ABHA IYENGAR I have been thinking a lot more this time about the New Year and the resolutions we make. They are all about what we consider as failings, or drawbacks, we have, and how we are going to change, for the better. I wonder if we ever think about praising ourselves for the good things that we are, or even for the changes that we have brought about over the years through our focus to becoming better people. If we do not, I believe we should. This should be the first step. Some of us may have thought about becoming more focused with our work and others less focused — it’s all about chan ..read more

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR One had always thought that global war, or the somber chronicle of religious strife, was over — a case of not just an allegory agreed upon, but old hash. But history, or war, isn’t over as yet. This is because we still haven’t arrived at the magical intersection: the promised land of happiness, or harmonious coexistence, as prophesied by futuristic technologists or instant spiritualists. To cull just one example, as progressive socialists had ordained, the collapse of communism hasn’t yet led people to a nirvana — or, a safe democratic haven. Add to this the continuing spec ..read more

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR You are calm when you understand your own feelings. All of us can achieve such a state without being Zen masters by accepting others, their sensitivities and sensibilities. Remember, our fellow beings are just like us, our likes, dislikes or idiosyncrasies, moods, anger, and affection. When you begin to appreciate all our internal workings by the action of ‘cause and effect,’ you will also reduce your annoyance, worry, and lament. You will now reach a condition of ‘mindfully active’ quietude. You’d say that this sense of ‘perfection’ is for ascetics — not for us, ordinary f ..read more

ANDRE ZIZI Denis Waitley, PhD, the noted psychologist, was inspired by the visualisation process from the Apollo Mission. He implemented and used the programme during the 1980s and 1990s in the Olympics programme. This was called the Visual Motor Rehearsal [VMR]. According to Waitley, “The interesting thing about the mind is… we took Olympic athletes, and then hooked them up to sophisticated biofeedback equipment, and had them ‘run’ their event only in their mind.” Result? “Incredibly, the same muscles fired in the same sequence, when they were running the race in their mind… as when they wer ..read more

GAYATRI PAGDI Just as fire is a symbol of strength and power, water is the symbol of purity and life. Also, among the five great elements, or Panchamahabhutas, that Hinduism extols, the closest to man is water. For the Aryans, the earthly river was an extension of the divine waters that flowed from Heaven to Earth. Such manifestations of water included rivers, oceans, lakes, wells, fog, and also rain. The Rig Veda speaks of the deity, Aap, and the river, Saraswati, as the female form of water, while rain or Parjanya was considered male. While the rain was strong, when ..read more

ABHA IYENGAR Well, there it is. When the initial euphoria and passion are over, most relationships settle down into a period of contentment, acceptance and understanding. But, to reach such stage — of understanding and — contentment, a lot of adjustments are required. Two individuals have to learn to live with each other and each other’s respective idiosyncrasies — and, all of us have one, or the other. A case in point is your partner has to listen to loud music in order to sleep. You need to develop patience and understanding — more than that, what is needed is an attitude of gratitude. COUN ..read more

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR Consciousness is something that exists in its own identity. It may, therefore, be construed that it is distinct from all other objects, processes, energies, and even realities, the physics of science would reveal. More so, because, physicists do not mean anything that constitutes the substance — and, what is meant by the term, consciousness. It is a complex web, yes — one that is best caught with the comprehension of our Zen mind — especially with our analytical brains… just before our thought comes to achieve such an abstraction and goes beyond our mental capabilities ..read more

LOREDANA ORTIZ Picture this. Even if you are eating an ideal diet and you have access to the best, freshest organic produce, including legumes and whole grains on the living planet, there are still some nutrients that are essential to you that you are going to have a hard time getting. As we age, the body has a tough time absorbing certain nutrients, or producing certain nutrients, that at a younger age were readily available to manufacture within us. Also, when we age we seem to need certain select supplements more than, perhaps, a decade or two ago. Here goes… The basic structure of ..read more

RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR It was just over 50 years ago that the one and only John Wayne accepted the role of Major John Reisman in The Dirty Dozen, a spectacular, runaway blockbuster. He asked Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer [MGM] for certain script changes, albeit he pulled out of the project to make The Green Berets [1968]. He was replaced by Lee Marvin, who ‘lived’ the role, and did a marvellous job that Wayne would have been proud of. This was the most fascinating element — although with Wayne donning the part, the film would have been dexterously different and a refreshingly original ‘Wayne’ in a new bott ..read more

CHRISTINE LASCHKOLNIG Let’s change perspective: disease prevention from a holistic perspective is the promotion of health. In this sense it applies to our life 24 hours a day. There are many factors that contribute to a healthy body and soul. Hippocrates [460-375 BC], the father of medicine, taught: “Regularity in life is a sign of health. Irregular bodily functions or irregular life habits create unhealthy conditions.” Cutting-edge research of chronobiology demonstrates that all bodily functions follow an exact rhythm. To maintain a healthy and resistant body we should respect our inner cloc ..read more