An interesting riddle

  

                                    An interesting riddle

           The science of Yoga is indeed a riddle. According to it, when the mind is subject to the pulls of desire, anger, and other urges or emotions  the breath goes in through the left nostril, and goes out through the right. But when the mind is tranquil , and absorbed in noble thoughts it is the reverse. The inhalation is through the right nostril and the exhalation through the left. When there is no consciousness or when we transcend the mind, and are in a state of Samadhi there will be no breathing. The breath will be retained in the state of Kumbhaka. Then there is nothing to do, no activity.

New versus old

 

                                               New versus old

 

             Now with refrigerators , fruits, vegetables, and cooked food are preserved for days and even for months. There is nothing new about trying to delay the rotting of food. It was ingeniously adopted in ancient civilizations to preserve food, extending its shelf life and ensuring survival during times of scarcity when modern facilities were not there. Salting and smoking, drying and fermenting , even utilizing natural cool storage in caves or cellars and on blocks of ice layers are among the oldest food techniques.  To cite some examples:-Many archaeological and historical evidences in ancient books point out the usage of dried meat long ago in the Middle East; Salted fish goes back to the Sumerian; Fruits were preserved in honey by the Greeks. So the purpose being the same, methods vary a little. Even now, salting, smoking , drying and fermenting processes are followed. Nothing new, but old in new disguise.

Some thoughts to ponder over !

  

                                          Some thoughts to ponder over !

•     It is a wonderful way to approach life, to see the beauty and enjoy in the journey itself.
• Each day is a day for greatness. The Sun itself gives us a chance to do better by rising each day. Do not squander the chance to always strive for more.
• The world is a great moral gymnasium wherein we all have to take exercise so as to become stronger and stronger spiritually.
• Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. All children when they are young should be educated about their heritage so as to cherish and protect the same. When someone understand the history of their land, they develop a connection to it, a sense of belongingness, a sense of ownership.
• That is the beauty of human brain. It grows exponentially 

Nature’s wisdom and care

  

                                         Nature’s wisdom and care

   Nature’s creativity is beyond human comprehension.  Nature knows what her children need. She created each vegetable and fruit to grow and mature in specific seasons , keeping the health of her children, living beings in mind.

To cite another example how Nature provides each and every one of her creation with proper protective techniques. Camel if led into a beautiful garden, it looks for thorns only so the saying in Sanskrit goes. Why ? There is beautiful scientific reason behind this. The Camel’s favorite food is thorns. Everyone knows that Camel is a desert animal where green plants are not found. Camel relishes eating thorns and they do not harm its stomach or intestines because its saliva dissolves the thorns. The Camel drinks both fresh and salt water. It can even drink water from the Dead Sea and nothing will happen to it. This is because the Camel’s kidneys filter the water. They separate it from the salt and turn it into fresh water suitable for drinking. The Camel has two eyelids; one is thin and transport, the other thick and fleshy. When a sand storm starts in the desert, it closes its transparent eyelid to prevent sand from getting into its eyes. A camel can also change its body temperature; If it is cold, its temperature increases. If it is hot in the desert , its body temperature decreases. Their humps  are filled with fat, which provides them with energy when food is scarce. They are good at conserving water, allowing them to survive and travel long periods without drinking. The qualities that this beautifully animal possess are impressive. Not only this animal, but every created thing in this world whether stone, plant, or worm or anything is blessed with unique qualities for survival and for some benefit in maintaining the cycle of Nature.

The marvelous nature has a voice to listen and wisdom to share. When she has taken care of everyone of us, it is our bounden duty, rather should be a pleasurable duty to take care of her. This means appreciating and respecting the natural world  understanding its interconnectedness , and recognizing the importance of conservation and sustainability.

        

Music as Therapy

 

                                Music as Therapy 

       In this advancing age of science, the world is forwarding towards non pharmacological aspects for healing various ailments. Even without the tag of therapy,    even with mere listening the power of melodious music vocal or instrumental , to bring about joy, and deeper state of relaxation to mind is well known and based on experience.From time immemorial, humming sonorous sounds while doing works was a daily routine inbuilt in people, whether while carrying big loads or doing repetitive works as it takes off monotony and takes off the burdensome feelings, bringing about relaxation to the mind and body. They might not have musically trained. But humming rhythmic sounds is inborn trait in human beings.

Recent studies have suggested that the music whether vocal or musical can be particularly effective in neuro degenerative cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, autism. The clinical studies have shown that  music therapy is helpful for people with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, stress and even cancer. Suggestions are going on to introduce listening to music for patients in hospitals.

Music has been an ancient part of Ayurveda. Music in India dates back thousands of years to the Gandharva veda ( Gandharvas are celestial group devoted music and dance ). Great composers of  Indian ( Carnatic ) classical music have attempted music therapy for many years. Thyagaraja , a Carnatic music maestro, composer and vocalist,  whose songs are saturated with yearnings for Lord Rama , brought a drowned devotee to life with his composition. Mutthuswamy Dikshitar, another one of the famous Trinity of Carnatic music graced by Lord Subramanya, he himself an ardent devotee of the Goddess , through his song brought rain to drought stricken place in South India. It is said that the great Hindustani classical musician Tansen could create rains and fire just through his music. Pythagorus, Aristotle, and Plato were among the first philosophers to consider the healing and transformative power of music. In 1877, through phonograph, doctors were able to use music as sedative or distraction in the operating room.

Ancient healing  method like Ayurveda suggests music therapy as one of the healing methods. Music therapy advocates that different sounds ( Nada ) creates some vibrations in space which lead to many different healing effects in the human body. The bodily humours ( doshas ) Vata, Pitta and Kapha and mental qualities ( Gunas ) Rajas and Tamas (  Rajas denotes passion, action, and restlessness, Tamas signifies inertia, darkness, and ignorance) are balanced by music therapy by primarily acting on the mental qualities.

Life - A gift and a fulfillment

 

                               Life-  A gift and a fulfillment 

•         In a garden, so many flowers varied in color, smell and use. Yet each has its own unique beauty and never aspires to become another. That variety enhances the beauty and value of the flowers and the garden. So is in life. People have different talents to achieve. Therein lies the fulfillment.
• You must believe you are gifted with, and for something and that this thing, at whatever cost must be attained. You can make it happen.
•  Believe in yourself. You can touch the impossible.
•  A dream becomes a goal when action is taken towards its achievement.
•  Always hope for the best. Face and enjoy the obstacles as a challenge as in your favorite game and work towards it. You will be crowned with success.
• If your mind can conceive, if your heart can believe it, then you can achieve it.
•  Life is a gift. Life is a unique art. You are the artist. Realize this. Don’t waste it. Every moment of it is for , and about creating yourself.  That is the fulfillment!

Symbolism of colors

     

                                    Symbolism of colors

         Colors are smiles of Nature and have powers to influence the soul. They only make life colorful and enjoyable in this world.

• Red-   Red is typically associated with passion, desire, power , and danger. Classic red roses for love, the flashing red lights of a warning sign. Red captures your attention and doesn’t let go. That is why it represents the color of power and authority. Kings, warriors, and even gods have been decked out in red to symbolize their might. Red also symbolizes fiery emotions like anger, vengeance depicted by redness on the face and the eyes.
• Blue -  The color of the sky, sea and everything serene producing a calming effect on the onlooker. Blue is associated with tranquility, wisdom and trust. Like the ocean, blue can be peaceful on the surface and dark mysterious down below. It is as deep as soothing.
• Green-  Green symbolizes growth, abundance and renewable. It pleases the eyes and the soul. It also has a touch of jealousy As much as green symbolizes growth, it can also represent the unresisting ,uncontrollable desire or greed to hoard that growth resulting in a cause for jealousy. Green eyed monster symbolizing envy ).
• Yellow -  Being the color of the Sun, it represents brightness, happiness and energy,optimism, happiness , and creativity .
• Black-   Color of the unknown, mysterious, void, fear and doom. Everything dark.
• White-   White represents purity, freshness, cleanliness, light, goodness, and innocence.
• Purple -   Denotes royalty, luxury, historically reserved for emperors and kings as this color dye was once very expensive to produce. It is a sacred color that reminds people of both spirituality and mortality.
• Orange -  It is a color of celebration and festivity. Orange also represents spirituality and enlightenment. The robes of monks are often saffron or orange, symbolizing the renunciation of wordly things.

Intermittent fasting

   

                                                   Intermittent fasting

    

                As people are becoming more health conscious, intermittent fasting has become a topic of interest nowadays. Intermittent fasting as an essential step in preserving robust health is recognized by science communities as well after experimentation.

It is basic knowledge that your balanced gut is a powerhouse that holds the key to your overall wellness. It is like the roots of a tree. If the roots are weak, the entire tree suffers- leaves turn yellow, branches droop, flowers and fruits wither and fall down. An imbalanced gut messes with hormones, estrogen, cortisol and insulin leaving one moody, tired, battling weight gain, to making one unable to perform even ordinary works. But the beauty lies in the fact that your gut has incredible ability to clean itself if given a break for a short time. Constant and overeating does not give rest, overdriving digestive system to various problems of bloating, acidity, inflammation, imbalance of hormones and other things depleting complete energy, there by losing all interest to enjoy the beautiful life, a gift given by the God.

Indian tradition recognized this problem and made it almost mandatory to observe fasting twice a month on Ekadashi, the eleventh day of each lunar cycle ( A lunar month had 30 lunar days according to Vedic calendar. Based on the moon, two fortnights waxing one with 15 days and waning one with 15 days). After observing a day of fasting people were expected to break the fast after Sunrise on the following twelfth day known by the Dwadashi which means twelfth in Sanskrit. On the eleventh day fasting means onetime simple food excluding rice, grains, beans, meat etc. instead of, fruits, milk, milk-based products and non-grain products are recommended. Sometimes complete restriction on food and water also observed. Next day breaking fast includes simple food in moderate quantities and easy to digest is recommended.

This Ekadashi fasting is dedicated to the worship of Hindu god Vishnu ( Protector  and nourisher of the living beings according to tradition) as a way to purify the body, and soul, and to cultivate a deeper connection with the divine.

Interestingly the days chosen for fasting and breaking the fast have scientific basis. The eleventh day in the fortnightly lunar cycle has astronomical significance of the Moon’s position and its influence on the human mind. Our bodily functions are influenced by the Moon and its magnetic pull. The Moon affects the water element in the creation. It is a well known fact from the rising high tides in the Sea during these periods.More than 60% of the human body is made up of water, predicting Moon’ influence on the body and mind.

Hindu ancestors were aware that toxins in our body get aggravated during these periods periods of Full Moon and New Moon. When the stomach is kept light and empty, it helps to detoxify the body, cleanse the blood, and improve the functioning of the kidneys and liver naturally. Fasting on Ekadashi thus helps to cleanse the body naturally, clear the mind and direct the awareness inward. A step towards spiritual awakening through religious tool. Rice, grains or starchy items are avoided for the reason rice , grains hold a lot of water content. Since Moon attracts water, eating rice can cause unsteadiness of the mind.

The Puranas ( Hindu scriptures) describe the origin of Ekadashi worship linking to Vishnu’s killing of a demon on this day through his Yoga maya.

Fasting is known as Upavaasa in sanskrit. Upa means near vaasa means living or residing,  a day closer to God. Thus the purpose of fasting is not merely to starve the body, but to bring our body and mind closer to Lord. Fasting is easy, effective and powerful means to feel the presence of the divine within. Thus making it as a religious practice, health of the body and mind of the people was/ is taken care of.

 

Amazing History!

     

                                   Amazing History!

•        Ancient Egyptian workers were sometimes paid in beer.
•         Ancient Greeks used to have ‘ Screaming Contest’ as part of their entertainment.
•       In Medieval times animals could be put on trial and even executed for crimes.
•      In ancient China, the color yellow was reserved only for the emperors.
•     In the Middle Ages, people believed that carrying a bay leaf protected them from witchcraft and lightening.
•      In ancient Egypt, servants were painted with gold to show how wealthy their masters were.
•     In the Middle Ages, some believed that carrying a nutmeg would protect them from plague.
•    In the Medieval times, some people were put on trial for eating cheese.
•   In eighteen hundreds, doctors prescribed chocolate to cure a broken heart.

Do you know ?

                                          Do you know?

 

•     The emperor Tiberius used to say that man, after the age of 35, should no longer have any need of doctors. This maxim is true in as much as man, by the time he reached the halfway point in his life, ought to have gained enough experience about himself to know what things are harmful and beneficial to him. By means of a good diet, he should be able to govern himself in such a way as to keep his health in perfect balance. This is not difficult to do so as long as his condition is not threatened by innate defects or by some serious injuries.
• Ice cream at the end of dinner does no harm; indeed it does good, since it draws back to the stomach the warmth necessary for good digestion.
• Languages are not born overnight but for the most part grow seamlessly out of languages over generations and centuries.
• Alexander the Great says about his teacher’s greatness. He says that his father brought him from heaven to this earth, but his teacher has made him to go to heaven from the earth.

Tidbits

 

                                            Tidbits

  

•         It is touch of Nature that makes the whole world kin.
•         Things often mend when they seem worst.
•         Silence and solitude are the best pleasing companions.
•        The kindly tone and sympathizing look are the real gifts one can give to others.
•         Doing one’s duty with pleasure is a good way to feed heart, soul and imagination.
•         Moulding character is the highest sort of sculpture and one should learn that before one touches clay or marble.
•        The values that unite us are much stronger than policies that divide us.
•       Skill is money.
•       Student in the college of experience could learn more than at even the great universities.
•      A nation’s prosperity depends upon how its soil is used.
•      It is really what we think and do that makes us beautiful or not beautiful.
•      Things we do for other people to make them happy come back to us with interest.
•       Each one of us has the healing power within ourselves if we are strong enough to invoke the Life Force within.

Horticultural hints on trees in ancient Sanskrit texts - just a sprinkling

   

                         Horticultural hints on trees in ancient Sanskrit texts- just a sprinkling

        

          Trees are planted after new moon and in the waxing period of it in fixed asterisms ( some specific Zodiac signs) .

Watering - The planted trees should be watered morning and evening in the Summer season, on alternate days in winter, and in the night during the rainy season if the earth ( soil ) has become dry. Trees planted 20 cubits ( A cubit was traditionally defined as the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. Generally equals about 18 inches ) are considered as excellent, 16 cubits apart as medium. There should be minimum 12 cubits distance in between one tree and the other. Trees planted densely would not bear fruits. They should first be pruned with a cutter.

The trees should be sprinkled with cold water mixed with a paste of Vidanga ( Embelia ribes, a kind of plant it seems ) and Ghee. If the fruits get destroyed cold water should be sprinkled with a paste of horse-gram, black gram, green gram, barley and sesame

One should always sprinkle cold water with ghee for getting abundant fruits and flowers. Sprinkling with the excrements of sheep, goat and powdered barley, sesame allowed to be soaked in meat and water for 7 nights would also increase the bearing of fruits and flowers in all the trees. Sprinkling with the washings of the fish would also increase the bearing of fruits and flowers in all the trees. Fish and meat mixed with Vidanga and rice would make them bear fruits. This would universally control the diseases of all the trees.

    

Exercises , dos and don’ts in the light of Ayurveda

 

                             Exercises, dos and don’ts in the light of Ayurveda

        The importance of exercise is stressed by all streams of medicine, whether Allopathy or Ayurveda. Exercise is known asVyayama in Sanskrit, any activity that makes one tired.According to Sushruta and Charaka that the effort which produces stability and strength in the body is known as Vyayama. It helps in maintaining the balance between the three circulatory forces or doshas Vata,Pittha, and Kapha.

Exercise stimulates agni, the digestive fire and metabolic capacity, and it enhances ojas, the mental and physical capacity to resist disease or stress.

Exercise primarily improves the digestive power to help absorb the nourishment from food. The body becomes lighter, thereby promoting stability and lowering the probability of accidental falls. Just as one’s diet needs to be personalized to suit the body type, so does the physical exercise.

•      One should not do any physical exercise while the food still remains undigested , nor immediately after taking food, nor after drinking water or any fluid.
• One should not do exercises affecting one’s body directly under the Sunlight.
• One shouldn’t expose his body to direct Sunlight after doing exercises.
• Physical exercises would remove the excessive phlegm ( Kapha).
• Massaging removes the excessive wind ( vata ).
• Bathing would remove the excessive bile ( pittha).

Inspiring voices from the past

 

                                Inspiring voices from the past

 

•       What experience and history teaches is that people and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.
•      There is no greater tyranny, than which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice.
•  Men do not desire to be rich, but to be richer than other men.
• Those who cannot inspire will never be leaders.
• Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.
• No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again today.
• Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind.

An interesting journey of words

   

                                An interesting journey of words

•         Robot  -  The word traces its origin to the Czech word “ robota” which means forced labor.
•        Quiz    -  This word “ quiz” was allegedly invented by a Dublin theater owner who bet he could introduce a new word into the language within 24 hours. He painted the word “ quiz” all over Dublin, and won the bet.
•    Free lancer  - The term  originally refers to a medieval mercenary whould fight for whoever paid them.
•   Trivia comes from the Latin for “ Three roads” referring to when people would meet to chat.
•   To toast  - Ancient Romans used to drop a piece of toast into their wine for good health - that’s where the phrase “ to toast “ comes.
•  The word Puppy traces its origin to old French word’ Pou pee’ meaning doll.
• The phrase “ Rule of thumb comes from an old English law allowing men to beat their wives with a stick no thicker than their thumb.