Meditation

Training of mind to realise a higher consciousness or to induce a sense of well being is meditation.In these stressful times,people take up meditation to control anxiety,depression ,increase concentration,  to develop a sense of fulfillment ,joy etal

Towards this end ,there are many techniques of meditation.There is chanting of prayers or slokas,listening to  step wise instructions to meditate,visualising a serene scene & concentrating on breathing ,simply focusing on breathing etc.Vipassana is one such mediatation technique which is taught so that the interested can practice it for its numerous benefits.There is transcandental meditation as well.Even yoga which has made a major comeback has many meditation techniques to relax the mind.




Image courtsey : http://www.lawofattractioncentre.com/meditation/

Meditation means to think ,ponder etc.It also means dhyana meaning to contemplate.Meditation is strongly associated with  the relegions.Hence meditation is linked to spirituality.

Scientific studies have since proven, that meditation is indeed beneficial .Those of us ( meaning nearly all, including yours truly ) who are running after Lakshmi must necessarily meditate to control the urge to hoard money,clothes,bags,computers,etc.Some of the positive reactions of meditation are reduction in stress & anxiety levels.Meditation leads  to lowering of blood pressure.It also helps in improving digestion & decreases heart attack risk.It boosts sex life & concentration.It gives us a sense of well being & increases the size of our brains.And as we begin to feel good about ourselves,we find the world a much better place ! And surely ,the universe will become our home in the truest sense !

This is my blog post on "M' for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.

Sharing blog posts of fellow bloggers :

Meg Hammil

Jean Baldridge Yates

Book Review : Chakra

'Chakra : Chronicles of the Witch way' by Ritu Lalit is the third book by the author.She has penned two books earlier ....namely 'A bowlful of Butterflies' & 'Hilawi'.The 'Chakra' cover shows two grey eyes of a woman through a slit in some ancient manuscript.The manuscript is shaded in hues of blue,navy blue & green .The manuscript has some Hindu symbols  Om,Trikon & others imprinted on it.The grey eyes are hypnotic...they seem to piercing through as if searching for something .The paper quality is good.The printing is very good .The book is neatly arranged into chapters.There is a prayer to Ma Kundalini, at the beginning ,before the story unfolds.It sets the stage for the saga which is based on yogic power of those who practice & swear by it .

This is the story of Parineeta, who runs a detective agency in Delhi & is caretaker to her nieces & nephew .She also takes care of Mickey ,an orphan. Parineeta searches for baubles of the rich  ladies & also goes after the flirtatious husbands.One day ,just as vacations are about to begin in school,her brother's daughter gets into some act ,which makes heads turn.All hell breaks loose after that .There are  many twists & turns in the book from then onwards, till the very end.Parineeta is frantic as she finds her nephew & niece missing.Will she be able to locate them ? Have the kids gone on a frolic of their own ? Or have they been kidnapped ? As Parineeta begins her search,she has to come to terms with her forgotten legacy.She does not want to have anything to do with it.She has lost so much because of that ,she opines.Yet,it seems, only her past can make the future better for generation next.There is a prophecy which talks of the age of the Japnis. Is Parineeta going to usher in that age ? Will her nieces be also part & parcel of that age of the witches ? And if so ,how ? How far is that day ? For all the answers,Parineeta must connect with her clan & even with rival clans & many others.There is hardly any time left before rivals close in on her nieces & nephew. Parineeta has to act fast.She has to trust those with whom she never wanted to associate.Will others heed her now, when she needs them most ?


Chakra is the story of Japas & Japnis who have a very strong Kundalini which is awake from birth.This is the saga of the clans of Bhoomars,Jalajs,Pallavs,Varunis & others like Koylas.Koylas are those who drain others emotionally.The author talks of people who venerate the elements....air,earth,fire ,water etal. She writes about the serpent ...our inherent Kundalini power which must be awakened to make us what we actually are.Ritu lalit has made the saga so interesting by taking bits & pieces from Indian myths,puranas that Chakra makes for a truly fascinating kahani !

Chakra has its bits of humor .Witness the tee shirts worn by the heroine which say it all ' HIGH MAINTENANCE BUT SO WORTH IT ','HOT n SPICY ','TALK TO MY FACE,TITS CAN'T HEAR 'etc.References to the traffic in Delhi says   that people take pot shots on traffic lights with their guns ! The tale is feminist, in its approach.Witches are going to claim the age.Witches are better at power play.The book also states that many girls are disappearing.....as female infanticide & other crimes are making survival of women difficult.

In a nutshell,this is a very readable story, set in the present age with connections to our heritage of mudras,yoga,kundalini & the power each one of us have .That innate power, which is dormant & sleeping, needs to be awakened to claim our future, from corrupt netas & an ; inefficient bureaucracy.An inspiring read  indeed

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Soundarya

What is really beautiful ? So many things ,if you look around - babies,nature,someone's hair, someone's skin,a face,a sculpture,a painting ,a design ,a piece of jewellery,etal.Actually ,there are so many things -both animate & inanimate which are pretty, to simply keep staring at.But soundarya  is something else.

Nature is beautiful, as it is lovely to look, at its numerous features -the Sunrise,the Sunset,the meandering rivers,the snow clad mountains,the green meadows,the valley of flowers & so on & so forth.Nature is really beautiful, as it is our mother & takes care of us by giving us in abundance.When we go on destroying & exploiting it for our selfish ends,it gives vent to earthquakes,volcanoes, tsunamis ,cyclones & other natural disasters.

Human beings are beautiful basically .And as time passes ,one changes for better or for worse.Babies look lovely .They are curious & innocent.As babies grow up ,choices made, make them what they are.

A person may be beautiful in appearance .This alone cannot make up for bad habits or unhelpful nature.One must be positive in life.Then ,a smile  lights up the face & the person looks pretty.Similarly ,helping others does wonders to appearance .It brings a glow, which can be seen by all.Health also is a big asset in keeping us pretty .If we take good care of our well being by eating right ,our body reflects it & we look lovely.Exercises like aerobics, dancing,pilates,walking,etc can help us loose flab & build up endurance.Yoga & meditation make up for mental calmness.A cool & calm mentality looks young Hence,there is no need to go for botox,plastic surgery etal to do away with wrinkles

Make up & cosmetics can only enhance  assets like eyes,lips,skin,etc.Sometimes ,cosmetics may harm, as ingredients in the cosmetic may lead to allergies.Hence,one needs to be careful.It is preferable to use herbal products. Cosmetics cannot make a person look lovely -they can only  highlight the beauty of a person who is already good looking. Rekha,the actress used to apply  a big bindi on her forehead  & it  suited  her so well ! Rekha has also been practising yoga since long & she looks young, even after decades !

Cosmetics  used judiciously can also protect hair,skin,eyes,etc.In this also ,one can opt for products which are not tested on animals .This will be  soundarya , as this is beauty, without cruelty.

Remember to  check out Yahoo!Real Beauty @http://realbeauty.yahoo.com/ for some great ideas on real beauty.

The inner soundarya  of a person, is the soul of a person.Diamonds are  very beautiful & hard.Similarly, some may be very pretty & hard to please.Such people cannot be called beautiful.They will harm others & bring many to grief.Celebrities, who endorse fur, are cruel to animals.We must make our thoughts beautiful  & this will show on our faces.One who is truly beautiful is one, who has the ability to bounce back after a debacle & get on with life.Such an inspiring spirit, is really pretty & needs to be emulated.

People who are spiritually inclined, are indeed really beautiful as they aspire for peace & calm.This calmness also reflects on their faces & they look serene.People who help others,are unselfish & kind to one &  all are really pretty.That is why, soundarya or real beauty, is a perennial source of joy !

This blog post is my entry for the YAHOO DOVE REAL BEAUTY contest.



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