Bade acche lagte hai!

Just love the serial "Bade Acche lagte hain "on Sony Tv ...a pure,matured,lovely romance....brings tears to my eyes whenever I watch it :)

Interesting Quotes

A lost battle is a battle one thinks one has lost.

Everything has been figured out, except how to live.

Hell is other people.

I do not believe in God; his existence has been disproved by Science. But in the concentration camp, I learned to believe in men.

If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.

Life has no meaning the moment you loose the illusion of being eternal.

Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does.

No finite point has meaning without an infinite reference point.

We do not judge the people we love.

It is never too late to ask yourself, “ Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?” Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again. There is only one-way to be born into a new life: to die before death.
"If you could get rid of yourself just once, the secret of secrets would open to you.
The face of the unknown, hidden beyond the universe would appear on the mirror of your perception."

(Rumi)

An article by Payal Gidwani Tiwari

Yoga is not slow and boring .You can use Asanas and Kriyas to achieve weight loss. People often think that Yoga is only meditation or only Spirituality. Yoga is definitely a path of spirituality but it works first on the physical body. It is a great tool for weight loss and finally when you are happy with your physical body, you un-fog your mind and get into the social & spiritual aspects of yoga.

Yoga teaches five aspects of fitness- endurance, strength, stamina, agility & body composition. You may not be fat but you may lack flexibility.

It is hard to be unhealthy once you start yoga –Saif Ali Khan

Yoga is the best kind of exercise.
Rani & Kareena were both hard core gym people .In fact Bebo went to gym for eight years before she joined Yoga and after that she hasn’t been back to a gym ever.
One thing I recommend very strongly is the Surya Namaskar.Its like a magic wand to keep you healthy. If you really want to work on yourself, start with five Surya Namaskar a day and then do as many as your body can take .It works on your weight, blood circulation, your entire system…so that your skin glows
-Payal Gidwani Tiwari.
(Adopted from an article published in a magazine by Payal Gidwani Tiwari)

24th June 2011

I thoroughly enjoyed myself making this video ..hope you enjoy watching it too ....once again wishing you a very Happy Anniversary...and loads n loads of happiness in life.

Some Good Quotes!

"All is well. You did not come here to fix a broken world. The world is not broken.You came here to live a wonderful life. And if you can learn to relax a little and let it all in, you will begin to see the universe present you with all that you have asked for." - Esther Abraham-Hicks

Take the challenge: Whenever someone is nasty towards you, do something so nice that it takes them by surprise. - Sri Sri

"Your soul doesn't care what you do for a living - and when your life is over, neither will you. Your soul cares only about WHAT YOU ARE BEING while you're doing whatever you're doing .... “~ Neale Donald Walsch

I am where I am meant to be, doing what I am meant to be doing.. If I would have been meant to be doing something else, I would have been doing that! Life is unfolding exactly in accordance with The Plan! Let me just go with the flow .

"Anything that helps you become unconditionally happy and loving is what is called spirituality." ~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The destruction, the true battle is between those who want a change in the world and those who does not want any change in the world.

All human wisdom is summed up in two words - wait and hope....

Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Be afraid of not learning from them.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.
Life is AWESOME! Learn to Forgive, especially yourself.

" IF YOU ARE POSITIVE, THEN NOTHING IS NEGATIVE FOR YOU. If you are negative, then everything will be negative for you." Osho.~

Generally, we believe our memory is weak. But when we want to forget someone we care a lot about, we begin to realize how powerful our memory is....!

Everything comes to the one who thinks how she/he can contribute more to the society. - Sri Sri

Kabir Doha on Guru

Sab Dharti Kagaz Karu,
Lekhan Ban Raye.
Sath Samundra Ki syahi Karu
Guru Gun Likha Na Jaye


“Even if the whole earth is transformed into paper with all the big trees made into pens and if the entire water in the seven oceans are transformed into writing ink, even then the glories of the Guru cannot be written. So much is the greatness of the Guru.”

Dheere Dheere Re Mana, Dheere Sub Kutch Hoye
Mali Seenche So Ghara, Ritu Aaye Phal Hoye

धीरे धीरे रे मना, धीरे सब कुछ होए
माली सींचे सौ घङा ऋतु आऐ फल होए

Jab Tun Aaya Jagat Mein, Log Hanse Tu Roye
Aise Karni Na Kari, Pache Hanse Sab Koye
जब तुम आए जगत में लोग हंसे तुम रोए
ऐसी करनी ना करी पाछे हँसे सब कोए

Guru kumhar shish kumbh hai
Gadhi gadhi kadhe khot
Andar se de sahara
Bahar mare chot

गुरु कुcहार शीष कुंभ है गढ़ गढ़ काढ़े खोट
अंदर से दे सहारा बाहर मारे चोट

Yeh tan vish ki belri
Guru amrut ki khan
Sheesh diye bhi guru mile
To bhi sasta jaan

यह तन विष की बेलऱी ,गुरु अमृत की खान
शीष दिए भी गुरु मिले,तो भी सmता जान

Keeping Quiet

Came across this beautiful poem “KEEPING QUIET” by Pablo Neruda .It is about the necessity of quiet introspection and creating a feeling of mutual understanding among human beings in the hectic cycle of our life.I myself was in silence for 3 days last month and this poem aptly captures the essence of keeping quiet.

Keeping Quiet

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

This one time upon the earth,
let's not speak any language,
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be a delicious moment,
without hurry, without locomotives,
all of us would be together
in a sudden uneasiness.

The fishermen in the cold sea
would do no harm to the whales
and the peasant gathering salt
would look at his torn hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars of gas, wars of fire,
victories without survivors,
would put on clean clothing
and would walk alongside their brothers
in the shade, without doing a thing.

What I want shouldn't be confused
with final inactivity:
life alone is what matters,
I want nothing to do with death.

If we weren't unanimous
about keeping our lives so much in motion,

if we could do nothing for once,
perhaps a great silence would
interrupt this sadness,
this never understanding ourselves
and threatening ourselves with death,
perhaps the earth is teaching us
when everything seems to be dead
and then everything is alive.

Now I will count to twelve
and you keep quiet and I'll go.

Some Touching Love Stories!

Sunshine and Memories

Debasis was my Sunshine. I called him that because he lit up my life for 32 years. We met in 1975 when I was just 21. He was six years older. I was an airhostess and he a marine engineer. Our backgrounds and attitudes were also as different as the sea and sky. I was a small-town girl from Darjeeling, short-tempered, with an anxious nature. He was from Calcutta, and calm and positive by temperament.
He pursued me in his quiet way, and I would get stacks of mail when he was away at sea. We got married in 1978, despite our parents’ apprehensions. I left my job to sail the world with him. Seated on deck, beneath the stars, we’d just listen to the waves. On full-moon nights it was sheer heaven. He gave up fishing from the ship
because of my Buddhist beliefs. Over the years, I learnt to speak Bengali while he picked up Nepali from me.
We wanted a daughter and even planned to name her after our first ship, but we remained childless. Yet, that drew us even closer. If he came across a pretty flower, he’d pick it for me—even from among weeds.
Debasis passed away in November 2007 after a brief illness. I have his old courtship letters. It still makes me laugh when I remember how I used to threaten to read them aloud, if he teased or irritated me! Those letters and memories are what I treasure the most.
Kala Gupta, Darjeeling


Taming of the Shrew

Our families had always been close and so, despite my initial hesitation, marrying Parikshet seemed the natural step to take. Little did I realize how things would turn out. All through the six months following our wedding in 1999, I didn’t get cards or chocolates, not even a candlelight dinner! My girlish dreams of romance were dashed to pieces. When I made him tea every morning, he would gulp it down with a fixed smile and the same words—“Thank you, it’s lovely”—until the day I vented my disillusionment to an old pal of his.
I was told that the one thing Parikshet loathed was tea!
Gradually, I realized what an understated but genuinely loving person he is. All these years I haven’t heard him raise his voice at anybody. And when I had a tumour and couldn’t conceive a child, it was Parikshet’s silent acceptance that gave me the strength to face the situation.
I’ve grown up. It is ironic how we always hear the loud and obvious and fail to notice the unassuming and quiet; how we love reading sensational stuff but find decent matters uninteresting. If it weren’t for my
husband I’d, too, miss the simpler, smaller joys of life. Thank you, Parikshet. You managed to tame your shrew without even trying!
Neha Srivastava, Gurgaon


Eye of the Beholder

What attracted me to Prasannakumar Wadiyar in college was his sensitive nature. His mother used to be ill then and I saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke about her. We got married in 1997. But soon afterwards, we were involved in a serious bus accident and I had fractures and bruises on an entire side of my face. Although Prasanna had a broken rib himself, he managed to get me to a hospital. I underwent a seven-hour operation—and all this even before our wedding photos arrived.
Relatives and friends, shocked at seeing the way I looked, began to worry about the future of our relationship. But not me, I knew Prasanna too well. I loved socializing, window-shopping and eating out, but now I didn’t want to show my scarred, discoloured face in public. But Prasanna held my hand firmly and took me to all the places I loved. When people stared, he only drew me closer. The years flew by and we became the parents of two lovely girls, who are now eleven and seven years old. I am a teacher at their school.
But things happen when you least expect it. Two days after our 12th wedding anniversary, in November 2009, Prasanna passed away following a fatal aneurysm. He was just 38.
After my accident, we did discuss cosmetic surgery but Prasanna insisted that I should do it only if I felt the need, and not to please him, because, he said, “I love you the way you are.” So I didn’t. My scars have faded with time. But, in all those years, not for a moment did my husband make me feel less beautiful, less attractive or less loved because of them.
Vasundhara Wadiyar, Mysore



(Adopted from Reader's Digest)

Lipatick on the Mirror!

In a certain private girls school in Brisbane was recently faced with a unique problem.
A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.
Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the next day the girls would put them back.
Finally the principal decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man.
She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses).
To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls just how much effort was required.
He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it!
No more lipstick ever happened on any of the mirrors.
This is the difference between teaching and educating!

Mental Burden

Two monks were travelling in the rain, the mud sloshing under their feet. As they passed a rivulet crossing they saw a beautiful Geisha girl, finely dressed, unable to cross because of the mud. Without a word, the older monk simply picked up the woman and carried her to the other side.
The younger monk was seemingly agitated for the rest of their journey, and could not contain himself once they reached their destination. The younger monk exploded at the older monk, “How could you, a monk, even consider holding a woman in your arms, much less a young and beautiful one. It is against our teachings. It is in very bad taste”.

“I put her down the roadside”, said the older monk. “Are you still carrying her?”


We all behave in the same fashion. We keep carrying the burdens for years and decades together, and become more stressful. Instead we should just throw thousands of “Mental burdens” into the dustbin.

A good story on Time management

Once ,a Professor displayed certain materials on his table.When the class began , wordlessly he picked up a very large glass jug and filled it with rocks,of about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students whether the jug was full.They agreed that it was.The professor then picked up some pebbles and put them into the jug .He shook the jug lightly.The pebbles,of course,rolled into the open spaces between the bigger rocks.
He then asked the students again,whether the jug was full.They agreed it was.The professor picked up some sand and poured it into the jug.Of course,the sand filled up the jug.He then asked once more ,whether the jug was full.The students responded with a yes.
The professor then poured two cups of coffee into the jug,which were absorbed by the sand .The students laughed.As soon as the laughter subsided ,the professor continued “I want you to recognize that this jug represent your life.The rocks are important things –in your life –your family ,your partner,your health,your children-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained ,your life would still be almost full.The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job ,your house ,your car.The sand is everything else –the small stuff.If you put the sand first into the jug first,there is no room for the pebbles or rocks.The same goes for your life.If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,you will never have room for the things that are truly importan to you.”
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.Play with your children .Take time to get maedical checkups.Take your partner out.There will always be time to go to work,clean the house ,give a dinner party.Take care of the rocks first-the things that really matter .Set your priorities.The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquire what the coffee represented.The professor smiled .”I am glad you asked.It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem ,there’s always time for a cup of coffee with a friend!”

Miles to go before I sleep .....

This is one of my favourite poems


Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Robert Frost

Yoga and Energy levels in the Body

What is the main reason you would attribute to fluctuations in a person’s energy level?
The prime reason is obviously wrong food habits and lack of proper amount of oxygen in the body. Without proper oxygen there arises a disruption in the biochemical balance in the body which in turn hampers the functioning of the Red Blood Cells (RBC) which is unable to deliver the essential nutrients to the cells. The result is a drop in the energy levels.

In order to accomplish all the many millions of complex functions that occur over the course of the day, our body has to be able to communicate with itself… all the way down to the cellular level. And all this is done through pulses of electricity. That’s right, electricity. We are in fact Bio Electrical Engines
Our body operates on an electro magnetic current. Believe it or not, all of the organs in our body emit these fields of electrical current. In fact, nerve signals are nothing more than electrical charges. And all the systems in our body depend on this delicate, bio chemical balance.

Why is it important to breathe correctly?

Breathing is the inner source of life and by monitoring our breathing habits we become more aware of the connection between mind, body and spirit.
Breathing properly feeds the body with the right amount of oxygen to cleanse the mind and body of toxins. Oxygen is the provider of the vital nutrients which enables efficient functioning of the brain and without it we will die within minutes.
Blood in our bodies becomes purified by taking in extra oxygen, the solar plexus is recharged and ageing of the skin is slowed down.

How can Yoga help in increasing energy levels?

Many people turn to the magic of yoga for energy and find themselves refreshed and ready to tackle whatever life throws at them. Yoga works by tapping into the Chi, or the inner life force that gives us strength and balance. Energy yoga focuses on the art of reviving tired muscles and bringing them back to their energized state. This form of yoga can be practiced for a few short minutes a day, giving you just the jolt that you need to feel refreshed and revitalized. There are many poses to help you to gain more energy.

No coffee needed here. Just a few minutes and you're on your way to feeling the power of yoga. Tap into your inner force with energy-increasing yoga.

Stress Management

Stress has become a universal word which is being used by just about any one, every where we go.

The medical science describes stress as a specific response of the body to all non specific demands – physical, psychological, threatened or actual – the response being the secretion of ACTH and CORTISOL (these are two stress induced hormones). Secretion of two other hormones stimulated by stress is adrenalin and non adrenalin.
A more practical definition of stress may be put as “when the problem presented by everyday life exceeds your resources for coping with them you feel stressed”.

Reasons or causes of Stress

Society problems.
Family problems.
Work overload.
Political Problems
Ecological and Envienronmental Factors.
Physical and psychological problems.
Problems created due to changes in moral values of the society.
Economic Factors.
Lack of Emotional Support from closed ones.
Information overload.
Time overload.
Financial Problems.
Self Ego.
Lack of Spirituality.

Modern science, till some years ago, did not attribute stress to the creation of diseases. In the last few decades, a series of epidemiological studies and observations have proved that some very common diseases are a direct result of excessive stress. They are now grouped as psychosomatic diseases. A list of these common diseases is as follows.

High Blood Pressure.
Angina or Chest Pain.
Heart Attacks.
Headache.
Migraine
Backache.
Shoulder ache.
Spondilitis.
Allergies.
Asthma.
Chronic fatigue and lethargy.
Anxiety
Insomnia
Depression
Irritable bowel syndrome.
Menstrual irregularities in female.

Do you suffer from any of them?
Be honest with yourself and try to find out the roof cause of the problems. This will help you to clearly define a solution.

Yoga and meditation are wonderful tools to combat from stress and stress related disorders.Yoga is the philosophical doctrine developed in India at 500 B.C. It brings about the right interaction, combination, co ordination of the mind and body.

According to Patanjali (the father of yoga) yoga is
· Union between Prana (Vital Force ) and MahaShakti (Universal energy)
· Stopping the fluctuation of consciousness (Chitta)
· Achievement of inner equilibrium
· It is the skill of work (Karmashu kaushalyam)

Eight steps of Yoga according to Rishi Patanjali

Yam –Restraint and Control
Niyam-observation and self discipline
Asana-Physical Postures
Pranayam-Breathing techniques
Pratyahar-Food habits
Dharna-Concentration
Dhyan-Flow of concentration, meditation
Samadhi-state of ultimate consciousness

Scientific proven benefits of Meditation

Controls Blood Pressure
Increases cardiovascular Capacity
Increases Breathing Speed
Controls the Temperature of the body
Controls the rate of Metabolism in body
Controls the levels of Cholesterol in blood
Controls Blood Sugar

During meditation the electromagnetic waves produced by the brain are measured by Electroencephalography (EEG) machine and it shows Alpha waves. If a person is in deep stress the EEG machine records Beta and Delta waves.

Why to Meditate?

Every human being in this world aspires for peace and happiness. Happiness is a state of mind. Meditation enables a person to attain such a state of mind, where external interference on the brain is almost reduced to nil, mind and body attain absolute peace and the person reaches a state of equilibrium. Meditation is a source of peace and happiness.

Meditation takes you from

Tension to Attention
Stressfulness to Gracefulness
Restlessness to Tranquility
Dullness to Sharpness
Ageing to Youthfulness
Illness to Health
Selfishness to Selflessness

Mind is like a wave in the ocean of Consciousness (Chetna).The balance between a focused mind and expanded Consciousness can bring perfection.
In the state of Ultimate consciousness (Maha Chetna) a person can even touch the unseen, unheard depths of the brain. All this is possible through Yoga and Meditation.

As soon as the brain goes to an extremely relaxing state, the adrenalin secretion in the hypothalamus region is greatly reduced, the heart beat gets regularized and as a result of this there is an immediate fall in the blood pressure and glucose levels. The muscles get relaxed and more of alpha waves are produced by brain which is responsible for peace & happiness.

There are two kinds of meditation techniques-Concentrative and Mindfulness.

During Concentrative Meditation attention is focused on a single sound, an object or one’s breath to bring about a calm, tranquil mind.

During Mindfulness Meditation, the mind becomes aware of but does not react to the wide variety of sensations.

Components of Meditation
• Quiet Atmosphere
• Comfortable Posture
• Passive Attitude
• Follow the Theme

Themes of Meditation
• Earth Elements : Black Dot, Statue of God
• Water Elements : River,Lake,Sea
• Sound Elements : Word,Mantra,Japa,Bhajan
• Fire Elements :Lamp, Candle
• Nature Element :Blue Sky, Dense Forest, Moon, Ice Peaks, Sea Waves
• Body Elements :Sharir (Organs),Limbs ,Breathing
• Psychic Centre :Kundalini
• Colours :Orange, Green, White
• Thoughts :Anupreksha

Even in ancient Chinese and Japanese culture, meditation has been practiced as “Zen”,”Sufi”,Reiki” & “Tai-Chi”.
Meditation has been laid stress upon by all religions. The meditative state of mind is declared by the Yogis to be the highest state in which the mind exists. Hindu religion’s prime God Shiva is always depicted sitting in a meditative state.

Types Of Meditation
• Vipassana Meditation
• Yoga Nidra Meditation
• Buddhist Meditation
• Transcendental Meditation
• Kundalini Meditation
• Zen Meditation
• Brahma Kumari Meditation
• Preksha Meditation
• Ananda Marga Meditation
• Meher Baba Meditation
• Tibetan Meditation
• Sangha Yoga Meditation
• Turiya Yoga Meditation
• Osho Meditation
• Now Faith Meditation
• Art Of Living Meditation


Brain scans show that putting negative emotions into words calms the brain’s emotional centre. That could explain meditation’s purported emotional benefits, because people who meditate, often label their negative emotions in an effort to ‘let them go’. These findings were put up by two scientists, Matthew Lieberman and David Creswell, in Psychological Science.


“These findings may help explain the beneficial healthful effects of mindfulness meditation & suggest for the first time, an underlying reason why mindfulness meditation program improve mood and health.” - David Creswell in Psychosomatic Medicines.

A Journey Inward!

My eternal journey inward has begun
A journey which is infinite like the sky….
………….Endless and Arcane……….
But I ain’t afraid anymore as I have the blessings from the Divine
I haven’t seen God, but I have seen thee….
O “Guru” you are the Narayan to me …
Doubts, Frustration, Timidity and Fear were mine
Faith, Hope, Confidence and Courage are now making me shine
I thank thee “My Master” for making me meet the INNER ME!