Long time, no blog…

I’ve been tied up with work for a while and the school has been closed too. So there has been absolutely no time to blog for the past two weeks. Nontheless, I’ve been reading, rather hurrying along all the blogs on my roll…

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I just started on a book of short stories by Ranjit Lal. The first story is a must-read for women like me who yearns for a pencil-thin figure! Its called ‘The caterpillar who went on a diet’. Lal is a great story teller, and almost all his stories are about animals. But with remarkably human characteristics. The last book I read of his is ‘The life and times of Altu Faltu’. Its about a monkey called Altu Faltu, a son of a Brigadier monkey who regularly scavenges for cough syrup bottles in the dustbin, gets stoned all day .. His life takes a dramatic turn when he meets his ladylove. The book was hilarious and I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Coming back to ‘The caterpillar…’, the story is about a caterpillar called Nimbu who gets brainwashed by Ms. Twiggy, a stick insect to lose weight. Twiggy advices Nimbu to eat less and even start an aerobic programme. After a while, another caterpillar enlightens Nimbu about Ms. Twiggy’s ulterior motive. To cripple Nimbu while she becomes a butterfly, so that she can eat her up without a chase.

Though it sounded like a fairy tale, the story had a deeper meaning for me. Why am I obsessed with being as thin I was years ago? I’ll just accept the fact that I’ve gained weight as I’ve grown older. I’m not that virginal 20 year old anymore. Marriage and motherhood has given me a few kilos, so what? Maybe the extra fat is to cushion me from all the crises the men in my life’ll keep throwing my way!!

I will keep up with my gym & yoga for health reasons, more stamina, etc. But will not lament about my weight-gain anymore! I’ll just buy my clothes 2 sizes larger!!!

My mind, the monkey!

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A long time ago, I listened intently to a speech on the part played by the mind in an illness. I was fascinated. Till then I’d never connected both. It was amazing that your mind was the culprit which gave you a headache, tooth ache, bellyache, heartburns, even tumors.

“Especially tumors and arthritis!” the speaker had emphasized.

So, if you can control your mind, you can heal yourself completely from any illness.

“Any?” someone asked.

“Yes” she stressed.

Apparently there was this person who’d cured himself of AIDS, by simply making positive affirmations everyday and ordered his immune cells to multiply. And after a few months it just happened.

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Your mind has immense potential, it seems. While without control, it can give you innumerable ailments, but with control, it can make you a healthy, strong and loving person capable of miracles.

The talk was so impressive, I enrolled myself in a Reiki class the same weekend.

Did you know that our bodies have a glow of light around us, which cannot be seen by the naked eye? It’s called an aura. All of us are born with the capabilities to heal ourselves. Our ancestors did. But we’re so caught in the stresses of modern world, which we seem to have lost touch with that side of us. After the class I read extensively on every book I could on Reiki. It was fantastic. My migraine headaches vanished without a trace.

Then I came across a book on mind & body. It also preached almost the same thing my Reiki master had taught me, but this was simpler. Every negative thought you have produces acidic substances in your body, it claimed. And every positive thought calms your mind and encourages soothing chemical reactions inside. So if you think positive, you become happier and healthier. And the book also recommended various forms of visualizations. For instance, a woman with stiff knee-joints used to sit quietly for about half an hour every morning, close her eyes and visualize a warm and golden liquid, being poured on her knee joints.

And her knee was totally healed in a month!

Books on mind-body-healing drew me like a magnet. I spent hours browsing books. Ended up spending a fortune on such books.

I picked up this book on charkas. Your aura has seven energy points called chakras. And as long as energy flows through these chakras without a break, you’re safe. But once there’s block anywhere, an illness manifests. And the book shows how to deal with such blocks. It was so intense, I decided to save it for a rainy day.

Then came a book which taught me to be a witch. Not in a bad way, but according to the book, a witch is some one intuitive and compassionate, who listened to people with her heart. She is the nourisher of her loved ones. Someone who identifies and connects with the good energies around her. But during the middle ages, they got such bad publicity that they were hunted and killed and had a lot of stigma. This book teaches women to get in touch with their intuitive sides and develop their own capabilities to heal themselves and others through a series of exercises. I found this book extremely riveting, but once I finished it, I never got around to actually try anything from it…

 

Then a friend told me about Tai-Chi. I was impressed as usual and looked around for a place close home where I can enroll.

My husband put his foot down. “You will not join”, he thundered. “But, why?” I asked him feeling very annoyed.

“I’ve been watching you going from Reiki to meditating to crazy visualizations to chanting to being a witch to what not!” He roared. “Enough is enough. From now on I do not want to hear another word about your crazy obsessions. Why can’t you be happy with what you are?!” And went on to lecture me about being at peace with myself and being happy with just what I have.

“Ok.” I agreed sheepishly.

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And then baby happened. My mind constantly occupied with all the harrowing baby-things, I had no time for any introspection after that.

Though I’ve been observing the various mind-body stuff from a distance, I’m waiting for my son to start full time school.

Then I can try that Art of Living class. Catch up on Yoga.

Maybe I’ll join an aerobics class.

And yes, definitely Tai-Chi!taichi.jpg