Happy New Year

Happy New Year 2012!
One more year has just slipped down the drain - 52 weeks (365 days) from your account.
You came into the world with an open return ticket. The most interesting part of the journey is that, the return date and time is not decided by you. But it is decided by God, Almighty, Allah, Jesus or what ever you call?
Do you regret at the end of the year that you have wasted your whole time or at least in part?
Do not worry!
Have a reconciliation of your past deeds, an audit of your past actions - your success, failure, disappointments, and so on and so forth.
The old adage - Time and tide wait for no man is perfectly apt. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow is yet to come, live today, make it  happy and peaceful, devoid of anger, quarrel, arguments, shouting, brooding, blaming others and…..
Please do not expect - others, may be your friends, colleagues, family members, strangers, to react and behave the way you want. Others will be having their own ways and means, you can’t change them. Better you try to adjust to the situation.
Mind you, it is not too late to change and adapt. Life is short. Forget the past deeds. Look for a brighter tomorrow, day after tomorrow and like that a Happy, very Happy whole Year! - full  of hopes  and aspirations.
Ladies  & Gentlemen!  Keep on smiling! Don’t fret and fume. Spread rays of hope and joy from you. Make the environment around you vibrant - full of joy, sweet and fresh.
You may like to take some bold New Year decisions to make the year 2012 completely happy  and  joyful.  But, you may be thinking – Yes, at end of every year  I take some New Year resolutions, but I forget it after a couple of days and again slip into my old habits of trials and tribulations.
What to do? Is there a solution? Yes, of course, there is. Try this.
Achieve your life plan goals   by adopting a Kaizen mindset.  *
Take a small pocket note book. At the back of it, write down your main short comings - moody, quarrelsome, short tempered, despaired, too much smoking, more intoxicating drinks…….
In the front pages of the note book write briefly what you want to achieve and how you want to act and react. For example You may be a hot tempered person - you may like to remain calm and quite in adverse circumstances also, you may like to earn more friends, you may like to achieve success in a particular case, all in a positive note. Keep this notebook under your pillow. Just before retiring in the night read it once, think over it and sleep. Again  the next day morning, read it once more.
That is all you have to do.
Your sub conscious mind will do the remaining part. Success is yours!
See what the great thinkers have told.
“Come my friends, ‘it is not too late to seek a newer world.” – Tennyson
“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though every thing is a miracle.” – Albert Einsteen
Hello folks, plan and act accordingly. Hope that you will be able to enjoy another year with full of hopes.
Let me once again take this opportunity   in wishing you –
A very happy and prosperous New Year - 2012.
http://raamachandran.blogspot.com
http://www.1000advices.com/guru/processes_kaizen_mindset.html

Antioxidants and your skin

Learn About  Antioxidants And How they can improve    Your Skin

                 

                                   Antioxidants protect your skin and make you look beautiful.

When taken optimally, they prevent ageing. Sunlight, pollution, smoking and stress eat away  collagen and elastin in the skin tissues, producing wrinkles. Antioxidants, which are chemical compounds, shield your skin cells by destroying free radicals. Unchecked, free radicals attack and destroy your healthy cells.

                                    There are about eight popular antioxidants used in skin care

                                     products today. They are: Alpha Lipoic Acid or ALA; CoQ10;

                                     copper peptide; vitamin C; vitamin E; nayad ; and pycnogenol.

Alpha Lipoic Acid or ALA is a very powerful antioxidant  but it is effective only when taken internally. When applied on the skin, it loses its effectiveness. ALA is ranked last in the list of antioxidants beneficial to the skin.

                                    CoQ10 is present in every cell in our bodies but a stressful

                                     life style can deplete it. CoQ10 is essential in manufacturing

                                     energy from glucose. It works as an electron transporter for

                                     the mitochondria, the cell’s powerhouse that generates                                         energy for the body. CoQ10 can recharge vitamin E and                                       therefore, it acts as a cellular antioxidant.

                                   Copper peptide has the ability to activate collagen and

                                    elastin .Copper gives skin strength and flexibility.

                                    Vitamin C helps lighten the skin and build collagen and

                                     elastin. It is unstable, so there are many variations of it.

                                    Vitamin C-Ester is more stable but has to go through changes

                                    before it can benefit the skin. L-ascorbic acid is the most

                                    skin-friendly form of vitamin C. It should be used at two per

                                     cent strength.

                                     Vitamin E shields against damage from ultraviolet light. It is

                                     effective in the oil part of the cell, unlike vitamin C which

                                     fights free radical damage in the water-soluble part of the

                                     cell.

Kinetin prevents aging of leaves in plants. Further laboratory studies showed that kinetin delays the destruction of fibroblasts, which produce elastin and collagen in a skin cell.

                                   Nayad is a patented ingredient from the cellular wall of

Baker’s yeast. It improves the moisture in the skin by 27 percent, reduces wrinkles by 56 per cent, and enhances elasticity and firmness of the skin by 74 per cent. Nayad increases skin’s ability to repair, protect and improve its appearance.

                                     Pycnogenol is 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50

times more powerful than vitamin E. It has been

called the magic bullet of free radicals.

                 

Tapioca- Carrot Mixed Porotta

Introduction

Tapioca- Carrot Mixed Porotta is a special vegetarian dish of Kerala. This is very suitable for school going children and employed persons for their lunch.

      

Ingredients

1. Wheat Flour (Atta)            3 cups                     

2. Tapioca                           500 g                       

3. Carrot                             3

4. Green Chilies                   2

5. Oil                                  2 table spoon

6. Salt                                According to taste

7. Water                              1 cup

Method of Preparation

*Add water and mix thoroughly the wheat flour and roll into small balls

*Remove the skin of tapioca, cut into small pieces and boil it

*Wash the carrots and grate it nicely

*Knead the boiled tapioca, add salt, sliced green chilies and grated carrots

*Take one ball of atta and spread into circular shape of approximately 13 cms

*Take one portion of tapioca mix  and keep it at the centre ,fold from the sides and  spread again 

*Smear little oil on both sides, keep it on a  tawa and heat it till it   turns into brown colour

*Have this with tomato sauce, chutney or pickle 

   

  ******************************************************      .           

Laughter- The Best Medicine

Tags: laughter, medicine, sorrow, tests
It is recognized all over the world that  laughter  is the best medicine! Researchers have found that  positive  emotions  have a beneficial impact on a person's health. It has been observed  that watching comedy films boosts blood flow to the heart.
It was  found that artery blood flow was reduced after watching movie clips that caused distress; but  was increased  after watching movie clips that elicited laughter. The difference in flow between sad and happy responses exceeded an astonishing 50 percent.
The study was conducted on 20 healthy young adults after asking them to  view 15 to 30 minutes of  tragic / comic films. For the analysis 160 measurements of artery blood flow were taken before and one minute after exposing to phases of laughter or sadness.
Source: British Medical Journal - Specialty Journals / Kate Melville

Healthy Life Style “Time and tide wait for no man” thus goes the old adage. Days roll into months and months to years. We can’t stop the clock ticking. Human body becomes weak in old age, black hair turns to white, joints become stiff, memory weakens … like that so many problems of old age. Death is inevitable; that is a fact of life. However, we can delay the process of ageing and the problems associated with old age can be mitigated to a certain extent. We will be able to lead a healthy, happy and energetic life even after crossing the barrier at 60. But how? That is a big question. Let us try to get an answer to that. Physical Fitness: Aging is a natural process. It is a gradual degenerating phenomenon. However, the speed with which the human body degenerates is a variable factor. In addition to the heredity, geographical, climatic and racial factors, it depends on the lifestyle of the individual concerned. A faulty life style means lack of physical exercise, improper food, smoking, use of intoxicating drugs etc. The busy modern life inflicts too much mental tension. The combined effect of all these is the deterioration of health which in turn accelerates the aging process. Mental Attitude: Not only maintaining physical fitness, it is very essential to develop a positive attitude in life. Thought moulds and shapes a man. Try to keep the heart young. Never think – “I have become old “; “At 61, think I am 16. “ The old saying is perfectly apt- “As a man thinketh, so he becometh”. Your present is the result of your past thoughts, and the future is the result of present thoughts. Persons having confidence , hope and cheerfulness spread similar feelings on others. They bring happiness to others. On the other hand people with negative temperaments such as anger, envy, hatred and ill feelings infect others and do harm. Mind Body Relationship: In common parlance we consider health as physical fitness. But mental health is more important than physical health. The proverb “A sound mind in a sound body” is perfectly right. Each and every thought produces a strong vibration in every cells of our body. It is said that one can change his destiny by his own thoughts. Such is the strength of thoughts. A tension free mind and relaxed body enables us to remain young and healthy. Relaxed muscles generate less lactic acid which in excess causes premature ageing. In our day today life, tension to a certain extent is unavoidable; but excessive stress can cause nervous break down, increased blood pressure, diabetes etc. In a nut shell, to reverse the process of ageing, one has to lead a positive life .For this one has to have balanced and nutritious food, physical exercise and a calm and peaceful mind. ****************** .

Success through Will Power

For success in any field, one should have will power. The will power can be achieved by adopting a positive attitude towards life rather than giving in to despair. We have to remain calm, should not get unnecessarily angry under any circumstances and should speak politely with persons all the time. But the basic question arises. What is will power? It is the power to control one’s emotions. It is the motivation which energizes us to do what we want and to desist from not doing unwanted things. It is the force within us to get rid of all bad forces. It is well to remember at this juncture what Swami Vivekananda, the great Indian saint, had to say: “Stand up, be bold and strong. Know that you are the creator of your own destiny. All the strength you need is with in you.” Sometimes we may be aware of our mistakes but may not be able to stop them because of lack of will power. Spiritual depression and periods of spiritual dryness are quite natural. But we should not give hope but should assert ourselves and listen to the call of our inner conscience. A question quite often asked is - whether will power can be increased? The answer is: Yes! Of course, will power can be increased. Our past failures should not dishearten us. There should be a determined effort on our part. Remember it is never too late to become good and strong. We should have self confidence in ourselves. Obstacles In cultivation of will power there are two fundamental obstacles: Regret about the past mistakes and too much worry about the future. We should forget our past mistakes and also should not be too much worried about the future. Remember- yesterday is dead; tomorrow is unborn; so make today happy. We can develop will power; but should remember that it can not be achieved overnight. One should have patience and continuously strive hard to achieve success. A famous poet has once said: “Let the dead past bury its dead! Act, act, in the living present, Trust no future, however pleasant” We must learn to live in the present. The present can be properly used only if stop brooding over the past. Daily Practice It is only through daily practice one can sustain good thoughts and actions so that will power is generated within. A very simple technique is: Close the eyes. Think of any thing that is pleasant; say a lovely sunset, the infinite blue sky or a scintillating waterfall or anything like that. Imagine your body floating like a straw in a in a vast ocean of spirit. Feel that the whole world is pulsating and vibrating through you. Then open your eyes. You will experience immense peace of mind, strength and vigor. LS-02-040211 |

Web site for a Writer

Tags: web site, profile, services offered, comments

 Just like email and mobile telephone, now a days website for each individual has become almost a necessity, part and parcel. of present day life.

It depicts the profile of the individual along with the services that he can give. In other words it shows the presence of a person in the cyber world. Just like any other professional, a writer can also to showcase his writing contributions through his personal web site. In other words it serves as an advertising display board.

 The web site helps:

        -        To remain in touch with the readers. The writer can share his views, stories and articles.

-         It shows the list of  writer’s publications.

-         The readers can give their comments after reading the writings. They can seek further clarifications if required.

 

Madman of Naranath

Once upon a time there lived in a small village in Kerala a person called the Mad man of Narnath. He lived alone and led a happy life. One day, he decided to celebrate his birthday  in a grand scale. One day he decided to celebrate his birthday in grand scale and  invited all his neighbors for the feast.

 He went to the nearby market and purchased all the materials - rice, vegetables, jaggery, oil and other condiments. He also hired the services of two cooks. He found that  he was short of vessels for cooking. He then approached his neighbors and requested them to lend him some vessels for a couple of days.

 All his guests arrived on his birthday and enjoyed a sumptuous and tasty food. They thanked Naranath for his hospitality. Since the borrowed vessels were not returned even after few days,  neighbors came to his house and enquired about their vessels. He told them he would be returning the vessels with in the next two or three days.  As promised,  the vey next day Naranath went to his neighbors houses and returned the borrowed vessels. In addition, he also gave each of them another small vessel of the same type. When enquire about the additional vessel, he told them he had kept their vessels in an underground cellar in his house. When he opened the cellar to take back the vessels, he found the small vessels also there.  According to him, these were babies of the original vessels. The neighbors were extremely happy to receive an additional vessel and profusely thanked Naranath for his benevolence.

 After few months, Naranath decided to celebrate the death anniversary of his father. As before, he invited all his neighbors for the anniversary. This time also he borrowed few vessels from his neighbors. They were extremely pleased to give him the required vessels on loan since he had given them additional baby vessels in the earlier occasion.

After the feast was over, Naranath collected all the borrowed vessels, went to the nearby market and sold all of them. He could earn a good amount from the sale. Since the neighbors did not get back their vessels given on loan even after a week, they approached Naranth and requested him to return their vessels.  He told them that he was extremely sorry as he was not in a position to return their vessels. He told them he had kept their vessels in the cellar in his house. When he opened the cellar to give them back their vessels, to his utter dismay he found that all the vessels were dead. He expressed his deep sorrow on the death of their vessels. The neighbors were extremely angry and asked him as how their vessels could die? 

They all went in unison to the village court and lodged  a complaint. The court asked Naranath to explain his conduct and ordered to return the vessels. Naranath humbly and politely explained his case. He told the court that in the earlier occasion, he had returned the original vessels of his neighbors along with additional baby vessels. This time also he had kept the vessels in his cellar and when he opened it to return the vessels, to his utter dismay and sorrow, all the vessels had died.  He prayed to the court that he was in no way responsible for the incident. He told that  as birth was natural, so was death. The court dismissed the appeal of his neighbors.

It is told that Naranath lived happily for many more years.

                                      ****************************

Sabari Temple of Lord Ayyappa

Sabarimala Temple of Lord Ayyappa

Hinduism is the oldest and the third largest religion in the world.  There are a large number of  Hindu pilgrim centres in India. One such major pilgrim centre  is the Lord Ayyappa temple in the  Kerala State.

Sabarimala temple of Kerala is a very ancient and important temple. The temple is situated on the slopes of western  ghats in the southern part of Kerala. It is in the midst of thick forest and is surrounded by 18 hills. According to popular belief, the temple is 5000 years old. About five crore of devotees visit the temple every year. Just like other temples, this temple is not open on all the three sixty five days of the year. Normally the pilgrim season is mid November to mid January. On other occasions the worship is done for few days on first of every Malayalam month (middle of English month). One specialty of this temple is that ladies in the age group of 10 to 50 are not permitted to go to the temple.

The legend about this temple is as follows. It is believed that Kerala was uplifted from sea by sage Parasurama. He then installed Lord Ayyappa at  Sabarimala . Lord Ayyappa is said to be a joint personification of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. Ayyappa , it is told meditated here after killing demoness Mahishi.

A very important feature of this temple is the oneness of different religious beliefs. It is perhaps the only one temple of the whole world with its doors open to all whatever be their religious beliefs. The pilgrims who are called ayyappans  chant Swamiye sharana ayyappa. It is the mental peace and the spiritual relief  that the pilgrims get after undertaking the pilgrimage that attracts lot of devotees to this temple. The devotees are expected to observe forty one days of vratham  (penance). During this period, they have to take bath twice a day, wear blue or black dresses and refrain from having non- vegetarian items of meat, fish; alcohol and sex. They should wear garlands of rudraksha or tulasi (basil). However, now a days  these practices are not followed in its full spirits. Pilgrims generally go in groups under a leader and each carry a cloth bundle called Irumudi Kettu containing traditional offerings.

The administration of the temple is done by Travancore  Devaswam Board. It is an autonomous body and comprises a President and two other members.

There are different routes to reach the temple. The last stop of the motorable road is Pumpa. From Pumpa  to sannidhanam (sanctum sanctorum) ,a distance of five kms has to be negotiated on foot. There are rest houses and hotels at the temple site but during peak period, it is difficult to  get proper accommodation unless advance reservation is made.

Petta Thullal ( devotional dance):

Petta thullal performed by devotees at Erumali on way to the temple is  an important traditional custom. According to belief, Petta thullal is a joyful dance performed on knowing that  the terrible demoness Mahishi has been killed by Ayyappa and that it is the victory of virtue over evil. After the prayer and offerings, the pilgrims walk towards the  mosque  of Vavar nearby and receive sacred ash from the Muslim priest. This is actually a demonstration of religious harmony.

Mothers' Depression

Mothers’ depression adversely affects kids with epilepsy

A new study has found that maternal depression adversely affects quality of life in children with epilepsy.
Canadian researchers examined the prevalence of maternal depression and its impact on children newly diagnosed with epilepsy.
They found that prevalence of depression in mothers ranged from 30pc-38pc within the first 24 months following a child's epilepsy diagnosis.
The mother's depressive symptoms negatively impacted the child's health-related quality of life.
Prior studies have shown that families of a child with epilepsy experience significantly more stress, anxiety, and restrictions in family life. Mothers, in particular, are at greatest risk for psychological distress or depression in response to their child's epilepsy, as they are often the primary caregivers for their children.
To determine the prevalence of maternal depression, researchers surveyed 339 mothers whose children were part of the Health-related Quality of Life of Children with Epilepsy Study (HERQULES).
The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale was used to assess the maternal risk of clinical depression; at baseline, 38pc of mothers were at risk, 30pc at 6 months, 32pc at 12 months, and 30pc at 24 months.
In further analysis of the same 339 mother-child pairs from the HERQULES cohort, the researchers assessed the mothers' depressive symptoms, the children's health-related quality of life and severity of epilepsy.
Results showed that children of mothers with elevated levels of depressive symptoms have poorer health-related quality of life than children of mothers with low levels of depression.
The study appeared online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy. (ANI)

Active Mind

It is said that an active mind makes a man live longer. And mind has a major to play with our health.
An active mind stimulates the body. It is just the reverse case with inert brains.
So the question is how to keep the brain active? Observe, read and think!
If possible write down.
Take a keen interest in people around you. Socialise and try to some community work.
Do not sit idle and brood over the past. You are not going to get anything out of it.

Healthy Living

You want to lead a healthy,happy and long life!
Then stop for a while; listen to what some senior citizens have to say.
B K S Iyengar,91, is a yoga expert based in Bangalore. He practises yoga for four hours daily. His advice to all is - Forget the past. Live in the present. Lead a healthy and happy life.
Dr D P Shettty is a Cardiologist. His advice - have a regulated life style. Never upset the biological clock.Wake up in the morning at the same time; eat at the same time; sleep at the same. Have a close watch on the following four aspects- diet,exercise,stress and weight control.
Kanakasabapathi is 78 years old. He runs 10 kms daily and then practices yoga for 30 minutes. Afterwards he  takes a glass of orange juice and 5 glasses of neem juice.
Dr A jayaprakash is a surgeon and Age Management Consultant. His recommendation for a healthy long life is - Good and healthy diet ;  avoid processed food.
Kasinath Singh ,92, is a magician.He wakes up 5 in the morning, practices yoga and prannayama. He adds - Have a hearty good laugh!
Kausalya Appa Rau is 80 years old. He advises moderation in every thing - diet, exercise and sleep.
Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/fitness/longlivelongetivity

Sea Route

 

It is believed that ancestors sailed the seas tens of thousands of years ago. .Archaeologists have discovered a set of tools used by them.

Axes and other tools, believed  to be between 130,000 and 700,000 years old, were found close to shelters on the south coast of the Mediterranean island of Crete.

Crete has been separated from the mainland of Greece for about five million years.
The findings are contrary to  the current view that our ancestors migrated to Europe from Africa by land alone.
The results of the survey, according to  the Greek culture ministry  provide evidence of sea voyages in the Mediterranean tens of thousands of years ago.
The tools were found during a survey of caves and rock shelters near the village of Plakias by archaeologists from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

If I had Wings …….

Tags: wings, flight, aero plane,

It was a Sunday early morning. I was sitting in the front portico of my house – ‘Green View.’ A cool fine breeze just swept over my face. I could see in the eastern horizon, sunrays just peeping out throwing a golden ring around.

I could hear the birds chirping. Just at that time two parrots just came and sat on the branch of the mango tree in front. The parrots started ‘chatting.’ A squirrel just ran in front of me and jumped on to the tree. The parrots flew out and disappeared into the surroundings.

What a lovely sight! I drooped into a pensive mood. Oh! God, if I had wings, I could have also flown out to the sky just like the parrots, I thought. No traffic jam, no pollution, no diesel, no petrol, no maintenance. Definitely a free bird!

November 21, 1783, a bright sunny day. Two French men flew in a hot air balloon over Paris. The flight just lasted 25 minutes. This is considered to be man’s first flight. Almost

100 years later, in 1891, Otto Lilienthol, a German built gliders (aero plane without an engine) and made a number of flights. Unfortunately during one of his flights, he met with an accident and died on the spot.

It was in 1903 that Oriville and Wilburn Wright, two American brothers designed and manufactured an aero plane with a petrol engine. Heir maiden flight was a failure. But on December 17, they succeeded in their attempt and could fly. The plane with Oriville at the control flew into the air and landed after a flight of twelve seconds.

Vast development has taken place in the aviation industry.. Now there are commercial planes of large carrying capacity which can fly at supersonic speed. Example: Airbus 380, Cruising speed 1023 km/h, carrying capacity- 853 passengers on single class.

Learn About Antioxidants and How They Can Improve Your Skin

Free radicals are major cause of ageing. They can be neutralized by taking antioxidants which breakdown free radicals. The most effective antioxidants are vitamins A, C, E and the mineral selenium. The diet should be supplemented with antioxidants. They protect the skin from damage by keeping away oxygen molecules from eating collagen and elastin of the skin’s tissues. The main precipitating causes of   free radicals are sunlight, smoke, air pollution and mental stress. When free radicals damage skin cells, collagen breaks down and wrinkles formed.

The main antioxidants used in the skin care products are discussed herein.

Alpha Lipic Acid (ALA) is a powerful antioxidant. It is 400 times more powerful than vitamin C and E. When taken internally it helps in the production of cells and keeps  them to function more efficiently.

CoQ10 produces energy from glucose in our body cells. It is used in every cell of our  body. It serves as an electron transporter for mitochondria. It is important for health and survival.  A stressful life can reduce CoQ10.

Copper peptides activate collagen and elastin. It gives skin strength and flexibility.

Vitamin C is another antioxidant. It builds up collagen and elastin. Vitamin C is unstable. Vitamin C-Ester is more stable but has to undergo changes so as to benefit the skin. L-ascorbic is a particular form of vitamin C and is more useful. It should be used at 2% strength.

Vitamin E is also another skin antioxidant. It is effective in the oil part of cell. It protects against damage from ultra violet rays.

Kinetin delays the destruction of skin fibroblasts. It is taken from plant extract.

Nayad is a patented ingredient from the cellular wall of baker’s yeast. It improves the moisture in the skin by 27%, appearance of wrinkles by 56% and elasticity by 74%.The skin will look young with the daily use of this.

Pycnogenol is another antioxidant. It is twenty times more powerful than vitamin C and fifty times more powerful than vitamin E. It works against free radicals in the water and oil phase of cells. It helps in creating a more youthful skin. Pycnogenol is called “ the magic bullet of free radicals.” It is top of all antioxidants that are currently in the market.

It is   necessary to know the ingredients of the skin care products of daily use.

                        

Karma Yoga

Karama Yoga can be interpreted as the path of  ‘union through action.’

It is the science of attaining perfection through action. Lord Krishna advises Arjuna to give up his misgivings and sorrows and do his righteous duty of fighting against the injustice without consideration of personal desires, likes or dislikes.

In Bhagavat Gita Krishna says ‘O Arjuna! Surrender all your works into me, with full knowledge of me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship and free from lethargy fight’.

It is believed that practice of Karma Yoga in daily life makes an individual fit, sharpen his reasoning power and develop his mental capabilities through action and meditation.

Practice of Karma Yoga

A karma yogi should have non-attachment to the fruits of his action. Non-attachment brings freedom from fear and sorrow. One can serve the humankind in different ways. He need not be a rich person. If one finds a poor, old and sick person lying on the road,

 give him some thing to eat and then take him to a nearby hospital for treatment. A family person can be a karma yogi by dedicating all his services to the good of his family, his neighbors and other members of the society at large.

While Hatha yoga concentrates on the physical well being of a human being, Bhakhthi yoga on spiritual realization of God, Karma Yoga caters for both physical and mental aspects.

Links:

http://www.brighthub.com/society/religion-spirituality/articles/91282.aspx

http://expertscolumn.com/content/sixtyone61-be-young-sixteen16

Brisk Walking – The best form of Exercise

Walking is the best form of exercise – for both young and old. It is natural, easy and fit for the whole family. It is a powerful therapeutic tool to control tension, high blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol, back ache etc.

Hippocrates, considered to be the father of modern medicine has said that walking is the best form of medicine. According to World Health Organization (WHO), ‘A walker loses weight, lowers cholesterol, reduces conditions associated with hypertension, and slows ageing, increases strength and flexibility.’

Time and Place to Walk

Morning Walk: Morning time is considered to be the best time to walk as both the mind and body will be fresh after a night’s sleep.

Walk to work: If your residence is near to your place of work, walk to your office. If your office is quite far away, walk to the nearest bus or rail station.

Park the car away: If you are going by car to your office or market, park the car slightly away and then walk.

Use of lift: Avoid using lift to the nearby upper floors; instead use the stair.

Evening Walk: If time permits, have a walk in the evening. It is the best time to ponder over the day’s activities and plan for the next day’s work.

Walk in a group: Get few friends together and walk regularly. This will give a chance to motivate and get some to exchange ideas.

Old Age and Walking

Ageing is a natural process; it can’t be stopped. The old saying ‘Time and tide wait for no man‘is  perfectly apt. But  ageing can be delayed to a certain extent by following the art of living principles and changing the life style.. People should take corrective steps from early childhood itself.

It is told that old age puts more wrinkles on our minds rather than on the faces.

However it is never too late to start.

Advantages of walking

-         burns extra calories and helps  in maintaining body weight

-         improves cardiovascular fitness

-         improves muscle endurance

-         increase HDL  cholesterol

-         reduces psychological stress

-         guards against heart diseases

-         slows  ageing process

-         can help in maintaining blood sugar at the optimum level

-         helps to strengthen muscles  around joints

-         it is the natural way to cope with stress; helps in reducing anxiety and mood swing

New Sensor for Scour Assessment

Scour is the erosion of soil around a structure due to flow of water around it. This is responsible for many critical failures of structures like bridges. Scour has been linked to approximately 60 percent of the bridge failures in the United States, according to the Federal Highway Administration.

As such information about scour will help the engineers to take necessary steps to reduce the effects of scour.

A new sensor, called in situ Scour Evaluation Probe (ISEP) has been developed by engineers of North Carolina State University which can assess the scour potential of soils at various depths.   “The ISEP’s ability to measure scour potential at different depths helps to predict how the soil will behave in the future as a support media, as various layers of soil are eroded or scoured,”  says Dr. Mo Gabr, a professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC  State University.
The ISEP will also allow end-users  to perform scour assessment more frequently because they will not have to take physical samples to a lab for analysis.
Reference: “In Situ measurement of the scour potential of non-cohesive sediments (ISEP)”, Cary Caruso, Mohammed Gabr, North Carolina State University,Presented on: Nov. 8, 5th International Conference on Scour and Erosion in San Francisco, Calif.

Green Computing

Green computing is considered as the study, design, manufacture, use and dispose off computers, servers and other peripherals such as monitors, printers efficiently and effectively with minimal impact on the environment. The objectives of green computing are to increase energy efficiency, reduce the use of hazardous materials and encourage the biodegradability of the used and rejected products.
Standards and Regulations
Many government organizations have formulated standards and regulations to encourage green computing. Under the extended product responsibility, manufacturers are required to gather and recycle old equipments.
The Green Grid is a global consortium for propagating energy efficiency in data centers and business computing ecosystems. Some leading players in the field like AMD, APC, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Sun Micro systems are members of the consortium.
Approaches to Green Computing
Power Management
- Power supply
- Storage
- Video card
- Display
Material Recycling
Algorithmic efficiency
Product longetivity
Resource allocation
Recommended Computer Usage
The work habits of the computer users should be changed to reduce the adverse effects on the global environment. These are:
-Switch off the computer during extended periods of inactivity.
-Switch on printers when required only.
-Use LCD monitors instead of CRT monitors
-Use lap top and note book computers rather than desk tops.
-Reduce the use of paper
-Dispose e-waste according to the government regulations
-Use alternative energy to the maximum extent possible
Reduced energy use can lower the carbon dioxide emission and also the energy bill.
Energy consumption of a typical computer:
Desk top PC: 200 watts
19 in monitor 150 watts
Laser printer 100 watts

 

Save Energy – Save the Planet

 Shut down your computer:

Considerable energy can be saved if the computers are   shut down when not in use.

 Cover the vessels when cooking:

 By covering the vessels when cooking, heat will stay inside the vessel, leading to saving of energy.

Use LED lights:

Instead of ordinary bulbs, use LED lights. This will reduce the energy consumption. This will also lead to saving in electricity charges and also saving in purchase of lights as  LED lights last longer. The heat released to the atmosphere will also be reduced.

Plant trees:

Plant more trees in the surroundings depending on the availability of space. A tree is supposed to absorb one ton of carbon di oxide in its lifetime. The shade provided will make the environment cooler and thus reduces the consumption of electricity for the air conditioners up to 15%.

 Use clothesline instead of a dryer.

One dryer releases an average of 500 kgs of carbon di oxide into the atmosphere every year. If you use a clothesline for drying, you will be able to reduce considerable amount of carbon di oxide release and also reduce the energy consumption.

  www.beingearthly.com/small_steps.html

 2 February 2011

The Mad man of Naranath

Grandma’s Storey:

 

Once upon a time there lived in a small village a person called the Mad man of Narnath. He lived alone and led a happy life.

 One day he decided to celebrate his birthday in a grand scale. He invited all his neighbors for the feast.

 He went to the nearby market and purchased all the materials-rice, vegetables, jaggery, oil and other condiments. He also hired the services of two cooks.

He realized that he was short of vessels for cooking. He approached his neighbors and requested them to lend him some vessels for a couple of days.

 All his guests arrived on the birthday and enjoyed a sumptuous and tasty food. They thanked Naranath for his hospitality.

 Since the borrowed vessels were not returned after few days, some neighbors came to his house and enquired about their vessels. He told them he would be returning the vessels with in next two or three days.

 As promised, Naranath went to his neighbors houses and returned the borrowed vessels. I n addition, he also gave each of them another small vessel of the same type. When enquire about the additional vessel, he told them he had kept their vessels in an underground cellar in his house. When he opened the cellar to take back the vessels, he found the small vessels also. According to him, these were babies of the original vessels. The neighbors were extremely happy to receive an additional vessel and profusely thanked Naranath for his benevolence.

 After few months, Naranath decided to celebrate the death anniversary of his father. As before, he invited all his neighbors for the anniversary.

This time also he borrowed vessels from his neighbors. They were extremely pleased to give him the required vessels on loan since he had given them additional baby vessels in the earlier occasion.

After the feast was over, Naranath collected all the borrowed vessels, went to the nearby market and sold all of them. He could earn a good amount from the sale.

 Since the neighbors did not get back their vessels given on loan even after a week, they approached Naranth and requested him to return their vessels.

 He told them that he was extremely sorry as he was not in a position to return their vessels. He told them he had kept their vessels in the cellar in his house. When he opened the cellar to give them back their vessels, to his utter dismay he found that all the vessels were dead. He expressed his deep sorrow on the death of their vessels.

 The neighbors were extremely angry and asked him as how their vessels could die ?

They all went in unison to the village court and lodged their complaint. The court asked Naranath to explain his conduct and ordered to return the vessels.

Naranath humbly and politely explained his case. He told the court that in the earlier occasion, he had returned the original vessels of his neighbors along with additional baby vessels. This time also he had kept the vessels in his cellar and when he opened it to return the vessels, to his utter dismay and sorrow, all the vessels had died.

 He prayed to the court that he was in no way responsible for the incident. He told that  as birth was natural, so was death.

The court dismissed the appeal of his neighbors.

It is told that Naranath lived happily for many more years.