beyond the boundaries and go off track.
The purpose of learning is absolutely free flowing & spills over to life and its situations and circumstances so this association of thought must not be confused with favoritism and partiality of any kind between both of them.
In some learning, the personal space both physical and mental greatly narrows down between the teacher and student putting them in a quandary especially if both are seeing a reflection of thoughts and actions in each other. This is definitely a situation to exercise caution enough to circumvent the spillover of knowledge beyond the cup of the mind.
Finally, there is the need to assimilate and interpret an information and only then act upon it, not get taken by impulse so much that you don’t give the other side the benefit of doubt.
The realization that experiences necessary for your learning and growth come to you will be clear but at the same time, you must keep in mind that no student or teacher can exercise and influence you to the degree that you do not want to be.
You learn what you can imbibe.. Not more not less!
Savvy
I wrote this article years ago but I was reminded of it today as in India it is Guru Poornima a day dedicated to the Teacher or Guru in and around us.
It is a day of celebration in respect & reverence for the exchange of knowledge and wisdom.
I addressed here the interplay of that which needs a mutual definition in understanding between both the students and the teacher as learnings begin to happen. It is always a work in progress for I believe learning is never ending and a continuous path of life and living.
Yet it is beautiful to pause & be grateful for the understanding that comes our way. Thus through the trials & tribulations of being a student & a teacher, life abounds in deep gratitude.
Someone asked me why I dance… and I said I dance to create myself.
I like to dance in my thoughts, words and deeds. By that I mean I enjoy the harmony of movements whether in thoughts or action.
Personally, I respect and value all forms of creativity and believe in the immense value of it in our daily lives.
We are all creative beings but some have to find their path themselves while perhaps for others the path is laid out for them.
We need to honour our creativity we need to find avenues to let go express and share what comes naturally to us. In that is a healing and restoring beyond compare. Have seen a single dance light up a dancers eyes or a single song or a painting stroke change the mood not only for the viewer but for the artist themselves.
Creativity is who we are and lets never forget it. The challenge though is to understand techniques of channelising creativity in a form that is valued and shared by many and that comes from practice. It is a path of immense possibilities each having the potential for soulful connects with self as much as others.
Dancers: An Artwork by Savvy Raj
What we create is meant to be and hence we learn to channelize the flow in more meaningful ways. Just the other day standing before a painting of just two vertical lines symbolised many possibilities… a bridge, to a tube, to a scale, to a road and more… infinite mind, infinite imagination, a fodder for thought in the letting go.
Yet to channelize the thoughts is a task for many demanding ardours and disciplined approach in thinking and streamlining strategically to enhance the end product be it any art form in life and living
Creativity must never be suppressed or repressed as then it manifests in disease of the body and mind. Immense is the power of creative movements to balance the body mind and spirit.
yesterday on my post Creativity: A matter of approach https://wp.me/p6a0yZ-2Em
Watch these amazing and spirited performers daring to dance like so…
<a href=”http://
“>Waltzing On the Walls
Waltzing beyond the Walls Art lives in betwixt and beyond the walls of assumption A dance happens in the letting go and in the gumption Take away the fear of falling down and failure. Take away the fear of doubts and see what the spirit can endure…
Soul dances leading through the spirit and the body follows Unshackling conventions and freeing of limitations that hollows Defying the elements and daring to dance Shaping new frontiers without losing form or stance
Spirit of life I bow to thee🙏 You are beyond all decree.🤲
What makes a job well done?
What makes excellence a standard?
What makes one stand out a cut above the rest?
What is aesthetics after all?
What differentiates the good better and the best?
All is a matter of approach in every field of life. A shift in the perspectives brings home, amazing solutions. An approach that is creatively expansive than confounding, opens a box of possibilities. We are all equipped to reach out into our own creative potential by just empowering ourselves with techniques of approaching a situation at hand.
Every one of us is endowed with the potential to develop our artistic abilities and approach with a creative eye. It’s a matter of putting the principles into practice and taking that giant leap of faith.
Artist and Creativity:
Creativity blooms in every acknowledgement of interconnectedness. To profess any creative reflection as just mine alone is too limiting in the larger picture. As any exercise to envision beyond, needs to step beyond time frames, to flow along in the subtlety of the eternal wisdom. In fact, our creative enrichments are a reminder of the beauty within that is as unique as every one of us in its similarities as much as the differences and yet deeply aligned to learnings in the consciousness of the interdependence.
Although as an artist we may give a shape to thoughts, its destiny is the result of the bubbles of thoughts in the connected flow. As soon as the clarity of the interdependence reigns in the hearts, all thoughts transform creatively as per the seeing beyond looking, in the gratefulness of both the subtlety and starkness of the interdependence.
Creativity is a tool and treasure for the taking in your hands. Do something with it that only u can.
As no one possess your uniqueness.
And do that which calls out from your being.
Trust creativity for its latent powers that can be unleashed in the acknowledgement.
Explorations in creativity at play or work by chance or in a structure boosts the chances of emerging into patterns of successful design.
Classic learning by trial and error, doing and undoing in a repetitive way also offers a lot of scope for creative breakthroughs
Whether it is the movement of our bodies and our thoughts that get stirred creating new correlations and understandings on a simple nod, a tug, a tap, a touch has immense potential to create waves of energy.
And thus in thinking with our movements, we can bring out nuances of many complex relationship patterns to notice.
Ingrained points of reference can be a hard thing to let go once you have them in you as trained dancers musicians or artists. To allow things to settle in without internal or external interference can be quite a disconcerting task for most of us. As we are often used to creating a connected flow of thought …thought tend to arrange themselves in the pattern by habit.
To find your own sense of flow and then create needs more than a receptive mind which is open to possibilities. Creativity flourishes in moving beyond the box stepping out of the emerging visages in the interpretation, time and time again.
Every creative endeavour is rooted in a dance of the energy within and around us … the dynamics of integration embodies the creative output. A movement that is influenced in the tidal wave of both gravitational and centrifugal force of thoughts.
Souls transform
Itself in the voyages of time.
Discovering its identity
It’s potential purpose as an entity.
Travelling across eons
Shaped and shaping
To new forms of being
The soul lives on in spirit.
As the being, moves in its tuning.
Every soul emits the energy
Of the wisdom of times
Lived living and in between
Myriad reflections of mind
Consciousness of the heart
And in character of the being
Embodiment of the ego in its essence
Humbled by life time and time again
Until the ancient soul find its own path
Of balancing witness and action.
Sensing the truth of its own being.
Some believe the Soul carves its shape in every craving.
While fulfilling its desires unfulfilled.
Moving beyond reason and all morality.
Spirit of the soul lives on inherent transience
Of infinite awakenings in sublime consciousness.
Icy crystal crags turn to crimson hues. Burning bright and fiery red Lava river gushing forth Peaked only by the crackling sounds of Ice on Fire
While the blazing river of molten snow Flows on until it’s time to freeze its own flame. The final countdown is just the same Elements behave true to their form And all is well back to base.
And time and life moves on beyond remorse For Nature too is in no hurry to race It takes its own shape and course To begin to flow again at its own pace.
Green and saffron
colors of prosperity and detatchment.
One leads to attach,
One to detatch.
Both gives fulfillment
One externally while
the other internally.
Both in abundance.
No force , in free will.
Selecting the path is in our choices.
Anjana
Above is a photo I took at my home in my terrace garden which invoked an interpretation from my mother Anjana this morning.
Green for prosperity (green earth full of hidden treasures), saffron is for detatchment (color code for sanyasam or renunciation).
Sharing this as it speaks so simply of the juxtaposition of balance in nature that abounds. In colour, form, shape etc in all perspectives of life and living.
Every moment is a cornucopia of sensing
Fleeting thoughts in the making
Feelings and emotions reveal themselves.
Between action and inaction
And in the stillness in between
Like the ebb and flow on the tides
While at times amplifying & complicating situations
By tilting the tuning of the body and mind.
Sometimes overpowering almost self
defeating
Sometimes compelling to release the stress withholding
To ease up the being & free up some space
Between thought and action.
Think of your emotions
As a bridge in between
To pause and reflect a while
And then to respond.
Respect your self and own your emotions.
For all your emotions make you, you.
Feel good that you can express
In so many shades and tones.
Emotions are interlinked
In every moment of life and living
All the while authenticating and revealing
The person you truly are.
Every one of us has the ability to create the strength of the circle within us and it can start with movements in grace of connectedness to the powers within.
Every thought can be chosen to reflect a flow of hope and goodwill . Every deed that follows then will someway reflect that very thought and that would be the strength of the circle amplified.
When there is harmony in our thoughts and the core intention within…Peace and Goodwill reigns in our hearts .
Savvy Raj 
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