Dare to Change : Learn a new Activity!!

Oh yes, I have let this series lie dormant for quite a while. I don't know why but I got extremely lazy. I have been meaning to write this post since quite long but was never in that frame of mind. Because, this particular activity is both physically and emotionally challenging for the body. 

I was ready for the physical but not emtional aspect of the post so we shall just skip it for now. Though, beware, I might write about that in the flow of the post :) Sometimes, when we bloggers write, we just forget what all we should put in words and write almost everything that comes to mind. 

In fact, only a few nights back, I actually realized that I was WRITING. I mean how different is writing articles from blog posts??? I had always thought I hate writing and here I am confounded with that revelation which was always there in the deep recesses of my mind. Ok, I am digressing.

Ufff...see how we get carried away :D Anyways, that is human nature. We get carried away doing something and discover something else in the process which we absolutely fall in love with. So, its a good thing to learn a new activity. 

It can be anything from the simple womanly accomplishments from the Victorian standards like knitting or stitching to the mannish activities of riding a bike (applies to both genders). You know many women have told me that riding a bike is a life-changing experience.

In fact, my professor always used to ask me if I knew knitting. Because, he used to draw analogies between knitting and programming. Well, yes, it sounds funny in the first hearing but its true that when you learn more and more things, you tend to see the patterns in everything.    

And, those very patterns are things which you apply whenever you face problems in any area. There are books written on this topic (problem solving). So, that's why you should learn new activities. It helps change perspectives, broaden the mind to various other aspects which you might have been blind to and look at things HOLISTICALLY, as my prof would say. 

Well, I guess in the end, the post really became about more of emotional than the physical advantages of learning the activity. Anyways, these reasons are also good enough. Btw, I want leave you all with a question - Do you think running and walking are similar activities? 

So, what do you think about learning a new thing everyday? And, don't forget to answer the question asked in the end :)

Previous Dare to Change challenges:

Use Stairs 

Get up 15 minutes early

Close laptop an hour before you go to bed 

Take out time for yourself

Chuck gadgets away while walking

5 Healthy Takeaways from "Perfect Digestion" by Deepak Chopra {Five Series}

Finally, I have also started reading some of the books which would be useful for the blog and me :) And, this one has scored high on my list. For a beginner health enthusiast, it can serve as one of the foundation books. It explains ayurveda in a simpler way than I could ever understand it till date. So, check out 5 new things I learned from the book.

One holistic system

Ayurveda treats our entire body as a single unit with each part having its own portion of intelligence as opposed to a machine controlled by a central engine. The nutrients from our food enhance the said intelligence. Ayurveda also believes that perfect digestion is the key to keep the body free of any disease.

Our thoughts, our imaginations, our feelings, desires and energies are as much "us" as are our fingernails, our blemishes and our digestive tracts.

Ayurvedic Doshas

Pitta characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Ayurveda understands a body as a part of three doshas - Vata, Kapha and Pitta. 

Vata - controls movement like breathing, blood circulation, food passing through the digestive tracts, nerve impulses sent to and received from the brain. 

Pitta - represents metabolism or digestion like processing food, air and water and facilitate proper intellectual functioning. 

Kapha - governs body structure, holds cells together and forms muscles, fat, bones and sinew, also governs digestive fluids int he body. 

Everyone has all 3 doshas in equal measures but some imbalances in the body may lead to one or other dosha dominating over the others in which case the said dosha must be pacified and balanced . Our body is in a harmonious state when all these three doshas are in perfect balance. 

Digestion is considered a heating process in Ayurveda which is why it is denoted by the agni or digestive fire. 

• Too high digestive fire means pitta dosha which leads to excessive appetite.

• Too low digestive fire means kapha dosha which leads to low energy and weight gain. 

• Too variable digestive fire means vata dosha which leads to extreme hunger or loss of appetite. 

• Perfect digestive fire in which all doshas are balanced. 

Kapha characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Small Intestine and Its Role

Small intestine is one the major organs where the maximum digestion and extraction of the intelligence from the foods happens. To keep it healthy,

• eat variety of foods everyday

• foods should not be over-cooked or raw

• foods must not be too hot or too cold  

That is why ice cold water is not a preferable option, as much you might crave it!!

Spice to eat to keep the digestive system in healthy order - black pepper, ginger and nutmeg.

Vata characteristics so do check out if they concur with your nature!

Ama and Ojas

When the body is in perfect harmonious state, it produces a biochemical called Ojas which represents the positive flow of energy in the body. It means the body is in complete harmony with the mind.

A complete opposite to this harmonious state is when the body feels sluggish. A sticky biochemical called Ama is produced in such a state. It can be due to improper lifestyle, improper diet or improper digestion.

Signs of ama production in the body - lethargy, feeling of  heaviness, weakness, weak immunity, fatigue, emotional instability, low energy levels.

Visible sign - white coating on the tongue which is also present throughout the digestive canals of the body. That is why tongue scraping should be done right after brushing your teeth.

How to eliminate Ama from the body?

• Eat in a settled and quiet atmosphere where there is no television or talking. 

• Rest quietly for a few minutes after a meal to begin the digestive process in a effortless way. 

• Always eat while sitting. it helps the body relax. 

• Do not eat while upset. Wait for a few minutes to stabilize your emotions and then start eating. 

• Do not overeat. Always eat only 3/4th of your total capacity. leave eating when you feel almost full and still feel light. 

• Always avoid cold drinks or foods. Cold freezes the digestive fires and may lead to creation of ama. 

• Always eat slowly. After a bite, chew and wait till you swallow it before taking another bite. 

• Do not eat till your preceding meal is digested. It takes 3-6 hours for the previous meal to digest so if you feel heavy but crave something to eat, snack on a fruit or any warm beverage. 

• Always eat fresh food. 

• Drink hot water throughout the day, as often as possible, to dissolve the ama in your body. 

sort of diet you should maintain according to your specific dosha

6 Ayurvedic Tastes

Ayurveda identifies 6 tastes in order of digestion - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. It is important to incorporate all these tastes in all our meals throughout the day. And, one should eat them in their order of digestion as specified.

For example, sweet should be eaten before anything sour which should be eaten before a salty dish which should precede a pungent one which should precede bitter and lastly, follow with an astringent. That is why dessert should be taken first and salad should be the last meal.

Have you read the book? Do you think digestion is the key element to our well-being? 

Related Posts:
5 ways to keep the surroundings clean
5 Veggies that help with Acne
5 Beauty mistakes you might be making too

How to deal with insecurities during Pregnancy? {Women Stuff}

So, today was a good day because I came to know that one of my friend has finally become pregnant. Now, there is a new insecurity in her. She is just 4 weeks along and the heartbeat of the baby has not yet been heard on ultrasound.

Apparently, the heart beat can be heard on an ultrasound at latest by 7 weeks. And, her doc said it would take 5 weeks. Ok, I have no idea why the doc said so and may be she is right and google is wrong!

Anyways, my friend is scared to death about it. She wants the heartbeat like right now! I told her that 5 weeks is too soon for it, probably. I am obviously not well-informed but everyone around said so.

The main issue here is that she is insecure. She has been trying for a baby seriously since like 9-10 months at max. Honestly, I do not think it is too long a time because one year is generally a give and take when you are trying to conceive and she was under hell lot of stress for the past few months.

Two months back there was a significant delay in her periods and she was almost expecting she is carrying. Unfortunately, the reports turned out to be negative.

Moreover, it has been four years to her marriage and everyone around is hankering her for a baby. You know how insensitive people can get, right? We tried our level best to make her feel comfortable but it is something she has to let go.

I think it is a very common thing to get insecure in such a situation. There are so many changes in the physiology that attending to the moods and hormonal changes themselves are too much, leave taking care of office issues and other things at home!

What do you think is the best thing to combat such irrational thoughts? Do they affect the baby? Or, will these things just settle with time and she will get used to it?

PS: I just found out that heart starts beating at 22 days but might not be audible on the ultrasound till 5-6 weeks. Heart Beat is the first viable sign of pregnancy. And, I am keeping my fingers crossed!

PS 2: The images have been taken from google and I do not claim any ownership.

Related Posts:

Are we the modern India?

Infertility and Emotional Health

Should you do exercise when menstruating?

Its Just Life Vol. 4 - Let us Uncomplicate!

So, if you have read my blogging goals for the current year, you would already know that professional blogging has made my life pretty complicated!! I have lost the focus on blogging by becoming a full time blogger. The focus had shifted to making the blog self-sustainable. And, reading a whole lot about it became just too much for me!

It was like being bombarded by do this and do that and this would not work and that would not work. You know internet is a pretty negative place if you really do not know what you want!

This entire exercise made me lose interest in writing! And, that was BAD. You should really be selective about what information you consume. Let's start!

1. Clear Your Mind

You really need to be selective about what you let sit in your mind. There is so much of everything happening around and you really can not help thinking about everything. So, chuck everything from your mind. 

If you have ever worked in any company, you would know that quite a lot of people prefer freshers. No, not because of lesser salary but because of lesser experience. A mind with a clean slate can be moulded in anyway you want. Where as a mind with certain principles of its own will never react the way you want it to. 

The same principle works here as well. The assumptions you make, the impressions on your mind, the thoughts you have, everything leaves your mind in a turmoil. And, when this gets too much, generally in the cases of a lot of emotional drama in your life, you tend to feel insane! 

A good step to avoid such situations is to clear your mind. Stay away from the things which disturb you. And, if that is not possible, create situations which help you stay away. 

For example, when staying at home became too much for me to bear, I started staying back longer in the office. I have always been a girl who loves to go home as early as possible but this step made my life simpler! 

This is just an example but you get the idea so work on it!

2. Work on your Body!

As important as it is to keep your mind calm, it is equally important to keep your body fit. More exercise means more endorphins which are happiness hormones. So, you stay happy, irrespective of the situations! And, it builds your confidence and self-esteem. So, yes, work out or take it gradually - go for a walk daily! 

3. Focus on what is important and discard everything else!

This is more or less a variant of #1. But, what I want to say here is that always prioritize what you want. Think of the larger picture, not of today but one year down the line then five years down the line and then about how you want your whole life to be. And, work towards that goal. 

Remove the negative thoughts which hamper your ability and productivity. Remove all the drama which involves you. Avoid situations or simply walk out. Do what you think is best!! But, make sure you are not travelling in two boats at the same time. That will make your life worse. So, have one goal and travel only in one boat towards that goal. 

For example, I want to build this blog. I did not want to work so I left my job. You bet everyday I listen so much from everyone and yes it is quite depressing sometimes. But, then, when I think about the blog, nothing else matters! Yes, there are other goals but my primary goal is blogging and I shall achieve other goals through this.

Watch out for every depressing thought. 

Few days back, I received an email from one of the reader's who asked me to write about emotional health. So, this is a trial from my side on the topic. I am trying to align the series to my moods so that it is easy for me to pen them down. Hope you like it!!

Now, I am feeling overwhelmed so let me just practice these three tips for the week and I shall get back to you with new ones sometime next week. And, do not forget to share what do you think of these new series? Looking forward to hearing from you!

Other posts you might have missed:
Blogging Series Vol. 19 - Blogging Goals for #2015!!
Just Gossip Vol. 25 - The Year 2013!
Its Just Life Vol. 3 - Not all things happen for the good!!