Friday Five: December 12th, 2014

Today’s Friday Five guest post is by Devasmita Chakraverty. Devasmita is a postdoctoral researcher in Germany who loves to travel and take pictures. Her keen observation, fresh energy and abundant enthusiasm are palpable both in her gorgeous photographs and her wonderful writing.

Finding by Losing, Learning by Unlearning

Earlier this October, after eight years of setting up home in the US, I left that home to find a new home in Germany. I had no particular ties to Germany, and I did not understand the language. Not even a word. But for the last few years, my inner GPS was constantly nudging me to take an exit.

Eventually, I moved. On a beautiful October evening at the Seattle airport, I watched the sun paint the sky in a beautiful palette of colors while wiping tears and boarding the plane to Germany. That day, I had wondered if I would ever visit the US again, not as a tourist, but in some professional capacity. 

The day I landed in Germany, I opened up my life to a whole new world of possibilities. The brand new European chapter of my life opened up possibilities of experiencing hundreds of new, unfamiliar things again. In these last two months, life has not been predictable or boring even for a moment.

People 

People are warm, friendly, and always eager to help. Far from being an outsider who does not look or sound German, I instantly connected with the people. My departmental secretary often drops by my office to ask me how I am doing, rubbing her hands affectionately on my forearms. My adviser has given me all her phone numbers, if I ever needed anything not only for work, but especially outside work. I have had people from the other departments walk up to me at the bus stop, introducing themselves and giving me information on where to learn German, where to find Indian food, and how to buy a cell phone. My colleagues always help me choose my lunch at the cafeteria, because everything is written in German. My neighbor and I spend long hours in the weekends walking, drinking coffee, and talking about nothing in particular but everything in general. One day, a very nice lady in the bus (a complete stranger to me) started making conversation, and on learning that I have just moved to Germany, scribbled her name and phone number on a piece of paper, asking me to call her if I ever needed to talk to someone, before getting off the bus. The lady from the restaurant not only packed my leftover paella, but also drew a smiley and scribbled “guten Appetit”. An old couple walking in the park offered me candies, just because I made eye contact and smiled at them.

Every day, I am blown away by how incredibly nice people are, even strangers. I suspect that it has nothing to do with me being new here. People are generally nice, without any hidden agendas. Despite being a stranger, I feel much more connected and supported.

Food 

My food habits have changed significantly, for the better. Always being used to eating alone at work, I now find myself sitting in a big cafeteria, with all my colleagues. I no longer grab a bite or down some juice or gobble or nibble. I sit properly with a gabel, löffel, and messer, and eat my food with the others. No one is too busy to take an hour off and walk to the cafeteria, get some fresh air, and eat without the distraction of ringing phones and looming deadlines. Later, we have coffee and cookies in the department. We sit and talk not just about work, but about things outside work.

Here, I look forward to my lunches every day. Portion sizes are smaller, food is tastier, and we eat in proper china, instead of disposable plates. My cups and bowls are half the size now, and even my appetite has adjusted accordingly. I have seen fewer fast food joints. I am immensely enjoying the experience of eating less, eating well, and not eating alone.

Work opportunities 

Although the only non-German in my department, I do not feel like an outsider. My work identity ties me with people, because together, we do research. The process of getting a work permit was not only hassle-free, but free. Here, it doesn’t feel like I am working for someone. Rather, it feels like I am working for me. I had a say in selecting my project. For the first time, I am writing a grant, developing my own research agenda, and initiating research collaborations between countries. When my proposals got accepted for a US conference, the department happily agreed to fund and support my trip, without any conditions (remember my earlier wish of visiting the US for work?). With the academic freedom of designing my projects, I feel much more motivated. My stay here truly feels like a vacation in Europe, vacation not because of the absence of work, but vacation because of the freedom to pursue what I want to pursue. I have always wished for a work life without the barriers of nationality or visa restrictions, where I could collaborate with other countries and study international issues in education. I feel much closer to this wish fulfillment, thankful to my adviser for letting me create my own work opportunities here.

Breaking free of old habits

My stay here has forced me to break free of many old habits. This experience came with a lot of angst, but the angst did not last long. I no longer have a car here. It forces me to walk more, take the bus, read maps, be mindful of time, and live a more disciplined life. I hop on the bus once a week for grocery, buying only as much as I can carry myself instead of hoarding. My grocery bills have come down significantly, and so have my living costs. Since plastic bags are not free, I remember to take my own bags to the store. The stores close at 8 pm (and are fully closed on Sundays), and I can no longer go for a midnight drive to get some ice cream on a whim. In fact, I am realizing that I don’t even need as much as I thought I would to live comfortably. I now buy fruits in twos and threes instead of pounds, and milk in liters and instead of galloons.

I am also enjoying living a cell phone-free life for the first time. The Whatsapp doesn’t ding anymore, and I no longer suffer from a compulsive habit of browsing my phone all the time, while walking, in the bus, or when I am with friends. Instead, I have developed a new addiction. I live by the water, and I am addicted to watching the ships every day. The Stena Line and the Color Line cruises sail right in front of my home every day, and even after two months, the excitement hasn’t faded. So I crane my neck until I have had the last glimpse of the ship. Sometimes, I run to the seventh floor in my flip flops with my camera to take better pictures of the ships. I would be working at my desk when I suddenly look up and see a huge ship slowly crawling into the harbor. I watch them with a childlike excitement, waving at the tiny people on the deck. I think of how effortlessly these ships ferry people around the world every day, as I marvel at their engineering and technology. My new home is one-fourth the size of my old one, but now, it faces the water and the east. So after taking innumerable trips over the years, driving in the dark to catch the first rays of the sunrise, I now do all that from my room every day.

Language

I am discovering how language shapes our daily experiences. I have never lived in a country before where I did not understand the language. So at first, everything was a challenge- choosing food, deciding what to buy at the grocery store, operating the washing machines, and even asking for directions. Just because people can speak and understand English here doesn’t mean that I could make myself understood all the time. I have to remember street names in German, and I have sat through work meetings where I did not understand a word. I often stand in a crowded bus with hundreds of people talking to one another in a language I understand nothing of. And that has added a whole new dimension to my life here. I feel like a little child once again, learning a language from the scratch. And while I do that, I laugh at the many German words that sound like something totally different in other languages. Since I do not understand words, I rely more on facial expressions, voice intonations, and body language of people. I often marvel at the amazingly long German words and wonder how people play scrabble here. I was so excited the day I ordered food with the longest name (Hähnchenbrustfilet, or chicken breast fillet), or discovered a bus stop with a long name (Schauenburgerstraße).

What is Left to Say 

Every new dish I eat, new person I meet, and new word I learn, adds to the riches I have acquired in life. By succumbing to the comforts of the known, I sure started feeling stuck. It is by embracing the unknown that I have found a newer me, learnt to let go, have faith in the goodness of people, and open myself up to newer possibilities in life.

 

Greens 101: Debonair Dandelion

When people think of dandelions, they think of bright yellow flowers ruining a pristine lawn. Ella Wheeler Wilcox must have had the dandelion plant in mind when she said, “Every weed is but an unloved flower”. Not only is the glistening yellow flower of the plant gorgeous, but also the roots and leaves of the dandelion plant are brimming with phenomenal healing prowess. If eating kale makes you feel virtuous, munching (or juicing) on dandelion greens will leave you in a blissed out state of leafy liberation. Here are three reasons why you should make dandelion greens a part of your diet, ASAP.

Le Pissenlit

The contemporary French name for the dandelion is pissenlit, literally meaning ‘piss-in-the-bed’. If you think that the name has to do something with the green”s diuretic abilities, you are absolutely right. Herbalists and folk medicine healers have long prescribed dandelion greens as a diuretic for liver problems such as jaundice and cirrhosis and for high blood pressure. A 2009 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine confirmed that the dandelion fresh leaf “increases the frequency and excretion ratio of fluids in healthy human subjects.” Whether it is the dreaded PMS bloat or I ate too many salty foods bloat, dandelion greens will help you get rid of all the extra fluids and have you looking svelte in no time.

Fantastic Nutrition

Vitamin K is the new Vitamin D. We all know that Vitamin K helps with blood clotting, but emerging studies suggest that along with Vitamin D, the fat-soluble vitamin builds bone and remineralizes teeth. You can essentially heal a cavity in your tooth with the help of these two vitamins! As if that were not enough, it best online casino also helps prevent neuron damage in the brain and it may prevent certain cancers. Dandelion greens contain a whopping 535 percent of the RDA of Vitamin K! In addition, the greens also contain significant amounts of vitamin A, C and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium and manganese and zinc.

Delectably Bitter

DandelionI find that there is something inherently truthful about a bitter green. It helps me pay attention to what I’m eating. Have you noticed how easy it is polish off an industrial sized bag of potato chips? You can consume unbelievable amounts of salty or sweet foods without being mindful, but try doing that with bitter foods. Each bite, bites back. You pay attention, you focus and you slide into that angelic zone of mindful eating.

Paradoxically, bitterness increases the delectableness of food. Use fresh dandelion leaves in salads or add them to your morning green smoothies. Sautee the leaves with fat and add them to your vegetable, grain or egg scrambles. Not only will they make these foods more digestible (bitters stimulate digestion and increase bile production), but they also will add a touch of intensity and sophistication to your everyday dining. You can Michelin Star yourself.

Sources:

  • The Imponderabilia of Actual Life; Pissenlit and Dandelions
  • Goodreads; Elle Wheelar Wilcox
  • Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; The Diuretic Effect in Human Subjects of an Extract of Taraxacum officinale Folium over a Single Day
  • Dr. Mercola; What are Dandelion Greens Good for?
  • University of Maryland Medical Center; Dandelion
  • Featured Image Credit; Graphics Fairy

 

Six Tips for Getting Soft Shiny Hair without Chemicals

Whether you have thick or thin hair, long or short hair, straight or curly hair, shiny hair is a wonderful thing to have. Shiny hair, not only, instantly enhances your appearance, but it is also a reflection of your internal health and wellbeing. Since time immemorial women (and men) have spent huge amounts of time and effort in trying to unlock the secret to healthy, shiny hair. Cleopatra of Egypt and Queen Anne of England were said to have used honey, and oils to keep their hair healthy and shiny.

There is something magical and angelic about shiny, gleaming, bouncy hair. Don King, the boxing legend said, “My hair is God’s aura.” Several indigenous cultures, especially Native American, place great emphasis on hair-care as they believe that it tied to our intuition and nerve health. In these cultures, hair is considered an extension of our nervous system. In certain yogic traditions, hair care is seen as a way to raise our kundalini energy. Hair is seen as a blessing and caring for it, a spiritual activity. If healthy nerves and good internal health can contribute to healthy hair, the reverse can also be true. Hair care can calm your nerves, nourish the crown chakra, raise your energy, improve your intuition and contribute towards vitality.

Some of us have turned to commercial products laden with alcohol and chemicals for quick results and (fake)glossy hair. Lackluster results (pun intended), and allergic reactions from chemical laden products have us looking for easier and more natural methods. Whatever your final goal is, vanity or spirituality, here are some easy and natural ways to bring the luster back to your ‘God’s aura’.

Things you”ll need:

  • Natural bristle hair brush
  • Gentle shampoo
  • Coconut oil
  • Avocados
  • Honey
  • Jojoba Oil
  1. Wash your hair every other day instead or even once in three days instead of every day to preserve the natural shine of hair. Shampooing everyday strips hair of the very natural oils that are responsible for shine. Also, shampoo and even plain water swell up the hair cuticle and make it look duller.
  2. Avoid heat to retain the natural shine of hair. Avoid using hot water to wash hair, and the hot setting on a hair dryer to dry and style hair. Use a ceramic ionic hair dryer (only if you must) as a safer and gentler way casino online to blow-dry hair.
  3. Use a pre-conditioning coconut oil or olive oil treatment (for at least 20 minutes) before shampooing. Take the time to massage the oil into your scalp, whenever you feel inclined to spend the extra time in taking care of your hair.
  4. Consider indulging in a weekly homemade deep conditioning treatment using common kitchen ingredients. Not only does it add shine and gloss, but it also relieve stress. The embedded link has some deep conditioning treatments that can be whipped up using common kitchen ingredients like avocados, honey, and jojoba oil.
  5. Rinse hair with lukewarm or cold water is to seal the cuticle and add shine to hair. A final rinse with cold water is an excellent way to revive both hair and add a metabolic boost to the body. As a further boost for stressed out tresses, consider a final rinse with diluted apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
  6. Finally, eat a diet that contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, walnuts, and flax is reported to promote hair health and shine. Omega-3 fatty acids act like internal moisturizers to heal dry skin and add gloss to dull hair.

Further Tips

  • Use a natural bristle brush and take the time to comb your hair.
  • Use a gentler ph balanced shampoos, that don”t contain sodium lauryl sulphate.
  • Commercial hair dyes and hair color can dry out hair and make it look dull and lifeless.

Sources:

  • Homemade Beauty; Natural Homemade Hair Conditioner Recipes
  • 3Ho; Hair Care
  • Skeptical Inquirer; Geronimo”s Hair
  • Image Credit; freedigitalphotos.net

Friday Five: December 5th 2014

I will let today’s delightful guest columnist, Divya Krishnan,  introduce herself to you. As an introduction to her Friday Five, she writes,

“Here is my “Friday Five”. I thought of changing my dear friend Arathi’s blog completely by writing about my “Friday Ten” but very quickly realized that this is not a decision I can make, simply because this is not my blog. So by a process of elimination, I got to these five. Thank you for this amazing opportunity Arathi!”

That in a nutshell is my dear friend Divya. She is all rock and roll. She is full of energy and enthusiasm and sparks joy, wherever she goes. I hope that the five beautiful insights from  her world spark joy in your world too. 

Nature

A rising mist over the lake. Birdsongs, a double rainbow. A cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Alpine meadows and the smell of the early morning air. The sight of an old growth forest, the sound of river water rushing over old rocks and the sight of Bald eagles just skimming the surface of the lake looking for fish. Nature enthralls, Nature also relaxes, and Nature makes us reflect on why we are here. The real stillness in the busy rollercoaster of life. I have always been attracted to mountains for this reason; hiking in old growth forests fills me with a sense of peace and belonging. The views are spectacular, and the trees make you pause awestruck. Finding mushrooms is another bonus. I usually hike with friends who know mushrooms, but many of them look edible even if they are not. The colors of these mushrooms always keep me coming back to take a second look, as with most things of natural beauty.

I am lucky to live in a city like Seattle, which offers most of these sights on a daily basis. However, just tending a little garden or weeding a community pea patch can also help you commune with Nature.

Friends

To get through this life’s journey friends are absolutely essential. Friends prop you up when you are down, laugh at your poor jokes and are even sometimes able to look you in the eye and say what an idiot you are (only to be punched in the face quickly after), yet they stay your friends.

I have several sets of friends. The ones from high school, the ones from college and the ones I have met in my more adult avatar) we gossip and trade secrets (oh that is very important, got to have those secrets) share our love for books, movies, terrible teachers and the outdoors. I hold this sisterhood close and we keep in touch. Then there are those special friends who just show up at a particular time and vanish thereafter never to be seen again except in a Souk in Morocco after 15 years! We still rush into each other’s arms because it does not take that much time to reconnect. After a quick recap of why you are in a Souk in the first place, you repeat lines from your favorite movie or book and it is like you were never apart. The great miracle of good friendships.

Music

Remember that note in the movie “Amadeus” that Salieri referred to? That single note of the Oboe that made you stop just for a second and listen, oblivious to wailing children, honking cars, vomit on the floor and overflowing bath water? That is the kind of music I am referring to – music that makes you go still, break into a dance, become a weepy mess or just make you want to hum the tune over and over again. Music that will be on your “desert island disc” collection. Seek those tunes, soak in those melodies, they speak to your spirit. True music is for our souls.

Travel 

I am a big fan of Jean Luc Pickard and his Starship Enterprise. I would love to “go where no woman has gone before” However, have to be content at the moment living on Earth. Until Virgin makes their starship accessible to us common folk, being an eternal wanderer on our beautiful planet, makes my heart sing. Travel kindles “The explorer” in all of us. Ideally I would like to touch large part of each continent, but until that happens, subscribing to “National Geographic’s travel magazine and meeting their explorers here in Seattle, makes me live that vicarious life. There is always a possibility that they may need an assistant, and I eternally hope that, that assistant will be me. I have not done shabbily by way of travel by any standards, but I always seem to want more. I think being immersed in another culture for a week or even a few days is so refreshing that when you come back home you want to set out again almost immediately.

The Power of a good book and a cup of hot tea

Stories draw us into mysterious worlds and take us on journeys that make us come alive.

There is the world of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer that transport us to another era. There is the “Hobbit” where we share our room with elves and dwarfs, and then there is the world of “Witches” and “Muggles” in the “Harry potter” series. As a little girl, I was drawn strongly into the mysterious lands atop the faraway tree in the “ Magic faraway tree” series. I hoped one day to have my own “Famous five” who I would have adventures with. I painstakingly built and stuck wings on my dining table chair, hoping it would transform into the “Wishing chair” by morning. I loved and lived the vet’s life with James Herriot and then took a little walk in a dark alley with Poirot and Holmes into the world of mysteries. Living in these worlds of “make believe” made life so exciting. Today, I still have a large pile of books but now have my little cup of tea to make the whole experience feel better than a visit to the spa.

Image Credit: Sridhar Chandrashekar

The Healing Power of a Bath and an Autism Study

In her 1963 book, The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath wrote, “There must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.” Her words ring true even today; a hot (or warm) bath is a cure for pretty much anything that ails you. While showers are easy, practical, quick and eco-friendly, baths win hands down when you want to take a journey within and reclaim your serenity and peace. That leads me to this fascinating study linking autism and hot baths.

A December 2013 study presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) Annual Meeting reported that a soaking in a hot bath reduced repetitive behaviors and improved social communication in children with autism.

For the study, Dr. Eric Hollander, a professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and his team recruited 15 children on the autism spectrum. The children spent 30 minutes on alternate days soaking in tubs with water heated to 102 degree Fahrenheit versus in a tub heated to 98-degrees. The children showed improvement on the days that they soaked in the hotter water of 102 degrees.

The study was based on the theory that autism is a pro-inflammatory condition. People on the autism spectrum may have overactive immune systems and high levels of inflammation in their bodies. Explaining the findings of the study, the researchers say, that the high temperatures of the bathtub mimicked fever in the body. Raising the body temperature through the means of a hot bath tricked the body into thinking that it had fever and triggered the release of anti-inflammatory signals that alleviated the behavioral symptoms.

I found this study insightful and think that the potential of triggering anti-inflammatory signals in the body, through something as simple and inexpensive as a hot bath, is immense! Inflammation plays havoc in our bodies in numerous ways, ranging all the way garden-variety aches and pains to arthritis to cancer. What if a daily bath prevented or alleviated the symptoms of some of these conditions, in addition to calming anxiety, promoting sleep and reducing stress? Sounds wonderful, no?

Furthermore, the urge to take baths is a primal one. We have been hooked on water ever since we were a collection of teeny-tiny cells. Before we were land creatures, we were aquatic ones. As fetuses, we bobbled around in the warm, dark amniotic fluid of our mother’s wombs for nine months. In the warm, watery environment of the bathtub, we return to our embryonic states.

Draw yourself a bath, light a candle or two, throw in some epsom salts and add some essential oils if you wish. Skip the artificially scented fake bubbly stuff, they just dry out your skin. Adjust the temperature of the water (I cannot handle very hot water) and soak. Twenty (or thirty) minutes later, when you emerge from the bathtub, you will feel like a newborn without a name, innocent and radiant, seeing the world with fresh eyes, for the very first time.

Sources:

  • American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)
  • Goodreads; Sylvia Plath
  • Image Credit: Freedigitalphotos.net

 

Friday Five: November 28th, 2014

Today I”m pleased as punch to bring you a Friday Five guest post written by a precious friend from architecture college days. Reshma Rao Beeranthbail lives in Dubai, runs marathons, practices yoga and pursues minimalism. She also takes extraordinary pictures.  Her photographs, especially her people portraits, are bold and evocative. I have walked around for hours with a lump in my throat after viewing some of them. I hope that you enjoy reading these five inspirational thoughts and ideas from her world.

Kongos

Rolling Stone magazine described their music thus: “A Balkan accordionist, a Burundi drummer, an American slide guitarist, and a British rock star walk into a bar. High-octane folk-pop ensues.“

I haven’t felt so much excitement for a rock band in decades! The Kongos are a talented South African band based in Phoenix, AZ. The 4 brothers have been in the music scene since 2007 but were recently signed by Epic Records. They have charmed audiences everywhere with their distinctive style, strong rhythm and catchy tunes. When was the last time you heard the rich sounds of an accordion in a rock band?! Some of their musical influences include Coldplay, The Beatles, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Yes!), Paul Simon, and Pink Floyd. I have enjoyed every track in their ‘Lunatic’ album. These guys are the real deal and will go places! Check them out!

Panacea

Isn’t it wonderful when your biggest weakness happens to be one of nature’s greatest gifts? It’s affordable, perfectly legal and available without prescription. Packed with antioxidants and happy chemicals, it offers many health benefits. If someone refutes these lofty claims, I don’t want to know. I love dark chocolate!

Among popular brands, my recent discovery has been Lindt Excellence Roasted Sesame. The chocolate bar, according to the product description is, “a perfectly balanced blend of intensely dark chocolate and delicate pieces of roasted sesame seeds. The nutty earthiness of the seeds enhances the roasted character of the cocoa, while the crunchy texture creates the ultimate taste sensation.” I couldn’t have said it better!  What makes it exceptional however is the caramelized sesame. It tastes just like sesame ladoos! It’s more “Indian” than any chocolate I’ve had.

Om Advantage

Phil Jackson put the Knicks through mindfulness training. Yoga was the secret sauce of the 2014 Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks. In her new book, Arianna Huffington draws on latest scientific research to show the transformative effects of meditation and mindfulness. Mindfulness has finally gone mainstream. I’ve been practicing yoga for 2 years and it has made all the difference in the world. The most basic of poses require adjustments of stance, balance and breathing, and the intricacies can take a lifetime to master. But the benefits even for a beginner are immense. The smooth movements are synchronized with conscious breathing. I can’t grunt or fight or beat myself up because the only way to get deeper into a pose is to relax into it. Yoga (and Pilates too) is my insurance against other hard workouts I put my body through. My ego sulks next to my flip-flops in the far corner of the room. There’s no place for it in yoga. In that little space on the yoga mat, I tune in to my body and mind without judgment. I’m still a work in progress but I know that in yoga I have found an ally.

Road to Somedayville

I created my first ‘Life List’ about 5 years ago. It’s a categorized, color-coded (don’t judge me!), itemized list of all the things I wish to do in my lifetime. The list is a nudge to anchor my dreams instead of letting them drift aimlessly towards Somedayville.

Over the past year, my family has practiced “Attitude of Gratitude” every night. It’s not a wishful prayer. Rather, we quietly reflect upon all the things, big and small, that we’re thankful for. It’s a nice way to put the day to rest.  It occurred to me that perhaps, some Enterprise free data recovery software Management and Big free data recovery software Enterprise free data recovery software Management (EDM) is an important process for understand- ing and controlling the economics of data in your enterprise or organization. of our best experiences are not always what we plan diligently for, but those that magically happen. I wouldn’t have dreamed of drifting in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey in my wildest dreams. But there I was last April, marveling the surreal landscape and spectacular views at sunrise.

So, I revisited my list and added in all the beautiful “Shoulda been on my life list” moments that had already gone by. I wish I had the discipline to keep a daily journal, but a ‘Gratitude Life List’ is the next best thing. It maps my past, plots my current path, and holds a compass to guide my way ahead. It’s a happy place that holds so much gratitude and promise.

Letting Go

Earlier this year, I was intrigued by the idea of becoming a minimalist after chancing upon a blog challenging readers to live with 100 items or less. 100 things seemed too extreme, but it was the beginning of my journey towards minimalism. I cleared our house and our life of “stuff”; stuff that carry so much weight and drag us down. I had held on to things long after they’d lost their value or purpose. Interestingly, my minimalist path permeated into other aspects of my life. I reevaluated everything with a critical eye. My physical space, digital world, time commitments, relationships, and even my mind, the biggest hoarder of them all! The “stuff” had to go. Purge, delete, cleanse! Imagine a clogged drain finally unplugged. That feeling of sudden “Whoosh!” made my spirits soar! I could feel the lightness of being.

In the declutter process, I found my old Minolta film camera in a box under my bed. Its previous owner was a WWII veteran who belonged to my Photography club. When he passed away, his family wanted his prized possession to go to a good home. During our move, I had forgotten all about this metallic camera with its intricate hand-embroidered strap and shiny buttons. This camera with many untold stories in its wear and tear finally found its rightful place in my living room. I’m going to treasure it.

Letting go was never about giving up. It was about creating abundance for what I truly love, value and cherish.

Sources:

Image Credit: Reshma Beeranthbail Photography

Words of Gratitude

I was going to write about the scientific research behind gratitude, but decided that the blog post was for another day. Gratitude, after all, is not an analytical exercise. It is a feeling and an exalted one at that. So, today, on the day of Thanksgiving, I offer you a collection of my favorite words of wisdom, quotes and proverbs on the subject. I hope that these words of thankfulness will nudge and move you into a state of grace, and help you feel your way into living a life of unhindered gratitude.  You’ll feel joyful and grateful just by reading these words, I promise. I always do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Albert Camus’s letter of gratitude to his teacher Louis Germaine soon after receiving the Nobel Prize.

“Dear Monsieur Germain,

I let the commotion around me these days subside a bit before speaking to you from the bottom of my heart. I have just been given far too great an honor, one I neither sought nor solicited. But when I heard the news, my first thought, after my mother, was of you. Without you, without the affectionate hand you extended to the small poor child that I was, without your teaching and example, none of all this would have happened. I don’t make too much of this sort of honor. But at least it gives me the opportunity to tell you what you have been and still are for me, and to assure you that your efforts, your work, and the generous heart you put into it still live in one of your little schoolboys who, despite the years, has never stopped being your grateful pupil. I embrace you with all my heart.

Albert Camus”

Anne Lamott in Help, Thanks, Wow:  The Three Essential Prayers

“What can we say beyond Wow, in the presence of glorious art, in music so magnificent that it can’t have originated solely on this side of things? Wonder takes our breath away, and makes room for new breath.”

Thornton Wilder

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”

Albert Einstein

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night. Act III, scene iii

“I can no other answer make but thanks,
And thanks, and ever thanks.
”

Chinese Proverb

“When you drink from a stream, remember the spring.”

Maya Angelou

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”

A.A. Milne in Winnie-the-Pooh

“Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”

Meister Eckhart

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

“For each new morning with its light.

For rest and shelter of the night.

For health and food, for love and friends.

For everything thy goodness sends.”

And finally, from an unknown author,

“If you can read this, thank a teacher.”

Sources:

  • Brain Pickings; Albert Camus’s Beautiful Letter of Gratitude to his Childhood Teacher After Winning the Nobel Prize
  • Goodreads; Quotes on Gratitude
  • All Things William; Gratitude
  • Duly Posted; Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem about gratitude
  • Art and Image Credit; Aditi Iyer

Friday Five: November 21st, 2014

Today, I’m delighted and thrilled to bring you our very first Friday Five guest post! Written by my dear friend, Seema Ramakrishna, this post is a personal exploration on the ideas and thoughts that are presently resonating with her. Seema is a mother to one, friend to many, a ball of passion and energy, and Head of Interiors of the well-known Brigade Group in Bangalore, India.

Morning Reflections
I particularly love that window of time, every single day, between 8 am and 8-30 am when I coordinate what I should wear. It is absolutely “ME” time. To choose from a wardrobe that houses a collection of clothes across 20 odd years, is no easy task. Surprisingly though, it does seem easy. Because I don”t care much for what might be the current trend or what impact my appearance would have on others.

I strongly recommend that every person should spend some time assessing oneself in front of the mirror. The mind will behold all that the soul has to bare. And voila! You will know exactly what you need to wear to lift the spirits. Wear makeup if you must but also wear the right amount of the right attitude!
Armed with all of the above, I for one, walk out of my home with a spring in my step, ready to face the world.

Indian Mantra
There is this tried and tested Indian way of handling difficult situations and that is to simply place the problem on the back burner. Father Time is the wholesome ingredient that resolves the concern on hand. Anger or any other negatively strong emotion is best managed by putting off a reaction on an immediate basis and paving the way for a response instead, all in good time.
It took me this long to realize this home truth but it sure works.

Sole mate – Size Matters!
The size of my feet has faced the brunt of many digs. One such was while I was getting a pedicure done, the therapist squealed with amusement that I have such tiny feet and I retorted with a, “What may thus be the discount?” And so when there are those freak moments that I chance upon the right fitting pair of shoes, the necessary measure of adrenalin pumps in and it becomes my coveted asset.
Sole searching is also very good for my soul!

Eat, Sleep, Live
My grandmother ate all that she fancied and lived all of her 83 years. She had casino online diabetes, high BP and what not but that did not deter her from indulging in food. The key to keeping her metabolism in check was to eat in moderation and at regular intervals and take her medication religiously. She took a nap every afternoon and slept well at night. Every meal, every chore was by the clock. She read novels before she went to bed. I have inherited her culinary skills on a willing note and her lack of height on an unwilling note. Am at that bend of the road when my metabolism is slowing down and nevertheless, I need to inherit her ways on a compulsory note.

Annual Pilgrimage
I work hard and I party hard. It is driven by external forces and I go with the flow, striving hard to meet work and home deliverables, as life would have it. And then comes that time of the year when I fall off the face of the earth for two weeks. I prefer to travel alone to seek peace in being with myself, on my terms. I always return home feeling a better person. Am sure my folks think so too in addition to thinking that I truly am a sweet person since I bring back a whole lot of chocolates local to the region of visit!

A trip like this reinforces me for what seems like a lifetime but it lasts exactly a year. And off I go, wanting to be with myself year after year. A pilgrimage of sorts to revive the mind, body and soul.

 

Savory Turmeric Beverage/Soup

Turmeric (the powdered kind) has always held a special spot in my spice cabinet and recently fresh turmeric root also has been getting some serious veneration in my kitchen. Containing ostentatious amounts of anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and immune building compounds, the spice recently graced the pages of the prestigious Wall Street Journal. Dubbed ‘snow day superfood’ by the journal, turmeric makes a great addition to your spice cabinet (if it is not already in there) for the upcoming winter season. Whether you are almost sick, already sick or far from sick drinking a cup (or two) of a beverage laced with the spice is an excellent idea. If you are sick, it will make you well and if you are well, it will make you thrive.

Delicious and warming, turmeric milk is an age-old Ayurvedic and home remedy to cure the chills. It is usually sweetened with sugar or honey, but I wanted to try making a savory version incorporating both powdered and fresh turmeric root and other warming spices such as ginger, cumin and black pepper. You can have it in a cup and call it a beverage or have it in a bowl call it a soup. Your wish.

Here is what you will need.

  • A cup of unsweetened almond or coconut milk
  • ½  teaspoon of turmeric
  • ½ inch slice of fresh turmeric root cut into small pieces
  • ½ inch slice of fresh ginger root cut into small pieces
  • Black peppercorns
  • Roasted cumin powder (Just toast a few cumin seeds in a pan and grind into a fine powder)
  • Salt to taste (I used Himalayan casino online salt)
  • Steamed vegetables (optional)
  • A dab of coconut oil or pastured butter (optional)

Here is how you will make it.

  • Warm a cup of almond, hemp or coconut milk on the stove-top.
  • Add half a teaspoon of turmeric to the milk and stir till the turmeric is completely dissolved. At this point the milk in the saucepan will look bright yellow. Bring the milk to a gentle boil and turn off the stove.
  • Crush 4 peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and add to the milk. Black pepper is said to increase the bio-availability of turmeric. Skip this step if you are making the turmeric milk for a child or for a person with a severe cough.
  • Pour the milk (with turmeric) into a cup or a bowl and add the fresh and powdered spices. Add salt to taste
  • Add steamed vegetables, herbs, and a pat of coconut oil or pastured butter if you want to turn the beverage into something more substantial.

Drink this hard-core turmeric beverage to rock the Winter of 2014! The flu or any other virus will have nothing on you.

Sources:

Wall Street Journal; Snow Day Superfood

Planta Medicine; Influence of Piperine on the Pharmacokinetics of Curcumin in Animals and Human Volunteers

Friday Five: November 14th, 2014

I’m back with the Friday Five feature for this month. Here are five thoughts/ideas/things that are bringing joy and delight into my life. I had written about the possibility of including guest posts for this feature and it looks like it is going to happen. Stay tuned for exciting guest posts next Friday onwards!

Fresh Turmeric Root

The fresh turmeric root was an impulse buy. I have seen it sit next to fresh ginger root in grocery stores for years, but have ignored it thinking that powdered turmeric was all that I needed in my kitchen. Turmeric powder is good, but fresh turmeric root is extraordinary. The fresh version has a subtle taste, a slight peppery tang to it, but it would be remiss of me to call it turmeric lite. It is the creator of the powder after all. I have been julienning it, grating it and juicing it (in a garlic press) into my dishes, and my-oh-my, it adds glorious color, flavor and magic every single time. Just around the time I started buying fresh turmeric root, I had a scary-very-apt-for-Halloween cut on my finger. The few people who were allowed to peek under the band-aid said that it needed multiple stitches. Six weeks later, there are no signs whatsoever of the once upon a time cut. Our ancients were so certain of turmeric’s healing prowess, that they named the root, Kanchani, or the golden goddess in Sanskrit. You can also bring the goddess home today to heal your wounds, external or internal.

Medjool Dates

Deep brown in color with a caramel like flavor, medjool dates are embodiments of nature’s sweetness. Brimming with nutrients like vitamin A, B, potassium and iron, they make an energizing snack all by themselves or they make an excellent substitute for sugar. I have been using them to sweeten smoothies, truffles and puddings. Something magical happens when bananas, coconut milk and a touch of cardamom meet these dates in the blender. It is like they go on an awesome date (sorry, I could not resist) or something.

Hygge

It is that cold time of the year and if you are worried about plunging into Seasonal Affective Disorder, embrace Hygge. What is Hygge? It is a Danish word and it is hard to translate it into English. It is the reason why the Danes are considered the happiest people on earth despite long, dark and dreary winters. Describing the concept, Helen Dyrbye in the Xenophobe’s Guide to the Danes says that,

“It is the art of creating intimacy: a sense of comradeship, conviviality and contentment rolled into one.”

Simply put, it is the driving away of darkness and coldness through the luminosity and warmth of you and those around you. It is your everyday Deepavali or Christmas. Hygge is both a ceremony involving cozy candle light dinners as well as a feeling. So what will you do today to bring Hygge into your life?

Nag Champa Incense

Each stick weighs a gram and burns for one whole hour. Each stick is a special blend of resins, flower essences, herbs and natural sandalwood oil. Each stick is hand rolled. The scent is gentle, earthy and lingering, and is resonating with me, big time. I burn one stick every day; it wraps and cradles me with light, love and Hygge.

Maria Popova’s Literary Jukebox 

It is a Brain Pickings project where quotes are imaginatively, reflectively and thematically matched with songs. When asked about the inspiration behind the project, Maria said,

“I have music on practically all the time and spend an inordinate portion of my waking hours reading, so it’s unsurprising that this synesthetic quality would manifest itself [for me] most powerfully in the relationship between literature and music.”

I have been spending an inordinate amount of time on this site. Here is one of my favorites, time seems to expand with this Proust with Murdoch pairing.

Sources:

  • California College of Ayurveda; Turmeric: The Golden Goddess
  • Dr. Mercola; What are Dates Good For?
  • Mother Nature Network; How ‘hygge’ can Help you Get Through Winter
  • Library Journal; Q & A; Maria Popova on Literary Jukebox