Kanji Payaru - Kerala Khichdi

The kerala homes had a lot of people and food was available and cooked in abundance. So especially for dinner a lot of rice would remain after providing for lunch in the noon. So at night the brown rice would be boiled in 2 cups of water and would be served along with payuru (green gram fry). This is also the poor man's dish in Kerala, some roadside hotels provide this dinner everyday. I make it as dinner sometimes during the week if I am too tired after work or even if I feel too lazy or I am home alone (since I eat to live)

Ingredients - Gnana Yoga

1 Cup - Brown Rice

1 Cup - Green Gram

2 tbsp - Grated Coconut

3-4 Shallots (ulli - 'kutti' onions)

1tbsp Mustard seeds

1 tbsp - Oil

Coriander Leaves (For garnish - optional)

Karma Yoga

If the brown rice remains after the lunch preparation, just boil it with 2 cups of water. If not, then pressure cook or boil fresh brown rice with 2 cups of water. You can soak the green gram dal in the morning before you go to work or else you can even pressure cook it. Once the green gram is cooked, take a pan , pour oil, once its heated add the mustard seeds, 3-4 shallots (finely chopped) . Let it turn pink and then add the cooked green gram and mix well. If you like you can add coriander leaves to the payuru along with some grated coconut. Its tastes really divine!!

If you are extremely lazy like me, you can add the brown rice and the green gram together in one shot and pressure cook it, add some salt to it and serve hot. Probably you can add some chopped onions and grated coconut in the beginning itself before you pressure cook and serve hot. We all lead fast lives isnt it and look for short cuts ;>)

This food is given especially when you are taking ayurveda treatments in Kerala because of its nutritive value and balanced nature. You can also have it when you are not feeling too well to have spicy or masaledar dishes.

Bhakti Yoga - Eat food with a sense of offering, neither in a hurry nor with violence. - Sri Sri

Cherata Puttu - Kerala Delight

The first time I saw this gadget in sasural (husband's home) , I felt as if a rocket is ready to take off from the space station. But now this rocket often takes off from my kitchen space especially for weekend breakfasts. This is the 'Chombu' and 'Koyal' to make 'Koyal Puttu' (in english you just pronounce it as 'put'). Puttu is made in many different ways in Kerala. One such gadget I came across in Wayanad in which puttu can be made was 'cherata'. We were at a handicraft store where we saw this 'cherata' (basically the form taken by coconut after it is grated and scrapped). This salvaged  cherata  is cleaned and softened by the local adivasis to give it a good look and feel. They convert the top portion as a lid by fixing a cork and three holes are pierced in the top to let the steam. In China, they use these coconut cups to serve tea. Making cherata puttu also saves a lot of fuel as it can be placed on top of a pressure cooker as you cook your other dishes. Instead of placing the cooker weights you can place this cherata filled with the contents. You also save enough time in the morning when you are rushing to work.

Puttu is very simple to make in current times when there are so many brands of Puttu powder available in the market. (Double Hourse is the brand, I use) Some people make the rice powder at home. However for a good work life balance I use the readymade puttu podi (powder). There is Rice Puttu, Ragi Puttu, Wheat Puttu, Corn Puttu powder also available. The procedure is the same, you may choose what variety you want !

Gnana Yoga - Ingredients 

2 cups Puttu Podi (Rice powder)

1 cup grated coconut

Pinch of salt to taste 

Karma Yoga - Method 

Mix the puttu podi and salt with right amount of water (not too soggy, not too stingy). Then boil some water in the 'Chombu' as you fill the puttu content in the koyal or cherata. Be generous with the grated coconut in the end of the koyal and in between the pieces (koyal can generally fill 3 small pieces or 2 big pieces of puttu). In Cherata also you can do some innovations while filling the content so that you can have the puttu in layers. Once it is cooked in the steam, it is ready to be served!! Push the 'puttu' by inverting the koyal, cherata.

Bhakti Yoga - 'Puttu' is generally taken with Papadam, Pazham (banana), kadala curry or stew. Some of them even have it with milk or sugar. The taste and preparations vary from home to home. So invent your puttu and share your experience!!

Love & EnJoy 

Raggi - The Health Drink

Bored of the tea, coffee, chukku kapi, bournvita, horlicks , complan and a whole lot of health drinks in the past few months,  last week I had been to the Bangalore ashram (Art of Living International centre)  and they have their Sri Sri Ayurveda store in their campus.  As a health & wellness freak I couldnt stop myself from entering the store. The products in Sri Sri Ayurveda are prepared by  Divya Aushadhi process (Divine process) so that the person who consumes also experiences divinity and gets rid of all his health problems. The factory staff are regular in their kriya, sadhana, sattvic food habits etc which eventually reflects in their products they manufacture. 

I got the natural ragi powder (called as finger millet in english) which was available in flavours - elaichi, vanilla, chocolate etc . Probably catering to the taste of children (or else they wouldnt want to consume ragi with so many fancily packed health drinks available in the market).  Now ragi forms a part of my  breakfast every morning because its very nutritious and good for health. You also  need not bother about the caffeine content, acidity etc. 

Ingredients - Gnana Yoga 

1 spoon Ragi

2 pieces of  Vellam (Jaggery) 

(You can use sugar also, however if you want to maintain sattva preferable to use  'achu vellam'. Also the ragi tastes much better with jaggery more than sugar)

Method - Karma Yoga 

The preparation is quite simple. Keep some hot water to boil. Make a paste of ragi in a small dish. Once the hot water boils, you may put the jaggery in it. Once it melts you can add the ragi paste. Stir the drink and serve hot. 

Bhakti Yoga - Meditation is the comfort in life - Sri Sri 

So have the ragi health drink in a meditative mode :>) 

With the globe moving towards health & wellness I hope we have a Raggi Vending Machine in every office, every busy street, malls, schools and colleges etc. In Karnataka they prepare raggi mudde for breakfast, raggi dosa, raggi upma, ragi roti etc for tiffin (evening snack). Will explore more and let you know about this wonder food in the next series - Ragi Express!!

Love & Gratitude 

Vegetable Stew - Morning Breakfast

Being a tambrahm I didnt know this recipe - vegetable stew  unless I learnt it from my MIL. Stew was not a common recipe at home. There are lot of mallu specialities which I have learnt in the last 2 years. For the extended family its a favourite recipe which has to be had very frequently as an accompaniment to the main recipes like appam, chappati, idiappam etc. Any Kerala food , there has to be coconut ingredients in it as it is available in abundance. 

It is weekend time and the fridge needs to be cleared of its stocks.  So for breakfast this morning, I prepared vegetable stew in my style. If you are fond of vegetables you can fit in any veggie that you need to add. 

So here goes the karma yoga for Vegetable Stew!!

Ingredients (basically whatever vegetables left over in the fridge)

2 -3 potatoes

1 onion (optional if you want the stew to be highly saatvic)

2 carrots

10 pieces beans

Some green peas ( I have not added in this recipe, but you can add) 

2 pieces capsicum (optional)

4 -5 Beans 

Ginger finally chopped

3 Green Chillies

10 - 12 Curry Leaves 

1 Grated Coconut 

1 tbsp Salt to taste 

Ideally, you have to grate the coconut and then get the thick  coconut milk from it. However, I had to rush to work today and I used the ready made one (coconut milk hommade - dabur). The readymade milk is also quite thick. Its just that we cant store it for more than a week. 

Method

All the vegetables to be cubed. You can slit the gree chillies also pressure cook it along with the other vegetables. Ensure that the veggies are not overcooked. (2 whistles max) The vegetables need to retain their cubed form. You can add the curry leaves also when you pressure cook. 

Then add this thick coconut milk to the vegetables and mix it well. If you wish to you can boil it for 2 minutes. You can smash 4 pieces of potato in the mix so that it gives a unique taste to the  stew. It is the curry leaves and the finely chopped ginger which gives the stew its divine flavour. 

Bhakti Tip - Garnish it with love and devotion. Any one can cook. A few years ago I thought that I cannot be one, but now I am improving and I am quite happy with my progress. So just go and cook!!

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies - Mother Theresa 

One World, One Space

This is my new World space receiver, got it gifted my loving sister. It has got more than 40 channels which one can tune into. Its day 1 and day 2 so a lot more to explore. I started my day with the radio art of living this morning . It has soul stirring flue recitals in the morning, followed by some divine bhajans which can take you to a different plane of existence all together. It also has talks on various subjects by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in repeated intervals throughout the day. Some of them so adapted to your current situation and circumstance in life. The talks offer practical solutions to complex problems – some of them so simple.   There are some guided meditation cassettes  and Ayurveda medicines that I have got recently from their ashram in Bangalore. Apart from that I also loved the logo of this beautiful swan which is spreading its waves throughout the world through the satellite radio medium.

 Shruti is one more channel which I found quite interesting. During the days I learned music my teacher used to emphasize on listening more carnatic classical music to be able to understand shruti, bhava, ragas etc. However due to academic pressure, it was not possible to do all this then and also there were more cassettes unlike MP3, CDs and Ipod today. The channel has carnatic music played all throughout the day with so many artists of the past and present giving you a blend of both classical, current and fusion music (instrumental) . For anyone who loves carnatic music Shruti is simply the best.  The shruti logo is the Meera with the tanpura in her hand (reminded me of the meera bhajans sung in devotion for Lord Krishna)

 As I listen to the other channels, will keep you all posted about what a small receiver can do and also offer so much food for thought, food for soul. Love you World Space!! God is one, God is one, God is one for everyone!!! 

 Love is not an emotion, love is your very existence – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

Mobile Wellness Gadget

Wondering what are the items that you are seeing in this picture. They are my mobile wellness gadgets which I carry whenever I am travelling. There are 2or 3 items which I also carry to work so that on the way I can make use of them and see their impact on my health. In my previous posts I have mentioned about your health is in your hands. In olden days people had manual tasks be it cooking, cleaning etc. There were lot of things which were not mechanized like it is today. Today we have gone one step further from mechanization to the shrinking size of technology as each day passes. The world is also in our hands. (ipod, iphone, palmtops) . But don’t forget that your wellness also is your responsibility and unless you take steps to improve it no god can help you.

 

The pen type gadget you see in this picture can be used to massage points in your palms. As you do this you will realize if you have any pain in a particular part (go by the sensation) . This means that part of your body needs attention, there is some kind of imbalance. Every day early in the morning you can massage all your pressure points for atleast 1 minute each. It just takes 10 minutes overall. If you are extremely busy, you can carry some of these acupressure gadgets so that you can use while you are travelling. You can also see there are 2 wooden acupressure balls. Need to keep it in your hands and press it for about 5 minutes in the morning and in the night. The one which bears the shape of a tongue cleaner is actually used to massage your fingers. Because it is in the fingers that the secret for your sense organs like ears, nose etc are present. There is one wooden prick roller which I use for massaging the feet after a hard day’s work. These gadgets are available in any local wellness store in India and now even in the West. These are prepared from any wasted wooden pieces after in the process of making furniture.

 

The man is making the attukal(stone grinder) by carving. In certain parts of South India this gadget is used in making dosa batter. Grinding in this gives the food its original taste and ofcourse the required minerals. 

In olden days women in India used to beat the curds with a wooden stick, traditionally called   “ mattu” to convert them into butter milk. Probably this served as an acupressure for the palms. Grinding the dosa batter in the stone carved (Attu kal)  would be good exercise for the shoulders and the entire neck region. If you have experienced grinding the dosa batter in the attukal you would have realized your breath also changes with the pace of your grinding. May be this was their sudarshan kriya (breathing technique taught in Art of Living programs worldwide). Even the clothese washing was different. There used to be a stone placed outside every home or in the backyard where people would wash clothes by hitting it hard on the stone. Also drawing water from the well each time they needed water. So all this in some way or the other has had an impact on their health and longevity.

I have also attached the picture of various organs in our body and their position in our hands and legs (foot chart is not attached). This will give a better idea of how to use these acupressure gadgets to your advantage. Ensure that you do not overdo any of these or else all your organs can start overworking. Just use these items for 10 – 15 minutes in the morning and at night. For more detailed explanations on every point and treatments you can refer to Health in your Hands – Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Devendra Vohra. Hope you are benefited by this chart .

 

Celebrate Recession

Recession is just like the recess we had in school to eat our tiffins. In school we had this break after the first 5 classes, which was called as a recess. So as in my earlier posts, there are good ways to help yourself getting depressed from this recession. The first and the foremost is to change your thinking. Think that God is granting your last holiday and you are going to enjoy this break as if you were never going to be born in this planet again. This thought is much better than thinking about yourself all day and get depressed.

So celebrate your recession, initially its easier said than done, but celebrate this recession. You are a rich person because you have all the time in this world.

Wake up early and go for a walk. If you have not been able to stick to your exercise regimen or fitness resolutions get it back on track. Yoga, pranayama and meditation will also help in the early morning.

Ensure that you plan a healthy breakfast for the entire family a day in advance and go to the supermarket and shop for all the vegetables and groceries. This can take quite a lot of time and planning the entire week.  Post breakfast and after sending children to school, you can be with your plants for some time. For a change interact with the plants (they tend to listen more carefully and respond better in the form of better flowers & fruits). I am not joking because this is my personal experience when I give reiki to plants. If you are a nature enthusiast you could also consider talking to a tree in the garden, people walking around will also have fun.

Give up the idiot box, newspapers, self development books also . The television is not going to help you. It is only going to give a rise to your feverishness as you come to know that more people have been laid off. The media is not going to stop this because they know that they need to earn money. Instead play any musical instrument of your choice and learn to play more songs. If you are singer or wish to learn music probably you could consider that also. How about learning a new language from your neighbor. Plan your next day’s recipes as if you were to present it in your board meeting (wife and children). Instead of the idiot box get hooked to your Ipod or may be if you have a satellite radio channel which plays the songs of your choice (preferably choose the health, wellness, lifestyle channel) . They have lots of good music which is pleasant for your soul.

Post lunch should be the activity time, You have no choice but to draw, sketch and paint till tea time. You have to discover the artist in your. Who knows you might want to change your profession and want to open up a new art gallery. This recession could also be a turning point in your life in terms of discovering your true vocation. Most of us don’t choose our professions correctly and end up slogging for livelihood. This is the right time to pursue what we love to do.

Engage yourself in social service. There are so many NGOs and organizations working today for specific causes relating to global warming, social issues etc. If you have expertise in dealing with administration, counseling services or any skill that you can help them with, this is the best time to give back to society in terms of your time and skills. Play with your children and read good bed time stories  for your children(imparts moral values), help your wife with household chores and talk with your parents. They are angels who love unconditionally throughout our lives.  They need us and let’s spend the best time with them instead of cribbing and brooding over the recession. There are some things which we can’t control, they just happen like calamities. But there is ray of hope, that things will become normal. Bad times never exist always and they have to come for us to treasure the good times.

Love & Grace

Make Life a Celebration for Life is short!

 

 

Blog Trafficking

Everybody has been listening, reading, seeing, editing and uploading their blogs. Some have already started their vlogs (Video logging) But what the average blogger or avid blogger wants is traffic!  We don’t prefer traffic jams in roads on the way to work or home, but we wish traffic for our blogs. Why do we wish traffic for our blogs? So that we get the motivation to post better blogs, to earn money by placing more adverts on the blog or basically just creating awareness and educating people about several environmental issues, citizen awareness issues, social trends etc.  Some don’t bother but a good traffic to ones blog also motivates you to blog more and better. Blog trafficking, Here are some tips which I feel are relevant

Originality in content – Since the world wide web is like the entire universe, you have many web pages which give you the copy paste option to your blog. However, it doesn’t work if you copy paste for too long. What is needed is originality in content on the topic that you wish to write. The experience shared by a blogger has more power in improving readership and attracts more followers to your blog. So keep aside the copycat marketing for a while and explore your own creativity. You too will be surprised to know that how creative you can get at times.

Maintain One Blog – I have read quite a few blogs and viewed blogger profiles and I realized there are more than one blog which a blogger has to maintain. There were 8 -9 blogs one had to manage. Don’t you think too many blogs also creates clutter and managing them becomes a very cumbersome exercise. It helps in posting one or two blogs regularly. In order to generate traffic many bloggers follow unnecessary blogs which doesn’t generate loyal traffic to the blog. Even this is not recommend. Follow only those blogs which are relevant to you and you wish to follow. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Pictures – Pictures speak a thousand words. The intelligent use of pictures along with the posting content can keep the reader interested. Engaging your reader is very important and therefore ensure you write from your own experiences on food, travel, living, lifestyle, books etc. Something which is not authentic is never read. Just think about yourself and what articles you read in the newspaper this morning. You would be uninterested with some content as soon as you begin to read.

Be generous – Read other relevant blogs of interest to you and comment on them. If you are a selfish blogger you also invite selfish readers L. Do not hoard if you wish to comment on the posting, give feedback, give tips to improve the blog or praise the blog. Spread your knowledge so that it grows more and more. As you sow so shall you reap.  For god sake do not blog just because your neighbor next door is blogging or a favorite celebrity is blogging. I am now studying blog behaviour (blogging, reading blogs, posting blogs etc) 

 

Everyone talks about search engine optimization , key word density, tagging, archiving to generate more traffic to the blog, however I would tell all bloggers to optimize their content. Write what the world wants you to write, think what the world is thinking at the moment, I am sure someone else in the world is also thinking what you are thinking. Someone else is also planning to cook what you are cooking. After all  we live in One World, One family – Vasudeva Kutumbakam

Blog your heart!! Blog smart!! – Janaki Gopikrishna 

MatriMoney – Matter of Money

Today, there is a new industry emerging of getting two people together through the internet medium. It’s an industry worth more than Rs 125,000 crore and growing at 25 per cent every year, so anyone who can find an avenue would like to attach themselves to the great Indian extravaganza.  Matrimony is taking place with internet playing a major role. In earlier days marriages happened in India by exchanging horoscopes and checking the astrological compatibilities. Word of mouth advertising in social circles and family circles also helped in getting two people closer within a particular community and getting into a wedlock. But as times have changed, net meeting and net marriages have become common. People get introduced to each other on social networking platforms through common friends  and take the relationship forward to a marriage. This trend is also showing the launch of a new marriage portal being heavily advertised and launched every week. Simply Marry, Shaadi, Vivah, Svayamvara, Muhurat  etc are the common marketing words and platforms used to market marriages. Meeting points are created for elders and couples to meet after the net meeting takes place and the horoscopes have matched . After several meetings and discussions if the families and couples find each other compatible they go ahead with the marriages.

Parents who are not very tech savvy in searching the soul mates for their sons and daughters are forced to learn basic computing skills now to check prospective profiles online. After all they wish for a long and happy matrimony for their children. Earlier days the marriage classifieds with prospective bride and bridegrooms appeared in the Sunday newspapers. Now the entire model has shifted to the internet where photos, likes, dislikes, horoscopes etc can be posted. The truth is that even your  marriage has become a source of income for many right from the search stage to the wedding completion stage advertisers, portal owner who is now the marriage broker, wedding planners, caterers, decorators. Some of these advanced wedding planners also take the contract for arranging honeymoons to  scenic locations for the couples.

 

Firstly the matrimonial website helps you in finding the perfect match for your life and then the post search stage is also taken care by the wedding planners and enthusiastic event managers. They will customize their service offerings based on your needs, religious beliefs and specific rituals (wedding practices followed in your custom. Decoration, food, clothing requires a special set of planning. Taking care of the guests, attending to the partners family, being hospitable to all is part and parcel of the entire package (goes without saying). InIndia , marriages are one of the important samskaras and huge amounts of money is spent on weddings to prove social status and celebrate with the entire family.  Significant amount of savings are accumulated from an early stage for the wedding affair in the family .Many of them also take loans for the weddings.  30 – 40% goes for the designer jewellery, clothing, 10 % for the invitation cards, food and entertainment services (concert, dance show post wedding). These wedding planners can even plan marriages in palaces, forts, mountains, temples in India  to have a unique marriage experiences. This is called as wedding tourism

 

Marriage now means business and it’s becoming a business more people want to get into. For many of you who have been hit by the recession, probably should try being a wedding planner or a event manager. Touted as a recession free business, entrepreneurs are trying to cash in on the burgeoning business opportunity being posed by weddings. On the other hand there are also weddings which are conducted by many institutions if a couple wants to get married in a particular tradition in a low profile manner without much fanfare and just the family members present . Mass marriages are also conducted for couples those who cannot afford to have abig  fat Indian wedding. And those  who believe in not spending heavily on marriages. Both forms are available, an individual needs to choose what type of wedding he/she wants. 

The Sexiest Vegetarian

A leading news channel  posted the photos of the Sexiest vegetarian on this planet yesterday. What surprised me was the sexy element attached to being a vegetarian? Or was it just an exercise to make people embrace vegetarianism . But one thing is for sure, it was a celebrity endorsement to be a vegetarian. In ancient times, by means of religion an individual was conditioned to be a veggie. But over a period of time the eating preferences have changed. The new generation wants to explore food fusion and therefore lot of birds and animals have to lose their life in the process. They become breakfast for some, lunch for many and dinner for the majority when they have a major role to play in maintaining our biodiversity, preserving the climate on this planet in their own natural ways. No wonder we are seeing so many NGOs coming up for ethical treatment of birds and animals, fund raising for their cause so that they don’t become extinct.

Do not wait for leaders, do it alone person to person – Mother Theresa

It is said that vegetarian food takes just 3 or 4 hours to digest completely whereas the non vegetarian food takes more than 3 days to digest. Over a period of time it remains in our system and starts reflecting as obesity, cardiovascular problems like cholesterol, indigestion etc. Research has also proved that vegetarian food is good for health, longevity and wellbeing.  The same rule applies to the Chinese food also which is available in plenty in Indian cities. Most of the Chinese food gets cooked in oil, vinegar,  preservatives and the rice and vegetable are half cooked, resulting in poor digestion. We need to embrace all cultures, tradition, cuisine but must also ensure good maintenance for our own body and this planet. By being a vegetarian you also use less energy from the earth to digest your food. If you are a hard core non veg eater then you take more energy from the earth to digest your foods. Nature has its own laws and  it calculates the energy deposits, withdrawals perfectly.

To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction – Newton’s Third Law of Motion

The new age mantra is to be sexy by adopting vegetarian food habits. Who said vegetarians are not strong ?  Elephant is the most gigantic animal on earth and guess what?  It is intelligent ,powerful and strong.

So do not wait for Kareena Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat to turn vegetarians, in order to save yourself and this planet. Go green! Eat Green Vegetables and cleanse your body and mind and help the planet in maintaining its natural beauty, bio diversity. In the west, more and more people are embracing a vegetarian diet, however they  need to curb the practice of food wastage. A diet rich in vegetables, fruit juices also helps in maintaining sattva and more concentration on spiritual practices is possible. There are many vegetarian recipes, websites and blogs available online to help you with your vegan diet. So don’t wait to change

In the meanwhile, I too have to be in the list of sexiest vegetarian J

"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."-    Pythagoras, mathematician

 

Health is in your Hands

Thanks to the fast paced life and monotonous human life, the alternative healing therapies have got their market share. Every urban city street in India boasts of a Ayurveda clinic, health spa, yoga class or some alternative healing clinic. Employees in my office feel it’s fashionable to have lunch late to prove that they have loads of work, some of them are hooked to their mobile phones throughout the day, they find this happening!! But what they fail to realize is the punishment that they are giving their own body and mind. Eventually the bodily distress and mind problems appear (body mind complex) . Therefore, I feel if you want good health, good living and a good life YOU are responsible for it. God can help only those who help themselves. Only You can help yourself from this state because Your health is in your hands.

Good living, healthy food habits etc is a culture. It is a habit which has to be mastered continuously. Regular meditation and pranayam is also a culture that you build into your daily routine. But with materialistic desires and fast life, we are unable to juggle with the spiritual and material. There are many alternative healing services available in the health & wellness market today. So here again the intelligent consumer has to choose what he wants and  make wise choices . The purpose of all these products is to uplift your spirit. But do not get entangled in the long spiritual shopping list and alternative healing supermarket. In order to progress in this path also, there is a commitment required from the seeker. There is so much reading material available on the internet today for alternative therapies that anyone can get confused and misled. For instance, the practice of reiki has now taken forms like animal reiki, plant reiki, karuna reiki, crystal reiki, chakra reiki so on and so forth. However, reiki is just plain and simple reiki – its connecting to the universal life force energy which is called as prana in Sanskrit and chi in Chinese.

 

 The world is waking up to the immense benefits and relief these practices have to offer. However, it is very essential  to adopt practices like yoga, pranayama and meditation in our everyday lives just like we brush our teeth, take bath, eat, sleep and drink. They have their own benefits which we can experience in our overall wellbeing. Having  undergone self development programs , lectures, workshops over the last few years and read some of the best seller books  in spirituality, I think  they all have the same lessons to teach, it’s just that their formats are different. Their primary purpose is to offer the path of enlightenment, happiness and relief from any pain and suffering.  Following are few techniques which I have experienced and incorporated in my daily life.

 

Reiki – is  a healing technique given by Mikao Usui where the life force energy is channelized through the palms. The energy can also be channelized through distant healing by certain symbols. The reiki attunements are given by a reiki master to the healer .The healer has to abide by the reiki principles given by Usui.

Some of the Reiki principles are

Just for today I will not worry

Just for today I will not anger

Just for today I will live with the attitude of gratitude

Just for today I will work honestly

Just for today I will respect and honour my parents, teachers & elders

 

These were the 5 reiki principles which Mikao Usui gave it to the practitioners of reiki. If you read all these principles carefully, it mentions ‘Just for today’, ‘’Just for today’’ which emphasizes on the need to live in the moment and make the most of the present. Worry is mainly of the future and anger is of the past. Most of us vacillate between these two states. These teachings are timeless wisdom.

Recently I was also reading a book by Devendra Vohra about Health in your Hands. The book has two volumes and explains the human body and its function just like a machine. For any imbalance or disorder the book also addresses the cause and effect. By pressing some pressure points in our palms and foot we can get relieved of our stresses and strains. This has to be done regularly, but the results are phenomenal for all problems. Most of the complex problems in our lives just have simple solutions. I just press the pressure points on my finger tips to get myself relieved of cold and headaches. Within a few hours or minutes it just vanishes away.

Most of our ancestors incorporated all these techniques unknowingly in their daily lives and that is their secret to a happy and long life. They have followed the disciplined exercise regimen, healthy eating habits and not to forget the ayurvedic massages. 

 

Tomato Fry - Fast, Tasty & Easy

Tomato Fry  - Fast, Tasty & Easy

Good Morning Folks, I am trying my first recipe in writing today. Never attempted writing recipes before, though struggled to make quite a few of them. Tomato Fry is one of the first recipes which I learned to make from my extended family. You can say this is our family recipe because everyone knows to make it and the ingredients by heart.  (just like we have our national anthem, national bird etc). So let’s begin the Karma yoga technique for this recipe before we eat with Bhakti.

Tomatoes are a great source of Vitamin C if they are fresh. They have the lycopene antioxidant which helps in fighting cancer and heart disease. (Gyaan - Lycopene is the most common carotenoid in the human body and is one of the most potent carotenoid antioxidants) 

Ingredients

5 -6 tomatoes – Ensure that they are juicy red tomatoes (not the green tomatoes)

2 onions

1tbsp – turmeric

1 tbsp – Salt

Coriander Leaves

2 Green Chillies

Mustard seeds  

Urad Dal

Procedure

Clean and wash the tomatoes  before you cut them into long pieces. Onions also need to be cut in long pieces (in most recipes the onion is finely grated into small pieces). 

Once these items are chopped, pour the oil in a frying pan, once its heated drop the mustard seeds and urad dal in it. Once the urad dal becomes light pink in color, you can add the chopped onions and the green chillies. You may wish to add a bit of ginger garlic paste for better taste. Heat it till the onion turns slightly pink in color. Add the tomatoes and nicely mix it. After this some turmeric can be added. (Turmeric  is an antioxidant and therefore its widely used in Indian cooking. It develops resistance in common cold & flu). If you wish, you can add little jeera powder and methi powder (fenugreek seeds powdered)  for good taste.

Keep the lid closed, let the tomatoes & onion cook. As the Tomato Fry is getting ready you will see that the juices from the tomato have mixed well with the onions, that adds taste to this fry. This can get ready within 10 minutes. You can add the coriander leaves for garnish.  

This recipe can be used as a side dish for Chapattis, roti, appam, dosas, iddiappam and pav (Indian bread) . The combination tastes super. Eat with Bhakti. Stomach gets filled faster.

In every culture & tradition  there is a practice of saying prayers before having food. But with respect to some cooks prayers is a must always. Hahahhaha!! So you figure out what type of a cook are you. Happy Cooking.

Hope I have not done a Bheja Fry J. I am carrying this recipe for lunch today and those of you wish to join me can let me know their experience of making this recipe.

 '' Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action''  -   Mother Theresa

Chanakya Niti - Arthashastra and Nitishastra

What management teaches us today with jazzy power point presentations in air conditioned rooms, the ancient kings taught their prajas in the durbars ;  Chanakya and Lord Krishna taught us thousands of years ago in the war field. It’s just that over a period of years the format for presenting this knowledge has changed and got distorted. Most of the books on strategy and self development which are written by the present age scholars and self acclaimed gurus owe their success to all these ancient spiritual philosophers and sacred texts. This knowledge is a timeless wisdom  and therefore it has sustained civilizations, ages and times. With the changing face of the society and man’s quest for knowledge the format for presenting these truth has changed. I think the corporate world today  has a lot to learn from these ancient management techniques in the area of administration,  better time management , ethics, leadership, communication skills, team work  and etiquette. Recently we had a training at our office and it was conducted in the Large Scale Interactive Process (LSIP)method, however this form of training was practiced in the ancient gurukul system where students were grouped into smaller study groups encouraging team work, sharing, accepting others opinions and assimilation of knowledge.

 The other day I received an email from my closest pal, aged 12 regarding Chanakya and his sutras. He was learning about Chanakya in history and it compelled him to learn more about his teachings. Once I read the sutras I was convinced about its application even in the current times. The knowledge is very much alive, it’s just that people have to become more aware, take little time off to read the old scriptures, the purports, understand the meaning behind those sacred texts. What is called as globalization today, was coined by the ancient sages and rishis as “Vasudeva Kutumbakam” – One World, One Family long ago . It’s just that over the last few years the senior management is realizing the importance of these old shastras in current times, though many are still skeptical. They rely on foreign authors, speakers and management gurus without realizing the fact that this knowledge originated in their own land. All these workshops and seminars are heavily priced at the leadership level. 

Two books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra and Nitishastra which is also known as Chanakya Niti. The Arthashastra discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and war strategies in detail. Nitishastra is a treatise on the ideal way of life, and shows Chanakya's in depth study of the Indian way of life.

A few of these sutras and their relevance in current times from Chanakya’s  desk
1) "Learn from the mistakes of others... you can't live long enough to make them all yourselves!! " - Chanakya
One of the most important sutra which is relevant in today’s time after the Satyam episode. All the senior management must have this sutra on their desktops. Business must be conducted in a ethical manner though the motive is profits. Maximization of profit must not be at the cost of cheating people and unethical trade practices.

2)"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first."- Chanakya
Most of us would have experienced this in relation to our government services. You try to be transparent and open to the government officials  if you have broken the rules, but the policeman favors the person who has violated the traffic rules and  offers him a bribe. In the worldly life, survival is of great importance. Every individual must be able to apply these rules for his livelihood and survival.
3)"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."-    Chanakya 
A wise person will never get angry on himself and others, he will only show anger just like a mother does to her child. Similarly, in business if your competitors are ahead of you and a threat to your market share then ensure that your marketing strategy is competitive enough to entice the customer and give the competition a tough fight. 
4)"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you."- Chanakya 
I am sure the patent , trademark theory in business originated from this sutra. That is the reason that many corporates today patent their inventions and protect their trademarks, logos and any developments in research. In business terms any new technological innovation can be monetised and if it has to saved from the competitor then it has to be patented.

5)"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth." - Chanakya 
This relationship is so true in today’s context where a media company supports a particular political party. Or a political party is too friendly with a media channel. It’s a relationship of TRPs and reach to a better voter base. The bitter truth is very evident by the media coverage. We are made fools by our very own people and media. Similar example is of freebies that are being offered by the retailers to clear of their inventory. But human beings keep on accumulating loads of stuff which is not necessary for them.

6)" Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."
- Chanakya 
Such a beautiful anecdote given by Chanakya on planning before proceeding with any kind of project. Create the objective and scope of the project clearly before proceeding for execution. More often projects are started with huge investments without a clear idea of their feasibility and success rate.
7)"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."
- Chanakya 
We all have fear in some form or the other. Fear of speaking in public, fear of heights etc. Slowly and steadily we need to work on our way to fearlessness individually and professionally also. Some companies also do not come out in open fearing that they may lose business or their manpower would be poached. However, this fear has to be removed by empowering people within the company and creating a good professional reputation for the business.
8)"The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman." 
- Chanakya 
In India currently our population is 50 % youth and this is the best time to get the youth to vote and get good leadership in the country. Today’s youth has a global outlook and is willing to take lot of responsibility for the country. Many of them run their own service projects and NGOs dealing with specific social and rural issues. Woman empowerment has also helped women seek better careers and professions which was just a dream in the past. Women are born leaders.
9)"Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest." - Chanakya 

10)"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction." - Chanakya 
This sutra is applicable to all the people who devote themselves in the serive of the poor and the needy and empower people in all ways. In our current times Mata Amritanandamayi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev etc are doing good social service and empowering the globe helping in peace efforts, betterment of health, stress management. 
11)"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple." 
- Chanakya 
The current scenario in the world of terrorism is created because of the wrong ideologies of God. Chanakya explained this in his sutras in such a simple manner that god is the feelings in the human being. Our spiritual journey towards our Self is of utmost important to understand God. Majority of the wars are manmade in the name of God.
12) "A man is great by deeds, not by birth." 
- Chanakya 
The other day I had got a forward asking me to remember the last 10 Nobel Prize winners. With great difficulty I could manage 2 names. But when i was asked to name the people who put a smile on my face, who could help me in troubled times, I could easily list 5 names. Every person has immense potential and it just needs to blossom.
13) "Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness."
 - Chanakya 
Much before Dale Carnegie wrote How to make friends and influence people? Chanakya has given a one liner on making friends
14) "Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends." - Chanakya 

A very beautiful tip on parenting, the way to deal with children in various age groups.

15) "Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person." 
- Chanakya 
Many of us do not read books which will open our mind and help us in broad thinking. We are too busy with prime time television and soap operas. It is the time to get back to our sacred texts, scriptures, understand the meaning and give the right interpretations to our next generation. They help us in building good human values. Not many parents read stories to their children these days because they are too busy with soap operas or busy with gadgets (mobile phones, laptops) etc.
16) "Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth." -Chanakya

The need of the hour in India is the education of the rural youth, children and women. We will pave our way for success if we empower the rural public. They are more action oriented and need direction. Only Youth can empower youth and You, so let each one of us take responsibilities in whatever way possible. 

The Divine is the Valentine - Om Namo Narayani

Make the divine your Valentine - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

This valentine we tried to make it special by visiting the Sripuram - Spiritual Oasis in Thirumalaikodi in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. It was 5.00 am in the morning, took a cold shower, packed the breakfast (not sure of good eateries on the way) and left to the nearby busstand. We had to board the bus leaving for Chennai and get down on the way at Vellore. It took us about 4 hours to reach Vellore from Bangalore. By 11.30 a.m we reached Vellore bus stand and then took another bus to the Golden Temple, Vellore. There was lot of rush as people from the nearby states of South India would plan a visit to this marvellous structure on the weekend.

The entry to the temple is very strict. We have to submit our mobile phones, camera and any handbaggage before we enter the temple premises. All these services are very well organised with proper queue and coupon systems. So atleast you are assured that your items are safe and secure. We collected our Divya Darshan pass (Rs.100/- each) to escape the queue and meet the goddess a bit early. But the experience to the main temple was amazing as we had to passed through a star shaped pathway.

In between the star shaped pathway is where the goddess resides. In and around this star shaped pathway are beautiful sutras which are given by Shakthi Amma (the spiritual master) who is the inspiration behind Sreepuram. Every step that we took to the temple was unique as we read the sutras. It was a message from the God to practice all these basic principles in life before we reach him. Some of these sutras were

You become what you think

Only as a human being can we offer services to other people who are less fortunate and needy

Chanting and mantras can create divine energy and help in soul cleansing

Every human being requirs a 'Guru' to remove the bad karma and lead him to the patch of righteousness

Good Thoughts, Good deeds, Good actions

Surrender to the divine can help you from all your worries.

Throughout the day there are various pujas which are conducted at Sripuram for world peace, happiness and unity. The chanting of ''Om Namo Narayani'' and bhajans were on throughout as we walked towards the temple. The area around the Sreepuram Golden temple is sorrounded by a water pool. As always devotees want to satisfy their wishes. I saw many people offering coins in the pool and a few women even praying and offering their bangles in the water. I am not too sure why they do this, but many were. As we entered the temple, the yellow metal gold started reflecting in the eyes as if a thousand rays of the sun. The chandeliers from the cieling we are all glittering. There were pillars around which had the golden elephant and the mandarin ducks.

As the queue moved, we seeked the blessing of the Goddess Lakshmi Narayani. After the darshan, we have to move out through the last phase of the start shaped pathway again to the exit. Here again, those sutras were listed to remind about peace, unity, happiness and fulfillment in life. It is said that certain shapes can attract divine energy and therefore the Devi is placed in between the symbol. The beautiful landscaped gardens also have the statues of Devas which makes it look like a Secret Garden. As we came out of the temple, we were offered prasadam and then we moved ahead to the Annalakshmi restaurant to have lunch. The food was sumptuous and divine. Then we proceeded for our retun journey to Bangalore by bus.

The golden temple at Sreepuram, Vellore is a place every devotee must visit , if you have not been able to visit the Amritsar Golden Temple in Punjab.

Sarva Mangala Mangalye

Shive Sarvartha Saadhige

Sharnaye Thiryiambike Gowri
Narayani Namosthuthe

Om Namo Narayani

For more details you can visit http://www.sreepuram.org/

http://www.narayanipeedam.org/