Destination Infinity's Blog, page 12

Namma Chennai Selfie Point at Marina Beach

A ‘Namma Chennai‘ typographic sculpture based Selfie Point has been opened at Marina Beach, on the beach road opp. Queen Mary’s college in Chennai recently. Here is the link to the location on Google Maps.

Being photo crazy people, we went there within the first week of its opening. We didn’t take a selfie as there were always too many people around it, and we were wearing a mask. We did manage to take a photo of the place.

I made a small 10-sec video with different effects applied on this photo along with some music which you can see on this page(embedded above). You can find the photo we took at the Namma Chennai Selfie Point, below.

This sculpture has come up at a cost of 24 Lakhs. But cities like Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and even our own Avadi Municipal corporation have already installed such typographic selfie points, it seems!

If you remember, I already wrote a post on Chennai Corporation’s similar initiative to beautify Kannagi Nagar with large wall-paintings. I think these are good activities – we need more such in our city.

Namma Chennai Selfie Point –

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Is Dance a form of Therapy?

According to Psychology Today, “(In Dance Therapy), a therapist will use movement to help a client achieve emotional, cognitive, physical and social integration.”

According to Wikipedia, “Research has found that using dance movements as a form of therapy activates several brain functions at once: kinesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional.”

Dance Therapy or Dance Movement Therapy is an established field of psychotherapy healing that provides emotional benefits, and even physical benefits to reduce the risks of ailments like dementia.

While we all know that more physical movement (through dance or otherwise) enables us to work, concentrate, have more energy, and even sleep better, movement through dance is also a good option to recover from emotional crisis situations.

Let’s agree that we all face crisis situations from time-to-time. During these times, it’s important for our mind to be clear, and our mind and body to be in good sync as that will enable us to respond better to the crisis.

Coping with and getting out of a crisis needs a lot of motivation and the right guidance. When you add movement to this, it becomes a good technique to heal, and also a great way to handle a crisis.

While Dance Movement Therapy is a formal process with established procedures, it’s not always designed to provide the benefits you seek, and is often difficult to access.

Dancing and Life is an organization that has developed a 7-Day Free Video Challenge & Dancing through Crisis premium course that enables you to use dance movements as a therapy to attain the right mindset to handle a crisis situation in your life.

Learn more about Dancing & Life program from here (click)

Kundrathur Temple: Vacation to Small Hill Top near Chennai

Kundrathur Temple is located on a small (very small) hilltop on the outskirts of Chennai. (Google Maps Location) It’s a good place for a quick vacation near Chennai.

We went to Kundrathur Temple a couple of months back. Due to still existing COVID-19 situation, we went during lunchtime in order to avoid the crowd. So we did not go inside the Temple as it was closed during that time.

If you go in a vehicle, you can take a left from where the Temple is visible on the main road, and then take the immediate right. You will then be able to climb the hill (actually it’s so tiny that you can’t call it that!) on your vehicle and park it next to the Temple entrance on the top.

From here, if you walk back to where the downward slope starts, there is a small entrance on the right. The Temple is on your left. It’s a narrow pathway that goes further uphill amidst generous greenery. You can only walk on this route.

On the top, you’ll find a Temple pillar (the photo shown in the embedded video on this page). This spot is fairly high and you get a wonderful view of the city around, including the Kundrathur Temple itself.

We went to see just this place.

You can find a few photos we took from there, and also near the Temple entrance (where there is another parking) in the embedded photo slideshow video. Do watch, it’s just under a minute.

Destination Infinity

Here is the Youtube link to the video, if the embedded video is not available. BTW, the last photo is of a nearby Temple. Since it was nice, I included it.

What’s in ‘Dancing Through Crisis’ course by Sage Flow [Review]

Sage Flow is the man behind the ‘Dancing Through Crisis‘ online video course. He will guide you on how to overcome a crisis and achieve success in difficult times, through a series of video lessons.

I went through the entire course and here is my review. This course is not predominantly about dancing. Yes, there are videos that teach you the basics of six types of movements from dances from across the world that you could practice to motivate and rejuvenate yourselves.

But the course is more about the mental framework required to overcome a crisis or difficult situation. More importantly, he takes you through a structure that’ll enable you to thrive in spite (or even because) of the challenges.

You could call it self-development, self-help, motivation, self-improvement, empowerment – whatever.

The dancing Through Crisis online video course is not just theory. Sage Flow mixes it with selected and powerful movements, exercises, and dance steps you could practice in order to overcome tough times.

It’s important to admit that all of us need some professional help during uncertain times. If we continue with our old ways, the crisis will just deepen. So the instructor gives you the tools required to not just stop going deeper down, but also to climb up.

Sage Flow tells us that he himself had gone through a big crisis, and this course is the essence of all the research and actions that he used to overcome his difficulties. The best knowledge he gathered over many years has been condensed into short byte-sized informative lessons, he says.

I suggest you first take the FREE 7-day Happiness Challenge mini-course from here (click). That will enable you to evaluate the way in which Sage Flow presents his content. If you find it useful, you can then sign up for the paid ‘Dancing Through Crisis’ course later on.

Here is a small video from Sage Flow with an idea to find joy right now. Remember, it’s important to visualize positive outcomes and to be happy and assertive in order to succeed. Mindset is as important as actions.

SKPD Chennai: Kumbabhishekam Appeal (2021)

Arya Vysyas in Chennai are privileged to have a 300-year old Temple dedicated to our Kuladevatha – Vasavimatha. This Kanyaka Parameswari Temple was established in 1720, and the Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Devasthanam & Charities, which manages it, was established in 1896.

I received a Kumbabhishekam Appeal pamphlet from SKPD via post. The images you see in this post are pages from that pamphlet. It’s basically an appeal for donations as the Temple management is planning to conduct the Kumbabhishekam this year, along with the tri-centenary celebrations.

According to the pamphlet, the Temple management says that they are planning to renovate the Temple in such a way that it looks similar to an ancient Temple. They have taken up various other works for the Temple Kumbabhishekam, and you can find information on some of them in the above and below images.

To complete these projects, the management says they require the support of devotees and our Arya-Vysya community from across the globe.

So, if you have a connection to this Temple, you could consider supporting these initiatives with your donations. (Note: I have put up this post to share the info only, and I am not a part of the Temple management.)

If you need any further details, here are the contact details mentioned in the pamphlet: 91-44-25383598, 25362262, 7401701871. Email: skpd.chennai@gmail.com. Address: No. 1, Audiappa Street, Parrys, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu – 600 001.

Destination Infinity

Happy Pongal :)

Here is a Pongal Greetings Video made by me. Wishing all my readers a very Happy Pongal. Let’s hope the festivities will inspire a positive and prosperous year, this 2021

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30 Crisis Quotes for Motivation During Difficult Times

Here are 30 Crisis Quotes that will help you overcome difficult times and inspire you to develop a positive mindset which is critical for success.

All these crisis quotes are by Sage Flow.

30 Crisis Quotes for Inspiration

“Hanging on to something that doesn’t work won’t fix it.”

“Too often we don’t give ourselves time to process our losses and heal.”

“You help others heal by creating a space for then to share their pain.”

“Physical movement can help you reset yourself mentally and emotionally.”

“When you stop feeling sorry for yourself you realize what a waste of time it was.”

“Making resolutions each year is the fun part, the hard part is when life gets busy again.”

“Hard work brings gratification, creativity brings joy.”

“The best thing you can do for yourself in this year is to schedule self care daily.”

“You are not alone, we all need to work on ourselves.”

“By becoming aware of your “why,” you can figure out a plan for getting there and staying on course.”

“Feeling overwhelmed by your goals? Break them down into much smaller actions.”

“Planning is a part of getting in flow and living with more freedom, love, and opportunity.”

“Reaching a huge goal is all about taking all the tiny steps needed to get there.”

“When people try to think more creatively, they almost always can. Try it.”

“There’s no “wrong” goal, just as long as you know your “why” and are committed to it.”

“Rest is as important to reaching your goal as work is.”

“Without clear goals you can only guess at your progress.”

“Progress equals progress.”

“With each accomplishment, it’s important for you to take a step back and celebrate your success.”

“It’s a myth that we are only successful once we’ve reached that elusive goal.”

“Utilize you creativity by finding new and unexpected ways to approach your daily tasks.”

“Protect yourself from burnout by scheduling self-care or downtime.”

“Gratitude is a gift for your self-esteem.”

“Setbacks and failures are inevitable so don’t judge yourself.”

“Turn what you’ve learned into good habits to keep your momentum going.”

Hope these crisis quotes inspire you to think and act positively. Here is a powerful technique that’ll help you to be confident even during a crisis.

Sage Flow has put up an entire course to inspire you and get you started on the right track. If you think you are in a crisis and you need help getting things back on track, start with his FREE seven-day ‘Dancing and Life’ short course from here.

All crisis quotes copyrighted to Sage Flow. Published here with permission.

SPB: 10 Facts You Didn’t Know about the Legend

SP Balasubrahmanyam (SPB in short) was a legendary singer, actor, and more in the Indian (particularly South Indian) movie industry.

Here are 10 facts you didn’t know about SPB:SPB belonged to a Telugu Brahmin family and was born and raised in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. SPB was admitted to, and began to study Engineering before he dropped out of college due to Typhoid. He recorded 21 songs in a single day (a world record) for the Kannada composer Upendra Kumar in 1981. Illayaraja, before becoming a music director in films, used to play harmonium and guitar in a music troupe in which SBP also sang. His first Tamil song was a duet with LR Eswari composed by MS Viswanathan for the movie ‘Hotel Ramba’. But this movie was never released. SPB was the voice behind Salman Khan’s biggest Bollywood musical hits like Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, etc. SPB was also a leading dubbing artist. He gave voice to seven of the nine characters in the Telugu version of Kamal Hassan’s ‘Dasavataram’. SPB hosted the leading TV singing competition show ‘Padutha Theeyaga’ from 1996 to 2020, spanning 1100 episodes. SPB has sung over 40,000 songs in 16 languages in a career that spanned over 50-years. In May 2020, SPB along with Illayaraja released the ‘Bharat Bhoomi‘ Tamil single which was a tribute to frontline workers fighting COVID-19, of which he was affected and died later.

Destination Infinity

How to be Confident & Positive During a Crisis

Crisis situations, like the current pandemic, can occur anytime. While we try our best to take all precautions and stay away from them, sometimes they are not under our direct control.

But what is under our direct control is how we react to crisis.

It’s normal to feel stressed and over-react to the crisis. But it’s important to recover from that state quickly, realize that stress is only going to make things worse, and quickly readjust our mindset and response.

Generally, taking a small break will do the trick. If not, it’s a good idea to use the technique of positive visualization, as brilliantly suggested in the movie, The Secret.

Positive visualization is a process of envisioning a favorable outcome and believing that you have already achieved that outcome. When you do that repeatedly, you start believing it and the universe will conspire to make it true!

I know this feels strange or impossible, but you need to trust in the process.

This kind of visualization is what is used in religion as well. You pray for what you want and believe that God will grant your wish. When you keep praying, there is a good chance that it will happen.

Try it.

On a related note, Sage Flow has put up an entire course to inspire you and get you started on the right track. If you think you are in a crisis and you need help getting things back on track, try his free seven-day Dancing and Life challenge from here.

4 Tamil Movies Releasing This Pongal (2021)

Four Tamil movies are ready to get released this Pongal – Jan 13/14, 2021. Two are releasing in Theaters and two are releasing directly on OTT/TV platforms. Let’s look at the movies and their trailers below.

Let’s look at the two movies that are releasing in the theaters first.

#1. Master

Master is easily the most awaited Tamil movie during this year’s Pongal. Thalapathy Vijay and Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi are all set to kallakkify, and possibly revive, theatergoing in TN and beyond. This movie is also getting a Telugu and, possibly a first for Vijay, a Hindi release.

Master is releasing in Theaters on Jan. 13, 2021, and the Govt. is even allowing 100% ticket sales in cinema halls from that day. Irrespective, I hope fans and theatergoers will wear masks and use sanitizers along with following social distancing.

#2. Eeswaran

Eeswaran is Silambarasan’s upcoming movie for this Pongal. It’s scheduled to release on Jan. 14, 2021 in Theaters. It’s been some time since STR’s comeback, and let’s hope this movie will be worth all that wait.

The movie seems to be set in the rural side, so it should do quite well in those centers. Being STR’s movie, and this being the Pongal time, the movie might resonate with the city audience too.

#3. Bhoomi

Bhoomi is Jayam Ravi’s 25th Movie that is releasing this Pongal 2021 on Disney + Hotstar VIP OTT exclusively. The trailer feels good, looks like there will be a social message along with all the thrills that moviegoers expect. This is Nidhhi Agerwal’s second Pongal release this year, along with the above movie. Let’s hope this movie creates waves on the OTT