A Proud moment for me as a mother - My daughter, Aryahi's Portfolio

You insure yourself of ailments by making "Yoga" your lifestyle

You chant “Om” and you get healed. You breathe in and out and you get healed. Unbelievable?? Yes it is. There are many who might laugh at it as well. But it is a reality that Yoga, an age old practice of staying healthy and cure of many diseases, has many such miracles instilled in itself. It has the power of healing the soul. In this polluted environment and busy life, one should definitely try to take out at least few minutes to practice this wonderful ascetic discipline.

We have heard this word ‘Yoga’ so many times right from our teenage but we never really care to understand the store house of wealth it possesses till the time we do not experience any physical pain. It is when our physician asks us to turn to yoga for a long term relief from pain that we try and understand the benefit of yoga.

What is yoga?

Yoga is the traditional Indian science of balancing one’s body, mind and soul with the application of physical and breathing exercises. It comprises of a lot of exercises for each and every part of the body, including nails and hair.  

Why do we need yoga?

Understanding the difference between staying healthy and having some disease will in itself answer why all of us need to make yoga our lifestyle. Absence of any physical ailment does not necessarily mean that a person is healthy. A person suffering from a particular disease can, otherwise, be a very fit and healthy person and a youth having any disease can be dull, inactive and unhealthy.   

Right from Hollywood stars to Bollywood actresses, to your office receptionist, your neighbor next door, everyone speaks about the benefits of yoga but they leave you confused as to which exercises should you chose.

Yoga can broadly be classified into these five categories  

Hatha yoga: Hatha yoga is as old as 15^th century and is native to India. This type of yoga involves light and slow exercises. It pays emphasis on gentle breathing exercises and on meditation. The aim of hatha yoga is to introduce the concepts of yoga to the beginners. The benefits of this type of yoga include creating a connect between mind and body. It also helps improve breathing.

Vinyasa yoga: Vinyasa covers physical exercises in combination with breathing. It includes all the steps of surya namaskar which consists of twelve postures of exercises. This helps bring a lot of flexibility in the body. Those involved in activities like dance, skating and other such sports should consider Vinyasa as it brings in lot of flexibility.

Ashtanga yoga:  Ashtanga yoga, as the name suggests, has a thrust on building the efficiency of the limbs. It is fast, energetic and involves push-ups and lunges too. It bests suits people who are involved in stamina related sports, like swimming, boxing, etc.

Iyengar yoga: Yoga basically focuses on eight different arms of Ashtanga yoga and the thrust is on proper Iyengar alignment of body. Iyengar yoga requires some props like mats, blankets, ropes, blocks etc. Stretching exercises specially the ones in standing posture are practiced for a stipulated period of time. Iyengar helps improve alignment of bones and muscles. It strengthens the bones even in cases as complex as arthritis, bone injuries and any malfunction of the joints.

Bikram yoga: Bikram is popularly known as hot yoga for the reason that it is carried out in a room with modified temperature which is maintained at around 95 to 100 degree. It is nothing but a total set of 26 exercises or postures that help loosening of very stiff muscles through sweating. The whole idea behind Bikram Yoga is to push out toxins from the body, it helps clean the tissues and cells of the body and provides flexibility.  It is advised for people who are looking for relief in specific body areas and relief from some injury. 

Benefits of yoga are just innumerable:

·         It helps in weight loss.

·         I helps in inch reduction and weight loss for specific parts of the body.

·         Helps create a balance between body, mind and soul.

·         Helps ease out back pain.

·         Helps control blood sugar levels.

·         Builds flexibility in the body.

·         Helps strengthen the muscles and limbs.

·         Helps a long way in posture correction.

·         Helps restore the posture of your spine.

·         Yoga is a great way to help in the proper circulation of blood. Specially the relaxation exercises help improve the blood flow to the hands and feet both.

·         Improves concentration to quite an extent.

·         Is very effective for the health of nervous system.

·      Pranayam helps the person get proper sleep. Those suffering from  sleeplessness should consider going in for yoga.

Pumps up lymphs which helps kill cancer cells too!

As a matter of fact, when we expand and contract our muscles while performing various yoga stretches and exercises, our body pumps out lymph which is a thick liquid high in immune cells. These immune cells are very powerful in fighting infections and combating cancerous cells and clearing out toxic waste from the body.

Shavasan (corpse posture) helps bring down high blood pressure

The most beautiful aspect about yoga is that its one of the simplest steps like Shavasan, which requires a person to just lie and relax like a corpse. Various research show that continuous practice of this posture helps bring down high sugar levels.

Helps ease out depression

Those of you who get constant bursts of depression should definitely consider yoga as it reduces depression and helps the mind release hormones which make us feel relaxed, calm and composed, thus making us much happier.

Essential Tip: However good a particular medicine may be, we still first consult our physician before consuming that medicine. Same is the case with yoga or any other form of physical workout. First understand your body, your lifestyle, and your schedule and then consult a practicing yoga expert. A second thing is that, your belief system is very strong. If we believe that a particular thing will work on us, only then will it benefit us.

5 ways to lift your mood

Everybody wants to be happy and have a feeling of content in their life. Throughout our lives, we run after money, food and happiness. You can easily earn money and have tasty food, but happiness is something that comes and goes as per its wish. Here I am listing 5 ways which can help you lift your mood in those tough moments.

Listen to soft music

Listening to soft music immediately soothes the mind. Music is the best way to calm your puzzled and disturbed mind. Especially the old melodies. They work wonders. There was indeed some magic in each note that was played especially during the 60s, 70s and 80s. 90s was the time which can be said to be the transition period in the world of music, which is, from those sweet notes to the current rock notes.

Meditation

There is no alternative of meditation when it comes to lifting your mood. There are many people who do not believe in the effectiveness of meditation. But just the basic of meditation, i.e. breathing in and out, helps a lot in relieving ones mood. With meditation, the feeling of relaxation comes instantly. I have experienced it on numerous occasions. Whenever I feel tensed or puzzled, I calm myself down by breathing in and out. It is a great way to keep yourself stress free.

Stop blaming yourself

Whenever we go into depression, we start blaming ourselves. The guilt that we feel for putting ourselves in that situation, is the worst feeling that one can have. In this situation, we should be brave enough to not let ourselves dwell into that guilt and take it easy. It happens. Things cannot be same all the time. So, putting blame on oneself, will only make life tougher. It’s better to think about overcoming the current situation than sitting and crying about what you did.

Get a pet for yourself

Pets are considered to be the best stress busters. Especially dogs and cats. They are best in alleviating stress. Even different researches have proved that playing with your dogs and cats can really lift your mood and make you feel much better.

So, it’s always good to have a pet in your house. You might need them anytime.

Have Chocolates

We look for a reason to have chocolates. Chocolates can bring smile on even the saddest face. Just the smell of chocolate is enough for changing ones mood. It is seen that whenever you receive a chocolate or you give a chocolate to someone, you automatically smile. It’s similar to lemon. Whenever we see lemon, our mouth starts watering. So, whenever you feel sad or depressed, feel happy about it, because you have one more reason of having as many chocolates as you want.

These are some of the ways to lighten your heart. Depression can bring lot of challenges. The ones who are smart enough to overcome the negative feelings and are able to let it go, wins the race!!

Everything is in the mind

“कार्येषु दासी, करणेषु मंत्री
भोज्येषु माता, शयनेषु रंभा

रूपे च लक्ष्मी, क्षमया धरित्री
षट्कर्म युक्ता कुलधर्मपत्नी”

(“Karyeshu Dasi, Karaneshu Manthri; Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha, Roopeshu lakshmi, Kshamayeshu Dharitri, Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Pathni”)

— Neetisara

This poem was written in Telugu in the 13^th century by the famous poet Baddena (Bhadra Bhupala). The meaning of this shloka is, a woman is a good housewife if,

·         She does all her household work as a servant. (Karyeshu Dasi)

·         Advises her husband like any minister. (Karaneshu Manthri)

·         Feeds her family, eg. husband, like a mother. (Bhojeshu Mata)

·         Is able to please her husband in bed like Rambha. (Shayaneshu Rambha)

·         Is as beautiful as Goddess Lakshmi. (Roopeshu lakshmi)

·         Has patience like Earth. (Kshamayeshu Dharitri)

A woman with all these six qualities, is an ideal housewife. (Shat dharmayukta, Kuladharma Pathni).

This is a very beautiful poem which was written very beautifully by this poet. But I wish there was at least one such beautiful shloka or poem written for becoming an ideal husband to let them know their duties towards their family. This poem was written back in 13^th century, but even today, it is served before every woman to remind them of their duties towards their family.

The sufferings of a woman is a never ending process. There are many people who still treat a woman like a substance. Every day we hear numerous cases, where a woman is molested and is hurt. I really fail to understand, how someone can be in peace after hurting someone or rather, a woman. Although the seriousness of this issue cannot be overlooked, a woman should never forget that “EVERYTHING IS IN THE MIND”. This means that if you think you are weak, you will always be so. It is very important for a woman to feel herself so strong that those strong vibes hit every person who comes near her. This may not stop the violence against women, but this will definitely reduce it to some extent.

In Indian tradition, there is a lot of respect given to womanhood. There are even many powerful goddesses like Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Even Manu, who is regarded as a founder of humanity, said, “The Gods are pleased where women are honored; where they are dishonored all works become fruitless.”

Thankfully, compared to the era in which the above poem was written, the position of a woman has improved a lot. And even though not all, but many have started treating a woman like a human being.  

A woman is a symbol of power, of self-respect and self-efficacy. She has the power to overcome the immense pain and give birth. She can go through all the adverse situation and still nurture. She can walk on the path of flowers happily and can even show off her smile while walking on the thorns. She has the power to make one feel relaxed and calm with her soft touch. A woman can happily become a servant for her family and give away everything that she has.

A woman is as soft as a petal and at the same time, she is as tough as a thorn. So, a woman should never be disrespected. One should always remember that the world is round and what goes, comes back. 

Life is a never ending rhythm...

Life is a never ending rhythm. It goes on playing its finest tunes without any fail till you breathe your last breath. I am saying “finest tunes”, because life can never go wrong. It has a purpose and that is why it is in existence since, I don’t know how long. It has a purpose of bringing a god’s messenger on the earth, living a life full of divinity and faith and then leaving this heavenly abode with a heart full of love and affection. This love and affection help them to come back again and live another life with more missions to accomplish.

So, don’t waste your life in hatred and sin as these are the easiest and most handy tools of life. It takes a lot to bring the feeling of affection, even towards that person who has given you the worst experience of your life. Now, by saying this, I don’t mean, start suffering or forget what others have done to you. It is very important to make others realize the sin that they have done so that they don’t harm anybody else. But “you” as an individual, should move on with your life instead of cursing yourself for something that you have not done.

Life is very beautiful. If you are given a healthy heart that is capable of pumping blood into even the narrowest nerve, you have the capability of rising above all the odds in your life and giving the smile which is full of courage.

Remember, ending a life is not a solution. Fighting like a toughest soul leads you to a solution and makes you proud of yourself.

Social Media, Internet and Healthcare - A perfect Match

In today's time, patients have become more aware about their healthcare and are looking for those healthcare options that can properly engage them towards delivering their responsibilities towards the patients. Social media, like Facebook and Twitter is considered of playing a most important role in making people aware of the different benefits of healthcare. Before internet came into existence, people would make their choice of a right healthcare just by its reputation or after a recommendation from a friend or proximity. But now, people can see the review of a particular healthcare with the help of social media or through other sites on the internet and then make an informed decision. Where people have started making the best use of internet, healthcare companies have been slow in this field. They need to start thinking about how to use the internet in marketing themselves. Patients like to answer the different questions related to their health online and choose their healthcare which best suits them. This technology should be applied by all the healthcare organizations to succeed in the market. The public reports which are available on patients' personal experience, have been a motivation for many healthcare providers and they have become more oriented towards the care and good for the patients. Nowadays, internet is used for everything from shopping to finding best restaurant in the area. Along with that, people even use this medium as the most effective way in finding the best healthcare provider for themselves. Facebook is playing a very important role when it comes to delivering healthcare information, like exact data about the different facilities that the healthcare is providing. Blogs have even become a powerful tool in providing health information as well as engage them with their care. There are many websites which also allows the customers to describe their experiences with a particular healthcare provider and also allow them to rate according to the treatment that they got from a particular healthcare provider. The customers can also leave their comments and reviews on those websites. This has spread awareness among people and most of them do refer to these reviews before contacting a particular healthcare provider. This also helps them to improve their quality and serve the patients at their best. But this should also be kept in mind that the ratings as well as reviews may have many flaws and biases. So, further investigation should be done to assess the reliability of a particular healthcare provider before visiting it. There are many data which is on the heath related events and on different diseases which has been efficiently tackled by a particular healthcare provider. These data have been very useful in further work towards the treatment of those diseases. These information, which are acquired through the internet as well as social media have become of major value to the public. This has also helped the healthcare organizations as well as to the possible regulatory bodies in assessing the healthcare provider. Although it is unlikely for them to replace more traditional surveys of patients, they will definitely add to the present surveys which could help them to identify any poor care along with the outstanding performance of the healthcare provider. The internet has made such a place in human life that existence without it has become impossible. With the passing days, the internet is becoming more user friendly and is full of such resources which could help a person on his day-to-day life.

The pride of India - Mahendra Singh Dhoni aka Mahi

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian cricket team captain, is such a personality who has made a place in the heart of every cricket lover, be it young or old. He is a right handed batsman and also a wicket keeper. His first match was One Day International (ODI) which he played against Bangladesh in December 2004 and a year later he played a Test match against Sri Lanka, which was the first Test match of his life.

Dhoni was born on 7th July 1981 to Pan Singh, his father, and Devki Devi, his mother. His father used to work in MECON and earlier used to stay in Almora, Uttarakhand but later moved to Ranchi, Jharkhand. When he was in school, he used to be a goalkeeper for the football team of DAV School, Ranchi. Along with that, he also used to play badminton and for both the games he was a district level and a club level player. However, once his football coach K R Banerjee asked him to play cricket for the local club. Although Dhoni had never played cricket earlier, still he proved to be a good wicket keeper which made him a regular player for the cricket team of Commando Cricket Club from 1995 to 1998. As he proved to be a skilled player, he was selected for the under 16 championship of Vinoo Mankad Trophy 1997-98. After his wonderful performance in this championship, he got selected for Bihar Ranji Trophy in 1999-2000.

Dhoni as a leader

He is the most successful captain of Indian cricket team under whose captaincy India won three world titles. Dhoni very well knows how to use the skills of his players in the game and make the best out of it. This quality in him was clearly seen when in the 2007 twenty-twenty match he sent Joginder Sharma to play the final over. Even though he comes from a small place, Dhoni has proved that it doesn't matter from where a person belongs, what matters is the way one performs and changes the view of the world. He is such a player who has always lead his team from front. He is strong enough to share all the credits of success with his team players and at the same time accept his failures. Under his captaincy India won the world cup after 28 years. In this match because of his wonderful captaincy skills he promoted himself on the batting order and remained at 91 not out. He had to deal with the players who were veterans as well as newcomers. Dhoni very calmly managed the ego of all the players and at the same time made sure to keep the team's spirit high. Dhoni's ability of staying calm even in adverse situation has made him succeed.

Dhoni's leadership style

After analysing Dhoni's leadership style one can say that the way he chooses to stay cool and calm even at a time of crisis is a trademark of Dhoni's leadership. One reason that he stays unruffled is that Dhoni has the ability of keeping him away from any irrelevant influences. So, he does not care what the media or the press is saying about him. He believes in what he is doing and not in what others are talking about him as few of the Indian captains used to do in the past. This actually helps him have his team's focus on the game. He is also known to back his players with full support and even the players know that Dhoni will not judge them without understanding the situation. So, he is a captain who doesn't like to control his team but likes to give everybody their own space. Dhoni is empowering; however, at the same time when a situation comes when an important strategic decision is to be taken, he is on his own who seldom seeks advice from others.

Dhoni's communication style

Dhoni has a very good command over his communication skills and due to that he has received much respect throughout the world. His communication style is crystal clear and is very impersonal. He knows how to talk to the people including his fans as well as the press. He is a very respectful person who shows respect in each and every word that he is saying. At the same time he is very frank as well as honest.

Ethics for Dhoni

Dhoni is very respectful to his team members and his colleagues. He has never been in news where he has misbehaved with his team players. He is always known to have respected his peers and also motivated the new comers. And his team players can look up to him at any time. This is one of the reason why he became a captain only after few years of joining the Indian team and still maintains the position with respect. Due to his behaviour people have even said that when he retires from the Indian cricket, he will be selected for the Prime Ministerial role.

Respect towards Dhoni

Dhoni is respected throughout the world and is considered one of the eminent player in the world of cricket. He never shows any disrespect or any unethical behavior towards anyone and is always known to back his team members. He is not only respected in India but is respected throughout the world. So, he not only gives importance to others but even respects each country. So, he is also given the same importance in return. I individually respect Dhoni a lot due to his calm and cool behavior and also because of his respectful behaviour towards others.

Dhoni effective style of leadership

It is said that a leader is good when he knows how to manage his team along with taking the responsibility of the team. A leader should also be able to stand for his team players and give credit to his players when success comes and accordingly take the responsibility when the team sees failure. He should be able to command his team very well. All these characteristics are very well seen in Dhoni. So, his way of leadership is considered to be very effective.

Overview

People become great leaders by the way they think, the way they behave with others and also by the way they bring themselves up from all the odds of life and still show calm and still behaviour towards others. They respect and treat others without any discrimination and with due respect. Not only that they show genuine concern in others problems and on the contrary feel genuinely happy when others are happy. Without anybody's help, they have the capability to stand for people who are suffering. These along with other qualities make people rise above all and become leaders. People throughout the world respect these leaders and want to follow their footpath. When one talks about Mahatma Gandhi, the first thing that comes in our mind is 'feeling for others'. He is one of the most ethical as well as compassionate person on the earth as he single handedly went on to change the world. He is one such leader who could very easily stand on others place and see the situation they are into. This made him understand the real situation that an individual is going through and made him much admired and respectful leaders throughout the world. Even Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister, went through lot of controversies through her entire career. However, this never laid her down. She rose from all the problems and without even worrying about these controversies she went on to see the success. Her personality was very much reflected in the way she lead the country. It is a well-known fact that in the path of success there are lots of challenges that come. Margaret Thatcher was a very strong and tough woman, who, without worrying about the challenges always stayed by her thoughts. Thatcher is one of the biggest example of a person who showed resilience even during the times when everything went against her. That is why she was also famously called The Iron Lady. Along with these two leaders even MS Dhoni, who is the captain of the Indian cricket team, has showed that even he has the characteristics of being a much respected leader. His leadership style is also very different of what we have normally seen in most of the Indian captains. Dhoni is not only admired by his team members but the aura of his goodness has spread around the world and people even want to become like him, in the same way as one would like to become Gandhi or Margaret Thatcher. Every leader teaches some good lessons and a right leadership style to others. They have a willingness to help others. Along with that they are also known for aspiring and striving to achieve the high goals in their lives. They very well know how beneficial resilience is and chose not to overreact on things which are not relevant to their work or performance. They have a very good understanding of showing compassion as a leader. These characteristics make a person regarded as a leader and reflect good understanding of the individual towards others which can be a source of learning for the new generation.