10 Things You Do Not Know About Yoga

1. Yoga was first mentioned in Rig Veda

But the exact history of Yoga is obscure due to its oral transmission. Modern scientists belive it to be as old as 10,000 years!

2- 300 Million people across the world practise Yoga

It is estimated that up to 300 million people practice yoga across the globe, Yet more than half of global yoga enthusiasts are Indians. ( Source)

3- Sage Patanjali was the first one to document Yoga in 400 CE

The first written records of Yoga asanas are found in ancient Indian texts – Patanjali Yoga Sutras which is a collection of 196 aphorisms, almsot 5000 years old.

4- Yoga is a physical, mental and spiritual discipline that aims to connect body, mind and soul.

If you thought touching your toes is Yoga, you are wrong. Tantrum Yoga, too is the exact opposite of what ancient Yoga is all about.

5- India owns the patent for 1300 Yoga moves to prevent exploitation from patent pirates

India has made available a list of 1,300 newly registered yoga poses, compiled to prevent the ancient moves from being exploited by patent pirates, the Times of India said. Hindu gurus and some 200 scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) compiled the list from 16 ancient texts, including the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita, and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, to prevent yoga teachers in the United States and Europe from patenting established poses as their own. (Source)

6- In India, Yoga is still taught free of charge in public parks

Yoga has become a lucrative business in Europe and the United States since it was popularized by celebrities in the 1960s and 70s. In India, however, the centuries-old tradition is still taught free of charge in public parks.

7- US is the world’s largest yoga industry worth over $27 billion

In the United States alone, the patent authorities have issued more than 130 yoga-related patents, 150 copyrights and 2,300 trademarks related to the ancient practice.( Source)

8-  There exists over two lakh traditional medicines and yoga postures in ancient Indian texts.

To combat bio-piracy, India has documented over two lakh formulations of its traditional medicines and yoga postures into the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), comprising 34 million pages of information translated into five languages, including English. (Source)

9- Pranayam, one of the asanas of Yoga can alone cure 140 diseases

After extensive research of the beneficial effects of Pranayama Yoga
during last several years, on millions of people in India, Swami Ramdevji
has declared on Indian & International TV channels that it has been proved
now that Yoga Pranayama (Breathing Technique Yoga) cures all diseases
completely without medicines or surgery. (Source)

10- Doga is a Yoga done with your dog

Started in New York in 2002, it is a type of yoga by which people establish harmony with their dogs. The pets are either used as props for their owners, or they can do light stretching exercises themselves. ( Source)

Pictures of India that will shock the World

1- Mumbai

2- Bangalore

3- Gurgaon

4- Mumbai

5- Goa

6-  New Delhi

7-  Pune

8-  Vishakapatnam

9- New Delhi

10- Ahemdabad

11- Gurgaon

12-  Mumbai

13-  Gurgaon

14- Pune

Dwarka : 12,000 year old submerged city in the Arabian Sea

The truth is not for all men, but only for those who seek it. Ayn Rand

Some truths can alter our reality, shuffle everything we know about human civilization and ancient technology.

I grew up listening to stories of majestic gods and wars. One of the fascinating was the story of Dwarka- one of the world’s oldest kingdoms built by Lord Krishna. As per Mahabharatha, the city of Dwarka was devoured by the sea after a brutal war where millions were killed.

Mahabharat says that Dwarka had 900,000 royal palaces, all constructed with crystal and silver and decorated with emeralds.

I always wondered if these stories were true?

Strange ancient artifacts have been found in the shore of Dwarka. Is there a 12,000 year old Dwarka city submerged in the Arabina Sea?

Astronomical Expert Dr. Narahari Achar’s Irrefutable Evidence That Dwarka Could Be The Oldest Civilization In Human History

What If Dwarka Possessed Futuristic Flying Machines And Nuclear Weapons Thousands Of Years Before The Rest Of The World ?

Dwarka excavations by the archaeological department have demonstrated that the rich underwater cultural heritage of India can be successfully explored, excavated, retrieved and preserved.

Corporate life was giving me decent money but not inner peace : Satwik Mishra

 

 

“Warrior of Change” is an initiative to inspire positive change in the minds of people and empower them to start their own journey through powerful stories of real people striving hard to make a difference.

Our next Warrior of Change is Satwik Mishra, an Engineer by education, an Entrepreneur by experience, an Author by passion and a Development Professional by choice. He is the youngest CEO I know and one of the most amazing human beings too. He resigned from a lucrative job two years ago and started working for a rural school in Odisha to find his “Joie de vivre.” Currently, he works as an advisor to Member of Parliament in Bihar (India), fueling up the development engine of society.

1. While all of your friends and batch mates had lucrative jobs and led a luxurious life, what got into you that you resigned from a corporate job to teach at a rural school in Odisha, India?

Luxurious life is a very subjective term. What actually appears luxurious to you might be something very normal to me and vice versa. Like an alcohol gives a kick to alcohol addicts, working in a social sector gives me a kick to stay happy in life. Education and Women Empowerment have always been my favorite domains to work with. Corporate life was giving me decent money but not that inner peace I was searching for. SBI Youth for India Fellowship gave a remarkable turning to my life. I worked for improving the quality of education in a tribal school of rural Odisha and that was something I will always cherish in my life. I also taught environmental and computer science to 300+ tribal students of the same school. Little did I know about my teaching skills before I became the one 😉

 

2. You have been featured at “Under 35 CEO” being the founder of MechJunction, India’s first ever mechanical engineering platform. How did this come into being?

Back in college days, it happened to be my dream, to become one of the most successful serial entrepreneurs in the world. Having ‘delivering the world what the world couldn’t deliver to me’ thought in my mind, me with my buddies in an organization were growing with the decent pace. We touched the turnover of 10 lacs within a year of our organization’s establishment and was appreciated by renowned institutions of India i.e. IIT, since NIT, VIT etc.

But change has been the only constant in my life. My fluctuating mind has been oscillating for ages and no one knows when it will get its saturation. I quit my entrepreneurial life and jumped into the social sector.

3. What/ who is the inspiration behind the Satwik Mishra?

If a mediocre guy like me could travel this distance despite numerous failures in his life, credit solely goes to the parents. They are the only god I believe in. No matter what, they always have been on my side, throughout my journey. My enthusiasm and their strong belief in me, have always been complementary to each other.KaliashSatyarthi, Ratan Tata, LalBahadurShastri are also my sources of inspiration.

4. You are not afraid to raise voice against the social evils and dirty politics. What do you have to say about the millions of people who remain quiet when they need to scream?

Hypocrisy is the most accepted value and principle in today’s world and that’s something which really disappoints me beyond any datum. People resist discrimination only when they are the ones to get targeted. The selfishness index is increasing day by day and those million neutral people have a great contribution in this.

I am fond of ‘equality’ and I hate ‘stereotyping and generalization’ most in my life. These are few of my principles. I would do everything in my life but compromising with my principles. Life when stay aligned to your principles creates self-respect within you.  With self-respect comes the happiness, the satisfaction.

 

5. How was your experience working with rural schools of Odisha?. How did you empower those little children?

How would you feel if you can give eyes to any blind without losing yours? How would you feel if can multiply your happiness by sharing that with others? How do you feel after creating hopes amongst 300 less privileged kids? While everyone says that I did selfless service by dedicating one year of my life in rural corner of India, I consider myself to be nothing other than being selfish. More than empowering anyone else, I got empowered myself. More than providing happiness to anyone else, I was at epitome of happiness myself. I didn’t do any favour to anyone, rather those students created confidence within me. They brought teacher out of me and I can never thank them enough for the love and respect they shave for me. I just gave them the taste of ambition; access to computer; motivation to dream; idea to think and they did everything on their own. I was not surprised when Rahul, the guy who never even touched computer in his life before, made e-greeting card for me when I was about to leave my soul behind, with them.

India has much more than Taj Mahal!

Rambagh Palace, Jaipur

Bangalore Palace, Bengaluru

Laxmi Vilas Palace – Baroda, Gujarat

Thirumalai Nayak Palace – Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Ujjayanta Palace – Agartala, Tripura

Lake Palace – Udaipur, Rajasthan

Jal Mahal, Jaipur

 

 Jag Mandir

 

The New Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad, India

Jaisalmer Fort Palace, Rajasthan, India

Mohabbat Maqabara Palace in Junagadh, Gujarat, India

Akshardham Temple, India

The Golden Temple, Amritsar

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Mysore Palace

Meenakshi Temple

Samode Palace, Jaipur

Junagad Palace-fort of Gujarat

Qutab Minar

Kumbhalgarh Fort

Neemrana Fort Palace

Source – Travel Blog

I am just trying to be the better version of myself: Ruchika Batra

“Warrior of Change” is an initiative to inspire positive change in the minds of people and empower them to start their own journey through powerful stories of real people striving hard to make a difference.

Our next Warrior of Change is Ruchika Batra, a Mass Media professional, certified yoga enthusiast, personal development junkie and a fitness lover. She is a reservoir of Positive Lifestyle Inspiration. I discovered her through blog browsing and instantly fell in love with her blog – Namaste Happiness.

1- You have this obsession with happiness, wellness, and fitness, which is contagious for people around you. Are you happy to spread the virus everywhere you go?

This is the only virus that could save your life!! I believe I am just a messenger of my story like everyone else. I share what I learn, what helps me evolve and be a better version of myself because that’s what I am striving for each and every single day! I love good healthy food, a nice happy place, an inspiring book, and I love to share all of that through my words or videos. But am glad to know that it’s contagious!

2- How did “Namaste Happiness” happen? Share with us the lows and highs of making it a Brand.

I always wanted to create a platform that could help people choose a happy and healthy lifestyle because I come from a place where I have dealt with self-hate, low self-esteem, and approval addiction. Namaste Happiness happened back when I was discovering various fields in the healing, personal development, and wellness space. And I wanted to create a blog where people could come and take whatever works for them.

Hence, you will find all sorts of Health, Fitness, Personal Development, Lifestyle related posts and Videos to make conscious choices! This was always my passion and it turned into a brand and there are always going to be ups and downs but my passion has never faded. The only low phase that I had to go through was my attempt at making a mobile app which couldn’t be materialized properly because of some technical glitches but that didn’t stop me. Maybe in future, I can make that happen again!

The highs of running Namaste Happiness have been many – I had a full page feature on being a wellness blogger from India in the Smart Life Edition of The Week Magazine. I was awarded the second prize as a Video Blogger at Orange Flower Awards. I have had a chance to meet amazing people, interview and share their stories through my blog, I have worked with top notch brands. And I also started my Youtube Channel which was a dream come true!But the best part of running Namaste Happiness is the smile and appreciation that I get from my readers and viewers whenever they share their thoughts and whenever I go through those loved emails and comments. Those are my best moments and the ones I treasure dearly!

3. Your Posts are confessional, awe-inspiring and filled with contentment. You seem to be at a happy place all the time, which is commendable in our times. You have been through a lot but all we see is a bright and smiling face. Share with us something that you have never shared before on any social platform.

Well, to be honest, I am not happy all the time. I am always in the pursuit of that feeling. I am still a big mess but I have a toolkit that helps me bounce back. I always try to change my story but sometimes I fail, I cry, I cringe, I whine, I feel like giving up and I have my share of bad days too. So, it’s not rosy all the time and not many people know this! We must give ourselves that space to be vulnerable, to feel demotivated but to only get back with a bang!

4- What is the story behind this woman who is confident, driven, ambitious, and extremely compassionate?

My story is that I am just trying to be the better version of myself!

5- Do you believe that the Universe listens to us?

The universe is always listening. I have grown up writing letters to G-O-D, I have studied in a school where spirituality was a subject, and my mother used to take me to Satsangs (spiritual discourses) with her. So, from a very early age only I have believed in this power greater than us. And I know for a fact that whenever you pray from that authentic self, whenever you surrender; universe always listens. And like most of us, it listens but responds

I love unraveling the person through the words: Saumya Kulshreshtha

“Warrior of Change” is an initiative to inspire positive change in the minds of people and empower them to start their own journey through powerful stories of real people striving hard to make a difference.

Our next Warrior of Change is the Founder of Poet’s Collective and Maha Varta, Saumya Kulshreshtha. She is full of love, happiness, and warmth for everyone around. She fights hatred with love and darkness with light.

• I met you first time during my Book Launch and you were the most wonderful person in the whole room. You are the perfect epitome of Poetry. What does poetry mean to you?

  Interestingly, poetry has meant different things to me at different points of time. As of today, it means two things – stories and solace. Stories because I personally find resonance in the kind of poems I get to hear from people who attend my gatherings. What drips through their carefully polished words are their innate sentiments and stories, and I love unraveling the person through his words. Solace because I write when it becomes impossible to contain. When nothing seems to offer any kind of comfort, your own words become powerful and meaningful. Poetry, personally, means allowing the self to become a beacon of hope and meaning.

• You have conducted hundreds of creative writing workshops on Poetry and Indian Mythology. You also serve as the Advisory Board of “Youth for Heritage Foundation.”How was your experience conducting workshops?

Indescribably gratifying! To conduct a workshop or even to do a talk is an act of tremendous responsibility. Add to it dollops of thrill, and there I am, standing in front of a crowd of eager listeners, telling them all I have learned, for that is the only way to make knowledge grow.

I have been fortunate to have been placed in front of crowds who have known me a little, and hence are welcoming and warm. They possess an eagerness to learn, and I possess an eagerness to teach, as well as learn more than them in the process. I am hungry to learn. An audience that doesn’t challenge me beyond what I know does not inspire me. For instance, my most difficult, and yet most fond workshop was in Saharanpur with school children, where I was at odds to comprehend the language (as well as the idiom) to converse with them on. But, since we all possessed a clean slate, we created some great poems collaboratively, with expressions so unique that a faint proud smile automatically appears on my face the moment I think of it.

I conduct workshops/lectures on mythology, poetry appreciation, and poetry writing, creative writing, effective communication, visualizing ideas, literature (particularly Indian writing in English) and anything else allied to these fields which present an opportunity to learn. The great thing is, these random workshops have led to a full-blown course which I conduct in IIIT Delhi, teaching mythology and poetry in alternate semesters, in addition to teaching communications in Shiv Nadar School, Gurgaon, and Noida.

• Do you believe that Artists have a responsibility towards society?

Always. It is a firm belief. First, artists have a responsibility towards themselves, because the nascent expressionist within them needs to be identified, needs to be tested, needs to be given flight. However, once artists enter the public domain, where they are aware that they have influence, and they are potential catalysts to bring about positive or negative changes, they cannot eschew their larger responsibility. Art is capable of inspiring and provoking the masses into thought and action. The past is a testimony to how movements have been inspired and encouraged through songs, theater, speeches, performances, and today is no different in that regard. In fact, with the advent and spread of social media, socially responsible art is more a reality today than ever before.

• How do you manage a full-time job with social activities?

 

Passion and prioritization. When you are really passionate about doing something, you always find the time. On instances, even I am baffled by a number of tasks I am simultaneously involved in, but I have learned to set my priorities right. Efficiency while completing tasks helps. Admittedly, I am not the best manager of time – that is one virtue which I consistently fail at getting right, but people don’t get to know of it because my efficiency goes up as deadlines loom near. I work really well with deadlines and have devised a personal reward system for myself.

I think what really helps my work is also the fact that I give a lot of time to myself. ‘Me-time’ is necessary for creative pursuits, and I have been blessed with friends and colleagues who understand this.

• You are someone who truly believes in kindness and love despite all the hatred in the world. What is your message for your followers?

 

Don’t give into violence. Don’t give into hate. Don’t give into anyone who convinces you that our world is a bad place to live in.

Agreed, that the world is difficult, disappointing and devastating at times, even violent, but, my dear, we all belong here together. Strive to create islands of love and peace around you and hope fervently that your island keeps growing, that the peace and love of your heart spread out like an infection. Now, more than ever, it is important that kindness and goodness speak up to quell at least some shades of violence which are increasingly being normalized in our world.

And lastly, learn. Learn as much as you can, in as many ways as you can. Read, watch videos, talk to people, travel, and don’t give up this pursuit till you are convinced that never in life can a single narrative exist. That only perspective is real, rest is illusory.

To know more about her, log on to her Blog

Oh Darling, go buy a Personality!

 

 

 

Lessons from Bhagvad Gita

Once the four Pandavas asked Krishna:

Q: “What is Kaliyuga and what will happen during Kaliyuga?”

A: Krishna smiled and said, “Let me demonstrate to you, the situation of Kaliyuga.” He took a bow and four arrows and shot them in four directions and ordered the four Pandavas to go and bring them back.

Each of the four Pandavas went in the four different directions to search for the arrows.

When Arjuna picked an arrow, he heard a very sweet voice. He turned around and saw a cuckoo singing in a spellbinding voice but was also eating the flesh of a live rabbit which was in great pain. Arjuna was very surprised to see such a gory act by such a divine bird he left the place immediately.

Bhima picked arrow from a place, where five wells were situated. The four wells were surrounding a single well. The four wells were overflowing with very sweet water as if they were not able to hold water and surprisingly the well in the middle of these four overflowing wells was completely empty. Bhima was also puzzled at this sight.

Nakula was returning to the place after picking up the arrow. He stopped at a place where a cow was about to give birth. After giving birth the cow started licking the calf but continued to lick it even after the calf was clean. With great difficulty people were able to separate them and by that time the calf was injured badly. Nakula was puzzled by the behavior of such a calm animal.

Sahadeva picked arrow which fell near a mountain and saw a big boulder falling. The boulder was crushing the rocks and big trees on its way down, but the same boulder was stopped by a small plant. Sahadeva was also amazed at this sight.
All the Pandavas asked the meaning of these incidents. Krishna smiled and started explaining.

“In Kaliyuga, the priests will have a very sweet voice and will also have great knowledge but they will exploit devotees the same way cuckoo was doing with rabbit.

In Kaliyuga poor will live among rich, those rich will have the enormous amount of wealth which will actually overflow but they will not offer a single penny to the poor same as the four wells didn’t have a single drop of water for the empty well.

In Kaliyuga parents will love their children so much that their love will actually spoil them and will destroy their lives similar to the love shown by the cow to her newborn calf.

In Kaliyuga people will fall in terms of character like the boulder from the mountain and they will not be stopped by anyone at the end only the name of God will be able to hold them from doom like the little plant held the boulder from further fall.”

~ Uddhava Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam

Being a Single Mother is very Romantic, not Easy: Sushmita Sen, Miss Universe 1994

This Article was originally published at Different Truths under my Column -Relationship Rationale

A few years ago, adoption was only for couples who could not have their own biological children. Sushmita Sen, being one of her kind, was the first and foremost of single women to apply for custody of a baby girl.

“Being a single mother is not easy. It’s very romantic, but it’s not easy. Yes, that is true (went to court for my first daughter). I was 24-years-old and I had been trying since I was 22 to become a mom by the process of adoption. In addition, they did not allow it. It took us a while and we got the custody for my baby,” she shared in one of her interviews.

She was barely 24 when she brought home her first baby girl, Rene, which means re-birth. Adopting the second girl was more difficult than the first one for her.

“But the second child was actually a bigger court fight than the first one. Because in India, the rules said that you could not adopt a daughter after a daughter. You have to adopt a son. Moreover, I wanted to adopt a daughter, so 10 years I fought and then my Alisah came. It was a long wait,” she shared.

She is unique. Her soul is far more beautiful than her body. A true lover of life, she celebrates everything that comes her way. It cannot be as romantic as she displays for a 40-year-old single mother of two girl-children. She wants to get married to the right person.

“I have been much attached, just not married. I do not know, I think we are all unique and we are somehow told by everyone else that this is the right age to get married. This is the right age to have children. This is the right age to retire. I just wanted to take life at my own clock because I believe everybody is unique. I came close to marriage twice. However, better sense prevailed I think. I will get married and I think in the due course of time, I think that too will happen,” she says about getting married.

Sushmita Sen is a living legend, fiercely powerful, brave, and unafraid. She is an inspiration for thousands of women. She is a living proof that women can be whatever they wish to be. In one of her interviews, she shared what her father said to her, “Please look at my daughter. Do you think I’ve raised her in a way that her only identity is to be someone’s wife?”

She teaches our society as a lesson that everybody is unique. We are humans and not machines. Not everything has to go with the same clock. Get married in 20’s, have kids by 30, buy a house by 35 and the list goes on. Marry at 21, do not marry at all, have kids, adopt kids, or do not have them at all. Do what you believe is right and not what society wants you to believe.