Savvy Raj

Live Life Lovingly!


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Tryst with truth…

The Confusion

 

Making sense of it all

From maya to magic

From dream to reality

From action to inaction

From silence to chaos

From dissolution to a solution.

From closure again to disclosure

Is it all an appearance, a facade

This journey of searching reality

In the self-discovery.

 

The Contention… on Creativity

 

What a world we live in

All is in a word called Maya  …

The world is but an illusion…

A make-believe of our senses.

Then in such a make-believe world

All logic all reasoning all science all knowledge

maybe after all at best…

A search to understand the root of creation.

Of the illusion of you and me.

Of nothing and everything.

 

 

The connection… in the creativity

 

As in the unlearning and learning of knowledge through experiences in life and living every individual sparks new pathways of behaviour in association and application. We are enriched in the structuring which we can call as a stillness for comprehension, a pause for reflection a calmness in contemplation so that we are propelled to unique expression in the assimilation.

No two thoughts are exactly alike but there is always a field of energy we radiate and our thoughts carry the vibrational frequency of the energy in the movement. And that is what can be directed distilled denatured decimated dissolved and drawn from for health and healing.

Savvy

 

 

Experience or lack of it can be a root cause of variations and alterations of behaviour. But while boundaries may be reminding of a journey having a destination, it is the openness that reflects the never-ending source of creativity and its possibility.

 

The Continuation…

 

So as we dance through the apparition of appearances

Of assumptions in the amalgamation.

All that is real may be an illusion

All that we believe to be is perhaps real.

And our tryst with the truth…

Continues…

 

Savvy Raj

About The Author

 


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On Faith

 

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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

 


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Circle of thoughts 14

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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


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Power of Possibilities

 

Explore the Immense Power of Possibilities!

At times we find our road has got rough

Many times we give up when the going gets tough

At such times if we muster the strength to persevere

The very perseverance leads us to new paths

Paths we may have never accessed in the fear of trying.

To try to forge ahead in spite of hopelessness

To try to discover the power of possibilities

To try to seek the connecting dots that may have faded in time

To try to find new pathways in the making

Such is the power of life in the living.

There is always a way

To make it happen

Often enshrouded in

All we need is to see beyond the looking

Envision the potential that rests within

Trust the options we have at hand,

And lo and behold!

There is so much more than what we thought was possible.

Come let us dare to explore the power of the possibilities!

 

Savvy


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Circle of thoughts

 

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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

 

Silence speaks

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The Call of the Dunes.

Desert Trails :

 

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The call of the dunes.

The desert has a way  with you.

Just sun and sand across and around you.

As much as your eyes can see in the yonder

The red tinged sands bears the patterns of movement.

Of many who walked in there in sheer amazement.

Of the eerie silence of nothingness around

Except the tunes, that the howling winds may sound.

 

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The charm of the desert  springs on at night

At the camp with carpets spread out

Surrounded by the bedouins tents

And a sheesha to indulge if you wish

Traditional Arabic hospitality peeks

And the swaying hips of the belly dancer speaks

Flowing and swivelling like the swirls on  the dunes

Mesmerizing you in the alluring moves to the mystical tunes.

Bring it on you may yourself  say…

You must at least for once pass this way!

Savvy

 


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Ethereal

 

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This beautiful photograph of the Jacaranda Tree is a sight to behold . I have always liked to see  pictures of these  purple and  pink  and lavender blue trees .

But this particular picture … it was pure fascination!

Could I write verses on it…. perhaps! Cos it feels like serenedipity everytime I see it. There is so much pleasantness in that picture for me … I am guessing I am simply partial to all those hues and tones right there juxtaposed so delightfully. Quite like the essence of a prolific poem understated and unassuming.

Yet poetry is not on my mind today…

In fact what I am drawn to here is the delicate draw of balance of colour and composition. The brilliant blues of the sky entices the viewer as much  the hints of hues of greens  and pink just about show up  ever so delicately amidst the starkness of the stems from  betwixst and between the branches of this bewitching tree.

And thats not all … there is so much more to that tree and this photograph is just a hint of whats in the offing….

There is certain sense of ambiguity  yet an attribution of knowing there is much much more beyond the visible.

In fact when you actually see, it is the beauty of the skylight seen through the canopy of pink flowers amidst those branches all captured in that one enthralling moment.

And like  nothings is ever permanent  and perfect,  there always comes the scope of change even in so much balance in that stillness of the movement so precariously precise in the picture.

 

The trick is to be aware of balance

Appreciate the now for what it is

It offers much if you choose to see.

So perfect in its imperfections

A sense of the almost ethreal…

 

 

Here are a few facts on Jacaranda Tree.

The Jacaranda flowers are known to flutter down continously from the tree.The trees are native to South and Central America  and now are also seen in many tropical areas of the world.

Pretoria in South Africa is known to be The Jacaranda City for the huge number the these trees planted in parks steets and gardens.So much so that when seen from the nearby hills the city is known  to appears blue/purple in colour.

The word Jacaranda means fragrant in a South American dialect and depending on their species  they have blue to white to  lavender pink to purple shades of flowers. They are known to grow as tall as 20 to 30 metres in height in their lifetime which can span  from 50 toover 70 years or so.

And because of that one picture I choose to look up and discover these tidbits … .Do share if you find some more about this tree.

Savvy Raj

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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On Legacy 

On Leaving a legacy …

A life lived in expression of one’s passion

A life lived in dedication and devotion.

A life lived sensing the spirit of being alive.

A life spent enriching others as much as ones own.

A life lived like that is ever blessed in grace

For wherever the soul resides

It is always shining in eternal light.

Savvy

Had written these verses on hearing an account of the journey of a life well lived …. nurturing a life of goodness and  generating goodwill .

Feel compelled to share this with my readers and ask what would you think is a true legacy? … and  most importantly have you seen or influenced by someone following such a path upclose.

Do share your thoughts…

Savvy Raj


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There is a kind of hush


There is a kind of hush…

up in the mystical mountains nestled in the green lush

A fairy tale like feeling in this enticing place somewhere

An idyllic haven of blues and greens in the middle of nowhere

Speaks softly to that place in the heart that I treasure

It is abound with bliss and bounties of nature

Crystal clear waters reflecting the canopy of green

The falling leaves witness to this mystical scene

Glowing in the gilded light from above

Could only come from a place of true love

enveloped in a kind of magic that fills the air

Captivating and conjuring, beauty beyond compare

A view like this and I just had to share…

Savvy Raj


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Quietude

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Practising quietude to listen is about stilling the restless spirit.

Quietude is about respecting the strength of subtlety.

Quietude is valuing the grace of dignity of consciousness.

Quietude is an opportunity to hone awareness of subtle consciousness…

For in listening beyond all the noise

The core of our consciousness awakens

and finds its own voice.

To express and acknowledge the learnings

in the essence of  silence.

Savvy Raj

 

 


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The Peaceful Warrior

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Be strong and know your limitless potential

Be confident and remember your uniqueness

Be certain and value your own decisions.

Be tough and remember the warrior within.

 

Life’s battles are not always in a battlefield.

Fate may have different paths for us to travel.

The peaceful warrior weathers the storms.

Unperturbed, come what may in troubled times.

 

Knowing  wars are not won by brandished swords.

Knowing the power of perseverance and patience.

Knowing the strength in the way of the heart and in the peace of mind.

Knowing the inner calm in the depth of one’s soul.

 

To honour and value every moment in this now, to bend like a reed.

To respect life, enough to know the stillness in moment.

To acknowledge pain as a passing moment.

To steer intentionally to causes that make a difference.

 

Remember the way of the peaceful warrior.

Reaching to transcend the way of war.

Raising swords nor words but realizing the truth.

Resonating love not wars, as peace is the way…

 

Being another storm is never the answer

Being indifferent or just another barrier is never the solution.

In testing the strength of will at bay without succumbing.

In daring to trust beyond fate, is the way of the peaceful warrior!

Savvy Raj

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/way-peaceful-warrior-savvy-raj/

I had written this poem about life and living more than a year ago before I even got connected with my friend Christoph. But as I started to really understand about him and his work,  I sensed a lot of what I had written about following the path of peace and equanimity as a way of life and living, resonates and connects to his chosen path.

 There are some people who connect with you and you get the feeling you have known them all along. And sometimes you get this feeling without even meeting them in person ever before.  

Christoph my friend from France mentioned he would be travelling to India and we decided to catch up in person. With a comfortable venue and time decided, as we finally met, what struck significantly was how we both spoke at length with  an ease and comfort of a trustful knowing that words cannot describe.

It is not often you feel deeply privileged to meet someone so humane and humble like Christoph Eberhard. A man on a mission to spread good energies, a man on the path of  promoting peace and well being in the world, through dialogues for change and so much more. 

To introduce my friend Christoph here is an absolute pleasure. So after meeting and speaking with each other for hours,  I just knew that here is someone whose inspiring reflections must be shared by all who have the good fortune of meeting him. So I proposed the idea of this interview and he graciously accepted.😊

So join along with me in a journey of discovering more in plenitude about this ‘Peaceful Warrior Christoph Eberhard.’

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To my readers, especially those who followed my earlier conversational interviews may perhaps know, this is where I share stories straight from the heart of some of my very inspiring friends who I happen to connect with deeply.  

In these series of conversations on ‘Life and Living’ I intend to share some real stories and what happens when dreams that take shape through intention, passion and dedication.

A heartfelt dialogue in the interconnects can open doors to new integrations of thought. And that is one of the reasons for doing such interviews. There is always so much learning in the sharing, after all to share is to learn some more…


Savvy :  To begin with tell me, how would you like to see yourself… besides being a teacher. Are you more of a discoverer, learner or a traveller?

Christoph: What I would like to become is a true human being. As I like to say: “Life is not a void to be filled. It is a plenitude to be discovered.” Similarly, our humanity is also a plenitude to be discovered. Many traditions see the human being as a pillar spanning all worlds and linking them together. The Chinese for example see the human being as standing between and linking Heaven and Earth.

So, basically, I see myself as a human being amongst fellow human beings. We seem to be beings of dialogue. I became aware little by little that my whole life revolves around four kinds of dialogue: dialogue with others, dialogue with oneself, dialogue with the world and dialogue with “beyond”.

Life is a journey. So, we are all travellers. During that journey, we discover many things. So, we are all discoverers. Our discoveries teach us. So, we are all learners. We share what we discover and what we learn with others. So, we are all teachers.

Savvy:  And what brought you to India the first time around? Give a bit of your backstory.

Christoph : I am Austrian. I lived in Austria until I was 10. We then moved to Romania for 4 years. It was at the time Romania was still under the rule of Ceausescu. From there we moved to France when I was fourteen. So, I experienced different European settings, both “free” and “communist” at a young age. I also experienced different ways of living, different languages, different cultures. Being bilingual (German and French) made me wonder very early about how much our perceptions make up our world. We cannot translate everything from one language to another. So, is the world real? Is it dependent on the language through which we approach it? These were questions I started to ask myself a lot when I was around 10 years old. I read a lot of Paul Watzlawick at the time on the socio-psychological construction of reality.

After finishing school, I decided to study Law, in order to understand how societies organize themselves. After my Bachelor, I went for a Master in comparative law, focusing on German Law.When I was about to finish my Master in Germany, an opportunity came up to go and study in Delhi, at JNU. Because of my passion for martial arts (I started my martial arts journey with Judo when I was 7), I always wanted to go and spend time in China – so, there was this idea in my mind since a young age that I wanted to travel to Asia. So, I went. I signed up for a M.Phil. programme in International law. The idea was to get a non-Western perspective on globalisation and experience a non-Western culture. Honestly, at that time, I did not know much about India and I was not particularly drawn to it. It was more an opportunity I seized to deepen my exploration of the world we live in, of pluralism and the challenges of intercultural dialogue.

This was in 1994. India had not opened up to the global market then and lots of our discussions in the diverse classes were about: should India open up or not? JNU was also a very interesting place: being an All India University, I had friends from all over India. So many different languages, cultures, religions, communities… Pluralism indeed! My stay and my studies in India increased my awareness of the challenges of intercultural dialogue: I realized how Western international law was… and how Western Indian law was, as a legacy from the British. So, I started wondering: what about all those who are excluded from these “modern, Western” dynamics.

It is in India that I started deepening my knowledge of anthropology and that I consciously started to explore possible ways of bringing together law and anthropology in order to map out more inclusive, more dialogical ways of living together. It is when I came back from India, that I did my Master in legal anthropology in Paris and that I started to work on the question of Human Rights and Intercultural Dialogue which then became  Ph.D. topic. My question was: how can we live together in harmony and peace in our contemporary global society where awareness of pluralism is increasing?

Law, Globalisation and Intercultural Dialogue: https://youtu.be/iqaISXlzIxo

Savvy :What did you want to become in your growing years?

Christoph : When people asked me what I wanted to do in my life when I finish my studies, I always answered: Peace. I did not know how it would manifest. But I felt I have to work for peace. To echo what I said at the beginning, I realized that this meant for me: peace and harmony with oneself, others, our environment and beyond. And I should add this: if we kill everyone and everything, we may have peace. But this is a dead peace. And I am not talking only about “outside”. If we kill our emotions, thoughts, dreams etc. we may experience a kind of dull peace. But this is dead. I was always interested in living peace. How to have peace amongst all our diversity, our different points of views, our conflicts etc., internally and externally, individually and collectively? This is why dialogue is so important to me. Peace, harmony and dialogue are intimately connected.

 

Savvy : Could you share about this journey you are on…What brings you to India now?

Christoph:The journey is a journey of peace and dialogue. It is a journey of sharing, discovering, becoming. From 1995 where I started my work on Human Rights and Intercultural dialogue up to 2013, I mainly expressed this journey in an academic setting as a professor and researcher. I brought together scholars from all over the world and from many different disciplines (law, anthropology, economics, sociology, political science, philosophy etc.) to map out paths for a responsible and dialogical living together in our contemporary era of globalisation. We published a number of collective books and I also wrote my own books. I see them as spaces allowing different sensibilities to unfold. In a certain way, I was lucky that I did not really fit the system. I always found myself in a quite precarious situation as I did not match the existing boxes. I never fit in, but at the same time I had a foot in “the system” as some people saw the relevance of my work and supported me. Private foundations funded my research projects – and I am really very grateful to them for that! The Academic world is very competitive. “Publish or perish!” At the beginning, being enthusiastic about my research projects intending to contribute to a better world, and also needing to establish a legitimate base, I carried out more research, especially on the question of dialogue between different systems of knowledge (like for example modern medicine and traditional medicines). I started to use my free time, to deepen the traditions of knowledge I was interested in. I especially deepened my knowledge of Yoga in India and of the internal martial arts and life nourishing practices in China. I also started sharing them with friends on a regular basis.

I decided to start teaching Yoga, Taiji Quan, Qi Gong and the beautiful arts of Wudang Shan. I decided to let things unfold naturally.  One thing I have learned is that anything of value can only happen if the source flows. Let the source flow. If it does, vegetation will start to grow, animals will come, humans will settle, whole civilisations may flourish. Take the water away and nothing can subside. So currently, I have decided to put myself at the disposal of those who want to work with me, while keeping enough time to continue to deepen my practices. I am teaching on a regular basis in the South of France and I am giving some workshops internationally. I have also kept in touch with diverse research institutions and do some work with them. In the long run, a dream would be to open a center where we could share the beautiful and enriching traditions of art and knowledge of our world and make them dialogue!

The last years when I came to India, it was especially in order to deepen my knowledge of Yoga and also to meet different people who are holders of traditional knowledge to learn from them and also to exchange on how they see the challenges of their traditions in the contemporary context. In a certain way, my travels have become pilgrimages. This year, my pilgrimage in India took me from the Himalayas all the way down to Kanyakumari. I met many beautiful people and had many enriching exchanges. I feel blessed to have this opportunity to be able to meet people and to have the time to exchange with them.

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Savvy :You have gone on to seek and imbibe the learning of the east, have you always been attracted to the wisdom of the east so to say?

Christoph : The East is where the sun rises. Where the light starts shining. In that sense, yes, I was always attracted to the wisdom of the East. But it is not so much the geographical East, than this spiritual East I have been attracted to. Geographically, I also seem to have a connection with Asia. All together, I spent a few years living in India! And I also spent a few years living in China. And lots of the time spent there was devoted to practice and deepen some of their spiritual paths. But I am also deeply appreciative of my European traditions, the “spiritual” ones as well as the “secular” ones.

 

Savvy : Certainly! Spirituality may seem elusive and yet its  presence is boundless in the path of awareness of every now.  What were your challenges along the way?

Christoph: It is not easy to walk a path which is not a mainstream one. I wanted to work for peace. This put me into quite precarious situations. I was the top student in all the Masters I did – and they were from top world universities and I wrote my theses with the world leading experts in the respective fields. On paper, I was the best. And initially, I felt some sense of entitlement: as the best, you should be given a scholarship, you should be selected for a job… But this is not what happens when you honestly try to follow a path that does not really fit in… although it may make people dream of better tomorrows. So you learn humility. You learn to open up your eyes to all the other people around you who also have amazing things to share, but for whom nobody cares. At some point, because you have to keep on fighting all of the time, you start to feel like a hero who is sacrificing himself for the world. While your friends start to get established, start a family, move into a nice house, climb their career ladder, you are still “going nowhere”. You are a loser. So, your ego plays this trick and tells you: you are a hero! You are working for everybody, for the good of all! To let go of this is a big lesson of humility. No, you are not special. No, your mission is not to save the world. Be human. Try to live a humane life. Your struggles are not different from that of any one of us, even if you like to coat them in sweet illusions of helping the world.

Being more humble and more simple also allows to be “less full of oneself”. So, we start to be able to give more space to those we encounter. We start to fill our lives less. And we start to discover its plenitude more and more. It is a beautiful journey. But at some point, as Robert Vachon from the Intercultural Institute of Montreal, a great friend and a big inspiration for me, used to say: “it is crucifying but liberating.”

Life is beautiful. Suffering we have to go through can teach us to become aware of its beauty, to listen, to open up.

 

Savvy: Yes indeed! And now with so much achieved in such a short span of time what are your goals now?

Christoph :Wuwei: action in non-action, letting that which has to manifest manifest naturally.

The Dream Within: https://youtu.be/7Gcs0teb8X0

Savvy: To the uninitiated healing movement practices sound abstract and difficult to comprehend what do you say to that? And how accepting is the western world to it today? Have you had to work at diluting and channelling the learning for the Western World especially who have no background of this at all?

 Christoph: If you talk about Qi Gong / Taiji Quan / Yoga, I would say: Practice! Taste! There is not much use in talking a lot about these things. Practice and see what happens. Taste and experience. And then draw conclusions if you want or just enjoy the journey. There is a Taoist saying: “Empty your head and fill your belly!” This means: Stop thinking and nourish your energy, which initially can be gathered in the lower dantien, an energy center situated at the level of the belly. As long as we are agitated, energy cannot gather. We have to become still.

How accepting is the Western world of that? These practices have been around for quite a while now. Many people know about them and are in one way or another exposed to them. They have also become very fashionable. I think Yoga is currently the biggest wellness / fitness industry… and the Chinese arts are catching up. In the process, they get commodified, institutionalized. They get turned into sports, into therapies…

On an individual level, there is no particular problem to share those arts with people who are interested in them. On a more global level there is more politics involved because it is about the access to the health / wellness / fitness market. On the medical side, there is still a predominance of Western medicine, but non-Western medicines are increasingly gaining recognition.

Maybe I should clarify, that Qi Gong, the art to master energy, encompasses different orientations. Qi Gong for life nourishing: keeping yourself healthy and increasing your vitality. Qi Gong for healing: mastering energy for healing oneself or others. Qi Gong for martial arts: building up one’s power for martial arts. Qi Gong for spiritual practice: building up the necessary energy for the internal journey. My focus and interest has essentially been on the two last ones. Health was more of a side effect for me, not a reason why I practiced it. It is only now, because of what people need, that I start to deepen the specific health aspects more. So, my answers are obviously different from the ones a practitioner of TCM, traditional Chinese medicine, would give.

Is there a need for diluting the teachings in the West? I feel there is no specific problem about East or West or North or South. At the beginning, everybody is a beginner. Every journey starts with the first step. And every teaching situation is a meeting between somebody who wants to learn something and somebody who can teach. The Taoist approach is to make oneself available. You are not here to promote what you are or what you do. If people are interested, you share. That’s all. There is no place for trying to convince people or for proving your point. You are interested? Look there is this gate! You want to enter? Enter! You will have to enter by yourself. You are the one who makes the journey.

Then of course, you have people of various backgrounds – so, you try to speak their language, so that they can understand you, at least as much as is necessary to be able to work on the level they are on. The beauty is that you have practices. I have shared certain things with friends who did not speak a common language with me, where I just knew a few common words. But you can show. The person can experience. So, you can learn. I myself only speak very basic Chinese and often I was in situations in China where there was nobody around speaking anything else – so, I also learned a lot just by observing and practicing. Theory is interesting. It also has its usefulness. But the important thing is to practice and to taste your practice. One of my masters said: “Taste every movement like a good cup of tea.” First, enjoy! And then, taste! Taste! And so, little by little you start to taste yourself and you start to come to know yourself a bit more.

The essence is simple: relax, align, be aware.

 

Taiji and Yoga Philosophy: https://youtu.be/vUEV0HhXfSU

 

Savvy:  Speaking of when one begins the journey to internalize the wisdom of healing movements what kind of changes can happen to oneself.

Chrisroph
: It depends where you start from and how much you practice. Many things happen on many levels. The most important thing is the development of a gentle awareness of yourself and little by little of others, your surroundings and beyond. Some people realize that they breathe – something they never experienced before consciously. They become aware of the quality of their breath, of how it changes. They start discovering their bodies, emotions, mind more. They start to become aware of their tensions and start to experience the possibility to relax. I have started martial arts quite early, when I was seven. So, somehow they were always part of my life. When I was thirty, I went to the North of China for a year to practice internal martial arts. I practiced a lot every day. That was the only thing I had to do. I spent hours and hours every day sitting, standing, moving in slow motion… breathing, being aware. There was also more dynamic training involved. There you witness more dramatic changes. Your body becomes healthier, your energy level rises and your mind becomes stiller and clearer. Your experience depends a lot on what you look for and how deeply you get involved. If you can only practice one hour a week, your experience will be different. What is common, is that you will taste being more aware, open, relaxed, centered, aligned. And this will have effects on the rest of your life. Some people start with one practice. Little by little, it affects their whole life and they change their life style: how they sleep, eat, work, interact with others, nature… and themselves!
Savvy: Could you in brief discuss the effect Qi gong have beyond the physical body — on the emotions, the mind and the spirit?

Christoph : In the arts of Wudang Shan that I practice, the path is quite straight forward. First, you have to gather vitality, jing. Jing has to be refined into a more subtle energy, Qi. Qi has to be further refined into mind, Shen. Mind has to be opened up. It has to open up to Wuji, that which is beyond, the fundamental openness, the non manifest. At this point, one becomes one with the Dao, one with everything. And then of course the Dao will manifest in our mind which will manifest in our energy which will manifest in our vitality which will manifest in how we are outwardly.

Another way of looking at it is that you gradually open up and relax into being. First, you open up on the physical level, then on the emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Finally you open up at the cosmic level and beyond. All levels are interlinked. By opening up more and more, you also center and align yourself more and more. You discover your unity. Harmony sets in gradually. When everything is harmonized, it can be said that you are fundamentally healthy. In Taoist terms, you become an immortal. In India, you would say you become a Buddha or a jivanmukhta, an enlightened being.

Wudang Taiji Quan: https://youtu.be/rRisuOJU_HI

Savvy: How relevant has Qigong and Tai chi training been personally to you in your intercultural beliefs and how can everyone benefit? How do you use / apply this wisdom in the challenges of life and living?

Christoph: Learn to taste. Learn to relax. Learn to be aware. Learn to be aligned. Learn to remain open. Beliefs are things we do not know. So, we accept certain things on faith… a lot actually! By learning to taste, we learn to experiment and to get firsthand experience of life. We live in the world of forms. Forms are limited. The wise man points at the moon. The fool looks at the finger. Starting to see the moon, gives us a better understanding of what the finger is about. The whole of creation is a big finger pointing to what is beyond. So, both these aspects are there. Once you start to get a little taste of what is beyond form, you gain a new perspective on forms. You see their relevance but you are less imprisoned by them. This helps to understand different points of view. It allows to “stand under” different horizons of intelligibility without losing one’s center, one’s alignment. It also helps to go through the existential crises of life without closing up completely. You become aware that being deeply shaken is part of Life’s manifestation. It teaches you to become more humble, more simple, more open and at the same time more aligned.

Savvy : Could you mention a bit on Internal and External Qi Gong.

Christoph : Qi Gong is basically part of Nei Gong, internal work. But then, as we mentioned before: all levels are interconnected. Energy is wonderful. But you have to have an adequate structure where it can circulate. So, there is a range of practices. Some emphasize more external aspects, strengthening and loosening up your body. Some emphasize more the energy work. Some little by little enter more the mind aspect of the work. Meditation and internal alchemy, practices of spiritual transmutation of what we are also part of the path. Think of the path of Ashtanga Yoga, the Eight Limbs Path of Yoga laid out by Patanjali: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Qi Gong can be equated to Pranayama. It occupies the same place in the Taoist system as pranayama does in the Yoga system. At one level, it is the bridge from the external to the internal work. As long as there is no conscious use of energy involved, one cannot really speak of Qi Gong – maybe of preparatory practices to Qi Gong. Once energy is there, everything can become a Qi Gong. And little by little, everything may become a meditation.

Tao. Chinese Path to Harmony and Health: https://youtu.be/xGftY69yQD0

 

Savvy What is your message to the world in this moment?

Christoph : Relax!…Which does not mean collapse! It means: Open up! Be aligned! Be aware!

Savvy: On a lighter note… Do you watch films and if so which are your favourite Martial Art films, I like a lot of them especially Ip man.

Christoph : I like movies and I do like martial arts movies. I also liked the Ip Man trilogy. When I was young, I especially enjoyed Jackie Chan movies – the traditional ones. I loved how he made his whole environment dance: he used not only his hands feet and weapons, but vases, benches, tables etc… Later in his action movies, the dance was expanded to helicopters, cars, boats, roller skates and what not! In each movie, he would come up with something new. And there was no computer animation then. They really did their stunts. In the old movies, I especially enjoyed the training sequences. They inspired me for my own training. With some friends, we also tried to pick up some moves we saw in his movies – they became little challenges for us: would we be able to do it? I also liked the positive vibe about his characters: usually a nice guy, getting himself into trouble without really looking for it. I thought a lot about why I liked his movies so much. For me they symbolize the cosmic dance. Action in every direction. And at the center? Jackie Chan, the open space. The humor in his fight scenes gives a spacious quality to his choreographies. You see life unfolding. You see his creativity manifesting in the middle of all this action to get him out of his predicament. I also like Jet Li a lot. But his choreographies are more like perfectly executed partitions of classical music. It is a different beauty. On a deep level I prefer Jackie Chan’s. Drunken Master was one of my favourite Jackie Chan movies. The first movie I saw of Jackie Chan was The Young Master – so it has a special relevance for me. A beautiful and very meaningful martial arts movie for me is Hero with Jet Li. There are many aspects in this movie. For me, it is especially a movie that captures the spirit of the sword. I saw it when I learned my first sword forms in China. The movie is beautiful. It shares many layers of depth of martial arts and of their philosophy and the visuals convey the purity and sharpness of the sword.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOO0Y_IDJOw&authuser=0

 

Savvy:   Finally what should I have asked and didn’t?

Christoph : We already talked too much! “He who speaks does not know. He who knows does not speak.”

Silence and Dialogue: https://youtu.be/gyvBhuGr5uY

Yes indeed!  And these very words say it all about this inspiring man and his path. Do join me as I wish him good luck in all his future endeavours towards world peace and well being.

Savvy  

 

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Savvy Raj & Christoph Eberhard

@ Raasta Cafe Pune India

 

For more information on Christoph do visit his You Tube Channel Dialogues for Change

here :

https://www.youtube.com/DialoguesForChange

About the Author:

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Ms Savvy Raj is a Dance Educator and Corporate Wellness Trainer she conducts workshop in Social Dances, Holistic Well Being as well as Personal Effectiveness.  She is a Member of the International Dance Council UNESCO the official world wide organization for all forms of dance. As She is a certified adult trainer who uses the creative medium of dance towards bringing empathetic consciousness in her students. Using International Social dance forms and a variety of improvisational techniques as well as creative movement exercises she brings forth the human connect in it all. Working towards the development of an individual through dance applications and nurturing in the learners an enthusiasm to see and live life lovingly.

Savvy is also Certified Graphologist who pursues this as a hobby in her spare time along with a passion for writing, painting, poetry, drawing, sketching and designing.

It is often the steps we choose to take consistently that makes the dream a reality.

And the choice rests with us.

Savvy Raj

To Dance is to Celebrate Life!

4 Comments

A vision A verse.On Dancing the Art of Movement.

Combining my other two passions Painting and Poetry.

Savvy

For the love of dancing1

Dance with joy and not with friction

 Dance with awareness not with caution

Dance with grace not with distraction

Dance with gratitude not with a contradiction

Dance to feel your soul move and not just as an action

Dance in response to an action, rather than just as a reaction!

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Dance with the heart and mind in rapt attention

Dance with expansiveness accepting correction

Dance often, in prayer and dedication

Dance with a conscious acceptance of  the divine connection

Dance with elegance and the harmony of completion !

 Savvy Raj

India

 Image Credits  Savvy Raj

 Titled :  ‘Dancing Connects ‘   My paintings and artwork  Inspired by Dances from across the world.


2 Comments

Circle of Thoughts 10

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A vision a verse by Savvy Raj

 

Thoughts may seem powered by their own momentum 

A concentrated effort of combining thoughts

Perhaps connecting these dots

Is not a random exercise after all.
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Add belief add faith

add trust, some hope

The power to choose one thought over another

Is the intentional shift called a conscious choice.

Savvy   Raj

 This above digital artwork  Titled ‘Circles of thoughts:8 is a creative interpretation of encircling thoughts,

Presenting two micro poems  one after another here.The verses that follow is the tenth part of my series of micro poems 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-5/

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

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

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

 

 

Also published on

https://medium.com/@savvyraj/circle-of-thoughts-91169f939c0b

#Micropoetry 1#tetrastich #visual verses

Circleoflife #wisdom of change#A sense of it all#subtlety of consciousness #inside outside

Artwork by Savvy Raj

About the Author:

www.savvyraj.com


18 Comments

The Healing Touch

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Have you really touched someone today?

Have you been embraced with expansive love?

Have you felt like reaching out with all your heart?

Have you held another’s hand in your hand?

 

 

 

Great is the healing in a caring touch.

One handhold can lift a broken spirit.

One hug can heal another soul.

One step to reach out can tug at another’s heartstrings.

One touch of kindness can make all the difference.

 

Great is the healing in a caring touch.              

Both life and living can at times turn cold

When the children grow and empty their nests,

When life becomes too busy to be,

When relationships start to lose their meaning,

When tired body leaves one forlorn,

When thoughts seem to turn anxious,

 

When moments seem to drag,

When a sense of utter loneliness prevails,

Whenever there are feelings of helplessness.

Remember to reach out and hold a needy hand

As the power of healing is in a caring touch.

Savvy Raj

 

About the Author:

Ms Savvy Raj is a Member of the International Dance Council UNESCO the official worldwide organisation for all forms of dance. As a Dance Educator and Corporate Wellness Trainer, she conducts workshops in Social Dances, Holistic Well-Being as well as Personal Effectiveness. She is a certified adult trainer who uses the creative medium of dance towards bringing empathetic consciousness in her students. Using International Social dance forms and a variety of improvisational techniques as well as creative movement exercises she brings forth the human connect in it all. Working towards the development of an individual through dance applications and nurturing in the learners an enthusiasm to see and live life positively.

Savvy is also Certified Graphologist who pursues this as a hobby in her spare time along with a passion for writing, painting, poetry, drawing, sketching and designing.

A few related posts

https://savvyraj.com/2015/09/23/circles-of-compassion/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141120124350-232760496-dancing-magic-of-movements