And you thought your life was tough???

Nick Vujicic, 26 is an Australian born without limbs. He uses his story to inspire and motivate people all around the world. Have a look.



The greatest error of a man is to think he is weak by nature. Every man is strong in his real nature. What is weak are his habits, his desires, and his thoughts, but not himself.

Mucho amor and bendiciones

Vikram

http://www.metronirvana.com/

Creativity thy name is Relaxation

It’s fun conducting wellness workshops for the advertising agency employees, especially if they belong to the creative side of the ad world. In fact, I recommend every hardcore corporate guy to work for few weeks in the ad world in the creative section, to know how fun yet challenging that work is. I find these creative guys from the ad world to be balanced in their approach to work and life. They seem to use both the sides of their brain in good proportion unlike other corporate careers which can get too logical or analytical.

One thing these ad guys have no dearth of and want more, is CREATIVITY. Every time we do some exercise in the workshop, these guys go, “so will this make us more creative??” I wish this zeal for creativity is desired by every employee in the corporate world. As Abraham Maslow, the famous psychologist and father of humanistic psychology stated “The key question isn't, 'What fosters creativity?' But it is, 'Why isn't everyone creative?'"

We are all creative beings, but only on the sub-conscious level. What is needed is to bring that creative process to the conscious level. The fact that we lost our creative ability on the conscious level has two reasons. One, as kids we used to be a bundle of fantasies. And it was through these fantasies and imagination that our creativity naturally flourished. However, our parents and elders didn’t encourage us to fantasize. Wish they would have facilitated part of our fantasies into our real life by encouraging us. As a result, by the time we reached adulthood most of us had stopped expressing ourselves creatively without even realizing. Secondly, we also lost our creative abilities while growing up due to hang-ups or fears of being judged by adults for indulging in fantasies. If only our parents and elders would have understood what Albert Einstein meant when he stated, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world".

We all know the famous quote, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a vision.” And what is this vision? It is imagination in the simplest form. The first step to being imaginative or creative is to relax! It is relaxation that increases the odds that a creative idea or insight will surface. In fact, people are more creative after a relaxation activity, but they don’t know it.

If you feel it’s difficult to relax in your daily work routine then take a holiday or a short vacation. This break will not only give you the much needed rest and relaxation but also help shift your thinking from its habitual, stuck patterns and create the space for creativity to emerge. This change will give you the time for reflection so you can step back and look at what's happening in your life with a better perspective. And as you become more sensitive & aware, can visualize your goals or objectives clearly, the rest will follow. So all you idea hamsters, relax. Cause it is RELAXATION that is the key to getting more creative, inventive and to churn out new ideas. It is relaxation that will help you create a tunnel vision when you’re hammering away at a problem. And it is relaxation that will help you create your goals that will lead you to realize your vision.

Soulful Regards,

Vikram
http://www.metronirvana.com/


Metro Nirvana conducts workshops in Creative Expressions for those who want to overcome stress, break their faulty conditionings and bring out their inner child! In these workshops you express not through your mind but your inner being. This is a perfect platform to rediscover the healing pleasure of imagining and creatively expressing yourself through dance, music, drama, poetry, writing and art. During the workshop as you take time for yourself, we encourage you to feed your spirit, follow your dreams and cherish your vision. All this lead to the freedom of your soul.

Healthy lifestyle an antidote to stress

Each time, I’m invited to a dinner get together by my corporate friends; the discussion always veers towards stress in life. After ten minutes of going around in circles, the corporate dudes get to the point. How do I cope with stress?

Isn’t stress part of our metro lifestyle? Doesn’t stress refuse to leave our lives? Isn’t stress too hyped up in today’s world? Can a modern man ever live a stress-free life in this metropolitan environment? It is at this stage in the discussion that I begin to look superior and lecture these corporate executives on my triumphs in dealing with stress. I’ve never had that sort of problem with stress, I say. Of course, stress exists in today’s rat race, but then, so does solutions to combat it. You don’t let stress affect your life. Agreed, stress leads to unhealthy habits. A bad day lures you to have a slice of cake or an ice-cream. It drains your willingness to exercise or eat well or have fun. It causes you to tune out the world, to sit in front of the television and ignore your relationships. And yet stress can be relatively easy to manage. All it takes is a commitment to lead a health life -- and an open mind.

So the real agenda is not about stress at all. It is about adopting a healthy lifestyle. For that, you need to have a positive mindset and a set of choices that contribute to maximizing the quality of your life and health. This will include: having a positive self image, awareness of one's strength and weaknesses, seven to eight hours of sound sleep, nutritious diet, maintenance of weight, no smoking, regular exercise, and practice of relaxation. Relaxation is very crucial. When you are relaxed, you learn to see things clearly and have fresh perspective on the same problem or issue.

It is this HOLISTIC lifestyle that helps you work under pressure and combat stress in the busiest of workday environment.

Until next time, hasta la vista. Keep commenting!

Vikram

http://www.metronirvana.com/

Yoga knows no religion

I cannot help but laugh on hearing about ‘hinduizing’ of yoga, as I call it. First it was some churches in UK that had banned the practice of Yoga as it is adverse to catholic churches and now it’s the clerics in Indonesia and Malaysia banning Muslims from doing yoga.

I have run into this attitude myself few times. As part of my wellness workshops, I teach yoga to various corporate executives. One guy told me that how his minister, a Jehovah's Witness, told him he would "go to hell" if he did yoga. Even some Christians feel that yoga is "evil". Apparently getting physically fit to some people is evil!

We all know that yoga is good for health and all religions stress the importance of leading a healthy life. Yoga is universal. The birthplace of yoga is India, but it’s for all, irrespective of religion, gender, nationality and language. Agreed, yoga is not ultimately, a form of exercise but a spiritual path in its own right. However, religion and spirituality don’t necessary go hand in hand.

The clerics are afraid that people who practice yoga are worshipping another god but that is not the case at all with doing yoga. It’s only because they don’t understand what yoga is and they feel it’s a threat. They should go to yoga class and try it. The clerics think that chanting mantra is a Hindu act, little do they know that the purpose of chanting mantras is not to pray but to focus thoughts and has no relationship with worshipping. Chanting doesn’t weaken anyone’s religion. Also, some aspects of yoga constitute meditation but it’s not a part of the religion and there is no dogma involved while meditating. Not to mention, that yoga which is more than 5000 years old is one of the oldest known medical systems and it is now at the forefront of holistic and integrated medicine in the West.

I think yoga has never been said to be bad for humans except for the clerics who deep inside are afraid to lose their followers base who want to free their minds to think for themselves. Yoga frees the mind and spirit, to fly and search for truths, without depending on anyone. Such greatness, such powerful good medicine to the mind and body, yet banned by some?

So next time, someone asks you to stop doing yoga, just ask them to hear the famous song by Pink Floyd- We Don't Need No Education…..Yes leave yoga alone!

Best wishes for your body,

Vikram

http://www.metronirvana.com/

The Law of the Garbage Truck

Came across this beautiful story and wanted to share it with you all. Brilliant insight into the way we live our life!

One day I hopped into a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck." He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street.

The bottom line is that successful people don't let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so… Love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!


I thank all those people who stop by this place……

Vikram

www.metronirvana.com

Good side to Recession

As I always believe, that every action has both- a positive and a negative side to it. So by that logic there has to be a positive side to recession too! Researchers are stating how with the ongoing global financial meltdown there is a rise in good health.

According to Professor Christopher Ruhm of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, when the economy weakens, his research indicates that mortality rates of all kinds fall. People also behave in a healthier manner- they smoke and drink less and they’re less likely to be obese. Suicides rise, but total mortality rates drop. People have more leisure time, exercise more and eat more healthily.

Am corroborating my comment with an abridged version of an article that appeared on February 1, 2009 in The New York times--- Recession Can Change a Way of Life - By TYLER COWEN

As job losses mount and bailout costs run into the trillions, the social costs of the economic downturn become clearer. But there is also a broader set of questions about how this downturn is changing our lives, in ways beyond strict economics.

All recessions have cultural and social effects, but in major downturns the changes can be profound. First, consider entertainment. Many studies have shown that when a job is harder to find or less lucrative, people spend more time on self-improvement and relatively inexpensive amusements. During the Depression of the 1930s, that meant listening to the radio and playing parlour and board games, sometimes in lieu of a glamourous night on the town. These stay-at-home tendencies persisted through at least the 1950s.

In today’s recession, we can also expect to turn to less expensive activities — and maybe to keep those habits for years. They may take the form of greater interest in free content on the Internet and the simple pleasures of a daily walk, instead of expensive vacations. In any recession, the poor suffer the most pain. But in cultural influence, it may well be the rich who lose the most in the current crisis. This downturn is bringing a larger-than-usual decline in consumption by the wealthy.

Popular culture’s catering to the wealthy may also decline in this downturn. We can expect a shift away from the lionizing of fancy restaurants, for example, and toward more use of public libraries. Such changes tend to occur in downturns, but this time they may be especially pronounced.

Recessions and depressions, of course, are not good for mental health. But it is less widely known that in affluent countries, physical health seems to improve, on average, during a downturn. Sure, it’s stressful to miss a paycheck, but eliminating the stresses of a job may have some beneficial effects. Perhaps more important, people may take fewer car trips, thus lowering the risk of accidents, and spend less on alcohol and tobacco. They also have more time for exercise and sleep, and tend to choose home cooking over fast food.

In addition to trying to get out of the recession — our first priority — many of us will be making do with less and relying more on ourselves and our families. The social changes may well be the next big story of this recession.

To read the complete article visit,

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/business/01view.html

Keep commenting !

Vikram

http://www.metronirvana.com/

Stress, Coffee and Life

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups made of porcelain, glass and plastic. Some of the cups were plain-looking and some were expensive & exquisite. The professor then asked them to help themselves to the hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, THAT is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it. "

So, don't let the cups drive you ... enjoy the coffee instead. Good Day

Vikram

http://www.metronirvana.com/

Vitality through Rest

My last topic on sleep evoked few cocky responses from some bright brains in the corporate world. They wrote saying that they didn’t need much of sleep or rest as they relaxed by partying hard or hitting a pub every evening after work. Their maxim in life is, “Work hard, and party harder”. Here’s my reply to them.

Rest, which includes sleep, is nature’s great restorative process just as activity and excitement represent her great exhaustive process. Activity is indeed necessary for the expression of organic life – but it must be alternated with periods of rest or else the organism will wear out. Real complete health does not refer to a plan of simply eating well or exercising vigorously.

To maintain good health every facet of life is important as the other and this includes rest. Rest is therefore not a cessation of activities per se; it is a cessation of certain form of activity. When one consumes alcohol, uses party drugs, or even in the state of sedation, narcosis, and drug induced hypnosis and anesthesia, our physical and mental activities are almost suspended. Anabolic activities are also nearly suspended. This does not allow the body to refresh and renew itself. These induced states leave the body depressed, languid and unfit for any further activity. Normal rest and sleep however lead to vigor and freshness.

There are 4 kinds of rest:

Physical rest that comes from discontinuing physical activity, going to bed, relaxing, etc.
Method: Sleep, yoga, massage, etc.

Sensory rest that comes from being quiet, refraining from using the eyes much, etc.
Method: Maintaining silence, prayers, playing some musical instrument, listening to music, journaling, yoga, etc

Mental rest that is the result of mental equilibrium, ceasing to fret or worry.
Method: Practice of yoga, playing some mind games, puzzles, quizzes, sudoku, etc

Physiological rest that follows from reducing physiological activities.
Method: Yoga, eating easy to digest food, etc.

All four kinds of rest are needed in therapy and recuperation and have been used with positive results in natural alternative forms of therapy. In fact, you will notice that yoga is the only method to attain rest on all the 4 levels. Just goes to prove the tremendous efficacy of yoga in relaxation and sleep. So how about hitting a yoga studio after work than a pub!

Namaste,

Vikram

http://www.metronirvana.com

Sleep your way to good health

One of my clients an American Company had implemented, ‘Thursday as Wellness Day’ for all its employees at the workplace. So here I was, every Thursday conducting various wellness activities in the office for these employees. After surveying for 4 weeks, I observed that I got 100 percent attendance in the Power Naps session! These naps were not only an instant hit compared to other wellness activities, but also most employees wanted a longer session. It was later that I learnt that many employees had difficulty falling asleep or difficulty sleeping through the night, or would wake up feeling un-refreshed. There were also employees who would choose to skip their sleep for other social activities.

There is growing study showing how employees in today’s business world are not getting the basic sleep needed every day. At the same time, this chronic lack of even a few hours of sleep at night, results in poor decision making skills and significant loss of productivity at the workplace. Employees can’t sleep when they are stressed; and paradoxically, lack of sleep makes them stressed! In fact, researchers found that trouble sleeping and insomnia is highly associated with stress, anxiety and depression. Physical, mental or emotional stress – work deadlines and tension, finances, relationship pressures are top of the list of factors that can rob you of sleep. Pain and physiological circumstances such as menopause or pregnancy for women, travel across time zones, having young children, excessive noise and snoring partners can all contribute to inadequate or poor quality sleep.

The short-term effects of inadequate and poor quality sleep are - loss of productivity and reduced mental capacity the next day, lethargy and drowsiness, lack of focus and concentration, lower physical energy, impaired appetite and digestion, dull emotions and reduced zest for life, lifeless skin and bags under the eyes, etc. Research further indicate how the brain actually uses sleep time as a time to categorize and store information, so that individuals who sleep after a period of intense study are often able to remember more of it later than people who do not take the time to sleep.

Long-term ongoing sleep deprivation results in impaired natural immunity (which means less resistance to infections and disease), obesity, high blood pressure, lowered mental and emotional stability, chronic depression, etc. All this can damage relationships, ongoing work performance and throw the body's systems out of balance. Scientists have shown how lack of sleep causes fatigue. This in turn causes depressive symptoms and leaves one with not enough energy to exercise. Due to this state, certain chemical changes take place in your body which stimulates your brain to not only eat more but also to eat more salty and sugary food. All this leading to obesity! So you realize that sleep is not only meant to recharge and rejuvenate the physiology but also to bring a balance between physiological, psychological and emotional wellbeing.

Adequate sleep, diet, yoga, relaxation and lifestyle changes help resolve the problem of sleep disorders. Also, the quality of rest is crucial. The most restful sleep occurs when the mind is completely detached from the senses. And this state can be achieved only through proper learning. It’s been reported how majority of people who used relaxation therapies for their insomnia found it to be helpful. In fact, powernaps are very practical for employees - it just requires the realization that doing so is acceptable and beneficial (when we are conditioned unfortunately to think that sleeping during the day is lazy, rather than healthy). If your work place is not quite ready to tolerate the concept of a power nap then practice a short session of whole body relaxation, combined with deep breathing, which you can do at your desk. It works wonders! You'll find over time that if you take care of your sleep habits, you can accomplish much more than if you strain to work all the time.

Metro Nirvana conducts, PowerJuvenation Naps sessions. Each session is a combination of body relaxation, breathing techniques, creative visualization & sensory sleep-inducing therapies. A 20-40 minute PowerJuvenation Nap recharges and re-energizes you, instantly improves your alertness, productivity and moods, reduces stress and anxiety. All this leading to improved health and well-being. For more information visit http://www.metronirvana.com/

Say No to No

Found this inspiring ad copy of Shell energy in a magazine . Wanted to share it with you.

SAY NO TO NO

Isn't it high time someone got negative about negativity?
Yes it is.
Look around. The world is full of things that, according
to nay-sayers, should never have happened.
"Impossible."
"Impractical."
"No."
And yet "yes"
Yes, continents have been found.
Yes, men have played golf on the moon.
Ye, straw is being turned into biofuel to power cars.
Yes, yes, yes.
What does it take to turn no into yes?
Curiosity. An open mind. A willingness to take risks.
And when the problem seems most insoluble, when the
challenge is hardest, when everyone else is shaking
their heads, to say: let's go.

http://www.metronirvana.com

Life and Coincidence

Following up on my previous blog "Pearls Before Breakfast' about Joshua Bell performing incognito. Journalist Gene Weingarten got a Pulitzer Prize for this experimental article that featured in the Washington Post. And do you want to know what happened that night when Gene Weingarten reached home after receiving the Pulitzer Prize at New York?

Read this follow up

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/24/AR2008062401153.html


http://www.metronirvana.com/

Pearls Before Breakfast

Continuing my last blog on music, I’m sharing a real life incident which took place 2 years ago. It narrates how we tend to ignore very special people and talents, based on our perceptions, sometimes faulty perceptions. Let us pause a little and attach values to what a person or an incident deserves……

A man positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket at a metro station in Washington DC on January 12th, 2007 and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning around 7.50 am. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.17 When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?

As W.H. Davies aptly stated in one of the greatest poems ever written " Leisure"

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare....

To watch the video of this experiment and read the article “Pearls Before Breakfast’ visit the Washington post site:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

http://www.metronirvana.com/

Music and Therapy

It’s always a pleasure to visit the city of Chennai, in the south of India (earlier the city was called as Madras). Chennai is the cultural capital of India and this city is distinctly different from any other city in India in terms of traditions. South Indian classical music (also called Carnatic Music), dance and other art forms are still popular in the city and the city plays a very important role by providing platforms to indulge in such art and culture.

Chennai hosts the annual Music festival for Carnatic music during mid-December to mid-January, in which over 2000 artists participate. The month long festival which is held at various places in the city attracts famous artistes and thousands of performing art enthusiasts across South India. In fact, the Music festival also called Music season is an annul ritual amongst the expatriate Indians and scholars, who come from across the globe to participate in the festival.

All traditions across the world have music as an integral part of their culture or religion in form of hymns, prayers, songs and chants — all leading to uplifting the soul. Similarly Carnatic music is considered the best medium to pay homage to the Gods. This makes the festival present a blend of both melody and divinity.

Attending various concerts, I was so touched to see how Carnatic music by these extraordinary musicians created happiness in the hearts of the audience. The audience was not only listening to the music with their ears but with every cell in their body. It was indeed wonderfully fulfilling and refreshing. Even after leaving the music hall, I experienced deep peace and joy through this divine music. Music creates an incredible feeling of wellness and deep relaxation. It is so balancing! For me this is healing music. These are healing sounds. It expands my consciousness, my awareness.

Music is so holistic that it has positive effects on the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of one’s being. Music is now an accepted form of therapy along with conventional medical treatment. In fact, benefits of music therapy have been scientifically researched across the world.

In India, music therapy is called ‘raga chikitsa’ and is mentioned in Ayurveda as one of the ways to restore the imbalances of the body which is considered the root of all diseases. Composers of Indian classical music offered music therapy especially for the mind through ragas and mantras. The concept of raga, which is unique to Indian music, blends musical notes with specific time periods, to either intensify or pacify the emotions and thus has tremendous therapeutic value. Each Raga has a unique structure which combines both fixed elements and infinite possibilities of variation, allowing the musician to bring out all the subtle values of the frequencies present at that time of the day. In fact, modern science has proved how every cell of the body has its own vibrational frequency. When we listen to a particular music which resonates with that frequency, it activates the vital energy of that cell and thus stimulates deep-rooted rejuvenation.

I always recommend my clients to listen to some form of music daily. You can listen to music while traveling, working at your desk, while asleep by the bed side, in the morning as you are getting ready for the day, while dining, reading a book or just let the music play in the background as you go around doing your daily chores. Even when no one is present to listen, playing the music 24 hours a day in your home or workplace generates a peaceful, soothing atmosphere that uplifts the whole environment. Though it is best to listen to music in a comfortable position-sitting or lying down-with the eyes closed.

To begin with, you can listen to the pacifying melodies of nature, which will help revitalize your body, mind and spirit. Or listen to upbeat yet relaxing music like Buddha Bar or Tantra Lounge, etc. You can listen to eclectic world music which has a spiritual composition to it like; Native American Indian flute solos, Sufi music, tribal African drumming and rhythms. However, listening to Indian classical music or healing sounds like Sanskrit ‘mantras’ or Zen Buddhist chanting, is the most holistic mode of treatment in combating anxiety, stress, fear, high blood pressure, depression, trauma, addiction and even suicidal tendencies. This kind of gentle music is comforting, gradually slows heartbeat, helps to filter out distractions and encourages heightened levels of perception and creativity. The music is an ideal background sound to any activity and a MUST in stress-related environment.

So, give your body and mind the good rest it deserves. Listen to some healing music now!

Am posting a very soothing and therapeutic Indian chant called 'Vandana Trayee'. Happy listening! Happy healing!

Listen to relaxtion music posted every week on my official website www.metronirvana.com This soothing music relieves stress and tension, improves your mood, boosts your energy levels and heals your soul.

Make Wellness your New Year Resolution

Even if resolutions are not kept in the course of the year, the importance given to wellness reflects a positive change. Every small step you make towards holistic living will improve your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.


So does this year’s New Year resolution involve any of these holistic goals?

• A better work-life balance
• Exercise more and regularly
• Spend additional time with family and not just friends
• Resolve to quit smoking and drinking
• Have a healthy wholesome diet to tame the bulge
• Spend more time travelling to different parts of the world
• Have regular massages
• Allot more time for rest and leisure
• Build a life outside the office
• Practice yoga, the perfect antidote in this stressed-out world
• Kick unhealthy habits by taking up a healthy hobby
• Learn something new this year
• Spend more time in volunteer activities
• De-clutter your house and desktop
• Spend some time in silence daily. It is here you can see the larger picture - the purpose of your life and meaning to your life
• And finally, constantly remind yourself that you deserve to be happy.

Making a lifestyle change is not easy but once you begin to reap the rewards you will definitely feel the effort was worthwhile. Remember, it’s not so much important to make a resolution as it is to follow it through. Hence, set short term goals, use visualizations to help along the way and you just might be amazed how your resolutions soon become a part of your holistic life.

Today I set goals I know I can reach.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
The goals I set today for myself will help me in the days to come.
I shall have a Wonderful 2009.

http://www.metronirvana.com/

I got life

Very inspiring song called ‘I got life’, from the musical movie ‘Hair’ (1979).

The character of George Berger in the movie was played by the charismatic actor Treat Williams. Hope you get to the essence of this song!



I got life, mother
I got laughs, sister
I got freedom, brother
I got good times, man

I got crazy ways, daughter
I got million-dollar charm, cousin
I got headaches and toothaches
And bad times too
Like you

I got my hair
I got my head
I got my brains
I got my ears
I got my eyes
I got my nose
I got my mouth
I got my teeth
I got my tongue
I got my chin
I got my neck
I got my tits
I got my heart
I got my soul
I got my back
I got my ass
I got my arms
I got my hands
I got my fingers
Got my legs
I got my feet
I got my toes
I got my liver
Got my blood

I got my guts (I got my guts)
I got my muscles (muscles)
I got life (life)
Life (life)
Life (life)
LIFE!


ww.metronirvana.com

Laughter and wellness

One thing that I notice when I visit clients at their workplace is that there is little or lack of humor in their formal work environment. In my view, humor is ABSOLUTELY essential at workplace. Humor is one of the pathways to wellness. In fact, all organizations should take note of the value of humor within the workplace. Studies have shown that happy workers are more productive and humor not only helps employees release their tension but also lightens the stiff workplace atmosphere.

Humor has a lot to do with attitude. Learn to see humor in everyday situations. Don’t take things so seriously all the time. Life doesn’t need to be so gloomy. Work doesn’t need to be that way either. Research shows that while children laugh up to 400 times a day, adults do it only 17 times a day, on average. In many Zen monasteries, every monk has to start his morning with laughter, and has to end his night with laughter. Laughter is an expression of happiness, or an inward feeling of joy and pleasure. In fact, laughter helps us get through situations we often can’t possibly endure. Sometimes laughter is essential for survival.

Learn to see the humor in life. Watch a funny movie or TV programme. Read a funny book. Join a laughter club. Surround yourself with people who like to laugh especially kids who laugh most of the times. Being around people who laugh is contagious. There is something magnetic, something healing, being around people who let themselves laugh often. They are the kind of people who see the bright side of life.

Research has shown health benefits of laughter range from:

• Strengthening the immune system
• Reducing food cravings
• Increasing one's threshold for pain
• Helping the body heal more quickly
• Reducing stress and tension
• Relaxing the body
• Reduce the risk of heart disease
• Being a coping mechanism for anger, sadness, frustration, and various other negative emotions.

And you still don't care to laugh!!!

Here are 2 of the world's funniest jokes:

The great detective Sherlock Holmes and his buddy Dr. Watson are going camping. They pitch their tent under the stars and go to sleep. In the middle of the night, Holmes wakes Watson up: "Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you deduce." Watson says, "I see millions of stars and the probability of life on other worlds." Holmes replies, "Watson, you idiot, somebody stole our tent."

A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says: "That's the ugliest baby that I've ever seen. Ugh!" The woman goes to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her: "The driver just insulted me!" The man says: "You go right up there and tell him off – go ahead, I'll hold your monkey for you."

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Live in relaxation

I am called the ‘King of Shavasana’ in my yoga class. For those who are not initiated into yoga, ‘Shavasana’ means a corpse pose. This pose is essential at the end of every yoga practice as it relaxes and rejuvenates the body and mind while reducing stress and tension. At the end of the class as our yoga guru, makes us relax in Shavasana for around 2-3 minutes, I end up extending this relaxation pose to almost 20 minutes!!!

There are 2 types of responses that I get for my extended time in this ‘divine’ pose. First, from those who just can’t seem to relax. They are the ones who can barely keep their eyes shut for few moments at the end of the class and are eager to jump out of this relaxation state before even the teacher asks them to come out. And then there is the second lot of students who envy me for going in this deep state of relaxation un-relentlessly at the end of each class, wishing they too, could achieve this state of ‘cut-off’ mode.

The point I’m trying to make is that many of us can’t easily get into the mode of relaxation as we are constantly bombarded with thoughts in the mind or we are running towards deadlines. Stopping and pausing in silence is seen as unproductive. In fact, only when we are relaxed, can our body and mind function at an optimum level.

To be able to rest, we need to stop doing things. And we do that ONLY when we go to sleep. Even this sleep is not sufficient enough to give us good rest. Or else why would most of us wake up with a heavy head or feeling not rested. For true relaxation, we need to connect with our bodies -- to consciously and intentionally become aware of tension and release it. And this is exactly what Shavasana does.

Our bodies function like bank accounts. In the bank, you NEED to deposit money in order to withdraw the money. Similarly our body needs rest for it to generate and store energy before we can use it at a later stage. This period of rest and recovery is the way the body builds the energy.

Try out this simple exercise which will help you relax instantly and build energy. Lie down flat on your back. If required, keep a thin pillow under your head. Keep your feet comfortably apart and let them flop to the sides. Keep your arms extended to the side, slightly away from the body, palms facing upwards, fingers gently curled, jaws loose and eyes gently closed. Make sure the whole body is completely loose and comfortable. Now be aware of your breath for few moments. Don’t alter your breathing rate. Just be aware of the incoming and outgoing breath. This mere observation of breath-awareness by itself will slow down your respiratory rate and induce relaxation. Use this ‘down time’ to good advantage. The affairs of the world will go on forever, but allow your body and mind to relax in this moment of stillness. When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes. This state of restful alertness is one of the best methods of relaxation.

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Dealing with adversity

Here’s a tale about ways of dealing with adversity that I heard recently.

A young woman complained to her mother about the hardships and difficulties in her life and wanted to give up. Her mother took her to the kitchen and filled three pots with water, placing each on the stove over a high flame. Soon the water came to a boil. In the first pot she had placed carrots, in the second eggs and in the last ground coffee beans. In 20 minutes, she turned off the burners, took the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She placed the eggs in another bowl and ladled the coffee out placing it in a bowl, too.

She asked her daughter to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. Then she asked her daughter to take an egg and break it. After peeling the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she fixed the coffee and asked her daughter to sip it. The daughter smiled as she tasted its richness and asked, "What does it mean, Mother?" Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity, boiling water, and each had reacted differently. The carrot went in hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile, its thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior, but after the boiling water, its inside hardened. But the ground coffee beans were unique; after landing in the boiling water, they'd changed the water itself.

The Message? We can change adversity into a whole new world if we use it as creatively as the coffee did.

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CEOs and physical wellness

Last fortnight I had an opportunity to conduct a seminar on Wellness with CEOs of few companies. Here I was, amongst successful people known for their intelligence but surprisingly who had no communication with their bodies. Many of them wanted to achieve wellness and good health through the power of the mind! Little realizing that physical health is not the domain of the mind so much as of the body. Many everyday discomforts and tensions arise from the fact that we are alienated from our bodies. After doing few yoga postures, the participants in the seminar began to appreciate HOW MUCH the body has been working for them and supporting them. They understood how working on the body not only alleviates physical ailments but also creates greater state of mental and emotional well being. All this affecting their company's bottom line!

Today’s fast paced lifestyle has led many of us to be out of touch with our bodies and as a result has caused imbalance between our body and mind. It is very important to realize that our body is always ready to listen to us- but we fail to communicate with it. Our body is always speaking silently, thus it’s important to learn to understand its language. We may fool ourselves and others but we can never fool our body. Our body is the best indicator to our inner state of being.

If you don't take care of your body, where will you live?

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Stress at the workplace

Stress and stress-related disorders have reached epidemic proportions among the corporate world. Research continues to confirm the harmful effects of stress on employee productivity, communication, attitude, absenteeism, their personal relationships and general health.

Few things that run common among workforce in emerging economies as well as developed nations is that a majority of the employees are:

• stressed
• not maintaining work-life balance
• don’t look forward to going to work on some days
• concerned that working conditions are putting their health at risk and will inevitably result in burnout
• have not sought professional help for stress/health-related issues at the workplace

Sadly but truly, one can change one's job but not avoid stress! Whatever market you operate in, whatever business you conduct, stress is a fact of corporate life, but it need not be a way of life. Are you one of these many executives who are risking your health for a healthier bank balance??? Do you know that reducing just one health risk of yours can increase your job productivity & cut absenteeism?

Even though we don’t realize it, most of us waste a good amount of time daily! If we would track our movements every day for a week, we'd discover that we waste at least an hour a day. This hour per day can be re-invested into inculcating wellness in your daily routine and help you live a healthier and productive life both at work and home.

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Happy Birthday BKS Iyengar

Happy Birthday, Guruji.

Today (14th December, 2008) is the 90th birthday of Mr. BKS Iyengar, the greatest yoga guru in the history of modern world. If yoga is a worldwide cultural phenomenon today, it is thanks to one man -- the grandmaster of yoga, BKS Iyengar

Mr. BKS Iyengar is the founder of the Iyengar School of yoga. He is to yoga what Einstein is to Physics. B.K.S Iyengar is considered the world's greatest living yoga master. He is probably the only yoga teacher who refined and perfected the technique of doing yoga poses that is most widely taught across the globe. In fact, Time Magazine named, Mr. BKS Iyengar as one of the 100 most influential people in the year 2004.

The benefits from Iyengar Yoga are extraordinary and its philosophy is an excellent path to health and well-being. The practice of Iyengar yoga helps anyone to gain good health, mental peace, emotional equanimity and intellectual clarity. With a healthy body, clear mind and pure emotions, the practitioner can experience a balanced, stress-free life.

For more information visit: http://www.bksiyengar.com/ . Iyengar yoga centers are located throughout the world, and millions of students practice Iyengar Yoga. To locate an Iyengar yoga class in your area, visit www.bksiyengar.com/modules/Teacher/teacher.asp

Guruji, it is such a privilege to be your disciple. Thank you very much and may you live many many more years of good health and happiness.

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The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century

The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century is an international bestselling book by Thomas L. Friedman that analyzes globalization, primarily in the early 21st century. The title is a metaphor for viewing the world as a level playing field in terms of commerce, where all competitors have an equal opportunity to sell their products in a free market, without any restrictions.

This phrase, however, can be affixed to another phenomenon that is currently gripping the world: STRESS. How, you may wonder? Well, when there is equal opportunity being offered in business why can’t you offer that same opportunity to the 4 realms of your own life, i.e. physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Why do you choose to ignore or pay more importance to only one or two aspects of your life?

If you feel that stress has taken over your life, you need to realize that the balance between your body, mind and soul has been lost. Somewhere, you have NOT given that equal opportunity to all the realms in your life.

Believe me; stress can be relatively easy to manage. All it takes is a commitment to inculcate that holistic opportunity in the physiological, cognitive, behavioral and spiritual aspects of your living. This EQUAL opportunity will enhance the quality of your level playing field called, life!

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Balance and Wellness

Someone aptly stated that, “there is no one powerful technique that can be used to improve the quality of our lives. A beautiful song cannot be sung in one pitch; a painting cannot be made using only one color; a grand dinner cannot be prepared with a single ingredient.”

So too, by focusing on only one aspect of life, complete well being cannot be achieved. You need to integrate all the 4 realms of you life, i.e. Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual and strike a balance in order achieve wellness. In fact, misbalance in these 4 realms brings in the element of STRESS!

If you ask me what wellness is, I would say it’s a lifestyle where you strike a balance between your Work and Play, Giving and Receiving, Mind and Body, Intensity and Recovery, Solitude and Relationships, Thought and Action, Stimulation and Quiet, Change and Stability, Risk and Safety, Self-interest and Well being of others. And remember, only YOU can determine the right balance in each of these aspects - and what is right for you can change over time as well.

Remember, healthy lifestyle quality is seldom achieved by accident--you have to make a choice to live and work this way. It’s never too late to start a wellness lifestyle.

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Holistic Living

The paradox of health is that while we are living longer, we are not living in a manner consistent with the highest possible quality of life.

There are certain non-negotiable elements of life, such as: sleep, diet, correct breathing and exercise. In order to do our work well, we need adequate sleep, nutritious food, spells of solitude and some recreation and social life. Make sure you get plenty of exercise and sleep each day; don’t assume you’ll make up for it later. If possible, take frequent breaks through your day. You might feel like you can’t spare the time, but if you are refreshed, you’ll be more efficient.

After all the impact of mind–body–soul connection on the person’s wellbeing has an impact on the society at large too.

Welcome to Wellness

This blog is for readers who wanted me to share my wisdom on wellness on a regular basis . It is also a platform to spread knowledge about wellness among holistic practitioners and corporate executives who wish to de-stress, increase their productivity and improve the quality of their lives.

I’ve always believed that there is no new knowledge. All is ancient and infinite wisdom. I'm confident this wellness blog will get YOU started in the right direction and I’m sure you will make this blog your regular dose of inspiration.

No matter how much peace is disturbed, it restores itself. Similarly, no mater how stressed you are, holistic wellness helps you rejuvenate. Let’s regain the peace and wellness in our lives.

Vikram
Chief Wellness Coach
http://www.metronirvana.com/