Article in Life Positive Magazine, Dec 2010 issue

Positive Points

 Life is full of good and bad,

That need not make you and me sad.

There's a whole lot of good all around

We just need to search till it is found.

So if you want to make life happy and gay,

Write 10 positive points every single day.

Eco-friendly Spree

July has gone and August is here,
I wonder how time runs so fast.
I look across to the calender I keep near,
And I tear off July and away do the paper cast.

"Wait," says the paper, "keep me with you still.
And pray consider not to cast me away.
Behind me I'm blank, lots of space to fill,
Use me to the fullest, for longer let me stay."

I picked up the large paper, and folded it well,
And cut it into equal pieces and kept it with me.
This paper will live a bit longer to tell
How it convinced me to go on an eco-friendly spree.

Hydration & Drinking Water- Cautions

As I said earlier, warm water is very good for health.

We should drink enough water throughout the day to keep ourselves hydrated. However there some facts to consider and some cautions when it comes to drinking water:


1. Avoid drinking water immediately before and after meals: It is better to drink water around half hour before a meal & drink half a glass of warm water after meals. This aids in digestion.


2. Too much drinking water can be harmful: Many people tend to believe that bottles and bottles of water are good for health. But if you drink too much plain water, the essential electrolytes of the body get washed out and this can cause trouble with your nerves. Have a glass or two of lemon juice (with salt and sugar etc) or other hydrating drinks like herbal tea in between.


3. Have juicy fruits and veggies: Drinking water is not the only way to keep yourself hydrated. Veggies like cucumber, tomato, green leafy veggies etc and fruits have enough water content and also useful fibre. Make it a habit of having them once or twice during the day.

4. After workouts and massage treatments: It is necessary to hydrate yourself before and after physical exercise and treatments. Herbal drinks are the best for this as they have essential salts and herbs.


Remember, too much of anything can be harmful, even something as innocent as drinking water.


Stay Healthy!

Water- the miraculous cure for most digestion problems

“When does one feel happiness?” asked the Naturopath. “When we are satisfied?” I asked rather than answered. Shaking his head, he smiled and replied, “When our digestion is proper and our bowels cleared.”

This may sound absurd to you as it had to me when I met the nice doctor, but that line has stuck in my head ever since, and over the five years after that I have realized the truth of that statement.

If our bowels do not clear, toxins remain and spread in our body, increasing negativity which leads to diseases and unhappiness. And so, we must ensure that our digestion is good and elimination even better. This can be done by not overstuffing our stomachs and by eating fresh, natural and healthy food and regular intervals. This also means not to starve the body.

One very simple thing you can inculcate in your daily routine is:

Drink 2 glasses of warm (not hot) water first thing every morning.

·       Warm water helps clear the digestive tract

·       It thus helps cure constipation, acidity and other digestive problems.

·       It hydrates the body after the long fast over the night.

·       And it also detoxifies the body.

·       It also keeps your kidneys healthy.

I have been doing this since the last two and a half years and my digestion has improved tremendously. In fact, now when I eat something wrong, I can immediately and clearly make out what effect it has on my stomach. Even if I like that particular food item very much, the feeling I get after eating it is so horrible that I automatically get over it.

I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think it is a boon. Imagine a pristine white sheet and then imagine a small speck of dust on it. Obviously that speck of dust will stand out more clearly on that sheet than an already dirty off-white sheet.

It is the same with a healthy diet and clear digestive tract. The stomach doesn’t get more sensitive, you just notice more than you could before.

So I sincerely hope that you try this simple exercise every day and see the difference for yourself.

Please note: Most of you may not be used to drinking warm water and so you may find it difficult to drink even 1 glass in the morning. But I suggest you drink how much you can and then slowly, as your body gets used to it (which it will- trust me), you can increase the quantity slowly to 2 glasses. You don’t need to drink more than 2 glasses.

Laziness- the biggest obstacle to spirituality

As you can see, I haven't written a blog post for some time now. It was not for the lack of a subject to write.

In fact, every waking, sleeping, walking and talking moment I find another interesting thing to write about and I file that topic away into the list in my head. But that is the main problem. We have a habit of filing things away for later use and then sometimes we never end up using it.

I suffer from this habit a lot. Just last week, I decided that I will be very regular in my Asana practices. My body has become unusually stiff and it needs oiling. But I ended up actually practicing asanas only on two of those days.

Since childhood, my problem has been laziness. I was lazy when doing my homework, lazy when it came to walking (till I was 5 years old, I forced my parents to carry me everywhere we went). I even used to be lazy when it came to brushing my teeth.

Thankfully, I'm not that lazy anymore. I can assure you I am clean and so are my teeth. Still, when it came to writing this blog, I became a victim of the old habit again.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra 1.30 also talks about laziness as being one of the obstacles on the path of Yoga.

Sutra 1.30 says that disease, languor, doubt, indecision, carelessness, laziness, sensuality (i.e. hankering after objects), erroneous perception and instability are the obstacles on the path of Yoga.

Over the past two years I have been struggling in my fight against laziness and doubt, which have prevented me from regular disciplined practice of Yoga and prevented me from believing completely in the Yoga principles, my gurus and myself.

During this struggle I found three solutions to overcome my laziness.

1. Laziness is due to an excess of Tamasic (dull) state. There are 3 gunas- Rajas, Tamas and Sattva (which I will explain in a later post). To overcome the tamasic state and get into the positive Sattvic state, I made some diet changes, like having freshly cooked, natural food and positive thinking.

2. I forced myself to practice asanas. I made a vow that I would not eat my next meal untill I did me asanas. I had to force myself for a few days, but then the body started craving asanas on its own and I did not have to force myself. Asanas became natural.

3. I stopped planning and started doing. I used to think "I'll do asanas in the afternoon". In the afternoon I'd think "I'll do them in the evening." I kept planning but did nothing. Now, in the morning, I do not give my mind time to think. I just slide out of my bed and onto the mat on the floor and start with my asanas.

So if you are feeling lazy today, don't give in to the monkey mind. Zip its mouth shut and do your thing.

Alternative Therapies v/s Medicine

Well, as I said in Myths about Yoga, if you do Yoga, it doesn't nessarily make you invincible.

The body is material after all and it can be prone to infections. As mine was...

A few weeks ago, I started getting a slight pain on my right hand side just below the ribs. I waited a few days thinking it was a muscle pull, but then when it refused to subside, I visited my doctor.

Doc is a strong follower of yoga so I didn't have to worry about getting a large unnecessary prescription.
But he found that the pain was actually in my liver.

Following some blood tests, it was proved that he was right.

Now the liver is a vital organ and although the infection was not a major one like Hepatitis or Jaundice, it was, nevertheless, important to tackle it fast and strongly.

So I was put on antibiotics that would make me nauseous and weak. That spelt total rest for 10 days.

Now I know some people who are strong believers in alternative medicine like accupressure and yoga. But they are avid readers of self-help books and that's where their knowledge of these therapies stems from.

When they found out about my predicament they emphatically advised me on the phone not to trust any doctor, to stop the medicines and rely on accupressure.

If I had listened to them I probably would have been in hospital today.

I urge everyone- please do not advise people against medicines with only half the information!

I completely trusted my doctor and he again turned out to be right when the infection disappeared totally on the 9th day.

Please remember:
1. Yoga can improve immunity, but sometimes you may catch infection. Be aware of your body and listen to the signs.
2. Yoga and other alternative therapies are all good and useful but they ARE NOT a replacement for medical treatment in emergencies or in sensitive cases. They can complement the medicine well.

So I urge you to please practice yoga yourself but not advise others unless you're a trainer yourself and have all the facts of the case.

Stay safe and stay well!

Yoga Myths 9 & 10

Myth 9: Yoga = Religion.

I had two Muslim friends who were interested in the teachers training course at TYI but were wary or joining thinking it was all about the Hindu religion. I assured them that was not the case and when they joined, they saw for themselves that Yoga is universal.

Although our gurus refer to many Hindu mythological stories to make a point, they also talk about Muslim and Christian leaders who walked on the same path that Yoga proposes.

I quote my guru Hansaji's words "There was a group of people who came here to learn Yoga from Pakistan." They went back extremely happy and hungry for more.

Yoga also talks about faith in God, but it welcomes anyone with any kind of belief. (or no belief at all).

I was a hard core atheist and believer in Science. I was totally against the concept of God and Karma Theory. Yet, I was welcomed with open arms, given all the knowledge and when I did further research, I became a believer in Higher Reality by choice, based on proof.


Myth 10: Yoga = You are Invincible

"You fell sick?? But you do Yoga!!" Sigh. It really is sad that people think practicing Yoga makes you invincible.

The body has its limits after all. It can catch infection from anywhere even if you are really careful.

Yoga helps in improving immunity and preventing most illnesses. But sometimes, seeing we live in a highly polluted material world where we are allowed to indulge in outside food sometimes, we can fall sick.

But the more you advance, the lesser the frequency of illness. It's true.

I hope that these 10 points helped remove some wrong notions that are popularly flying all over the world. If there are any more points or experiences anyone wants to share in relation to this topic, you are most welcome to post your comments.

Stay Healthy!

Myth 8: Yoga means staying away from everything you like

There was a student once who really got scared when introduced to the concept of Tapa.

"But I love eating cakes. I don't want to stop eating them!" she looked as though she regretted coming to the class.

After calming her down it was explained to her that Tapa does mean restraining our desires. But we are not Yogis. We are normal people who have to live in this world. So for us, what Tapa means is to limit our indulgence in everything. Just don't overdo anything.

Enjoying a cake or shopping once in a while is great! Go ahead and enjoy life!

Oh and Yoga does not mean running away from the world, going to the silence of the Himalayas or staying away from people. In fact, Yoga talks a lot about socializing with people, while following certain basic rules called Yamas and Niyamas (in layman terms we can consider these are etiquette rules and attitudes).

Myth 7: Yoga is all about stunts

Before saying anything more, let me add a disclaimer here- There are many different types of Yoga, including Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga etc. All have different sets of beliefs and methods.

The Yoga I’m talking about is Ashtanga Yoga which I feel is ideal for us householders. We all may not be completely fit and healthy and we don’t have ideal lifestyles which allow us to perform straining asanas of Hatha Yoga. (Although we all have a choice to practice these different forms if we want and are capable of it).

The definition of an asana according to Maharshi Patanjali is “sthiram sukham asanam”.

This means that a posture in which we can remain still for a long time and feel peace of mind is known as an asana. Standing on your head or twisting your body in unnatural ways is not required for this.

But as time passed on, we developed dynamic variations of asanas which included movement, breathing patterns and repetition. This is all fine as we need exercise. But according to me, considering some fast strenuous exercise as ‘asana’ is wrong.

I feel that an asana is that, after performing which you feel energized, calm and peaceful.

This is my own personal opinion which I’m not forcing on anyone but I feel that even Power Yoga cannot be considered ‘Yoga’. It is purely physical exercise that helps us lose weight and become stronger but it does nothing to take us to a higher level of consciousness. It is called ‘Yoga’ because its exercises are based on the original asanas described in Yoga.

My mother, being a Yoga teacher too, had tried Power Yoga. She wanted to know why there is so much craze about it and to learn for herself so she can teach it.

After two sessions, she (who is very flexible and healthy, by the way) started getting pains and sprains. She stopped learning it and decided not to teach it inspite of it being popular and in demand.

And remember- Asana is only the 3rd step out of 8 in Yoga.

Yoga: Myths 5 & 6

Myth 5: If it’s not just Asanas, it’s boring Philosophy.


Na-ah. You’re way off track. True it can be called the philosophy of life, it is related to many scriptures and… philosophies, but this ‘philosophy’ is actually practical. Like I said before, you can compare it with marketing and management philosophies but the difference here is that it is not just limited to making money or corporations. It’s about your life and getting to know yourself.

In fact, everything Yoga talks about is supposed to be ‘practiced’. There are no clever one-liners that you would store away in your head. It is to be experienced. When you experience, you see the results yourself.


Myth 6: If you know how to do it, you’re an expert.

Only bookish knowledge of Yoga does not help. There are many dos and don’ts that have to be considered, with regards to your physical and mental limitations. I know of many people who have harmed their body through practicing things they know about only partially.

Guidance from an experienced teacher or guru is very important as they know your capacity and make you practice accordingly.

There are many teachers who have a schedule packed with private classes. They do very well, are in demand and earn a lot, but they do not have time to practice Yoga themselves. I believe that those who do not practice do not know the subject. So do your research well before joining any class. Do not join just because the class is fun and popular.

Also note: Yoga, as I said earlier, is about lifestyle. Only practicing one part of Yoga such as asanas is not that effective. For example, acidity is generally caused by diet, wrong lifestyle and stress. If you just change your diet, it will not be effective unless you try to calm the mind and change some lifestyle habits.

So if you’re thinking of joining classes just for asanas, pranayamas or meditation, think again.

Myth 3 & 4

(...ctd)

Myth 3: Yoga? Yawn…boring!


If you are one of those who thought this way, it’s probably because you met someone or heard from someone who was really preachy and idealistic. Many people who follow Yoga are so awed by the difference it makes in their lives that they start giving unsolicited advice to everyone else, in turn turning other people off.

I’ve been to many children and teenagers’ camps at The Yoga Institute, Santacruz (India) and have found that Yoga can really be made fun and interesting, only if you have the right teacher.

Schools and colleges in India have started introducing Yoga education in their curriculum but there Yoga becomes just another subject where you have to mug up difficult Sanskrit names of Asanas.

Trust me, Yoga is a smart way of living. You wouldn’t mind attending lengthy lectures on marketing or management which are as preachy (or maybe more) as that of a Yoga class. Why so? When it comes to money and career, we’re all excited and when it comes to health…boring! Whereas actually it is our obsession with money and career that is giving us all the problems we have today in life.


Myth 4: Yoga is for oldies

When I was doing the Teachers’ Training Course at The Yoga Institute (TYI), there were many aunties (my classmates) who came and asked me (in Hindi), “Beta, you are so young. Why are you doing this course?”

I’d say, “I’m doing it for the same reason you’d want your children to do it. To have a better life ahead.”

Doesn't it make more sense to learn Yoga and practice it when you are young and have a whole life ahead of you rather than doing it when you’re middle-aged and have already made many mistakes in life? Although it’s never too late to learn Yoga, the sooner the better isn’t it?

I learnt the Yoga way of life when I was 21, before I began a career and before getting married or starting a family. This is helping me today in my management and leadership skills and in my relationship with my family members. Yoga is not just about health. It even helps us in our career, relationships and most of all, during troubling times.

To be continued...
 
Stay Healthy!

10 Myths About Yoga

It’s funny that even though Yoga is gaining popularity all around the world, there is gross ignorance about what it truly is. Even funnier (or should I say unfortunate) is the fact that the ignorance is more rampant in India itself where Yoga originated.


When I tell people that I’m a Yoga teacher, I come across different kinds of reactions that show how little people actually know about it. I don’t blame them for not knowing, because most media and even trainers promote only what can be popular or useful for attracting more clients.


So today, for those who are health conscious but are wondering if Yoga is for you, I list a few myths about Yoga to give you a clearer picture.


Myth 1: Yoga = Losing weight

“You’re doing Yoga? But you’re so thin! You’ll disappear if you do Yoga!” These are the reactions that make me laugh (and cry) the most.

Yoga helps bring the body to its optimum shape/ size. This means that if you are fat, it will make you lose the excess fat from the right places in your body. If you’re too thin, it helps you get healthier. If you are just fine, it will help you remain that way.

When people see me today, they claim that I have filled-out and look much better. I’ve not lost or even gained any weight. Another thing, Yoga can help lose weight, but that would be very limited use of the benefits of Yoga. There's much more to it than 'looking good'. It's about 'feeling and being good'. 


Myth 2: Yoga = Asanas

Many times people ask me, “How many times a day and for how long do you practice Yoga?” I’ve heard people proudly sharing their daily routine, saying, “At 6 am, I go for a brisk walk, then I come home and do Yoga for 1 hour and then have a healthy glass of vegetable juice…”

Newsflash: Yoga is not only Asanas. Asanas are only a small part of Yoga, in fact Asana is considered the third step out of eight in Patanjali Yoga. Actually, Yoga is a way of life. You eat, breathe, sleep, walk and talk Yoga. Having a balanced state of mind throughout the day is what it is all about. The physical aspect is just the kindergarten part (and we’re all generally stuck there for years. Did I say years? I meant lifetimes!).

So next time if someone asks you for how long you practice Yoga, you will say...that's right... "24X7" (Provided you actually do).

To be continued...
Stay Healthy!