CONTAIN Negativity in Your Life

Each one of us in life is governed by some emotions driven by our behaviour and response to the situation  We call them positive or negative emotions.

Happiness, calmness,benevolence, love, kindness are some of the positive emotions; while stress, anxiety, hatred, bitterness and anger are called as negative emotions. 

While we gain immensely physically and mentally from positive emotions, we are always losers going for negative emotions. We find that our mind is the source for all emotions so it is better to keep our mind at ease always. 

What we must do is to increase our mental capacity and awareness to read all situations coming to our life intelligently and judiciously. We must realize that the challenges are many in our life due to so much adversity and callousness all around us. While dealing with them we must practice utmost control upon us and convert those situations in favour with our positive behaviour. In this way we shall find that if we learn to check our emotions in extreme situations and choose appropriate solutions for the situations we shall be the gainer in the end. 

To achieve  this we must exercise assertiveness training more and more in our life. This will inculcate in us in us such of the qualities, like being respectful to others, not blaming others and minimizing the chances to harm anybody.   

As I have told earlier that a strong mind and strong body will have more capacity to face any situation and deal with any problem it will be beneficial to follow such methods which may enhance our physical and mental capacity.   

Some of which are given below---  

1. To follow Yoga postures     
2. To practice breathing and relaxation exercises                  
3. To practice meditation      
4. Exercise regularly               
5. Seek professional help, whenever required.

O' traveler of life!

O'  traveler of life!

You keeping moving ahead...

Never look back,

and never be slow.

Virtuous you are

Overcome the obstacles,

with courage and self belief

Break all shackles

You, the dedicated soul,

Keep eyes on your goal.

You have to  resolve

allowing the faith to evolve.

Always keep in mind

nothing is impossible in this world.

Your whole-hearted effort will never lose its' sheen;

There is no doubt you will win.

Yoga: The Magic Mantra for a Healthy Heart

What is Yoga?                 

Yoga is a way of life of self-discipline or simply the art of living. It is the integrated system of an education for the body; the mind and the inner spirit.

Practices of Yoga

There are spiritual as well as scientific path/ practices of Yoga.  Spiritual practices are ‘Karma Yoga’,  ‘Gnyana Yoga’ and ‘Bhakti Yoga’. The scientific practice is ‘Raja Yoga’.

Today we discuss more about the scientific one i.e. ‘Raja Yoga’. ‘Raja Yoga’ again has 8 elements that relate to inner realisation and physical postures/practices.

The physical practices contain elements like Asanas and Pranayam exercises. There is another practice named Meditation which relates to mental concentration. All of the above practices have distinct features which can be followed for physical and mental upliftment.

Asanas

There are many Asanas called Yogasanas.  These are different postures of the body. Asanas teach a person about the movements i.e. most appropriate for the individual.  Yogasanas when performed in a slow, relaxed and proper manner tends to develop more than just the body. The Yogasanas help in the following manner –

• A gentle stretch lubricate the joints giving steadiness and comfort to soothe the muscles, ligaments and tendons.
• Helps to tone the nervous system.
• Helps to enhance the mental and spiritual capability reducing stress and anxiety.
• Reduces body's toxic burden by tacking the waste removal system ( skin, kidney, liver and other organs.
• Inefficient functioning of muscles are corrected.
• A healthy body nourishes the immune system of the body.

Pranayam

These are breathing control exercises and helps to regulate one's breathing in accordance with the capacity of lung function. There are various methods of Pranayams being practiced  One of them is called the 'Nadi Shuddhi Pranayam'. 

In brief the practice is as follows- 

                          

1. Sit in chin pose i.e. straight posture( back bone) straight.
2. Put your hands straight, elbow straight, palms touching the knees, thumbs touching the index fingers.
3. Ensure your nostrils are clear and can practice normal breathing.
4. Put your right thumb on right nostril to block and inhale through the left nostril for 4 seconds or count 1,2,3,4.
5. Put ring finger on left nostril to block and exhale through right nostril for 8 seconds or count 1to8.
6. Again inhale through right nostril counting 1to4.
7. Exhale through left nostril counting1to8.
8. Now take your hands back clasping your palms.
9. Deep inhale and bend forward.
10. Now exhaling come back to your posture.
11. Rub your palms vigorously and put the palms over your eyes.
12. Spread fingers and slowly open your eyes.

Note- Breathing cycles may be repeated 10 to 20 times as desired.

SWEET PRISTINE

Twilight was assuming its role,

I was taking my evening stroll,

in a garden, at a place,

Quite unknown to me to trace.

The day was rainy  

   

and surroundings soggy.

                             

I found a pond there

    

surrounded by bushy flowers.

I encountered a southern beauty,

           

so white and so sweetie!!

                          

Blossoming in thousands, at a place 

    

strewn like a velvety lace.

                                  

The carpet like look enchanted me.

                 

It's amazing a real.....    Beauty

                            

As I started to approach near, 

             

I was greeted with a smell so dear. 

     

That moment, the pleasure it brought, 

       

unable to speak what I got !!!    

          .                 

I wished to call them now, 

                          ...

not knowing what and how…

          .                     

Suddenly I murmured…   

        

“It is pure. it is clean"

This is “Sweet pristine"

Spare a Thought for the Poor Farmer

The growing number of farmer suicides is alarming and deeply saddening. Agriculture is the backbone of any economy and especially in a nation with a billion plus population to feed, this condition of farmers is regretful and unfortunate. What is behind their plight? Why they are driven to the brink of bankruptcy? What makes them end their lives and why do their crops fail?

In the prevailing scenario, the small and marginal farmers are worst affected falling prey to the vicious trap of private loan sharks.  Few reasons for this pitiable condition are summarized as below 

1. Failure of institutional finance by Govt recognized banking system despite RBI guidelines for subsidized finance at 7percent per annum, by allocating upto 18percent of their total lending for agrisector.  But the whole system of working is steeped in corruption and mismanagement forcing the farmers falling into the trap of private moneylenders.

2. Non recognition of self help groups as financial institutions which could have helped to remove the dependency on unrecognized moneylenders.

3. Absence of an integrated farming system policy.

4. Linking of agriloans to gold mortgage by the banks ( which should be delinked)

5. Need to ensure remunerative price for farmer's produce. Take for instance the sugarcane factories that are not crushing the sugarcane in time and payment to farmers are much delayed.

The bigger question however is how can the condition of farmers be improved and how can they be rescued from this debt-trap. here are some recoomendations for the same:

1. Agriculture has a significant role in socio-economic fabric of India. Agriculture and allied sectors constitutes for 13.7 percent of GDP. Indian agriculture is diverse, from impoverished village farms to developed farms with modern techniques. Small and marginal Farmers constitute 80 percent of Indian farmers. Small farmers hold 2-5 h.a.and Marginal farmers less than 2h.a. agriculture land only. A report from NCEUS says that it is imperative to protect the interests of small farmers through measures that promote and stabilize income,reduce risks increase profitability by improving availability and access to inputs,market and credit.

2. Traditional Farming   This sector is having the lowest per capita productivity and farmer income. Here the farmer access to market is hampered by  

a-Poor rural roads 

b-Poor irrigation systems 

c-Regional floods 

d-Inadequate farming practices 

e-Lack of cold storage

f -Harvest spoilage (30 percent farm produce goes waste) 

g-Lack of organized retail  (A census establishes that Indian farmers receive just 10-23percent of the price Indian consumer pays. The difference goes to losses,inefficiencies and middlemen. Whereas farmers in developed economies get 64-81 percent of what a cosumer pays for the produce.)

3 -Role of Government: It is essential for Indian Govt to build productive ,competitive and diversified agri-sector and facilitate non farm entrepreneurship and employment policies.    A census of year 2012 says that 11.2 percent of all suicides in India involved farmers only. The main reasons were found to be monsoon failures, debt burden/ govt policies,personal and family problems.

4. Extension Program and Services of Agri universities: Each university has got a dept. for extension programmes which are basically established for agri research, educating farming communities to use agricultural technologies for social and economic development of farmers.  There are farm media and mobile media services  but all these are found on.papers only with out much impact on ground.

5. Suggestions to farmers: Small and marginal farmers should themselves come forward to improve their situation not depend upon mercies of others. They should believe in themselves and realize that 'God helps them who help themselves'. They can form village cooperatives and channelize all their efforts collectively to usher in benefits to improve their condition.

Farmers are true annadatas or the provider of food for the nation and the world. They must not starve, only then they can satisfy the hunger of people. We must do something substantial for them, else we are heading towards an imminent doom, very soon.

Picture Source:DNA India.

YOU CAN BEAT YOUR SEDENTARY LIFE STYLE TO STAY FIT AND HEALTHY

We are in an era where technology determines our choices, our preferences and our lifestyle  In other words technology has become part and parcel of our lives The remote controlled devices, elevators and cars may have made our life easy but have created few lifestyle issues as well. The sedentary lifestyle at work and after work has created issues and unhealthy options.  

From the seat of vehicle to the office chair and returning to the couch at home means prolonged sitting and very little displacement daily and the medical experts say it is too insufficient to keep you healthy and may risk to diabetes  and other lifestyle diseases like hypertension. Doctors say that in such cases energy expenditure is negligible and all carbohydrates consumed starts to transform into fat and get deposited all over. This in turn causes resistance to insulin in the body. Hypertension is one of the most common lifestyle diseases the working professionals are facing.

But what I am going to emphasize is that with our conscious efforts it is still possible to live healthy. We can get back to our healthy lifestyle while reaping benefits of technology. It will require some judicious changes in our attitudes towards our life. 

Simply pick up some healthy tips to stay active and fit! 

Change Your Attitude

These tips are very simple and is related to small changes in your attitude, your diet and a few regular simple physical activities.  

Suppose you start taking steps instead of lifts; making a simple habit of some walking daily; a little stroll after your daily dinner; avoiding continuous sitting in office chair and at home are some changes in your daily attitude which will make you feel healthy.

Keep a Tab on Weight

The second tip I am giving is regarding your body weight. I shall suggest that you regularly check your body weight. Increased body weight is responsible for many body related problems. Your body wt is related to your Body Mass Index(BMI). You can calculate your BMI from a simple formula given below-
                  
1-Take. Your wt in kgs;   
2-Take your height in Mts;
3 - BMI = Weight in Kgs./Height in Meters²

Ideal BMI should be 21 to 22. Your body wt should not go beyond 10 percent more in ideal case. Beyond that it is obese. So always try to control your body wt to remain healthy.

Right Diet

My third tip is regular healthy diet combined with regular physical activity and keeping away from unhealthy habits like smoking and consuming alcohol. First of all I shall talk about your diet   A well balanced nutritious diet should be your choice. Diets high in fats and sugar are not good for your health. We must take combination of fruits, leafy and green vegetables. We must avoid red meat. Chicken and fish are good for health. Always try to keep sugar intake to minimum.  Also remember that your health and body shape  depends upon digestion of your food One cannot benefit from the nutrients in the food if they are not fully broken down. So by learning to eat properly one can ensure that our body maximizes the energy and vitamins it gets from food. 
To achieve this i am producing 11 tips for your guidance-                        
1- Chew every mouthful 30 to 40 times.                              
2- Always remember not to take water while eating.   
3-Have kings breakfast and paupers dinner.  
4- Avoid eating raw food in the night.     
5- Light meals and snacks are good in the night.   
6- Never eat when you are stressed or rushed.  
7- Try to burn calories a bit everyday.  
8- Eat more alkaline foods and less acidic foods. Avoid junk foods  
9- Stop just before you think that you are full  your tip is avoid over eating leaving space for water.  
10- Prefer to eat green leafy.vegetables and seasonal fruits as these are full of antioxidants which helps to protect your body cells against free radicals responsible for many effects of ageing and are related to heart diseases and cancer.      
11-Make your habit to take plenty of water daily helping to detoxify your body.

Workout

My next tip is regular daily regular physical activities.  Apart from  your daily routine activities at home and work place moderate activities like brisk walking must become your daily habit and routine.  You must spare sometime preferably in the morning. A daily 4-5 km walk daily will burn your daily calories and will keep you fit Also you may associate with some breathing exercises and a little yoga any time at any place. 

In conclusion, I can assure you that if you try to follow my tips with conviction you will surely to be benefited.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS DUE TO ALARMING LEVEL of POLLUTION in BENGALURU LAKE BODIES

According to reports; three major lakes-Varthur,Bellandur and Challaghatta of Bengaluru recieve more than 500 million litres of untreated waste daily.The environmentalists and ecologists have raised their concern towards the worsening situation. The recent living incidents of Varthur and Bellandur lakes will explain how water pollution has become environmental catastrophe inviting danger to human life and other natural biological population in the form of plants and animals.
                   
Unbridled toxins are being released in the form of untreated sewage water for a long time in Varthur lake. The concentration of pollutants has created a dangerous situation. The high phosphate level mixed with urine concentration is creating formation of heavy froth and foam.

The untreated sewage and waste from detergent industries dumped in the Bellandur  lake is reported to have caught fire.According to a team of researchers from Indian Institute of Science ( IISC) fire has been due to the large amount of industrial effluents present in the water body. These effluents resulted in the formation of froth which eventually caught fire on 16th May 2015.The reports further go to explain that Bellandur lake, the 200 yr old recognized water body and such other water bodies, are facing gradual death being choked by city sewage consisting of domestic and industrial effluents gradually turning the lakes into pool of filth with crust of foam and layers of weed.According to findings published in a study suggest that  the pathetic status of wet lands in Bengaluru are epitome of insufficient and uncoordinated governance. In fact when these water bodies were transferred from forest department to the civic bodies the situation started to worsen.Rampant corruption, callous attitude  mismanagement and utter negligence has brought the situation to what we are witnessing today. The follow up actions of government bodies still are insufficient and slow The bio remedial rejuvenation scheme of government started 3 years ago has had no significant effect,The alarming. proportions suggest the actions of Govt have to be on war footing.

The people living in the affected areas are scared and worried for their health for the fear of spread of skin.and respiratory diseases. 

• Few suggestions or steps required to be taken-    
• Identify the sources polluting the water bodies.
• Serve notices on violating the norms.
• Take immediate action to stop further discharge in the lakes.
• Ensure operation of sewage water treatment plants is compulsory.
• Strictly monitor the actions and enforce the safety provisions.
• Dredging the lakes and removal pf pollutants and weeds from lakes.

Lakes are built upon aquifers. If unchecked, the pollution of lakes is bound to pollute the ground water.

Climatic Change and Global Warming

Scientists all over the world are saying that climatic change impacts are going to get a lot worse in the near future. As the planet continues to warm, extreme weather events are on the rise and their intensity is also increasing. It makes it more extreme and disturbs established patterns inviting more disasters in future. The global warming is one of the main reasons for such climatic changes and natural disasters. 

Many of us do not have clear knowledge about global warming. It is the increase in Earth's average surface temperature including oceans due to effects of green house gases such as carbon dioxide gas emission and its concentration beyond permissible limits. Its effects are widespread, which we are experiencing right from arctic region to retreat of glaciers, rise in sea levels and expansions of deserts. Other likely effects are heat waves, droughts, heavy rainfall, heavy snowfall, ocean acidification and ultimately extinction of species. 

Significant effects to humans include threats to food security and loss of habitat due to inundation. The recent. Floods in J&K, and Uttarakhand are glaring examples of the climatic disasters.

Today it  is a big challenge before all the countries how to prevent dangerous effects of climatic change and the UN has adopted resolution to this effect. As far as we are concerned we have a duty towards mitigation by emission reduction and building systems resilient to its effects.

Most simple way to contribute towards the cause is to plant more and more plants and increase green cover around us.  We must protect the forest cover and prevent its destruction.  We must educate the society to be more and more conscious to contribute towards preservation of the treasure of the nature and make our planet safe for living.

Pic. source: http://gp.org