Monday, June 30, 2008

INSTITUTION - A unique path to wholeness

INSTITUTION - A unique path to wholeness

C
“YOGA for everything!” This is how S. Sridharan,
Managing Trustee of the Krishnamacharya Yoga
Mandiram (KYM) explains the possibilities with Yoga
through their institution in Mandaveli. Founded ...read more...

Monday, June 23, 2008

UB+ve - A must have universal blood group!

IF there is one thing that can make or break our life situations on a moment-to-moment basis – it is the unseen factor of our self, called thought. Many a book has been written and innumerable words have been spoken on just this one factor called mind, which is nothing but a bundle of thoughts.
There are many words that are commonly used to refer to a successful mind – centred, focussed, will power, balanced, cool. If someone is successful in their life, they have consciously or unconsciously harnessed their mind energy in the direction of success. If someone feels that they are down in the dumps, a failure, depressed, then the reason is nothing but that the mind that has been distracted into splinters that they do not have it with them to focus on the present moment.
To understand the power of distraction, we can look into the meaning of the word traction.
Traction is the process of using weights to set right displacement of bones. With application of energy in a focussed manner distressing situations can be set right. Conversely distraction happens when , the mind, which has to be focussed on being in the present moment, is often saddled with the worries of the past or anxieties of the future. So it is not available in the now. To do any work, it is important to be in the now. Have you ever tried sending the tip of a thread through the eye of a needle? It is a simple task, which requires total concentration. The eyes should clearly see the tiny passage. Else the thread will often separate when it touches the metal on the needle instead of the space between.
When total focus and concentration in the present moment is required for a simple task as threading the needle easily, one can understand the oneness of intention for other tasks like writing, reading, listening, understanding, physical activity, playing games.
Our success is solely dependent on this one aspect of oneness of purpose and concentration.
To talk of a focussed mind is easily said, but achieving such a state requires some training, effort and practice. There are many ways to this, but one sure way is through the breath.
Swahilya Writer and speaker on human resources (http://www.swahilya.blog spot.com)
IF there is one thing that can make or break our life situations on a moment-to-moment basis – it is the unseen factor of our self, called thought. Many a book has been written and innumerable words have been spoken on just this one factor called mind, which is noth- ing but a bundle of thoughts. There are many words that are commonly used to refer to a suc- cessful mind – centred, focussed, will power, balanced, cool. If some- one is successful in their life, they have consciously or unconscious- ly harnessed their mind energy in the direction of success. If some- one feels that they are down in the dumps, a failure, depressed, then the reason is nothing but that the mind that has been distracted into splinters that they do not have it with them to focus on the present moment. To understand the power of dis- traction, we can look into the meaning of the word traction. Traction is the process of using weights to set right displacement of bones. With application of en- ergy in a focussed manner distress- ing situations can be set right. Con- versely distraction happens when , the mind, which has to be focussed on being in the present moment, is often saddled with the worries of the past or anxieties of the fu- ture. So it is not available in the now. To do any work, it is impor- tant to be in the now. Have you ever tried sending the tip of a thread through the eye of a needle? It is a simple task, which requires to- tal concentration. The eyes should clearly see the tiny passage. Else the thread will often separate when it touches the metal on the needle instead of the space be- tween. When total focus and concentra- tion in the present moment is re- quired for a simple task as thread- ing the needle easily, one can un- derstand the oneness of intention for other tasks like writing, read- ing, listening, understanding, physical activity, playing games. Our success is solely dependent on this one aspect of oneness of purpose and concentration. To talk of a focussed mind is eas- ily said, but achieving such a state requires some training, effort and practice. There are many ways to this, but one sure way is through the breath.

Swahilya Writer and speaker on human resources (http://www.swahilya.blog spot.com) (June 23, 08).

Acupuncture

http://epaper.newindpress.com/Articletext.aspx?article=23_06_2008_356_005&mode=1



Published on June 23 2008 ,Expresso Page 6
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ACUPUNCTURE - Drugless therapy to keep your Yin and Yang in balance

digg_url = 'http://epaper.newindpress.com/Default.aspx?

C MITHRA is just over two years old. She has been declared hundred per cent deaf since birth and doctors suggested a cochlear implant. But her parents chose acupuncture rather than subject her to surgery at a tender age and now there is a medically certified 30 per cent improvement in her hearing.
What is the magic of acupuncture that brings so many people narrating wonder stories of a normal blood pressure or sugar, reduction in body weight, disappearance of migraine, strengthening of ligaments or vanishing kidney stones? Dr. M.N. Sankar, Chief Acupuncturist at the Hi-Cure Acupuncture Centre says this is not as an alternative healing method, but a native system of drugless therapy called Suchi Veda. His clinic functioning from T. Nagar is frequented not just by patients who have lost all hope of cure from a very critical condition of their disease.
Ask him about acupuncture’s role in fitness and the doctor says that’s the reason why China, Russia and Australia win more medals in sports! Particularly in China, acupuncture is a sports medicine which helps to tone muscles, improve vitality and balance the hormonal bio-secretions by tuning the right en ergy points. There is also facility for quick healing of ligament tear, spine dislocation, shoulder, neck or knee pain and repairing of tissues.
The system has to do with the Yin and Yang or the masculine and feminine energies in every human being. When they are in balance, there is health. More of Yin or more of Yang means disease.
Overpowering by either Yin or Yang means death. When the energy is in excess or deficient, bi-metal stainless steel needles tipped with copper are used to directly receive cosmic energy and send it to the affected parts along the energy channels of the body. This leaves the person refreshed and sometimes dozing off too! Many a time, a patient coming for treatment of one disease such as ligament tear or high pressure, end up reporting a cure for many other problems that they had such as fibroid, blood pressure, thyroid problems or ulcers that vanished after treatment. “Acupuncture has several positive side effects,” the doctor says.
Acupuncture has the same five-element philosophy, as does Ayurveda where the body, which is a miniature version of the Universe, is composed of five elements such as Fire, Earth, Air, Water and Wood. Thus the ailments are interconnected. Less energy in the gall bladder may result in a weak heart. Tuning the gall bladder points will avert a heart ailment and strengthen weak ligaments too. It is this interconnectedness that makes a patient suffering kidney failure to experience suffocation of the lungs. “In the event of an epidemic threat in China, the Government advises the public to tune in the relevant acupuncture points,” the doctor who had his M.D. Degree in Acupuncture from the Shanghai University, says.
Tradition of ornaments: Piercing the ears and nose is traditional Indian acupuncture. The ornaments are not just for beauty, but to trigger the vital energy points in the system.
The view of acupuncture is that no organ – whether the uterus, gall bladder, appendix or kidney should be removed as every organ has a vital role to play in the body’s function. This is no empty dream, but has been a proved possibility for a number of patients who have witnessed it in their lives.
—Swahilya mswahilya.soulmate@gmail.com
C MITHRA is just over two years old. She has been declared hundred per cent deaf since birth and doctors suggested a cochlear implant. But her parents chose acupuncture rather than subject her to surgery at a tender age and now there is a medically certified 30 per cent im- provement in her hearing. What is the magic of acupuncture that brings so many people narrating won- der stories of a normal blood pressure or sugar, reduction in body weight, dis- appearance of migraine, strengthening of ligaments or vanishing kidney stones? Dr. M.N. Sankar, Chief Acupunc- turist at the Hi-Cure Acupuncture Cen- tre says this is not as an alternative heal- ing method, but a native system of drug- less therapy called Suchi Veda. His clin- ic functioning from T. Nagar is frequent- ed not just by patients who have lost all hope of cure from a very critical condi- tion of their disease. Ask him about acupuncture’s role in fitness and the doctor says that’s the rea- son why China, Russia and Australia win more medals in sports! Particular- ly in China, acupuncture is a sports med- icine which helps to tone muscles, im- prove vitality and balance the hormon- al bio-secretions by tuning the right en- ergy points. There is also facility for quick healing of ligament tear, spine dislocation, shoulder, neck or knee pain and repairing of tissues. The system has to do with the Yin and Yang or the masculine and feminine en- ergies in every human being. When they are in balance, there is health. More of Yin or more of Yang means disease. Overpowering by either Yin or Yang means death. When the energy is in ex- cess or deficient, bi-metal stainless steel needles tipped with copper are used to directly receive cosmic energy and send it to the affected parts along the energy channels of the body. This leaves the person refreshed and sometimes dozing off too! Many a time, a patient coming for treatment of one disease such as liga- ment tear or high pressure, end up re- porting a cure for many other problems that they had such as fibroid, blood pres- sure, thyroid problems or ulcers that vanished after treatment. “Acupuncture has several positive side effects,” the doctor says. Acupuncture has the same five-ele- ment philosophy, as does Ayurveda where the body, which is a miniature version of the Universe, is composed of five elements such as Fire, Earth, Air, Water and Wood. Thus the ailments are interconnected. Less energy in the gall bladder may result in a weak heart. Tun- ing the gall bladder points will avert a heart ailment and strengthen weak lig- aments too. It is this interconnectedness that makes a patient suffering kidney failure to experience suffocation of the lungs. “In the event of an epidemic threat in China, the Government advis- es the public to tune in the relevant acupuncture points,” the doctor who had his M.D. Degree in Acupuncture from the Shanghai University, says. Tradition of ornaments: Piercing the ears and nose is traditional Indian acupuncture. The ornaments are not just for beauty, but to trigger the vital energy points in the system. The view of acupuncture is that no organ – whether the uterus, gall blad- der, appendix or kidney should be re- moved as every organ has a vital role to play in the body’s function. This is no empty dream, but has been a proved pos- sibility for a number of patients who have witnessed it in their lives. —Swahilya swahilya.soulmate@gmail.com

Saturday, June 21, 2008

The New Indian Express


I have been writing regular columns and articles in two pages of Expresso, the Chennai city supplement of The New Indian Express. For those who do not have access to the particular edition of the newspaper, I will continue to post the lead article and the About You columns in the Fitness page that gets published every Monday and Zenith columns and other articles in the Satori page of Expresso every Thursday in my other blog http://www.soulmatemedia.blogspot.com

This link is to a column on managing pain.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Himalayas

Each story that I write or wrote for the newspapers I worked were done as a meditation. But there are many reasons when at times, the energy that I put in, does not find expression as a published article in the newspaper. I thank God, that I have a blog! Instead of pressing publication somewhere or the other, I thought I would publish them myself on the blog that's meant exclusively for all my between the lines writings. So here it goes.
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Alone in a crowd - A serendipitous journey to the Himalayas
This is my third visit to a different part of the Garhwal Himalayas. The verdant mountains, waterfalls, snow-capped misty peaks and the swift river gurgling several miles below..each time the experience has been mystical and deep, just like the silence of the mountain peaks and the depths of the Ganga. A sudden thought took me to Ukhimath, a village in the Rudraprayag District of Uttarakhand, 4,600 ft above sea level. Its landmark feature is that the deities of Kedarnath and Madhyamaheshwar – two of the Panch Kedars, closed for six months in winter due to heavy snowfall – are worshipped here at the Omkareshwar Temple. Besides this feature, Ukhimath is like any other Garhwali village with its myths, legends and some history too. It was a journey shrouded in mystery and serendipity, as each day unfolded with its own charms, surprises and miraculous encounters that have left me with hundreds of friends and a lasting love for this tiny village. Gaining courage from my last experience of an unplanned journey to Badrinath and Kedarnath the previous year, I took off the same way this year by the Chennai-Dehradun Express. In two full days, I reached Haridwar in the foothills of the Shivalik range, from the hustle and bustle of metropolitan Chennai. I just made a casual call to Swami Vibhu of the Paramarth Ashram in Haridwar and since that moment, I was received like a guest. It was a whole tranquil day I spent at Haridwar, watching the sunrise on the still waters of the Ganga at the Dharma Ganga Ghat, past the cabbage and raddish fields of the Ashram. I also met with Swami Chinmayananda Saraswathi, a former Minister of State for Home in the NDA Government and the managing trustee of the Swami Sukhdevanand Charitable Trust. Sipping tea in the lawn on the bank of the Ganga, watching the sunset followed by the ritual Ganga Arati, he spoke to me about the country's need to protect the Ganges. "Sarith Samudranscha Hare Shareeram," he said, quoting in Sanskrit to say that we are living in the body of God and it is our need to not disturb nature, but use her gently. At the Bharat Mata Mandir, with a claim to fame of being the only such temple in India, I got a taste of what I have read about often – religious fundamentalism. I was wearing a kurta with 'Om' written in Devnagari script all over, assuming that it would be a proper outfit for Haridwar, revered as a Mokshapuri – a place for salvation! One visitor at the temple hauled me up for wearing Om on a dress that reached up to my knees. He said that I was disrespecting 'Om' this way and told me to go and change it immediately. I tried explaining that it was made by Khadi and I had nothing to do with it. "Do you know the value of 'Om'" he threateningly asked me many a time, walking along with me floor after floor in the temple! "Yes, I do!" I told him, extricating myself from the scene quickly. After a breakfast of toast and tea the next day, Swami Vibhu dropped me at the Haridwar Bus Adda to take the one Himgiri bus to Ukhimath. The bus weaved through scenes familiar to me by now, mountains upon mountains, villages, towns, the twirling waters below now called the Bhagirathi, the Alaknanda, the Mandakini, the Kali Ganga….many names for the one Ganga. It was 6.45 p.m. and it was dark when the bus reached Ukhimath. I knew that there is the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam, Government rest house available for tourists. But when the stop came, I didn't get off as it was lonely and dark. I wondered if the bus would stop next at Ukhimath market, it was not to be. "Bharat Sewashram Sangha," the conductor announced. "Will I get a room here?" I asked him as the name appealed to me somehow. I didn't think much after that and got off. The bus left me in the darkness and continued further ahead. If at any time the Upanishadic prayer 'Twameva Mathascha Pitatwameva,' meaning the Universe is my mother, father – had any appeal, it was now! I walked cluelessly into the Yatri Nivas, lugging two shoulder bags, a backpack and a handbag. A red paint on the wall of the sixth floor just above ground level read – Office, Mandir. I walked into the Mandir where a Vishwa Shanthi Homa was in progress. Nothing could be a warmer welcome for one shivering with cold, than walk into the smoky room with a fire burning! One Partho came out and said I had to wait till the havan was over. Brahmachari Sudhir who was in charge of the Ashram there asked me for an identity card as the Ashram rules did not permit a woman staying alone without a letter of recommendation or identity proof. I gave him my visiting card instead and the deed was done. I got a room, which I knew would have a beautiful view when I woke up in the morning. "We have a school Swami Pranavananda Vidya Mandir. The students are first generation learners. You could drop in for the assembly in the morning. The children will be happy to see you," he said. Anyway, I was a traveller without an agenda. So I agreed. A good night's rest in the warmth of a room with beds, thick blankets for a weary traveller that I was, was nothing but a blessing and I cherished every moment of it. I woke up to chants of the Bhagavad Gita, played from a tape through speakers connected on each floor, around 7.30 a.m. And as I thought, it was a view that would inspire a poet to write a poem, an artiste to paint, a philosopher to contemplate – a breathtaking scene of the mountains of Ukhimath, the snow-clad Sumeru peaks of Kedarnath, the Mandakini flowing beneath a bridge some two kms down the forest below at Kund. Two weeks rolled by, talking and listening to the students, trekking, taking morning walks through the village, climbing up the Bholeshwar Temple, having tea served to me by Phalhari Babaji (his diet is just fruits and milk), walking in the snow at Dugalbhitta in a surprise excursion with the teachers of the school, journeying to Kali Math and Gupt Kashi nearby. I bought two mementos – a pen stand and a wastebasket made of ringal by villagers of Bhanj at the Dev Bhumi store. I carry with me pictures and fond memories of many a loving village heart I met there. Back home, it feels as though I spent a month visiting my native village.
For an unstructured holiday: Holidays can be unstructured too and places like Ukhimath with a sparse population and not as frequented by tourists in the off season unlike many other places in the Garhwal Himalayas, provide such scope for simply being and drinking from nature's liesure. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam offers rest house facilities with dormitory beds ranging from Rs. 60 to cottages up to Rs. 450. The Bharat Sewashram Sangha has a unique seven storeyed building with double and dormitory rooms. There are numerous cottages, rest houses and rooms near the Omkareshwar Temple which is famous for the Ushamath – Usha Anirudh Vivah Sthal, where Anirudh the grand son of Sri Krishna married Usha the daughter of Banasur in this place. Besides the Bholeshwar Shiva Temple at Ukhimath, the other places nearby are Guptkashi, Kalimath, Kotimaheshwari and Ruch Mahadev, Deoriatal – a lake that reflects the snow-capped Choukhamba, Chopta and Dugalbhitta for a view of snow, Tungnath – the highest of the Panch Kedars and Chandrashila, Karthik Swami, Kedarnath, Madhyamaheshwar and Badrinath are accessible from Ukhimath. In summer, the snow clears up to give a colourful picture of rhododendron, pine and deodar forests. Wild animals such as leopards, bears and jackals may also be sighted at times. The weather is cool throughout the year and thermal wear, gloves, woollen cap, sweater, shawl and a torchlight are a must to carry. Accommodation may be easily available in winter which is off-season. In summer, from April to October prior intimation is required to book accommodations as the most number of tourists visit then.
Picture Caption: Trekkers on a snow trail at Dugalbhitta, near Chopta towards Tungnath.