professional and personal front because of which I was feeling depressed. I didn’t want to jump to taking medication and opted for Bach flower therapy. Within a week, I felt relaxed and composed. I could focus on my work better and, slowly, I was back to being my usual self.” In the Bach flower system, there is no direct mapping of remedies to any physical issue or disease. The practitioner takes into account your emotion, behaviour, and personality, and based on that information, prepares a flower remedy combination that will address the challenges you are facing. Being honest with your therapist by sharing your emotional upheavals in detail and establishing their trust goes a long way in preparing the combination of remedies to heal you. Compassionate listening and an in-depth consultation combined with the diligence of the patient in taking those remedies in the prescribed manner ensures the best path to healing. Bach flowers are safe and for everyone Right from humans to pets and plants, Bach flowers can be administered to anyone. There is a remedy for every emotional condition you experience as a human being. These remedies are non-habit-forming and have no side effects. Bach flowers—A placebo? Critics often point out that Bach flower remedies work as placebos. A placebo is a simple inert substance (e.g., sugar pills or water), which when consumed with the belief that it will heal, does end up healing. – what is referred to as ‘false positives’. This phenomenon is wellresearched and documented. So, is Bach flower remedy a placebo? The proof of the pudding is in the eating. A placebo can work once in a while, but in the case of Bach flowers, it works most of the time if the diagnosis is correct and the patient takes the remedies religiously. Given that it is emotional healing, establishing scientific validity to the Bach flower system is challenging. When anyone poses this question to me, I suggest they try it to experience its miraculous benefits. Flowers remedies work wonders as they work on the root of the issue.They cure not by attacking the disease but by flooding the bodies with the beautiful vibrations of higher nature, in the presence of which disease melts away as snow in the sunshine. Flower power 51
Origin of Bach flower remedies Dr Edward Bach, a physician and homeopath, who believed that emotional well-being was critical to general health, founded the system of plant- and flower-based treatments in the 1930s. Dr Bach dedicated his entire life to researching the use of flowers and plants to bring about a more basic, natural, and gentler approach to emotional harmony. He discovered that the dew present on flower petals retains the plant’s alleged medicinal powers. The treatments are brandy and water mixtures, with the water containing extremely diluted flower material. The 38 Bach flower remedies Dr Bach discovered 38 remedies, each one for a different emotional or mental state. For example, White Chestnut is a treatment for those seeking tranquillity. It aids in the removal of unhelpful, recurrent thoughts. White Chestnut’s positive potential is peace of mind, and it is ideal for persons who are overly critical of some part of their looks or attitude. Elm’s treatment will make you feel less overwhelmed, put your problem into perspective, and let you do things as per your capacity. Elm’s positive potential is self-assurance and maintaining perspective. Similarly, other therapies are effective in treating other types of emotional problems. Rescue remedy This is a one-of-a-kind combination of five flowers that serves as a first-aid kit and aids in dealing with crises such as shock, terror, and dread. It is an all-purpose, fast-acting stress reliever, which can be used for symptomatic alleviation. It is sometimes referred to as a crisis remedy. Payal K Talwaris the founder of Eufloria which utilizes flower essences to promote emotional well being and holistic healing. 52 LifePositive | APRIL 2023
Humans need relationships to survive. But their capacity to give us joy is directly proportional to the amount of pain they can cause us. And no matter how loving and sincere you are in your relationships, there is no guarantee that the other will reciprocate in equal measure. Often, the one you have deeply trusted will hurt you badly, and the one you have mostly ignored will stand up for you in your hour of need. Ironically, those who run away from relationships due to the abovementioned reasons, hoping to find their haven of peace in aloneness, often find themselves craving the presence of people in their lives.Yet no matter how hard you try, there can never be a perfectly harmonious relationship between two or more people. There shall always be elements that irk, annoy, or create a void in your heart with regard to the other person in your life. However, the same relationships also become the barometer by which you can mark your spiritual growth. Humans attach themselves to the object of their affection. This proclivity makes them lean on the other and generates a lot of expectations. We expect to be treated equally, lovingly, and JOURNEY Toxic relationships also have their place in our life, says Shivi Verma. They test our mettle, helping us tread the spiritual path resiliently with newfound insights respectfully by those we are in a relationship with. This isn’t to say that our expectations are wrong. We do deserve reciprocity, but the universal grid is designed to liberate us and make us independent; not entrench us further in maya where others have the remote control of our happiness. People who get cheated in relationships (be they friendly, filial, romantic, or marital) begin to question themselves. Help is sought from therapists, and spiritual gurus to find out why they have been let down by people they had invested so much in. This search leads them to excavate deeply stored beliefs around abandonment, guilt, not being deserving of love, and the fear of being alone. This also makes them aware of their karmic debts, stored anger, negative self-talk and world view, weak boundaries, and the need for external validation.The healing work undertaken by them to resolve these issues releases them from the grip of energies that attract toxic people in their lives. They start hoping that now that they are vibrating higher, they can draw in the best and most reliable people in their life. However, it may not happen all the time. You may still find yourself amidst negative people. Now if you are Editor of Life Positive, Shivi Verma is a devotee who found all her answers in loving God passionately. wondering why these people are still in your life, the answer is this: to test how much you have grown through all the spiritual work you have done. If you can stand your ground, and not trade your boundaries for love and acceptance, not only will you get to enjoy the bliss of detachment which one gets only through divine grace, but you will also be helping the other person come to their senses. Bad behaviour continues only if you enable it. Your spiritual growth is not meant to help you alone but to also help others to grow. This happens to make you realise that the most reliable connection you have is with your Higher Self. No matter how chaotic your circumstances are, if you are rooted in your Self, nobody can snatch your happiness away. If positive and fulfilling relationships come into your life, you know how to value and respect them, and if they don’t, you know how to enjoy your own company and not compromise your self-respect for a few breadcrumbs of appreciation and affection. We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] The Puzzle of Relationships Journey 53
INNERVIEW Ms Anjali, a 32-year-old native of Thiruvananthapuram, now settled in Ernakulam, Kerala, has been on a unique mission at an age when young women are immersed in pursuing a career. For the past several years (except during the COVID period), Anjali, along with her guru, Shri Jayakumar, and her mother, Dr Ajitha, have been incessantly travelling from Kanyakumari to the Himalayas (including Nepal), documenting the lives of Avadhutas (mystics), past and present, to include them in a book called Mahaavadhutam, to be published initially in Malayalam. Just before the commencement of the first journey at the instance of paramguru Sudheer Vaidyar of Agasthya Ashram, Trippunithura, Kerala, Anjali changed her name to Lakshmi Dhuta. Pradeep Krishnan speaks to Lakshmi Dhuta to discover what intrigued her into following in the footsteps of the revered Avadhutas THE MASTERS BECKONED 54 LifePositive | APRIL 2023
Innerview 55 Travelling all over the Indian subcontinent, the trio visited several places sanctified by the presence of Avadhutas such as Shivapuri Baba, Bhagwan Nityananda, Neem Karoli Baba, and Shirdi Sai Baba. Coming to know about the travels of the trio, I was eager to meet them. On the appointed day, Sri Jayakumar himself came to the Kalamassery metro rail station to receive my wife and me. While driving to their residence, he said about their spiritual guru, Sudheer Vaidyar, “Though several could not recognise his stature, Sudheer Vaidyar was not only an ayurvedic physician but also an Avadhuta as there were several instances of him curing incurable diseases. Though he attained samadhi (liberation) in 2003, he still guides me. We undertook the yatra (journey) by road, as guided by him.” Sitting in the drawing room, along with her guru Sri Jayakumar, Lakshmi Dhuta talked to us for an hour about her unique life mission. How did you come to the spiritual path? What was the turning point in your life? Imagine you’re walking down a path and you suddenly make a turn. You’d think you just changed directions, but actually, you were already there in the first place. My turning point, or in this case, my signboard, would be my guru and my soul friend, Jayakumar Uncle. How did you meet your guru, Sri Jayakumarji? When I met him, he was a well-sought-after dog breeder. When one of his dogs’ leg got fractured, he brought the bandaged dog to my mother, a homeopath, even though she was not a vet. They did not hit it off as Uncle was a very unkempt man with unruly hair, overgrown nails, and shirt buttons all mixed up. As my mother is quite particular about personal hygiene and grooming, their friendship was unlikely. But in four years, they became close friends. Jayakumarji, knowing I have a postgraduate degree in journalism, requested me to write a book on Guru Sudheer Vaidyar. I believe it was all a drama that happened to set some things in motion; to be where we are now. Unlike several young girls your age, instead of opting for a career-oriented life, you chose to follow a different path. What are your aims and objectives in life? I began with a regular job, but then I decided to delve into the unknown. It was a huge step, and had it not been for my mother who supported me through my decision, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing. Ambition? I’d happily take whatever life throws at me. Can you share your experiences with your gurus, the late Sri Sudheer Vaidyarji and Sri Jayakumarji? Our paramguru, the late Sudheer Vaidyar, an Avadhuta, though not widely recognised as such, was well-known for his unmatched treatment [in traditional medicine], often curing incurable cases with his divine touch. For me, he was a father figure. On the other hand, Jayakumar Uncle was chosen and mentored by Sri Sudheer Vaidyar during the last years of his life. Together, they directed me to look inwards, to know my Self. What is unique about Avadhutas? What prompted you to travel in search of them? Avadhuta means ‘the one whose body has become one with the dust’ or a person beyond all notions of individual identity. They are not confined to the body they inhabit, and their notions break all existing human foundations. Although they prefer to keep to themselves, sometimes their eccentricities make them stand out. Diogenes from Greece; Hotei, or the Laughing Buddha, from China; and Milarepa
from Tibet are all examples of Avadhutas. I would prefer not to use the word ‘searching’ to describe the journey made to these exceptional beings. It was a thought I had a long time ago that prompted me to meet them. Why should modern man study the life of Avadhutas? What are the life lessons they teach? This is a very difficult question to answer because each of us arrives at our inferences through unique personal experiences. Why do we eat or exercise? For the smooth functioning of our body. That’s a visible thing—the body. However, when we are awake, there’s something also that is invisible within us: the mind. The seamless functioning of the body can’t be achieved with just food and exercise; it needs the help of the invisible mind from within and its balance. As I understand, Avadhutas demonstrate this with their lives in the simplest way by teaching us to cherish and enjoy every single moment in bliss. These enlightened souls scattered throughout history are silent catalysts, orchestrating changes while maintaining an unassuming lifestyle. Not everyone could see through their veils, but some certainly felt they were no commoners. Once Alexander the Great famously said, “If I were not Alexander, then I should wish to be Diogenes!” History is filled with examples of great kings seeking the counsel of these wise men who guided simple lessons. From a spiritual point of view, we have King Janaka, Sita’s father, becoming an Paramguru Sri Sudheer Vaidyaar 56 LifePositive | APRIL 2023
Innerview 57 Avadhuta himself after long discourses by his teenage master, Sage Ahstavakra. Jesus Christ Himself speaks of St John the Baptist, the one who baptised the Son of God. What about the book? They say that as The book, Mahaavadhutam, [The Message of the Great Avadhutas] will cover the lives of 21 Avadhutas. The three of us, my guru, my mother, and I are working on it, but in reality, it’s a combined effort of a greater like-minded family that supports us. The book will be translated into eight Indian and three foreign languages, and will take a couple of years. It is a work that evolves by itself. Can you please share your experiences of travelling all over India meeting Avadhutas? I wish it were that simple! To start with, are extremely rare and nearly impossible to find. They normally avoid bringing attention to themselves, so we may not even recognise them, even if they’re right in front of you. With guidance, I have physically seen four of them so far and have also encountered this omnipresent energy without a visible source. It’s their grace that allows me to connect with them in both ways. Anyway, this is a very tricky thing; there are a lot of folks who pretend to be them. False ones come in plenty! One key difference is that real Avadhutas never claim to be one. What are the impressions that you gathered through your travels? You’ll see through all the differences and see no difference. As we did not follow an itinerary, From left to right: Smt. Ajitha (Ms. Anjali’s mother, Sri jayakumar, Anjali’s guru and Ms. Anjali ( in white kurta with a shoulder bag put across)
there was always room for surprises. While we were passing through Odisha last January, we had a craving for authentic local cuisine. As all the shops we passed on our way had the usual North Indian food only, for absolutely no reason—call it a feeling—we decided to take a detour. Half an hour later, climbing up a hill, we reached a cave temple inside the forest, and noticing another car there, we thought we had company. It turned out that the cave temple belonged to a tribe and our arrival coincided with the day they worship the Sun God. The car belonged to the city priest gracing the occasion, and luckily for us, we got a translator for the next two hours. We offered our prayers at the cave and returned to our hosts. Once a year, they prepare their best traditional food and offer it to their deity, which is distributed as prasad [sanctified food]. There it was! The most authentic Odia food we could ever ask for. They filled our hearts and bellies pouring dollops of dishes we had never seen on a plate. There was even a dessert that resembled our Kerala payasam a lot. After we warmed up to them, they looked at each other and nodded. So there was another prasad, which the locals specially offered to their God; it was weed. They wrapped up a handful for us, and we accepted this uncommon gift, which we gave to a wandering sadhu [ascetic] later. There are temples where deities are worshipped with flowers and sweets, and there are places where you see weed or alcohol, depending upon the culture. Isn’t it all the same? Aren’t they all experiencing the same grace despite how it appears on the outside? Any specific experience that was very touching or remarkable that you would like to share? Yes, the one where I got to witness the inherent goodness of humanity. In the coastal town of Valapad, Kerala, at one of the places late Parappor Amma, an Avadhuta [who left the body in 1981], often visited, the people vowed to honour her lessons in everyday life. To this day, the entire townsfolk look after their old parents, never placing them in shelter homes. Another example is the current CM of Pondicherry, Mr N Rangaswamy. His paramguru is Alukku Siddhar, an Avadhuta. When we went to his residence [he was an ex-minister at that time] it was early in the morning, right after daybreak. The crowds had just started filing in, and before our arrival, crows, squirrels, and sparrows had already taken their places. We didn’t think much of it then till the minister made his entrance at the balcony. Paying no attention to humans, he diligently proceeded to feed every creature waiting for him. Their cacophony or the mess they created did not matter to him. He looked very serene that cold morning, finding joy in his routine. What are the messages that you want to convey through your book and journeys? This book is a transparent attempt to pass down everything we’ve learnt in this journey: the true nature of the gurus, what they teach us with their lives, and what we must aspire for. For us, it is not a book; it’s something that defines the three of us. For this purpose alone, we had travelled far and wide by car to places where Avadhutas live or have lived. It was indeed a very intensive process, collecting information, taking interviews, and finding references. What are the objectives of your forthcoming trip to 11 countries? One of the 21 chapters is about Shivapuri Baba, a great soul who kept a low profile, and as you might know, circumambulated the earth on 58 LifePositive | APRIL 2023
foot. On his walks, he met Einstein as a young man, Bernard Shaw, and Tolstoy, to name a few, till he reached England, where he stayed with Queen Victoria at her insistence, till her passing. He would eventually meet Theodore Roosevelt before returning to Nepal, and took samadhi at the age of 137 as he was bored! To do justice to Shivapuri Baba’s chapter, we have decided to follow his footsteps to experience what he saw, a hundred years after, with all the modern comforts he didn’t have. Additionally, we will also uphold the ancient thought of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam [the world is one family], developed by rishis [sages] as the seed mantra for peace. The drive to 11 countries will cover the Himalayan nations and South Asian countries, spreading the message of peace and oneness. We hope to complete the three-month circuit by August 15, 2023, and be part of the nation cherishing ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.’ How do you view the message of Guru Sri Sudheer Vaidyarji that sannyas [renunciation] is not to discard anything but to accept everything? I understand that a true sannyasi [renunciate] doesn’t choose one over the other; he accepts both. Perhaps I could explain this better with a real story: There was once a baker who lived happily with two daughters and his wife, successfully running a small store. The girls spent a wonderful childhood at his countertops kneading dough and mixing ingredients with their father, making breads and buns. As time went by, this meticulous man slowly distanced himself from everything he loved, to pursue a spiritual path. He met an Avadhuta in his life and wanted to be like him. He walked out on his family, seeking a higher calling that never came. Disappointed with his lack of spiritual progress, he lived the life of a homeless man, hoping extreme sacrifices might help him get there. Towards the end, his anguished eldest daughter finds him and feeds him. “Father, did you get what you wanted? Was it worth everything?” The baker, aged by time and experience, sobs, “I was wrong. It’s too late now.” Later, the baker died, neither getting the samadhi he wished for nor being remembered by his clan. His family wanted nothing to do with him, except the eldest daughter, who cared for him till the end. Is life a problem to be solved or a mystery to be lived? I prefer to let it have its way. No Sherlock has ever cracked it. Thinking too much kills the joy of experience. Any message? As I do not have any original thoughts, I quote Baba Neem Karoli’s message, which is reassuring: “Truth is the greatest tapasya [penance]. Men will hate you for telling the truth; they will call you names; they may even kill you. But you must tell the truth. If you live in truth, God will always stand by you.” I request those who would like to connect with us in any way to mail us at mahavadhutam@gmail. com. Thank you. Innerview 59 Pradeep Krishnan is a student of consciousness, based in Kerala. A seeker by nature, he is deeply attracted to the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
Our life is full of ups and downs; while we bear the burden of troubles, we also enjoy unexpected gains. We see that some people start from a very low position but attain great heights in different fields. All this doesn’t happen just by chance. Two divine laws govern our life: the Law of Karma and the Law of Attraction. Law of Karma Many of us believe that we get the fruits of our karma (actions) done in this life as well as in past lives. If that is so, then what is karma and where does it accumulate? Now scientists say that everything in this world is, truly speaking, an expression of energies. Things we see as solids, liquids, and gases are made of atoms and electrons, which are also expressions of energy. Karma is also energy. There are three types of karma: Kriyamana SHARING All of us are subject to the Law of Karma and the Law of Attraction. So it is to our benefit that we understand them to live a righteous and fruitful life, says A S Dandekar LAWS OF LIFE Karma, Sanchita Karma, and Prarabdha Karma. Kriyamana Karma: Kriyamana Karma is created by us in this life. Sanchita Karma: Sanchita Karma is the sum total of all our karma created in our past lives which is yet to fructify. Prarabdha Karma: Prarabdha Karma is our past karma which is due for fructification in our present life. All this karma forms energy circles in our Karan Sharir (causal body) and our Sukshma Sharir (subtle body). Many people who come into our life do so according to our Prarabdha Karma as well as theirs. Events and relationships come into play to exhaust this karma. We often find bitter relationships existing between father and son, between brothers, or between husband and wife. When a jivatma (individual soul) takes rebirth, 60 LifePositive | APRIL 2023
it carries with it its Sukshma Sharir, which carries the energy fields of its karma. Some advanced yogis and saints can see this and suggest ways to work out one’s karma, such as giving donations, performing certain pujas (rituals), and japam (chanting). It is said that Prarabdha Karma has to be endured. This is why Sri Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita, has preached Nishkam Karm Yog; we should perform all karma diligently without any attachment and without expecting the fruits thereof. Further, whatever karma we perform, we should dedicate to God. Law of Attraction The Law of Attraction is a very powerful and effective law, which states that like attracts like. Thoughts are also a form of energy; they are magnetic and have certain frequencies. When we think a thought, we attract like thoughts. Everything sent out returns to us. Thus, we attract people and circumstances into our life. As we have seen above, all solids are also, in essence, energies vibrating at frequencies. When we think about what we want, we emit that frequency. It causes the energy of what we want, to vibrate at that frequency, and we bring it to us! When we focus on what we want, we change the vibrations of the atoms of that thing and we attract it to us. Our individual minds are connected through the Universal Mind. Through this, we send and receive thoughts. Many times, heartfelt prayers and affirmations materialise. These attract people and circumstances as desired, leading us to consider it a favour done by God. This also explains why some people reach great heights in their vocations. They attract to them the things they want. Apart from getting the good results of their past karma, they knowingly or unknowingly follow the Law of Attraction. By knowing the Law of Karma and the Laws of Attraction we can achieve many things in our life. To get the maximum benefit, we can follow these guidelines: • We should be fully aware of our thoughts and feelings in the present moment and should avoid repetitive negative thoughts. • We should not think of things we do not want and think only of that which we want. • Many times, people offend us and we feel hurt. For example, somebody has filed a false case against you for selfish gains, or your business partner has cheated you. In such cases, we should take necessary legal as well as other appropriate action. However, we should avoid thoughts of revenge, and fuming and fretting. These thoughts and feelings create negative energy fields. In the next birth, we may take similar action against such persons as we are bound by karmic energies created. So ‘forgive and forget’ is the right way. • We should see this world as a drama, staged by God, the great Producer and Director. All of us—our friends, relatives, and adversaries—are actors playing our respective roles according to our past karma. This attitude will help us perform our roles well and finally attain liberation. Sharing 61 A S Dandekar—An engineer, IIM graduate and entrepreneur, He is a seeker and student of Yogoda Satsanga Society, who has written for publications like the IIM journal, The Speaking Tree, Loksatta and Maharashtra Times. We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected]
62 LifePositive | APRIL 2023 SPIRIT Suma Varughese is a thinker, writer, and former Editor-inChief of Life Positive. She also holds writer’s workshops. Write to her at sumavarughese@ hotmail.com. We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] Yesterday, I met a couple of friends for lunch, both of who were quite devoted to me. Or so I thought. However, I found one of them addressing all her comments almost exclusively to the other. She hardly addressed me except when I addressed her. I was bemused but not reactive. Since then I have wondered why the other seemed so much more important to her than me, and whether she really was as devoted to me as I had thought, but there is no anger and no withdrawal. My regard for her is unchanged. And that is quite a shift for me. It has always been very hard for me to be neutral to what others said or did. If someone was nice to me, I was nice to them. If someone was indifferent to me, I too ignored them. And if I ever felt put down or made less of by someone else, then my withdrawal was quite marked. I remember loving this line from one of Shakespeare’s sonnets: “Love does not alter when it alteration finds.” But how hard I found to emulate it. When someone seemed not to like me as much as they had done earlier, I would move into reaction mode. Why had their behaviour changed? Was there something wrong with me? I would then beat up on myself and come to the conclusion that I was not good enough. But the other was not spared, either. I would feel rejected, angry and hurt. The emotional charge would never really leave, and the equation would never be the same again. It was almost impossible for me to set my own standard and hold on to it even when the other departed from it. And the reason was my perilous sense of self-esteem. I took my cues from others because I was too unsure of myself. And thus I gave away my power. There was a brief period, though, when I had acted very differently and that was when I had just had my enlightenment experience. At that time, I had felt absolutely replete within. I was my own master and I would effortlessly lift others to my level, instead of being reduced to theirs. At the once-dreaded high society parties I was compelled to attend by virtue of being the editor of Society magazine, I would feel completely at ease, engage with the most forbidding celeb, and on the strength of my own ebullience, cause them to relax, unwind and open up. I had interesting conversations with most people, not because they had changed but because I had changed. That period lasted for a year and after that, I was back to where I had started from, uneasy and unsure about myself, but with a burning determination to change and become the person I had glimpsed I was in that year. The intervening years have enabled me to free myself of a lot of the baggage that crippled me. My selfesteem, particularly, has risen to respectable proportions. It may not be perfect, but I am getting there. And I can envisage a time when I can finally free myself of the influence of others and be myself in all situations. In this state of perfect ease with ourselves, we no longer mind where the other is coming from because it has not the slightest influence on us. On the other hand, our composure, our smiling amity, may actually unfreeze the other and cause him or her to climb down from his hauteur. That is freedom, my friends. Freedom From the Other Suma Varughese traces her journey from being in thrall of the other to the point of not minding what the other says or does.
MUDRAS Abhay Kumar Shah suggests mudras for balancing your endocrine system, which helps regulate the body’s complex functions Keep your hormones hale and hearty The endocrine system is a complex network of glands and organs. It uses hormones to control and coordinate our body’s metabolism, energy level, reproduction, growth and development, and response to injury, stress, and mood. The following are integral parts of the endocrine system: • Hypothalamus: The hypothalamus secretes hormones that stimulate or suppress the release of hormones in the pituitary gland, in addition to controlling water balance, sleep, temperature, appetite, and blood pressure. • Pineal body, or pineal gland: It produces the hormone melatonin, which helps the body know when it’s time to sleep. • Pituitary gland: This gland controls many functions of the other endocrine glands. • Thyroid and parathyroid glands: The thyroid plays an important role in the body’s metabolism, and the parathyroid, in the regulation of the body’s calcium balance. • Thymus: The thymus produces white blood cells that fight infections and destroy abnormal cells. • Adrenal glands: The adrenal glands make and release corticosteroid hormones and epinephrine, which maintain blood pressure and regulate metabolism. • Pancreas: The pancreas plays a role in digestion as well as hormone production. Hormones produced by the pancreas include insulin and glucagon, which regulate blood sugar levels. • Ovaries: A woman’s ovaries, in addition to containing the egg cells necessary for reproduction, also produce oestrogen and progesterone, hormones that are important for sexual and reproductive development in women. • Testes: A man’s testes produce testosterone, the male sex hormone that is important for normal male sexual development and functions, and sperm, the male reproductive cell. Being a very sensitive system, the endocrine system can easily be affected even by mood fluctuations, which is not so unthinkable, given today’s complex life. We need to balance it to be healthy, and the following mudras will help you do so: Mudras 63
Abhay Kumar Shah is a mechanical engineer, who has learnt Mudra Shastra from experts and established his own method of using this science correctly, and in the modern context. He can be reached at: [email protected] We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] Surabhi Mudra Connect the tips of your fingers in the following way: The right pinky to the left ring finger and vice versa. The right middle finger to the left index finger and vice versa. Place your palms on the thighs, fingers pointing downwards, thumbs straight and free. Start with 5 minutes on the first attempt and then extend the practice up to 16 minutes by adding 2 minutes each time. Jnaan Mudra Connect the tips of the index finger and the thumb. Keep the remaining three fingers comfortably straight. Practise for 16 minutes, twice or thrice a day. Shankh Mudra Place the tip of the right thumb on the hill under the left thumb. Wrap all four fingers of the left palm around the right thumb. Touch the tip of the right index finger to the tip of the left thumb. Rest the remaining three fingers of the right palm on the back of the left palm. (One can sweep the hands.) Practise for 16 minutes, twice a day. Praan Mudra Touch the tips of the ring finger and the little finger to the tip of the thumb. Keep the remaining two fingers comfortably straight and place your palms on the thighs. Practise for 16 minutes, twice a day. Start practising this combination of mudras today, and let me know how you feel after a month. 64 LifePositive | APRIL 2023
TEACHING STORY YOU FIND WHAT YOU SEEK A man visits a Zen master and asks him, “I’m thinking of moving to this town. What’s it like?” The Zen master asks, “What was your old town like?” “It was dreadful. Everyone was hateful. I hated it.” “This town is very much the same. I don’t think you should move here.” While the first man is still there, a second man arrives. The second man too asks the Zen master, “I’m thinking of moving to this town. What’s it like?” The Zen master asks, “What was your old town like?” “It was wonderful. Everyone was friendly, and I was happy. Just interested in a change now.” “This town is very much the same. I think you will like it here.” At this point, the first man realised that what we seek is what we find. The reasons why you do what you do matter as much, if not more, as what you end up doing. Because they shape how you seek. So, ultimately, they’ll also determine what you find. BANYAN TREE BANYAN TREE THIS, I KNOW SADHGURU • The sign of intelligence is that you are constantly wondering. Idiots are always dead sure about every damn thing they are doing in their life. • The most beautiful moments in life are moments when you are expressing your joy, not when you are seeking it. • If you resist change, you resist life. • When pain, misery, or anger happen, it is time to look within you, not around you. • The fear is simply because you are not living with life; you are living in your mind. • Love is your quality. Love is not what you do. Love is what you are. • Learning to listen is the essence of intelligent living. • If you think hundred per cent logically, there is really no possibility of life. • Krishna says in the Gita, "The worst crime in the world is indecision. • Reactivity is enslavement. Responsibility is freedom. • Unless you do the right things, the right things will not happen to you. Banyan Tree 65
INSPIRATION Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free; Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls; Where words come out from the depth of truth; Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection; Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit; Where the mind is led forward by thee into everwidening thought and action; Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake. —Rabindranath Tagore JUST FOR LAUGHS THE LAST LAUGH A bus full of ugly people had a head-on collision with a truck. When they died, God granted all of them one wish. The first person said, “I want to be gorgeous.” God snapped his fingers and it happened. The second person said the same thing, and God did likewise. This went on for all the people in the group. God noticed the last man in line was laughing hysterically. When the man’s turn came, he laughed and said, “I wish they were all ugly again.” QUOTE A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit. —John Maxwell ONE-MINUTE WISDOM FLOWING WITH LIFE A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream, at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. He replied, “I accommodated myself to the water, not the water to me. Without thinking, I allowed myself to be shaped by it. Plunging into the swirl, I came out with the swirl. This is how I survived. “A Buddha is just someone with no concerns.” —Te-Shan 66 LifePositive | APRIL 2023