Monotasking Vs Multitasking

This parable is very true & relevant to our lifestyles where we feel that doing only one thing (mono tasking) is a waste of time.

Mother saw the child studying and watching TV at the same time. She invited her child to play a game. She said, "we have 5 fingers on each hand lets call them the five senses, thumb is touch, index is smell, middle is taste, fourth is hearing, little finger sight." She then threw a ball at the child asking him to catch it. The child caught it easily with one hand. She then bandaged the little finger with the palm and again threw the ball. The child caught the ball but with difficulty. The mother then tied the thumb and the little finger to the palms then threw the ball at him. Child could not catch the ball.

She explained to the confused child, "as we require all our fingers and our palm to catch the ball, similarly we need all our senses to do things efficiently."

In the ancient scripture Upanishads, our five sense organs are compared to the 5 horses that pull a chariot and our mind to a charioteer. Just as the horses would run wild if the charioteer lost control of them so also our senses would play havoc if not controlled by the mind. Therefore, we should concentrate fully on one activity at a time. No matter how mundane the task at hand seems, but if you give your undivided attention, you end up doing it better & in lesser time.

For this week, list all the tasks that you carry out during the day and analyse which ones are clubbed together with other tasks and what is the outcome of those. e.g talking on phone while driving, eating while watching TV, reading newspapers in the loo............ the list seems endless.

Blowing a Conch

If you are an Indian who has seen various mythological epics finely translated on television then you would agree with me that the sound of conch symbolically represents an onset of battle or a special occasion, worship etc. The importance of blowing a conch while worshipping is also mentioned in the Vedas. A conch is blown three times before a Hindu aarti (a worship ritual). Wikipedia offers a good insight into the world of conchs.

The magazine Eternal Solutions mentions that the sound of conch reduces negative energies in the environment. It removes distressing vibrations and allows the flow of sattva (peaceful, stable, positive) predominant frequencies. The Indian scientists also claim that the sound of conch helps destroy the germs and micro-organisms as far as it reaches. Similar to the effects of the sounds of the Tibetan bells. A good way to clean our surroundings!!

There is more benefit for the person blowing the conch. He usually raises his neck upwards and closes his eyes. This posture activates the sushumna nadi (central channel) and helps in maintaining perfect balance. It improves breathing system, improves lung capacity.

To be honest I didn't have any idea that there was such a thing as a conch blowing competition where the contestants are judged on duration, endurance and the novelty of sounds...... sadly we humans want an adrenaline rush in everything in life. But conch blowing is not a cake-walk. Try it & see for yourself.

Thought for today

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. - Albert Einstein

Panting like a Dog

Stretch you tongue out as much as you can and then inhale & exhale rapidly through the mouth. Exactly like the dogs do. It calms you down completely. It's very cooling. It almost feels like you are sipping lemonade on a hot day. You can do about 30-50 counts in 1 round and do 3-5 such rounds. But do it in fresh unpolluted air specially during hot summer months or when your mind temperature rises.

Clearing the air on eggs

Hello everybody, i was having a few differing opinions on the article "Do you call yourself an eggitarian?", which prompted me to read a little more to find answers. Here's what i want to say now. My previous thinking that eggs are infertile is right(most of them are). I was wrong the next time. As facts state, the hens do not need a cockerel to produce eggs, they do it naturally after attaining maturity. These eggs are infertile i.e. no living chick would come out of it if it were to hatch. Only the eggs laid after the hens mating with cockerel produces fertile eggs. So i think eggs can be safely had if the moral and ethical issues of sourcing (keeping the hens in good surroundings) are answered!!! Thank you Mayuresh & Abhishek for drawing my attention.

I rest my case here :-)

"A pinch of salt"

In her article titled "Take it with a pinch" in Mumbai Mirror dated 21st January 2008, nutritionist Naini Setalvad takes a view on salt. She says that table salt has nothing in common with the original natural salt. Refined table salt is 99.99% sodium chloride. It is made of uniformly fine crystals - made fine by a 648 degrees Celsius oven heating process and then flash cooled. It is then combined with a number of additives; potassium iodine is added to iodise it. However, iodine is very volatile and oxidises immediately when exposed to light. Because of this, dextrose, a simple sugar must be added to stabilize iodine. This would turn the salt purple and therefore a little sodium bicarbonate is mixed in to bleach the colour to a more marketable white. Finally, they are coated with compound such as sodium silico aluminate to make the salt that is 'free flowing'.

I had also addressed a question related to salt in the section on Health queries.

The natural varieties of salt do not contain iodine but fresh fruits, vegetables, sea vegetables, curd etc are also good sources of iodine. Moreover, we need only about 1 teaspoon of iodine throughout our lifetime and the body does not store it. For more on iodine read these articles - 1 & 2.

More than 5 gms of salt per day is not good. Its effects can be varied - water retention, high blood pressure, weight gain, burden on kidneys, not completely soluble in water therefore tends to harden arteries, interferes with elimination of certain wastes from the body etc.

On the other hand, natural salt regulates water content, is vital to nerve cells, balances blood sugar, aids absorption of food, clears sinuses, makes the bone structure firm.

Even our taste buds prefer natural salt. Natural salt tastes slightly sweet, smooth, pleasant and satisfying as against sharp, acrid, lingering, metallic taste of table salt. Try it yourself and see!!!

Mumbai Marathon

Today the 20th January, 2008, Mumbai played host to one of the biggest marathons in the world - The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, 2008. Though I was not a part of it, my husband was; and i feel very happy that he could finish the 21 kms half marathon without a very disciplined practice.

I was being a part of the festive atmosphere of the marathon by gluing myself in front of the television and I was pleasantly happy to see Milind Soman (remember his name is in the list of famous Indian vegetarians, i blogged abt a few days back?) running fittingly to the finish line like a true professional. That strengthens my case for vegetarianism. Also the marathon was inaugurated by another one of my famous vegetarians, John Abraham.

There is also another reason why i am blogging about this. Yes, the role of yoga in a runners' life. A few yoga stretches and pranayamas before the marathon can improve your running ability as the muscles and joints become supple, blood circulation efficient and the chest muscles used for breathing warmed up. Remember that apart from the limb strength, you need a good lung capacity to be able to sustain yourself over a long period without having drastic changes in physiology (read blood pressure, extreme breathlessness, in certain cases even cardiac arrest). I can also not undermine the importance of yoga stretched after you finish the run followed by conscious relaxation (savasana). So all those who prefer going for jogs in the mornings, try this and see yourself improving.

Cheers!!

Vegetarianism & Food scarcity

I always had this question in my mind, that if more than 95% of the people of the world eat non-veg and if a sizable portion of them were to convert into vegetarians, wouldn't that lead to shortage of vegetables and a galloping inflation in their prices. Well here's what i read in the book of vegetarianism by Swami Chidanand Saraswati.

• It takes 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef, but takes a pound of grain to produce a pound of bread.
• Everyday 40000 children starve to death. Everyday we produce enough grain to provide every person on earth with more than 2 loaves of bread but it's being fed to livestock instead.
• Across the world, an average of 40% of the grain produced is fed to livestock.
• 1.4 bn people could be fed by the grain which is given to US livestock.
• One acre of fertile land can grow 40000 pounds of potatoes. That same acre can provide only 250 pounds of beef if it is used to grow grain for cattle feed.
• If you take 2.5 acres of land and use it to grow potatoes, you can fulfill the nutritional requirements of 22 people. If you use it to grow rice, you can fulfill the nutritional requirements of 19 people. But if you use it to produce chicken (including the food) you can fulfill nutritional requirements of 2 people. Even worse, if you use it to produce eggs or beef, you meet requirements for just 1 person. Can you imagine the irresponsible usage of the land when so many are starving?
• If meat eaters reduce their intake of meat by only 10 %, we could feed everyone who die of starvation.
• We could feed 10 billion people a year if we were all vegetarians. Much more than the human population.

A Buddhist saying goes thus, "The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives." Aren't we behaving in the same way.

There is much more to write on the issue of vegetarianism including nutritional aspects, ecology, wastage of resources etc. but I'll save that for later.

Crane pose / Crow pose

Again a lose attempt compared to this.....

Some books refer to this as Bakasana (crane pose) whereas others as Kakasana (crow pose). Anyways I feel unless you can stay in this asana for more than 30 seconds (which i m glad i can :-)) you should not attempt the other two asanas mentioned below. i.e. side crane and ashtavakrasana. Initially place a pillow under your head to avoid any injuries.

The essence of yoga and life is to keep challenging yourself and keep attaining higher goals in whatever you do with a detached attitude.

Enjoy!!

Thought for today

The best executive is the one who has the good sense to pick good men to do what he wants done, and enough self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.

Side Crane pose

I know i am far from perfect but the effort is certainly on to get there. You want to see the perfect pose.................... go here. Everything about the anatomy, benefits, the steps of getting into the pose, preparatory asanas are explained here beautifully. It leaves me only to share my experience with this pose. I can now hold it for barely 15 seconds. You may also feel a slight pain on the quadriceps resting on your thigh because of the pressure created. And it works wonders for building a shapely upper body.

Pathways to Peace

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, I am presenting to you this lovely piece, Pathways to Peace (click on view presentation). It will stir your emotions, set you thinking, brighten you up, let you look at the positive, help you turn a new leaf.......... Drown yourself in a kaleidoscope of colour, landscape, music and good thoughts.

Savour it!!!

Ashtavakrasana

Who said yoga can't help build & tone muscles? You do this asana regularly and you don't need any weights to be lifted. There are many such postures in yoga which makes practicing it very inters ting, challenging and meditative.

It's an extremely strenuous pose, requires a lot of strength as well as balance. It not only strengthens the upper body and wrists but also the abdomen and helps in inculcating a sense of balance within us. Don't forget to practice it on the other side as well. You need an absolutely cool mind for doing it as a little mental disturbance plays havoc with the balance in this asana.

Though i sit on the floor and come up in the asana, one can stand and get into it for more challenge. Also it's important to keep the weight on the whole palm and not only on the heels of the palms which generally tends to happen.

Enjoy your practice...........

Thought for today

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." - Buddha

Famous Vegetarians

Here's a list of famous vegetarians in India & abroad of then and now. Have a look.

India

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (First Home Minister of India) (vegan)
P.V. Narasimha Rao (Prime Minister of India (1991-1996))
Mahatma Gandhi (vegan)
Amitabh Bachchan (actor)
Madhuri Dixit (actor)
John Abraham (actor)
Shahid Kapur (actor)
APJ Abdul Kalam (President - current)
Milind Soman (actor / model)

Indian Film Industry's list of hottest vegetarians

Abroad

George Bernard Shaw - Playwright
Henry Ford - ford motor company
Jude Law - actor
Leo Tolstoy - Russian writer
Leonardo da Vinci - artist
Natalie Portman - Actress
Paul McCartney - Singer/ Activist
Orlando Bloom - actor
Richard Gere - Actor
Ralph Waldo Emerson - Poet
Shania Twain - singer(vegan)
Steve Jobs - Apple Computers
Vincent Van Gogh - Painter
Yehudi Menuhin - violinist
Albert Einstein - scientist
Anne Hathaway - actress
Benjamin Franklin - scientist
Bille Jean King - Tennis champion
Bryan Adams - Musician
Dustin Hoffman - Actor
Martin Luther King

This list is only for representation as there are many many more famous personalities who are vegetarians. Some of them I know and some i don't.

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." - Albert Einstein 1879-1955 Physicist, Nobel Prize winner 1921

Do you call yourself an "EGGITARIAN"?

I have heard many people say that they are vegetarians but eat eggs or eggitarians. i was also one of them. I remember as a 12 year old in school, i had gone to my Bengali friend's house to spend the day. She was having an omelet for snacks & offered it to me too. At that time i was quite impressionable and also curious about its taste. So i took a mouthful but before i could chew it down something within me forced me to puke it out. I don't know what that was.

Then as a grown up a few years back i again tasted egg in its form with different seasonings and didn't mind the taste. I didn't know the facts then. I thought that the eggs we take are infertile & wouldn't have lead to a chick anyways. I used to have eggs in desserts, biscuits (any unseen form) without being mindful and i must admit that i do that now also, though less frequently. (after all i too am a slave to my tongue) But after reading this book "Vegetarianism - for your body, your mind, your soul and your planet" by Swami Chidanand Saraswati; my thinking has changed.

The book says, an egg is a chicken about to be born. The condition of egg-laying hen is as despicable as that of chickens as mentioned in the previous article. Naturally in situations like this the hens become frustrated, anxious, panicked. So they peck each other. In order to prevent this, their beaks are cut off which frequently prevents hens from being able to eat. They also have their toes and claws cut off so that these do not become stuck in metal wires of their crates. these crates are piled high on top of each other. In this way they can't more even an inch. Plus when they excrete, it just falls down the crates. The cages are never cleaned.

If the egg production decreases, the hens are forced into molting. i.e. they are starved till they lost weight and feathers for 14 days & no water for 3 days. Those who survive receive a temporary boost up in their egg laying capacity.

Again some eggs have to be hatched to continue the process. Half of then turn out to be roosters which are smothered & mixed in chicken feed. More chicks are killed this way every year in the USA than there are people in the entire country.

Please understand

"Every particle of factual evidence supports the contention that the higher mammalian vertebrates experience pain sensations as acute as our own...their nervous systems are almost identical to ours and their reactions to pain are remarkably similar" - Richard Serjeant, the Spectrum of Pain.

Thought for today

If you have one eye on yesterday and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today.

Note:- Isn't it true :-) i read it in the paper the other day & thought should post it.

Vegetarianism

"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar."

The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Mahatma Gandhi

"The life of an animal in a factory farm is characterized by acute deprivation, stress and disease. Hundreds of millions of animals are forced to live in cages or crates barely larger then their own bodies. Unable to groom, stretch their legs, or even turn around, the victims of factory farms exist in a relentless state of distress." - Humane Farming Association

One of the most important guiding principles of a moral life is ahimsa or nonviolence. There is hardly anything more violent than taking the life of another for our pleasure. If we can't give life to others (except procreation), we don't have any right to take it. And we are not living in jungles, where survival itself is a big question. Even more violent than their day of death are the numerous days of the lives of these animals which are raised distinctly differently than our pets.

There are innumerable reasons of choosing a vegetarian diet. They range from better health, care of the environment, conservation of resources, spiritual benefits etc etc. Will be creating a whole section of articles under this label but for today let's first start by looking at how chickens are treated?

Chickens have natural territory and space needs that are unmet in chicken "farms". They are packed together as closely as possible such that they can't even move. The department of agriculture recommends that they should have a minimum of 2 square feet in which to live (how horrendous), but the biggest companies provide a more 0.55 sq feet.

Imagine yourself in an elevator, which is so crowded that you cannot even turn around. All the people in the elevator are confused and scared. They do not realize there is no way out. So they cry and bite & kick attempting to free themselves. Imagine still that the elevator is titled so that everyone falls to one side and it is nearly impossible to move back up. The ceiling is so low that your head is pushed down to your shoulders. There is no way to straighten. Also the terror does not end when someone comes to open the door, your life does.

The chickens raised to be eaten are fed extraordinary and unnaturally large amounts of food in order to put on extra weight. In today's chicken farms, most of the chickens are so obese by 6 weeks that they can't even walk, and most of them have a disease called leucosis (chicken cancer)

So think of all this the next time you sit to have chicken........

Thought for today!!

If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live. - Lin Yutang (1895 -1976)

King of Pigeons Pose

Quite a challenging asana and as you can see in the picture above, I need a lot of improvement. The back leg has to be flat on the floor, pelvis more forward and arched and a better back bend. A little more flexibility in the shoulders to be able to push the arms back is also required. The pose should be attempted only after a good asana workout. You'll feel a tremendous compression in the lower back especially on one side, so the muscles and ligaments have to be strong & supple to bear that. Follow it up with child's pose for sometime to relax the body.

For more on this you may read articles one & two on Yoga Journal or refer "Light on Yoga" by BKS Iyengar.