Your body is speaking to you

  Not many years ago, I was always carrying packs of Antacids, Cetirizine, Paracetamol and a few other tablets in my office bag. I used to experience gastric issues, continuous sneezing and headaches. If I consulted any doctor, they usually said I am fine health-wise, may be I am taking more stress. I am advised to avoid taking stress, avoid taking sodas, ice creams, spicy foods and the list went on and on. I started feeling depressed about my health. I used to stay awake in the night for the fear that I may die due to heart attack. This went on for almost a decade. Then I started doing some research on health issues and reasons for physical symptoms. Suddenly I realized how conscious mind, sub conscious mind and physical body are linked. Our physical body responds to the sub conscious mind. It was such an amazing feeling to know that our body actually speaks to us. Whatever symptoms body is showing up, the body is not waging a war with us but trying to tell us that there is an issue in our thought process. Each issue in our life shows up in some part of our body. Financial issues and fear of future will give rise to pain in the lower back and right knee, inability to accept the feminine part of us (every human being will have both male and female energies within us) will give rise to pain in the left knee and left ankle, inability to accept and receive love will lead to cardiac issues. So what exactly is happening here? How can our emotions or thoughts be linked to physical illness? We all know that whole of Universe is nothing but energy. Universe understands only the language of energy. We are all energy beings. All our thoughts, feelings, emotions are nothing but energy formats. Any moment the energy is stopped somewhere, it will create an imbalance in the body and body responds as dis-ease or illness. We know both river and lake has the same water, why river water doesn’t stink but the water in the lake stinks? When you stop the energy from its natural flow, it starts stinking. When we experience a thought or feeling or emotion, if we don’t allow it to flow through us but hold on to it, the stagnant energy starts showing up in our body as pain or illness. We are not used to allow our emotions to flow through us, so all the unfelt emotional energy gets stuck up at specific body parts depending on which part of life it represents and what emotion it is and manifests as a dis-ease or illness in that part of the body. Our body is trying to communicate with us. But we don’t heed to it, we just don’t want any inconvenience in the body. So we run to the doctor. But do you know the best doctor is your own body, which is trying to tell you something? You can always go to a doctor, but before you take an appointment and visit him / her, take a minute and listen to what your body wants to tell you. One day I accompanied one of my friends to a doctor and I started sneezing. I was sitting in the hospital to see the doctor and was wondering if I need to go and buy Cetrizine or wait for the appointment to be completed. But suddenly I thought there may be a reason why I am experiencing sneezing. I started to look back at my day and realized that I got irritated with one of the discussions in my office. May be the irritation actually started showing up as sneezing. I just took a couple of minutes and allowed and accepted the discussion, accepted my reactions, allowed all the feelings and emotions I had. Extended love towards myself. It took about 5 mins and my sneezing disappeared.   Even my headache was not because there is some issue in my head, there was an issue with my digestive system. I was unable to digest what was happening in my professional life. This resulted into digestive issues and my symptom of headache. Whatever I was unable to accept in my professional life was giving rise to stress that created gastric issues. Isn't it wonderful that our body speaks to us so literally, irritation in nose actually was irritation with colleagues, inability to digest situation led to digestion issues!! So give just a minute to what your body is saying to you, you will get to perfect health in no time. Give attention to your thoughts and emotions, your body is in complete sync with your emotions. If you keep denying your emotions, your body has no other choice than to push you into handling it. For any medical issue, you definitely have to seek medical attention. But along with medical attention, if you give your attention to what your body is telling you, you may get healed faster. Do you remember the old saying, “A stitch in time saves nine”?   From next week, we would discuss most common health related topics and the emotional reasons for experiencing each of the health issues.   Disclaimer: We are not suggesting that emotional reasons are the only cause for any ailment or dis-ease. This is no replacement for medical attention. Whenever required, please use your discretion and consult your doctor, general physician or request for medical help.   -Ramakrishna Maguluri Engaging with life ELAI engagingwithlife@yahoo.com

Honour your feelings, Love your Self

  We cannot step into self-love until we learn to honour our emotions and feelings. Emotions are our response to life and other people in our lives, they are the means we experience the richness of life. We define our experience of life through our feelings and emotions. We say 'I am happy you did this for me', 'I am sad I lost this in life’ or 'I feel loved’ or 'I feel angry'. By denying our true feelings we deny experience of life itself. And by making our feelings wrong, we make ourselves wrong and move further away from self-love. Most of us grow up with a false notion that some emotions are 'bad' or 'negative’. Emotions like anger or sadness are unpleasant and hence we do our best to control them, suppress them or manage them. But emotions by themselves are not wrong or bad, they are the means through which we experience the richness of life. As we do not allow a free flow of emotions, or not allow ourselves to honestly feel what there is to feel, we build up a density of unresolved emotional baggage. This is what makes us react to situations in life rather than responding to it. In stead of making ourselves wrong for having wrong emotions, we need to resolve the suppressed emotional density. No amount of self-work or practicing of self-love will get us to a place of true self-love unless we learn to honour our feelings and emotions. Emotions are God’s gift to human beings, they can be used as excellent tools for self-awareness. No other beings on earth have the richness and variety of emotional response to life as we do.   So how can emotions moves us into greater self-love? Simple, by making a commitment to honour each and every feeling and emotion that surfaces in us during our daily lives. Honouring includes acknowledging honestly what you feel and allowing yourself to feel it without judgement. Just by observing what is coming up and honestly acknowledging what we feel, we honour the emotion and honour our experience of life itself. If you have a beloved child, would you make the child wrong for each act, every minute of the day and still expect it to feel loved? No. How can we expect to feel self-love all the while making ourselves wrong for each and every emotion? "I will love myself more if only I can control my anger". "I love most of me except the part of me that is jealous". We can never reach to a place of self-love as long as we judge a part of us as wrong or bad. Commit to love and honour yourself NOW! Give your full attention to the emotion of anger or sadness or envy or any other emotion that comes up in any situation. Honestly acknowledge how you feel without judging yourself wrong for having that feeling. Once you feel through it, give yourself time to reflect what prompted this emotion - is it some unresolved hurt or pain from the past? The more you treat yourself with love and acceptance, the unresolved hurt from the past, that is prompting strong emotional reactions in each situation, will start melting away. You will enjoy using the emotion to gain greater awareness about your unresolved issues. And the more you resolve your past hurt, the more you will flow with each emotion without feeling bad about it but in complete awareness that it too will pass away once it served its purpose. The more you will start loving and honouring yourself. -Ramakrishna Maguluri

Decorating Home on Your Budget

  01. For walls, the best bet would be to use wallpaper. Apart from giving them a new look, it would also revive the spirit of your home and prove to be cost-efficient. Another option would be to create your own wall art. For this, use lots of stencil patterns, wallpaper borders and chalkboards and create interest in the room’s outer edges. 02. Use mirrors for decorating the rooms. This is because they help brighten up a room and also create the illusion of space. Keeping a mirror at the back of artistic belongings helps in highlighting them from all sides. 03. Instead of fixing an imperfection, which would prove to be a costly affair, look for ways to hide or cover it. A dark spot on the floor can be hidden with a rug. Similarly, peeled off paint, on the wall, can be covered with a nice wall hanging. 04. For the cabinets, opt for repainting, rather than replacement. Painting would refresh the look of your cabinets and make them look cleaner and livelier than before. 05. If your house is situated in a picturesque location, the best bet would be to explore the beauty of nature completely. For this, remove the curtains on the windows and maximize the view. Natural beauty draws attention and makes a house, a strikingly pleasant place to be in. 06. Nothing looks better than a neat, well-organized house. Systematize everything in such a way that there is no clutter and everything, right from shoes to clothes to books, is placed in allotted shelves or drawers. 07. Greenery and flowers are the best bet to beautify a house. Use a mixture of silk and fresh flowers to decorate your house. You can also highlight a specific area with potted flowers and herbs. This is an inexpensive, yet impressive way to decorate a house. 08. Use a lot of fabrics - cover the dining room chairs, put slipcovers on fading couches, make fresh pillows covers, redo the old curtains and get new blankets and quilts covers. A new bed linen is also worth a thought. All these items would do a lot to refurbish the look of your house. 09. Remember, paint creates a dramatic effect. You can paint the walls and the floor of your house with vibrant colors, to liven it up. 10. For the lighting, illuminate your house by using hand decorated lamp shades. Get them from a discount store and place them in the dark nooks and corners of your house.    

Keep cool with Khus shades

      With the onset of summer not too far away, we are busy getting our ACs serviced, buying the earthen pots for the naturally cool water and changing our curtains to something more heavy to block the heat. How many of us remember the old Khus khus mats or the woven vettiver mats which were hung on the doors and windows where water would be sprinkled on to them to let the cool air in? A wonderful option to keep your house naturally cool, these naturally cool shades not only provides cool air but also a pleasant fragrance even though it could get a bit messy with water trickling on your floor. You can hang these khus mats or curtains to cool your home. All you need to is sprinkle water on these curtains till they are completely wet. Leave the windows or doors that it is hung over, open. Let the hot breeze flow into the wet khus curtain and feel the breeze coming into the house catches the wonderful fragrance of khus and diffuses it in the house leaving the house smelling lovely and feeling cool. Khus  which is known as vetiveria zizanioides in the botanical terms and belongs the same family as lemongrass, citronella and palmarosa. It is also commonly used in aroma therapy and perfumes. It is acts like a cooling agent, treating insomnia and stress and also works as a blood purifier.  A grass that grows up to six feet in length and like all grass it has fibrous roots that grow deep in the earth. The woody fragrance comes from the tiny rootlets which are filled with the sweet, deep rich fragrant enzymes. The roots of the khus plant are woven into long mats in different sizes and sold in the markets. A very common item sold till a decade ago this now soon- to- become- extinct natural shade is available in the old parts of the cities. It is also used to make hand –fans sandals, hats, and decorative baskets. The roots are packed up in sachets which can be placed in cupboards also used as loofahs to scrub the body.These can also be obtained in your organic produce stores which are now very popular. You could also  find these in the smaller towns and if you have the opportunity do pick them up, as they stay for a longtime and do not spoil for many years. The mats can be rolled and stored in dry cool places in your attic and reused for the coming summers. And think about the electricity bills you can save!

Pause For A Moment To Enjoy Life!

While going along with the fast moving world, we have forgotten to acknowledge what the present moment has for us. Similarly, our reactions to various situations in life are so quick, that sometimes we regret reacting in that manner. Fortunately, there is a simple way to deal with this. All you need to do is stop and thing before you do anything. We must understand that the past cannot be changed and the future cannot controlled. What we have in hand is the present so lets mold it in a way that makes us happy. Let us understand this, through a simple situation that we may experience very frequently.   Reacting to a person venting his or her frustration needs to be directed to the positive path. Shouting back at a frustrated person will only both of your peace of mine and then you may try to sooth this, you might take a glass of wine. Now just make slight changes in this situation. Instead of shouting, try and listen to what the person has to say. Either provide a solution or change the topic of discussion gradually. After reacting in this manner you will actually enjoy the glass of wine instead of just having it to get over a bad day. By taking time to react, you understand people and situations a lot better and it may also help you get rid of some your bad habits like smoking. Experts call this way of life, mindfulness. With developments in technology you can now incorporate mindfulness into your life through apps like   ­Calm in the Storm and Stop Breathe & Think. Start living like this and soon you will fall in love with your life. - Kruti Beesam  

Way to wealth

  This month is called “Sravana Masam” according to Telugu calendar, which is very auspicious. People take this opportunity to start new works, new assignments will be done and New projects will be signed... This is so delightful thing to happen, however have we thought of a new beginning in our lives? Have we ever felt that there is need to start a new thought process? There is a superstitious belief in people that, they won't spend money on Fridays of week, if you do so your wealth shrinks down. This even goes a step further to not making the payments to people where you owe them. When you get a job done by someone or take goods from few without paying, how does that help you to become rich where in you have failed to understand the energy equation set by the Universe.... “Whenever you take a service , help or anything it has to be exchanged with an energy, which is in the form of Money in most of the cases. If you can't pay cash, you should at least offer some thing you have in hand”. That is the reason why most of people talk about “energy exchange” in the healing processes. On a Friday, just because its Friday and we have a sentiment of not spending money on that particular day, we can not stop salaries of workers or Payments against purchases.. If we stop them, then are we not getting in to debt which is again a negative mark in you account book. Above all, we need to understand one basic thing here;  if worshipping Goddess Laxmi which grants us wealth, yes she does so but wealth here is a overall well being. When we have peace of mind, happy with ourselves, embrace people with love and affection, come forward for needy, don't differentiate between have and have nots and be a beautiful soul processing humanity, these are the symbols of wealth. If one have all the above qualities, they are undoubtedly rich. When you pray Godess Laxmi on this special Friday, pray to that you are granted with the above qualities.. If you could aquire them you will be surely a wealthiest person. Stay blessed. Bhavana    

Best Dress Combinations For Men

1. White – Cobalt Blue Everyone will team up white and black. And no doubt they do look exceptionally good together. But we think you should do things a little differently and pair white with cobalt blue. 2. Cherry Red – Gray As unusual as it may sound, but it is sure to look fantastic. We suggest that you team up gray straight fit trousers with a cherry red shirt. This combination will especially look good on men with a fair complexion. 3. Beige – Emerald This combination is perfect for a casual relaxed evening. You can team an emerald polo t-shirt with beige cargo pants. The emerald will ensure you stand out, as the color is not usually picked by men, and the cargo pants are perfect for a chilled-out look. 4. Pale Yellow – Brown How about brown pants, white t-shirt and a pale yellow scarf? Sounds good? Well, it will look good too. Pale yellow and brown will look really good together. The darkness of brown is well complemented by the coolness and ashen look of the yellow. 5. Turquoise – Creamy White A turquoise shirt paired with creamy white trousers / jeans is an apt colour combination for a lazy morning brunch. The turquoise colour gives a very beachy, relaxed vibe and when paired with creamy white, it will add the necessary softness and calmness to your look. Baby Pink – Mint Green Mint green is definitely the colour of the season. Pair a baby pink shirt with a mint green tie for an in-vogue and stylish look. Team this up with dark shade trousers and you are set to rock this look. These are 6 colour combinations that will never fail you. Different as they are from the usual, they all are stylish and look smart. Try, if not all, then at least one of these. We promise you, you won’t regret it.

It's Better To Say `NO`!

Man is a social animal. He has to depend on others for co-existence. We might have to request someone for a work to be done, or we might have to heed someone's request. Whatever might be the case... the obligation proposed should not result in repentance. And that is the reason why we should learn to say NO! We all might have faced the same situation... when we had said `yes`, though we should have said a straight `no`! Why don't we say it? * We fear that our relation might be spoiled, as the person who is expecting something from us might get hurt after hearing our denial. * We are too sensitive that we hesitate to say a blunt NO! * We suspect that, we might need the help of that person in future and such opportunities would be lost after our refusal. * We feel guilt that the other person is at the risk of a loss, if we don't help him. * We wish that our reputation of a `good boy` should not be spoiled. How should we say NO! * Don't be haste to say either `yes` or `no` after hearing a request. Take some time depending on the situation. It might be a matter of minutes in some cases or might need a few days. But get enough time to take a perfect decision. * Forecast the consequences. Analyse the request, think about the action needed on your part, weigh the results, consider your priorities and say NO if you are sure of a definite loss. * Be polite while you say no. Try to be as humble as you can be. Use the phrases such as `I wish to do it  ... but`; `I'm sorry, I can't do it right now`. * Let your denial be brief. Prolonged explanations might make things worse. Such huge explanations reveal your low confidence and let others think that you are trying to slip away. * A request might not end at your initial refusal. The other person might be persistent to have a positive nod from you. So be firm on your decision. * Most of us make a mistake after a denial. We commit for a future obligation. `OK! I will certainly think about your request if you need the same help in future! ` would be our assertion. That in fact might itself turn into an obligation which you cannot evade. So don't commit unless you are sure of justifying your commitment. - Nirjara

Eating Organic, not a Fashion !

Organic foods are widely available these days. It is not stylish to adopt organic lifestyle, it has become a necessity, in the current times. With foods being so manipulated and contaminated, choosing organic is the only choice we are left with. Many think eating organic is a fashion, which might be true with some people, who try to flaunt their spending abilities over others, but to many natural and organic foods are a safe option for a better and longer life. Some even make fun of families who say they only prefer eating organic foods. Being said, organic and locally grown perishables are expensive because of not much demand...when the demand increases, farmers will be encouraged to cultivate more of these and earn equally to continue. Specially for the future generations and their health, most parents are adopting a healthy lifestyle, and choosing to eat organic foods, which tends to narrow down their food options. Not every restaurant sells non-GMO food items, not every variety of fruits and vegetables is grown organic, and so those who want to eat safe are left with very few options. Not just organic eating, but avoiding High Fructose Corn Syrup and MSG ( Mono Sodium Glutamate) also reduces the varieties one can find when eating out or shopping for groceries. For those who are aware of the harmful effects the Genetically Manipulated Food and Artificial Ingredient Foods can have on ones health, every time they eat out or even bring home a non-safe veggie or fruit home, it is a guilt that haunts. For families who cant afford buying these better foods every week, feeding them only to the children has become a practice for good. I suggest, whoever is reading my lines here, to browse on the web about cultivating GMO Foods, MSG and High Fructose and their side effects. One will immediately start atleast a container kitchen-garden, i tell you ! Be it Fashion, Style or a Necessity...truth is "Organic or No Health ! " -Prathyusha Talluri

College Musings

Just see how majestic it sounds!! That is my college. I was extremely excited about getting into it before. I have heard lots of success stories of people connected with BITS. What more interesting is that, its right in my hometown.  Although it’s a residential college, I never feel homesick!! There is lots to tell about my campus!  So tighten up your seat belts. Cause I am going to take you on an amazing tour around my campus. It’s a 200 acre campus with lots of greenery. Away from the city’s hustle, it’s very peaceful. There are lots of hostel rooms and academic blocks obviously! And when you see, it seems like they are just near-by. But when you walk from one to the other, that’s when you know they are tiresomely far. But for a lazy person like me, It’s some kind of exercise. The food is alright. How does it even matter when you have a chat bhandar and an ice-cream parlour.?  ;) There are lots of other activities involved other than just academics.  And when I say lots, I mean lots and lots and lots!!! There are clubs, MUN’s, departments, NGO’s. This is the place where I get to decide what I am actually interested in and what I am actually capable of.  This is where I am going to explore the complete me! What I really like is that people from all over India come here. There is so much diversity just inside the campus , that it is like a mini India in here!! Also there are students who are of an Indian origin but had been born in foreign countries studying here. I get to make friends from every corner of the world and I am pretty sure, this friendship is going to last long. Coming to the best part, every single detail here is planned and maintained by students. Lecturers are here only to teach,clarify doubs,evaluate and mentor which they do best. Everything else, right from printing our identity cards to getting sponsorship for fests and conducting them is done by students only!! The students here are so dedicated that it is amazing to see them work! Pearl, is our cultural fest and one of its kind. We have international bands playing for us and professionals entertaining us. We have dj-nights, music nights, dance nights, drama nights and what not!! We have ngo’s that help children from rural background choose their career and also help women. What more is that you are encouraged to have your own start-ups, rather than running behind companies to offer you a job. It’s a chance to be an employer rather than an employee. There have been students passed out from this campus who have started their own companies and are now coming back to recruit new people into their companies. How cool is that!!   I have been here now, for only around 10 days and I already feel so emotionally attached and protective about my campus that it is intimidating. Because I might never want to leave.  Even after four years! Anyways!! I welcome myself to the best four years of my life! -Sanjana Kunde

బండి ఆగితే..ఇక అంతే..ప్లాస్టిక్ బాటళ్లలో పెట్రోల్ అమ్మమంటున్న యజమానులు

అబ్దుల్లాపూర్ మెట్ తహసీల్దార్ హత్య అనంతరం జంట నగరాల్లో పెట్రోల్ బంక్ యజమానులు ఒక నిర్ణయానికి వచ్చారు. ఎట్టి పరిస్థితుల్లోనూ బాటిల్స్ లో పెట్రోల్ అమ్మకూడదని.. పెట్రోల్ బంకుల్లో యజమానుల బోర్డులు సైతం పెడుతూ జనానికి అవగాహన కల్పిస్తున్నారు. రెవెన్యూ అధికారుల ఆదేశాలతో ఈ నిర్ణయానికి వచ్చినట్లు తెలుస్తుంది. రోడ్డు పక్కన చిన్న చిన్న కొట్లు పంచర్ షాపులో బాటిల్స్ లో పెట్రోల్ అమ్మడం తెలిసిందే. రోడ్డు పై వెళ్లే వాహన దారులు పెట్రోల్ బంకు అందుబాటులో లేనప్పుడు వీరి వద్ద కొనుగోలు చేస్తారు. అయితే ఇది కూడా చట్ట విరుద్ధమని అంటున్నారు పెట్రోల్ బంక్ యజమానులు. అబ్దుల్లాపూర్ మెట్ ఘటనల తర్వాత ఇటీవల కాలంలో చోటు చేసుకుంటున్న పరిణామాల నేపథ్యంలో తాము ఈ నిర్ణయానికి వచ్చామని వెల్లడించారు.వాహన దారుల పరిస్థితి గమనించి అమ్ముతానంటున్నారు.  పెట్రోల్ ను బాటిళ్లో తీసుకెళ్లి  ఎమ్మార్వో హత్య చేశారు. పెట్రోల్ బంకు డీలర్లు అందరం కలసి ఒక నిర్ణయానికి వచ్చామని.. ఇలా అమ్మడం వల్ల జరగకూడనివి జరుగుతున్నాయి కాబట్టి నిజాయితీగా ఎవరికైతే అవసరముందో వాళ్లకే బాటళ్లో ఇవ్వబడుతుందన్నారు. మామూలుగైతే ఈ మధ్య కాలంలో చాలా తగ్గిచేశామని.. ఇంకా ఏమైనా ఆదేశాలు వస్తే మొత్తంగా ఆపేస్తామన్నారు. కేవలం కస్టమర్ ని  దృష్టిలో పెట్టుకొని వాళ్ల ఇబ్బంది తొలగించటానికి మాత్రమే ఒక సహాయక రూపంలోనే ఇవ్వడం జరుగుతుందని ఏ యజమాని వెల్లడించారు.మరోవైపు బంక్ యజమానుల ఆదేశాలనుసారం తాము బాటిల్స్ లో పెట్రోల్ అమ్మడం లేదని.. అది ఎప్పటి నుంచో అమల్లో ఉందని బంక్ లో పని చేసే ఉద్యోగులు చెప్తున్నారు. ప్లాస్టిక్ బాటిల్స్ లో పెట్రోల్ పోయడం వల్ల మంటలు వచ్చే అవకాశం కూడా ఉందంటున్నారు.

పుస్తక ప్ర‘పంచ’ సూత్రాలు

  ఒకప్పుడు కాలక్షేపానికి పుస్తకం మాత్రమే ఉండేది. అందుకే ఇంట్లో చిన్న నుంచి పెద్దదాకా చదివే పుస్తకాలు మాత్రమే ఉండేవి. పిల్లల పత్రికలు, వార పత్రికలు, మాస పత్రికలు ఎన్నో పుస్తకాలు కాలక్షేపాన్ని, వినోదాన్ని, విజ్ఞానాన్ని అందించేవి. మారిన కాలంలో పుస్తకం మరుగున పడిపోతోంది. ఇప్పటికీ పుస్తక ప్రేమికులు చాలా మందే ఉన్నా చదివే అలవాటు క్రమంగా తగ్గుతూ వస్తుందన్నది నిజం. కాలక్షేపాన్ని వినోదాన్ని అందించే సాధనాలు ఎన్నో అందుబాటులో ఉండేసరికి పుస్తాకాన్ని నిర్లక్ష్యం చేస్తున్నారు. కాని పుస్తకం చదివే అలవాటు ఎన్నో రకాలుగా మేలు చేస్తుంది గుర్తించండి అంటున్నారు నిపుణులు. 1. పుస్తకం చదివే అలవాటు ఏకాగ్రతను పెంచుతుంది. రోజుకో అరగంట చదివినా చాలు. ఆసమయంలో మనసు, మెదడు అనుసంధానం జరిగి అదో మెడిటేషన్ లా మారుతుంది.     2. మతిమరుపు ఇబ్బంది పెడుతుంటే పుస్తకం చదవడం మొదలుపెట్టండి చాలు. మెదడులోని న్యూరాన్లు యాక్టివ్ గా మారుతాయి. చూడటం, చదవడం, గ్రహించడం దానిని స్టోర్ చేసుకోవడం ఇలా అన్నీ ఒక్కసారే జరిగే ప్రక్రియ మెదడుకి ఒక ఛాలెంజ్ లాంటిదే. ఆ ఛాలెంజ్ న్యూరాన్లను ఆరోగ్యంగా ఉండేలా చేస్తుంది. 3. రష్ యూనివర్శిటీ మెడికల్ సెంటర్ రీసెర్చ్ వయసు ప్రభావం మెదడు మీద లేకుండా చేసే శక్తి పుస్తక పఠనానికి మాత్రమే ఉందని చెప్పింది. బాగా చదివే అలవాటు ఉన్నవారి మెదడు వయసు, వారి శారీరక వయసు కంటే తక్కువగా ఉండటం గుర్తించారు.     4. మానసిక ధృడత్వం, సమస్యలను ఎదుర్కొనే ధైర్యం ఎమోషనల్ ఇంటెలిజన్స్ ఇలా ఎన్నో జీవన నైపుణ్యాలు ఒక్క పుస్తక పఠనం వల్ల మాత్రమే సాధ్యమవుతుందని గట్టిగా చెపుతున్నారు నిపుణులు. 5. ఒక్క పుస్తకం చేతిలో ఉంటే చాలు ఎందరో మనతో ఉన్నట్టే. మానసిక ప్రశాంతత, ఉత్సాహం అన్నీ లభిస్తాయి. ఒత్తిడికి సులువైన విరుగుడు పుస్తకం. కాబట్టి చదవడం మొదలుపెట్టగానే శరీరం, మనసు రెండూ రిలాక్స్ అవటం మొదలవుతుంది.     ఇక భాషాజ్ఞానం పెరగడం వంటి లాభాలు, అందరికీ అన్ని విధాలుగా ఎంతో ప్రయోజనం ఈ పుస్తకం పఠనం వల్ల అని తెలిసాక దానితో స్నేహం చేయకుండా ఉండగలమా? ఒకవేళ ఈ మధ్యకాలంలో దానిని పలకరించకపోతే ఒక్కసారి దగ్గర చేయాలనే ఈరోజుని 'పుస్తక దినోత్సవం'గా ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా పాఠిస్తున్నారు. పుస్తకంతో మన అందరి అనుబంధం నూరేళ్లు వర్ధిల్లాలని కోరుకుందాం. -రమ

Are you coughing up your suppressed emotions?

Have you ever noticed, people start coughing at the most silent of places? I remember some weekly meditation sessions I was attending few years ago. When we are in deep concentration, at least one or two members definitely cough at each session. I used to wonder why! The lady who was guiding the meditation used to say it's because we are resisting something in the process. When I ask someone a tricky question, I always watch out if other person is coughing. Invariably they cough if they are not telling me complete truth. Mostly, with a very good intention, to save me from unpleasantness. We cough when we don’t say what we want to say or when we say what we don't want to say. It's quite funny, in fact. We may not be able to express our true feelings because we are not in a place where we can express freely. Or may be the other person is so domineering that we can’t open up in front of them or we don't want to hurt them. We then feel like coughing to clear our throat. If we look at nasty, persistent cough, it also has similar reasons, inability to express true feelings or suppressed emotions for a long time or a feeling of being ignored. Underneath it, there is a feeling of 'No one listens to me'. Mostly, there could also be a physical reason behind the cough, like you are in a polluted area or a change of weather or may be excess heat in the body or an infection left by a recent viral fever, etc. But it’s worth checking if there is an emotional reason too and address it right away rather than allowing it to trouble you nonstop. I had a client who had a traumatic childhood, her father and mother fought with each other throughout her childhood. She was punished by her mother for smallest of reasons or for no reason. She couldn't raise her voice and ask her mother, why she is being punished as her mother was a dominating person. All the emotions were stuck in her throat. Both the parents were so busy fighting with each other, she was either completely ignored or thrashed when noticed. She had grown up and got married into a family where the same pattern continued. She was never appreciated for anything she did right. She was blamed for everything that went wrong, although it was not her fault. She felt she could not resist or standup for herself. So all the emotional pain from her childhood got more intense. Slowly, she developed a persistent cough that was there for months together. She tried all possible ways to get rid of the cough. Any medicine could give her only temporary relief but cough used to come back. Another client brought his father-in-law who was experiencing cough for more than an year. He was known as the family rebel, none of the family members could understand him or his ideas. He became a successful business man and he would have liked to rule the family as he ruled the market. But none of his kids resonated with any ideas he had for their future. One of his daughters is a Doctor, he wanted her to open a hospital but she joined another hospital as a resident doctor. Another daughter wanted to do MS in US and he wanted her to do an MBA in India. Somehow, she managed to do MS in US as per her own wish. He had such a strong feeling that none of his family listens to him and his point of view is being ignored, within a few months he started developing cough. It persisted for months together inspite of many treatments. Cough is one of the common complaints that we or our loved ones may suffer from time to time. It is often not dangerous but troublesome issue. When cough turns into a persistent issue, we have to get ourselves checked for TB or Bronchial Asthma or any other respiratory issue. It’s always better to rule out all of the possible physical issues. But many a times, cough may still persist without any apparent physical reason, even after all of these causes are ruled out. When you notice persistent cough, it's a good idea to lend an ear to your body and emotions. Ask yourself, how do I truly feel about the cough? Just listen to what it wants to say. When you started coughing, did you observe the people and situations around you? What happened before you started experiencing cough for the first time? Whenever you are coughing, you are actually telling people around you, to listen to you, asking them not to ignore you. Because you feel they don’t listen to you anyway, you may have swallowed up all that you wanted to say and all that you felt within you. That suppressed emotion gets stored at your throat which can lead to persistent cough. Expressing your emotions doesn’t mean that you have to shout your heart or lungs out. You don’t have to cry out loud for attention. There are many ways and techniques available to express your emotions in a more peaceful way. We are here in this world to experience all our emotions, we can make the experience to be peaceful and loving. Above all else, love yourself and pay attention to your own self. You can then express your emotions with others in a more loving way. Self-love has the capability to heal you instantaneously. Disclaimer: The above information is to be used as supplement to the medical help you take for any physical issue, it is not a substitute for medical help. Please use your discretion to take medical help whenever you are experiencing cough.  

మాట్లాడాలి ...మాట్లాడితే పోయేదేమీ లేదు

  మాట్లాడుతూనే వుంటాం కదా.. మళ్ళి ప్రత్యేకం గా మాట్లాడమని చెబుతున్నానేంటి అనుకుంటున్నారా.. నిజమే మనం మాట్లాడుతూనే వుంటాం.. కాని మన మనసులోని మాటలని మాత్రం మింగేస్తుంటాం..కేవలం ఎదుటి మనిషిని సంతృప్తి పరిచే మాటలనే మాట్లాడుతూ వుంటాం. దాంతో ఎదుటి వ్యక్తులు తృప్తి పడచ్చేమో కాని మన మనసు మాత్రం మనం మింగేసిన మాటల బరువుతో రోజు రోజు కి కృంగిపోతు వుంటుంది. అలా క్రుంగి పోయి, పోయి కొన్ని రోజులకి అలవాటుపడి పోతుంది ఆ బాధ కి ..ఎంతగా అలవాటు పడుతుంది అంటే అయిన దానికి , కాని దానికి కూడా ముడుచుకు పోతుంటుంది. చివరికి అది కాస్త కోపం గా మారి , ఎప్పుడు , ఎందుకు కోపం వస్తుందో కూడా మనకే తెలియని పరిస్థితి వస్తుంది . మనకే తెలియకుండా మనలో జరిగే సంఘర్షణ... ఇదంతా.  ఈ మధ్య కాలం లో ఎప్పుడయినా " ఎందుకో నాకీ మధ్య కోపం చాలా వస్తోంది " అనిపించిందా..? లేదా "ఉట్టినే విపరీత మయిన బాధగా వుంది " అనిపించినా... ఒక్కసారి మీతో మీరు మాట్లాడండి. ఎప్పుడెప్పుడు , ఎవరెవరితో , ఏమేం చెప్పాలను కుని కూడా , చెప్పకుండా ఆగిపోయరో గుర్తు చేసుకోండి. అలా చెప్పలేక పోవటం మీకు నచ్చిందా ? లేదా చెబితే బావుండేది అనిపిస్తోందా ? చెబితే బావుండేది అనిపిస్తే మాత్రం .".మీ మనసులోని మాటని స్పష్టం గా చెప్పటం " అలవాటు చేసుకోండి.  మొదటసారి ఇబ్బందిగా అనిపిస్తుంది , ఇన్ని రోజులు లేనిది ఇప్పుడు మాట్లాడాలంటే అంత సులువెం కాదు , అలా అని కష్టమేం కాదు. ఒక్కసారి ఎదుటి వాళ్ళు ఏం అనుకుంటారో అన్న విషయాన్ని ఆలోచించకుండా మీ భావాలని స్పష్టం గా చెప్పి చూడండి... గాలిలో తేలినట్టు వుంటుంది ., మనసు సంతోషం తో నిండి పోతుంది . అలా అని ఎదుటి వ్యక్తిని బాధించే విధంగా మాట్లాడమని కాదు, కాని మన మనసు నోరు మూయించేస్తూ , ఎదుటి వారికి తల వంచాల్సిన పని లేదు. వ్యక్తిత్వాన్ని కుదవ పెడితేనే బంధాలు నిలబడతాయి అన్న భావం నుంచి స్వేఛ్చ పొంది చూడండి ..అనుబంధాలు ఇంకా బలపడతాయి.  ఎందుకంటే బంధాలలో చిన్న, చిన్న సర్దుబాటులు అవసరమయినా అది ఒక్క వేపే ఉండకూడదు. దాని వలన అప్పటికి సమస్యల నుంచి తప్పించుకున్నా, ఆ అసంతృప్తి మనసులో సునా మీలని సృష్టిస్తుంది, ఆ సునామీలో అనుబంధాలు కొట్టుకు పోయినా ఆశ్చర్యం లేదు . అలా జరగకూడదు అంటే మాట్లాడటం మొదలు పెట్టాలి. నచ్చినవి ఎంత స్పష్టం గా చెబుతామో, నచ్చనివి కూడా అంతే స్పష్టం గా చెప్పాలి. అర్ధం చేసుకోలేరు అనుకుంటాం కాని ఎదుటి వాళ్ళు చక్కగా అర్ధం చేసుకుంటారు. అందుకే మాట్లాడితే పోయేదేమీ లేదు బాధ తప్ప.   - రమ

మంటలేని కొవ్వొత్తి

    'కాండిల్ లైట్ డిన్నర్' చేయటమంటే మీకిష్టమా. అదీ ఇంట్లో, కాని ఆ కొవ్వొత్తులని ఒకటి ఒకటి వెలిగించటం, అవి కరిగి ఎక్కడ డైనింగ్ టేబుల్ మీద పడతాయో అన్న టెన్షన్ తో ఆ సరదాకి దూరంగా ఉంటున్నారా, అయితే 'లెడ్ ఫ్లేమ్ లైట్' లని తెచ్చుకోండి ఇంటికి. అగ్గిపుల్లతో వేలిగించనక్కర్లేదు, కరిగే భయం ఉండదు. ముఖ్యంగా పొగరాదు, అదెలా అంటే? చూడడానికి కొవ్వొత్తులా ఉండే ఈ 'లెడ్ ప్లేమ్ లైట్ ' నిజానికి ఓ లైట్. అయితే దీనిని వేయడానికి స్విచ్ అవసరం లేదు. కొవ్వొత్తుని ఆర్పడానికి ఊదినట్లు ఊదితే వెలుగుతుంది. మళ్ళీ ఊదితే ఆరిపోతుంది. విచిత్రంగా వుంది కాదూ. రెండు చిన్న బ్యాటరీలతో పనిచేసే ఈ ప్లాస్టిక్ క్యాండిల్ ధర కూడా చాలా తక్కువే. ఇంటిని౦డా ఎంచక్కా అందానికి వీటిని అలకరించుకుని కావల్సినప్పుడు ఊదుతూ వెళ్ళటమే. 'బ్లో అన్ ఆఫ్ క్యాండిల్స్' ఎక్కడ దొరుకుతాయి అంటారా? మనస్సు పెట్టి ఆలోచించండీ.