This lovely picture above by award winning photographer, Steve McCurry, of National Geographic fame, tells a story. Steve was passing through the Rajasthan, India desert by taxi, when he was caught in a furious dust storm. This is when he spotted a group of women in a huddle trying to brave its fury. The only way they could protect themselves was by taking support of one another. It had not rained in the region for 13 years and a dust storm like this forebode coming rains. While life hung precariously in this devastating storm, together they not only could fight it, but even sang happily on the prospect of possible rains. What better metaphor to show that women have the inherent strength and resilience to literally brave any storm and also at the same time rejoice on the positive side of even the most hostile situation. Together we stand. .. !!!
I came across this striking picture and story on Social Media and I just felt like sharing this today.
I noticed a child monk—he can’t have been more than ten years old—teaching a group of five-year-olds. He had a great aura about him, the poise and confidence of an adult.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“We just taught their first class ever,” he said, then asked me, “What did you learn in your first day of school?”
“I started to learn the alphabet and numbers. What did they learn?”
“The first thing we teach them is how to breathe.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because the only thing that stays with you from the moment you’re born until the moment you die is your breath. All your friends, your family, the country you live in, all of that can change. The one thing that stays with you is your breath.”
This ten-year-old monk added, “When you get stressed—what changes? Your breath. When you get angry—what changes? Your breath. We experience every emotion with the change of the breath. When you learn to navigate and manage your breath, you can navigate any situation in life.”
Wisdom from souls who know
Say angels fly, as they take themselves lightly
A matter of being at ease..so that you will traverse far
Fly knowing the roots are steady on the ground
Soar in the sky sensing the wind in your wings.
Stay on course… you will find yourself.
Life is better the moment you realise
Its value in every now.
So when worry and despair imbalances your thoughts
When anguish and self doubts rocks your self esteem
Rest assured it shall all pass and time will get you over the brink
Just care to have faith, ease up your thoughts
And choose to live, dancing lightly with life .
Resonated deeply with this lovely visual shared by Sanja Sremacki so resharing it along with my verses above as a dedication to this very beautiful reflection of ‘Living life in the lightness of being’.
Personally speaking, I have a deep interest in the art of movements, especially the ones that elucidate the flow… perhaps that is why I love dancing but on the other hand I have been equally captivated by the beauty of Tai chi and more so Qi Gong.
The healing energy of movement has often been a subject of deep passion, respect and research for me.
Likewise I am especially fond of the flowing Waltz as well. Since childhood, dancing comes naturally to me but have always found myself grappling to understand why martial art is even necessary.Until much later I started exploring the potency of energy in each of us…through a little introduction into Tai chi as well by conscious choice.
Allow me to present my reflections on this subject in a flow….
In a dance
There is an interconnect
Of emotion and movement
As to emote is to sense
The feeling in the flow…
In dance there is an awareness
Of moving in response
Without anticipation.
As in one step less,
The music moves on
And you are left to improvise
On how to match the steps in rhythm.
Yes, truly to dance is to enjoy the life in the moves.
In martial arts
There is flow too
But a flow that is ever in alertness,
In strategic moves and self defense
The speed and swiftness
In reaction and response.
Martial arts often feels like dance… t
But often the difference
Is between life and death.
Both are connected in the deepest sense and yet distinctive like chalk and cheese.
The intention to dance and to fight…is what differentiates.
We dance to let go, to enjoy this now and celebrate it.
In awareness is a flow that merges in harmony to synch in with now in artistry of the moves
The warrior is fighting for peace for survival against all odds
Not knowing what is the next move but yielding to the now to decipher the countermove and strike.
Here too there is often a display of extreme artistry of motion in accuracy of time.
To learn both, takes dedication and practice in patience.
But most of all is the need for relentless will & passion to persevere .
Yes, there is a dancer in a warrior
And a warrior in the dancer.
Choice rests within you.
Just remember, to dance is to live the moments and explore its most aesthetic potential in the flow… choose not to make dance a fight.
Stay joyful in peace.
To learn martial arts is to get into the arena and survive.
Attack or in self defense with least possible harm to get out of harms way to stay in peace.
Both may have their own relevance in purpose
To negate one is to look at only one half of the circle
Just as much as joy is part of life
Safekeeping the freedom to be
Is equally important in every now…
Do you want to dance in peace
Do you want to fight for peace.
Choice is yours to make
Peace or war!
There is great power in words… To charm another,influence or drive a point home.
Engagement online can turn better on bitter in a split second.
It is all in the choice of words used to convey a message. For there is much influence the words….such is the power of words.
Sometimes knowingly or otherwise the way we express or communicate to another by the words we may use may bring a chasm than create a bridge.
Sometimes when we see another life, as beautiful and cant curb the need to express it away, we often get caught up in our own words and unknowingly end up …
Crossing the Culture Threshold!
What to one might be just a poetic expression
To another might be a glitch of discretion.
Express if one must
Feel free to feel the way you feel is the way to feel
But only as long as anothers peace you don’t unknowingly steal.
For at times in the surging words of emotion…
Arises unnecessary stress and discomfort.
Better to know the pause in the space between our steps
And value your edges in every move.
For in every positive step in discretion
There is simply the strength of trust without mention.
When I penned these lines they were specifically for driving the message home gently that no one can tread on another’s emotional space without permission especially online using the power and persuasion of words…
True respect for another being can simply be about letting others be.
Creativity flourishes in chaos
Even more than structure and order
For complacency will not set in
When disruptions make you resist…
You start to think outside the box
As the box when open is full of possibilities in the disruption.
So add a bit of randomness
Incorporate changes and unpredictability…
In the chaos of it all
There would be trial & error
New ways appear out of nowhere.
As creativity flourishes in disruptivity.
Sharinge my earlier post again for this new year as it is deeply meaningful excercise in Gratitude and Positivity to me.
The Gift of Life …
“When I was a little girl I often have witnessed my dear father see and give great value and acknowledge every little good that is or happens , however small they may seem to others . It could be a with a gentle word , a tiny appreciation or a little compliment. He taught me one of most important lesson for a lifetime ….to notice, respect and reflect on the good in and around us … and to live positively and think of life always as Plus++++es .
Life is beautiful as it is and it is in us to see it so …”
Vibrant hues of Christmas Colors in all its vividity!
Joyful Christmas Memories indeed! Sharing the cheer and goodwill…
The Antwerpen Christmas Market is spread out over several streets and squares lighting up the entire historical centre of Antwerp beautifully into a huge and happening zone to stroll around in…Glowing in the night!
Beating the winters chill
Sitting by warm fire pits…
Sipping hot glühwein!And the mistletoe?
Well its no small branch
But a giant one indeed!
Fit for all the crowd that gather under
Just to share the Christmas cheer!
.
