Tag...

Mathew tagged me ...and here goes my tag....

1.LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER:
thengashi pattanam…(will you believe me if I told you I have not watched a single movie in a theatre with by husband?)

2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
The Konkans( Being a Konkani myself , this title of the book attracted me. To read a review on this book visit Lotus reads)

3. FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
This keeps on changing every week according to the choice of my kindergartner. We started off with snake and ladder, then it reached scrabble , checkers and chess. The recent favorite is monopoly.

4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE?
I loved reading Life positive , though it is no more available for me now. I never used to like National geographic earlier but , love reading it now.
5. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Smell of earth after a rain. Smell from Amma’s kitchen.

6. FAVORITE SOUND?
Giggles of my two boys.
7. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Losing my temper even though I know there is no reason.

8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE?
I pray for the Grace of the Lord to guide me through out the day.



9. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
I love kerala tattu kadas. Have started liking the subways out here .


10. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
Future Kid?I am very happy with two…(though I secretly wish for a girl….. )so let the name be a secret too.

11. FINISH THIS STATEMENT. "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I'D...?
would seriously expand my philanthropy.

12. DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
Could never drive fast in the traffic on the Indian roads.
Though the roads here tempt you , I try to stick to the speed limit .
13. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? No


14. STORMS-COOL OR SCARY?Not cool nor too scary.
15. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
I first drove a Maruti 800 (appa’s car) . After marriage it was Santro.Don’t you want to hear of my latest?... Town and country(chrystller)

16. FAVORITE DRINK?
cool water.
17. FINISH THIS STATEMENT, "IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD .....
sit down.

18. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Yes I do…
19. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE? I am seriously thinking of black… there are plenty of silver strands popping up
20. NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN.
Ernakulam(kerala, India)
Kodungalloor(kerala India)
Chennai(Tamilnadu India)
Hiroshima(Japan)
Taipei(Taiwan)
Pretoria(South Africa)
Michgan(USA)

. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Not a great fan of any sports … though love to watch the indo pak cricket match.

22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU.
a BIG CHEF…


23. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?
Latest book I am reading.


24. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?
I would like to experience a different life.


25. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL?
I was a morning person. But after my kids were born my clock is more flexible according to their routine..


26. OVER EASY, OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Neither.


27. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?
My home.

28. FAVORITE PIE?
Can’t think of one.


29. FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Butter scotch
30. OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU TAGGED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?I really do not know.

And this tag goes to..

Pooja,
Jyothsna
Maddy

Open the gates of heaven with this blogging blessing!

A seeker after years of penance and meditation has an encounter with Yama( God of Death , according to Hindu mythology).

Yama : I am extremely pleased with your perseverance and penance. Ask what you please , and you shall be answered.

Seeker: My humble salutations oh Yama. Do feel kind enough to answer my foolishness. I have heard of heaven and hell . Heaven is considered a place to rejoice and Hell is considered a place of suffering. You being the lord of Death will know the truth. Do tell me what kind of people are lead to heaven and what kind of people end up in hell.

Yama: I appreciate your courage in asking me this question , to which most people do not know the real answer. I will take you to both these places . See for your self. Which abode would you like to visit first, my son?

Seeker: I would wish to see the Hell first , My lord.

Thus both of them are transported to the world of hell. They stand in front of an enormous golden gate. The seeker is amazed at the sheer beauty of the entrance. As they move in , there are more surprises ahead. It is a world of his dreams. He can't believe this is hell... it is the most beautiful place he has ever seen. Yama leads him into a splendidly decorated dining hall. All the best food , he has never ever dreamt of are spread on the table. The aroma of the divine food attracts the inhabitants of hell to the table. He notices that , among all this luxury the inhabitants are devoid of energy and enthusiasm.. they look starved and pathetic. Then he notices that all their arms are strangely twisted to the outside. They gather around the food and are seated on the chairs. They pick up the food , but are unable to feed them selves , as their arms are twisted. Each time the food drops from their hands. They keep repeating the act of eating , but in vain.

Next Yama guides him to the gateway of heaven. He notices that the gate is similar to the one he saw in hell. As he enters this abode , again he realizes that this place is an exact mirror image of Hell. Here too the table is exactly filled with the same kind of divine food. Then he sees the inhabitants of Heaven and immediately notices at the glow and satisfaction that shine on their countenance. He is amazed to see that these people also have their hands twisted to the outside. They gather around their table to savor the taste of heaven. The seeker wonders how they will feed themselves with the twisted arms. What do you think he saw?
Each individual picks up food and feeds his neighbor, as he is unable to reach his own mouth.All eat to their content. No one is hungry... all are content.. this is heaven!
Yama: I hope you got answers to all your queries, son.
Seeker: Yes my Lord.

The moment we shed our selfishness and embrace one another , we experience Heaven. I know it is easy to pen down all these inspiring stories , feel elated for a few minutes , made fake promises of being unselfish and easily break those promises the next moment. yes, we are humans....!

What reminded me of this story is a tag. I am tagged by Krystyna..... This is a unlike any tags I have ever found here. It is not a meme...here are the rules of the tag.
it’s a game of tag with a difference, rather than looking inwardly, we look outside ourselves and bless, praise and pray for one blog friend. By participating in this endeavor we not only make the recipient of the blessing feel valued and appreciated, but we are having some fun too. We’re going to see how far the bloggin’ blessings can travel around the world and how many people can be blessed! Recipients of a bloggin’ blessing may upload the above image to their sidebar if they choose to. If you receive a bloggin’ blessin’ please leave a comment on this thread here so that we can rejoice in just how many blessings have been sent around the world!



I am grateful to Krystyna for her prayers and blessings.....it is hard to choose three blog buddies.. I wish I could pass it on to all my friends here. But let me stick to the rules of the tag and try to come up with three wonderful bloggers from three different corners of the globe...
With the faith that one thought can make a huge difference ... I pass on my waves of love to Bharathy of spicy chilly
Mathew of Spark
Cynthia of Tastes like home.
I can feel these waves travel and reach you)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) .....................
can you?

"ni" of my Sadhana!

Light diffuses into its myriad colors painting a spectrum....
each hue shining in its might
a rainbow.... a beholder's delight!!

the sight of a rare rainbow sprouts joy, wonder and excitement in almost all of us. Light casts itself into its various colors,with varying frequencies and wavelengths ...!!! each having its individual properties .. yet is only a part of the whole!

We too, in our day to day lives put on various roles...that of a mother , daughter , wife , employee , student and many more....and in the long run start identifying with our roles. We transform ourselves into these roles and just bury our true self, in this role playing.

At one point, I am the wife , never ever tired of nagging ...and then I am the mother, always expecting ... then I am a daughter always demanding .....In all this role playing, I have forgotten to shed the roles and just be me. In the previous posts relating to sadhana ... I had revealed a few facts about myself . Today, when I try to come up with yet another fact, I can just say that I am not just a daughter , wife , mother , dancer , student .....I am something more! I am not just the human, I am also the " being"....and it is that something which makes me whole! Like the VIBGYOR colors, which are beautiful expressions of the same white light ... the roles I play are only expressions of my Being! The Ni of my sadhana is that I am some thing more that I think I am ....the taste of which I have experienced .....only in glimpses ...or split seconds when I have shed my egos unknowingly, when I have forgotten to play my roles!

With this post I conclude my long tag! Thanks to my friend Bharathy, for tagging me ...and helping me launch a quest... I thoroughly enjoyed it! ( I am sure she will never ever dare to tag me in future :) )

The "Pa" of Sadhana!

" Amma , Kaani... Amma Kaani....." my elder son was obsessed with stories from a very young age. He used to repeat these words continuously, suggesting favorable topics for his stories. It could be on any thing under the sun...animals, vehicles, plants ....he would name it and I had to give an extempore on the given topic. This exercise has surely kindled my creative faculties and my imaginative thinking!.....it has helped me realize the beauty of childhood, which is a life with out any limits...

One day , he came up with a topic..".hands"! Once upon a time ......I started with my on the spot story! ... it ended up to be something I had heard in my childhood....It went thus....

".......there was a discussion which turned out to be heated debate among the five fingers. Each one wanted to prove that it was the best. The thumb said, "I am the strongest! with out me to support no one can even hold a pen or a pencil. So I am the best!"
The pointer said," I am the best, there is no doubt about that.....people use me to point at things...I am the most useful one in communication!"
The middle finger said," Come on guys! how can any of you imagine to be best ....I am present! I am the tallest...and the most elegant! "
The ring finger said, "Can't you all see ! I am the most honored ... people adorn me with precious stones and jewels ! I am the symbol of love!"
All waited for the little finger...what would it tell, after all it was without any special features....but the little finger mustered up all confidence and rose to the occassion.It said," When you greet some one or When you bow down before God with folded arms , I lead the way! I am greeted back first! How can you all look down upon me! I am the most blessed!"
Each one has his or her own role to play .. like the members of a family!
Like the palm which holds the fingers together , it is love and understanding which holds the family together.

Each member of the family, big or small is important to make it whole. Shiva kudumbam or the family of lord shiva, in hindu mythology is an apt example of the diverse personalities in the family. Shiva who has smeared His whole body with ashes and has snakes for ornaments, the embodiment of penance and austere meditation ....is with His divine consort Parvathi , a potrayal of feminine beauty and power: their elephant headed Son Ganesha with a protruded belly and their warrior son, Subrahmania. They represent a family .... entirely different personalities who are held together with the power of love.

The "pa" of my Sadhana is that I am my Family....a part which makes it whole....! I enjoy the warmth and the joy when we are together. I am surrounded by the embrace of my family ....the time and togetherness we share nourishing our growth , strengthening the roots of relationships!

The "ma" of my Sadhana!

" Om Hari Sri Ganapathayee namaha! " wrote the tiny little fingers on the tray of rice with joy and excitement, squatting on her dad's lap. She used to wait eagerly for this moment every year! The nine day Navaratri festival filled her home with energy and life. Her dad used to walk to every nook and corner of the house with a broom stick threatening the homes of spiders and bugs while her mom used to rearrange the home giving it a new look. The house echoed with the music and chitter chatter of all the students who used to spend long hours in her home practising and preparing for the oncoming cultural events which are routinely held at the famous thrikkakara temple.

The best part was decorating the pooja room for the "pooja vaipu". All the Gods and Goddesses were given a rose water bath. A ritual carried on with reverence and creativity. the small room was transformed in to a temple ....a temple of art and learning! ornate d with musical instruments , dancing bells and books. Each instrument was considered divine , and respected with the offering of new attire ( which later was to be worn by us).
Pooja vaipu is considered a sacred moment ...which is an act of total surrender ....an act of shedding ones egos which are build on learning and wisdom ....an act where one offers all knowledge acquired in this life to the Divine and prepare to be a Zero.

As young kids we were given all the time in the world to play once the pooja vaipu was done. We relished those moments of unhindered luxury when we never ever heard authoritative voices lecturing to us about the importance of reading our books! On the other hand we were asked not to read .... forcing us to break the rules and later put on a face of guilt.

Vijayadashami was on the tenth day . I usually woke up to the rhythmic sound which emanated from the kitchen .......it would be the sweet music born from the voice modulation of the coconut and the chirava(coconut scraper). The artiste would be Appa .. while Amma will be preparing the nivedyam for the day "phovu kalailolo" ( a blend of rice flakes and coconut and jaggery and banana) After bath, all would assemble at the koodi(pooja room) for vidyarambham or new beginning. For infants this day is considered auspicious to begin writing. And for the rest, this symbolizes the necessity of relearning, new beginning and the beauty of remaining a forever student eager to learn and re learn at each and every phase of our lives.

The "ma" of my sadhana is that I am a student forever......(a fact that I never realized during my school and college days). A role which makes life worth living ......I dedicate this post to all my gurus ..Guru means someone who guides you from darkness to light. It is difficult to name each and every one here... so as I visualise them in my inner eye I bow down before them seeking their blessings!

The'ga" of Sadhana

The "Ga" of my Sadhana is that I am a " Chrysalis". Try to recollect what you learnt in your biology class in school. ....
Doesn't Chrysalis sound familiar? An adult butterfly lays eggs , which hatches into a caterpillar. Caterpillar swallows and accepts all the greenery that comes its way ..shedding its skin every now and then. It later transforms into a chrysalis or pupa before evolving into a beautiful butterfly.

I remember learning the life cycle of a butterfly in school, but now, I am relearning it. Today I am not forced to memorize the process of metamorphosis in a butterfly, but I pause to think the powerful message it implies. Metamorphosis is not a process that is characteristic of insects or amphibians alone. Though not physically, we homo sapiens too have the innate capability of metamorphosis. Like a caterpillar we take in with greed all that comes our way. As we tread along towards growth, we shed our, preconceived notions, beliefs and image building egos...changing every moment. Then we enter into yet another new existence ....that of a pupa.....which might seem static, but is actually a dynamic existence.
A state of meditation, awareness .... moments brimming with life.
A state which makes life meaningful and worth living.
A prelude to a celebration....
a state before the flowering of a butterfly.

Like the light in total darkness which guides you find your way, the various retreats and youth programs at the "Oneness University" helped me live each moment of my life. Boredom was erased from my life dictionary, and I started living life with all intensity. Perceptions and attitude changed, and I stepped into the robe of a chrysalis.

Here is a video on metamorphosis!!! Hope all of you will enjoy!


I was delighted when my brother Naveen responded to this post with a beautiful poem.To read this poem click here.

The "Re" of Sadhana

Once upon a time there was a man who used to go from street to street selling hats. One day, when the Sun was scorching, he sat down under the shade of a huge tree to have a midday nap. With the basket full of hats next to him , he dozed off . The huge tree which sheltered the man was also home to a few monkeys. Fascinated by the basket full of hats, the monkeys grabbed all of them from the basket. Now each of the monkeys had a hat on top of their head!

When the man woke up he found his basket empty. What he found was a bunch of chattering monkeys crowned with his hats. He tried to shoo them, but in vain. Then he threw stones at them. They imitated him by throwing back fruits from the tree. He suddenly realized that the best way was to trick them. He understood that monkeys only imitated, while he had the capability to think and act. He removed the hat from his head and threw it towards the monkeys. Any one can guess what the monkeys would have done. They just imitated him and the man got back all his hats.

The "re" of my Sadhana is that I was more or less like a monkey during my growing up years. That doesn't mean I have stopped growing now :). I was just alluding to my school and college years. I never knew why I was doing something. I just did it because everyone else did it. After my tenth grade, I chose science group, just because everyone around me was doing that.I wrote both the engineering and medical entrances because I did not know what else to do. After I got selected for Ayurveda and Homeopathy(two streams of medicinal approach), my mother asked me whether this was what I exactly wanted to do. The answer was no. But still I did not listen to what my heart spoke....! The other options were taking up a degree course....there were varied subjects from which I could choose from....physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics.....Any subject was equal to me as I never realized, what I actually liked. The Principal of our college, asked me to take up English literature as I would not have to lose lab attendance, whenever I wanted to participate in extra curricular activities. I just nodded my head and signed in. I am not sure whether I enjoyed my classes in college. After my graduation, I pursued post graduation in the same subject...this was when I started knowing the fact that till now I was not listening to my heart ... or my passion.


Here is an interesting video on Ganesha Chaturthy!

The "Sa" of Sadhana

"sa .. re .. ga .. ma... pa.. dha.. ni...!!!"...............I remember repeating these musical notes after my music teacher when I was a young girl. These are the seven basic " swaras" or sounds called sapta swaras in Indian music. Like we always begin the musical journey with the Musical alphabet "sa".....I venture on with my sadhana.....a sequel to my earlier post.....a tag which I owe to Bharathy of spicy chilly!



Each new task is begun after offering salutations of Lord Ganesha.....dispeller of all obstacles!....in Hindu tradition. I invoke Ganesha (the elephant headed god).....
I remember a very inspiring story about Ganesha!
" One day sage Narada visited Kailasa , abode of Lord Shiva and his Shiva Kudumbam ( his family consisting of Parvati , His divine consort and His two sons Ganesha and Subramania). Narada offered Lord Shiva , a golden fruit during his visit.Shiva called his two sons, Ganesha and Subramania and said,
"I will give this divine fruit to only one of you. Whoever circumvents the whole universe thrice and comes to me first will be given this fruit!"
Those were not days of formula cars ....and the two sons had to rely on their "vahanas".Subramania's vahana or means of transport was a peacock....and Ganesha's vahana was a rat. As soon as the rules were laid for begetting the fruit , Subramania sped on his Peacock. What would poor Ganesha do? He was in a dilemma! He knew well that he would lose if he traveled on his mooshika vahana or his rat!....but Ganesha knew exactly what to do.He went straight to his parents ....circumvented them thrice and asked for the reward!
"To me the whole Universe is my parents!....I have circumvented my Universe thrice and I am eligible for the golden fruit!"

Thus Ganesha won the race!!!"

We see this whole wide world around us through our parents ! from the moment we are born .....though the umbilical chord is cut as we are welcomed in to this world the bond persists for ever! the first bond , the first relationship...of pure love...!!!

The "Sa"of my Sadhana is that I am a daughter....blessed to be born to two wonderful people....and like to echo the words of Ganesha !!! I dedicate this post to my parents , to whom I owe my life.


I was fortunate to be born to an artistic mother and loving father ....who helped me make a blue print of my life in childhood , which I am living today!
I wish I could relive those days ....with my parents ....
life without any stress or responsibilities...
a life where you could just relax and swim with the current....
a life where you travel like a passenger fully aware that the driver will take you where you ought to go...unperturbed by the route you might take .....
a life where you could take your parents for granted and still bask in the warmth of their affection and security....

I have been honored by my dear friends...,
Mishmash is a creative artiste , who surprises me with her innovative presentations and mouth watering recipes....
Bharathy , a wonderful friend, I am happy I stumbled upon her in this blogsphere, who delights me with her day to day recipes and equally good shots!
Thanks to both of you for the awards!...I am truly flattered!





I have passed on "rocking blogger award" to someone who is very dear to me. She is my grandmother , who started blogging at the ripe young age of seventy five. You can read more about her at her blog - khayals.
I have also love visiting Krystyna's blog...I have passed on this award to this inspiring blogger too.

"Power of schmooze" award is being conferred to
1. Mathew whose blog is rightly named spark , for he never fails to kindle sparks which glow with sense of humor and satire.
2.Maddy whose varied interests and knowledge on umpteen areas , cannot go unnoticed.
3.Naveen , whom I am proud to call my brother , whose perspectives and values are reflected in his posts. And I truly admire his writing skills.


I pass on the "Thinking blogger award" to
1. Kalyan , who has a passion for photography and travel. I love visiting his blog , "heaven's garden"
2.Dharma, whose posts portray simple day today events pondering into it with the depth of a philosopher!
I am not sure whether these awards have already been conferred to you!....if yes! I am not surprised!

Here is a video of a musical instrument... listen to it , friends! Can you guess what this instrument is just by listening to it? All the sounds are produced from a single instrument!

Sadhana!

"Sadhana" in Sanskrit means quest or practice. First of all I would like to thank my fellow blogger Bharathy of Spicy Chilly for having tagged me into launching on this Sadhana. You may wonder how can tagging you with "seven random facts about yourself ! " , be a Sadhana? .When I was tagged by my friend , I thought and thought and thought .....and couldn't come up with seven random facts...!!! Seven facts about yourself does not seem a simple task to me .......mainly because I would like to give a deeper meaning to the word " yourself" in the tag!.....So when I came up with a fact that I was short tempered !, something in me spoke that I was not the short temper....it was just an emotion that passes! So I did not want to attribute such passing and changing mind games that frequent me to the "ME". And thus I decided to venture on this quest or Sadhana....

I would like to climb down the ladder from where I am now .....an introspection!!!......a quest!!!....there fore I would like to stretch this tag beyond this post....as my quest has just begun. This Sadhana might not be very interesting to my readers ... but I would consider it a small inward journey which I wish to undertake!

As I close my eyes , relaxing my whole body.....drifting into the alpha beta and gamma waves .....silence speaks!!!....I pause at the number "7". Seven seems to be a very powerful number.....
the 7 scales of music ,
the 7 chakras or energy centers in our bodies
the 7 colors of the rainbow
the 7 days in a weeks
the 7 wonders of the world
the 7 seas
the 7 .....many more.......and here I should come up with 7 random facts about "myself"....

.........and here my quest begins......let me be patient with this "Sapta Sadhana!!!!!!!"

The Power of Now!

My five year old son always has an incessant energy when it comes to books! I had the notion that repetition results in boredom . But my son taught me that it was not so . He is never tired or bored when he has to read the same book again and again . The same buoyancy and curiosity reflects in his whole being each time he reads the book . I too experienced similar feelings when it came to reading the book , “The Power of Now “.



ECKHART TOLLE'S “The Power of Now “ is surely something more than a book . Its a treasure you can cherish your whole life time . I am very grateful to little light for having tagged me . According to this tag I'm supposed to write the 5th paragraph of page 123 of the latest book I'm reading .


This is not the first time I'm reading this book . Each time I read this book I was able to unveil new horizons .Even now as I'm glued to the computer typing about this favorite book of mine , I'm able to feel an inner silence and the ever glowing presence of Being radiating through me . I salute this great master Eckhart Tolle for having rendered this enlightening book to humanity .

“The Power of Now “ does not weave a story . Each of us can relate to this book , and reflect on our own story . I was so much touched by this book because I felt it resonated something which I already knew . Just keep your baggage of worries and anxieties aside , say no to your prejudices and judgments and read this book with your total being . You cannot read this book at a stretch . It compels you to reflect and contemplate after every few pages .It is an experience!

Now , the tag , the 5th paragraph of page 123..........

Love/hate Relationships

Unless and until you access the consciousness frequency of presence , all relationships , and particularly intimate relationships , are deeply flawed and ultimately dysfunctional . They may seem perfect for a while , such as when you are “ in love “ , but invariably that apparent perfection gets disrupted as arguments , conflicts , dissatisfaction , and emotional and even physical violence occur with increasing frequency . It seems that most “love relationships” become love/hate relationships before long . Love can then even turn to savage attack , feeling of hostility , or complete withdrawal of affection at the flick of a switch . This is considered normal . Th relationship then oscillates for a while , a few months or a few years , between the polarities of “love” and hate , and it gives you as much pleasure as it gives you pain . It is not uncommon for couples to become addicted to those cycles .Their drama makes them feel alive . When a balance between positive / negative polarities is lost and the negative , destructive cycles occur with increasing frequency and intensity, which tends to happen sooner or later , then it will not be long before the relationship collapses . It may appear that if you could only eliminate the negative or destructive cycles , then all would be well and the relationship would flower beautifully ---------- but alas , this is not possible . The polarities are mutually interdependent .You cannot have one with out the other. The positive already contains within itself the as yet unmanifested negative . Both are in fact different aspects of the same dysfunction. I am speaking here of what is commonly called romantic relationships ------ not of true love ,which has no opposite because it arises from beyond the mind .love as a continuous state is as yet very rare---- as rare as conscious human beings .Brief and elusive glimpses of love , however , are possible whenever there is a gap in the stream of mind .


I will feel blessed if I have been able to inspire at least one person to read the book and feel your Being and transform yourself .
Listen to this talk by the spiritual master author , Eckhart Tolle .






I am supposed to tag 5 people.... so I tag ,naveen , susan , maddy,keshi and diyadear .Take it up only if you would enjoy doing it .