Monday, February 13, 2012

Love Yourself




The following article is an extract from a book written by Louise Hey who is one of the guiding lights of my life. Thank you Louise for inspiring me. I have applied a bit of formatting.

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Love yourself



I have found that there is only one thing that heals every problem, and that is: to love yourself. When people start to love themselves more each day, it's amazing how their lives get better. They feel better. They get the jobs they want. They have the money they need. Their relationships either improve, or the negative ones dissolve and new ones begin. 

Loving yourself is a wonderful adventure; it's like learning to fly. Imagine if we all had the power to fly at will? How exciting it would be! Let's begin to love ourselves now. 

Here are 12 Commandments to help you learn how to love yourself: 


Stop All Criticism.
Criticism never changes a thing. Refuse to criticize yourself. Accept yourself exactly as you are. Everybody changes. When you criticize yourself, your changes are negative. When you approve of yourself, your changes are positive. 


Forgive Yourself.Let the past go. You did the best you could at the time with the understanding, awareness, and knowledge that you had. Now you are growing and changing, and you will live life differently. 

Don't Scare Yourself.Stop terrorizing yourself with your thoughts. It's a dreadful way to live. Find a mental image that gives you pleasure, and immediately switch your scary thought to a pleasure thought. 

Be Gentle and Kind and Patient.Be gentle with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be patient with yourself as you learn the new ways of thinking. Treat yourself as you would someone you really loved. 

Be Kind to Your Mind.
Self-hatred is only hating your own thoughts. Don't hate yourself for having the thoughts. Gently change your thoughts. 


Praise Yourself.Criticism breaks down the inner spirit. Praise builds it up. Praise yourself as much as you can. Tell yourself how well you are doing with every little thing. 

Support Yourself.Find ways to support yourself. Reach out to friends and allow them to help you. It is being strong to ask for help when you need it. 

Be Loving to Your Negatives.Acknowledge that you created them to fulfill a need. Now you are finding new, positive ways to fulfill those needs. So lovingly release the old negative patterns. 

Take Care of Your Body.Learn about nutrition. What kind of fuel does your body need in order to have optimum energy and vitality? Learn about exercise. What kind of exercise do you enjoy? Cherish and revere the temple you live in. 

Do Mirror Work.Look into your eyes often. Express this growing sense of love you have for yourself. Forgive yourself while looking into the mirror. Talk to your parents while looking into the mirror. Forgive them, too. At least once a day, say, "I love you, I really love you!" 

Love Yourself... Do It Now.
Don't wait until you get well, or lose the weight, or get the new job, or find the new relationship. Begin now—and do the best you can. 


Have Fun.
Remember the things that gave you joy as a child. Incorporate them into your life now. Find a way to have fun with everything you do. Let yourself express the joy of living. Smile. Laugh. Rejoice, and the Universe rejoices with you!


It is now time for you to release old beliefs and old habits, and the meditations and treatments within these pages can help you build your confidence as you make necessary changes in your life. 

This is a time of awakening. Know that you are always safe. And also know that it's possible to move from the old to the new, easily and peacefully.
 



What shall I now release from my life?

What or who no longer works for me?

What am I holding on to that holds me back?

What thoughts or beliefs belong to the old me?

How am I being unloving to myself?

What do I believe that really works for me?

Am I ready to let go?

What is going on in my life that is terrific and wonderful?

Where am I being very loving to myself?

Where am I most content?

What do I want to bring to my life?

How do I want the next year to be?

Who do I want to bring into my world?

How do I want to look?

What image do I want to project?

How healthy do I want to be?

How prosperous do I want to feel?

What kind of world do I want to live in?

Where do I want my spirituality to go?

How much love am I willing to experience?

Take time to acknowledge all of your positive growth and change in the last year.
Then affirm:



I am not limited by statistics, medical opinions, time or authorities.

I am one with the infinite wisdom and capabilities of the Universe itself.

All good is available to me, right here and right now.

All I have to do is to use the power of my thoughts to create that which I desire.





And so it is! I wish you a fabulous 2012!

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Thank you dear Louise.


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

You are the Journey

Vedika brings on a smile ever time one sees her

5th Jan. 2012 - My diary 
I'd often say - "A chapter in my life's journey or when ever I had some experiences like attending a marriage or travelling I would say "I just got down in one station, had some fun and got back in my train - the journey of life" 

Suddenly it dawned on me that I am the journey - it is kind of dynamic  -whatever is happening to you moves that travel - You are the Movement!! 

Anyway, philosophy apart, life is good, peaceful, satisfying. Decisions of the past, time and again seem to have been good, for the better. In retrospect, it seems now wise that I decided otherwise. Many times, in the past, I have blamed myself, repented, regretted, felt awfully guilty etc.. But as I move along the times, it seems "All for the best" 

"Death" 
-  on death, I read recently a young boy's personal experience - when he was clinically declared dead, the doctors were trying to give shock and revive his heart, he says his brain did not die. The experience he had was so beautiful - he felt infinite peace, and saw a bright white light of infinite dimension. The link is here

I also read Steve Job's sister's account of his last dying moment. The three words he uttered were "Wow. Wow. Wow" . May be he too saw the light. May be he too experienced the peace.

Another death experience was my dad's. He went into coma for 2 days. He was in the hospital. At 10:30 p.m., just before he was declared dead, he opened his eyes, he opened his eyes wide, saw and recognized and smiled at Sai , my brother-in-law, then closed his eyes and died. His face was so peaceful.

Almost all the dead people I saw, had that look of peace .

So I now concluded - Death is fun, it is infinite peace, it is an eternal sleep. Every night  we enjoy our sleep so much - whenever we get up from bed, we do not want to leave the warmth of our cozy bed. Also most of the time, my dreams are not all that great !! So Death is such a dreamless, infinite, peaceful sleep. "WOW!!  -Isn't that something to look forward to" I also realized that I do not want to suffer illness, pain, disease. I want to live in excellent health and pass away in deep sleep to eternal sleep.

I feel so deeply grateful to this birth, this highly perceptive analytic brain and this general sense of peace and well-being. Right now, I have never felt better physically.

Is this enlightenment?? At last??

With this new perspective and understanding of death, I realize, if a person is dead, as soon as they are dead, we rush here and there, calling doctors, relatives, wail etc. The best thing to do is to put on soft music, sit in peace, hold hands and say softly how much we all loved that person or how much he or she meant to us in our life etc.. remembering that "That person may be still able to perceive something"

In deep gratitude 


Monday, January 9, 2012

Itchy Dry Skin








Winter Skin Care

End Winter in Champaign, IL, USA

Snow Covered Landscape 

I, like my two sons have inherited extreme dry skin from my dear departed father. They always joke "That is the only inheritance we got" . Come winter and the intense itch, scaly skin bothers us.

I found this article very useful in understanding my skin issues. The following article is an extract from University of Iowa Department of Dermatology
 http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/skinhealth/winterskin.html


Winter Dry Skin


Dry skin is a very common skin problem and is often worse during the winter when environmental humidity is low (i.e., "winter itch"). It can occur at all ages and in people with or without other skin problems. This newsletter discusses the causes of dry skin and how to treat and prevent this problem. We hope you find it useful.

What does dry skin look like?
Everyone is familiar to some degree with the appearance of dry skin. The normally fine lines in the skin become more visible, the skin feels rough and appears dull and flaky. In more advanced cases, fish net-like cracks resembling the fine fracture lines of cracked porcelain can occur. Dry skin occurs most commonly on the arms and legs, but can also affect the trunk of the body. Dermatologists often call dry skin "xerosis" or "asteatosis".

Problems associated with dry skin.
Dry skin very commonly produces itching, which can be severe and interfere with sleep and other daily activities. Repeated rubbing and scratching can produce areas of thickened, rough skin (lichenification). Dry, thickened skin can crack, especially in areas subject to chronic trauma (e.g., hands and feet), causing painful cracks in the skin (fissures). Dry skin and scratching may result in a dermatitis when the skin becomes red (inflamed) in addition to dry and scaly. Round, scaly, itchy, red patches scattered over the legs, arms and trunk (nummular eczema) may also appear. The appearance of yellow crusts or pus in these areas indicates that a bacterial infection is developing. This would require specific antibiotic therapy from your dermatologist or family physician.

If your skin is very dry, or if you have an associated red dermatitis, it is a good idea to seek the advice of your dermatologist or family physician. Severe dry skin is a feature of certain genetic diseases such as atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis (fish scale-like skin). In addition, people with hormone imbalances such as underactivity of the thyroid gland can also experience severe skin dryness (there are other changes in the body that accompany dry skin in this setting that helps doctors recognize this problem). On occasion red, dry skin rashes can be confused with other skin problems such as a ringworm infection or allergic contact dermatitis (i.e., a poison ivy-like skin rash), which would need different forms of treatment.

What causes dry skin?
Healthy skin can be pictured as a multi-layer cake covered by a single sheet of clear plastic food wrap to keep it fresh. The plastic food wrap prevents the frosting and underlying layers of the cake from drying out by preventing loss (evaporation) of the water from the cake into the air. It is the moisture in the cake that gives it its freshness. The outermost layer of the skin, which acts like the plastic food wrap and is about the same thickness, is called the stratum corneum. (This is the layer that peels off after a sunburn). The stratum corneum consists of dead skin cells embedded in a mixture of natural oils (lipids) that are made by underlying living skin cells. These natural skin oils keep the water inside our body from escaping into the air and also keep irritating substances and germs from entering the body. Both the skin oils and the dead skin cells hold a certain amount of water in the stratum corneum and it is this stratum corneum water that helps keep the skin soft, pliable and smooth.

Dry skin results when there is not enough water in the stratum corneum for it to function properly. One way this can happen is when protective oils in the stratum corneum are lost and the water that is normally present in the skin is allowed to escape. Too much soapy water, exposure to harsh chemicals, the normal aging process and certain types of skin diseases are some of the causes of decreased amounts of protective skin oils. As the stratum corneum dries out it shrinks and, as it shrinks, small cracks can occur. This exposes the underlying living cells to irritating substances and germs in the environment.

Treatment of dry skin.
An important aspect of treatment is to identify and tackle any factors that may be contributing to the dry skin. It is natural to think that applying water alone to dry skin would help control the problem. However, water alone (especially hot water) can actually worsen the problem of dry skin by removing the normal, protective skin oils. Hot, soapy water depletes the natural skin oils to the greatest degree. Anyone who has tried to wash a skillet covered with bacon grease in cold soapy water knows how effective heat is in softening up oils and fats so that they can be washed away. However, water followed by the application of oil such as a moisturizer (also known as an emollient or lubricant) is of great benefit for dry skin. The oil in the moisturizer helps trap and seal water in the stratum corneum and makes the skin softer, smoother and less likely to become dry, cracked and itchy.

A mainstay of management is attention to proper bathing techniques and liberal use of the most effective moisturizers. You should take a short bath or shower (no more than 10 minutes) only once in a 24 hour period. For adults, showers are generally better than baths. While longer baths or showers, especially in hot water, can be quite relaxing, they will also increase the loss of natural oils from the skin and worsen skin dryness. The bath or shower should be in warm rather than hot water. Soap should be used minimally and only when and where needed (for example, under the arms, the groin and genitals, the feet, and the face). Milder, less drying soaps include Dove, Neutrogena Dry Skin Formula (unscented), Aveeno Cleansing Bar for Dry Skin, Purpose, Basis, and Oil of Olay Sensitive Skin Soap. Cetaphil is a liquid cleanser that works as a gentle and effective soap substitute for some people. It is especially helpful for cleaning the face and hands.

After bathing or showering, quickly and gently pat the skin partially dry with a towel (do not rub!). Within three minutes of getting out of the water apply a moisturizer (see discussion of moisturizers below) to seal the water in the skin before it can evaporate. Bath oil, if selected as a moisturizer, can be directly rubbed into the skin after showering or bathing, but should not be added to bath water since this can make the tub dangerously slippery. Moisturizers should be reapplied liberally during the day and evening when possible especially to those areas prone to dryness (hands, arms, legs) and when itchy.

Treat any red dermatitis (eczematous) patches with a topical cortisone (steroid) cream or ointment for a 5 to 15 day course. Over-the-counter strength cortisone creams and ointments can occasionally be helpful, but prescription strength products are often required to calm down this type of dermatitis. Make sure you understand where the cortisone cream or ointment is to be applied (only on the red patches unless instructed otherwise) and how often you should apply it (no more than twice daily). When using both a cortisone product and a moisturizer, always use the cortisone first and the moisturizer second.
Be careful about using other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and itch-suppressing creams or lotions. Many of these products contain chemicals that can irritate or cause allergic reactions in dry, dermatitic skin. A good general rule is if anything that you apply to your skin causes more burning and itching than you started with, you should stop using it until you can talk with your doctor about it. Anti-itch products containing pramoxine (e.g., Prax, Pramosone) or menthol and camphor (e.g., Sarna) are generally safe to use. However, these products are not treating the cause of skin dryness, they are only temporarily treating the itching that accompanies skin dryness.

Any way that you can increase the humidity level in the air of your home and workplaces would be advisable. If not already present, you should consider adding a humidifier to the central heating system of your home. If you use a portable humidifier, make sure it is used in your bedroom at night.

Use of skin moisturizers (emollients) for long term control and prevention of dry skin.
Dry skin is usually a long-term problem that recurs often, especially in winter. When you notice your skin beginning to get dry, resume your moisturizing routine and avoid the use of harsh soaps. If the itchy, dry, skin rash returns, use both the moisturizers and the prescription steroid cream or ointment.

There are basically two types of moisturizers &emdash; facial moisturizers and body moisturizers. Most facial moisturizers on the market relate largely to makeup and cosmetic concerns. They are surrounded by considerable mystique and are often outrageously expensive. These products are different than body moisturizers in that they are very carefully designed to avoid causing allergic reactions (hypoallergenic) and flares of acne on the face (noncomedogenic). These types of facial moisturizers will not be discussed further here. While dryness of the skin of the face is usually not a major problem for people during the winter, the use of certain medications such as anti-acne treatments can produce considerable facial dryness in the winter or summer. There are several excellent facial moisturizers that also contain effective sunscreen chemicals that can be used in this setting (Neutrogena Moisture SPF 15 Untinted, Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer SPF 15).

There are four basic classes of body moisturizers &emdash; ointments, oils, creams and lotions (listed in decreasing order of moisturizing power). It should be noted that all of the moisturizer products mentioned in this article are available without prescription.

Ointment moisturizers have the greatest ability to trap moisture in the skin, but they have the greasy consistency and feel of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. People often shy away from using them because of the greasy feel, but this can be minimized by applying a small amount and rubbing it into the skin well. Examples of effective ointment moisturizers include Aquaphor and plain Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. In addition to brand name moisturizers, some common household products, such as Crisco vegetable shortening, can be used as very inexpensive body moisturizers. Again, the key to using an ointment is to apply small amounts and rub it in well.

Oil moisturizers are less greasy but still effective. Examples of oils that can be applied directly to the skin include baby oil, mineral oil, vegetable oil, and bath oil. Bath oils used in the bath water make the tub too slippery and should not be used. It is preferable to apply bath oils after getting out of the tub or shower, just as you would other moisturizers, directly to damp skin immediately after a light toweling off to partially dry the skin.

Cream moisturizers
 are usually white and disappear when rubbed into the skin without leaving a greasy feel. As a result they tend to be more popular than ointments. Examples of effective cream moisturizers include Original Eucerin Cream, Aquaphilic, Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Vaseline Cream, Eutra/Elta, Nutraderm, Moisturel, Nivea, Nutraplus, Complex-15, Carmol, Pen-Kera, and Neutrogena Hand Cream (especially helpful for dry, chapped hands).

Lotion moisturizers are suspensions of oily chemicals in alcohol and water. Lotion moisturizers are generally the least greasy and the most pleasant to use and therefore are quite popular. However, because of their alcohol content, they can be somewhat drying when used repeatedly compared to ointments and creams. The bottom line is that if the moisturizer you choose does not feel at least a bit greasy you may not be getting as strong a moisturizer as you might need. Examples of popular lotion moisturizers include Vaseline Intensive Care, Nutraderm Keri, Lubriderm, Curel, and Complex 15, Nivea, U-Lactin, Neutrogena, Nutraplus, Eutra Lite, Moisturel, Complex-15, Lac-Hydrin 5. There are many other cream and lotion moisturizers on the market that have not been listed here because of space constraints. We have chosen to list some of the more popular products and those more often recommended by dermatologists.

Some moisturizers contain chemicals that can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions in some people (e.g., fragrances, preservatives, alpha hydroxyacids, urea, sunscreens). Thus, if one brand of moisturizer gives you problems, try another in the same class that has a different set of ingredients. Within a given moisturizer class, the choice of which one to use is a matter of personal preference. Generally speaking, the greasier the feel of the moisturizer, the more it traps and holds water in the skin. To be fully effective, it is necessary to use a moisturizer three or more times daily, in the same way that chapped hands in the winter need many treatments. As mentioned before, the most important time during the day to use a body moisturizer is right after a short lukewarm bath or shower.

Everyone in our department hopes that the information presented above will help you, your family, or someone else you know to get through the winter season with less dry and itchy skin than ever before.

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My skin care

Exfoliation: 
2 tb sp Olive oil + 1 tsp. powdered sugar - Mix thoroughly, Apply generously, scrub gently , and then wash with water, pat dry. Repeat once in 2 or 3 days. Get someone to do it to your back. I found this extremely effective. The scales can be actually scrubbed off. 

Dry Skin Lotion: 
Mix the following in a blender and store in a container. Apply generously after bath every day without fail. Cover entire body. 

50g Vaseline Petroleum Jelly
50 ml. Glycerine
10 large Vitamin E capsules - open and pour the oil
50 ml Olive oil
50 ml any good moisturizing lotion ( Nivea, Dove, Ponds .. )

Oil Massage:
Mix thoroughly equal quantities of Olive oil, Mustard oil, Til ( Sesame) oil, Coconut oil and Almond oil ( Johnson's baby oil) . Total quantity should be 100 ml or more. Get a massage done. let the oil be rubbed into the skin fully. 


Hair Care:
Massage scalp with generous application of Mustard Oil . It is excellent for hair and aids in growth and maintenance. Keep for at least 1 hour. Over-night application is the best. Wash off with a mild Shampoo - I use L'Oreal . 


Face Mask:


Mix thoroughly 2 tbsp. thick Curd , 1 tsp honey. t pinch turmeric powder, any  flour enough quantity to make a nice spreading paste. Apply evenly on face, neck. Keep till the mask dries and the skin feels tight. Gently wash off, scrubbing off the mask. You can use a wet cloth also. 


Papaya is an excellent face mask. Leaves the skin feeling fresh the whole day. 


Honey, Lime juice and any flour is also equally good mask. 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Root cause of Corruption in Society

Why are some people corrupt? Who do we have so many scams?? 

I think and think. I have concluded GREED and lack of integrity as the root cause of corruption - this greed is to possess much more than any body else, to be most powerful. Having one comfortable house, one great car is not enough. This person wants more and more. He is also very intelligent to realize all sorts of loop holes in the law of the land , manipulate people and situations to fulfill his GREED and turn those into his advantage.

But in my 61 years of non-momentous life journey , I have experienced that these extreme greed is caught and punished by the law of the land or by the unseen hands of providence - ALWAYS WITHOUT FAIL. Quicker the climb on the stairs of corruption, greater the fall.

All my own thinking of course!!    

Thursday, August 11, 2011

America revisited third time

Sunnyvale - 11th Aug 2011



 Historic Murphy Street - Sunnyvale, CA


Sylvan Park, Sunnyvale, CA





Roses on the roadside, Sunnyvale



July 11, 2011
I land in US for the third time in Sunnyvale, CA. The transition from a wonder struck Indian loving and appreciating everything American  to a more critically aware and analyzing Indian. But always Indian at heart. loving my country most.

March to May 2007:
My First visit to Champaign, Illinois is still fresh in memory. March 2007  - India underdeveloped , developing nation. few malls. narrow roads, poor nation. Stayed in Champaign in UIUC campus. I am in awe of Walmart - its giant size, I fell in love with the amazing nature that is nurtured everywhere - the trees, the green grass. The weather went from end winter in March - to beautiful colorful spring- to beginning of summer. The transition form leafless trees in March - to trees totally covered in colorful fragrant blossoms - to lush greening of trees - end May. Fell in love with Champaign - the small Americal town, downtown Chicago - the breathtaking architectural beauty of skyscrappers , the drawbridge, the vast lake Michigan. Avid photographer that I am - the beauty of America simply fascinated me -  1500+ photos. Beautiful clean broad roads, cars of all makes and sizes , road descipline, long walks on tree lined sidewalks of self discovery. Simply loved it all. Vivek stayed in a studio apartment barely enough for two. Vidya stayed with us for some days and then moved to california. When I returned back to India, people around me got bored hearing me praise America at the drop of a hat. Everytime I compared problems in India to how they did not exist in USA.


Orchids bloom in Downtown Chicago - May 2007



Draw Bridge on Chicago river


UIUC Quad greens in Summer



 Frozen Lake of Woods - Champaign




Fremont CA - March 2009 to July 2009
My second visit was to Fremont in March 2009- Vivek married to Vidya, a 2 bed room rented apartment in  a gated community - comfortable - pretty landscape everywhere. India progressing nation - more malls in the neighbourhood, the Mumbai-Pune express highway was born and changed the way we travelled in the Ghats section earlier winding thro dangerous narrow roads choc-a-block with traffic - this was just a plain stretch of excellent roads, high speed travel - life was transformed in a certain positive way - My second son Hari too was married, life was looking up for me. I enjoyed walking and discovering the beauty of a residential area, nice houses with lovely lovely rose gardens, trees laden with oranges, a slightly chilly pleasant sunny weather . The huge roses on the roadside always brought a smile, the camera was out, and a sense of joy. Travelled a lot with Vivek, visited Yosemite, LA, Sequioa National park and King's Canyan, Bigsur, Monterey - all stunningly beautiful places. April is fabulous as the snow from winter melts and the water falls are in full force and river are full of rapids. The trees are covered in spring blossoms. Fell in love with San Fransisco and simply loved it each time we visited it Another 1500+ photos added to my portfolio.

But I as a person was changing - more mature, more aware, more experienced in life's ways. India was making good progress too. I was a mother-in-law now and the role was different. Realized  what is meant by "Two is company but Three is a crowd".


Sunnyvale - July 2011 
This time the picture is totally a transformed one. So many historical changes. First and foremost America was hit by financial disaster - many banking businesses declared bankruptcy, laid off workforce, joblessness hit America, the first black President - Barrack Obama was elected . Politically the whole world was undergoing changes. Countries ruled by kings and families were waking up to freedom of the individual and fighting for their rights. Everything in every country seemed to be "Made in China"

Second my own country India ( along with China) was now recognized as an emerging super power with its resilient dynamic young work force, surviving the world economic downturn very competitively. Fantastic infrastructural developments were happening everywhere. Nigdi Pradhikaran where I live for the last 20 years now had  beautiful broad clean roads, several flyovers were getting built to facillitate fast traffic movement, large luxury cars were a common sight. There was hope in the air. Anyone with some skill was doing well. The IT and ITES industry employed youth and brought prosperity to large number of families. Big business houses like Tata, Birla, Reliance had set up large Malls everywhere - so Walmart visit in USA lost its novelty. Everything was now available in India - one need not bring from USA or elsewhere. Now India is gearing up with Metro railways in many cities. A sense of optimism prevails in my country.  Life is Good in India.    

Personally my life has undergone total transformation. For one I was now 60+ years old.  For nearly 2 years I all went thro severe stress due to some family problems. I now lived alone and that requires courage and brought tremendous inner growth. I enjoy my independent single status. I was getting good work opportunities as a corporate trainer in Oracle.  I traveled on work outside Pune, stayed in hotels and enjoyed my work. Life seemed to have come a full circle.

So when I stepped into the USA for the third time things felt different. Vivek and Vidya have their own place - a comfortable home. They are expecting their first child. Many of their friends too. So right now we attend baby showers on week ends, I am a senior citizen (!!!) - or elders- sit in groups of parents visiting children in USA.  

There are so many great things about American way of living. What never fails to amaze me is how America maintains and nurtures nature everywhere. It is trees, trees and more trees lining each and every road and grass and more grass everywhere we go. The cleanliness is something India must emulate. The American one encounters is always warm and caring with an easy smile. Discipline is a natural trait. Everything seems to work in perfection. But the huge use of power, fuel , the gigantic plastic garbage makes me worry for mankind.        

I seem to be cured of my USA obsession of my first visit. May be I will not boast about USA so much when I go back !!

As always I look forward to putting my foot back into my country. 

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Moving On









ACCEPTANCE

You accept that you are responsible for all the mess you are in, and look deep within - What is now the best course of action for YOU? That is all that matters.

MOVE ON. This is the beauty of LIFE.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Thought Driven Life and Random Happenings


Goutama Bhuddha suffered many many years ( his biography by Deepak Chopra is absolutely revetting reading. Just loved his way of dramatizing and visualizing such a by-gone era.. ) and went into deep deep self journey and came out with the 4 truths and eight fold path to liberate mankind from its suffering.

Well, I have zeroed in on my own philosophy as a result of endless hours of timepass.

1. Choices we make
Our life is driven by our choices - Every little and big act and turns and twists of our life is the choice we make at each and every moment. We choose to suffer, we choose to enjoy, we choose to feel happy or sad. Our resentment, our loves are our choices - we choose to love someone and choose to hate someone. We choose to react in particular way.

2. Our thought process
All these choices are driven by our thought processes. Every one is justified in his own eyes of all the actions he does because that is the way he thinks. Many times we later realize the folly of our action , we regret that we acted in a particular way or we made a wrong choice. Given a second chance in life, we may repeat the same life - We cannot help that we are this way. When we accepted this of ourselves and all others who cross our path in life, we will be truly liberated.

3. Random happenings
Life is a series of random happenings - there is no such thing as destiny. Many things just happen - there is no reason, no cause . No point in trying to explain why, how, what etc.. Just accept that and move on.

Ha Ha Vats You chose to write this. and you thought of it and it just happened randomly.

Am I Bhuddini?? A new philosophy for mankind??

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Excess Baggage


The Monkeys riding on our backs


These days a new enlightenment is dawning on me - the concept of excess baggage. It all started when I saw during my morning walks - so many people having a protruding bloated belly - I thought that is excess weight he/she is carrying. Slowly I became aware of so many other forms of excess baggage that we human beings carry. They are like monkeys riding on our backs.

I am now trying to unload these as I am also a carrier of these loads. I also felt that just like we have to pay excess baggage charges in airlines ( I am always a candidate for that.. ) , life too extracts certain penalty from us for accumulating and letting these excess baggage dominate our life.

Excess Body baggage: Too much fat ( also known as obesity) carried around our body weighs down and stresses the bony skeleton that is designed to carry a certain load. It strains the heart to pump blood in the face of such weighty resistance all over.
The baggage charge : All sorts of health issues, constant guilt of excess weight
Pack it light: Be aware of what you eat all the time. Eat for good health not just to satisfy the taste buds.

Material baggage: THINGS, THINGS and more THINGS. Over years we tend to accumulate lots and lots of things around us. We keep on adding to the pile - loads and loads of clothes, electronics, artifacts, hundreds of random things. Housewives collect even huge number of plastic bags, empty containers, vessels of all shapes and sizes. Some houses have mounds of news papers and old magazines. Some ladies collect shoes, make-up.

All our attics, storage spaces are choked with things.

Greed and desire for expensive jewelery, land, houses, cars etc. rule many who accumulate these even at the cost of their integrity, harming others even their nation.

Most of the things we collect are rarely used by us.

Harshad Mehta who lived in a one room tenement became so rich and had so many houses and cars all thanks to the share scam that he cleverly invented - but the man never lived to enjoy all that he died at the age of 36.

Instead of throwing away, we keep them thinking - "That may be useful someday". Only that someday never happens even once in five/ten/twenty years.
The baggage charge : Loss of precious space in the house, and loss of mental peace that will come by shedding these.
Pack it light: Just throw, throw, throw. Only keep things which you will use at least once a day.

Psychological baggage: So many past thoughts, so many future desires. Opinions about everyone , judgement, resentments, hatred, obsession, addiction fill our mind. Hundreds and hundreds of past events over years, pains and pleasures of the past, so many desires and wants for the future clutter and take up all our mental space.
The baggage charge : Not able to enjoy the light-weight and ultimate bliss and joy that comes by shedding this load off our back - OOPS mind.
Pack it light: This is a tough one as we have to go deep within ourselves. We have to understand ourselves. We have to learn to enjoy the stillness, silence
and expanse of the universe
within amidst all the external noise . We have to come to terms with our impermanence of our existence on Earth. We have to clean sweep our mental space constantly.

Relationship baggage: Some relationships bring us no joy and sit on us like chimpanzees and gnaw the very life out of us. It may be very close relationships like parent-child, husbands -wife, siblings, family relationships or peripheral ones like friends, official ones etc. We know the futility of holding on yet do not wish to unload these off our backs.
The baggage charge : They choke the very life out of us. Most expensive baggage charge - they extract the joy of living itself.
Pack it light: This is the toughest baggage to shed as we human beings are ruled by our emotions. If we can tear this monkey off our back and toss it out, we will feel unbelievably light and joyous within and FREE to live and breathe.

Ah !! All that philosophy BAGGAGE !! I am exhausted ...

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Self Realization




Big Sur - There is a water fall into the OCEAN

Understanding Oneself

Well so many incidences have been happening in life - all to a great reward.

Parent and Child think Different
Living with my son and daughter-in-law is an on-going learning process in balancing relationships. I came to realize that the love that the parent feels for the child cannot be reciprocated by the child. It is a different feeling. It is not a 2 way process. They are 2 different processes.

My expectation constantly for reciprocation of love, care, consideration, expenditures all lead me to often feel so disappointed , dissatisfied and unhappy. Till the knowledge dawned on me that my expectations were just not going to be fulfilled because the feelings were totally different and that is just natural. That realization calmed me down and now I feel happy to just be.

We as parents are extremely giving, generous and sacrifice all our basic needs to give the best to our children.

Mama, I did not ask you for anything
First of all, the child did not need all this. It did not ask to be born into this world, it did not ask any sacrifices to be made. You could have fed simple kanji ( porridge..) , dal, rice and govt. milk. The child did not ask Nestle spray, Farex and all exotic food, toys , luxuries. If u did it, you did it out of free will and choice.

Lets us set each other FREE
Second , you have to set them free at some age - preferably by 20 years LET GO !! This freedom has to be a 2 way process - both the child and the parent have to let go of each other completely from within. Then the relationship blossoms and takes a whole fantastic shade. It becomes a rewarding experience to be in each other's company.

When you are a mother and a single parent, you get extremely emotionally entangled with your children and that leads to all sorts of confusion for both.

Be Financially INDEPENDENT
Third and a very important issue for a rich rewarding life journey is financial independence. Every individual should make easy inflow of cash into life from a young age to death. When you are young, all you think of are your children, put them in the best school, clothe them lavishly and make all sorts of sacrifices to make them feel good and may be thus squander away hard earned money. If you dream that your old age will be well taken care of by your well-to-do children, then you are in for a major disappointment. The human child is not programmed that way.

If you observe the animal world nowhere we see off-springs taking care of aged parents. It is always the parents caring for the off-spring till it is strong enough to fend for itself. But in the animal world the parent does only that much and does not cling to the off-spring once it is ready to face the world . The parent moves on with its life.

What sets the human race apart from all the other animal world is the ability to feel emotions, express them. Man's thinking power is so great that he created the entire world so beautiful, so comfortable to help him survive and thrive. His intelligence has been so rewarding to his species, but his emotions have been his undoing.


Self Discovery along the journey

SELF-REALIZATION.
After the advance course at the Art of living Bangalore Ashram, I go for regular morning walk and do 1 hour of breathing exercises ( Pranayam). There is a huge sprawling garden in Nigdi called Tukaram Park - I call it Nakshtra Garden. I am so blessed to be living in such a beautiful area. There are so many lawns, benches, trees - it is just such a beautiful place.

I do Kapalbhati (Thank you Ramdev Baba Guruji), Nadi Shodan Pranayam, Ujjai Breathing, Mudra Pranayam, Basricka and Sudharshana Kriya - for all these I am eternally grateful to Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

All of them are breathing exercises. Takes me an hour. At the end of it I feel so light - as if I am nothing, my entire body feels one with nature. I also feel the immense vastness and the silence of this universe ( Thanks to Echart Tolle - "Power of Now") - the feeling is so divine. Your thinking simply blanks out and it feels so so good. One automatically slips into deep meditation and become one with nature around.

Sometimes it iis so funny - ON the one hand you feel you are nothing and on the other, you feel everything is within you - God, Guruji, nature ..

When I am returning home, I walk back slowly, feeling so weightless , so good, so peaceful It seems the world is so beautiful. I feel so grateful for everything.

This is the journey of SELF-REALIZATION.

I read recently Deepak Chopra's book - Guatama BUDDHA - His life journey - How he attained enlightenment. This book is a must read - it is written so well - one literally lives with Buddha in that period - The book does not discuss Buddhism - it is a dramatization of Buddha's life Thank you Deepak Ji . Grateful to you.

I now feel blessed that I may be getting there - ENLIGHTENMENT.