I was brought up in a family where we  were not allowed to eat any thing from out side, not even snacks and sweets. Every  item including sweetmeats  and snacks were made at home.  I never understood the reason but followed the advice. As I grew up I did take the liberty of sharing  food with friends, bought from hawkers or bakery. Later rules were slackened and  we had no hesitation in eating out or buying snacks from hawkers. My parents however, remained steadfast in their resolution.

Many years later I understood the logic behind eating home made food. When housewife prepares food for family her thoughts of love and affection go into food. Besides high level of hygiene is maintained. These two vital components are missing in eatables bought from outside. Hygiene is certainly a suspect in eatables sold by way side hawkers, snack and sweet makers. ( I had peeped into kitchens of several small eating places and found workers sweating under cramped space, walls darkened with smoke and insects crawling around.) Hygiene of kitchen staff even in star hotels is  also suspect though it may not be true in all cases , especially reputed hotels and restaurants.  But one thing certainly can not be substituted and that is love and affection of housewife preparing food for family. This is one single factor that  adds to nourishment . Physical  stress and mental   makeup  of Kitchen Staff in any eating establishment affects the dishes prepared. This will also hold true for cooks employed at home.

A great new initiative in Mumbai  for door  delivery of all ingredients for a recipe is a welcome move. The housewife has to only cook the ready made ingredients by following the recipe. It saves her time for shopping , storing ingredients and preparatory work before cooking . She adds all the love and affection while cooking.   Her thoughts count and that is vital part of nourishment. Please visit

www.burgundybox.in

Why have you abandoned your dreams and turned your back on      
                                             HAPPINESS

  By courtesy of  Author Ligia Houben

As you read this question, you may feel your heart beating a little faster, as it may resonate with you.

If you are like me, you may have dreams you want to fulfill and goals you want to achieve. It is what inspires us to have a purposeful life.
You may create castles in the sky just imagining how your life would be if you became the person you want to be. You may wish being able to use your personal power and overcome that obstacle that is keeping you stuck. Moreover, you may hope being more grateful for what you have, instead of dwelling on what you do not have in your life. These are just a few possibilities that if you acted on them, would make you happier.

However, time passes by, and these dreams stay only as ideas in your head. What makes you wait? What is making you turn your back on happiness? Life is short and frail, and the moment to act is now! Not tomorrow or next year. It is not when all the stars are aligned, and the weather is perfect. It is not when you start feeling better, or your luck improves. It is not when your loved one changes and you are in a better mood. No…the moment is now! It has been said that if we lived like it was our last day, we would make different choices. We wouldn’t waste time in complaining, fighting, or envying others for their happiness. We are responsible for our happiness, and that is the beauty.

We can do something about it! It just takes a moment to make the decision and start being the person you want to be and achieve happiness. Start making meaningful choices every single day, and you will see how your life changes; how your life is being transformed. It may not happen in a week or a month. It doesn’t matter. What brings deep happiness to your life is to know you are doing something about it! You are taking action. You are not a spectator in this grandiose theater that is life. You are an actor and a great one! One with purpose, with love, with compassion, and with hope for a brighter future!Remember Your Life Has Meaning!

About the Author

Ligia M. Houben, MA, CG-C, CPC, CHT

Life Transitions Consultant & Coach

Grief & Loss Specialist-Author-Speaker

7600 SW 57th Ave. St 211

Miami, Fl 33143

305-666-9942/305-299-5370

www.ligiahouben.com

www.the11PrinciplesofTransformation

By Dr. Archana Sharma,( Professional Trainer.)

Cervical Spondylitis is caused by long term degeneration and stiffness of the spinal column in the neck.

The symptoms of this problem is pain, muscular spasm in the back of the neck and shoulders.

Headache is also very common symptom. Sometimes pain radiates in the shoulders, neck and arms.

Yogic management

Yoga asana can reduce stiffness , tension and muscular spasm. Yoga asana  is also helpful in preventing further degeneration, boosting energy and balancing  specific part of the body to heal the tissues and stop  abnormality in bone .

Asana :– Following asans should be practiced:

Poorna butterfly( Full butterfly ),       Skhandha Chakra (Shoulder
Rotation),     Greeva Sanchalan (Neck Movement),.   The neck movement should be performed carefully

.Vajrasana (thunderbolt pose),     Shashankasna (Hare pose), Makarasana (Crocodile pose),     Marjari asana (Cat stretch pose). In cat  stretch, be careful of neck movement,    Shavasna (corpse pose)

These asnas should  be performed slowly and later a little rapidly if there is  pain free movement.

Pranayama:- Nadishodhan Pranayam (Psychic Network purification, without retention and with retention both.)

Dhyan (Meditation):- Kaya sthairyam (Body awareness)  and Yoga Nidra ((psychic sleep)

Diet :- Avoid all food which increases uric acid  level in bones.

Dr Archana can be contacted on email,

 archana.yoga05@gmail.com

Can destiny be changed ? Yes & NO. If predestined it can change. That means it was destined. The topic was discussed on 4th July `15 on TV as conversation between Brahm Kumai Shivani and Suresh Oberoi . It was concluded that every event is predestined and cannot be changed. Those soothsayers who say  they can change a man`s destiny are only misleading  gullible people. There was an astrologer in the court of a king who became unpopular with his blunt predictions. The king decided to kill him but before doing so asked him to predict his death.The astrologer was clever and said, ” he would die an hour before Kings death.” The king   dropped his plan to kill him. The astrologer was not destined to die that day.

There are many examples. Novelist, Hemingway escaped 2 aircraft crashes  but died when he fell in his bathroom. He was not destined to die in air crash.  Recently a passenger booked for travel in Malaysian Airline missed his flight and another wait listed passenger was accommodated. The aircraft crashed. One who missed the flight was not destined to die but one who got in at the last minute  was  destined to die.

I can cite from my own experience. In August 1975 I had to travel with family by car from Patna to Samastipur. The driver did not report in time. I decided to drive myself. About an hour later while driving on the highway I crashed into a Tractor which was taking a U Turn in the middle of the road and suddenly stopped. The car hit its rear tyre which burst with impact but we were unhurt due to cushioning effect of  rubber. It was destined that in absence of driver  I would drive the car and meet with an accident. On another occasion I had acute cervical pain but had to travel by night train to Samastipur. My wife came up to station to persuade me to stay  back but I ignored her advice. That very night Patna got flooded by overflowing rivers and my wife left home with children by car before the house got submerged in water. Next day when she reached Samastipur I was very angry with her for abandoning the house and our entire assets. If I had stayed back that night I would have shifted all valuables to the roof and stayed in the open. The flood water receded after 14 days and those who stayed on roof tops had to suffer with frequent rain, lack of food and sanitation facility. We were destined to lose total assets but escaped misery.

Astrologers put ads on internet  for free horoscope reading. I wrote to two of them and both predicted that vast fortune awaited me due to rare planetary combination.  But added that I need to be guided by them on payment of  their professional charges. I scoffed at their proposal and wrote to them that if I were destined to get vast fortune I would still get without any guidance.

Yoga is a quite misunderstood word. Mostly it is believed to be a set of body  postures as routine exercise for keeping fit. It has much deeper meaning.

Yoga- the ancient science of living was developed in India about 5000 years back and  flourished in the next 2000 years  as philosophy of life. Yoga was developed to full fledged science by the learned Saint Rishi Patanjali in 300 BC.He defined Yoga in 8 steps called Ashtang Yoga. Doing Asanas or bdy postures  alone is not complete yoga but a part of it. Meditation in true  sense is only possible if each step is followed, stage by stage.

1) Yama or Rules or Regulations:( Non violence, truth, non stealing, celibacy and self restraint, non hoarding.)

2) Niyama or Observation:( Purity, Cleanliness, Contentment, Devotion to God, Self learning, Dedication.)

3) Asana or Postures  ( a set of body postures for physical fitness )

4) Pranayama or Controlled Breathing

5) Pratayahara or Control over the sense organs.

6) Dharna or Concentration ( Fixation of mind )

7) Dhayana or Meditation: ( Contemplation,  Concentration )

8) Samadhi or Immortal Stage🙁 Ultimate knowledge and control over bodily functions and mind )

ASANAS

There are 12 basic Asanas as shown below but with variations they number more than one hundred.

 How many Asanas one should do every day. A posting on the Face Book gives a view.

In 1979 I was fortunate to have `Darshan` of Babaji at Haidakhan, a hill side Ashram, about 30km away from Haldwani in Uttarkhand, Since then I have been his follower, In him I saw a Guru and God, Later my family joined me in visiting Ashram to receive blessings from Babaji. Whenever Babaji visited Delhi we all went for his `Darshan` and  blessings. We have been following his teachings of  Truth, Simplicity & Love. We were fortunate that Babaji visited our home in Delhi in 1981 and blessed us,

Babaji took `Samadhi` in 1984. But his presence is always felt. We kept visiting Ashrams in Haidakhan and Ranikhet, I was lucky to have worked for Ashram at Ranikhet as Chief Advisor to Chaiman of Samaj from 2010 to 2013, The Ashram runs charitable Hospitals, both allopathic and ayurvedic , largely for the benefit of poor.

Though Babaji never went overseas  his devotees are from all over the world. The Ashrams are being run in several countries. The devotees from all over the world assemble at Indian Ashram during celebrations of Devi Puja. Young generation who have never seen Babaji in physical form visit Ashrams inspired by divine vision. Please see

http://www.haidakhandisamaj.org

His teachings ( text copied from websites on Baba )

“I have come to give, only to give. Are you ready to receive? I give everything but few ask for what I have really come to give.”

People often ask me about teachings of Sri Babaji. It is quite difficult to answer, for Sri Babaji’s teachings encompass all levels of consciousness, from gross material to the highest liberated (nirbikalpa samadhi) and devotional – bhakti (prema) ones.

He teaches and guides His disciples according to their level of attainment. Being Shiva Avatara (manifestation of original form of Shiva – Sadasiva), He also teaches Bhakti Yoga and bestows Hari Nama and much, much more.

His imparts needed lessons in a most practical and down-to-earth ways. He doesn’t appreciate intellectual knowledge all that much, it is experiences that He wants from His disciples, not mere dry mental speculations.

From the beginning of time, He is present in this material plane, He is immortal, always physically available to the chosen few. With sincerity, however, anyone can reach Him either physically or on inner planes through Śiva Pancaakshari Mantra, Om namah Shivaya.

Wherever His disciples may be, Sri Babaji is willing to reach and lovingly assist them through materialization of His from, or through the inner voice. His Love and caring knows no limits.

Sri Babaji Himself is a perfect example of teachings of Truth, Simplicity and Love and calls for His disciples to practice the same. Time and again He emphasize the equality of all religions: “There is only one Truth … God is Truth.” Never, not even once have I heard Him say anything negative against any spiritual path or against any religious doctrine. His flexibility, openness and Love are really unfathomable. What most of us just read and talk about, He lives. He is practical Master of Love and Wisdom, always detached and completely transparent in His actions.

The presence of Sri Babaji makes it possible for divine Love to be realized every single moment. Thoughts such as “I” and “mine” dissolve away and a sense of united humanity become an everyday experience.

Indeed, around Sri Babaji there is no room for racial, caste or religious distinctions. Rich and poor, scholars and illiterates are all the same to Sri Babaji, who shows us all how to live with love and respect for one another.

Karma Yoga and Nama Japa, repetition of God’s Name are the fundamental parts of Sri Babaji’s teachings, given forth in His last public manifestation from 1970 to 1984:

“Have faith! Reciting the Name of the Lord is not the first, but the last stage of spiritual practice! When lions enter the forest, the other animals run away. Likewise, all evil thoughts will vanish with the recitation of the Lord’s name. Reciting the Name of the Lord will bring you the company of a good people and you will be near saints. Blessed are the few who will discard the kingdom of the world for the Lord’s name. Such a devotee always resides in My heart.”

Shiva Avatara, Bhole Baba – Simple father

“In the womb, you take a vow not to get attached; but as soon as you come out, you get entangled. Abandon attachment! Your mind plays tricks on you! That is why you are after pleasures! All worldly things – including the desire for liberation – are obstacles to which you are attached. If you want divine peace, leave behind ignorant karma.”

Blood Pressure is a common disease as person ages. Doctors tend to prescribe  medicine to control it while changes in lifestyle can control it. Once on medication, one gets addicted to it. My Blood Pressure at age 40 was 130/90 and I was told to take Beta Blocker 25mg. The dose was increased to 50 mg when I was 50. When I was in 60s I had fluctuating Blood Pressure, some times going as high as 180/100. More medicines were added and  I ended up taking 4 different drugs to keep Blood Pressure under 120/80. Now at the age of 80+ I have started reducing dosage by half by following a regimented life. I hope to discontinue all allopathic medicines by  this year end. I am changing  to some herbal  medicines which has helped in reducing dosage of allopathic medicine.

Primary Blood Pressure can be controlled without medicine. In case of secondary Blood Pressure caused by some other ailment, itis to be treated differently.Normal Blood Pressure average is 120/80 ( with the upper number 120 being the pressure at the end of heart beat( systolic ) the lower number 80 ( diastolic ) is the pressure at the beginning of heart beat. If Blood Pressure is 140/90 or above it is termed Hypertension. Hardening of arteries with age is the main cause of High Blood Pressure. Lifestyle and dietary  habits can  prevent hardening of arteries. Narrowing of arteries because of formation of plaques is another cause of high Blood Pressure. Herbal supplements are available to unclog plaques and arrest rise in Blood Pressure.

There are 4 main chemicals in allopathy to control Blood Pressure but each one has side effects .

Faith is the biggest healer. Even medication wont work if patient does not have faith in its cure. Miracles have happened though such instances may be few. Prayers have cured a patient when medication failed. There are vibrant temples or other religious places of worship where patients go and pray for cure. One such place is Jageshwar Temple in Kumaon Hills. The priests  , on behalf of patient recite, given number of Mritunjay Mantra ( a mantra for long life ). This Mantra can be also done at home of the patient by a priest but vibration of Jageshwar Temple produce faster results. This is a prevalent belief.

Temples or places of worship have very strong vibrations as multitude devotees visit the place with positive thoughts. Some temples in India have daily collection of millions of rupees , donated  by devotees when their wishes get fulfilled.  Devotees of Saints also donate large funds to trust and one such Saint is Sai Baba of Shirdi. Such sums would not be donated if devotees were not benefited,in monetary terms or any other relief sought.

Group prayers by family members of patient, friends  and members of a sect are also commonly observed.