Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!

Tag Archives: life


by 1 Comment

You Most Certainly Can Dance

You Most Certainly Can Dance

A short story of inspiration for beginners learning to dance!
A pleasant Sunday morning, finds me in a new venue, a family club actually for my dance workshops in the suburbs of Mumbai , well it was a start of something new, so there I stood before my new batch of learners. I notice a lovely couple  had brought their daughter of five along with them. Being a parent myself I understand the limitations of nuclear parenting in Mumbai and the fact that there are times that one has to just take the kids along where you want to go, as sometimes, there is no one you could leave them safely with.

The keen observer in the picture is the little girl  I have written about  🙂

I smiled at the little girl who gave me a warm smile back. Very sweet I thought! Soon enough I began the session with the usual round of introduction to the dance form and then went on with the basic step of swing. I was quite busy with the parents and just had a cursory glance the little girl who I saw amusing herself standing near the corner where a couple of chairs were stacked.I went about explaining about the beat, counts and the rhythm and the body positioning and was halfway through the session . I was engrossed in teaching so much that I was suddenly jolted with a soft but insistent tap on my arm. I turned and was absolutely amazed when the little girl showed me the basic step with perfect timing to music. The little girl had carefully observed what I was doing and imbibed it for sometime standing quietly in the corner and once she was confident she came up to me silently for approval.
I was clearly bowled over by the power of observation and interest in this child. Many a times with power of observation we can master all that we want to by our-self , provided we have the determination to focus on our goals.
The little child’s brain had mapped a visual imagery of the step clearly, and was able to recall it at will even though she had not practiced it half the number of times her parents had… along with me.

 The power of observation has no age barrier, some are gifted and some have to develop the latent power within, but  we all certainly have it within us to  reap the potential of this power.So do care to see a little beyond the denials and negations just trust and believe you can dance and then You Most Certainly Can Dance!

Savvy 

Author 
PS:

This was first written for my dance students and future learners, a couple of years ago .But I felt it can be shared  for the power of perseverance and belief makes all the difference ! 

 

  • We are all unique in our movements , so we must strive to find our own path to fulfillment , wherein lies our success. Success follows whenever we move with the strength of intention to learn to dance !
  • Take a step , start dancing today ! Make dancing a way of life, To find out more about learning to dance at your pace…
    please contact  here or write to me:  savvy@danceconcepts.in


by 4 Comments

On Faith

 

fb_img_1518682974821552502038.jpg

 

Flow in faith

Time evolves one and all,come what may

Yesterday’s mountains have become paths today

Love of life will show the way

As you keep building bridges not walls I say!

Savy_Email-Signture3

 


by Leave a comment

Circle of thoughts 14

58766_mirror17

With care and consideration

Sometimes like coaxing a unwilling mule

Thoughts can be harnessed

For each has great potential…

Savvy

This above digital artwork Titled ‘Circles of thoughts,14 is a creative interpretation of encircling thoughts, The verses that follow is the 14thpart of my series of micropoems on interconnecting thoughts.

Savvy

To be contd …

Related links to read more…

/https://savvyraj.com/circles-of-thoughts/1

/https://savvyraj.com/circle-of-thoughts-2/

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/03/circle-of-thoughts-3

/https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/06/circle-of-thoughts-4/

/https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/08/circle-of-thoughts-6/

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/08/circle-of-thoughts-7/

http://wp.me/p6a0yZ-1hZ

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/17/circle-of-thoughts-8

https://savvyraj.com/2017/06/18/circle-of-thoughts-9

https://savvyraj.com/2017/07/01/circle-of-thoughts-10

#Micropoetry #PhotoFusion #Metaphysics

Artwork by Savvy Raj


by 1 Comment

Art of Management : Commitment

Art of Responsible Commitment.

1517309055903225178668.jpg

Tip 5: Art of Management.

Don’t bite more than you can chew!

Years ago when I was in the university doing my masters, I have a distinct memory of our Head of the Department carrying a book which read. ‘Don’t bite more than you can chew ‘ written in bold on the cover. A diminutive bespectacled gentleman every day he would carry it along with him to his lectures. And habitually as he reached his table he would carefully place it towards him and then start to speak.

The words on the book always intrigued me for its significance in our life and living.

Today as we discuss the art of management I see how this applies so beautifully.  Commitment is an art of management.  To manage your ability, capacity and resources at hand optimally and sustain it successfully learning to avoid overcommitment is a necessary skill.

A few Tips On the Art of Responsible Commitment.

  • Avoid over-commitment. To fulfil any commitment, before committing, simply make sure to clarify and define your own abilities and capacities to yourself. And communicate that in your actions as it will steer you clear from falling short of expectation from others.
  •  Be wary of over-compensating Remember every time you are over-committing somewhere you are weakening the very relationships you are trying to strengthen either your family or with your self by trying to overcompensate.
  • Respect your need for well-being as over-commitment is stressful and creates opportunities for health issues gradually.
  • Strive to bring a sense of balance. You know your abilities best. If you wish to expand your horizons and venture beyond your comfort zone, trust your intuitive intellect it certainly will not let you down.
  • Inculcate integrity in your approach to commitment at home and work for a balanced life and living.

Savvy Raj

About me : 

Wellness Mentor, Dance Educator & Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Writer, Freelance Designer 

 http://www.savvyraj.com

A few related Links

ART OF MANAGEMENT : Managing Self

ART OF MANAGEMENT : Managing Thoughts.

ART OF MANAGEMENT : Managing People

ART OF MANAGEMENT : Managing Conflicts


by 17 Comments

Ease Into Alignment

dahlia-2928335__340

 

A life lived well…

Is more about being and doing well

Than about doing much

& finding no time to be you

& all that you actually are.

 

Resonate with your own reserves

Reach out in the knowing

That you are enough for you.

Align your posture, let go tension.

Acknowledge your needs at this moment.

 

Sense the potential in this now

To alter the reality of this moment.

To make a positive difference in your ways.

To pursue your passions,

To love well, to enjoy life.

 

You need to create a balance between

What you can do and what you are doing.

Sometimes the tilts are unavoidable

And then life takes care of itself.

 

But it always helps to not tilt the balance

By overdoing, over-controlling, overindulging

Overstepping and overshadowing your own self.

Aim to balance the holding back & the letting go

With discretion and discerning

Of conscious intention in awareness.

 

Modern maladies are mostly self-inflicted

Due to excess of thought, action and deed.

With awareness, your own free will

Can be your best ally in the understanding

That freedom and responsibility go hand in hand.

 

And soon you will reach a level

Where you feel grounded

And yet light as a feather in flight.

Make sense of the choices you make in every now

Every now matters after all!

 

You have one life

Live it well

Because you can!

Savvy 

 

About me : 

Wellness Mentor, Dance Educator & Trainer, Motivational Speaker, Writer, Freelance Designer

Creativity stems from the acceptance of your authentic self. It is a never-ending journey of endless possibilities that is much beyond the pursuit of a hobby or craft and can be a habit of a lifetime. So besides being a Dance Educator as a Wellness coach, I offer a variety of Personal Effectiveness Programs for Self-development. 

Being a Writer and a Designer creating art gives me immense satisfaction with the infinite ways of expressing myself as I believe in enjoying the journey as much as the destination.

Savvy 

http://www.savvyraj.com


by 2 Comments

Circle of thoughts

 

57614_mirror1726847854.jpg

Thoughts may be boundless in content

A figment of imagination

Choosing  thoughts is a matter of intent

To lead the thoughts with contemplation

Savvy

Contd

#Micropoetry #PhotoFusion #Metaphysics

Artwork by Savvy Raj

 


by 6 Comments

On Nurturing 5

Nurturing Hope & Care

Hope is here to stay!’

Nurturing is a life affirming process ….rooted in bettering care and creating hope for a better life. There are many experiments conducted to support how even an exposure to nature like being amidst trees and tranquil places, hearing birdsongs and watching the sky , the sea and the sand can be extremely nurturing for ones health and wellbeing. The healing element associated with nature, is in the nurture it provides to replenish the soul.

The very nature of nurturing is both very inclusive and expansive in the same breath.The scope of positive outcomes of good nurturing is deeply significant to humanity at large . For that is what is truly important to sustain our planet . Every being’s effort in nurturing the world in and around him to thrive.

At the root of Creativity is a nurtured thought process. To nurture is to nourish the being with appropriate care.
Speaking of care giving, it is often a part of nurturing which can be rather challenging to say the least. In case of elders there can be a lot of unexplained resentment the care giver has to deal with for many seniors may take a while to come to terms with the many aspects of growing old.

Patience can have its limits too and with growing intolerance in a world which is more about the sense of self importance, the need to achieve much can stifle any thoughts of pursuing time consuming and almost never ending aspects of nurturing .

It is true the world is getting a little too self centered . However the realization of the impacts of an uncaring and indifferent citizens of the world is also hitting home and that too right from the modern changes of family systems in place.

The concern for global warming and carbon imprints is touching an all time high for the world now is slowly realizing how much it needs to nurture its own living spaces to ensure it has a world left to live at all. And thus thankfully hope is here to stay!

Contd

20170929_182156


by 7 Comments

ART OF MANAGEMENT : Managing Thoughts.

Art of Thought management.

Tip 2 : Choose to think well

Our thoughts can make or break us in every now.. and our life seems like a hell or a blessing in the way our thoughts unfold . Every life has a unique purpose and a perseveres on with the thoughts to fulfill its being .

A transition in thoughts is an expansive phenomenona. It courses on even in attempted conquering of thoughts through control or manipulation of its meanderings into an intentional channeling in consciousness.

Transcending thoughts is a choice as thoughts come and go ..the patterns we choose to create with, through and in them, makes one consciously or subconsciously a sculptor of one’s life. And through every exercise of such a choice we can leave a poised mark in time.

That said, yet, when we choose to make our presence felt and how we emerge will all figure out along the way in the strength of an interrelation of thoughts in interdependence. So truly choices we make matters a great deal . Think well!


by 11 Comments

On Nurturing :4  


After writing a series of posts on the topic of Nurturing I found a lot of ideas floating out on Parenting and thus I am drawn to deciphder and draw the parellels in the the two… 

 I tossed the topic out to my mother who is currently  visiting my brother and his family Besides the members of the family , it is home to two cats and a dog as pets. Life is certainly different there for her than with me here . My brother, a passionate animal lover is also an actively involved with Blue Cross of India. Rescue operations happen just about anytime and often at the middle of the night. And some hurt and disabled animals and birds eventually have known to have landed up at home as pets.

 Nurturing comes naturally to him especially so for those hapless animals and birds . I have personally seen the amount of care and concern  he and the volunteers at Blue Cross give without any expectation in return . Just a  week back there was an adoption drive for more than a 100 puppies and by the end of the day all the puppies found a home .The contentment  in those volunteers hearts must have been uncontained for sure.

In lieu with our topic nurturing  I took the liberty of envisioning and including  the perspectives of nurturing a pet as much as  parenting a child by my sharing of the backstory of my brothers home which is always more like a zoo or a sanctuary to me. Just kidding bro😊

I am going to share my mothers perspective  from such a backdrop…  on Parenting and Nurturing . 

Parenting and Nurturing.

Parenting and nurturing go hand in hand. Parenting needs more sternness while nurturing needs compassion and kindness.

Parent is a nature given blessed title and parenting is bliss and pain with growing responsibilities.

Whereas nurturing is the quality any one can develop on any living being. A plant well nurtured grows well. With kindness , compassion and love flowing from the heart one can nurture a plant to blossom into fruits, an animal in a healthy surrounding, helpless children and seniors to thrive in a dignified way .

Parenting is our duty towards our children . Nurturing them comes naturally. Parenting involves providing, caring, shaping their future with lot of disciplining. Parenting has a natural tendency to forgive their follies and wrong doings , will find an excuse for their wrong behavior and justify them.

Parenting cannot be done without nurturing whereas nurturing doesn’t need to be parenting. The reciprocation of parenting can be seen in the nurturing of parents by the children in their old age.

By nurturing one can increase other’s self worth, self value and increase their confidence level. It can bring joy to a miserable person . Nurturing is a divine quality any one can develop. It is the extension n expansion of parenting beyond self. It can best be  selfless

Nurturing can be done in many levels. Physical nurturing is one thing, emotional n psychological nurturing also help a long way in sculpting better human beings.

Sometimes mere words of encouragement n appreciation of their deeds become vocal nurturing to perform better. Weaning away the weeds is also a part of good nurturing.

Nurturing can be time and place limited without possessiveness. Let going becomes easier whereas the feeling of parenting crosses these lines as the bond is life long till death do them part.

The name and nature may vary. But without parenting and nurturing qualities the world will not survive. They help the future generation to grow into better persons. The legacy will continue by all sometime, somewhere. They are the two sides of the same divine coin. Good parenting makes better human beings, good nurturing creates a better society and a better world.

Both will make the world smile.

What you nurture is important especially in your own nature.             

Just remember in nurturing, what you choose to nurture, develops…

Choose wisely!

Savvy

 


by 7 Comments

Follow your passion…find your purpose… fulfill your presence.


The highest motivation that can change the way we behave for the better is always intrinsic than external factors. There have been many research studies conducted to find out if we are influenced to perform better consistently through a system of rewards and punishments. Humans, are found to decrease performance in tasks where there is only materialistic gain as a reward,but fare consistently better where there is autonomy & encouragement  towards a purpose. A purpose which aligns with their innate  sensibilities.


This throws the conventional and traditional approach to getting work done, up for a toss. As it is exactly opposite to the viewpoint that  humans can be manipulated to a large extent to achieve better results by the so-called carrot and stick methods .



 

In choosing to work harder at a task or a job with passion instead of needing to comply to it  lets the  being feels free enough to go beyond the box . As there is free will within  a wider net of required structure the creative potentialities are given a free play  and thus the individual moves closer to his authentic self . The joy of self-expression results in a need to share it with others out of sheer happiness .

 

Highest levels of happiness are  in giving a  larger meaning to life  whether it is in involving oneself in activities  helping another, in learning and growing with another , it could be in learning  a new  art form ,or even simply in dancing socially with a group of people , are  all wonderful for your well-being& a healthy life. Even in the simple act of volunteering towards  a good deed  from the heart,  can make one realize the true joys of sharing….and find meaning in one’s own lives .


What is that makes us love ourselves better when we give? Is it the satisfaction  in the appreciation of that which we willingly share or is it on the innate need for doing a deed with a larger good in mind. or is it in the happiness of the other that results through the actions. Whatever it may be, just remember we are truly blessed and are our most authentic self in every expansive action that we choose to do!

20170929_182156

 


 


by 12 Comments

 Dancing:  Enriching life and living.

 

Screenshot_2015-10-08-16-47-04-1

The trick is in the integration of such artistic  pursuits into our everyday lives ,as most of us  carry on with our life with little or no time to spare for a little self enrichment.

www.danceconcepts.in 

Silence speaks

by 4 Comments


by 4 Comments

Travel Trails 

The Mystique of the Middle East

The mystique and majesty of Abu Dhabi is well enshrined in the beautiful exquisite and holy mosque Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Al Mushrif, a district in Abu Dhabi the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, and is considered to be the key site for worship in the country. The design of the mosque was done by a Syrian architect named Yousef Abdelky.

Breathtaking architechture combined with amazing royal  blue lighting from the ornate  chandliers in the evening hours  gives out the feeling of heady opulence and extravagance  throughout the beautiful structure  as much as the keen sense of subtlety of approach in maintaining uniformity of designs and colour.

It is amazing to see the well maintained courtyard  with  exquiste inlay work  and the  beautiful waterbody along the pathway.



The magnificent splendour of intricate carvings  the majestic coloumns resplendent with  matching motifs  continues in the gigantic green carpet splayed across the entire inner sanctum.

A visual treat no doubt but the sense of symmetry is almost meditative.. Walking along through the gilded coloumns corridors is a beautiful and zen like experience in itself.

The magnanimity of  the silence space is almost alluring as much as the effects of the beautiful lighting  throughout the interiors as much as the exteriors of the mosque .

What distinguishes  these motifs of Islamic architecture are the use of coloumns, piers and arches organized and interwoven with alternating sequences and use of fractal patterns and repetitive radiating structures.
Standing there at dusk witnessing the beautiful moonlit sky and our dancing reflections in the azure blue waters of the pool of water in this  magnanimous shrine one could  feel totally inspired in even simply visiting it once for this mosque is certainly a masterpiece of Islamic architechture. 

Much gratitude to my dear brother in law and family in Dubai who  offered to drive us from Dubai to visit to this grand mosque.  Certainly a trip to Abu Dhabi would be incomplete without visiting this beautiful Shrine! 

Every shrine is filled with a vibration that is unique to the place be it a mosque synagogue a church or a temple … for the  convergence of  countless positive intentions energizes the space filling us with a deep sense of peace and serenity.

Savvy Raj


by 2 Comments

Strike a pose

Stir swirl and swivel your passionate self. 

Just dance your heart out!

Savvy

#dancelove #heartspeaks #dancingsouls 


by 4 Comments

On Nurturing  2

Parenting: The learnings in the nurturing.

Parenting is a long term learning process. With the first born every parent is going through a variety of emotions and various stages of parenting. It is true as an infant it is entirely on the parents-  be its safety, its cleanliness, understanding its cries for various needs-  all done with so much love and care without prior experience.  As the child grows  so does its mode of expression, tantrums, seeking attention, and the parents learn to cope up with all of it  like experts. Cherubic angels with devilish moods. It’s a 24/ 7 job with full focus. The teacher in the child starts teaching valuable lessons, you may have not come across so far in any university.

You have to constantly learn new techniques with every child. One lesson will not work with the other as they are different individuals teaching you to handle the same issues with various means.

You will be learning new lessons with every stage of their growing up. Infants to toddlers to kids, youngsters to teen agers, Young adults to grown up,men and women, each stage teaches you different lessons.
You will be learning new lessons on changing generations, their changing values,  how to maintain the balance and be a bridge to keep up the tranquility and peace at home. Though every phase has its testing period, it is challenging period when they are in their teens with their  need to balance their inner and outer worlds.  Once you cross that successfully you can enjoy a momentary peace till the next one starts.

Coping up with the the new relations that springs up in their lives, and the need to understand their changing priorities, to accept gracefully  and take the back seat in their life though they remain as ur priority , without regrets. Ability to know the strength of the bond though invisible still remains strong and intact. The list of life lessons the child teaches goes on till the end.

That is the way life has to go on.

And all the while we pride ourselves as parents and that we teach and guide our children!
Who is the real teacher here?

These are a few reflections from my mothers perspectives on Parenting.

There may be many styles of parenting and the nurturing they instill  may be relative to  what they received. There is no foolproof way to successful parenting as success is itself subjective. However the idea of nurturing  abilities and giving space for evolving  helps the  holistic development of individual.On Nurturing

In a nutshell …can think of  5 A’s of Nurturing as parents… but the list never ends .

Acknowledge abilities as uniquely significant.

Appreciate the good qualities & its application.

Allow the potential of  personal expression.

Accept the challenges as part of life

Adapt to changing nature.

What are your views on Parenting and nurturing? Do share.
20170929_182156