Monday, June 23, 2014

Transformation



From an egg to a caterpillar, to a cocoon and eventually unfurling into a butterfly, this tiny creature goes through an impressive process of metamorphosis and hailed as a 'symbol of transformation', The tiny creature conveys a symbolic lesson when she asks us to accept the changes in our lives as casually as she does, to embrace the changes in one's environment and body. If a human were to go through such changes, he would perhaps end up a wreck!

Fortunate are those blessed to have a Guru, who facilitates human transformation in his own gentle, yet mysterious ways with wisdom and grace.

Join the Guru Purnima celebrations with over 120 GuruPuja Pundits at Talkotra Stadium, Delhi and express gratitude to the Guru Parampara with a devotional flavor of Ram Amrit in the offerings. Click the link below for a video clip

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXkTx2-m8g8

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Why do I have a string in my finger?



Brain fog:

In the previous Century when landlines were in vogue, people could recall several names and numbers with STD codes effortlessly. This scenario has changed. With the emergence of cell phones and portable devices, the memory storage has been conveniently out sourced to the gadgets! These gadgets store reams of personal information resulting in our brains being under-stimulated. 

Our growing reliance on electronic devices for even the simplest tasks is perhaps dulling our minds. People are now prone to forget boring, yet important details.  They tend to forget addresses, passwords, phone numbers and birthdays.  Research studies attribute this to medications, antidepressants, antihistamines, smoking, illicit drugs, sleep deprivation, nutritional deficiency (especially in vitamin B1 and B12) head injury and strokes.

Let’s not take it hard. In a scenario where we are flooded with huge amounts of information, the brain is not able to process everything at once. Even though it has a memory folder, if we don't make a special effort to remember the facts, they will only have a short shelf-life. A great way to remember boring facts is to construct a short and simple story. If you connect a memory to something else, you never forget, like:  “my daughter’s birthday is a week after the new year".  Suppose you need to remember a password number 968517 you can imagine a story in which a 96-year old grandfather married to an 85-year old dame, has 17 grandchildren!
Sometimes, after locking up the house on the way out, you don't remember and doubt yourself if you turned the gas stove off, or switched off lights inside.   It will be much easier to remember if you have something else to recall.  Every time you turn off the stove, say loudly: "I turned off the stove" to yourself!

Most people learn visually instead of orally, which explains why we usually remember faces but are quite bad with names. There are times you run into someone you met a few days ago, but you already forgot their name! This is one of the most common memory problems. Next time you meet someone new, look at them really well and repeat their name for yourselves at least three times. Use it in the conversation, as we tend to remember those better than just names.

You don't remember where you put the keys, glasses, wallet or your sun glasses. This is usually an attention problem. When we go into the house in a huff, while lost in thought or maybe talking on the phone, our mind wanders ; as  usual, if we don't make it clear to the brain that we must remember . Therefore add an action to the putting down and say: "This is where I'm putting my keys, on the armchair of the sofa." It will give you important clues later of where to look for. A better way would be to keep a large bowl next to the entry door, where you drop off these items.

You are having a hard time remembering words, names of books, actors and old tunes?  This is a universal problem and it gets worse the older we get. Let go of stress, it is the killer of memory. Clear your head and focus only on the words you are trying to find. Sometimes, the word seems to be right on the tip of our tongue, but we can't get to it as the actual biological pathway in the brain to that word is blocked.  No amount of 'trying to remember' will help. You have to find a way around. When we’re trying to find the word 'University', it's right on the tip of our tongue, but we can't remember it exactly. Try then to think of: 'college', 'student', 'municipality' and so on. These will help approach the word from a different direction or path!

It is encouraging that many institutions across the globe now appreciate a very useful tool from our ancient wisdom viz.  Mindfulness Meditation, as a supplemental tool in the task of clearing the brain fog.


Dr.Arun Madhavan

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

What stops us from creating the Panchavati ambiance in our homes?





Was at a wedding ceremony at a location named Panchavati. The venue was handpicked by the bridal couple who were impressed by its ambiance. In brief interaction for blessings, we asked the couple about their understanding of Panchavati. They replied that according to legend, it was the dwelling place of Ram and Sita during their vanvas. Here is what we shared with them further.

There is a metaphorical significance behind the name. Panchavati, as the name goes, was the abode of 5 banyan trees. Each of them exuding the consciousness of 5 virtues that liberate humans- viz: Truth, Contentment, Compassion, Humility and Love. Little wonder that Ram adored such an ambiance and decided to pitch his camp right there!

What stops us from creating the Panchavati ambiance in our homes?