Great Storytelling Network Newsletter – 28 September 2016

If I had to state a theme for this edition of GSN, it would have to be ‘movement’. For one, I am sharing one of my favourite articles, ‘Tapestry of Dance’, which is about an iconic dancer, Datuk Ramli Ibrahim. Meanwhile, Rohi shares the importance of movement in a practice that is normally thought to promote stillness – meditation.

I am not a good cook, but have interviewed many chefs for the newspapers. I’m always fascinated by how they combine a love for cooking and writing. So, I am sharing the link to a resource I found on ClickBank on how to write a cookbook, even though it’s not related to storytelling and the publishing industry outright. Perhaps, you may benefit from this book.

Eric shares a poem that is both lovely and promotes this newsletter.

I trust that you will enjoy reading all that we share in this newsletter.

Happy storytelling.
Aneeta Sundararaj

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[This article was first published on ‘LET’ which is the online app for New Straits Times in August 2016. I am so proud of this story that I asked for and received permission from the New Straits Times to republish it here.]

It’s the 1980s and in Stadium Dato’ Syed Omar, Alor Setar, a man performs an Indian classical dance at the invitation of the Sultan of Kedah (our present Agong). In the audience is a little girl who eagerly explains to her astounded father every single one of the 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu that the dancer is depicting. At the end of the performance, the little girl lets out a contented sigh. She prays that one day, she will be given the chance to see him dance again. Today, the stadium no longer exists, the little girl’s all grown up and the dancer is now a celebrated icon known to all as Datuk Ramli Ibrahim. When I tell him that the little girl in the story above was me, Ramli responds with, “But darling, that was more than thirty years ago!”

With a broad smile, the multiple award-winning artiste insists that my story is another example of how well he connects with children. As the Chairman of Sutra Foundation, he’s keen to create a strong bank of new talent and is involved in an outreach programme which offers dance training to children outside Kuala Lumpur. An initiative of Sutra Foundation, this programme is supported with funding from Yayasan myNADI and ECM Libra.

To read more, please click here.

“What are those ducks doing?” asks one of our goggle-eyed friends during a walk around the property called ‘Eight Acres’. Uncle Kam, our tour guide turns to look and replies, nonchalant, “Oh, they’re mating.” Later, in the privacy of our shared accommodation, we four urbanites admit that we have never see such a thing before.

At the time, though, we are forced to pay attention to Uncle Kam as he continues with his story about this eco-resort in Raub Pahang which recently won a prize for Best Eco Initiative. He says that when his son, Paul Kam (Group Managing director of ‘D Jungle Resorts’, which owns ‘Eight Acres’) first brought him to the property, it was the sound of water cascading from the waterfall nearby that convinced Uncle Kam to support his son’s dream to create this sanctuary. That was four years ago.

Today, ‘Eight Acres’ has evolved into a place that can only be described as a banquet for the senses. To appreciate its extraordinary beauty, you must set aside the creature comforts available at other resorts like air-conditioned accommodation, toiletries on demand and an à la carte menu…

To read more, please click here.

Emotions

I’m GSN
I’m a Living Brand
I live because I feel
I tell stories
My name is what you call me
My meaning is what you think of me
I have personality, quality, and values
I can think, talk, work, create, plan, consult, promote, defend, help, care and cure
I can understand, undertake, represent, play, and entertain
I can anticipate and identify problems, I can solve them
I can make mistakes
When I make mistakes, I apologize and correct myself
I get angry when things go wrong,
I feel joy when right
I feel pains too
I feel bad when I see people hurting, especially my readers and patrons
Some are jobless, poor, neglected, uncared for, and wasting
They need living stories from GSN to get their lives back
You & GSN
I’m here for you

Commitment
I’m GSN
I’m a Living Brand
I live because I see
I have life and offer life to those who read me
Don’t judge me by my look, judge me by what I offer
Because I live, I want to add value to you
I can if we a start a relationship
My identity and power show my person
My quality creates the value
My ability to totell stories creates awareness
My standards build loyalty
You & GSN
I’m here for you….

To read more please click here.

“Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.”
~Thich Nhat Hanh”

Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve heard that daily meditation practice is good for you. Innumerable research studies have proven beyond any doubt that daily meditation for even a few minutes can boost not only your mental, emotional, and physical health but also your creativity.

Easy does it!
Fortunately, meditation is surprisingly easy to learn and easy to do. You don’t have to go to a meditation center to learn how to meditate. You can practice it at home at your convenience, seated comfortably on your favorite chair (no need to sit in the lotus posture). You also don’t need to believe in any esoteric philosophy or wear beads or light incense. Not convinced?

Here’s a quick start meditation lesson:
Close your eyes and count five breaths. Now open your eyes. That’s it. You have just practiced mindfulness of breath, which is the most common and effective meditation technique.

If you want to continue, set your cell phone alarm for two minutes and note your natural incoming and outgoing breath until you hear the beep. Whenever your attention wanders, bring it back to the breath as soon as you notice. Repeat daily and gradually increase the duration of practice.

To read more please click here.

Rohi Shetty is working on a new program, called The Ultimate Guide to Walking Meditation. Readers of How to Tell a Great Story are welcome to join the pilot course for free. Please email him at writenow09@gmail.com and he will send you a secret link to join the course as soon as it’s ready. You’ll also get a free review copy of his book.

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