Sleep

SLEEP

In our family sleeping is also on a strict agenda. We don’t watch late night movies or go to parties. We go to bed as early as possible. We get up early and enjoy the early morning sunshine. Our friends laugh at us for going to bed early and they don’t phone us after ten. Somehow, as a mother of two children, taking care of the kids, the endless errands, exercise and the daily stress going to bed early makes me very healthy and cheerful. All of us get up before six in the morning and have a relaxed tea. Never hurry bury, rushing up, shouting, missing things etc in our house with my children, when they went to school. I feel very relaxed and fresh in the morning, when I go to bed early.

Is sleeping very important in our life? Yes it is very important. It is astonishing that 40% of adults do not get the sleep they need to function to their optimum potential. A lack of sleep is vital to our well-being and can have serious repercussions if neglected.

What is sleep? Sleep can be defined as a state of unconsciousness. During sleep,
the brain is more responsive to internal stimuli rather than external stimuli.

Why Do We Need Sleep?
For our health. Sleep plays a vital role in our daily regimen. As we sleep, our body is able to recharge and rejuvenate tired body organs and tissues while restoring the body to an alert state. This is also when your brain commits new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. For our waistlines. Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way your body processes and stores carbohydrates and by altering levels of hormones that control appetite.
For safety. If you do not get enough sleep, you are more likely to feel sleepy during the day. This sleepiness increases your risk of falls and mistakes such as traffic accidents and work errors.
For happiness. A lack of sleep can result in irritability, impatience, problems with concentration, and moodiness. Sleep loss can also make you too tired to do activities you enjoy.
For a healthy heart. Research has found a link between serious sleep disorders and hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
To stay strong. A lack of sleep weakens your immune system.

How much sleep is needed?

The amount of sleep an individual requires varies from person to person due the lifestyle and health issues. But as a basic rule of thumb, most adults require an average of eight hours of sleep. Children and teenagers, because they are still growing and developing require approximately nine to ten hours of sleep. So as you can see, sleep is essential to our health and well-being. Make sleeping important to you and schedule it if necessary. You will notice that with enough sleep, you will be happier, more at peace and have sharper mind to make it through your sometimes chaotic day.

I wish you a wonderful slumber and many happy dreams.

Old age

The word old has become a trendy word. My ten year nephew calls me "oldie", where Iam in my forties. When do people really become old? Do they become old by age, physically or mentally...this was the thought came to my mind when my nephew told me oldie.
My mother who is seventy plus and my in-laws who are in their eighties are still active physically and mentally. I can freely talk about anything, be it cinema or spiritual. I think they update themselves to this generation and accept the changes, which is happening now. They are seeing the third generation and they have the life long experiences and are able to enjoy their sons, daughters and grandchildren. All they have is unconditional love for them. They do not have responsibilities towards the grandchildren. So they are able to enjoy the naughty, trendy, modern thoughts from them. May be that is why younger generation is attached with the really oldies that is the seventies and eighties.
Things are different when we are in our forties. We have the responsibilities as parents. We see the social issues and we always try to correct our children and interfere in all the activities they involve themselves. We want them to be the best in everything and in return there is a tension between the generations which creates a friction and hence the gap.
What should we really do to understand this generation? Forget our age, our responsibilities get into their shoes and see the situation as they see and then you are welcomed by them. They share their problems, happiness and everything to the generation they think are "oldies".
Once we are accepted by this generation then there is no old age feeling...it goes on for the next generation also as we update ourselves!! In that case the number is not important. Only the mental and physical fitness is important.
Happy old age and young and vibrant physical and mental age!!

Love

Its all about love...Is love so important in life?

What is love? Even today why is the word love cannot be told loudly? Why when told loudly the person is tagged or looked different?

Without love, life has no poetry in it. Without love, the tree exists but never flowers. Without love, you cannot dance, you cannot feel grateful, and you cannot pray. Without love, temples are just ordinary houses; with love an ordinary house is transformed, transfigured into a temple. Without love you remain just possibilities- empty gestures; with love, for the first time you become substantial.

With love, for the first time, the soul arises in you.

Love means compassion, kindness, caring, affection, devotion, fondness, liking, a good feeling, passion etc. but when all these other words are told it does not hit the mind.
Do you want to be loved? When asked, yes, I want to be loved is the answer told by everyone. Everyone wants to love all the living creature in the world.
Everyone wishes to be loved. Only very few people wish to love.
God is love. The godly men in this world are the few, who wish to love. They just love everyone. They see God in each and everyone. That is the reason the godly men are loved by everyone.
Once you wish to love others, you are automatically loved by all. It's as simple as that. Love towards God is achieved by prayers.
A person, if happy is full of love. A person who loves unconditionally is happy. A sad person cannot love anybody. Happiness and love are well knitted. Only when you are in love the best in you rises to the surface.
What is love! The attachment or the affection or even the caring nature is all love. It is impossible to live without love.

Love is just sex, for some. It's a pity for those, who feel this way without experiencing the love for God, nature, country, the pets we have and all the other human beings. Now all we need is a selfless love and true love, a love which is in the deed of sacrifices and services. Only when the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know of peace.

Love you all and love all!!!

kesari

One of my favorite dish is kesari, which is made of suji rawa.
I teach this to any starter in cooking and they get the confidence in cooking. Not only confidence they develop the passion for cooking, since it comes out so well. Recently, when I visited my friend's house, her ten yer old daughter was talking to me and I taught her to make kesari. I met her after few days and she was happily saying that she is been called kesari queen in her family. Anybody comes home she immediately makes kesari and treats them. Somehow, there is happiness in treating our loved ones by preparing a dish ourselves and serving.

Let me tell the ingredients- one cup of rawa, half cup of ghee, two cups of water, one and a half cup of sugar, fried cashews and saffron for the colour. First of all in a non-stick pan add ghee and add the cashews fry. Simultaneously boil the water with the saffron in a pan. Add rawa to the ghee and roast it well. Now add the boiled water to the rawa and close the lid. Just two minutes the rawa is cooked. Now add the sugar and mix it well without forming lumps. With in the next two minutes the tasty rawa kesari is ready to eat!! enjoy and serve with love!!

surprise!!

Surprise! This is the word now everybody says! The younger generation is fond of surprises!! Celebrations, gifts, visits, parties are all surprises! This generation plans the wedding day and the birthday parties as surprises. Somehow, I don't like surprises....it may be a feel good factor for some, but sometimes it gives such a shock of life that I feel I don't want surprises in my life!!

My friends say that there is thrill in surprises and they all are very happy when they have a surprise parties!
Somehow, I enjoy what I want in life. The surprise gift may not be the one I want or enjoy. If it is of my choice there is more happiness. There is disappointment in surprises. The unwanted guests at the wrong time, saying surprise visit. It is very embarrassing.

When we plan to have a romantic wedding day evening and suddenly surprise guests!...no not at all, it spoils the game.

If someone is planning something for me let them ask what, how, and where I want to have my celebrations. My likes and dislikes should be known and then be done so that I thoroughly enjoy and remember those special moments for a long time.

Five years back I would have preferred some place to visit or the things I would like, but that changes in due course of time. Now my choice may be different.

I am becoming old! Or maybe I can’t get exited!! Still I would prefer things to happen my way!! Is this ego? Always wanting things to happen in my way? Still I would prefer a well planned organized celebration and surely not surprises!