Health is wealth and critical to happiness

Health is a state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely an absence of disease or infirmity. Really speaking, health is not a state but a continuous adjustment to the changing demands of life and the environment.Positive health implies perfect functioning of body and mind in a given society. Ayurveda defines health as ‘svasthya’—to be one’s highest spiritual self. It is the state of equilibrium of the three doshas or mind-body energies that govern our external and internal environment―vata (wind); pitta (bile); and kapha (phlegm), along with a contented state of the senses, mind and soul. All the ancients believed that no attempt should be made to cure the body without treating the mind and soul. To be healthy is to have the ability, despite an occasional bout of illness, to live with full use of your faculties and to be vigorous, alert and having a joie de vivre, even in old age. This concept of operational health has been termed ‘wellness’. It is a sense of all-round wellbeing.

Yoga

The word ‘yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word yuj which means ‘yoke’ attach or ‘join’. It means the joining or uniting of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness, or self-realisation. The science of yoga was systematised by Maharishi Patanjanli in 285 yogasutras. There are eight components of yoga. These are: 1. Yama: Our attitudes towards our environment. 2. Niyama: Our attitudes towards ourselves. 3. Asana: The practice of body exercises. 4. Pranayama: The practice of breathing exercises. 5. Pratyahara: The restraint of our senses. 6. Dharana: The ability to direct our minds. 7. Dhyana: The ability to develop interactions with what we seek to understand. 8. Samadhi: Complete integration with the object to be understood. Their respective meanings are: i) Universal moral commandments. ii) Self-purification by discipline. iii) Posture. iv) Rhythmic control of breath. v) Withdrawal of the mind from the domination of the senses and exterior object. vi) Concentration. vii) Meditation. viii) Thoughtless state in which one becomes one with the object of his meditation.

Prana and the Positive Field

Prana is the life force that flows in all living things. When the life force leaves the body, the body dies. Kirlian photography has captured pictures of the pranic aura. Meditation and a calm attitude cause prana to flow through all our activities smoothly. When prana is in full flow, the person is full of vitality and energy and enthusiasm. Prana is nurtured by freshly cooked, healthy food. Pranayama is very pro-prana. Prana is fed by breathing pure fresh air. Moderate exercise and yoga helps develop the life force. Eating too much, consuming stale food, exercising till you are ready to drop dead, constant arguments, overworking, getting emotionally upset, breathing polluted air, all interfere with the smooth flow of prana. Moderation is the rule. Prana enhances the positive field and the vital life force flows freely through it. It creates a powerful positive field—a field of all possibilities where any seed of an idea will develop rapidly.

Cultivating Happiness

Focus on cultivating happy people and avoid toxic people. Build protective walls against toxic events that threaten your tranquillity. Too much television is tele-visham—tele-poison. Too much stimulation, a mindspace crowded by fantasy, people and events, distracts you from working on your own home and backyard to create a healthy self. Some days we seem to live a fantasy life dominated by daydreams while reality tugs at our heartstrings for attention, like a neglected child. There is no use focusing on Aishwarya Bacchan’s beauty while neglecting to do the most basic things to maintain yours. This is the only body, mind and soul you will be given. Take care of what is yours and enjoy it. Let the cells of your body be gently bathed in happiness, positive thoughts and healing energies. Run from, toxic people and build protective walls against toxic events that threaten your tranquility. The Vedas speak of the self as a beautiful lotus growing in the muddy waters of life. With its roots in the muck it rises above it, in perfect beauty and bliss.

The Joyful Harvest

The Middle of January is the harvest festival. It is a time of holidaying and 3 days of joyous festivities. All the cities are empty as everyone goes off to celebrate in their villages. The U.S. celebrates Thanks giving in September. Harvest is mainly associated with fruit and vegetables, for which we give thanks. This is the whole point of the Harvest Festival. The cattle’s are decorated, homes are painted, implements are cleared and everything is worshipped. In India, Makara Sankranti, Thai Pongal, Uttarayana, Lohri, and Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu in January, Holi in February–March and Onam in August–September are a few famous harvest festivals. This is the time for each of us to sit back and celebrate of successes in the four of quadrants of your life: personal, family, work life and social life. The Bible speaks of a ‘time to sow and a time to reap!’ This is your time to reap the results of all your hard work and acknowledge the joys, successes and high points of the past year. This is the time for gratitude for all your blessings. This is important as most of us are trained to find fault with ourselves and others. We know what is wrong, what has been done badly. We are trained to pick the smallest flaws in every action of our family and friends and even ourselves. During this season, eschew all such discounts and embrace affirmations and sincere appreciation. It is said that you need to given 10 affirmations to safely administer a single discount. Most of our daily balance sheets have the opposite. This year enjoy, celebrate and praise God for all the good news in your life! 1. Celebrate your hobbies with an exhibition for friends of fruits, paintings, music or stamps. 2. Celebrate your family with a get together, a website or a night out with all of them. 3. Write letters to those at work who helped you. Write to those who need comfort, give out little harvest gifts – fruit, wine, food. 4. Organize a coffee meet for your neighbours and friends. Sugarcane juice and other harvest goodies could be exciting ad ons.

Cultivating Happiness

Focus on cultivating happy people and avoid toxic people. Build protective walls against toxic events that threaten your tranquillity. Too much television is tele-visham—tele-poison. Too much stimulation, a mindspace crowded by fantasy, people and events, distracts you from working on your own home and backyard to create a healthy self. Some days we seem to live a fantasy life dominated by daydreams while reality tugs at our heartstrings for attention, like a neglected child. There is no use focusing on Aishwarya Bacchan’s beauty while neglecting to do the most basic things to maintain yours. This is the only body, mind and soul you will be given. Take care of what is yours and enjoy it. Let the cells of your body be gently bathed in happiness, positive thoughts and healing energies. Run from, toxic people and build protective walls against toxic events that threaten your tranquility. The Vedas speak of the self as a beautiful lotus growing in the muddy waters of life. With its roots in the muck it rises above it, in perfect beauty and bliss.

Hobbies

Cultivate hobbies for happiness, next year. A hobby is a regular activity enjoyed during one’s leisure as recreation. It is an activity that provides fun and relaxation. It is an ancient activity of humans: Caesar Augustus was an avid coin collector. It is said the Persians, Greeks and Romans used scale models of forts and coast defence lines to plan battles. Kids played with toys like train sets. They grew up to engage in more adult hobbies like these war games. The term ‘hobby’ comes from the 16th century word ‘hobyn’ which means small horse or pony. The original object, a ‘Tourney horse’’ was made of a wooden basketwork frame with an artificial head and tail, so that a child could experience riding a real horse. George Orwell observed about the English, “the addiction to hobbies and spare time occupations... We are a nation of flower lovers, but also a nation of stamp collectors, pigeon fanciers, amateur carpenters, coupon snipers, darts players, crossword puzzle fans…” Hobbies often involve meeting an interesting community of others involved in the same activity. Events are often organized around these activities, as are magazines and websites. As a result, a hobby creates an enjoyable network of friends and associates. A hobby usually results in a feeling of achievement. The pleasure of a hobby lies in making something of value or achieving something of value. These activities involve five broad categories: collecting, making and tinkering (embroidery, can restoration), activity participation (fishing and singing), sports (gulf, running) and liberal art hobbies (languages, cuisine literature). However a number of hobbies remain solitary. The intellectual and physical stimulation a hobby provides is a clear attraction. Research proves that hobbies impact healthy aging. Hobbies provide adults with play. An absorbing hobby can greatly improve your life satisfaction levels. The unconditional and gentle relationships, you could build through hobbies can fill your life with happiness breaks. So find and pursue an absorbing hobby in the year ahead.