Forever 16 - Maturity Gone With The Wind

 These are just my random thoughts when watching the world around. I am not saying anything is good or bad, but if anyone gets any point to improve their life, I am happy.

The Grace and Maturity

Decades back when I went with my husband after our marriage to his aunt’s (mamiji) house, his maternal grandmother was alone at home, who was knitting a sweater. She was a little dark complexioned, wrinkles on her face, but when I set my eyes on her, my heart was filled with love and respect. The thought “I would like to have her type of aura when I grow old” crossed my mind. She personified grace and maturity to me.

Touching feet of elders

It is very prevalent in North India to touch the feet of elders, especially for a new bride. I had to touch the feet of so many relatives, not that I enjoyed touching all those feet. By this gesture, one imbibes the culture of the person who is touched, and I had sense of energy from early on. But with some people, I really had this strong urge to touch and be blessed with some of their good qualities!

I could see many people of older generation who exuded grace, maturity and wisdom. If I am a newlywed at this point in time and I have to touch the feet of older people, I think I’ll be in a total dilemma. Because very few people got that inner sense of maturity and grace these days.

Everybody is a sweet sixteen

In my early days, a lady used to look like a wife after marriage, like a mother after having kids and like a grandma after grand children came to their life. But now majority want to look like they are in their teens by the way they dress up, do their makeup and in their behaviour! The maturity may be coming when one does the duties that come with changing relationships whole heartedly. When a mother is neglecting the house and kids and doing fashion shows, will she look like a mother or a model?

It’s my life

We come from a culture where family was considered above self, clan above the family, village above the clan, and country above the village. This view seems to be in shambles. I have to admit I see a revival slowly in some aspects, which is very heartening. In general, the thought pattern is,” It is my life; my happiness is of utmost importance, above everything else. Why should I consult my parents in choosing a life partner? I don’t believe in making any sacrifice. Every chore should be in a 50/50 pattern between husband and wife. Why should I make tea every day for my in-laws?”

Role of physical body and immediate gratification

Our soul is clothed in this physical body and the latter is designed for physical work. With all the modern gadgets and western commodes, this is hardly happening these days, leading to chronic diseases and tablet dependent life.

Another debilitating factor is the wanting of immediate results. When married youngsters come to me with the complaint of husbands not behaving as they should be, my advice is “Do what you expect them to do, and make sure they are watching it (this should be done discretely, don’t throw it on their face) and over the years, subconsciously they will imbibe that character. One has to be patient. Do this for 25 years. On 26^th year, come back to me. I am sure you will have a different story to tell.”

Yes, that is the fact. Things take time in life. You can’t plant a mango seed and expect mango the next month. You may say that some plants give flowers within a month. But we are talking of long term relationships. If you are looking for short term relationships, I take my words back.

Go beyond the physical body

Anything in this physical world has a life cycle. A bud cannot remain a bud. It has to bloom, spread its fragrance and beauty, then dry and wither off. When it is in the stage of full bloom or drying, if you gather all the petals, tie them together and spray some perfume, will it look like a bud? 

Think in similar terms about human beings.

Let us be grateful to have got this human birth, use the physical body as it is supposed to be, start thinking about the omnipresent soul residing inside, and begin doing things to let the soul complete its journey. If one doesn’t do it in this life, while taking the next incarnation, it will start from where it was left. That is perfectly ok with majority, but this article is not for them.

Hornbill Festival 2023

During our trip to Meghalaya a couple of years back, we heard about the Hornbill festival that happens in the first week of December in Nagaland. I was so fascinated by it, but sad at the same time, from the news that the number of hornbills is declining as they are being killed and eaten.

Hornbill Festival happening closeby

When my husband registered for the Hornbill festival in Dandeli, which is only about 90 kms from our place, I was the happiest person! The dates were 11^th and 12^th February 2023. We arrived at Dandeli the previous day and on 11^th morning reached the venue in great anticipation. After an awesome breakfast we assembled in the main hall and listened to amazing presentations that opened up new areas in the brain.

Hornbills, the gems of Indian forest

Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a casque on the maxilla. A casque is a helmet-like process or structure on the bill of most hornbills.

They are the only birds in which the first and second neck vertebrae are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill. The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They cannot swallow food caught at the tip of the beak as their tongues are too short to manipulate it, so they toss it back to the throat with a jerk of the head.

 They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs. Nesting sites may be used in consecutive breeding seasons by the same pair. Before incubation, the females, sometimes assisted by the male—begin to close the entrance to the nest cavity with a wall made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. When she is ready to lay her eggs, the entrance is just large enough for her to enter the nest. She then enters the nest, seals the remaining opening shut, leaving only one narrow aperture, big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and eventually the chicks. When the chicks and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out the nest and both parents feed the chicks.

In the Western Ghats there are four types of hornbills :  Indian Grey Hornbill (endemic to India), the Malabar Grey Hornbill (endemic to the Western Ghats), Malabar Pied Hornbill (endemic to India and Sri Lanka) and the widely distributed but endangered Great Hornbill. Indian Grey hornbill is the most common species found in India.

The activities

There was a variety of activities lined up, apart from the presentations and interaction with eminent Birders and Bird photographers. We were taken for a walk into the forest for bird watching. It was a very enriching experience to watch the hornbills fly above us, to see the fruiting trees that they frequent.  About 20 types of birds I got to see. We walked upto a water body, spent some time  there, watching the magnificent Sun about to set, and returned.

 There was a cultural program at the venue.

Got to see beautiful dance at the beginning of the function on 11th, which I could appreciate so well, being a Bharatanatyam dancer myself.  

The safari

On 12^th morning we assembled at 6.30 am for the safari. Here again we saw deer, Malabar giant squirrel,  jungle fowl, a very friendly pea cock and while returning spotted  a crocodile that was basking in the Sunlight near a small water body.

                                                See how happy we were during the safari!

                                                        Awesome scenery en route

The friendly peacock :-

A delicious lunch

The lunch that was served on 11^th was really good. The rumali roti, taro slices fried, sweet prepared in turmeric leaves, jalebi, a kheer type preparation that was unique – all these were so soothing to the stomach. May be because they were prepared from forest produce! 

Gratitude Vs Entitlement

 

The side effect of nuclear families

In a family with one or two children, the kids are made to feel they are special. They are so much protected and all wishes fulfilled that when they go out into the world, they become misfit. They are incapable of dealing with disappointments and seek immediate rewards. Working hard for months or years together just for the sake of doing it, is alien to them. A glance at the news gives ample examples for this: teenagers committing suicide, injuring parents for not providing with expensive mobile phones etc.,

Parents have failed to instil gratitude in their spoilt apples of their eye. I see this as a grave situation for the future and it is of utmost importance for the parents to give a deep thought to the way they are raising their kids.

And the older generation....

While I was thinking that it is a problem with children, a couple of clients approached me for healing their parents. The parents were having physical problems which were easily treatable with simple measures. And they get benefit too, but would find some reason/excuse to discontinue doing whatever they were supposed to do.

Since I know learning Reiki can help them tremendously, I advise them to learn and practice Reiki healing daily. Many of them straightaway refuse to learn. And a few who do learn, stop practicing soon. It surprises me beyond imagination why they can’t follow a daily routine and do things like getting up early, doing yoga, daily walk, pranayama, healthy eating habit etc., in spite of all the time they have got.

There comes the entitlement

Slowly it dawned on me, they think they have earned a status for being looked after by children since they have “sacrificed” their comforts and ambitions for the future of their progeny. This creates problems because the adult children are in the peak of their career, with their own children to care for. And it is further complicated if the children are settled abroad. Old parents resent the fact that they are not coming to India often. They only have done everything possible to see that their children go abroad for studies and jobs (sometimes even by taking huge loans), and when that happens, they are not ready to accept the things that come along with them!

Hearts being torn

This creates a lot of pain for the adult children. They want to see their parents happy, but they are always cribbing. May be the parents think that if they remain healthy and happy , they may not get attention of their children!

Because the mind is sad and frustrated, the children remain annoyed, irritated and exasperated. To a recent client in such a situation, I told to respect the decision of the parent’s soul to remain in the current situation. The best one can do in this scenario is to make the parent feel that he/she is there with the parent and do whatever they can do in their situation. Especially, keep sending Reiki healing to the parent. It is a balanced way of nurturing old parents.This was a new approach and the client was so grateful for this advice.  

The probable solution

If one has to live with peace and contentment, the only solution may be to practice gratitude for whatever one has got in life. If children are abroad and the parent is bed ridden, they are being looked after by in house nurse that the children arrange for them. They can try to be grateful for the fact that even if the children are not with them, they are being looked after and their medical problems addressed.

And the growing up children should also be trained in a similar way, to have gratitude for all the comforts available at home, instead of cribbing for the foreign trips that their friends may be enjoying.

Paradox To Doom...

 

This is ‘Kalikal” when everything and everyone

Will act just the opposite.

Rains will flood and create havoc at

Untimely times, cold waves during summer,

And as the heat burns you in winter,

Look around and inside yourself my lovelies.

 

Are you a doctor for whom the patient’s well being

Is the last priority on your list?

Are you a lawyer who saves those

Who are eating away the society’s fabric?

Are you a teacher for whom moulding the

Younger generation is just a chore done half heartedly?

Are you a farmer who is flooding the soil

With pesticides, and making the food poison?

 

Are you a wife spending fortunes on beauty products

While your house is in a total mess?

Are you a mother chasing her passion,

Who is not available

To kids in their lonely moments?

 

Are you spitting on your wife’s face at home,

When your colleagues in the high-tech office,

Are applauding your foreign education and

Position in the company?

Why child, was there excessive production of saliva

In your mouth, that you had to download it where you did?

 

And then, as a CEO, when you slapped your wife,

Who is also highly educated and your colleague,

Was there no inner voice telling you not to go ahead

With this heinous crime?

Is this how you are paying back to those mothers,

Who brought up their daughters so lovingly,

And gave them to you in marriage?

What happens to their tears for the daughters’ pain?

Will Mother Parvati be disturbed too and

Bring justice?

 

Look deep inside, are you going with the flow,

Or are you exercising the power

That the Almighty has given you?

Yes, there are some who do so, it is they

Who are helping to maintain balance,

And giving hope to those who want

To live life in alignment with

The Universal precepts. 

The food You Eat.......And When To Eat

For me, food is a very important aspect of life. It is food that generates the thought vibrations. Apart from the ingredients that goes in while cooking, the thought waves that pass through the person cooking are of great significance to the physical and mental health of the person consuming that food.

Raw food vs cooked food

Papaya, a piece of raw sponge gourd, soaked raw peanuts, moth sprouts,fenugreek sprouts , chia seed pudding with nuts and raisins, banana and upma for breakfast

As  you increase the amount of raw food in your diet, you feel satisfied and have more energy on smaller meals because raw food has the best balance of water, nutrients, and fibre to meet your body's needs. Raw foods comprise of  fruit, nuts, leaves, and vegetables that are gathered direct from tree, bush or vine. They taste good to the majority of us. But those who are used to strong tastes of masalas cannot appreciate the subtle flavours of raw foods.

The human race learned long ago that cooking meat before eating it would protect them from parasites. Since then this practice of cooking has grown to include all types of foods and is now considered an art. The heat of cooking depletes vitamins, damages proteins and fats, and destroys enzymes which benefit digestion. Addition of salt, sugar, spices, or other condiments can irritate your digestion system and over stimulate your nervous system.

When raw foods are chosen properly, one no longer needs to suffer from gas, indigestion, heart burn and constipation. Apart from protecting from acute diseases like colds and flu,  a raw food diet can  reverse or stop the advance of many chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.   Cooking creates free radicals, which are the major cause of cancer.   

How many times should you eat?

Food is needed for body growth, for energy to do physical and mental work. Ideally, one should eat only when hungry and how much to eat should be based on the body’s needs and not for the tongue’s satisfaction.

It is a great policy to not eat after Sunset. I think our ancestors ate during day time and as the Sun set, they gathered around fire, sang and danced and went to sleep. So there is no sense in what is usually said, “One should not go to bed on empty stomach. Those who emphasise on this should be asked whether they have tried eating before Sunset for at least two weeks and did a self assessment how their body and mind felt. I was surprised at the way I felt so energetic and light the whole day on stopping having dinner almost two decades back.

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is all about when you eat. You might try eating only during an eight-hour period each day and fast for the remainder. Or you might choose to eat only one meal a day two days a week. There are many different intermittent fasting schedules.

Fasting for a certain number of hours each day can help your body burn fat and scientific evidence points to some health benefits, as well. Johns Hopkins neuroscientist Mark Mattson has studied intermittent fasting for 25 years, and opines that our bodies have evolved to be able to go without food for many hours, or even several days or longer. Mattson says that after hours without food, the body exhausts its sugar stores and starts burning fat. He refers to this as metabolic switching.

One of Mattson’s studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed data about a range of health benefits associated with the practice. These include a longer life, a leaner body and a sharper mind.

What status would you like to have for your body and mind for the remaining period of your life? Before you put that bolus of food into your mouth the next time, stop and think. And make a healthy decision!

 

References:

https://www.vegkitchen.com/10-benefits-eating-raw-food/

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/intermittent-fasting-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1905136 

Chanting mantras

Repetition of any Mantra or Name of the Lord is japa. It is an easy way for God realisation. Even practice of japa alone can give peace and bliss in Kaliyuga. When you are chanting, have a mental picture of whichever God you believe in. Imagine that he/she is listening to you, looking at you with loving eyes and hands in blessing posture.

Why chanting?

The word mantra comes from the first syllable of Manana (Man) or thinking, and Tra comes from Trana or liberation from the bondage of this finite world. A mantra generates and accelerates creative force and produces harmony. Constant repetition of mantra awakens consciousness. If chanting is done with concentration on its meaning, one can attain God consciousness quickly. If there is no knowledge of the meaning of the mantra, it will take a little more time.  

Sound is vibration

Scientific experiments show that notes produced by musical instruments trace out definite geometrical shapes on a bed of sand. Every sound produces a form in the invisible world and combinations of sound create complicated shape. Repeated chanting of God’s name gradually builds up His/ Her form. This serves as a focus to concentrate the benign influence of the being which, radiating from the centre, penetrates the worshipper.

Repetition of God’s name

It is important to do Japa or Nama Smarana(remembering the name of the Lord) very seriously and with faith. The chanting of His/Her name is but serving Him/Her. Have full faith and belief in the eternity of the Name.

A Mantra is Divinity. The aspirant's individual Sakti is strengthened by Mantra-Sakti, and then the individual Sakti joins with the Mantra-Sakti to make it more powerful. The Mantra is awakened from its sleep through the Sadhana-Sakti of the aspirant. The Mantra of the Devata is that letter or combination of letters, which reveals the Deity to the consciousness of the aspirant who has evoked it by the Sadhana-Sakti. The Mantra is a mass of radiant Tejas or energy. Mantra awakens supernatural powers.

The Name of God or any Mantra should be uttered regularly every day. The recital of a Mantra destroys sins and brings everlasting peace, infinite bliss, prosperity and immortality.

When should one start chanting?

When the child starts speaking, that’s a good time to introduce mantras. Start with simple ones like “Hari Om”. Along with training them to say ‘Good morning’, teach them to say Hari Om, Jai Srikrishna, Hare Rama Hare Krishna or anything like that. So the purification of their inner selves starts right from the beginning.

Which mantra should I start chanting

For a start, Gayatri mantra is great. Or ‘Om Shrim Namah Shivayah’ is also good. Then onwards, you will be guided to the mantra specific for you by the Universe. It is always better if you can resonate with the mantra you chant daily. The mantras are chanted for a specific number of times daily, like 11, 27, 54, or more commonly, 108. It is easier to keep the count if you use a japa mala, which can be tulsi mala, sphatik mala, navratna mala, or rudraksha mala. 

Once you use it for chanting daily, it gets loaded with energy and on wearing it around your neck, you absorb that energy and you are protected.

So start chanting from today and after a period of time, you are sure to be surprised of the changes that happen in your attitude and life!

 

References: 

https://japa-yoga.org/japa.pdf 

Birds And Their Significance

 When one continues intense sadhana for Devi, birds start coming closer. I have been doing Devi sadhana for decades and since a few years, we see many birds behaving very friendly and coming very close. When I stand in the portico, birds will walk on the ground very close to me, as if they don’t notice my presence. They take bath daily from the bird bath that I have kept in the balcony and won’t fly away even when I open the door and step out into the balcony. Innumerable bird nests have been made in and around our house and hatched their young.

Invitation to the swallows

Recently when I stepped out after the yoga practice, two swallows were flying round, close to the balcony. I stood there watching them, extended my hand and told them to come and sit on my arm. Of course they didn’t do that. I told, “At least come closer.”

A honey comb?

A couple of days later, we saw what looked like a honey comb on the roof in the same location. Honey bees can be dangerous at such close quarters and we considered getting that removed. On closer inspection, we saw the head of a bird jutting out from the top! 

So, that was a bird’s nest made up of mud. I didn’t know that such a thing existed and googled to find out more.

The nest made by a swallow bird is not a hanging nest and is along a vertical wall or any kind of support. These nests are made by mud and saliva of the swallow bird is also mixed in it. These nests are made by the bird step by step, the upper level after the lower has dried completely. You can see some more pictures here.

There are other species of birds that will primarily make their nests out of mud. These include martins, magpies, thrushes, choughs, and even American flamingos.

The marvel of nature

I was totally wonderstruck to see that nest. How much of labour and how many hours must have gone into its making!

Shift From Mass Consciousness to Universal Consciousness

Herd mentality

We all know of herd mentality of sheep. When a group of sheep has to be guided to a particular direction, one of them needs to be put in that direction. As it starts going, all others will follow. A new research study sheds light on a behaviour that is consistent among many species — that is, making decisions based upon the actions of others. Scientists at the University of Leeds believe they may have found why humans flock like sheep and birds, subconsciously following a minority of individuals. Researchers discovered that it takes a minority of just five percent to influence a crowd’s direction — and that the other 95 percent follow without realizing it.

Mass Consciousness

Mass consciousness, also known as the collective consciousness, is a philosophical and sociological term. It refers to the beliefs, sentiments, and attitudes held by the average members of a group. This concept can be contrasted with the Jungian concept of the collective unconscious, which represents a form of the unconscious (that part of the mind containing memories and impulses of which the individual is not aware) common to mankind as a whole and originating in the inherited structure of the brain.

When a decision is made based on the mass consciousness, the electrochemical changes that happen in the brain percolates into the body and this leads to restlessness. Over a period of time, this can lead to depression and physical illnesses.

Universal Consciousness

Universal consciousness or Universal mind is a metaphysical concept suggesting an underlying essence of all being and becoming in the universe. It includes the being and becoming that occurred in the universe prior to the arising of the concept of Mind. “New Thought” author Charles Haanel said of the universal mind and its relationship to humans: “The Universal Mind has unlimited resources at its command, and when we remember that it is also omnipresent, we cannot escape the conclusion that we must be a manifestation of that consciouness. The nature of the universal consciousness is said to be omnipresent."

By various dedicated practices, we can access the Universal consciousness and allow it to guide us while making decisions, which will then be in tandem with the universal laws. When such decisions are made, the resulting electrochemical changes in the brain that permeates the physical body will be conducive to health and it also leads to peace and calm.

To access the Universal Consciousness and get a glimpse of what it can bless you with, please listen to this meditation: CLICK HERE

 

References:

https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/02/15/herd-mentality-explained#1

https://homework.study.com/explanation/what-is-mass-consciousness.html

 

  

Merits of Chastity

 

A cinema during childhood

During my teenage days we saw the Malayalam movie “Chemmeen” which was about fishermen’s lives. There is a belief that the fisherman’s safe return from the sea is guaranteed by his wife’s chastity or faithfulness to her husband. In the movie, on a stormy night when the husband is out in the sea fishing, the wife sleeps with her lover and in the morning she gets to see the husband’s dead body. It had a deep impact on my psyche. For me, truthfulness and faithfulness are two basic qualities in a good human being.

Over the years I got this question in my mind whether chastity is a quality that only women should have. It is nauseating to see men boasting about having multiple one night stands and some fathers feeling proud that their sons are womanisers. It is a sad aspect that in modern days women are also going the same way.

A blessing indeed

I feel blessed to have a relative who reads our sacred books and scriptures for the last 30 years. Whenever I have any doubts to clear on religion and spirituality, it is to him that I turn to. Recently, out of the blue, he narrated the story of Sudhanva to my husband. When I heard it, I told my husband that it was a message for me that answered the question lingering in my mind for many years.

The Ashvamedha Yagya

After the passing away of grandfather Bhishma, Lord Krishna advised Maharaja Yudhisthira to conduct  Ashvamedha (horse) Yagya (sacrifice). These sacrifices required the subordination of all earthly Kings. Maharaja Yudhisthira released the sacrificial horse and ordered Arjuna to follow it wherever it went and to fight with any belligerent rulers, who did not want to accept the King's sovereignty. The sacrificial horse was freed from the city of Hastinapura and allowed to wander wherever it wished. If the horse entered a kingdom and was taken captive, the warrior following the horse fought with the challengers. Thus Arjuna followed the sacrificial horse as it roamed from one country to another.

Sudhanva’s story

His story begins with capture of this stallion. Sudhanva, son of Hamsadhvaja, stops the horse with only one intention. Being an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna, Sudhanva wanted to see him and attain emancipation (moksha) in front of Krishna. As the war begins, Sudhanva is disappointed that Krishna is not the charioteer for Arjuna. Sudhanva is equally skilled in the war compared to Arjuna and kills the charioteer, thus forcing Lord Krishna to arrive.

After an intense fight between the two, Sudhanva gains a slight upper hand against Arjuna. He vows to kill Arjuna within the next three arrows. When it appears that Arjuna is about to be killed, Krishna comes to his help to counter the arrows. He says to Arjuna, “Sudhanva, apart from being a great warrior, has only one wife and has accumulated immense merit by being completely loyal to her. We both don’t have any such merit. So this is going to be really tough.”

                                                 Lord Krishna's words from Mahabharata

When they were ready with their first arrows, Lord Krishna puts all the merit he had accumulated by lifting the Govardhan mountain and saving the people into the arrow of Arjuna to make it all powerful. Then Sudhanva puts all his merits due to ‘Ekpatnivrat’ into his arrow, and that broke Arjuna’s arrow into two mid air.

For the second arrow, Lord Krishna added the merits he gained during ‘Varaha’ (boar) avatar when he lifted the Earth from the ocean and restored her place in the Universe, after killing the demon Hiranyaksha. Sudhanva put all the merits gained from his ideal character and conduct. This time also his arrow broke Arjuna’s arrow.

For the third and final arrow, Lord Krishna pledged all merits earned during his avatar as Rama on account of his absolute loyalty to Sita. Sudhanva put all merits earned from selfless life and constant remembrance of God. This time Arjuna’s arrow cut Sudhanva’s head, which flew and fell at the feet of Lord Krishna. Thus he attained moksha. Sudhanva’s life revealed that a house holder’s ( Grihasta dharma) life is no less that any sage’s life, when lived in proper way.

Garuda’s  dilemma

Lord Krishna summoned Garuda and asked to take Sudhanva’s head to the Prayag (Triveni sangam). Garuda was confused, “Sudhanva has attained moksha, so why is this necessary?”

Lord Krishna said, “This is not for his benefit. The divine vibrations from his head when merging with the holy waters, will help those who take bath to remove their sins.” Then Garuda takes the head to Prayag.

A place in Lord Shiva’s garland

When Garuda was about to drop the head, Nandi arrived there and said, “Lord Shiva has sent me to get Sudhanva’s head. It is so divine that he wants to put it around his neck.” There was argument between the two, and the moment Sudhanva’s head touched the water (thus imparting vibrations), Nandi lifted it and went to Lord Shiva.

It is interesting that while the great merits of being loyal to one wife is explicitly described in this incidence from Mahabharata, it is never discussed or publicized, and this information is not available on the net too. Another proof that it IS a MAN’s world!!

References:

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata/d/doc118467.html

https://payaniga.com/yakshagana-war-sudhanva-arjuna/

https://www.punjabkesari.in/dharm/news/mahabharat-1545923

Spirituality For Old Age?

 

There is a commonly prevalent notion that spiritual practices like chanting and meditation are for old people. Many of my clients tell me that the seniors in the house (parents/ parents-in-law) express their deep disapproval  if their progeny starts these in their youth. Recently a distressed client told me that due to her mother-in-law’s cribbing, she stopped chanting one and a half years back. I instructed her to start chanting every day before we embarked on any therapy.

Devil’s workshop

Last week an old friend visited us in Belgaum. He stays in a metropolitan city. He retired a decade back, has difficulty in walking and is very disturbed by the fact that his mind is in a constant state of worry. He just takes up common situations in life, think of all horrible things that can happen in relation to that and the mind goes into overdrive.

“Now that there is no other job to do, this is what I do 24/7.”

I asked whether he does any meditation or chanting and was fascinated by his reply. “I have never done anything like that in my youth, it is very difficult to start at this age.”

My belief confirmed

This has been my belief right from the beginning and I have advised several people to start some spiritual practice when body and mind are in prime condition, and to train their kids too. By disciplining oneself in this aspect, one gets guided as to how to lead a peaceful life as the mind doesn’t over run. When one has lived a totally logical and materialistic life for five or six decades, it is very difficult to start something new.

Please don’t waste precious years of your life

So, please don’t wait any more. In India, we have ample guidance that our ‘Seers’ have left as our legacy. People may think they are just superstitions, but every single advice has a strong scientific basis, which, unfortunately, has not been passed on to the newer generations. It is heartening to see that many of these facts are now being proven by Quantum physics.

Protecting Your Energy

Protection is needed only when we acquire something

When we are walking on the road without carrying any money or valuables, we will be carefree. Imagine yourself having a bundle of currency or a pouch of diamonds! You are going to be extra cautious.

Similarly, when we start accumulating spiritual energy, we need to be careful to prevent its loss. When I teach Reiki, I always tell them methods to prevent the leakage of energy that they are slowly garnering. Persons in need of energy due to physical problems or mental issues can just draw energy (without their knowledge or conscious effort) from another nearby human being who is having a higher level of energy. People who are having a developed sixth sense can feel this energy leakage.

The Reiki II student

Recently I was attuning a student for Reiki II. He already had a higher spiritual energy level and a developed sixth sense. As usual, I explained the importance of preventing energy leakage and the means to do it.  After a couple of days, I was so happy and impressed to see this message from him in our Reiki whatsapp group:

“ As a kid I often saw and wondered why Gods and Goddesses wear so much jewellery, then I would reason they have powers so using alchemy they can produce anything they want, so why not.

Yesterday for the first time I actually observed numerous pictures of Gods and Goddesses and one thing I noticed, except for Lord Shiva, every God/Goddess wears a crown, has either a bindi or vibuthi, a necklace, a longer necklace (1 or more) that is extending until stomach and then a waistband (kamarband) which has a U or V profile that extends further.  That's when it hit me everyone is wearing/covering their chakras that we look at, then I noticed further and realised Lord Shiva is doing the same but without ornaments, Long hair, Vasuki in neck, Rudraksha malas, tiger skin, bhasma all over the body indicating it's not so difficult to protect our energies from leaking. Then I saw pictures of Sadhus they all have Rudraksha and bhasma all over the body.

This all connects to ma'am telling about energy leakage and Ashwita's video demonstrating how bindi and vibuthi prevents leaking of energy.”

A new perspective

I was really glad to have this new perspective!

Reiki Is An Intelligent Energy

The purpose of learning Reiki

Many people learn Reiki for wish fulfilment purpose. Then there are those who want to face difficult situations in life in a balanced way and be able to make correct decisions. There is no need to classify anything as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Everything has a purpose and has a role to fulfil.

You want your wish to be fulfilled? Good.  Reiki will help in your goal achievement. Problem arises when one gets stuck in that stage. Always ‘using Reiki’ for petty (when we consider the Universal plan, all our goals are petty) achievements, slowly one gets disillusioned and may lose faith in Reiki and stop self healing.

With dedicated Reiki self healing over the years, we reach a stage when we surrender totally to Reiki and let Reiki ‘use’ us. We just become a tool for Reiki to fulfil our role in the grand plan of the Universe.

We are not healers, just channels

One basic aspect to understand is that we cannot heal another person. The only person you can heal is just yourself. But we can help others heal by transmitting Universal healing energy (Reiki) to them. They receive the energy and bring about the healing themselves. So we are just acting like a channel – receiving Reiki from the Universe and transmitting it to the other person.

Now take a moment to look deeper into that word “channel’. Reiki passes through this channel, actually we don’t have much control in this energy transmission. The recipient draws the energy through you, only to the extent whatever energy is needed at that particular moment. They cannot draw excess energy.

Let us go one step further now. When a person is in dire necessity of Reiki energy for healing and you made and intent to help, then that person draws energy through you, whether you are actively sending or not. I used to tell this aspect in my Reiki classes, but now I got  validation from one of my Reiki students.

A unique experience

After learning Reiki she tried to help her mother a couple of times by giving Reiki to heal her pain. But it so happened that the mother experienced an increase in pain on starting the healing. This happens sometimes, just like it happens with homeopathy treatment. Since she felt guilty in being the cause for the increase in pain for the mother, she stopped healing others and was just doing self healing.

One night at 2 am her father phoned as he couldn’t sleep due to disturbing thoughts and head ache. To her question ‘Do you want me to send Reiki?’ he said yes and they ended the conversation. On second thoughts, she decided to not send Reiki healing for the fear of increasing his pain. And she didn’t send healing. After 20 minutes, her father called up again and told her to “stop whatever you are doing as the head ache has increased.”

Next morning she came to know that immediately after talking to her, her father slept, he actually slept longer in the morning and on waking up, he was totally free from headache!

The intent starts the flow

What has happened in this situation? He was seeking help and she agreed to send healing. That very moment, he started drawing energy through her, though energy was not sent consciously. This is an indication that Reiki is an intelligent energy.

Planetary Energies And Me

 

An assignment in Pune

I had a five weeks assignment in Pune and arrived there on April 2^nd, 2022. Since my attitude is ‘If anything is worth doing, it is worth doing well’, I dived into the situation with total dedication. All my routine activities of writing articles, making videos, doing therapies and Reiki attunements were (apparently) on hold. I started enjoying the new stream of life.

The celestial parade

We had a balcony in the house that let me watch the eastern sky every day from 3.40 to 5.15 am. One day my husband told that something rare was happening in the sky. According to the American space agency, Jupiter and Venus, the brightest planets in the night sky, were headed for an ultra-close conjunction where the two will seem to overlap in the sky. Latest planetary analysis showed that Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were going to form one straight line in April. Last time Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn aligned like this was in 947 AD. The key aspect was that these four planets were clearly visible through naked eyes from all parts of the world and could be observed with clarity. And on one day, I got to see the moon also close by. At the start, the jupiter was seen very close and below Venus. As days progressed, Jupiter moved around and was seen above Venus, farther away.  Unfortunately, my mobile phone couldn’t capture them all together.

So every single single day till May 1^st, I was witness to this celestial miracle and meditation upon them gave me palpable vibrations.

Reiki energies working

We have many friends in Pune and visited some of them. One of my Reiki friends, who got attuned from me long back, was going through a major life change. She invited me to her house for a puja and it was so energising and enriching. She requested me to do a Reiki reattunement and healing for her. So we fixed a day and it was done.

Another Reiki friend invited us for lunch and we had awesome food and amazing conversation at her house.  

I got a call from USA that one Reiki friend was on an emergency visit to her mother’s house in Belgaum and she would be grateful if I could attune her to the next Reiki level. I said I was not in Belgaum and it wouldn’t be possible. She was really disappointed; I told we should accept Reiki’s decision. Later she messaged me that she could travel to Pune and come to me for attunement. I thought it was Reiki’s pointer and I agreed. So she came to me in Pune and got her attunement.

A different aspect of Pune

I have been to Pune before and stayed for a couple of days, but was never comfortable with the energy I perceived. This time I had taken the Havan kit to purify the surrounding, but to my surprise, it was a clean environment and there was no need of any purification. There were many trees around, lots of birds chirping and singing in the mornings. Sun rise was a sight to behold every single day! 

An open gym was replacement for my yoga hall with props.  

A visit to Alandi

This was my second visit to Alandi, which is a well known place of pilgrimage for Hindu Marathi people because of the town's association with Sant Dnyaneshwar. At about age 16, he composed Dnyaneshwari in the year 1290, a commentary on Bhagavad Gita in Marathi. Sant Dnyaneshwar entered into Sanjeevan Samadhi at the age of 21 years. His devotees believe that he is still alive.  The energy that could be felt there was indescribable!

The transformation

 Watching and meditating on these powerful planets aligned together gave me the inner knowing that the planetary energies are out there to lead us onto our chosen path. This further sealed my belief that, “The Universe is with us, not against us.”

So it was a totally uplifted energised me that came back from Pune!

To join the meditation for accessing the planetary energies CLICK HERE

Vastu Shastra and its influence on your life

 

Your home, your sanctuary

The number of hours that we spend at home may be less than what we spend outside. But it is at home that we feel relaxed, safe, happy and contended. It is during the restful sleep that our body regenerates and gets renewed. Whatever be the design, clean, bright, airy spaces are needed, both in the physical and mental domains, to bring positive energy into your house. You will feel emotionally drained and depressed in a cluttered home.

A positive attitude opens up the mind to wider possibilities and choices in life. Since thoughts control your attitude, it is important to know that your home and the people you surround yourself with greatly influence your thoughts.

Origin of Vastu Shastra

Vastu Shastra is believed to have been developed between 6000 BC and 3000 BC. Focussing on harmonising human life with its surroundings, it involves designing buildings by making the best possible use of the geography and location of the plot—including the influence of the Sun’s light and heat, wind directions, the moon’s position, and the Earth’s magnetic fields. Vedic architecture is based on Vastu Shastra , its roots can be traced in the scripture called Brihadsanghita. Many of India’s ancient temples and houses have been built on the principles of vastu shastra and the architectural form traces its roots back to the Rig Veda, an ancient collection of Sanskrit hymns.

Basis of Vastu Shastra

Vastu shastra relies on scientifically combining the five basic elements – earth, water, fire, air and sky – to create a pleasant setting. When these basic principles are integrated during the construction of a building, it boosts health, wealth, energy and prosperity, making the living or working atmosphere serene and fulfilling. These principles can bring good positive energy and the vastu defects can cause negative energy that symbolize death, violence and negative aspects of life. For example, placement of stairs, bathroom, kitchen and high-rise walls in the eastern direction may cause a negative effect on the residents of the house.

Practicality in current times

Vastu Shastra may not be essential for living, but it is helpful for a better and healthier life. It is the science of environment you live in. It was possible to adhere to these principles when houses were built on large areas. Now space is sparse in big cities, and high rise buildings are the order of the day. How can all the apartments in a multi-storey building satisfy the vastu principles? It may be a good approach to make the best use of available amenities.

Along with vastu principles, there are so many other factors influencing your life. If the planetary position points to heavy losses during a period in one’s life, in spite of living in a house that satisfies all vastu principles, this is going to happen. In such a case, if one lives in a rented house, it is possible that he/she may move to a house that will facilitate losses during that period.

Some simple practices

According to experts, Vastu imperfections are bound to exist in any property or house. One of the simple Vastu tips for bringing positive energy in the home is allowing sunlight and fresh air inside the house and placing wind chimes or bells near the main entrance. Fresh air and sunlight aid positive energy at home. So, ensure that you keep the home’s windows open, for some time in the morning.

We can follow certain simple practices to ensure circulation of positive energy in the house. Add some flowers or plants throughout your home. Bright colors, such as yellow, pink, or orange, promote increased energy and focus, whereas cool colors like light blue or lavender, promote calming and positive vibes. Place your flowers in areas where you'll see them often, like in your kitchen, living room, or bedroom.

If any space in your house does not have sufficient natural sunlight, ensure it has adequate artificial light. Switching on light at the appropriate time of day can make the room appear brighter and more positive. All electronic and Wi-Fi systems should be switched off while taking rest.

Your vibes will influence the energy of the house too

Vastu shastra tells the environment influences your energy. Remember, your mental status and vibrations influence the energy of the house, and thereby the lives of others in the house. This is a very important aspect to remember.

Your house may have very good ventilation, but you keep the windows closed all the time, or you sleep in an air conditioned room, with a temperature setting of 16 degrees (yes, people do that), what is the use? There is ample provision for Sun light to come inside the house, but you never get up before Sun rise to gain advantage.

Ultimately, our inner strength and living according to dharma are what will influence your life.

Can You Take Your Health In Your Hands?

My basic training is in the allopathy stream of medicine, which I joined five decades back. Then 25 years later I learned Reiki and have been doing alternative therapy (also, I learned many other techniques) for hundreds of clients.

Stalwarts diagnosing from signs and symptoms

While we were students and fell ill, we would approach our teachers, who would do a thorough physical examination and suggest some simple medicines. And we used to be healthy again. I can count on my finger tips how many times they advised multiple diagnostic tests to reach a diagnosis. I had taken many of my relatives too for health issues and just one of them had to undergo an enteroscopy.

Plethora of diagnostic tests, that too multiple times

But now when you approach a doctor, the first thing to get done is a series of diagnostic tests. And I know many cases where they were asked to repeat the tests in some other diagnostic centre, for confirmation.  Some of these tests (like ct-scan) have led to the death of some patients.

A 43-year-old woman had agreed to take part in a heart check program her employer, national building services company Programmed, introduced for its senior managers in 2018. Senior Melbourne executive Peta Hickey was a perfectly healthy woman when her employer organised a heart scan for her. A mother of two young children, she suffered an anaphylactic reaction to a special contrast dye used in the procedure and later died from multiple organ failure at the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Diagnostic tests are very valuable, in certain cases where it is crucial. But getting these tests done at the drop of a hat and as part of yearly checkups can greatly reduce the quality of one’s life.

Fear of death

What is urging people to get all sorts of tests done? An assumption is they may have a sort of Thanotophobia. This is a clear cut indication of lack of faith in the Universe/destiny. Being a Past life regression facilitator, I know that a soul decides the time of its leaving the body. And nobody, not even doctors can extend the date of death. Once this belief is strong within, one won’t go paranoid on getting any disease.

Anything that comes, goes

Any disease that the physical body suffers from is brought about by the body. And after a varying period of time, the body can set it right, provided we don’t overload it with wrong foods, wrong, unnecessary medicines and fail to take adequate rest. But in today’s time, we want everything in a jiffy. Like, a common cold needs seven days to resolve. It doesn’t require any medicine at all, as in so many other viral diseases. But people do take a variety of medicines even for this, which really surprises me!

The side effects

Recently a number of clients who turn to me for help are suffering from the side effects of medicines that doctor had prescribed, or just bought on the recommendation  of the pharmacist. My advice to them is “Body heals from every disease, it takes time. But generally, body takes longer time than that to heal from side effects of medicines taken. So one needs to be really patient to get back to normal health.”

Antibiotics (which are taken ruthlessly these days) kill good bacteria in the body too, and that’s bad because good bacteria are often helping your body fight the infection. Many people also experience mild-to-severe antibiotic side effects, especially if their immune health is already compromised, like hospital patients. More seriously, antibiotics can leave room for extremely harmful bacteria such as E.coli, C.diff and Salmonella — infections that may be so severe that hospitalization is required.

Research shows that it takes about 6 months to recover from the damage done by antibiotics.

Count the things you do daily to harm your health

It is a good exercise to count the number of things you do to jeopardize your health. Starting from not getting up before Sunrise, to eating restaurant and packaged foods on a daily basis, lack of exercise and adequate sleep, filling the mental and emotional fields with all news/information that leads to a turbulent mind, you will notice countless things.

You need to take health as a priority

As on a daily basis, so many things are done to destroy the health, what are you doing to counteract all those harmful effects? If you want to enjoy health, you need to take it as an agenda. Any pain or symptom that the body manifests is an indication that something is wrong. The physical body is screaming to get your attention. You correct it, and the condition is reversed.

How do we know that?

The question is, how will you know? You will know only if you have developed a rapport with your body and mind. Majority of the people have no clue what this means. We have lost our sensitivity. Is there any way to get it back? From my experience, doing daily self healing with Reiki is a sure shot and the most simple way to develop this lost sensitivity and on top of that, Reiki brings the information, things and people that are needed for progressing in your life!

 

 

References:

1.       https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20010801/fatal-mri-accident-is-first-of-its-kind

2.       https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-29/woman-died-after-ct-scan-she-did-not-need/100104360

3.       https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/probiotics-after-antibiotics/

 

Does distant (online) Reiki attunements work?

I consider my attunement classes sacred and it gives time and opportunity to understand the participant and guide them according to their belief system. Even many years back I had done online attunements when it was impossible for the participant to travel to my place and they really wanted to get attuned. And they were effective.

During Lockdown

Then it became sort of a norm to attune online because travel was not an option. This situation brought faith in the process in many participants. And innumerable people got benefited. It helped them to combat the infection smoothly if they got it, and was tremendously beneficial to maintain a balanced mental status.

The recent experience

I was having an online Reiki attunement a couple of days back. After the attunement I always ask about their experience, which will be wide and varied. As she started describing, I was getting goose bumps. She was describing the exact sequence of the attunement process that I was doing, in my mind! It just blew me off. Of course, every participant won’t feel the same way. They have to have their sixth sense developed to experience it.

This experience totally removed any remaining iota of doubt about the efficacy of distant attunements from my mind.

The catch

But there is a catch. The participants should be chosen carefully. If they have a strong negative attitude or disbelief about distant attunement, it will come in the way of their experience and they may not benefit much.

Daily Protection with Purple Shield

 This is a powerful protective shield which should be done every morning. It is done only for the day time, as it may come in the way of a deep sleep at night.

1.       Say aloud or in your mind, “Mother, father, God, please send me purple shield”.

2.       Now imagine a purple colored egg with two walls.

  

3.       Imagine yourself and all your immediate family members inside this purple egg. If your children are married, theirs is a different family, you can’t include them. You can make a separate energy field for their family.

4.       Imagine Reiki energy filling up the space between the two walls of the purple egg. If you are a Reiki II channel, draw the Reiki symbols in this space and chant the names thrice.

5.       Now tell in your mind or aloud, “Please protect (names of each member) from - - am to - - pm (or “from the time they wake up in the morning to the time they go to sleep at night”) and go back to the source of Light.”

Manual on "Life"

Developing A positive Attitude

There has been too much stress on ‘staying positive’ and shunning all things ‘negative’ in the New Age spirituality. In the soul state, we all are “Sat Chit Ananda”, which is translated as "Truth Consciousness Bliss", "Reality Consciousness Bliss", or "Existence Consciousness Bliss". When we are in the human form, so many veils of ignorance (acquired over many incarnations) cover this ultimate truth and we consider ourselves as limited beings with limited knowledge, in a miserable state.  Human birth is considered precious because in this form, by constant effort and detachment, we can experience that eternal truth.

Our human existence is to experience the limitations, understand the duality that is part of the Maya, and then transcend to the realms of inner bliss. When duality is concerned, positive and negative aspects are very much parts of the earthly life. Can we shun all things negative? Is it practical?

Positive thought vs negative thought

Human beings have minds, the duty of which is to think. When we think, we feel it, as emotions and in the body as expansion or contraction of the body. Every positive thought will bring with it a feel good factor, a sense of joy and calm, an expansive sense of the physical body. On the other hand, a negative thought will bring restlessness, the physical body feels contracted, which leads to chemical secretions in the body that bring down the immunity level and cause physical illness, if repeated overtime.

Should we shun all negative thoughts?

No, negative thoughts have a role in keeping us safe. Negative thoughts come to spur you into action. For example, when water spills on the kitchen floor, a negative thought comes that somebody may slip, fall down, and get injured. Immediately you mop it up, the negative thought disappears.

But in another situation, when one is overweight and diseased, the doctor advises weight reduction. He explains the sequence of events if weight reduction is not done. This is to encourage you to take action towards weight reduction. If you chart out a plan and do it diligently, the problem ends. But in majority of cases, the action is not taken and every waking moment is spent in thinking of all the problems awaiting with the overweight status. This will only make the situation worse.

Take action, do not drown in the sea of negative thoughts

In this world of duality, we have to deal with both positive and negative aspects. When you know that negative thoughts are just there for you to take action, you won’t be lingering in that thought. You will do what needs to be done and that negative thought no longer remains in your mental/emotional field to cause illnesses.

Positive attitude vs negative attitude

Have you noticed that some people have a generally positive attitude and some others a negative attitude? How does this happen?

When majority of the time it is positive thoughts that are lingering in the mind, slowly it becomes a habit and he/she develops a positive attitude. Constant negative thoughts lead to a negative attitude in the person. You should understand that a person with a positive attitude will also get negative thoughts, but they don’t let those thoughts linger in their mind.

Expansion and contraction of the body

If for a moment you close your eyes and notice the character of your thoughts and sense whether your physical body feels expanded or contracted, you will notice that the body feels expanded with positive thoughts and vice versa. When the body feels expanded, the feel good hormones are being secreted, and the immunity is getting boosted up.

When the body feels contracted, the blood vessels are contracted too, and the secretion of hormones is restricted.

Develop a positive attitude

So, to remain physically and mentally healthy and active, a positive attitude is very helpful. But remember, it is not shunning of negative thoughts. 

For this, start with the exercise of watching your thoughts thrice a day and taking action when it is a negative thought and feeling the expansion of the body and joy within you when it is a positive thought. Take care to keep the company of people with a positive attitude, and give attention to the food you consume. Do this for 21 days, to make it into a habit and you will be surprised to see what a positive attitude you have developed overtime!

If you want to go ahead on this path, Listen to this :  CLICK HERE