My Mother in law..

About 11 months ago, on a thrusday morning..
I received an emergency phone call from my husband Srini who was then in India and the new was: the doctors stated my mother-in-laws as critical and that she may survive just few more days. Knew about her failing health, but the news trembled me to the core. I was all alone in the house and tried hard to keep myself composed. Quickly communicated to my Manager at work, booked my ticket, packed my stuff and took the flight to India. About 20 hours of flight journey before I could see her. I was going to face one of the most crucial situations in my life and I was quietly praying and preparing my mind to deal with it as my mind went back in time..

Ever since I was married.. She became one of the important persons in my life and had a significant impact on me. She carried herself with great dignity and respect and had a tough exterior and demeanor. She infact looked like a Commander in chief. Yet she also had a very soft and delicate side too which touched me the most. I shared a great relationship with her. Ofcourse, we both had our own little set backs and there were a few times when we have upset each other over silly issues,  but we always made up very quickly and never ever carried grudges against each other.

One common thing that bound us the most is the deep love and faith in God which we both shared. I have beautiful memories with her, be it visiting temples, doing Bajans, pooja or Satsang. She sang beautifully and loved cooking food and serving. Not merely to the family, but to friends and neighbors as well we and to the servants and strangers too. She is known for her culinary skills and feeding hand. Though she didn’t even complete metriculation, she knew the value of good education and so despite of staying in a village, sent all the three children to the boarding schools and ensured they are all well educated and settled. We know a little but only God knows how much she prayed and fasted for the well being of all her children.

Everything was going on well until she was diagnosed with cancer few years ago. She fought it bravely and survived, but the long term impacts of it took a toll on her later and the beginning of 2018 her health started failing again and the strenous treatment was very hard on her. During this time Srini and I took some time off from work and spent with her taking care of her and we thank God from the bottom of our hearts for such an opportunity. Our prior generations took care of their parents for years together, but most of our generation thinly spread across and staying far away from parents and with tied up commitments, find it hard to strike this balance and consider any little quality time with them as a blessing. During last visit when Srini post-phoned his journey and took a long family medical leave from work to be by the side of his mother, in the face of fatal illness, she had the strength and dignity to say ‘Please think about your career and future too and make the right decision.’ She always had more regard for the future of her children than her own needs. Parents are Great and Precious!!

As the flight landed in Hyderabad airport, I came back to the present and collected myself to face the situation, a crucial one. It was late in the night when I reached and it was not until next day that I could visit her in the ICU ward. Her blood counts have dived deep down and with her critical heart condition, she was just surviving.

As I walked into ICU along with my sister in law, she was conscious and was able to speak to us, But she was in a completely different state and spoke about people and things that didn’t exist there and suddenly would speak normally as if fully conscious. Her skin was bruised from all the IV needles and treatment that she was undergoing.. Wearing the hospital gown, her hair tied up in two little knots on two sides.. with a guileless face.. she looked like an innocent little girl.

We stood next to her and listened to her as she spoke. My sister in law suddenly asked her.. ‘Mom.. you know the situation.. what if something unwanted happens to you?’ Instantly she replied ‘What else can we ask for.. you should all be happy and not sad. Now that I have seen you all.. My only worry is that I may have to suffer longer in this body..’ My sis in law could not hold back her tears any more..

That evening she was moved from ICU to Palliative care where she was given only pain medication. It was huge corner room on a top floor with huge glass windows facing necklace road and Birla temple. Felt more like a luxury hotel room than a regular hospital room. All the relatives by then knew that she was not going to be around for too long and so kept visiting her. Though partly in a delirious state, she still recognised them. Talked and even joked with them. With a smiling face she touched and blessed the grand children too.

Her condition was changing drastically and next day when I visited her, she was in a transe like state.. Her eyes closed all the time and chanting God’s name.. ‘Jai Sreemannarayana.. Sri Ranga.. Sri Hari..’ and recited lines from BagavadGita and VishnuSahasraNama. She would raise her hand, point and say that she could see a bright lamp there (in her vision) and would talk to the invisible God.. ‘Ranga.. why are you still testing me? and then in few moments she would answer her own question.. ‘bcos I still have some Anubandha (karmic relation) here’. For proper support, When her two sons gently held her shoulders and back moved her up on the bed, she would chant out loudly ‘Jai SreeRam..’ all of us in the room would repeat it aloud along with her. It was a great spiritual experience for everyone of us there during those moments.

We all get lost in this worldly affairs and forget our connection with the source of our creation, the Divine force that runs this entire Universe. As human beings, being aware and conscious of this greatest force as much as we can even as we carry on our mundane activities and mould our thoughts, words and speech to be in alignment with it as much as possible is the greatest virtue we can embody. And it is said that especially during the time of leaving this body, whatever our mind is pre-occupied with, will define the quality of our next life. So it is important to clear our mind of all the anxieties and attachments and fixate on the Divine to set ourselves free. As my mother in law was moving in and out of hospitals and was in pain during her last days, was concerned about her, But it was magical that she suddenly stopped worrying about her life and pain and focused on the Divine. It is her long spiritual practice that made it easy for this transition.

Next morning when I was in meditation, I had a deep urge that I had to stay back with her in the hospital that night, knowing that she may leave us anytime now. So as the remaining family members left from the hospital that night, I stayed back along with my sister in law. My mother in law was not speaking anymore, she looked as if in a deep sleep and the only movement we could see in her body was her deep breath. Late in the night, we were still awake and checking on her.. I sat close to her and chanted with devotion..’Rama Hare..Rama Hare.. Rama Rama Hare Hare..Krishna Hare.. Krishna Hare.. Krishna Krishna Hare..’ for a long time and As I was engrossed in it, loving memories with her came flashing in.. everything that she did for us.. and as her love and warmth touched my heart.. tears rolled down from my eyes and kept flooding my cheeks until all my pent up emotions were cleared.. I felt a sense of calm, got up and took a shower and dressed up in white and sat next to my sister in law.. we were recollecting our memories with her. As we looked at her, noticed that my mother in law’s breath was becoming slow and shallow gradually.. Once in every few moments we were glancing at her. Past midnight, around 1:10AM.. during early hours of thursday.. Her body seemed to have come to a stand still, we came closer to check on her.. no movement at all.. I held my hands together in prayer and kept chanting out.. ‘SaiBaba..SaiBaba..’and my sister in law was chanting ‘Sreemannarayana..’ and poured some Basil(Tulasi) water in her mouth, most of which came out. There was complete peace in that room.. It was very obvious that her soul left in peace.

I quickly informed to the nurse at front desk. The doctor came in, checked and confirmed that she was no more with us. We called the family members and informed.. the hospital staff was making the final preparations and formalities.. The sons broke down looking at their still mother, but they had to quickly stabilize themselves to handle the tasks ahead. My father in law cried like a little child, losing his companion of 50 years, having lived together as one soul in happiness and hardship.

Before dawn, several cars filled with the family members started off from Hyderabad to our small town where my in laws lived for most of their life. An ambulance was carrying my mother in law accompanied by her sons and nephews. I sat in the same vehicle as that of my father in law. All through the drive, he was on phone calls. One moment, he would break down into tears talking to a family member and the next moment, he would be busy giving instructions to someone about the arrangements to be made for her last rites.

We finally arrived the destination after 4 hours of drive.. There were already hundreds of people gathered in and around the home.. And there was an uproar of emotions as we walked in.. Family members rushed towards us and held us and cried out. Relatives from near and far away, neighbors, acquintances.. everyone was there to pay her the last respects.. A touching aspect of Indian culture.. even a stranger passing by stops by and sheds a tear. My mother in law looked as if in a deep eternal sleep. It was heart wrenching to see her brothers and sisters breaking down infront of her body and wailing like little children. Of all her siblings, she was the first one to leave this world.

Respecting her value for rituals, priests were invited to perform the last rites.. They chanted out mantras loud and clear and we were all spell bound by the power of the sound and the meaning of those lines. It felt like a grand farewell to her. She was given the final shower with turmeric water. Along with the rest, I bowed down and touched her feet with my fore head for the one last time with all my respect for her.
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Draped in a beautiful saree and adorned with the flowers she was placed on a piece of wooden plank, secured with the ropes. 4 family members on the four sides of the plank, lifted her up and carried her to the final destination amidst the rythmic Drum beats,
Her body to leave us to become one with this nature and one with the Lord Universe.

The following 12 days, as daughter in law, I had to clean the place where she was last laid to rest, light a lamp and offer food and water and I felt truly honored to do so for a great soul. As I sat there quietly in that place, felt a sense of deep connection with her, more evident than ever. Chanting, Vishnu Sahasranama and Purana Sravana followed in that place all through the 12 days and the 13th day marked the end of the ceremony indicating that the soul finally left to the heaven.

One day or the other.. we all get the call.. and we all take the same route..
We take nothing with us.. Neither the riches nor the wealth nor the fame..
What then matters is simply how well we lived our lives..
how kind and courteous we were,
the joy and the peace we reflected,
the love we shared, the service we rendered and
the Humility and integrity with which we conducted ourselves alone remain as champions in the hearts of our loved ones..

To The Wonderful Brothers..

About 23 years ago.. Summer of 1996…
I was resting at home after 1st year Degree exams..  Most of the time watching Television.. the biggest attraction/distraction of that generation in a time when the term ‘mobile phone’ was not even coined. One Ad on the Television that constantly drew my attention was that of a man going from one job interview to another only to be rejected for one reason: ‘He had no knowledge of computers’.
Obviously the Ads were sponsored by the Software training institutes that were just popping up at that time in the country. I was already disillusioned then as I didn’t make it to the Medical college and on the top of it, those Ads would make me feel even more depressed as I had never ever touched a computer by then. I felt I would be left behind if I didn’t do something about it.
Went back to the city(Hyderabad) where I was doing my degree and my brother(cousin) who was already a computer geek by then, visited me at my uncle’s house where I was staying. Obviously he was the best choice to seek an advice from and I when I did, he guided me through the process and I finally landed up in a 3 year graduate program offered by NIIT, one of the renowned private training institutes of that time.
And that training program was a turning point in my life during that time, as I had to venture many things to get it going..
As a gal who came from a small town,
Crossing roads in a big city like Hyderabad was by itself a nerve wracking experience to me.
On the top if it, managing to hop in and out of the crowded city buses.. Interacting with polished city gals and guys(Am sure they thought I was weird).. Awkwardly searching for each key on the keyboard as I type in the DOS commands.. As I sat like a timid gal in one corner of the class,
Everything was a challenge to me then 😦 ..
Some days were depressing.. with all the coping up that I had to do.. And Some days were totally exciting with all the new things that I was learning..
Got introduced to the Microsoft Office for the first time.
I still remember the excitement and delight in learning Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
I gave my first ever PowerPoint presentation in front of the class. To my own surprise did well..
Concepts of programming, C, C#, Database concepts, html..
Literally I learned all the fundamental concepts there.
NIIT had great faculty.. Very knowledgeable and skilled.
Especially one of them who had a great humor and was a great tutor. He often talked to us about how the future would look like with the advance of computer technology. That one day we would take exams on computer and would get the results the next minute. He asked us how it sounded and we said ‘Awful’ :). He told us that soon enough, we would book flight or train tickets on computer without ever having to go to a station or an airport. As he took us into the future, we would listen to him with great awe and admiration thinking that he was the smartest guy and Mr.Know-All 🙂
Towards the end of the program, the internet was still in its budding state..I remember the excitement of browsing through Yahoo Search Engine for the first time.When I created my first email Id, sending an email and receiving a response with in minutes was a mind blowing experience 🙂 at a time when all we knew was to write letters on post cards and wait days to get a response. Many interesting new discoveries..And simply the fact that I was learning something new and happening and which was going to be a future technology would make me so happy and hopeful..  Years later it became my career..
I can never forget the significant role my cousin played during that episode which opened new doors of opportunity for me..
When I asked him for an advice about the computer training program that I should take up, he could have randomly told me something and forget about it. But he didn’t. Instead he took a week, came back with NIIT and Aptech brochures and clearly explained about the programs they offered and how a long term training would prepare me for a career. He then took me to the NIIT institute where I submitted my application. (Remember this was a time where there was no internet and so no concept of no online applications) After the application was approved, I had to take a written test and attend an in person interview on different days and different locations. I was a novice to the city and would be lost if I had to handle it all by myself. He took me to the exam as well as to the interview. And finally on the first day of my class, he dropped me at the institute providing me the information about the buses that I need to take to get to and back from the institute. He also frankly told me that I better learn to navigate in the city for my own benefit.
One important thing to mention is there were no mobile phones at that time, in fact I didn’t even have a landline and my brother was staying elsewhere in the city. So it was merely oral communication. If the exam/interview was after a week or two and if he said he would come and take me there, he would show up at the exact time with no mode of communication to remind about it.  That was definitely a tremendous sense of responsibility, maturity, integrity at such an young age.
This is one unforgettable memory that I am grateful for.
As a matter of fact, I certainly do have more memories with my other cousins as well when they were so prompt, kind and courteous and went out of their way to help at times of need . I wish I could write about all of those incidences and thank each of them for their kindness.
Am sure that almost every brother at one point of his life or the other, or may be many times, goes out of his way to help his sister and do a great favor to her. And as sisters, sometimes we may or may not always get an opportunity to reciprocate it back.
At times we may get lost in our own lives. But we hold these memories dearly in our heart and value them greatly. If only we can take little time each day and look for at least a small opportunity to help or guide someone else in need and touch their lives with the same amount of love and kindness that we received, it would be a small token of tribute that we pay to these Wonderful brothers who make our life more beautiful 🙂
(Note: in this context have used the word cousins and brothers interchangeably)

The Truth About Cancer

In our quest for joy and in an attempt to find solutions for our problems, we have invented many things: Industrial agriculture and products, processed foods and goods. But this process of modernization has fatally overlooked its impacts on our health, environment and the ecosystem. And one of its worst side effects is cancer. The toxins being released into our environment and food have a crucial role to play in the emergence and evolution of cancer.

As we are all watching, this dreadful disease is at an alarming rise and has become one of the leading killers across the world. Many of us know its pathetic effects on the patient and the loved ones and it is undoubtedly a biggest physical, psychological and financial drain on the society. The costs of conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation are skyrocketing and whats even worse is that these treatments are themselves carcinogenic with many side effects which are sometimes more stressful and painful than the actual disease.

Having closely watched my own family members face it and having been in and out of cancer hospital I was shaken to the core by the impacts of this dreadful disease. In my search to know more about it, have found the book: ‘The Truth about Cancer’ by Ty Bollinger. The author came up with this book after 20 years of research on cancer, having lost 7 of his own family members including both of his parents to cancer. When he ended the foreword of the book that it is Love for humanity that made him write this book, could truly sense the depth of his emotion which is reflected in every page of his book.

The book has invaluable information about all aspects of cancer: Origin, preventive measures, alternate and minimally invasive Diagnostic methods and alternate and natural treatment methods with least or no side effects. Am summarizing the excerpts from this book with primary focus on the preventive measures.

How does it all begin?
It begins with just a single cell in our body which becomes corrupt and starts multiplying vigorously to form a tumor which can be clinically marked as beginning of the cancer.
The cells in the tumor divide further and spread into other parts and organs of the body impacting their function and at this stage it is referred to as metastasis which is considered as an advanced stage of cancer.

 So how does a cell become corrupt or cancerous?
 About 5-10% of cancers have genetic causes or biologic factors.
 But in rest of the cases(90%), it is exposure to the toxins that causes a cell to become cancerous.
 And a toxin is any harmful particle that fails to integrate with our body and ends up disrupting the normal function and metabolism of the cell leading to its damage and making it cancerous.

In fact most of us do have these cancerous cells in our body but not all of us develop full blown cancer primarily due to two factors:
1. The amount and the kind of toxins that we are exposed to and
2. The strength of our immunity and the daily Detoxification process that goes on inside us which flushes out these toxins and cancerous cells from our body.

   So the best preventive approach is to minimize our exposure to these toxins and lead a healthy and fit life style that keeps immune system strong.

Lets look at some of the toxins that we can be exposed to:
Pesticides and chemical fertilizers sprayed on the crops, growth hormones and antibiotics administered to live stock, colors, chemicals and additives in the processed and packaged foods, radiation, industrial pollutants and gases, Parapens in shampoos and perfumes, Triclosa and alkylomides in handsoaps, aluminium in anti perspirant deodarants, Oxybenzone in sunscreen lotions, SAP(Sodium Polyacrylate) in disposable diapers, chemicals in artificial hair dyes.

So there is an increasing number of toxins and how can we limit our exposure? Let us look into some measures that we can take:

Food: Try to grow in your own garden or buy from an organic local farm. Environmental Working Group(EWG) lists dirty dozen foods which are exposed to most chemicals. make sure you buy them Organic. Another rule of thumb is vegetables or fruits with hard skin such as: Avocados, orranges or pineapples are exposed to least amount of chemicals, While the leafy vegetables,  fruits and vegetables with tender skin are exposed to most chemicals, so choose organic.
 If you live in an area where organic is not an option, cleaning efficiently will remove a lot of chemical residue. Add salt or baking soda to a bowl of water and soak the vegetables or fruits for about 15-20 min and rinse them well.

Packaged and processed food: Most of these foods contain artificial colors, favors and preservatives and harmful to us. So stay away from foods like chips,cookies,cakes, kurkure, french fries, microwave popcorn.. anything that is processed and comes in a packet, beware.

Genetically Modified Food: Have been linked to many health issues including cancer. In USA 90% of corn, wheat and soy are genetically modified. So when if you choose to buy them, go for organic.
          
Trans fats, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils:  Deep fried foods, most of the industrially processed and baked foods contain partially hydrogenated oils and trans fats which have cancer inducing properties. Reusing or reheating oils produces trans fats in foods.

Cooking Oils: Many cooking oils are highly refined and undergo chemical process. Research before you choose your cooking oil. Generally speaking coconut, sesame, avocado and olive oils are some of the healthy oils. Use olive oil for low heat cooking or as dressing on salads.

Food high in refined carbs: White rice and processed white flours such as rice flour and Maida and the processed foods made from them such as Pizzas and burgers are high in carbs which raise blood sugar levels and increase cholesterol and inflammation in the body and act as precursors of cancer.
Sodas, soft drinks and sweets which are very high in processed sugars have even worse impact. Important fact to know is that the cancer cells feed on sugars and grow in anaerobic(lack of oxygen) environment. Cancer cells are starved simply by cutting down on sugars. While tumors grow on sugars, fresh fruits and vegetables on the other hand have anti-angio genetic effect which can reduce the size of the tumor.

Dairy and Meat: It is a well known fact that animal farms across the world are extensively using growth hormones and antibiotics and feeding the live stock with GMO food. All of these practices are cancer inducing. So if you choose to eat meat and use dairy products, go for organic and cage free/ grass fed animals.

Air pollution from automobiles and industries,smoking. Best bet is to choose to live in a cleaner and greener place. If you live in cities beware and find ways to avoid the exposure.  

Water Pollution: Boiling and filtering makes it much safer. So choose efficient filters. Drinking from plastic water bottles is not a good practice as carcinogenic chemicals like BPA and PVC in plastic can be released into water when exposed to heat.

Plastic may contain chemicals like PVC(PolyvinylChloride) or BPA(Bisphenol A) which are carcinogenic and can be released into food when plastic is exposed to heat. So Never store hot food or drinks in plastic ware and if buy plasticware go for BPA and PVC free plastic. 

Daily consumer products such as soaps, shampoos, creams and detergents may contain toxic chemicals. keep an eye on the ingredient list and check for harmful chemicals or choose Organic brands.

Non-stick cookware: At high temperature can release a chemical ‘PFOA’ into food which is carcinogenic. Use high quality non-stickware or replace it with steel, copper or brass set.

Mobile Phones: Mobile phones constantly emit electro-magnetic radiation which can induce cancer. Beware of it and cut down on heavy usage. This radiation is high at the moment when you are placing or receiving a call, so keep away from the ear/head during that time.

In spite of the best possible care that we take it is not possible for us to completely avoid the toxins which we are being bombarded with regularly in a modern day society.
Following healthy diet, exercising and detoxification flushes out a lot of toxins from our body Here is a list of healthy tips and diet:

Whole grains and Nuts: Choose whole grains like brown rice, oats, barley and millets which are rich in minerals, vitamins and fiber. Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are good source of healthy fats and proteins.

Fresh Fruits and vegetables: Colored fruits and vegetables contain abundant minerals, vitamins, fiber and anti-oxidants and play a major role in protection against cancer or any disease. There are certain natural cancer treatment methods like Gerson therapy which are solely focused on treating a patient with fresh fruit and vegetable juices and diet.

Green and leafy vegetables: They purify the blood and increase the immunity of the body by binding with toxins and flushing them out of the body(cleanse and detoxify).
Cruciferous vegetables such as Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Bok choy are rich in components protective against cancer.
Mushrooms are cancer protective too. Especially Reishi and maitake and turkey tail mushrooms have been extensively used in research and proved to block cancer growth.

Drinking lots of water helps in cleansing the toxins from our body. Add a slice of lime, mint or ginger or other fruit to water and let it sit for few hours. It not only makes water tasty but infuses it with minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Aim at drinking minimum 8-10 glasses of water everyday.

Physical Exercise Keeps our body well oxygenated, healthy and strong and detoxifies our body with optimal function of respiratory, circulatory and lymphatic systems. Infact it helps in restoring the health of every cell and organ of our body. So choose an exercise that you enjoy and practice it consistently. Yoga, Walking, Jogging, hiking, skipping, swimming, dancing or something else.

Sweat it out: Sweating eliminates a lot of toxins including toxic metals like Mercury which are not usually eliminated by any other process. So sweat out by means of physical activity or just by being in hot temperature environment. Being inside Air conditioned rooms whole day is not a very healthy choice.

Sleep/Rest: Make sure you get enough sleep everyday (7-8 hours) as many rebuilding and repair mechanisms in our body occur when we are asleep. Lack of enough sleep is associated with several health problems such as hormonal imbalance, diabetes, high Blood pressure, heart disease and cancer.
               
Spend in Nature: As we are aware, sunlight(Vitamin D) and fresh Air are vital for our well being. Several studies have scientifically proved that spending time in clean and green natural environments  drastically improve our health by reducing stress hormones and inflammation in the body. So every day make time to connect with nature even if it quiet walk in your neighborhood.

Manage Stress: Stress and anxiety disrupt our hormonal balance, lower immunity and make our body more susceptible to disease. Letting go of negative emotions, being physically and mentally active, sleeping well, doing what we love and enjoy, nurturing healthy family and social relationships are various ways of reducing stress and keeping our lives in balance.

Regular spiritual practice of any kind: Meditation, arts, scriptures, connecting with nature and community and working for a bigger cause give more meaning to life and reduce stress and disease.

The author cautions us to be aware of some of the conventional diagnosis and treatment methods that are dangerous and can cause harm to us. And provided us with details of healthy alternate options as described in the below sections.

Diagnosis: Conventional methods of diagnosis such as Mammograms for Breast cancer, PSA tests for prostrate cancer, Colonoscopy for colon cancer and CT scans and biopsies are fatally flawed and it has been proved that they themselves can induce cancer. For example, the radiation emitted during a Mammogram test is 1000 times greater than a typical chest X-ray and hence carcinogenic. The mechanical squeezing process involved can spread the cancer wider if it is already present. Research revealed that undergoing annual mammograms can make one more susceptible to breast cancer. So beware of the diagnostic methods. Look out and ask for proven alternate therapies with no side effects such as: Thermography, AMAS(Anti-Maligning Antibody in serum), HCG Urine immunoassay, Oncoblast test, Thymidine Kinase test, Nagalase test and High Resolution blood analysis test.

 Treatment options: Once diagnosed with cancer, facing it with courage and calmness and making right decisions in terms of treatment and self care makes a big difference in the process of healing and recovery. Conventional treatment methods such as chemotherapy and radiation are very painful and stressful to the patient and harmful to the body due to the associated side effects. Some of the alternative treatment methods with out side effects as suggested in the book include: Natural and Herbal remedies which focus on healing the mind, body and soul. Addressing and clearing emotional distress, detoxifying the body(cleansing all the vital organs using diet or supplements)and identifying and eliminating nutritional deficiencies all play a significant role. Therapies using Essiac tea, Hoxsey tonic involve the use of medicinal herbs. Gerson therapy uses organic plant based diet, raw juices and natural supplements. Some natural cancer treatment methods involve the use of sound, light, electricity and heat in healing cancer.  Hope4cancer institute in Baja California in Mexico uses SonoPhotoDynamic therapy (combination of light and sound) for treatment. Similarly PEMF(Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Fields) therapy is also used. Hyperthermic therapy (use of heat) is also extensively used in countries like China and Germany to cure cancers. Bio-oxidative therapy(Use of oxygen and ozone), Enzyme and Mitochondrial therapies are also used to effectively treat cancer. Use of Viruses and essential oils are also some of the alternate approaches practiced in several countries including USA. All the above mentioned alternative cancer treatments are proven techniques in healing cancer which yielded optimal results without adverse side effects. The author has interviewed the doctors in these facilities as well as the patients who reversed their cancers using these methods. Some of whom were in their terminal stages when they opted for it, but leading healthy lives even now, several years after the treatment. Including all kinds of cancer, even the most dangerous ones like Pancreatic cancer.

Considering the scope of the audience and limitations of the blog, this post is primarily focused on the preventive measures. But the book has elaborate details about the diagnosis and the healthy alternate treatment methods and the countries in which they are offered. If you want to know more, you can their website as well https://thetruthaboutcancer.com The recipe/diet details of Essiac tea, Hoxsey tonic and Gerson therapy are all available on internet for those who want to administer the treatment from home.

If somebody has already undergone chemotherapy and radiation for cancer, the best way to restore and maintain their health from the side effects of it is to follow a healthy diet and exercise as discussed earlier. Intake of Prebiotic food(rich in fiber and nutrients that promote the growth of good bacteria) and probiotic food(that contains good bacteria) also heals gut and promotes health.

So to summarize it further, minimizing our exposure to toxins, eating fresh and organic plant based diet, leading a happy and stress free life and by being physically and mentally active, we can cut down cancer by 90% and there are alternative diagnostic and treatment methods which are less invasive and more effective.

There is a dire need that we all know the impacts of industrialization on our food, health and ecosystem and take the right steps to mitigate the negative effects. Sharing the information with others and spreading the awareness, making conscious choices and taking an action are all important.  Let us advocate for and support clean and green sources of food and energy and educate our children about it, for they are tomorrow’s citizens and entrepreneurs whose actions define the health and happiness of next generation and the generations to come.       

My 10 day Adventure at Vipassana Meditation Center

Meditation is something that I am always delighted to know more about and share about as it offered me so much in the last several years of my practice.
As a part of my exploration I’ve attended  a 10 Vipassana course which was a very insightful and an electrifying inward journey and I am making an attempt to club my meditation experience in general and this 10 day venture together and share it. I know it  very well that it is a herculean task and whatever I attempt to share is my consolidated experience, yet it is just a tiny speck of the vast concept of meditation.

Going back into my early twenties.. for the first time I gave a very serious thought to Meditation when I sensed an imbalance in my life and emotions due to my inability to cope with all the changes happening in my life during that stage.But the idea never made any progress as I had no resources to learn from or rely on.

Time moved on and so did I..
Married.. Moved to America.. had more time and opportunity to read and get to know about many things including meditation. But it was not until I hit a rock bottom phase in my life that I gave it a serious consideration again. I wanted to cling unto something to avoid being engulfed by the pain and torment my mind was trying to impose on me due to a series of life incidents which I was unable to cope up with and Meditation turned out to be an obvious choice then.

I Learned the very basics of meditation practice through the books of a renowned doctor and writer: Dr.Deepak Chopra.
Sitting in a quiet corner.. in lotus posture and palms intertwined..
with eyes closed and focusing on the process of breathing.. the inflow and outflow..
when my attention wanders away,  bringing it back to my breath.
First few minutes is a bit of struggle.. between the thoughts and the breath.
But by consistently bringing back attention to breathing, thoughts eventually subside..
As it gets deeper and deeper..
Would go into a state of deep meditatitive state where my attention is neither on thoughts nor on breathing but merge with timeless infinity..
sometimes sense a subtle flow of energy inside my body..
By the end of meditation.. the noise of the thoughts completely subside..
and feel absolute joy in the quietness of mind and body which are totally relaxed and refreshed.

Do I get to this state every time I sit down to meditate?. Definetely ’No’..
On a day with too many distractions or a big turbulence in my mind, it is too difficult for me to focus on my breathing. So I change my approach and chant out a Mantra aloud(I call out the word ’Sai..Baba’). And it works… though the effect is not exactly the same, it is still similar in the way that it frees my mind of any negative emotion by breaking the thought pattern..
To list out some benefits:
My worry and anxiety levels have gone down drastically and my health improved.
Feel more grounded and more clarity in thought and decision making.
Life has become more disciplined and find more peace and joy in everything.
My goals, my strengths and setbacks are more obvious to me than ever before.
Notice more co-incidences in life offering solutions to my problems.

I was undoubtedly enjoying the practice of meditation and reaping its benefits..
But for sure knew that I haven’t reached a state of zero negativity. As soon as the impact of the meditation subside, some situations would still drive me to extremes of emotions like: anger, frustration or sadness and make me lose my balance which I would later regret and end up thinking.. May be like Buddha I have to go deep into a forest and meditate unceasingly to liberate myself and become fully enlightened..
Though fanciful,  isn’t there a tiny Buddha inside all of us who pops out every now and then in the form of quest for truth and liberation??
The thought of Going for a long meditation retreat was always lingering in the back of my mind like a flickering flame.. And then all of a sudden I hear a fascinating account of 10 day Vippasana meditation experience from my husband’s cousin at a family gathering. 10 days of complete indulgence in meditation with no contact or communication with outside world. I was very excited and inspired by the story and made up my mind.

Started my search and quickly found and booked a 10 day course in a Vippasana meditation center, about two hours away from my home. An equally enthusiastic and exuberant friend of mine, booked for the same session along with me. My husband felt  relieved knowing that I am not the only crazy one and I have a company.

Just to give some basics of Vippasana.. it is based on an ancient technique of meditation as practiced and taught by Gautama Buddha about 2500 years ago.
S.N.Goenka a Burmese Indian and a rich Business man, immensely inspired and benefited by the practice dedicated his entire life for the spread of Vippasana meditation. and this center is affiliated to him.They do not charge even a penny upfront. After the course is complete, you can contribute if you want to, based on your affordability and appreciation.

I took 10 days of leave from my work and with a great excitement eagerly looking forward to it.. for long blissful undisturbed meditation..
And finally the day arrived and we reached the retreat on a friday evening.
The management welcomed us warmly and provided us a delicious dinner where we got an opportunity to meet other students..they were from all age groups and from all ethnic backgrounds. After the dinner.. an elderly lady read out the rules of the 10 day course, which we were already aware of..
*10 days of complete silence.
*No eye contact, no gestures and no verbal or non-verbal communication with other         students until day 10
*No contact with outside world for the next 10 days
*Be in the meditation hall during the stipulated hours of meditation
*No use of electronic media(we handed over our cell phones to them)
*No reading and no writing.
*No lying, no stealing
*If an urgent need arises, we can communicate just with two people either with the
Manager or the Meditation teacher.
After reading out the rules, the lady said if any of us think that we cannot abide by the rules, we still have the last chance to leave. All of us were excited and a bit anxious.. for no one knows what its going to be like.. yet we were all ready for the challenge. We chit chatted few more minutes before the official bell rang at 8pm and the course started..  there was silence everywhere. We quietly walked into our allocated dormitories.

As usual I wanted to brush my teeth before going to bed and realized that I didn’t get my tooth paste. I looked around but couldn’t ask anyone because I would break the rule of silence if I did so. I could quietly walk to my friend and pick up and use her tooth paste, but then it may become stealing and I may be breaking another rule. ’Oh My God..’  I thought.. ‘It’s not going to be easy…’  I brushed without paste that night and went to bed and felt much better next morning after I requested and got a new toothpaste from the Manager.

Early in the morning around 4:00AM, the Manager rings the bell at each dormitory.
We would get up and get ready quickly.. Covered with a warm sweater or a shawl and with a torch in our hands, would walk down through a patch of grass for about 5min to get to the meditation hall..  in complete silence..
There were about 80-90 students meditating in the hall.. men seated on one side and women on another side. Every one is allocated a seat in the the meditation hall and is supposed to stick to the same place through out the course. The meditation session begins in the morning around 4:30AM and ends at 9PM.. the last hour is spent in watching a Video lecture of S.N.Goenka. There were intermittent breaks for breakfast, lunch, dinner and additional time off to do our daily chores like cleaning and laundry. On the whole, we were sitting and meditating in the hall for about 7-10 hours/day, with out a back support, sitting on a small cushioned seat on the floor and by the end of the day, our bodies would be awfully aching and yearning for a support to lean on.. but wouldn’t get a chance until we go to the bed.
There were two meditation teachers in the hall.. a male and a female.. sitting right in front of us answering our questions and clarifying our doubts related to meditation on one on one basis. It was a very quiet procedure.. carried on at a scheduled time.. causing no distraction to other students.

There are two basic approaches towards meditation in Vippasana:
One is ‘Anapanasathi sutta’ focused on observing the breathing.
Second one is ‘Satipathana sutta’ focused on observing the sensations in the body.
We started with ‘Anapana’ and on day 4 transitioned to ‘Satipathana’. As we sat down for meditation.. the entire instructions came from a recorded audio version of S.N.Goenka..

Day 1 was smooth for me with not too many hurdles. We were told to focus on our breathing.. specifically on the area where the air touches the nostril during inhalation and exhalation. It was easy for me as I was already accustomed to that kind of practice.. But long hours of sitting was not all that easy.
For breakfast, lunch and dinner we were served very healthy vegetarian food with lots of vegetables and fruits and freshly cooked food. Old Vipasana students who came in as volunteers cooked food for us and rest of the time they joined us in meditation sessions.

Day 2.. We were again told to focus on the breathing.. and as suggested.. I was trying to maintain same posture with crossed legs and an upright back. Gradually as time passed, I started experiencing back pain which radiated into my right shoulder and neck. I already had a bit of problem there due to the nature of my IT job. I could have relaxed my body a little by changing my posture, but I was too focussed, so ignoring my pain, I turned my attention back to my breathing. The pain intensified to such an extent that I started feeling the black out and in a moment realized that I was about to lose my consciousness. I didn’t want to faint in the hall, so decided to go to my room and rest. Gathered enough strength to get up and walked few steps.. and then fainted.. in a few minutes when I regained my consciousness realized that I was lying down on the floor of the meditation hall close to the door. The manager offered me a glass of water and asked me to rest for a while.. The meditation teacher assured me that I was OK and it was not something unusual. Deep inside I was terrified by the experience especially thinking of my loving and wonderful husband who always gives me my space and freedom to pursue my interests. But by any chance if he receives a call informing him that I fainted, I knew for sure that he would be very upset with my decision to come here. And so by the end of day 2, I made up my mind not to take this session too seriously. I just wanted to make sure that I don’t faint again and from then on, as soon as I noticed any discomfort or pain, would change my posture slightly and relax myself.

Day 3.. I was back on track and enjoyed a quiet and blissful meditation.. My body was slowly getting used to long hours of sitting. It was amazing to notice some young girls still in their teens.. yet meditating for long hours motionlessly with an upright spine.. During leisure time, I enjoyed the quiet walks in the garden . The retreat was located at the foothill of the mountains, away from city noise and pollution. So could hardly hear anything except for the sounds of rustling leaves and foot steps..  It was like going back in time.. into past.. And as I quietly rested under the huge trees in the garden, would think of Gautham Buddha.. may be it was like this during his time.. so quiet and serene.

Day 4..  the course of the meditation changed on day 4.. So far it was ‘Anapana’.. now moving onto ‘Satipathana’. We were told to focus on the sensations on and around the nose and above the mouth. And the recorded instructions were played too continuously on day 4 and I found it too distracting and couldn’t focus at all. I was very irritated and frustrated by evening. If it was going to be the same for the rest of the days, I would rather go home, than stay there I thought.. I almost decided to quit. But I had an obligation to inform my friend, so after evening session, when nobody was around called her aside and told that I decided to quit. She said ‘why don’t you wait a for day or two before you decide’  and I obliged to her. And later I felt very embarrassed at my impatience and reactive temperament. My impulsive decision to quit made me break my silence as well as my friend’s.

Day 5.. We were instructed to scan our body (a mental process done with closed eyes by simply moving our awareness from one part of the body to another) starting from top of the head to the tip of the toe gradually and slowly.. and then move back up. We were told that we may not notice any sensations in some parts of the body in the beginning. But as we continue the process of scanning from head to toe and toe to head.. we would gradually notice sensations everywhere in the body (sensation can be anything from a pleasant flow of energy or a itchy, creepy, crawling or a pulsating feeling or even pain and numbness.) And what they said was absolutely true. Soon I could notice that there isn’t even a centimeter in my body where there are no sensations. Just sitting still, it was amazing to notice all this sensations in my body for the first time in my life. And the nature of these sensations would vary with each scan.
In Goenka’s terms.. these sensations are a result of activity going on in every cell of our body. Millions of cells dying and millions regenerating every minute. There is not even single moment when our body remains still.. that is the nature of life.. ‘changing and changing’..  ‘Anithya… meaning.. Nothing is permanent’.
The essense of this practice is to become tuned to the transient and impermanent nature of our life.. be it emotions, sensations or feelings.. Be a silent witness without becoming attached to them as attachment is the cause of all suffering.
The first physical activity that is affected by a stimuli is our breathing pattern. A negative stimuli usually makes our breathing pattern irregular and shallow (eg: the stomach or diaphragm doesn’t move as we breath, notice it when upset). And with the pattern of the breathing, biochemical reactions in our body change at cellular level which we can experience as changed sensations in the body. So the practice of constant awareness of our sensations and energy flow in the body helps us to identify a problem at a budding stage and nip it off before it becomes a full blown stress simply by relaxing our breath and body. If we ensure that we are in such a state always, we remain centered even in the midst of turbulence and take the most effective decisions. After years of meditation practice if we still experience negative emotions, that is OK..  because we have accumulated layers and layers of deep rooted samskaras (emotional and behavioral patterns) over several births and life cycles and these layers don’t peel off all at a time.. they are structured to choose a time and situation to surface and reveal themselves. So we may wonder sometimes that how come we lost our balance all of a sudden. We don’t have to be upset that our meditation practice is not efficient, What is important is to become more and more vigilant and observe them more objectively without immediately reacting to them. And by detached observation, they lose their intensity on us. With passing time the intensity, frequency, and duration of these emotions gradually decrease and that is the real measure of progress. This explanation gave clear answers to my questions about my practice and provided me a new tool of observation to work with them.

Day 6.. During a break.. I was relaxing in my dormitory and my friend who was also there was trying to adjust temperature setting on A/C. Unexpectedly she made a gesture to me that the AC was not functioning and I spoke out just a single word unintentionally, not realizing that the girl relaxing in the next bed was paying attention to all this.
And back in the meditation hall.. I was thoroughly absorbed in deep meditation.
Everything was going on great until evening when the manager came to me saying that the meditation teacher wanted to see me. With mixed thoughts went to her and sat down infront of her.. She asked me gently.. ‘Did u break the golden rule of silence?’.. shocked for a moment.. I said ‘Yes Ma’m.. I had a problem, so discussed it with my friend’. She said smoothly.. ‘If you have any problem, please speak to me or the manager and do not repeat this again’ I nodded and went back to my meditation seat. You can obviously guess my situation.. lost focus on meditation as my mind was swarmed with thoughts:
who is that silly girl who reported it?  I just spoke a single word today.. How can someone report for that? Or did some one hear me talk to my friend on day 4?  If so, why would they report today? With all the thoughts.. felt very disturbed, confused and let down..
When I went to bed in the night, noticed that the bed beside me was empty. The girl and her luggage was missing and it became a bit obvious to me that it was her.. Where is she? Moved to another room because I am distracting her? I had a very disturbed sleep that night.

Day 7:  In the morning, when I looked at my friend.. noticed that she too looked very disturbed. Lot of boiling emotions inside and silence made it even worse. So I decided to talk to her. Checked around and enquired her and she confirmed that she too was warned by the teacher. Both of us felt let down by the experience. We left our families.. Took leave from work to come here.. Sitting whole day in the hall and trying our best to focus..  Of course we broke the golden rule of silence.. But how dare they question us and treat us like kinder gardeners? (Right now my reaction seems funny to me.. but definitely not then ). Our ego was badly hurt. We considered for a moment whether we should stay or leave.. finally decided to stick on.. ‘just 3 more days.. why make a fuss..’ And soon enough, through another source we came to know that the girl who complained on us already left the meditation center and we were just a single item on her big list of complaints using which she left the place. In fact that girl is merely an instrument used by TRUTH to reveal itself.

I was called in by the meditation teacher again in the afternoon to enquire how I was doing. I told her about everything that was going on in my mind and that the program was very intense and the rules were too stringent.. I kept on talking until she suddenly interrupted me asking.. ’Why are you still rolling in those thoughts instead of focusing on meditation and being in the present moment?’ I got even more mad by the question and bluntly said to her..  ‘Ma’m.. you are pulling my strings..’
She took back for a moment and then said.. ‘Wait.. I don’t have any control on you.. it is you who is creating all those emotions inside your head.
This is what meditation is all about to learn to control your emotions and reactions and find your balance. Stressful situations do arise in life, but your peace of mind depends on how detached and observant you are of your negative emotions without being overtaken by them. Never become one with your emotion.. if you do, you react and the reactions multiply the effect. When an emotion is about to overtake you, be present and become highly aware, conscious and observant of your emotions and resulting sensations. Separate a part of yourself and witness your emotion and sensations in your body and the emotion then gradually loses its intensity on you setting you free. Remember that there is always a better and alternate way to respond. That is how you gradually become liberated from your habitual patterns of reactions (Samskaras) which are deep rooted in you. It took a bit of time for me to let her words sink in and understand how significant they were. Knowing helps but it is consistence practice that makes the difference.

Back in the meditation hall, my mind was clear and once again I was deeply absorbed in meditation.. with my eyes closed, mentally scanning my body from head to toe.. And toe to head.. what I was observing was truly astounding..
I could clearly hear and feel the thumping of my heart..
Could feel the pulsating sensations and the expansion and contracting movements of the organs inside my body. With continuous scanning I started sensing my entire body as a flow of spiraling energy in the form of minuscule sparkling particles. The flow is much smoother in some areas than others indicating the open and blocked areas of energy in my body. Even a subtle sound or a thought would bring all the sensations to a halt. So sensitive is our awareness to an external or an internal noise.. This entire experience is life changing to me..What a wonder machine human mind and body is.. And how many years of my life passed away without ever paying attention to the unceasing inner activity of my own body.

On the same day after lunch break, I was in the rest area of my dormitory when I heard some one screaming out loud.. By the time I went in, some other gals and manager already rushed into the dormitory. A terrified girl was standing on the railing of her bed with her hands bracing the window, screaming out loud as she found a tiny snake under her cot. The manager pleaded her with folded hands to calm down and gave her a helping hand to step down and took her out. The snake was still in the room and all the gals in the room broke their silence and started talking to each other about the incident. In few minutes, about 3 men walked in.. They were old students of Vipassana who came in to volunteer.. The gals were talking to them trying to show where the snake was..Without speaking a word or making an eye contact, they simply followed the commotion, went to the cot under which the snake was lying. One of them bent over and picked up the snake by its tail and wound it around his palm and all the three walked out as quietly as they walked in. We couldn’t ignore the stability of mind and single minded focus of those seasoned meditators.

Day 8 went on smoothly with not too many distractions except for one incident. I stepped out from the meditation hall few min before the evening meditation session was over to use the rest room. The manager followed me and asked me if I was OK and I answered ‘Yes..’ she smiled and left. I quickly realized that she tracked me down because I broke one more rule by leaving the hall before the session was complete. The manager was extremely observant and had a spy-eye on everyone as it was her duty to make sure that all students abide by the rules. There is no way you can skip a meditation session and step out or sleep in your room during the stipulated hours of meditation.

Day 9.. The deep meditations are blissful and am gaining new insights and experience into the working of my own mind and body. Yet I was very happy and excited that the meditation course was coming to a close. I was badly missing my family and the contact and freedom of the outside world.

Day 10.. After morning meditation and a speech of Goenka..  around 10AM we were officially done with our period of silence and were free to talk to one another. Never in my life did I feel so liberated.. Talked to my friend who was in tears deeply touched by S.N.Goenka’s words. All the girls talked endlessly to each other after 10 days of silence, everybody was pouring out their hearts about what they felt and experienced. One girl said she found it difficult to stay so long…  while another one said she had miraculous out of body experience. Most of them had positive reviews though. And we attended two more meditation sessions in the afternoon and evening.

On the morning of day 11.. the conclusion speech of S.N.Goenka was deeply touching and motivating. He talked about the motive behind this course and how sticking to a daily and consistent practice makes all the difference in life. After the speech, we were served a delicious breakfast. We packed our luggage, signed in our contributions and amidst warm hugs and wishes, bid farewell to each other.

It’s been almost an year and half since I attended 10 day Vipassana and whenever I and my friend talk about it, we thank ourselves for not quitting it in the middle as we would have missed a valuable and once in a life time experience. Meditation was not new for me but this course has taught me to be in more tune with my body and sensations as much as possible and thus cultivate more present moment consciousness.

When it comes to sitting meditation, I still stick to my old practice(Anapana) where I simply notice my breathing. Infact it is the most simple and easy approach and the most suggested method.
Few tips for sitting meditation practice:
*Few minutes of stretching or Yoga and Pranayama before meditation settles down the mind and body and prepares us for deep meditation.
*Choosing same place, time and duration every day makes the practice more consistent.
*As you sit for meditation, just have a notion that you are surrendering to and connecting with your deepest and the highest self and with every breath, you take in the positive energy and release the negative energy.
*Let go of your thoughts as you pay attention to breathing.
*If you find it helpful, you may inwardly use a word or mantra that goes with breathing.
*Sometimes the experience may be blissful and sometimes unpleasant.
*Neither cling onto or crave for a  pleasant sensation nor detest unpleasant sensations.
*Just observe moment and the sensation as it is and divert attention back to breathing.
*Practice it at least twice a day in the morning and evening (min 10 minutes is good to start with and you may slowly increase time)
*Gradually you can add more of 2-3 minute meditations through out the day.. simply observing your natural breath and sensations and relaxing yourself.

The mechanism of breathing meditation:
As we pay attention to breathing , it becomes deep and relaxed regulating the process of respiration and circulation, the key processes which impact rest of the body functions. So a deep meditation instantly settles down the mind and body and relaxes us. A regular practice hence makes a big difference in our physical health. An anxious thought or a worry nagging us vanishes without a trace by the end of meditation. It clears off all unnecessary thoughts and impressions created in the mind through out the day. All this is at a physical and physiological level.
And at a meta physical level..
It lets a healing and a universal energy enter into us..
Am sure that most of us believe that there is an invisible force and an infinite intelligence beyond our finite physical existence.
Even if you do not, assume and try it atleast for a short period of time and attempt meditation practice and with out any doubt, you will know that this force is much more real and magnificient than you ever imagined.
And once you start aligning your intentions and desires with that of this universal force,
accomplishing them becomes much more easier and life becomes much more joyful.
It offers hope and strength in all situations, an action plan when we are stuck up and a simple solution to even a most complicated problem and a transformation in the way we see the world and connect with it.

Satipathana Sutta: Though I preffer Anapana for my sitting meditation, rest of the day I try to follow combination of ‘Anapana’ as well as ‘Satipathana’ by paying attention to breathing and sensations in the body. (‘Mindfulness meditation’)
Pay attention to sensations in the feet as I walk.
Feel the water on my hands as I wash.
Feel the food and the sensations in the mouth as I chew.
Feel the warmth of the sun, touch of the air on the skin.
Become aware of changes in my emotions and breathing with changing situations.

This practice roots us in the present moment, reduces unnecessary mental chatter and helps us give undivided attention to whatever we do. It is not an easy task as attention wanders away like a fleeting monkey as soon as it gets a chance, but keep trying to grab it back to the source, to the present moment and you will really start enjoying it as it is a lot of fun.
Though I haven’t perfected in it yet, the observation gave me a lot of insights.. how my breathing, emotions and sensations are affected not just by what I think, hear or say or do, but by the quality of the food I eat, quality of my sleep and quality of my rest and lack of enough movement too. The worst offender is lack of enough sleep, which makes my breath shallow and my focus and attention very weak and makes me very cranky. Emotions and sensations also serve an important purpose by giving clues about bigger and long term changes we have to make in our life rather than resorting to short term reactions or delving in negative emotions.

Meditation is a life time practice and it enhances the level of our consciousness which permeates into every aspect of our life: the quality of our thought process, our goals, our work and our relationships.
It is a solution to many of the present day problems: stress, anger, worry, anxiety, lack of focus and stability, and negative emotional patterns or reactions. Even if you think you are free of all negativity, it still helps you by giving you greater clarity of your life’s purpose by connecting you with your deepest and highest self and more peace and joy.
I always wished I learned and practiced it much earlier in my life. Few months ago when I visited my school after 25 years, was delighted to see that the students were instructed and practicing a silent meditation 4 times a day for 5min each. The best gift that a child can be given. If every child is taught to meditate at an early age, they grow up as much more focused, stable and confident adults and find their source of strength and counsel inside themselves. And its never too late for adults to start practicing it.Just like brushing teeth and eating breakfast, lets imbibe this valuable practice of meditation into our daily routines. Consistent practice and Patience is the key, not expecting wonders to happen in a day, but if we stick to it, we will for sure see miracles.

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If you haven’t explored the idea of meditation or practiced it ever before, please read and listen about it more and more. Experiment and explore.  Here is a U-tube link to Goenka’s 10 day enlightening speeches: S.N.Goenka 10 day Vipassana video series

The Magical Touch of Nature..

 

One beautiful evening… Just resting in my backyard.. And I had a glimpse of..
A Glorious vision of the Shining Silvery Clouds..in the back drop of the Serene blue skies..
Musical sound of chirping birds around me and the Mystical touch of the Gentle breeze..
Benevolent shade of the tree under which I sat..
And the tender touch of the Velvety green grass beneath my feet..
All My thoughts came to a halt.. as am lost in the Raptures of the Nature..
Isn’t this Heaven?? for I know nothing more Magnificent…

This backyard, the tree, the grass and the sky.. were always here.. But where was I??
When my mind always rules me, where do I have time for this moment and this nature?

How did I forget that I came from this nature.. and one day will dissolve back into it..

Didn’t I have a bit of courtesy to say a little hello to the shining Sun each morning when I saw him..
Didn’t I know that it gave me boundless light and energy tirelessly?
Sustaining all forms of life.. from ages Early..
He can brighten up my mind and heart on a rainy day..
And can as well scare me into shade with his scorching heat on a sunny day..
He has many shades and can play many games..
My Dear Shining Star.. Did I see anything as Splendid as you?
Yet.. Why didn’t I gratefully bow to you?

When I let my mind rule me.. where do I have time for this moment and for this nature?

Why did I become so timid to walk bare footed on my mother Earth.. even for a little while??
Bearing the burden of all.. benevolently.. how has she become so untouchable to me?
How oblivious have I become to the fact that she can take out all the pain from me??
If I am never even willing to touch her.. how can she??

Didn’t I have a minute to look at you.. the Heavenly Sky ?
And marvel at the Magical art of God..
So radiant in the morning.. So charming in the evening..
So dark with the glittering stars and the glorious Moon..
So festive with silver clouds..
So Blue on a clear day and So Unique Each day…
Did I ever feel blissfully glance at you.. the Celestial Sky?

When my mind rules me.. Where do I have time for this moment and this nature?

The beautiful green trees around me.. gifting me my life force…
each leaf and each flower.. myriad colors and myriad shapes…
Didn’t I have a minute to pause and marvel at the beautiful art of God?

The bees, bugs and the birds living so effortlessly..
Merging with the nature.. And flowing with the nature..
Why am I the only one going against the nature?

Just a little time with it each day..
to know that I am here for a short stay..
And no matter what may come my way..
I am here to make it my day…

But When I let my mind rule me.. Where do I have time for this moment and this nature?

For ages we were one with Nature..
Roaming in the woods.. And Swimming in the Waters..
Blissfully watching the Sunrise and the Sunset..
Staring at the Flocks of birds flying in the Skies..
Marveling at every bit of nature.. the Lakes, the Hills and the Valleys..
Where are they now?? Why are we destroying them and sabotaging our own lives?
Why are we distancing ourselves from nature and living in our own worlds??

Why are our minds ruling us and taking us away from this moment and this nature?

Bow to you My Mother Nature..
How can I be in you and yet be so far away from you?
What are these pulls that are taking me away from you?
What am I gaining from them that are keeping me away from you?
Help me break my shackles to be with you..
Hold me dearly so am always aware of you and be attentive to you..
For you can bless me with so much each moment I am with you..

(We all know the joy of being in nature and that nature can heal..
Earthing is a very interesting, intuitive and informative topic to read about.
A lot of scientific studies reinforce Nature’s impact in reducing inflammation and disease in the body. Let us all explore ways to protect and connect with Nature.)

 

An introspection into my Job

Getting into a decent job and surviving in it is of highest priority at a particular stage of one’s life.. and most of them don’t know if they are truly passionate about it or not..   And I was not any different.. followed the trend of my generation and made my foray into IT profession..

Very soon realized that I entered into a different zone and phase of my life..
It wasn’t like school environment where I listened and learned most of the time..
nor is it like the home where I was in my comfort zone for most of the time..

For the first time, treated as a skilled professional hired to solve technical problems and provide tangible solutions.. And judged thoroughly as a person and a professional..

My analytical and problem solving skills are good but I’m not a very tech savvy person..
Reading endless technical documentation and researching is not my cup of tea, not something that I am very passionate about..

But I got in and can’t turn back. In fact I didn’t even know what else I was good at if I quit it. A point in life when we know it’s not going to be easy but got to stick with it. A test to the strength of our commitment and endurance. And that’s the time when we discover our true strengths and weaknesses and start molding our self to adapt with the environment. And a new learning and transformation process begins..

Getting into the details of my job, it revolves around software development based on Service Oriented Architecture.
XML, JSON, Messaging, protocols, networks, adapters, windows and web services and applications.. is the kind of technical vocabulary that goes with it.
In simple terms.. two business systems residing on different platforms and networks built using different software have to communicate with each other and exchange data in a secure way. And my job as a middle-ware developer is to facilitate it.

In the initial stages found it very challenging and stressful..
Whenever a complex task was assigned to me, my mind would roar with anxiety.
But never had the privilege to express it as I knew very well that I was hired for it and paid for it.

Having no way to escape my job..
I would sit and start analyzing the task by breaking it into bits and pieces..
And that which seemed too complex, all of a sudden would start looking a whole lot simpler..  and as I work on each piece as an independent task,
could cut through some of them with ease..
while others are a bit complex requiring a bit of reading and researching..
God as Google and forums as angels always came in my rescue..

A phase that an every IT professional goes through is where they just get stuck up,
and can’t get past a point.. so here I am, as well.. no matter how long I try I wouldn’t move even an inch forward. After a whole lot of similar experiences, learned it hard way that all I got to do is.. just get up, go out for a walk and come back and it gets resolved in no time. That little break is needed for the mind to look beyond the problem and think out of the box to resolve it. 

Some times there were major road blocks too, for which I had to walk into the office of most proficient technical people.. could be an architect or a network admin.. to discuss an issue and ask for a resolution. They are on high and constant demand, so usually have very low tolerance to dumbness or inaction. So I would do my research and be well prepared before I approach them. Communicating with utmost clarity is the key in getting an effective response. That’s again a powerful lesson that a job can teach someone.

Having gone through various stages of digging and drilling, every task is finally accomplished. Not even a single stone un-turned, no matter how hard it seemed.

So if I look back at it as a whole, there were times of frustration, times of monotony and aspects that I was not completely content about. Irrespective of it, it is a very valuable learning experience. I enjoyed many quiet moments of complete immersion when I became one with the task. It provided an opportunity to work with very intelligent and inspiring people which changed my approach towards problems and also pushed up my endurance levels. Like a mirror it clearly reflected my strengths and weaknesses giving me the leads as to where I should work on and improve.. and for sure.. there is a long way to go. In a most practical way it taught me the most valuable lesson of life: ‘Every problem has a solution And All that is needed to resolve it, is a bit of initiative, a bit of effort and a lot of faith and focus’.

Finally my blog is here..

Books gave me wings, took me to distant worlds.. opened my mind and touched my soul.. And now its my time to hold the pen..

Being a passionate reader and having a great penchant for writing, the subtle thought of creating my own blog to express myself crossed my mind several times in the last few years.. but never gave it a serious thought or a start to it for simple reasons..

too occupied with my work and life to pay serious attention to it.

Know that there are already innumerous interesting websites and blogs out there presenting great literary and reading material… so wondered if I would add any value by creating one more..   Do I have anything new to share?? The usual questions pervaded my mind.. Asked myself  if I really wanted to do it being a very private person.. I may have secretly wondered if I become too famous, would I be able to handle it all? funny.. there is no end to imagination..

But as the time passed by, it became more and more obvious to me that I have an urge to share and it needs an expression..  And when I have a natural inclination towards writing why am I holding back myself? Amidst the questions, a few great books that I have read recently reinforced my thought and instilled new interest in pursuing  my passion..

Giving  an expression to my thoughts and ideas and sharing it with the world as thoughtfully and as honestly as possible is what I want to focus on.. Who finds it or reads it is secondary and left to the universe.. for it takes care of it in its own way..

All I see is the beginning of a beautiful new journey and as I embark on it, thank the ever inspiring Lord, the light within each of us!