India is a land of contradictions. The new and ancient, the rich and poor and the beautiful and ugly are all tossed up together in a vibrant mix that sometimes makes you gasp in awe and sometimes cringe. After many years of living in Europe, I find myself viewing India with very different eyes when I…
When you hit the yoga mat, keep the Universe in mind.
For anyone serious about exploring yoga as a spiritual process, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is both an indispensable guidebook and an unparalleled repository of knowledge. In just 195 sutras or verses (each verse being usually a single line or couplet), Patanjali has said everything that can be said about yoga as a spiritual possibility. In fact,…
Growing up in a primarily vegetarian country like India, mealtimes right from my childhood days were a diverse affair – sometimes a grandparent would not eat processed rice, sometimes a friend would not eat any meat, sometimes my mother would only eat fruits, sometimes an aunt would not eat garlic or onion and sometimes an uncle would…
Here’s a challenge: at the end of the day, try and recall everything you ate that day, including that stray chip and biscuit. For most people, this requires some effort. Now here’s an even more difficult challenge: can you recall what your mind ate? That might seem like a strange question but just like your…
Some of the truest words in our day are “there’s an app for that”. I recently discovered how comprehensively true this statement was when I searched for the word ‘meditation’ in my app store. In an earlier article, I talked about how meditation is not something you can learn because it is a state of being…
You know you’ve been in Paris long enough when some or all of the following are true for you: 1. You mentally pronounce new words that you come across, in a French accent and this is a completely involuntary reflex; 2. You are addicted to bread and find it hard to have a meal without it; 3. You…
Ah Paris…The very word conjures up images of romantic walks by the Seine, magical views of the Eiffel tower, decadent designer wear and luxurious food and wine. As one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, there is no shortage of guide books and itineraries of every genre and flavour. But if you care…
The essence of spiritual teachings is to live in the present moment, to be in the ‘now’. But how can we apply that to the office, you may ask? Read on. The concept of mindfulness, usually described as a state of being conscious and aware of one’s environment, thoughts, actions and emotions, has been extensively studied in recent years,…
You’ve probably heard enough about the psychological attitudes to inculcate as you start out on the yogic path (you can check out the articles on yoga and meditation on this site for some pointers too). You’ve heard over and over that as you roll out the yoga mat, you should leave aside your worries and stress from the day,…
New to meditation and wondering what it’s really about? This article may help.
So, you’ve heard a lot about yoga and maybe even tried a class or two to see what all the fuss is about. But somewhere deep down, you don’t really think it is for you. Usual reasons include any or all of the following: I felt no burn, this yoga is clearly useless…or maybe better…
If you’re like me, then you know that two things are certain every year – taxes and at least one bad bout of the flu (which is basically your body paying taxes in a way). It usually creeps up when the weather is changing from cold to hot or vice versa. And it always creeps up…
After 3 years in Paris, one is generally expected to be dripping with the smugness that comes from being able to correctly pronounce ‘Champs Elysees’, to rattle off a dozen cheese names without a pause, to wear simple dark t-shirts costing a small fortune and if one has lived sincerely, to even smell of macarons…
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