Build Family Bonding

‘The family is the shock absorber of society, to which the bruised and battered individual returns after doing battle with the world,’ wrote Alvin Toffler in his classic ‘Future Shock’. The breakdown of the joint family has led to a loosening of extended family relationships. The large, amorphous, supportive joint family that supported a wide variety of people and bestowed unconditional love for the crippled, the old and the helpless, has been reduced to the nuclear family where everyone is in sharp focus.It is our mission to restore the family to its traditional role as a place of rest and healing, in a new paradigm. There should be one person in the family who can cushion the blows of the outside world. Someone who is not too busy to listen, gives support, and manages the daily tasks of living. This could even be a paid caregiver or cook. Networking with parents, in-laws, neighbours, domestic help and friends is the key for working couples.

More Positive Rasas

Chivalry or bravery is definitely a feel-good situation.  Chivalry is represented on the stage by firmness, patience, heroism, pride, zeal, valour and wit. Bravery fills you with enthusiasm, energy and spontaneity. It is this brave and gentle quality that defines a true hero and it reaps the benefits of other’s happiness.  Bravery is seen in the small everyday courage that each of us is called to manifest in the face of obstacles.  The ability to sacrifice, which is the core of emotional intelligence, is a part of the vira rasa.  The ability to persist in the face of difficulties is a part of this.  To meet the jealousy and pettiness of the world with gentleness, humour and fearlessness is part of it.  Brilliance and elegance belong to the true warrior, who aligns himself with the powerful forces of goodness. 

1. Enjoy the thrill of overcoming obstacles.

2. Do not be cast down by failure, instead enjoy the thrill of overcoming the problem.

3.  Be involved in solving community problems.

4.  Get involved in speaking up against injustice and resisting evil.

5.  Remember that beyond the stormy mountain is the calm green valley.

Dharmic Living

Anything that helps human being to reach God is dharma and anything that hinders human being from reaching God is adharma. According to the Bhagavat Purana, righteous living or life on a dharmic path has four aspects: austerity (tap), purity (shauch), compassion (daya) and truthfulness (satya); and adharmic or unrighteous life has three vices: pride (ahankar), contact (sangh), and intoxication (madya). The essence of dharma lies in possessing a certain ability, power and spiritual strength. The strength of being dharmic also lies in the unique combination of spiritual brilliance and physical prowess.

The purpose of dharma is not only to attain a union of the soul with the supreme reality, it also suggests a code of conduct that is intended to secure both worldly joys and supreme happiness. The practice of dharma gives an experience of peace, joy, strength and tranquillity within one's self and makes life disciplined.

The main difference between human and other lower forms of life is that man alone can lead a dharmic life (righteous life) and is fully capable of it. All life is divine. The divinity of life manifests as the ever nourishing fragrance of peace. In fact peace always exists in the cavern of one’s heart as awareness or being. But it manifests externally only on leading a righteous life. Righteous life is synonymous with peaceful life. Dharmic life is synonymous with divine life or surrender to God.

Parameters for Physical Wellness

Physical transformation is possible, if like the ancient yogis, we follow the actions of young animals. The mountain pose in the suryanamaskar is derived from the back stretch of the dog. Watch the young dog. It is always in movement and bouncing and stretching. Make physical movement a part of your daily life. As the salesmen say ‘Cover territory instead of covering your chair’. ‘Use it or lose it’ said Jane Fonda. Violent physical exercise once a week is no use, if you’re just vegetating for the rest of the week in front of the TV or computer. Listen more and bark less, use non verbal actions to show unconditional affection to family and friends.

Listen to your body. If you are tired, rest. If you are hungry, eat. If you are lonely, communicate, ask for a hug. If you are angry, deal with your anger constructively, resolve it. The body is our vehicle for the journey of our soul in this world. You may be an immortal soul who happens to own a body, but the body-vehicle has to be maintained in good condition, so that we may achieve the goals for which we were created.

Create Laughter Breaks

Laughter increases the levels of endorphins in our bodies, which are natural pain-killers. Norman Cousins, an American journalist who wrote “Anatomy of an Illness” was suffering from an incurable disease. Laughter therapy helped him when no pain-killer could. Endorphins released as a result of laughter may help in reducing the intensity of pain in those suffering from arthritis, spondylitis and muscular spasms of the body. Many women have also reported a reduced frequency of migraine and tension headaches. Norman Cousins recovered from what is usually a fatal disease

He who laughs frequently is less likely to suffer from heart attacks. ‘A light answer turneth away wrath,’ says a proverb. An anger hijack can be stopped by a joke. Laughter is certainly the best medicine. You can be happy by taking regular laughter breaks. There are a number of causes for high blood pressure and heart disease like heredity, obesity, smoking and excessive intake of saturated fats. But stress is one of the main factors. Laughter definitely helps control blood pressure by reducing the release of stress-related hormones and bringing relaxation.

Navarasas of The Human Heart

Emotions, and the way you deal with them can affect your health. This guide will help you understand the impact of nine primary emotions in maintaining health. The positive emotions create a positive field which fills your blood with the chemicals of happiness and wellbeing. They are conducive to the building or rebuilding of the healthy heart.  The negative emotions create a negative field which fills your blood with the chemicals of unrest and unhappiness.

Navarasas are a two-thousand-year-old Indian concept of emotions which see the mind as a space filled with positive and negative emotions. These emotions are: love, laughter, compassion, chivalry, anger, fear, abhorrence and wonder. Shantha or peace is the result of handling all these emotions correctly.

Obviously, the positive emotions or states like love, humour, compassion, chivalry and wonder put the mind in a happy and enthusiastic state, thereby fostering health. On the other hand, the negative rasas like anger, fear and abhorrence produce a state of mind which creates, as described in Daniel Goleman’s book, an ‘emotional hijack’.

Celebrate Water

When we are in the midst of summer and right before us is the Ganga Dussehra (18th June). This is the 10 day celebration when Rishi Bhagirath brought the river Ganga down to the earth to wash away his ancestor’s sin.

The resplendent Ganga aarthi, worshipping the Ganga in all important Ghats with its, lighted lamps, flowers and mantras, shows us how we Indians love and worship the power of water. The Ganga Dussehra in the culmination of our reverence for water.

Hardly surprising, since 2/3 of the human body is made of water. Imagine, the brain is 75% water, blood is 83% water, bones 22%, muscles 75% water and lungs 90%! A decrease of 2% in our body’s water content, can cause serious health problems.

Over 6000 children die every day due to polluted water. These are easily preventable deaths. It is said that the next great war will be fought over water, as we overuse, pollute and waste water. So as we approach Ganga Dussehra, let us take personal responsibility to save water.