Heart of the tree
A vision that made me happy today
Cheer fills the air
Sun kissed leaves shining bright
The ground feels delightfully cool
Under the giant canopy
Fresh breeze and heady fragrance wafting through
Life is truly fine and well
Under this giant tree….
Savvy
Crown shyness
Crown shyness is a phenomenon observed in fully grown trees of the same or often even different species where they maintain a distance between themselves and do not touch each other at the top forming a canopy with interesting gaps possibly for sunlight to enter or even to keep leaf eating insects from spreading .
There is much to understand and learn from nature
It’s amazing to see the wisdom of nature manifest in so many different ways around us.
Spatial awareness between trees are a striking example of the wisdom of balance in nature
There is always a reason, a wisdom we are yet to know…
After all
It is the very nature of Nature
To be the great balancer
To know when to rise and fall.
To know when to give and take.
To maintain the equilibrium.
Savvy
A dedication and fond wishes to my daughter on her Graduation Day!
Congratulations and many blessings!!!!👏 ❤️ 🙌
Today as I prepare to attend my daughters graduation ceremony in one of the prestigious institutions in France, serendipitous moments washes over me of the many memories of nurturing my child.
I present here, one of my older posts written when my daughter was a growing teenager… but still true in every word.
On Staying Happy In the Now….
As a mother of a growing teenager I have been witnessing a number of amazing experiences that only a mother and child are privy to and I hold each of these moments close to my heart. I watch as my child is evolving into a vivacious yet emotionally intelligent teen, bubbly,full of life yet practical and sensible with a heart and mind of her own.
Although my heart oft yearns for some of these wonderful moments to stay on forever, I know I have got to let it go, as time and tide waits for none. But each time I have this immense respect for this power of the infinite to carry on creating, and wonder where all this harnessing of energies is taking place. And to this divine form, which could possibly be creative feminism or the power of Shakti, the creator I humbly bow and hope that you bestow some of latent creative potential on all the beings around for them to evolve to the best of their beings .
Coming back to the silent amazement that I feel is the way in which a child is moving from a situation of pure bliss of ignorance on to the happy in the here and now state of existence and later on moves on to a state of awareness of the world with all its actions and consequences.
Gradually the child starts searching a meaning to this life and its relation to the world at large.
More than everything else I watch as the curiosity leads to discoveries and at times frustrations to accomplishments.
I, as a parent can try to necessitate an awareness in my child to be holistic in her thinking process. For instance, from a very young age, if reading and writing are made an enjoyable habit, it definitely hones & helps balance thoughts, as one learns to be aware as well as acknowledge the sequence of changes bound to happen…
After all change is inevitable and the natural order of growth . It enables one to have a beginning, middle and an end to a thought or action and thus helps you learn to be present in the moment and also let it go. This makes you less prone to being a victim of situations & circumstances of life.
Happy in the here and now is a wonderful habit to cultivate for all of us; however it is equally necessary to have a focus in life and necessitate actions towards that goal and evolve further. This adds meaning in to life and life begets the ultimate satisfaction of having lived consciously.
Loving every moment of life and learning to be aware and conscious of each moment as it passes by is a fact ,which also can be so easily learned watching your own child grow…
Thank you dear child as you teach me the lessons of life and living fine.
Savvy
To all my Care giving friends the lightworkers , the mentors and spiritual guiders, the motivators and healers on their special journey stepping in tandem with their calling! Keep going… you are on track!
Savvy
A friend in need is a friend in deed
True friends have your back
True friends help whenever wherever
Without saying a word.
Yet have much to say to you
When you are short of good counsel
They care to listen when you need a listening ear.
And tell you the truth as it is for your own good.
It’s a gift of life to have even one true friend.
Cherish your friendships and nurture them forever more.
Savvy
All is a matter of a choice
The choice you decide upon
Paves the way of the future.
Every decision is a choice
That can change the way
Between the yes and the no
Lies the truth of life & living
Between excellence of choice
And mediocrity in the choice.
Savvy
A state of coexistence
With ourselves and the world
Where we can nurture our best potential
Towards transformations
That envisions beyond compare.
Savvy
Sharing a few words from my mother’s musings…
On Mindfulness
Do not use such words that can hurt anothers heart.
On Love
Do not love anyone that you become their slave.
On wisdom of moderation
Do not continue arguments till it becomes a fight.
On checking desires
Do not desire so much that it spoils your peace of mind.
On Anger management
Do not get so angry that your face turns red.
On letting go
Do not keep enemity till someone dies.
On mindful action
Do not do actions that brings hatred in other’s minds.
On letting go worry
Do not worry so much that you have to shed tears for that.
On Give and take
Whatever you get are other’s gift to you.
Whatever you lost are the opportunities given to others.
On Scarcity
Hunger is the reason for disease in a poor man’s house.
On Excess
Excess food is the reason for disease in a rich man’s house.
On Time
TIME is just and honest. That’s why it never waits for anyone.
Our world is not so perfect
Yet it must go on
And Ants know it best
They work as a team to solve their own set of problems.
All fingers of a hand are different
All are meant to be for a purpose that is not yet visible.
Yet much can happen in coordination & collaboration.
When one that is weak is supported by the stronger.
There is a semblance of balance
In this ball of blue.
Savvy
According to Psychologists, there are four types of Intelligence:
1) Intelligence Quotient (IQ)
2) Emotional Quotient (EQ)
3) Social Quotient (SQ)
4) Adversity Quotient (AQ)
People that have higher EQ and SQ tend to go further in life than those with a high IQ but low EQ and SQ. Most schools capitalize on improving IQ levels while EQ and SQ are played down.
A man of high IQ can end up being employed by a man of high EQ and SQ even though he has an average IQ.
Your EQ represents your Character, while your SQ represents your Charisma. Give in to habits that will improve these three Qs, especially your EQ and SQ.
Now there is a 4th one, a new paradigm:
When faced with troubles, AQ determines who will give up, who will abandon their family, and who will consider suicide.
Parents please expose your children to other areas of life than just Academics. They should adore manual labour (never use work as a form of punishment), Sports and Arts.
Develop their IQ, as well as their EQ, SQ and AQ. They should become multifaceted human beings able to do things independently of their parents.
Finally, do not prepare the road for your children. Prepare your children for the road.”
✏️ Author unknown
A share one morning from my friend Pamela De Luca got my attention.
Love the dedicated writing of Thich Nan Thich.
In the awakening to the truth of the being
There is an acknowledgement in gratefulness
As much as there is awe and wonder at the magnificence of creation itself.
Subtle becomes strength
Strength senses subtlety
As we swim through the tides of existence
We realize our strength is best in being one with the flow
As there is deepest connection
Such is the power in the realization.
Savvy
Life reflects itself through the things you do, the people you meet as well as in your passions and perseverances, in so many intriguing yet enthralling ways.
One such beautiful reflection I experienced in my travels earlier in France.
A sense of deja vu, a throwback to the fond memories of teaching dances to people in the different places, all thanks to the Dance & the magic of movements.
While visiting France I met my colleague from the world of dance, Celine Maheo who resides in Rennes
Celine is a practicing clinical psychologist and an Argentine tango dancer.
What’s beautiful is that she is a dedicated professional who uses the dance therapy for helping Parkinson’s patients with their movements through Tango dance sessions.
My interest was piqued, as earlier I had been conducting very similar dance sessions as well, especially remembered our Seniors Dance for Wellness workshops back in India.
So over a beautiful meet and greet sipping cups of hot herbal tea at the Les Grands Gamin at the heart of Rennes, ensued a free flowing conversation where we exchanged notes on each others life. Our passion for dancing was the visible to see as we hardly knew how moments passed by.
To dance is to sense connections beyond the dancing bodies.
To dance is to honour life and its unique expressions in the movements.
Savvy Raj
And when Celine invited me to her next Tango Therapy Workshop, it was an offer I could not refuse. I was actually keen to understand whether and how the cultural differences change the way of conducting and experiencing workshops here.
Dancing can improve the mobility and balance in senior adults.
Adapting the dance to suit the requirements of the group, like simplifying the steps, the placement of the feet, improves their coordination, mobility and balance.
The dance session was deeply engrossing & truly inspiring to witness and participate as well. The music played that day stayed with me well after the session.
So the next step turned out to be me conducting a Chacha session for them. The challenges of language barriers were surrmounted easily as Celine offered to translate my teaching from English to French.
Everything fell in place beautifully and voila time flew again.We danced a bit of Chacha that day and also some more in the next few sessions as well. I was told later by the learners how much they enjoyed it!
It was an amazing experience sharing the joys of movements and I thank Celine for her inclusivity in requesting me to conduct the dance sessions as well. And I deeply appreciate all her beautiful learners that I met,connected and danced with. It was a truly warm and wonderful time spent with them all.
After the sessions we would gather together and discuss opening many facets of the learning and imbibing. It was a beautiful way of empathising and understanding each other.
Some of the beautiful souls I got to interact with in the few months I was there.
Dance has a way of soothing your entire being and bringing forth and connecting you with the depth of who you are. That is when dance begins to feel meaningful and transforms life.
The dance connects established, in those sessions is a beautiful memory etched in my heart, that I will cherish forever.
I chanced on these beautiful moments again as I found the photos I clicked back then and I decided to give them a little artistic effect.
All across the world April 29th every year is celebrated as International Dance Day, although every day is a great day to dance!
I dedicate this post to all my dance friends and colleagues and all the dance educators in the world who are making the world a better place, with every step in time.
Savvy Raj
There is difference between living life as in ‘everyday’ as if it is’ every day’!
Everyday is ordinary or typical
But seeing it as every day is ‘each day’
Embrace the gift of this day
Every day is a fresh new start
Make it matter.
Live life well
Savvy
Allow the self some food for thought
Acknowlege that there is something more
To understand learn and explore
Allow space for growth
To evolve in the journey
There is much knowledge gained this way
And much to discover more along the way.
Savvy
Savvy Raj 