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How can you stop worrying to live a peaceful life? by Brahma Kumaris | Soulveda

Worrying is creating a complete script of the outcome of a situation before it has happened and then using the story to scare ourselves. By worrying we are reducing our inner strength which we require to face the challenge. Every time you find yourself worrying, stop and tell yourself...

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How can you stop worrying to live a peaceful life?

Worrying is creating a complete script of the outcome of a situation before it has happened and then using the story to scare ourselves. By worrying we are reducing our inner strength which we require to face the challenge. Every time you find yourself worrying, stop and tell yourself, “This story might never happen.” When the cycle of negative thoughts slows down, gradually change the quality.

Be aware of these patterns of thinking which drain our energy—criticising, worrying, controlling and obsessive thinking. Awareness means observing, checking and then gently changing. Controlling people and situations, creates a series of negative thoughts. Controlling means we are not happy with things as they are, we want them to change, which creates an internal struggle. With awareness, start accepting people and situations. Acceptance means no disturbance internally and then giving them our suggestion, direction or instruction. Focus should be on controlling our own thinking before trying to bring about a change outside.

Why worry and anxiety are easier to create?

Let us take simple scenes of our life to check how we react: Suppose your child has not reached home and his phone is not reachable. Are thoughts of worry and anxiety natural? You have worked very hard on an assignment and you get criticism in return. Are thoughts of hurt natural? You expect someone to behave in a particular way and they do not seem to understand. Are thoughts of irritation and anger natural?

We need to be in an environment of pure vibrations every day for spiritual progress.

We live in a world where uncomfortable emotions like worry, stress, anger, rejection, hurt, jealousy, resentment are being called natural. This chain of emotions means we are creating a disturbed mind, diseased body and conflicting relationships. If we want to keep our thoughts pure and positive, we need to check the quality of information we are taking in. In the name of news and entertainment, the quality of energy coming from media today is questionable. We routinely take in vibrations of terror, violence, hatred, ridicule and manipulation, so we even see them reflecting in our destiny. Like food is the nourishment for the body, information is for the soul. Information is the basis of our emotional and mental health.

We are what we read, watch and listen. The next time we receive a message on social media, let us check if it is a right diet for our emotional health. If not, let us delete without reading them. Reading and sharing information of crime, criticism, bias, satire, creates a deep karma of radiating negative energy.

Protection from negative energies

We need to be in an environment of pure vibrations every day for spiritual progress. We decide not to create anger, hurt or hatred, but fail because our sanskars get influenced by the low vibrations around us. Vibrations are created by people; many of who believe that anger, jealousy, competition is natural. To empower ourselves and transform, we need to be amidst divine vibrations like meditation rooms for some time daily.

Check and change your thoughts

Every thought I create whether I am awake or asleep, creates my energy field, and this is the energy I have to offer in every interaction. Check: Am I thinking too much? What is the quality of my thoughts? Whenever I want to change any thought, am I able to do it easily? When the quality of thoughts is right, the speed is slow. When it is negative or waste thinking, the quantity increases. The mind thinks too much, and we feel that it is not in our control.

Let us start building a beautiful relationship with our self. Check what are the critical thoughts we have about our self. Gently change the quality of every critical thought to acceptance and love. The more we criticise ourselves, we are reaffirming that part of our personality. We want to change our sanskars, and so our internal conversation needs to be positive, loving and empowering.

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The power of mind

The most important part of you is your mind (not your brain—the brain is the hardware and the mind creates the software). Care for your mind, make friends with it, always feed it healthy food, engage it in positive activity, and exercise it with knowledge and wisdom. Like a garden returns fragrance and beauty according to the care invested, so your mind will repay you with thoughts, ideas, and visions of great beauty when tended and invested with care. Your mind is not made of matter, but it does matter what you give it and what you create with it. Where your mind goes, you go. What your mind creates becomes your destiny.

When you have the power to accommodate, you are mature enough to merge gossip, rumours, people’s weaknesses, and sanskars and not spread bad vibrations.

Trustworthy

When you have the power to accommodate, you are mature enough to merge gossip, rumours, people’s weaknesses, and sanskars and not spread bad vibrations. Just as a mother never talks ill of her children’s defects or as the ocean accepts the rubbish the rivers bring along, God teaches us to be sensible and discreet. These qualities make us trustworthy and give us the power to build relationships rather than walls.

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The power of mind by Brahma Kumaris | Soulveda

The most important part of you is your mind (not your brain—the brain is the hardware and the mind creates the software). Care for your mind, make friends with it, always feed it healthy food, engage it in positive activity, and exercise it with knowledge and wisdom.

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The power of mind by Brahma Kumaris | Soulveda

The most important part of you is your mind (not your brain—the brain is the hardware and the mind creates the software). Care for your mind, make friends with it, always feed it healthy food, engage it in positive activity, and exercise it with knowledge and wisdom.

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For the love of our pets | Soulveda

There is no love greater than the love between man and his pet. The relationship human beings share with their furry (or not so furry) mates is, for the most part, inexplicable. Books may have been written and movies made about this precious bond,

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'We take different births to find what the soul really yearns for' | Soulveda

People have always wondered what lies beyond the grave. While some say death is the end, others believe in life after death. The concept of reincarnation states that a soul is born multiple times in different bodies. According to this belief, people

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‘We take different births to find what the soul really yearns for’

People have always wondered what lies beyond the grave. While some say death is the end, others believe in life after death. The concept of reincarnation states that a soul is born multiple times in different bodies. According to this belief, people have past lives. Practitioners believe that past life memories can be retrieved in those who have been reincarnated. Past Life Regression (PLR) is a technique that uses hypnosis to recover these memories.

In an informative interview with Soulveda, PLR practitioner Lizia Batla talks about reincarnation and explains all about past life regression.

Excerpts:

How did your interest get piqued in PLR?

I have always been drawn to esoteric modalities. But the catalyst for my learning is my son Jeevan, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child. All modalities have helped him to become the potent being he truly is.

What kind of people typically tend to come to you for PLR?

I do not accept everyone that comes to me for a PLR. A few people come to me out of curiosity and I gently turn them away. If there is a genuine case of deep seated fear, hypochondria or psychosis, then with their doctor’s permission (if they are clinically diagnosed) I attend to them.

For the people who’ve come so far, has the process ever revealed that someone didn’t have a past life?

Most people have a past life, but a new soul does come into existence. It can be ascertained from an astrology chart.

Despite knowing about PLR, why are people wary of uncovering their memories?

We operate on two levels, the higher mind (that knows all) and the lower mind that we use in our daily life. Remembering or reliving a painful situation can bring a lot of emotional upheaval, which is why most people don’t like to go there. Sometimes, people are just not willing to know about their past lives or even a childhood memory because their higher selves perceive a painful situation/moment.

“Nothing can ever go wrong in a PLR session. A subject cannot be hypnotised without their consent.”

Scientifically, where does the discipline of PLR stand? Some people are empirically driven. So if I were to convince them, how would I?

A lot of research has been done by people. Some have even dedicated their lives to finding the truth about people’s past-life events. However, the medical fraternity does not acknowledge the same. Brian Weiss himself is an MD, who has given up a lucrative practice and is devoted to PLR. Trutz Hardo has written a book on children who have lived before.

Has there been any particular subject whose life changed drastically after going through PLR? Would you mind sharing their story (anonymously, of course)?

We did regression for a young girl who wasn’t able to lose weight. We found she was sexually abused for years by her staff, a much older man, in this life. When I took her through it, she found out that she had started enjoying these episodes. Was it the guilt of enjoying rape or something else? It didn’t matter what it was. As she acknowledged it, she began shedding her weight. Just acknowledging that it happened was what she needed.

How do you guide the subject? What kind of questions do you normally ask? Are they open-ended or do they lead the subject in a particular direction?

There are no fixed guidelines and questions. The therapist goes with their ‘knowledge’ to relax the subject. A well-trained therapist will never lead the subject but would rather go where the subject is ‘going’. If the therapist feels that the subject needs to be asked more questions then they will. A few sessions are required before the subject unravels their journey. To allow the mind and body to assimilate what has transpired, it is important to give a gap of at least a fortnight between sessions. There’s no point rushing what you could have accumulated over 20, 30 or even 100 years.

What can go wrong with PLR? Could there be any side effects of the process?

Nothing can ever go wrong in a PLR session. A subject cannot be hypnotised without their consent. By helping one acknowledge a certain memory, the therapist helps in letting go of the trauma attached to it. There are no side effects.

What according to you is the difference between karma and reincarnation or is it that one leads to the other?

There is hardly any connection between karma and reincarnation as you choose reincarnation to experience what you have chosen for yourself, not be reincarnated because of it.

According to me, karma is something we create. Creating karma is in our hands because it is with ‘choice’ that we create what we desire. As for reincarnation, we take different births to find what the soul really yearns for. For instance, if the soul wants to experience the patience of a Buddha, it will find and surround itself with people who will test its patience. In this space, it will learn.

Knowing the past–how does it help?

One does not necessarily have to know the past. However, if there is a recurring problem then one needs to look into their childhood or a past life for answers. For example, a client had fear of water, heights and closed spaces, and clinical therapy wasn’t helping. A PLR revealed that in her past life she was pushed from a height, she fell into a hole and drowned to death. After a few sessions, she overcame her fears and even learnt swimming.

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Bend your body, heal your mind

It’s not just about posing on the mat, stretching out like a cat, and burning body fat. Yoga is a holistic pursuit of physical, mental, and spiritual evolution. We’re familiar with the physical wellbeing that comes with practising yoga. But we’re yet to open our minds to the mental wellbeing this ancient practice has to offer. There’s a reason yoga is so closely associated with spirituality–it not only brings about bodily awareness but also controls the mind. In fact, the Bhagavad Gita talks about the concept of yoga. It contains several verses wherein Krishna explains to Arjun that the practice of yoga enables an individual to maintain a healthy body, mind, and soul.

The concept of connection between the body and the mind is nothing new. In Sanskrit, the term yogi is used for both a practitioner of yoga and a practitioner of meditation. Meditation, as we know, helps take control of the mind. The root of the word yogi–yuj–means to unite. By the virtue of its own name, yoga has a deep connection with mental wellbeing, as it unites physicality and psychology. In fact, expert yoga practitioners are highly aware of this connection and often use it for their own betterment. Yogis have discovered that backward-bending postures stimulate the mind and make a person more extroverted, while inward-bending postures induce an introverted and introspective state.

Today, yoga might be popular as a physical fitness regimen. But according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, it’s more of a tool for exercising the mind. The ancient text states ‘Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah.’ Translated, it means ‘Yoga is the regulation of various states of mind’. It’s not just the ancient texts that say the practice of yoga is beneficial for mental wellbeing. Recent studies have established the positive results in using yoga as a therapy for mental disorders and illnesses.

In 2005, a study was conducted on patients suffering from bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia at a New Hampshire psychiatric hospital, to test the effects of a single yoga class. It was found that the tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility, and fatigue levels dropped considerably after the class.

In 2013, Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) conducted a study to gauge the effectiveness of yoga as a therapeutic tool in treating patients of depression and schizophrenia. The results were positively in favour of yoga as a therapy for patients of mental illnesses.

Yoga does not treat body parts in isolation, but rather as chakras or regions. Perhaps, it’s this overall approach that helps fix imbalances in the body, mind and soul.

It’s promising to know that yoga is an effective therapeutic aid in mental wellbeing. However, there’s not enough clarity on what specific aspect of yoga improves psychological health. Director of NIMHANS, Dr B N Gangadhar, admits, “Clinically speaking, we don’t know for sure whether it’s the movement or awareness or breathing or specific yoga style that fosters the mental wellbeing.”

Yoga practitioners have long maintained that yoga is a holistic practice that helps in physical, mental and spiritual growth. In any case, yoga does not treat body parts in isolation, but rather as chakras or regions. Perhaps, it’s this overall approach that helps fix imbalances in the body, mind and soul. Yoga therapist Shubananda Srinivas certainly thinks so. He says, “The Taittiriya Upanishad looks at an individual as a composition of five sheaths or levels–physical, pranic, mental, intellectual, and spiritual. Yoga makes us aware of these levels and helps fix any inadequacy or excess at every level.” Srinivas also observes that those suffering from mental illnesses tend to have an excess of activity in their mental sheath and low awareness of the physical level. He recommends using yoga to make such patients aware of their physicality and bring them out of their heavy mental loop.

When we suffer from any mental illness, certain hormones in our body go for a toss. That, in turn, is made worse by symptoms like breathing problems, increased heart rate, and restlessness among many others. It’s also why those dealing with depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are given medication. According to yoga practitioner Rajesh Jain, this physiological approach is important even while using yoga as a therapy. He believes pranayama is highly effective for those tackling mental disorders. Rapid respiration during the breathing exercises forces our body to increase the production of serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine–hormones that are associated with calm and pleasure. So, pranayama is an effective source of happy state of mind for the depressed and anxious, he says.

Interestingly, most yoga experts and psychologists wouldn’t recommend meditative yoga to those suffering from mental illnesses and disorders. It would be counterproductive to the treatment, they warn, because introspection would only increase a person’s excessive mental activity. Physical awareness–of the breathing, the stretching, and the coordination–is key, as far as yoga therapy for mental illness goes. When the going gets tough, the mind gets going on a negative path. It’s here that we need to put a leash on the mind and get the body going. Yoga can be that leash.

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Learning to fly

The deadly white winter was fast approaching.

Just a few weeks ago, mama starling had hatched her eggs and given birth to four little hatchlings. Vowing to nurse her frail babies to good health, the mother had scouted the neighbourhood for fat worms and caterpillars all day.

When her babies finally looked big and healthy, the excited mother said, “My little darlings, I’ll teach you all to fly very soon!”

The little birds looked at each other, startled.

“But mom! The tree is so tall. What if we fall down?” asked one of them.

“Can’t we just hop around? It’s fun!” suggested another.

Dejected, the mother bird dropped the subject. With the weather getting steadily colder, she realised that she had to come up with a new way to get her babies flying. So, the next morning, she woke them up early to gaze at the skies.

Pointing to a flock of starlings flying at a distance, one of them asked, “Wow, mommy! What are those?”

“Well, sweetie, they’re starlings just like you and me!” the mother bird replied.

“They are so cool! It is as if they are performing a dance in the sky!” exclaimed one, starry-eyed.

“We want to learn that dance too!” chipped in another, awed.

The wise bird smiled. At last, she had succeeded in inspiring her babies.

Of course, the process of getting them off the ground wasn’t easy. The baby birds fell quite a few times. But, the protective mother had cleverly cushioned their fall with leaves and twigs so that they wouldn’t get hurt.

The big day finally arrived. It was time for the babies’ first big flight. They were about to migrate down south to escape the winter.

“Mommy, we’re ready. Let’s go!” chirped one of her children, perched at the edge of the nest.

Casting one last wistful look at their home, which had marked an important phase of their lives, she joined her children and soared into the sky.

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What does it mean to be well?

We’re often asked the question: “How are you doing today?” While we tend to answer in a positive, even cheerful tone most of the times, the truth might be somewhat complicated. Are we truly well? Before we think of an answer to that question, we must first understand what it means to be well.

Those of us who are battling diseases might feel that once they address their issues, they would be well once again. On the other hand, those who are free of ailments might experience a lack of motivation or low energy levels. Even those who are physically well and energetic might be facing psychological problems or crises in life. Indeed, there is no one-stop solution to achieve wellness.

Wellness is a complex concept that encompasses myriad factors pertaining to the human body and psyche. And to be truly well, one needs to pay attention to all these areas. Soulveda delves into what contributes to wellness and how one can achieve it.

To be devoid of illness

Even though it is not the only factor that determines an individual’s state of wellbeing, absence of illness is indeed crucial for us to lead happy, productive lives. A sound body, as they say, has a sound mind. And together, they help us achieve quality life. Unfortunately, many of us tend to fall chronically ill at some point in our lives.

Modern lifestyle makes us prone to illnesses of all kinds. Long hours of sedentary work, stress and unhealthy food habits lead to a gradual deterioration of our health, paving the way for obesity, metabolic and skeletal disorders and hypertension. While many a time, we contract illnesses due to factors out of our control, it is fair to say that our choices do play a big part in leading a healthy life.

According to a study published in the Iranian Journal of Public Health, a balanced diet, exercise, good sleep, recreation and study (which is called ‘exercise for the soul’) are essential for a healthy life.

To have a healthy mind

A mind that is at peace is crucial for overall wellness. However, the fast-paced, competitive lives we live today constantly challenge our mental wellbeing. Chronic stress in personal and professional lives, often combined with traumatic memories, lead to individuals developing mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.

Depression, as research has proven, can happen to anyone. It is a state of mind in which an individual feels utterly hopeless, as if they’re stuck in a painful situation from which there is no release. When combined with anxiety–a state of panic–the condition of the mind is even worse.

Besides anxiety and depression, there are other psychological issues that an individual may face. In most cases, a qualified psychologist can effectively diagnose and get to the root of the problem by talking to the patient over multiple sessions. Sometimes, however, a chemical imbalance in the mind might be to blame. Medication, in such cases, may be the answer. Indeed, this can be supplemented with lifestyle changes discussed earlier, as a healthier body can buoy the individual’s spirits as well.

Being spiritual does not mean taking an expensive yoga class. To be spiritual is to live in a mindful way that unleashes the boundless potential of human life.

To be profoundly happy

Hard as it may be to fathom, an absence of physical or mental illnesses alone may not signify wellness. It is important for one to be happy in the truest sense of the word. And as the popular saying goes: “Happiness is contentment.” If you are truly content with where you are in life and grateful for everything you have, happiness will flow through you like a river.

According to a study published by the American Psychological Association, happy people are more capable of handling the ups and downs of life. They can even handle misfortune or a fatal illness better. As happiness makes people resilient, they are more successful too, reveals the study.

But this state of being is also quite elusive. We chase happiness all their lives and fail to achieve it. So how does one become happy? Some research says good relationships are the key. Others say one’s relationship with oneself is what matters. Maybe there is some truth to each of these findings.

High self-esteem, a positive attitude towards life, inspiring yet realistic goals and a healthy social life may all help one get the most out of life. When all these things are in order, every day is full of possibilities. One may spring out of bed without the need for an alarm clock and work towards making the best use of their time and resources to accomplish their goals.

To engage in spirituality

Being spiritual does not mean taking an expensive yoga class. To be spiritual is to live in a mindful way that unleashes the boundless potential of human life. It means looking at the universe sans the divides set by the human race and feeling a sense of oneness with it.

This, of course, requires a certain maturity and equanimity that needs to be developed over time with guidance and practice. In the words of mystic Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev: “If the soil, sunlight or stem of a plant is in a certain way, it won’t yield flowers, you have to do something. You have to take care of those things. So if you cultivate your body, mind, emotions and energies to a certain level of maturity, something else blossoms within you–that is what is spirituality.”

Upon pursuing the spiritual path, an individual is likely to build a greater sense of awareness. They learn the ability to respond and not react to the curveballs that life may throw at them. They have more energy to tackle life’s challenges and appreciate the myriad possibilities it brings along. They are closer to discovering the meaning and purpose of their life.

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In the times of radio

When I was young I’d listen to the radio Waitin’ for my favorite songs When they played I’d sing along It made me smile

Every time I listen to this masterpiece by

The Carpenters

, I am reminded of the good old days of my childhood. Every day began with the news bulletin, and ended with classic melodies on the radio. My life revolved around the bulky radio set kept above the showcase. I vividly remember my cousins and I listening to the radio on Sunday afternoons, when others at home took a nap. The memory of us waiting for our favourite songs is something I treasure even today.

Today, the times have changed. Tastes have evolved, entertainment has been redefined, but radio has managed to retain its old charm while adapting to a new world. Having undergone significant changes over the years, the medium continues to resonate with the audience like it always has.

On the occasion of World Radio Day, Soulveda met seasoned radio professionals–Seetal Iyer, Jonzie Kurian, Darius Sunawala and Prashant Vasudevan. They spoke at length about radio’s evolution in India, how content is still the driving factor, and the importance of interaction in keeping the medium alive. Excerpts from the edited conversation:

Radio has evolved from being the voice of the state to being the pulse of society. Do you agree?

Seetal Iyer: Back in the day, the government had the infrastructure to disseminate content and had control over the medium. It is not to say that the content wasn’t informative or did not transform lives. These programmes were popular, socially relevant, and of great value and service. Then it was AM, a pan-national coverage. Now it is FM, a regional medium. Today, they have tailored the content to what you want to listen to. Probably, the variation in content is giving a perception that it is more useful and valuable.

Jonzie Kurian: In India, we had no private radio stations, hence a state-run radio station naturally became the voice of the state. When private stations were introduced, they got an opportunity to become the voice of society. When a radio station appeals to a certain audience, then it becomes imperative for it to echo the voice of its audience (hence the society).

Darius Sunawala: There are government-run radio stations, private stations, community stations and narrow casters. They cannot be clubbed together to say radio is the voice of society, as they each have a definite principle behind them. Government-funded radio is the voice of the state. Private stations make revenue and end up being mass entertainment stations.

Prashant Vasudevan: I think the shift was waiting to happen. And it happened when the government gave permission for private channels. But I still think radio is the voice of the state. It is still curbed in a way where you can’t voice a lot of opinions. It is more of an entertainment channel. This whole shift from being the voice of the state to voice of society was a reaction to what was happening in society.

“In the good old days of All India Radio, listeners used to write in. Then we moved on to phone calls and then SMS. Today, people are interacting with the station through mobile apps and social media.”

Content is the essence be it a magazine, television or the radio. How has content on the radio evolved?

Seetal Iyer: The relevance of content has not changed, be it music or any other kind of quality content. The relevance of music cannot be questioned. It is like any other passion that will stand the test of time. But what has changed is that the world has gotten larger. Back in the day, accessing music and content was harder. Access to music is something that has changed. On the downside, I feel the audience’s attention span has reduced. The shelf life of content is limited.

Jonzie Kurian: The way we deliver content has changed. Today, a radio station does not exist only on the FM Dial. We disperse content through apps and social media as well. In the past, formats used to be more broad-based since there were fewer stations competing with each other. Today, stations are competing with online streaming platforms, so there is a need to be more focused with a narrower music format.

Darius Sunawala: In the past, content was far more relaxed and not focused on high-velocity entertainment. But as markets evolved, especially for commercial radio stations, the audience evolved in terms of expectations. And to meet these expectations, the content was made shorter, faster and more entertaining.

Prashant Vasudevan: I think the content was more meaningful then. When I say content, I mean the RJ talk. Today, we have more commercials, so we have to play more music. Hence, spoken content is less. And you have to keep it short and entertaining. The other factor is that the audience’s attention span has reduced and the time spent on the station has increased. So we have no other go than to keep the content light and less punishing for the brain.

Having become more interactive, how has the radio experience become better over time?

Seetal Iyer: The need to be heard or to say something has existed all along, and has not changed at all. I think technology, in large measure, has enabled people to have this instant gratification of the need for conversation. In those days, the audience only listened to the speaker, they could not get in touch with the RJ other than by writing to the station.

Jonzie Kurian: Radio has always been an interactive medium. I cannot think of a time when radio was just ‘talking to people’. It is the key differentiator between radio and other media platforms. In the good old days of All India Radio, listeners used to write in. Then we moved on to phone calls and then SMS. Today, people are interacting with the station through mobile apps and social media.

Darius Sunawala: As radio stations struggled to engage with their audience in a faster and more meaningful manner, interaction became very important. Today, radio stations are focusing on staying interactive because it brings them closer to the audience, making people stay on the station longer.

Prashant Vasudevan: There was a need for innovation in radio. To keep it up to date, people had to come up with interaction. It was a reaction to what was happening on the internet. It is not easy to compete against the internet. Especially with so many new apps coming in, it is even more competitive.

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Celebrating women in science

History hasn’t always been kind to women. They were denied education. Those that were ‘lucky’ enough to be informally educated couldn’t enter university seminars; those that were formally educated weren’t considered equal to their male peers. Many bold women were subdued, or worse–burned ‘for being witches’! Having an opinion was blasphemous, let alone having an intellectual and a scientific one at that. Despite such dark times, many women managed to rise above society’s idea of what they’re capable of.

For centuries, womankind has had to strive doubly hard to make itself heard and accepted. Some women not only managed to be heard and accepted, but also respected. If making a mark in a male-dominated world was hard, then stepping into the field of science was no less than entering the dragon’s lair, right until the early 20th century. And yet, many commendable women did just that, contributing significantly to the way the world works today. Soulveda commemorates these scientists on the occasion of International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Hedy Lamarr

This 20th-century woman wasn’t just a pretty actress; she was an inventor. Self-taught though she was, Lamarr was known to dabble in technology; she used to call it ‘tinkering hobbies’. Improvising traffic stoplight and modifying the wing design to make planes fly faster were among the things she ‘tinkered’ with. During the World War II in 1942, Lamarr, with the help of her friend and pianist George Antheil, actually developed a secret communication system for the US government. While the US Navy couldn’t use inventions made outside of the military, Lamarr’s technology eventually got incorporated into Bluetooth, wi-fi and CDMA.

Anandi Gopalrao Joshi

Joshi was the first Indian woman to ever graduate with a degree in medicine from the United States. People also say that she was the first Indian woman to even set foot on American soil. What’s remarkable about Joshi was that she earned a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in 1886, when most girls in India weren’t formally educated. Unfortunately, Joshi died of tuberculosis in 1887, before she could practise medicine and be a physician.

The Second World War saw many English women choosing more public lives, many with professions. One such smart young woman was Joan Clarke, a cryptanalyst and numismatist…

Émilie du Châtelet

This early 18th-century French physicist was the first scientist to appreciate the significance of kinetic energy, as opposed to momentum. She translated Isaac Newton’s Principia from Latin to French and wrote a compelling commentary with it. She made an additional postulate on conservation law of kinetic energy, thereby contributing to Newtonian Mechanics. So profound was her contribution that she was widely recognised and respected amongst the intellectual circles of her time.

Joan Clarke

The Second World War saw many English women choosing more public lives, many with professions. One such smart young woman was Joan Clarke, a cryptanalyst and numismatist for the English government. Cryptology was largely male-dominated at the time, but as a code-breaker at Bletchley Park during the war, Clarke decrypted Nazi Germany’s secret communications. Her work earned her several awards and citations; she was even appointed as a member of the Order of the British Empire, an order of chivalry.

Laura Bassi

Bassi, an 18th century Italian physicist and academic, earned a doctoral degree from the University of Bologna in 1732. At the time, it was only the second degree ever formally bestowed on a woman by a university. She is also said to have been the first woman to have been formally educated in the field of science. Like Émilie du Châtelet, Bassi too was instrumental in spreading the study of Newtonian Mechanics far and wide in Italy.

Maria Margarethe Kirch

Kirch was a renowned German astronomer in the late 17th century and early 18th century. She was the first woman to ever discover a previously unknown comet C/1702 H1, in 1702. Kirch was also instrumental in creating calendars and almanacs that were helpful in sea navigation. As her husband Gottfried Kirch’s study partner, Maria Kirch was on par with other astronomers of her time, if not better. Yet, upon her husband’s death, she wasn’t allowed to take his place as an astronomer at the Royal Academy of Sciences. When the academy’s chosen male alternative failed miserably at his duties, Maria Kirch was hired in his stead. Her work eventually won her the Gold medal of Royal Academy of Sciences, Berlin, in 1709.

Ada Lovelace is credited with being the first computer programmer and also the first to understand the ‘computing machine’ and its potential applications.

Maria Gaetana Agnesi

This 18th-century Italian mathematician was the first woman to be appointed as a mathematics professor at a university. She was also the first to write a mathematics handbook that discussed both integral and differential calculus. Known as the first woman to ever have achieved such a repute in the field of mathematics, Agnesi has an asteroid, a Venusian crater and a mathematical curve named after her.

Eva Ekeblad

Ekebald was an 18th-century Swedish agronomist, who’s credited with discovering a method to make alcohol and flour from potatoes. Her discovery was instrumental in reducing Sweden’s famine in 1746. With that, she became the first ever female honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1748. Ekebald also discovered how to bleach cotton textile and yarn with soap. She also found a way to use potato flour in cosmetics as a replacement for other harmful chemicals.

Ada Lovelace

Augusta Ada King-Noel, Countess of Lovelace, better known as Ada Lovelace, was a 19th-century English mathematician and writer. Lovelace, who called herself an ‘analyst’, and often described her approach as ‘poetical science’, made notes on Charles Babbage’s early version of a computing machine. In her notes, she made observations of how the society might relate to such technology as a ‘collaborative tool’. She is credited with being the first computer programmer and also the first to understand the ‘computing machine’ and its potential applications. Without her observations and explanations, Babbage’s work might never have received any attention. Lovelace even gave his ‘Analytical Engine’ an algorithm to compute Bernoulli numbers.

Lise Meitner

Meitner was a 20th-century Austrian-Swedish nuclear physicist who led a group of scientists responsible for discovering the nuclear fission of uranium. This discovery later became the basis for the nuclear weapons developed by the US during World War II. The 1944 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the nuclear fission discovery went only to her colleague and co-head Otto Hahn, despite Meitner’s tremendous contribution. However, she did win various other awards and honours later in life. Meitner was also the first woman to be hired as a physics professor by a university in Germany.

[soulvedamagazine]

He who rides rats

Imagine walking into your house and finding a rat scurrying across your sofa. Or imagine opening your kitchen cabinet and a rat leaping right at you. Sharp teeth, red eyes. A painful bite. Open your desk and there are the gnawed remains of your text book. And the excrement of rats. Go to the toilet, smell that rotting flesh, a dead rat somewhere. See that open sewer next to your house–what do you see there? Rats, for sure. Dozens of rats. Rats everywhere. Imagine them under your bed, in your attic, behind the sofa, in your toilet, in your pantry, your storehouse, your basement.

Rats evoke feeling of disgust. There is something inherently dark, and unclean, and sinister about them. Think rats and you think garbage, gutter, plague, disease. Rats means destruction of property. Pilferage. Filth. There is nothing adorable or desirable about a rat. So why is Ganesha always associated with a rat, lovingly called Mooshika?

But it is not a rat, you are corrected. It is a mouse. Rats are nasty. Mice are much gentler. Cute Ganesha rides a cute mouse, my nephew insists. The fact is nobody is sure what Mooshika is exactly. Scholars and the general public can argue about it endlessly referring to obscure Sanskrit texts: Rat. Mouse. Maybe even a bandicoot. Whatever! Basically a rodent, a pest, the bane of the storehouse, enemy of the farmer, a denizen of the sewer. Rats are inauspicious. You definitely don’t want them in your house.

Ganesha is Mangala-Murti, the embodiment of auspiciousness. Why then does he have as his mount something so inauspicious as a rat? What is the message there?

Imagine someone who gets rid of all those irritating rat-like problems of your life. That someone, for Hindus, is Ganesha.

For Hindus, God is the container of all ideas. Every god or goddess (spelt in lower case) symbolically represents a particular idea. All Hindu gods and goddesses–if they can ever be enumerated–represent all the ideas contained in God. Shiva, for example, represents renunciation. Vishnu represents worldliness. Kama represents love and lust. Yama death. Kali is wild nature. Gauri is domesticated nature. Lakshmi is wealth. Saraswati knowledge. Ganesha represents prosperity and power. Hence he is fat (prosperous) and has the head of an elephant (powerful).

But prosperity and power are meaningless if life is plagued with problems. And what better way to represent problems than as a rat/mouse/bandicoot. Mooshika represents that issue which makes our life miserable. That problem which though small eludes resolution and continues to exasperate us, irritate us, outwit us at every turn. It is that bill that will never be cleared by the boss. It is that pimple which will never go away. It is that neighbour who always keeps his garbage right in front of your door. It is that dripping water tap that no plumber can fix. That set of car keys which you cannot find just when you have to leave the house. It is that case in court which is not moving for years. These are the rats in our lives, the insatiable thieves who are gnawing into our sense of well-being.

Imagine someone who gets rid of all those irritating rat-like problems of your life. That someone, for Hindus, is Ganesha. Around Ganesha’s giant belly is a serpent–that friend of the farmer–who eats the rats, controls pilferage and thus protects the harvest. With the grace of Ganesha, problems disappear and prosperity and power appear. You can imagine Ganesha catching hold of a problem (rat, mouse or bandicoot) by its tail, dragging it away, sitting on it, so that it troubles you no more. No wonder Ganesha is such a popular god. Remover of the rats that plague our existence. Remover of obstacles, remover of hurdles. Vighna-harta.

Rats are also symbols of fertility. They breed like crazy. Ganesha is always associated with fertility symbols. The Dhurva grass for example, which keeps growing even when uprooted. If Dhurva is the plant-symbol of fertility, rat is the animal-symbol of fertility. Even in China and Japan, rats are associated with fertility, children, prosperity. Rats are also unstoppable, relentless, breaking through any obstacle to get to the grain. Simultaneously, rats are symbols of avarice and greed. They are relentless hoarders. Thus, rats have a positive aspect–fertility and unstoppability. And a negative aspect–pilferage and plague. With Ganesha sitting on top of Mooshika only the positive aspects reach devotees while the negative aspects stay away.

Ganesha’s image may evoke a sense of prosperity and power and auspiciousness for which fertility is important but his Mooshika reminds us not to be complacent. The rat may be fertile and unstoppable–a contributor to our wealth–but it is also capable of silently and secretly gnawing into our ethics, our morals, our values, the very foundation of our apparently fulfilled lives.

[soulvedamagazine]

Along the course of Ganges

I had always wondered what it would be like to wade through the unpredictable currents of life and accept every outcome with the innocence of a child. I had secretly wished to recognise the signs of the universe and understand its sublime language. Maybe, that was why I bid my mechanical life goodbye. One day, I quit my job and found myself admiring the early morning sun brightening the Himalayan skies. Sipping chai, feeling alive, I was ready to go on a journey. The River Ganges and the course of her flow became my sole guide. I knew nothing of her magnificent legends or her religious rites, yet the enriching experience along her course left me wiser.

The first stop was Gangotri–the birthplace of the Ganges. The virgin-white glaciers, surrounded by the majestic snowy mountains made a seamless sight. The air was painfully chilly and the sun comfortingly bright. Through the synergy between the cold and the warmth, rose her miraculous soft waters. This vision of purity seemed to cleanse my soul.

My next stop was Rishikesh–a serene, laid-back town with its quintessential yoga ashrams and healing centres. Just being there calmed my nerves. Juxtaposed to this mystical aura were cafes, water sports arena and camping spots for travellers from across the world. Contrary to Rishikesh was my next destination Haridwar. The town was as chaotic and crowded as it was vibrant. Colourful and festive with its many temples and ghats, this pilgrim’s paradise sent me into euphoria. As I spent my days there, it was as if I were witness to a river’s journey through two adjacent towns strikingly different from each other, uniquely expressing their spirituality.

“I realised that worldly experiences, mostly perceived by the senses, need not be the source of happiness or sadness in life. One should look inward to find perpetual joy. For this self-discovery, my stop at Varanasi became an unforgettable experience.”

My journey further took me to Varanasi with its characteristic alleys and cacophony. It was nothing less than a culture shock for me. Witnessing the dead being cremated in plain sight along the riverbed was enough to get my insides churning. The grimy maze of its alleyways was equally disorienting. Bright colours, loud noises, crowded places and stench bombarded my senses.

Eventually, the shock subsided and thoughts mellowed down. I realised that worldly experiences, mostly perceived by the senses, need not be the source of happiness or sadness in life. One should look inward to find perpetual joy. For this self-discovery, my stop at Varanasi became an unforgettable experience.

As the Ganges eventually united with her counterparts–Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, I found myself at Prayag. I was mesmerised to see the rivers merge into one. Yamuna was deep and calm, Ganges shallow and forceful, while Saraswati remained unseen. For me, this union signified the harmony of the body, mind and spirit. Possibly, finding a balance among the three is what life is all about.

Finally, the mighty river took me to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal. This tiny island had its magnificent share of beauty. After a long journey, I felt pure joy as my feet touched the sands of the beach. As dusk paved way for the night, my journey ended. I was content. As I bid her farewell, I thanked the Ganges for revelations of a lifetime.

[soulvedamagazine]

Is your child’s temper tantrum just that?

Parenting is one of the more rewarding responsibilities one can assume as a grown-up. Aside from the sheer joy it effortlessly oozes, it brings with it invaluable life lessons. You learn to not only let go of, but also to sacrifice your own needs and wishes for another individual. You don’t have to do it. You want to do it. It’s almost as if being a parent activates an extra special emotional impetus, turns on a unique ‘love’ switch, and brings forth an innate superpower that enables you to transcend every limit, scare every fear away, and take on any challenge. The glory of any and every relationship seems to pale in comparison with the radiance of parenthood.

A whole other human being becomes the centre of your life. A mere mention of this individual motivates you to do things you never thought were possible. In order to provide for this person, you gladly give all you’ve got and all of yourself. You go to any lengths to see a smile on the face of your child.

Yet, one day, there is trouble in this perfect little paradise of unconditional love, affection, and constant doting. Your little one seems to have become a handful. You thought being a parent was rewarding and enriching. Well, now it seems like a keenly acquired skill that only a few seem to possess. You are at your wits’ end and nothing seems to work with your cranky little monster. Almost as if, your child has assumed the role of an exacting teacher, demanding unprecedented levels of patience. You seem to be doing everything right, and yet, everything seems to be going wrong. What is happening? You wonder. With the best of intentions, insights, and knowledge, you find yourself throwing up your hands at the tantrums of your child.

An investigation into the matter might reveal more than what seems obvious. While temper tantrums are often considered a regular phase of early childhood, more often than not, they could be signs of deeper issues, including depression. Psychologists advise caregivers to watch out for tell-tale signs that could be causes for serious concern. For instance, aggression towards the parent/caregiver, destructive tendencies, yelling, throwing things, falling apart for not getting the desired object, head-banging, biting or scratching oneself until the skin bleeds, and hurting oneself or others during a tantrum.

After all, we did say parenting is a responsibility, a privilege that makes you smile for no particular reason.

Why tantrums?

Temper tantrums are known to occur between the ages of one and seven when children see themselves as the centre of the universe. A tantrum is how a child expresses his or her frustration with the world. A lack of control over their surroundings and a sense of injustice define such behaviour. However, throwing a tantrum can also point towards a child’s inability to handle emotions such as anger, says child psychologist Tishya Mahindru Shahani. “A tantrum is likely to transpire if a child feels s/he deserves or needs that which is being deliberately withheld from him/her. It could be a favourite cookie, a video game, or a new toy at the store,” she adds.

Solutions, anyone?

Addressing and managing such tantrums surely can’t be a walk in the park. It requires insight into a child’s mind, and of course, enormous amounts of patience. Shahani, who founded Apnatva, a mental wellness centre for children, offers advice that could help rein in a child’s emotional outbursts:

1) Stay composed. If possible, don’t let your child’s tantrum interrupt what you’re doing, and don’t react with threat or anger. This conveys to the child a subtle message that tantrums are not an effective means to get something. Wait until after the tantrum has subsided to discuss with your child his/her behaviour.

2) Ignore the tantrum and pretend as if nothing is happening.

3) Change the setting and mood. Take the child to a different room/space, preferably, with no distractions. If you are in a public space, ignore the tantrum unless your child is at a risk of hurting himself/herself or someone else. At such times, the best option is to stop what you’re doing and leave.

4) Occupy your child with activities such as reading, playing a game, or even making silly faces.

5) Acknowledge your child’s frustration. Letting children know you understand their emotions helps to calm them down, especially if they’re looking for attention.

6) Appreciate good behaviour. It further encourages more of it.

Given that child psychology offers such nuanced advice, you might just be wondering, since when did dealing with a little child become such a carefully thought-out process? When we were little, our parents didn’t have the mental bandwidth to indulge our tantrums. However, the truth is, times have not just changed but completely transformed. The simpler perceptions of parenthood have morphed into a more thoughtful, an almost contemplative approach. After all, one has to keep up with the dynamic environments children are exposed to today. The world that children live in today puts tremendous onus on a parent. After all, we did say parenting is a responsibility, a privilege that makes you smile for no particular reason.

[soulvedamagazine]

No to corruption, no to materialism

International Anti-Corruption Day is observed every year on 9 December, since the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on October 31, 2003. The slogan for this day is “no to corruption”. In terms of celebration it is successful, but in terms of result this campaign is a total failure.

Now time has come to reassess this high project. Objective assessment will tell us that this failure is due to wrong diagnosis. Corruption is not an independent feature, it is the result of materialism. People want to acquire more and more material goods, so they adopt corrupt practices.

The root cause of this evil is materialism. Materialism has led to unchecked greed. But this kind of greed is not workable in this world. Man is subject to the natural law. And according to the natural law, every man and woman has a very short period of their life to live in this world. According to survey, the average age of man is sixty years. It is the fate of every human being that he is born as a child, then enjoys youth, and at last old age. Finally, he faces death. In such a situation, no one is able to utilise the wealth he tried to amass through corrupt practices.

If you live on need, it is good. But if you try to fulfil your greed, then that is not achievable for anyone. Greed is against the law of nature.

This state of affairs tells us that on this planet earth, only controlled materialism is feasible. Uncontrolled materialism or absolute materialism simply cannot work on this planet. One who follows his greed and tries to amass wealth through corrupt practices, will finally get nothing except tension and soon thereafter death.

You have to accept this reality. We have to adopt a culture that is workable. Keeping this fact into consideration, one can say that the call for ‘no to corruption’ is not going to yield any result. It is better to adopt the call: ‘no to materialism’.