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Calcaneal spur- healing through 3 Yogasanas
I had been looking for remedies on calcaneal spur for a long time. On net, I found many suggestions, opinions and experiences, but not good enough to implement.
Finally, I came across, an old book on Yoga written by Mr BKS Iyengar. And I found three Asanas very useful to control Calcaneal spur. I am inserting wiki links if you want to get more details ( benefits, risks, …) about it.
I must say here that, I am benefited by practicing these three Asnas regularly along with others asanas. Pl. click the link to download.
Take Charge of Your Career Destiny: Azim Premji
The address was delivered by Azim Premji, Founder, Wipro, on August 12, 2006.
THE funny thing about life is that you realize the value of something only when it begins to leave you. As my hair turned from black, to salt and pepper and finally salt without the pepper, I have begun to realise the enthusiasm and excitement of youth.
At the same time, I have begun to truly appreciate some of the lessons I have learnt along the way. As you embark on your careers, I would like to share them with you. I am hoping that you will find them as useful as I have.
The world you are entering is in many ways very different now from what it was when I began my career. It was the late sixties and India still depended on other countries for something as basic as food. We aroused sympathy, not admiration whenever we went overseas. Recently, someone told me, that when visitors came to India then, they came to see what they could do for India. Now, they come to see what India can do for them. As a hopeful Indian, I look at our country as one which is rich in ethnic and cultural diversity and one that has an effective, secular democracy which will help us build an enduring society.
Lesson 1: Take charge
This was the first thought that came to me, when over four decades ago, I stepped into Wipro factory at Amalner. I was 21 and had spent the last few years in Stanford University Engineering School at California. Many people advised me to take up a nice, cushy job rather than face the challenges of running a hydrogenated oil business. Looking back, I am glad I decided to take charge instead. Essentially, leadership begins from within. It is a small voice that tells you where to go when you feel lost. If you believe in that voice, you believe in yourself. When it comes to choosing your careers, you have to take charge of your own destiny.
Lesson 2: Earn your happiness
The second lesson I have learnt is that a rupee earned is of far more value than five found. In fact, what is gifted or inherited follows the old rule of come easy, go easy. I guess we only know the value of what we have if we have struggled to earn it.
Lesson 3: Nothing succeeds like failure
The third lesson I have learnt is no one bats a hundred every time. Life has many challenges. You win some and lose some. You must enjoy winning. But do not let it go to the head. The moment it does, you are already on your way to failure. And if you do encounter failure along the way, treat it as an equally natural phenomenon. The important thing is, when you lose, do not lose the lesson.
Lesson 4: Nothing fails like success
The fourth lesson I have learnt is the importance of humility. There is a thin line of difference between confidence and arrogance. Confident people are always open to learn. A recent survey of executives in Europe showed that the single most important quality needed for leadership success was the willingness to learn from any situation. Arrogance on the other hand stops learning. It comes with a feeling that one knows all that needs to be known and has done all that needs to be done.
Lesson 5: There has to be a better way
Partly as a corollary to what I have just said, we must remember that no matter how well we do something there has to be a better way! Excellence is not a destination but a journey. Creativity and innovation sometimes need inspiration from other disciplines. It is probably not a chance that Einstein’s interest in music was as much as his interest in Physics. Bertrand Russell was as much a mathematician as a philosopher. Excellence and creativity go hand in hand.
Lesson 6: Respond, not react
There is a world of difference between the two and in terms of success and failure. The difference is that the mind comes in between responding and reacting. When we respond, we evaluate with a calm mind and do whatever is most appropriate. We are in control of our actions. When we react, we are still doing what the other person wants us to do.
Lesson 7: Remain physically active
It is easy to take health for granted when you are young. I have found that exercise not only improves the quality of time but also reduces the time you need for sleep. The truth is that stress will only increase in a global world. You must have your own mechanism to deal with it.
Lesson 8: Never compromise on your core values
Mahatma Gandhiji often said that you must open the windows of your mind, but you must not be swept off your feet by the breeze. One must define what you stand for. This is not difficult. But values lie, not in the words used to describe them, as much as in the simple acts. And that is the hard part. Like someone said, I could not hear what you said because what you did was coming out far too loud.
Lesson 9: Play to win
Playing to win brings out the best in us and in our teams. It brings out the desire to stretch, to achieve that which seems beyond our grasp. However, it is not about winning at any cost. It is not about winning every time. It is not about winning at the expense of others. It is about innovating all the time. It is a continuous endeavour to do better than last time.
Lesson 10: Give back to society
All of us have a collective social responsibility towards doing our bit to address them. Of all the challenges, the key to me is education. We have a paradoxical situation, where on the one hand we have jobs chasing scarce talent and on the other, rampant unemployment and poverty. The only way to bridge these two ends of the pole is by providing quality education that is accessible by all.
Yogacharya BKS Iyengar’s talk @ 95
Yogacharya BKS Iyengar’s talk @ 95
Yogacharya BKS Iyengar turned 95 today.
Pl. refer this link. He has answered three questions from his 80 years of experience of following Yoga.
- What motivates you to practice yoga for two hours everyday even at the age of 95?
- What is your message to the youth?
- How much yoga should one practice everyday?
Stress meditation and stilling of thoughts
Stress, Meditation and Stilling of Thoughts
By Abhijit Kamat
www.simplemeditation4health.wordpress.com
13 Aug 2013
Every thought generated consumes some energy i.e. mind’s energy. And you all are aware that when the thoughts are negative, they consume body’s energy too. In case of negative thoughts, when they are together ( mind and body’s energy) the effect is further devastating.
One thought is followed by another one, and then one more and then a flow of thoughts and we get sucked into that vortex, draining all our energy.
We all are aware of the positive thinking and its benefits, but the problem is we can’t do it. The pull of negativity is so strong that we get sucked into it unknowingly. Well, the negative thoughts include that of anger, hatred, fear, anxiety etc.
How to stop these negative thoughts:
There are three steps to stop the thoughts.
1) Stop useless thoughts.
- Very difficult to control self, example, when the whole office is sunk in gossiping about boss’s new affair or the politician’s black money or if someone worst performer gets promotion in the office etc. These thoughts are not going to yield anything, except adding negativity and exciting your mind to tell/ listen to more stories. Be aware of your taste of thoughts and quit the place. This is very important.
2) Keep your thoughts limited to the contemporary purpose, expedition or subject
- When you are ill due to a normal influenza fever, do you think more negative if that fever is due to cancer or other incurable disease? when you are flying and the airplane passes through a stormy weather, do you think of your death and then get pulled into more negativity? Many people get into the “what if I die” type thoughts.
3) Stop the thoughts completely.
- The next step is to stop the thoughts completely. With persistent practice of meditation, initially this step is felt for a second or so and it is a wonderful feeling. When there is no thought, there is no pain, only joy.
- It is said that the enlightened sages do not have thoughts, but just awareness. Their consciousness level is very high and are always connected to the world’s consciousness.
Advantages:
- When mind has no unwanted thoughts the vital energy remains within you.
- Concentration improves
- Health improves
- Perhaps when the thoughts cease to exist permanently, cycle of birth and death also stops
fortune telling is a common sense!!
Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday and
his prediction by 3 various fortune tellers.
30 April 2013 By Abhijit Kamat www.simplemeditation4health.wordpress.com www.stressguru.co.inOn 24th April 2013, after Sachin celebrated his 40th birthday, a well known newspaper published his fortune for the next year as predicted by three various fortune tellers. All three are famous fortune tellers and have different methods of prediction.
I was more interested in their way of narration and how they frame the words than the prediction itself. Why? Because, of three things…
- They have to be careful while predicting, if their prediction goes wrong in public, all future clients may disappear.
- So, such predictions are filled with general information and common sense.
- But they need not worry, Public memory is short. Whatever is predicted will be forgotten.
Their prediction is copy-pasted here for your careful reading. It is less of a prediction and more of a common sense. These words are underlined.
A) Sachin is a great cricketer as well as a gentleman. But Ganesha says that this year, he will retire. Though he may retire from cricket, he will do well politically and spiritually. Surprisingly, his brand value will increase after he retires from cricket. His wife’s horoscope gives him a strong foundation and 50% of his success can be attributed to his wife. According to Sachin’s horoscope, Sun — the main planet that makes a person king — is well placed in the first house. Thus even after all these years, he is the champion of champions: BEJAN DARUWALLA, ASTROLOGER
B) Sachin, a Taurean, is himself a No. 6 and in his personal year No. 7. This year he should take care of his health, rest as much as possible and recharge his batteries. He must also guard against being moody and indifferent and just go with the flow, though 2013 will not be a very satisfying year for him. Although he will put in a lot of hard work, he is unlikely to get the desired results. Since this is his year No. 7, he should keep a a low profile, avoid unnecessary discussions, take fewer risks and not have high expectations from himself : NILAANJANA CHAKRABORTY, NUMEROLOGIST
C) This year, Sachin will show renewed optimism, resulting in victory from the good force of destiny. He will be high on imaginative strength and ooze confidence. The mid-year could bring disruptions and a feeling of non-achievement, leading to disappointment. But Sachin should stay away from legal hassles and not relax his vigilance. Be he should not let the negativity affect him, as joy and accomplishments lie ahead. Sachin should expect a dramatic transformation this year which might not go down very well with him, but it will be mark a new beginning : KRITTIKA KAPANI, TAROT READER
Self Help:
- Well, whether they are right or wrong, let time decide. Pl, don’t waste money on fortune telling. Have faith in yourself and your own destiny. Keep trying.
- There may be similar or contrasting predictions by different fortune tellers (FT). Some people always visit such FT inspite of previous bluffs. Are you one of them? How much money you have spent on fortune telling, precious/ semi precious stones/ Feng shui etc.
- What’s the purpose of this article in stress management? Some people come under stress when they listen to their miserable fortune ahead (as if the FT is GOD and his word is final). Hope this article will reach to them and they will do some introspection.
(*This article on fortune telling is just for fun. There is no personal grudge against any fortune teller nor people spending money on them. Such prediction contains lots of common sense, please do some introspection)
Similar articles
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Do you believe in daily/ weekly Horoscope? 28January 28, 2012
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Shani Amavasya 2012 (myths and blind faiths) April 20, 2012
Transformation of A Soul
Transformation of a soul
www.simplemmeditation4health.wordpress.com
by Abhijit Kamat
27 March, 2013
While trekking in an unknown jungle alone, I had a fear. Fear of unknown.
I found a strong long mallet and picked it up. I felt stronger. Then I started moving that mallet in the air, and slowly started hitting it on whatever came
my way. I started hitting insects, reptiles and crushing weeds. I felt stronger. There was no one to scare me now.
Then, I released that mallets is not effective. With mallet, I can’t cut through weeds and bushes, I needed something sharp and stronger to be aggressive and remove my remaining fear.
Then I found a sword. I replaced it with wooden mallet. What a sharpness! I felt more powerful. I started swinging my sword without a second thought. I did not bother if that swinging hurt flora and fauna. Why should I ? there was no one to ask me in that jungle. There was no repent nor remorse for what I was doing.
I felt weakness in my sword and my hands because they were not strong enough to cut the big trees. I needed to be more powerful.
Then I found a small rosary. I picked it up unwillingly and replaced it with my sword as a fun and my fingers started rolling through the beads. My mind that earlier played with the mallet and the sword, now got absorbed in the beads. I did not know how, but my thoughts started changing. I realized the cruelty in me and the unnecessary killings of helpless creatures throughout the life. I felt very weak. The burden of the past and the uncertainty for the future became too heavy and I collapsed. But my mind & fingers kept their movement through the rosary. Slowly, all negativity and the fear of uncertainty started disappearing. And then, all of a sudden, I realized the new strength in the heart. Cruelty has been completely replaced with empathy and sorrow with the plentiful of joy.
That was just the beginning of the transformation of the soul.
True and deeper meaning of Yoga. Part 3/3
True and deeper meaning of Yoga. Part 3/3
Abhijit Kamat, 1 february 2013
contact@stressguru.co.in
www.stressguru.co.in
https://simplemeditation4health.wordpress.com
(from previous chapter:- What are 8 parts of yoga and their purpose?
First 5 parts cover the external issues and the last 3 parts cover the mind related issues.
To improve the moral values: 1) Yama and 2) Niyama (Dos and Don’ts ).
3) Asanas: to purify and prepare the body, – 4)Pranayam: to vitalize, control body’s energy or Prana and bring harmony. 5) Pratyahara:. to control the pleasure seeking habits of mind and senses )
Now last 3 parts of Yoga that deal with MIND.
(It is said that with the persistent and prolonged practice of all 8 parts of Yoga, the Human Nervous System gets developed and fine tuned to take the experience of Samadhi).
6) Dharna: (contemplation)
Background w.r.t. 5 body related exercises:- With the practice of various asnas, the body has become capable for sitting longer time. With the practice of pratyahara, mind has reduced its useless wandering in the satisfaction of senses. With the practice of truth, there is no fear of ‘what next’ thoughts those come prior to telling lies. Practicing Yam and Niyam, strengthens the moral values and boosts confidence.
So, with the practice of first 5 methods of Yoga, mind is now a little bit stable and this helps in concentrating on a single thought ( or thoughtlessness) . Concentration keeps coming and going. During his efforts to concentrate mind, the practitioner is aware of his surroundings , time and space around him. This is called Dharna or contemplation.
7) Dhyana: (meditation)
Through the practice of Dharna, slowly, mind starts learning to stay on a single thought (or thoughtlessness) for a longer time. This journey into further depth of thoughtlessness is called Dhyana, when a practitioner loses his awareness of surrounding, time and space.
8) Samadhi:
With the more practice of Dhyana, the mind effortlessly glides into further depth of consciousness, called Samadhi. There are three types of Samadhis.
Following excerpts on Samdhi are taken from http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/0138/2/152/index.html
Samadhi is an exalted and glowing state of Consciousness, whereas realisation is a conscious, natural and manifesting state of Consciousness. There are three stages of Samadhi: Savikalpa Samadhi, Nirvikalpa Samadhi and Sahaja Samadhi. Usually we speak of Savikalpa and Nirvikalpa.
a. Savikalpa Samadhi : In Savikalpa Samadhi there are thoughts, ideas, but they do not affect the most advanced seeker or the Yogi. The Yogi remains unperturbed. He functions in a dynamic and confident manner.
b. Nirvikalpa Samadhi: I have included two links to explain on Samadhi. In Nirvikalpa Samadhi, nature’s dance stops. There is no movement. Everything is tranquil. The Knower and the Known have become totally One. The lover and the Beloved have become One. The Yogi enjoys a supremely divine, all-pervading, self-amorous ecstasy.
3. Sahaja Samadhi: Sahaja Samadhi is by far the highest type of Samadhi. Very few spiritual Masters have achieved that state.
Pl. note: Samadhi is a very advanced stage of Yoga and one who follows the path of Yoga will definitely achieve it . But for a normal person, to beging with, careful practice of correct Asnas (under a proper guide) helps to maintain a good body posture and simple meditation technique helps to maintain peaceful joyous mind. They both when practiced together help to maintain a good health of mind and body.
True and deeper meaning of Yoga. Part 1/3
True and deeper meaning of Yoga. Part 1/3
Abhijit Kamat, 1 February 2013
contact@stressguru.co.in www.stressguru.co.in https://simplemeditation4health.wordpress.com(this article is posted to enlighten the readers on the complete meaning of Yoga and avoid misconceptions )
Why learn Yoga and What is Yoga? Decide your purpose of learning the Yoga.
Yoga means alignment of mind and body for a greater purpose, leading to Liberation and Enlightenment. Mind and body are well connected, but we can’t understand this connection in normal circumstances. (This needs a practice of many years.) In other words, if now, you realized that your muscles and ligaments are rigid, can’t be bent etc, that means, your mind has already become rigid with plenty of samskaras ( or past memories). And various Yoga exercises are done to undo these samskaras.
Why you are interested in Yoga . Is it because…… 1) you heard of Ramdeo Baba and his exercises on TV? 2) your doctor recommended you to do some Yoga exercises because of spondylitis, diabetes, back-pain or overweight etc ? 3) someone’s advertisement claiming quick Yoga, that excited you to know more about it?
It is better to understand Yoga in toto….
What is not Yoga? Pl. note that, What we commonly refer to as Yoga is basically 1 of 8 parts (or 8= Ashtang) Yoga, called Asnas ( or body postures).
Why only Asnas are advertised as Yoga? In the current world, people feel that they don’t have time, because their all senses are loaded with stimuli and senses are always seek pleasures. Stressful activities have reduced man’s ability to think consciously, that’s why, they feel that “An actress’s photo with sexy attire and ‘revealing’ Yoga positions is more interesting than the true teachings of Yoga itself”.
That’s why you have to decide what value you seek from any Yoga training program:- flexibility or good looking crowd or passing time etc?
Yoga does not come so cheap and quick. Ask Mr BKS Iyengar who spent his life in mastering the Yoga. Ask Ramdeo baba himself how many hours he spent in mastering the techniques. What he shows today is the tip of iceberg. He keeps motivating people to perform some common exercises daily. That’s the secret of good health (to begin with…).
Continued ….
True and deeper meaning of Yoga. Part 2/3
True and deeper meaning of Yoga. Part 2/3
Abhijit Kamat, 1 February 2013
https://simplemeditation4health.wordpress.com
What are 8 parts of yoga and their purpose?
First 5 parts cover the external or body related issues and the last 3 parts cover the inner or mind related issues.
First 5 parts
To improve the moral values: 1) Yama and 2) Niyama (Dos and Don’ts )
To purify and prepare the body: 3) Asanas
To vitalize, control body’s energy or Prana and bring harmony – 4)Pranayam
Control the pleasure seeking habits of mind and senses – 5) Pratyahara
We will touch upon some of the moral values as mentioned in Yama and Niyama. They are very difficult to follow in today’s world because to follow them you have to change your current lifestyle ( that may include cheating, plagiarism, polygamy, coercing, killing, intoxication, etc). People love these habits so much then why would they follow complete Ashtang Yoga techniques? That’s why when the ‘Yoga training program is advertised, it contains only “Asnas or positions”. As briefed in part 1, if you follow all 8 parts of Yoga, only then the true meaning of liberation is possible,
First 5 of the Ashtang Yoga techniques
1) YAM and
2) NIYAM Some of the Dos and donts, for developing & strengthening moral values.
Satya (truth): Very difficult to maintain ‘truth’ in daily life. We lie every now and then. Our exaggerated sales talk, false claims, false promises to friends, telling lies for small gains and selfishness etc is a part of this.
Asteya (non stealing): What about plagiarism? We take credit for something that we never performed. Some people don’t pay the correct taxes to their government etc.
Ahimsa ( Non killing): This is not limited to becoming a vegetarian but there is more than that. This also includes hurting people with, sarcastic remarks & insult to people, threatening and coercing, abusing etc. But, some people follow vegetarian diet on one hand and on the other cheat, lie, abuse, scold, threaten their employees, friends, relatives. This mockery of Ahimsa.
3) Aasnas or body postures
Various body postures tone up the coordination of various nerves, glands, muscles, ligaments etc. With the practice of these Asnas the purification of body starts. One should not force the body to bend to show the flexibility. Forcible bending is not the purpose of Asnas, if forced, it may worsen your existing health problems.
4) Pranayam (prana- subtle life force), this is an exercise to control the life force. People begin this exercise with various breathing exercises, varying from simple to difficult ones. With the practice of many days, slowly breathing rhythm starts matching with that of the body and one gets into practicing of meditation. Pranayam helps in controlling metabolism.
5) Pratyahara: prati (anti), ahara (food). The way to consciously avoid pleasure seeking stimuli sought by senses. Some are prone to eat too much, sleep too much, drink liquor too much. These habits need to be consciously monitored and avoided. This is the way to train our body to get aligned with mind for higher purpose.
Well, these 5 body level techniques is just a beginning. In the next chapter we will see mind level exercises. It is difficult to control mind than body.
contd……
The Complete Man ( ref Dnyaneshwari)
The Complete Man
Abhijit Kamat, 28 November 2012 contact@stressguru.co.in www.stressguru.co.in https://simplemeditation4health.wordpress.comA TV commercial of a Clothes manufacturing company projects a well dressed person as a complete man. While reading Dnyaneshwari, I came across a description of “ The complete man” and I thought worth sharing it as it is also related to Stress Management and readers may be benefitted.
Lord Krishna tells Arjun,……
नाना दुःखी प्राप्ती │ जयासी उद्वेगु नाही चित्ती │ आणि सुखाचिया आर्ती │ अडपैजेना ││ 294 अर्जुना तयाचा ठायी │ काम क्रोधु नाहीं │ आणि भयाते नेणें काहीं │ परिपूर्णु तो ││ 295 Meaning : A person who inspite of many sorrows, maintains his calm, does not pursue pleasures in desperation, sorrows and pleasures are accepted in equanimity, is a complete man. A person who has no anger, lust, fear, may be called as a complete man. His satisfaction comes from within & does not depend on any external stimulus.In general what we see that, peace, calmness, joy , peace is experienced when all the things go in our favor. A person is rare, who maintains calm even though a series of catastrophes is faced.
How it is helpful in stress management ?
We always think. Our thoughts are often based on either past memories (mostly fear and insults) or future worries. Mind is always chattering. Our inability to face awkward and insulting situations, presence of ego, lack of faith and fear etc. always dominate the real life situation. And this leads to many stress related health problems without our awareness.
Self help: You may plan for introspection and retrospection on following points.
- How often your mind is busy in chattering on future worries? And how many of them come true?
- How often you lose your calm and get into anger, anxiety, fear and finally that result into various health problems? Either immediate or later.
Pl note. Bhagwat Gita never talks about sitting idly and doing nothing but to accept the outcome of an event after putting full efforts and performing duty. Whatever may be the outcome, it is very important to accept it and control the outburst of emotions.
Yoga, Meditation and Emotional Intelligence for health 
