Let's talk about health, yoga, meditation, physical exercise, spirituality, and ways to reduce stress, improve physical and mental health and memory, and attainment of eternal bliss.
We
are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a
private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
The
only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the
impossible.
— Arthur C. Clarke
Well begun is half done.
— Greek Proverb
Believe with all of your heart that
you will do what you were made to do.
— Orison
Swett Marden
The
more difficulties one has to encounter, within and without, the more
significant and the higher in inspiration his life will be.
— Horace Bushnell
Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common
occasions and make them great.
— Orison Swett Marden
We become happier, much happier,
when we realize life is an opportunity rather than an obligation.
— Mary Augustine
When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we
look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened
for us.
— Helen Keller
Happiness
is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for
the present.
— Jim Rohn
No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
― Eleanor Roosevelt
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
― Mahatma Gandhi
Darkness
cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do
that.
― Martin Luther King Jr.
I am enough of an artist to draw
freely upon my imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge.
Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.
― Albert Einstein
Fairy tales are more than true: not
because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons
can be beaten.
― Neil Gaiman, Coraline
Life is like a mirror. Smile at it
and it smiles back at you.
— Peace Pilgrim
Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone
else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living the result of other
people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinion drowned your own
inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and
intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything
else is secondary.
— Steve Jobs
Always do what you are afraid to do.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
There
is more to life than increasing its speed.
—
Mahatma Gandhi
You have a very powerful mind that
can make anything happen as long as you keep yourself centered.
— Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Strength does not come from physical
capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
— Mahatma Gandhi
People do not lack strength; they lack will.
— Victor Hugo
The world suffers a lot; not because
the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of the good people.
— Napoleon Bonaparte
Until you value yourself, you won't value your time.
Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it. ”
Do you have a friend you would risk taking a bullet for?
Harry and Bill were childhood buddies who went through
school and college and even joined the army together.War broke out and they were fighting in the
same unit.One night they were
ambushed.Bullets were flying all over
and out of the darkness came a voice, “Harry, please help me.”Harry immediately recognized the voice of his
childhood buddy, Bill.He asked the
captain if he could go.The captain
said, “No, I can’t let you go, I am already short-handed and I cannot afford to
lose one more person.Besides, the way
Bill sounds, he is not going to make it.”
Harry kept quiet. Again
the voice came, “Harry, please help me.”
Harry sat quietly because the captain had refused earlier. Again and again the voice came. Harry couldn’t contain himself any longer and
told the captain, “Captain, this is my childhood buddy. I have to go and help.”
The captain reluctantly let him go. Harry crawled through the darkness and dragged
Bill back into the trench. They found
that Bill was dead. Now the captain got
angry and shouted at Harry, “Didn’t I tell you he was not going to make it? He
is dead, you could have been killed and I could have lost a hand. That was a
mistake.” Harry replied, “Captain, I did
the right thing. When I reached Bill he was still alive and his last words were
‘Harry, I knew you would come.’”
Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say.
Best friends listen to what you don't
say. – Anonymous
Did you know: “Someday, someone will walk into your life and
make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else.” – Anonymous
In today's world, we have easy access to information on
almost all subjects through internet, books, journals, newspapers, and so on
and we all are required to read a lot of stuff on a daily basis. While there is easy accessibility to
information, most people are finding it difficult to read because they do not
have time. They read half of the
information or do not read at all. Many books
lie on the shelves waiting their turn to be read. In order to overcome this problem, many
reading techniques have been developed and followed by many, which they claim
to be helpful.
Some techniques are given below for readers like you through
which, I am sure, you will be able to increase your reading speed and save a
lot of time.
To begin with, when you first get your class books, read them
like a storybook, from beginning to end.
Do not stop in between the paragraphs or chapters if you do not
understand something, and do not try to remember anything, just keep reading and
finish in a few days' time, preferably in three to five days' time depending
upon the size of the books. This will
help you to get an overall idea about what the chapters are all about, and
believe me, most of the things will get stored in your subconscious mind
without even you realizing it. Finish
all your books reading like a storybook.
After you are done with reading the whole book, come to the first
page of the first chapter or other chapter per your choice and read it at your
normal pace. As you read on, tick the
important facts with a pencil, like dates, names, phrases, anything that you
feel are important. In short, underline
the "keywords" that make up the body of the paragraph. Always use a pencil to do that so that you
can erase it later if you like. After obtaining
the keywords on the first page, go to the next page and do the same and close
the book. After a few hours, open the
page you read but do not look at it.
Just try to recollect the keywords that you had marked. I am sure you will be able to recall quite a bit
of information, if not all. See the
paragraph below and assume the underlined words you have marked as your
keywords.
In the above paragraph, important facts have been marked. As you can see there are about 180 words in
that paragraph and you cannot remember all and there is no need also as you are
not going to write them all in your exam papers. You can go through the marked portions or
keywords whenever you want to in a very short period of time instead of going
through the whole paragraph. This will
save you a lot of time as you are not reading the unnecessary things. To make it further easier, follow the
following point.
Shorten further the facts that you have marked by using them
as abbreviations. For example, you can abbreviate
"Napoleon Bonaparte was born on August 15, 1769" to NB B Au 15, 1769. Here, NB means Napoleon Bonaparte, B means
born, and Au means August. You can write
down these abbreviations in your notebook or on the empty space of the book on
the left hand side and read them occasionally, writing them in full sentences
in your exam papers.
Try speed reading techniques. When you first started going to school, you
were taught to read letter-by-letter.
Gradually, as you grew older, you learned to read word-by-word and
probably you are still continuing the same style of reading. Avoid word-by-word reading as it takes a lot
of time and has many disadvantages, instead incorporate speed reading techniques
into your study plan to step up your reading speed. Below are two techniques you can follow for
speed reading:
1. Use your middle
finger as a pointer while reading. Make
sure the word that you are reading is directly above your middle finger. Read at your normal pace. Do not read out loud or read them in your
mind. Just see the words as a
picture. First day read only two pages
applying this method, next day 3-4 pages and then increase your speed and read
more pages. At first, it may be
difficult for you to follow what you are reading, but gradually with practice,
you will have better finger-eye coordination and your reading speed will
definitely improve and you will have good comprehension too. Remember, this is the most efficient method
of speed reading and everyone can follow this technique while reading class books,
newspapers, novels, storybooks, web pages, and so on.
2. Use eye-span
method to read faster. In this method,
3-4 words are seen or read together with one eye span. Look at the first 3 or 4 words of a sentence
with one eye span, then 3 or 4 words with next eye span. See the example below,
"We are delighted to seal a deal with James and see him
as an important part of our club."
First eye span We
are delighted
Second eye span to
seal a deal with James
Third eye span and
see him as
Fourth eye span important
part of our club
To follow this method, instead of your middle finger as a
pointer, now you will be using your four fingers together, excluding the thumb,
as a pointer. Place your four fingers
together below the first set for 3 to 4 words and move your fingers together as
you read the next set of words and continue doing so and finish at least 1-2
pages on the first day, gradually increasing over the next few days. This method will prove beneficial if you practice
regularly.
Apart from the above, always keep in mind the following
points:
If you are a student, read the chapters beforehand marking
the important facts with a pencil that your teacher is going to teach on that
day. Listen carefully to what your
teacher is explaining. As you already
have a general idea what the chapter is all about, it will be easier for you to
follow and remember things.
Read through the paragraphs as quickly as possible to get
the general sense.
Read a page or an answer to a question thoroughly, get up
from your chair, walk in your room for some time, and try to visualize what you
have just read. Do not try to remember
anything word by word, just try to have a gist of what you have read. This will not only help you to remember
things but also to write the information in your own words and this in turn
will help you develop your writing skills.
After reading a page or a chapter, do not try to recollect
what you have read immediately, instead try it after 10 to 15 minutes.
Repetition is essential to remember things as it helps the
brain to store things for a long time.
Repetition means retention. More
you repeat more you will become conversant with the topic.
I myself have taught the above techniques to my students and
the result is astonishing. Many of the
students have taken it seriously and have been able to score good marks. The main benefit is that they are also able
to write the subject matter in their own words and also remember a lot of
information easily.
Childhood memories are special for everyone and almost
everybody delves into the world of their childhood once in a while and you know
what - everybody has something to tell about what really they did in their
childhood. Some liked to play their
favorite sports, some liked their friends, and some liked their
grandparents. But for me "reading
books" is what I say when someone asks me about the most enjoyable thing
that I did in my childhood and I suppose I inherited this habit from my father
and elder brothers who were avid readers.
There were plenty of books of all sorts lying on the bookshelf. When we were very young, my father used to
read out story books and comics to us like fairy tales, Phantom, Tintin, Tarzan
and we (my brothers and sister) all used to sit beside him and listened with
great interest and enthusiasm and often we found ourselves entering into the
world of imagination. My father never
said no when we approached him to buy books.
When I was about 7 or 8 and able to read and write independently, I
started picking up books from the shelf to read and since then went through so
many books that now it is impossible for me to recollect all. Some of the books that I liked most and went
over and over again over the years are A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Alice
in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, The Life and
Adventures of Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, The Snow Queen by Hans Christian
Andersen and so son. I also got to read
a lot of books that were shared by my friends and it was real fun and those
sweet memories I still reminisce with nostalgia.
Reading books has many benefits and can prove beneficial for
children both mentally and morally. Reading
is a fun and great way to reduce the stresses of life and just unwind. With more reading comes better reading
skills, thus allowing easier comprehension.
I also used to read a lot of travel books and got to know a
lot about different geographic locations, places, religions, and people of
different cultures around the world. I
urge today's parents to allow their children to read a lot of good books, the
reason being it can teach them a lot.
Through reading, children can learn to read, think, and communicate
appropriately and fluently and books can help a child to develop these
skills. Whether they know it or not,
children are always hungry for knowledge.
Their capacity for learning is tremendous. I think parents should recognize that it is
important to arm children with knowledge.
The more they know, the better chance they stand of growing into
successful and happy adults. Those who
read extensively can become good writers too, have a strong vocabulary, be able
to express themselves and communicate effectively, and have good grammar and
spelling skills. Books can help children
to continuously inspire and promote creativity.
In today's chaotic and confusing world with so many negative elements
around them, children are often stressed and confused, though they are not able
to fully express these feelings and I think some good books should be made
available to them as a healthy choice for distraction, but do not force them to
read, just keep the books in a place where they can see them easily and I am
sure they will soon start picking up those books to read as I did in my
childhood.
I feel very sad when I see today's children sitting in front
of the TV and watching cartoons all day long.
Before 90s, when people saw a student with specks, they used to say,
“This boy/girl must be intelligent.” But
now, people say “He/she must be watching TV all day long.” Well, there is nothing wrong with watching TV
for an hour or two; however, if it gets to the point where all they are doing
is sitting on the couch all day, then there is a problem. With the popularity of computers and video
games in recent times, habit of reading has taken a backseat. I am very thankful that the idiot box and
video games were not there in my home when I was a child and books were my real
friends (still they are) as they helped me as true friends by providing
knowledge as well as sharpening my knowledge skills.
"A house without books is like a room without windows. No man has a right to bring up his children without surrounding them with books, if he has the means to buy them."
— Horace Mann
"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."
— Jacqueline Kennedy
"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate's loot on Treasure Island."
Everyone wants to have a good memory, but most people do not know how to achieve it. A good memory will help improve your status in life. It will come in handy both in your personal life and in your business dealings. Do you know that most successful people are the ones who can easily remember things like names, phone numbers, events easily? There are some practices through which anyone can gain the ability to memorize a tremendous amount of information. Following are some steps which I have personally followed to improve my memory and believe me they have really worked. Believe in Yourself
The first thing you should do is believe in yourself that you do have a good memory and that it will improve gradually. Many people think that they do have a bad memory that they cannot remember names, they forget things easily, they compare themselves with those who have good memory and do academically well, etc., etc. You need to eliminate those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. At the beginning, it is hard to keep motivated but do not let yourself down and always believe in yourself as it is the foundation of self-confidence. Always Keep Your Brain Active
But how to keep the brain active? Well, you do not have to join a classroom for that. Just try Sudoku puzzles, crossword puzzles, read books and articles that interest you, write about your childhood or anything that you can think of. Brain games and mental activities can keep your brain young and active and improve its physiological functioning and help you improve memory. Try to Exercise Daily
Regular physical exercise improves blood circulation throughout the body, including the brain. If you exercise regularly, there is a good chance that you are helping to boost your immune system and can thereby improve your memory. Always remember - a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body – so, never neglect to do physical exercises regularly. Eat Good and Eat Right
If you are trying to improve your memory, then eat the proper memory enhancing foods. Foods that contain antioxidants are good for your brain, such as broccoli, red kidney beans, blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, red grapes and garlic. Antioxidants help the flow of oxygen to the brain. You also need to check your eating habits. Make sure you do not eat large portions at one go, instead try to frequently eat several small meals a day. Studies have shown that eating less actually makes the brain young and active even in old age. Sleep Well
Getting a consistent seven to eight hours of sleep each night will increase your memory. On the other hand, erratic sleeping habits will interfere with your internal biological clock and as a result you would not awaken feeling refreshed in the morning and it can hamper your memory also. If you want to improve your memory, you need to sleep better. Focus Well
Focus your attention on the materials you are studying. Attention is one of the major components of memory. The brain cannot store information if you are not giving proper attention to the subject. Try to study in a place free of distractions such as television, music, and other diversions. Try to Repeat Things
Repetition literally means retention. After learning a new word, try repeating it out loud three to four times. Likewise, after you meet someone new, try using his or her name as many times as possible immediately after the introduction. Repeating a word or a name will help you to remember it. Meditate Regularly
Meditation can increase blood flow in the brain and improve memory. It also reduces stress. If you want your memory to work the best it can, then reducing the stress through meditation will help. Concentrate on a Flame
One of the most effective ways to improve your concentration is to sit in front of a candle in a moderately dark room and concentrate on the flame for five to ten minutes. It will definitely increase your powers of concentration considerably. Enjoy Life
Stress relieving and engaging in fun activities are needed by the brain. Doing fun activities increases the chemicals that protect the brain from diseases and thereby can improve your memory. You will enjoy every little thing if you are in a good mood. Keep away from things that make you unhappy or cause you to have a low mood. Always be positive and try to be in a happy and cheerful mood.
In today's world of growing competition, we require to work
real hard to meet the goals we are assigned to.
Steady performance, time management, competitions, etc., are fast
becoming our main focus and in this process, at the end of the day, we are
totally exhausted, fatigued, and to some extent irritable and we tend to
overlook the importance of maintaining a fitness regime. In order to keep up with the competitive
world, one not only requires mental energy but also needs to have physical
ability. Majority of the young
professionals are suffering from lifestyle diseases. Long morning walks are a good exercise
option, but one should take them seriously.
It is necessary that the activity an individual is pursuing should be
enjoyed by them. Similar is the case
with exercising; you should enjoy the exercise you do and not just do it for
the heck of it. One should understand
the meaning of exercise and the reason behind doing it. It is necessary that even if you have a
hectic schedule, you should be able to manage your time and give your body an adrenaline rush it requires. To overcome
this so called job-created mental stress, most people are turning to relaxation
techniques, exploring them and trying to apply them in their daily life.
Below are some of the techniques that you can follow to calm
yourself down, attain good health, have a sound mind, improve your personality and
believe me they are really helpful.
Afternoon Nap
It is a
well-known fact that one's level of alertness is very high in the morning and gradually
decreases as the day goes on. You feel
more fatigued and sleepy especially in the afternoon right after lunch and you
keep on yawning. Power nap at this
moment in time is really helpful, but when you are in the office, can you
really take a power nap? The answer is NO,
as your boss is not providing you a bed in the office. But do not curse yourself for not being at home
to be able to take a nap. Take my advice
and follow this simple technique. Sit in your chair with your back straight, place your hands on your lap or on top of your
knees, close your eyes, concentrate on the tip of the nose or at the center of
the eyebrows, inhale and exhale deeply and as slowly as you can and keep doing
this for 10 to 15 minutes or more if you can.
You can use a timer if you want and set it for a specific period of time
per your choice. In this period of
calmness, feel that your tiredness is slowly moving away from your mind and body,
feel that each and every part of your body is relaxed and you feel a sense of
calmness within yourself. After that,
slowly open your eyes, go to washroom, wash your face and eyes properly. By now, I am sure you are much refreshed,
energized, and rejuvenated and will be so for the rest of the day till late evening. If you work from home, you can do the same by
sitting in a chair or you can do it by lying flat on your bed. When you do it in bed, you may also actually
go into a deep slumber for a minute or two but that is not a problem. Many famous people like Winston Churchill,
Napoleon Bonaparte, John F. Kennedy, and Thomas Edison used to take a nap
during the day. Napoleon could take a
nap right before battle and even when cannons were booming nearby. Thomas Edison slept only three or four hours
at night and took a couple of three-hour naps during the day. He could go to sleep anywhere, anytime, on
anything. Indeed, he would often curl up
for his naps on a workbench or in a closet.
So, by now you must have realized the importance and benefits of taking
a short nap during the day.
Physical Exercise and Meditation
Try to
exercise and meditate regularly. Early
morning exercise and meditation can make you go whole day long without feeling
tired or fatigued. Physical exercises
like jogging, walking, crunch, lifting weights, etc., are good for physical
health. But from my experience, I can
tell you for sure that mental exercise is also as important as physical
exercises. After doing physical
exercises, always meditate for at least 15 minutes and your fatigue caused
by physical exercises will vanish immediately and it will make your mind and
body rejuvenated. To mediate, just sit
on a cushion with your back straight and your legs crossed. You can sit in any comfortable position, just
make sure your back is always straight.
Now, keep your hands on your lap or on top of the knees, close your
eyes, concentrate on the tip of the nose or at the center of the eyebrows,
inhale and exhale as deeply and slowly as you can. Keep doing this for at least 15 minutes, but
to start with, you can do it for 2 minutes, then gradually increase your
time. This combination of physical exercise
followed by meditation works really well and if practiced regularly it will
definitely make you not only energized, well rested, and revived but also cheerful,
zealous, happy, and merry minded.
Sleep
Early to bed
and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise. So true!!, isn't it? Most people remember to get up early and to
do so they also set the alarm clock accordingly, but they forget to go to bed
early and when the alarm clock rings in the morning, they simply put it off and
go to sleep immediately. I find many
people doing this mistake. I think first
they should make the habit of going to bed early so that they can get up
early. At least, 8-10 hours of sound sleep
is necessary for you to feel calm and well rested for the entire day.
Laughter
Laughter is
a wonderful stress reliever and helps the body to relax tense muscles. It
releases chemicals in the body that reduce tension and pain. Always try to be in a jovial mood.
Music
Listening to
calming music helps to calm and focus the mind regardless of age. Load your cellphone/laptop with music and
songs that you love and listen to them as often as you can. It will help release your mental stress.
Physical Checkup
Regular
physical checkup is also important. You
may feel low and not refreshed due to some physical ailment or some
irregularities in your blood level. A
while ago, one of my friends' wives was suffering from morning sickness for a
long time. Physically she looked fit and
healthy, but when she visited a doctor, he gave her some blood tests to be
performed and when the results came back, it was noted that her hemoglobin level
was far below normal. The doctor
prescribed her some medicine to take for a month and within 15 days the
morning sickness was gone and she was much happier than ever. So, if you are suffering from some physical
ailments like indigestion, gastritis, insomnia, even cough and cold, stomach
pain, etc., do not hesitate to consult a doctor.
Avoid Smoking/Drinking
Always
refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol.
Smokers argue that smoking helps them relax, but in reality it does just
the opposite. It is observed that stress
level in smokers and drinkers are higher than those in nonsmokers and
nondrinkers. Cigarettes are well known
to increase the heart rate and the blood pressure, which exacerbates stress. Too much alcohol consumption causes cirrhosis
- a fatal liver disease. Quitting these
habits is not easy but try to gradually decrease the consumption of these in
order to attain good physical health and to feel relaxed. Nowadays over-the-counter nicotine gums are
available in the market and are helpful for the smokers to kick this habit for
good. Always remember - a sound mind dwells in a
sound body. Smoking kills and if you are
a smoker you are killing the other family members too as you have made them passive
smokers by smoking at home. Sooner you
realize this truth better for you.
Eating Habit
Good eating
habit plays a vital role in keeping the body and mind sound and active. Follow what you have been hearing from your
childhood - the famous proverb - Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a
prince, and dine like a pauper. Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day, so try never to skip it. Include lots of fruits, green leafy vegetables,
cereal, milk, egg, etc., in your diet. Do
not eat too much at one go, watch your portion sizes, always eat small
amounts. Studies have shown that eating
less actually can boost brain power and help remember more. Drink a lot of water during the day but in an
empty stomach, always. Do not drink much
fluid while having food or right after food as it causes constipation and takes
a lot of time for the body to digest foods that you have consumed.
Fasting
Fast at
least once or twice in a month. Fasting
cleanses your liver, kidneys and colon, purifies your blood, helps you lose
excess weight and water, flushes out toxins, clears the eyes and tongue, and
cleanses the breath. For fasting,
following this method: After waking up in the morning, drink a glass of water,
do not eat anything for at least 8-10 hours, drink only water every 2
hours. Break the fast by drinking a
glass of juice in the evening and eat a very light meal. At dinner also, take a very light meal
and go to sleep.
Do What You Like Most
Do whatever
makes you feel happy. You are spending most
of your time in office, to earn of course, but that is a monotonous activity
that you always do. Spare some time for
yourself. Do every little things that can
make you happy - traveling, taking photographs, reading, cooking, hanging out
with friends, calling them, and so on. As for myself, I enjoy photography a lot and it really eases my stress and anxiety. Life is very short, so take the most out of it whenever, wherever, and whatever
way possible. Always be positive and
always take the good things that come in your way. The best way to make yourself happy is to
make others happy too. If they are
smiling, you are smiling. If they are
sad, you are sad too. A little gift on
occasions like birthday, marriage anniversary, religious holidays, etc., can
make your parents, siblings, and others happy and in that process the
surrounding you stay will also bloom with happiness, joy, and bliss and your
life will become more happier, merrier, and more contented than ever.
