Yo Yogi
September 2006
By Life Positive
Time out with Ananda
Connecting with God
Ananda was reading a book when Priyanka came running to him.
‘My mother often makes many decisions after praying to God, saying God guides her,’ she said. ‘I wonder, though. Does God really listen to our prayers and have the time to reply to each one of them?’ she asked, imagining God with a whole bunch of prayers, wondering which one to answer first.
‘Yes, he does, Priyanka. He listens to each one of us and replies too,’ replied Ananda.
Priyanka was not fully convinced.
Ananda walked to the end of the room and switched off the light.
‘See, it is dark now. Does this mean there is no electricity?’ he asked.
‘Of course not. You switched off the light,’ replied Priyanka, at once.
‘Exactly,’ said Ananda, with a smile.
‘God is always present and connected to us like the electricity in this house which is connected to each bulb. However, just as we need to switch on the light to activate the connection, we need to switch on our connection with God.’
‘Of course, some people hear His voice more clearly than others,’ he continued. ‘Just as a 100-watt bulb emits more light that a zero-watt bulb, a person who has made himself a better human being will always hear His voice more clearly and emit better light and power through the same connection,’ he explained.
Tousling her hair, he whispered, ‘Let me tell you a little secret. Children like you can easily become 100 watts with just a bit of effort.’
Priyanka brightened, looking well on her way to increasing her wattage.
Technique
Breathe in, Breathe out
When tense or angry, we are often told that breathing in deeply helps us to calm down.
Maybe you have even tried it.
Well, pranayama in yoga is just that. The basic principle is to breathe in deeply to take in plenty of oxygen and breathe out fully to release all our stress and tension. This simple technique strengthens the immune system which means you will not fall sick often, calms the mind, which means you are less likely to lose your cool, helps you have better concentration and focus, which obviously means better performance in all your activities.
Try practicing by breathing in deeply through your nostrils, filling your belly and abdomen and releasing your breath slowly, again through the nostrils. This is really very easy – in fact, this is exactly how babies breathe!
So, don’t wait to get angry… try to make breathing deeply a regular habit
Laugh Out Loud
Why is it against the law for a man living in North Delhi to be buried in South Delhi?
Answer: Because the man is still living
What came first, the chicken or the egg?
Answer: Dinosaurs laid eggs, much before there were chickens
What in an automobile engine serves no purpose but without it the engine does not work?
Answer: Noise
Bedtime Ritual
All of us are whole, complete and perfect, but quite often, we do not feel as if we are. And when our friends laugh at us, or our parents scold us, or we fail in an exam, we begin to feel bad about ourselves. So here is what you need to do. Before you go to sleep, while you are lying in bed, take a few nice, long breaths. Tell yourself, ‘I am whole, perfect and complete,’ 20 times. This will change the way your subconscious thinks about you and you will always feel good about yourself!
Poems that Please
The Two ‘R’s
My child, you should know it’s often true,
That I have learnt so much from you.
From the time as a baby nestled in my arms,
Gurgling or wailing, displaying baby charms!
You’d hear my step and recognize my voice,
And you’d respond to me with a smile so joyous
That I couldn’t wait to hold you close
And press my face against your baby folds.
I remember being ill and you were just nine,
Holding me close, you said I’d be fine.
I needed ‘mothering’ and you recognized that need
And responded to it with your loving deed.
Remember when your cousin came home last year?
Seeing that dark room, she was filled with fear!
You went in first and switched on the light.
Wanting to make her feel secure and all right.
You loved to be read to! I remember you then!
The books we’ve bought! And now a journal and a pen.
As a baby you heard and now you’ve begun to write.
Beginnings as a writer. Future opportunities bright.
There’s that ‘Divine Touch’ given to us at birth.
‘Recognizing and Responding’ to Life on earth.
May it last you, my child, your whole life through
Bloom with a fullness in all you think and do!
May that age-old wisdom of Recognition and Response.
Sparkle in my heart in a slow, graceful dance.
So that I too may know what you really need,
To help you grow into a tree from a tiny seed.
Archana Savnal
( Courtesy: The Chitrapur Sunbeam)
Kudos
Skating for a Better World
Shreshtha Gaur, a young skating champ, is also an excellent student and classical singer. Above all, she is a courageous crusader.
When she was seven years old, Shreshtha was shocked to learn that the maid who worked in their house was about to marry off her daughter, who was as old as Shreshtha.
She managed to persuade the maid to postpone the marriage. And she didn’t stop there. Realizing how serious the problem was – with girl children being neglected and even killed – she rode on roller skates, her passion, to launch a campaign.
‘Don’t kill your girls. Send your daughters to school. May be, one of them will become Kalpana Chawla or Sania Mirza or Kiran Bedi. If not that, she can at least become like me,’ Shreshtha tells crowds that gather to see her.
She has, so far, skated for over 250 km on pot-holed roads to spread the message of caring for the girl child. And she has won 95 national level medals, including 70 gold ones.
Shreshtha was one of the ‘Beacons of Hope’ selected by Outlook magazine in 2005.
Did you know?
Camels can Survive for About Two Weeks without drinking, but when they do find water these guzzling mammals can drink 100 liters in five minutes!
Some people think that camels carry water in their humps, but in fact they are used to store fat, which they live on if food and water are in short supply. If a camel doesn’t eat or drink for a long while, the fat reserves get used up and their humps get smaller. Their humps also help them keep cool as they absorb the sun’s heat.
Look at the ingenious way the Divine equips each species for its particular habitat. So why worry? We are sure to be taken care of.