Breathing rhythm of King Dasarath, Lord Rama & Ravana.. An analysis

Currently we follow the Gregorian calender and divided our day into hours, minutes and seconds. I was impressed with the ancient time system we had in India and been voraciously reading multiple books and articles on them. I was always fascinated by the inter connectivity of various disciplines in ancient India. 

This article would highlight some of my understanding on the linkages of Time, Space and even Prana movements. I am deducing the breathing rhythm of King Dasarath, Lord Rama and Ravana based on these principles and also proposing as to what  should be God's design in every Yuga - especially from a breathing rhythm and endowed life perspective. This may sound wacky to you. But i did not promise anything less in my blog spot. :)

Please note this analysis and deduction is from my kitchen and i have not read this anywhere yet. If you have any objections to this, I am open to receive your counter logic.

Lets get the basics first.

• Nazhigai (நாழிகை) in Tamil also known as Ghati in north India is actually 24 minutes.
• Vinaadi (விநாடி) is actually 1/60th of Nazhigai and hence it is 24 seconds.
• Nodi (நொடி) which is often mistaken as second is actually 1/60th of Vinaadi and hence it is 0.4 seconds.

So,

60 Nodi = 1 Vinaadi

60 Vinaadi = 1 Nazhigai

60 Nazhigai / Ghati = 1 day

Why is Nazhigai / Ghati the most important measurement in ancient India? Before we address this lets quickly look at some other interesting cross connections.

As per Indian scriptures, each individual is blessed with total number of breaths as his life period. This is approximately a billion breath package (10 power 9). You can read more about it here http://ragsgopalan.blogspot.in/2008/11/life-is-billion-breath-package.html

By design, we all have a budget of 21600 breaths a day. It is told that using your horoscope assuming the input details are right with respect time and day, the experienced astrologers can calculate your Pranic movement and its stoppage aka death using some formula. This aspect is not relevant for this article, yet it is highlighted here.

Now lets calculate how many Nazhigai is there in one year. Remember each year is 360 days and not 365.2425 days. I shall explain the reason later in a different blog as to why this is so.

1 day = 60 Ghati / Nazhigai

1 Year = 21600 Nazhigai.

Each year the earth revolves around the sun and one revolution makes 360 degrees. The same phenomenon is applicable in a day where the earth rotates around its axis.

Lets look at the day phenomenon first. Each day for one rotation covers 360 degrees in 24 hours. If we consider each breath as 1 degree, which is movement of Prana then 360 degrees is equal to 360 breaths. We complete 360 breaths in 24 minutes (24 hrs/60 and 21600/60) which is 1 Nazhigai. This means we can complete a full rotation of microcosm in about 24 minutes using our prana movement. Hence any japa or meditation done for a minimum 24 minutes if complete in itself. So, Nazhigai becomes the basic period / a fundamental building block for a complete microcosmic cycle.

Now lets look at how Breath, Space and time are integrated. 360 degrees which is a space measure is covered in 24 hours in a day and 360 days in a year.

360 Degrees = 24 hours

30 degrees = 2 hours (this is the duration of each Rasi / Zodiac in a day and covers 12 rasis in a day).

6 degrees = 1 Ghati / Nazhigai = 24 minutes.

1 degree = 4 minutes = 60 breaths.

And we have seen, 6 degrees = 1 Ghati = 360 breaths.

If you have got the depth of inter-connectivity between metrics you would be amazed. Let me try to emphasize this again. If i divide 1 day (24 hrs) by 60 it is 1 Nazhigai. If i divide 1 day (360 degrees) by 60 then it is 6 degrees and is 1 Nazhigai. So Nazhigai is a fundamental unit between time measurement in minutes / seconds / hours and space measurement in degrees.

On a yearly note:

360 degrees = 360 days

30 degrees = 30 days. This is duration of each rasi / zodiac and hence 12 zodiacs in a year of duration 30 days.

This also means Sun moves 1 day / day and covers 30 degrees per month and sun moves from one zodiac to another every month.

You may know that the Yugas are divided as:

1. Satya Yuga - 17,28,000 years

2. Treta Yuga - 12,96,000 years

3. Dwapara Yuga - 8,64,000 years

4. Kali Yuga - 4,32,000 years

All the four Yugas put together is 43,20,000 years which is a Maha yuga (this is 10 times the Kali Yuga).

Lets see the relation between Yuga and the number 21600. Keep it in mind that 21600 is the factor for number of breaths in a day and also number of Nazhigais / Ghatis in a year. The formula for linkages between Yuga and 21600 is as follows:

Satya Yuga = 21600 * 80

Treta Yuga = 21600*60

Dwapara Yuga = 21600*40

Kali Yuga = 21600*20

Maha Yuga = 21600*200

It is a well known fact through our Yogic scriptures that sages used to suspend their breathe during deep meditative stages. This means that it isn't a big deal to live for 43,200 years if we regulate our breath to 60 breaths a day. This means one breath per Ghati / Nazhigai (24 minutes). This can be quickly dismissed as mythological but lets look at some aspects of it.

Now lets work back and analyze the breathing patterns of historical characters.

It is told in Raghuvamsa by the great poet Kalidasa that 42 kings of Surya dynasty in which King Dasarath and Lord Rama came ruled for approximately 3 million years. This is Satya and Treta yuga put together - 3024000 years to be precise.

It is told that King Dasaratha (Lord Rama's father)  lived for 60000 years and this means his breathing rhythm was just 1.8 breaths per hour / as against our 900. Alternatively we take 4 seconds for a breath and King Dasarath did it one in 33.33 minutes.

It is told, Lord Rama lived for 11000 years and this means his breathing rhythm was averaging approximately 10 an hour. I am sure the rhythm shot up during the 14 years in forest. :). Alternatively we take 4 seconds for a breath and Lord Rama did it one in 6.11 minutes.

I want to pause for a minute and highlight some "very intelligent" Hindu species in the net who date Lord Rama's date of birth in somewhere around 5000 BC. They have done it using some stupid astrological software which itself is as half baked as the researchers. Lord Rama lived in Treta Yuga which is 8,80,000 years (864000 years of Dwapara Yuga and ~5000 years of Kali yuga which is past and Rama has lived for 11000 years hence it should be 880000 years) before for sure. I shall write about this later in a different blog, but it is probably sufficient to say I trash all such nonsense, which does not pass through scriptural validation.

Coming back, you can deduce that the rest of the 40 solar dynasty kings including Manu lived for 73825 years on an average. And they averaged one breath every 41 minutes. This is across Satya and Treta Yuga.

It is told that Demon King Ravana got a boon to live for 30 million days. This means he lived for 83333.33 years. Hence his boon enabled a breathing rhythm with an average of just 1.3 breaths per hour or one breath in every 46.3 minutes.

Now I am proposing my analysis as to how God's design is for the breathing rhythm and default / endowed age based on every Yuga. Again there is no basis or book where i read or heard this. Just take this for what it is worth. This rhythm is the ideal design for determining the age of the individual during that Yuga and is an average.

I want you to recollect that our breathing rhythm by design in Kali yuga is 4 seconds for 1 breath and hence we should live an endowed life of 120 years. (Each year of 360 days). You can convert it into current Gregorian calender of 365.2425 days/ year if you want. Below is my analysis for every Yuga.

Kali Yuga - 4 Seconds / Breath, 360 breaths / nazhigai and endowed life is 120 years.

Dwapara Yuga - 40 Seconds / Breath, 36 breaths / nazhigai and endowed life is 1200 years.

Treta Yuga - 400 seconds / breath, 3.6 breath / nazhigai and an endowed life of 12000 years.

Satya Yuga - 4000 seconds / breath, 0.36 breath / nazhigai and an endowed life of 120000 years.

Per Vedic scriptures, Jiva - our life is linked to Prana and some say that Prana is Jiva. But the correct interpretation as per my understanding is Jiva is the witness to the movements of Prana. Movement of Prana is called our worldly life and this leads to identification of ourselves to the gross body. 

If the movement of Prana is controlled through suitable techniques (Pranayama - btw, this is not the one that is taught in posh yoga studios now a days) then it is told that the Prana snaps its pseudo-identification with gross body, material world and realizes Jiva and its inseparability with Brahman. 

Irrespective of what our mental state is, the supreme order in the universe is well tied into mathematical formula and this universal rhythm is called as Seelam (சீலம்) in Tamil. Einstein argued for the same and very famously quipped that "God does not place dice".

In the next blog let me present the integrated time and space calculations we mastered since time immemorial. Anyone can reject these as mythological but can some one LOGICALLY refute the science of breath management proposed by Sage Patanjali and that is present in our Vedas?

If you find it difficult to assimilate the math in this article, then ignore it and hit your bed with the thought that our ancestors were smarter than us than we have been told in all our text books.

So, whats your breathing rhythm?

Happy reading!

Female hormonal issues & Indian tradition - Part 2

Part 1 here : http://ragsgopalan.blogspot.in/2012/03/female-hormonal-issues-indian-tradition.html

In Ayurveda and Siddha medicinal system the endocrine system is controlled by moon (Lord Chandra). It is interesting to note that the word "menstruation" is etymologically related to "moon". The terms "menstruation" and "menses" are derived from the Latin mensis (month), which in turn relates to the Greek mene(moon) and to the roots of the English words month and moon. So is the word “Lunatic”.

The allopathic medicine is dismissive of the view that the women’s menstrual cycle is related to moon or the lunar cycle. In India there is a specific horoscope system called Ruthu Jathagam. Ruthu is the act of a female attaining puberty called as menarche. Depending on the time, phase of moon and star at the time of Ruthu, a girl’s horoscope is drawn and the predictions of her married life, children etc are made.

The lunar cycle of 28 is typically split into phases of the moon – this is the most common knowledge about lunar cycle. But these 27 days are represented by 27 stars which are considered to be the wife of Lord Chandra. (28^th day is the beginning of the next cycle). This is not well known even in the western astrological circles. The menstrual cycle if it is regular without any hormonal abnormalities then the girl’s monthly cycle shall start every 28^th day and shall fall on day of the same star every month.

Since astrology is considered as a superstition by many of us we tend to ignore the relation between nature and human system. The above prediction system was working absolutely fine till few decades back and still there are people whose cycle is not affected and they naturally adhere to this simple rule.

But since the last few decades there are more instances of irregular cycles due to multiple reasons and it looks now we have entered an era where this irregularity is the norm and any studies typically conducted now would say that it could be a 20 to 35 day cycle - since the samples fall under this category or they may say that there is no linkage between lunar cycle and menstrual cycle based on some half baked studies.

One of the interesting predictions during the Kali Yuga is that the moon many leave the earth’s orbit and escape into the solar system in the future affecting the natural reproductive cycle in females. This is again highlighted to emphasis the relation between lunar and menstrual cycle.

Before we look at the simple tradition that Indian women had to nourish the endocrine system, let us look at the importance of the forehead region – the spot between the eyebrows - in the traditional Indian science.

·         In the Chakral system the point between the eyebrows is called as the Ajna Chakra. Ajna in Sanskrit and also in Tamil means Order. This spot not only controls all the glands but controls the entire human being from a physical, mental and spiritual plane. The forehead is the third eye which refers to the Pineal gland. Lord Shiva is depicted with 3 eyes and the third one lies in the forehead. Ajna chakra and the third eye not only form the doorway or passage to the entire psychological / mental body of the human being but it is also believed that they form the doorway to universal spiritual knowledge as per traditional wisdom.

·         In the Varma School of martial arts under the Siddha system this post is called as Thilartha Varmam. As per this system are 108 important points in the body which when hit would lead to death or severely incapacitate a person. Of this 108, 12 are called Padu Varmam, which when attacked would lead to death. Of this 12, Thilartha Varmam is the first and foremost Varmam. Thila means Til grain and here it refers to the size of the Til / raw rice / wheat grain. To locate this point, one goes one Til grain level below the meeting of the eyebrows – this is at the meeting point of the bridge of the nose and the eyebrows. The basics to all the modern martial arts schools come from this Siddha system only.

o   Sage Bhogar in his book Varma Sutram, states that this point is the most dangerous of all and a person if not treated within 90 minutes after being hit would die. He also explains how to resuscitate him which his irrelevant here. You may ask how this is related to endocrine system. For anything to move, presence of air / wind is very important else things don’t move. The endocrine glands are ductless glands within our system which means they don’t have any specific channels through which they move. Varma type of martial arts understands the important points which when attacked stops the movement of air within our body around that point. If this air knot is not released within specific time death may result.

·         Under the same school there is a separate branch called Nokku Varmam where in the opponent is either subdued or controlled by taking charge of his mind without touching him and by releasing energy just through our eyes. The primary spot through which one takes control of another person’s mind is through this Ajna Chakra and is extensively used in black magic and hypnotism. This is the basis of current day hypnotization and other mind control techniques.

·         The Tibetian lamas see through a person using this point and they also see the aura of others through this point. In the Vedantic spiritual system the Ajna Chakra spot is also called as Rudra Granthi – the knot of Rudra which when opened would enable you to access universal spiritual energy. I have given few of the above points to highlight the importance of the specific area in our forehead.

The simple tradition which women followed is the application of Vermillion / Kumkum / Bindi on the forehead which ensured hormonal balance in the body. This may sound bizarre but let us understand the benefits and the reason behind the benefits:

·         First it is important to understand how this vermillion or Kumkum is first made?

o   It is a mixture of turmeric and slaked lime / calcium hydroxide (Lime when mixed with water) in equal parts. Water or oil is added to increase the stickiness of the powder. The yellow color turmeric changes to brilliant red color on addition of slaked lime. You can imagine chewing green color beetle leaves with lime which becomes red in color as an anlaogy.

o   Sometimes instead of turmeric, saffron is used. In tamil it is always referred as “Manjal Kumkum” indicating that it is made of turmeric. They are not two different things.

o   The current day chemical preparation of Kumkum which lead to allergic reactions and many times high lead content are some of the key reasons why this practice is probably  discontinued and ladies opted for the sticker bindi.

·         Calcium Hydroxide & Turmeric:

o   Calcium Hydroxide contains Calcium 54.09%, Oxygen – 43.19%, Hydrogen is 2.72%.

o   When heated it loses water and becomes Calcium oxide. This is soluble in water. It also reacts with the surrounding air and absorbs carbon-di-oxide and forms calcium carbonate.

o   It is told by western researchers that water becomes calcified in the Pineal gland over time and this introduces ageing process and various diseases. Also those abnormal secretion levels of Melatonin are noticed in all the patients with psychological disabilities. Melatonin is the key hormone secreted by Pineal gland.

o   Since calcium hydroxide ensures an alkaline base and also its high reactivity with water, it is my theory that Calcium hydroxide keeps the Pineal gland decalcified and keeps it healthy. I have not come across in any studies yet.

Antibacterial, antiseptic benefits of turmeric are very well known. Recent researches show that Turmeric is effective in treating Alzheimer's disease, depression, multiple sclerosis etc. 

Essentially very small quantities of this turmeric and calcium hydroxide are absorbed by the human body for the effective functioning of the glands and hence for the regulation of the hormones. 

·         Why red color?

I strongly recommend a study of any natural healing course like Pranic or naturopathy which would highlight the importance of color therapy to our body to understand this section.

o   The Mooladhara chakra is associated with good health, prosperity, will power and physical power and the chakra is energized using red color. Mooladhara Chakra is connected to the Ajna Chakra and hence always red color is applied to the forehead as a daily tradition. When people go to war or for a long trip or when they come home as a welcome ceremony every time they apply a red thilak on your forehead. This adds significant energy and health to your body.

o   Some ladies apply black color bindi in their forehead which is suicidal if not anything. Black color is tamasic and when applied on the forehead its ill effects are shown on the overall health and wealth of an individual.

o   The sticker Bindi brings in plastic and artificial glue in contact with the Ajna Chakra. I leave it to the reader’s imagination as to what it brings to the wearer.

o   Also Mesha Rashi or the House of Aries is on the forehead as per Hindu Astrology and this is the first house in the zodiac. The Lord of Mesha is Mars and his color is red.

·         Thumb, Ring finger and principle of 5 elements:

o   According to the 5 elements principle the Ether controls the reproductive system in a human being. The position of ether in the body is the area between foreheads. Based on the Control Cycle (Vinaya Chakra) and the Support cycle (Alamba Chakra) of the 5 elements the relation between Earth and Ether is controlling type and that of between the Ether and Fire is of supporting type. Hence thumb which represents Fire or Earth which is represented by ring finger are the ones which should be used to apply tilak or Bindi on the forehead.

·         Social aspects of Vermillion:

o   Vermillion on the forehead and at the top of the forehead indicates that the female is married and it used to be an indicator for appropriate behavior.

o   I don’t want to talk about the benefits or demerits of it since there could be people who may question as to why a widow should be disallowed to wear Bindi. Or why the males did not have an equivalent custom to show that they are married? Both are valid questions and either a traditionalist or a social reformer would be better off to engage you in a debate. I am neither and hence would duck this.

To sum up it is agreed that the sum total of a female hormonal system which anchors the health and mood in a female is controlled by the glands in the forehead area. The traditional Indian wisdom highlights that nurturing this point with vermillion bestows many benefits which includes, good health, hormonal balance, spiritual growth, and defense against psychic attacks. I should also highlight the significant radiance, feminine beauty this adds to the female face.

A consequence of ignoring this tradition leads to poor hormonal balance, foul mood and certainly infertility issues since the cycle is erratic. I can refer you to some Siddha doctors and sites which have conclusively proved that the hormonal imbalance is rectified using vermillion with medical records. One such site here available in Tamil and I would recommend you to read all the 3 parts of the article.

http://www.machamuni.com/?p=175#comments

I agree that these results should be more empirical with data to substantiate the claims. The western medicine is slowly turning itself to the subtler aspects of body, nature and medicine and I am very sure that they would come back in the near future and substantiate this. Then the males will start wearing thongs - as a modified version of Indian Langkot as medical prescriptions and females would wear an expensive beauty paste or a designer patch in their forehead as a beauty tip and a fashion statement. I believe, this shall happen after the global corporations patent and commercialize our very graceful and scientific vermillion tradition.

Till then I don’t see any other option but to put up with the monthly foul mood cycle of our spouses and girl friends. J

Happy Reading!

Female hormonal issues & Indian tradition - Part 1

“Complicated” is one of the first adjectives that come to me when someone tells the word feminine. I believe that in the god’s scheme of evolution the zenith of complication and complexity is culminated in a female.

While we can discuss what constitutes the concept of feminism in some other blog but let’s focus on one of the key reasons behind irregular menstrual cycle - which is as complex as the female organism itself. In this blog we would see only one possible aspect of female infertility and here the attempt is to bridge the traditional Indian knowledge and custom we have with that of the current day issues on account of ignoring these customs.

It is a well established fact that the menstrual cycle is controlled by the endocrine system – which is made up of ductless glands and is also referred as the, “Hypothalamus – Pituitary – Adrenaline” axis.

You can read a great deal about this cycle and axis in the web. But I am producing just one cause effect diagram in the menstrual cycle just to highlight the complexity in the overall functioning of a female. The menstrual cycle is divided into 3 phases and the relations of hormones, sequence and the linkage between 3 phases are given below in a “Simple” diagram.

 Courtesy: Wiki

The modern science accepts that be it her reproductive cycle, her overall health, be it her mood, her metabolism, or her growth and development all are controlled by endocrine glands. While there are quite a number of glands all over our human body, the most important of them are in our forehead which plays both a controlling and an initiating role in the overall cycle. The diagram below produces specific glands and hormones in our head region. Most important of them are the Pineal, Hypothalamus, and Pituitary glands.

Courtesy: Wiki

The modern western medicine is still in the very nascent stages to understand, treat and effectively control hormonal disorders. This is because when there is a treatment for one disorder the medicine prescribed has some side effects which need an additional treatment. 

Since the very survival and quality of life of the male species is dependent on the female species and more specifically on the “mood” of his female companion it is important to know how to avoid hormone related erratic behavior. I agree with you all that there are other factors which results in wide mood swings which are beyond the comprehension of mankind. J. 

It is agreed that the stage of the reproductive cycle and the overall health, mood of a female are all interrelated. We know that the reproductive cycle is controlled by the endocrine system and the key glands are the ones which are located in our head. So the key question is how do we control these 3 important glands and make it behave in the way it has to? If this secret is known to the “mankind”, then it would be a great boon to married souls like me isn't? 

I am going to link this to the very unique tradition Indians had for ages and its importance from an Ayurvedic / Siddha medicine perspective and how this tradition not only helps a female to regulate her hormonal imbalances but also protect her from evil acts like black magic and also help her evolve spiritually. Before we get into the tradition itself, let’s look at some of the basics on these aspects from ancient Indian science.

Happy reading!

Male Infertility issue - To Brief or not? - Part 1

This is a very important topic for all of us, especially if you are male above 15 years old and more so for a female who is related to a male above 15 years in whichever way. This blog is all about emphasizing the importance of "Tear and wear" than the "Wear and tear". Can’t follow? Read on.

Before we get into the actual topic I want to take your concurrence on the following in a generic way.

• You would have read this in any bottle / packed item about the storage procedures (store at less than XX degrees) avoid direct sunlight etc. I suppose all of us agree that if any item is not stored as per the recommended procedure then it shall deteriorate / coagulate / expire earlier than its useful life.
• If the item has already expired / coagulated then its potency would be much lesser than expected from its healthy condition and in some cases if consumed / utilized it may produce undesirable results.

Assuming that all of you would concur to both the above statements let me ask you, there is an alarming rate of increase in infertility among men and women in our society. What do you think is the reason for this infertility? As you mull this question with some irrelevant answers like nutritional and life style issues, let me share the following with you. This blog is to discuss one of the most seemingly innocuous and so called unavoidable things we do in our daily life that is leading to infertility among males. I am going to discuss the female infertility issue possibly in the next blog.

Now let’s start with some statistics in India:

• According to International Institute of Population Sciences in 2010, It is estimated that out of around 250 million individuals estimated to be attempting parenthood at any given time, 13 to 19 million couples are likely to be infertile.
• The report said that in India, 13 percent of ever-married women aged 15-49 years were childless in 1981 (rural 13.4 percent and urban 11.3 percent) which increased to 16 percent in 2001 (rural 15.6 percent and urban 16.1 percent). Over half of married women aged 15-19 years were childless in 1981, which increased to 70 percent in 2001.
• Nearly 30 million couples in the country suffer from infertility, making the incidence rate 10 percent. Earlier childlessness in a couple used to be talked about in hushed tones, with the problem, without doubt, being attributed to the women. 
• What we need to remember is talking about infertility and attributing it to male in the family is still a taboo in the Indian family system. The extent of infertility that is unreported should be much higher so called the reported statistics.

Today, infertility is no longer recognized as only a female problem. In fact, the term infertility is a broad term, often loosely used. It actually refers to a range of disorders some of which affect the male, and some the female, and contribute to childlessness in a couple. There is also something called unexplained infertility, where doctors fail to come up with a medical explanation for the couple’s inability to conceive.

• Study reports suggested that male infertility is almost as high as female infertility. One in every five healthy young men between the age from 18 to 25 suffer from abnormal sperm count.

• In every 100 couples, 40 percent of the males suffer from infertility compared to 50 percent women. In the remaining 5 percent, the causes are common to both men and women.

Some common causes of infertility in men are irregular sperm production, hampered sperm delivery due to either erectile dysfunction or early ejaculation, presence of medical conditions such as obesity that may hamper sperm production, certain infections such as Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and lifestyle conditions such as diet imbalance, addiction to smoking or alcoholism, sedentary existence, or mental and emotional stress, all of which contribute to poor sperm count.

While the infertility clinics have cropped by 2 per street with advertisements in almost every page of the news paper, the actual reason for the alarming rate of rise in infertility is still not conclusively stated.

We cannot attribute this to just nutritional or disorder related issues and too without much statistical correlation. During my grandfather times giving birth to half a dozen children is normal. With poor medical facilities, malnutrition, unhygienic conditions etc, still 60 years back there were no biological issues with our grandfathers and grandmothers. They never needed any fertility clinics, no C section procedures and they could go on to build a populous India.

I agree that the mortality rate was high and the availability and awareness of contraceptive tools were non-existent. I am not going to discuss if a high rate of growth and hence a populous country is good or bad thing. But the point I was making is that they were healthy enough to have a good erection and potent enough to produce an offspring, as and when they wanted.

(Physics-cally speaking J) They could defy gravity at will and where has that trait gone to a large section of their descendents? Why is there a necessity for infertility clinics and herbal help lines in every nook and corner of India? This is not nutritional imbalance since we are eating more nutritious food today.

It is not due to diabetes or other disorders since infertility hits an individual far earlier than diabetes in most cases. The sperm count study suggests 20% of males between 18 and 25 have this problem. The IVF industry, in fact, reportedly has a year-on-year growth of 20 to 30 percent with around 40,000 IVF cycles done every year.

Then what is the issue? This is known but not talked very often due to various reasons but I am going to state it to the extend i understand this.

The infertility is growing in males primarily due to their dressing sense. The type of briefs and pants that we are wearing precisely to show our macho personality seems to be leading us to path of infertility. If you don’t agree please read on as I explain this.

Know thy nature! - Part 1 - Breath

I have compiled an eBook trying to capture the ancient secrets our breath, its management for good health and long life. Any one who is interested in knowing about our own nature, who is health conscious or interested in Indian culture / scriptures or yogic topics should find this book very informative.

The eBOOK can be read online or downloaded from the following locations:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingHearts

SCRIBD: http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/81245866?access_key=key-2olrlqeh99jg1eueojpd

DROP BOX: https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Know%20thy%20Nature%21%20-%20Part%201%20-%20Breath.pdf?w=72d8feaa

I have also embedded the book at the end of this blog. Alternatively you can write to me on my email ID - happynhandsome@gmail.com and i can email it to you. 

I have also uploaded the consolidated list of English and Tamil poems i have scribbled in the Facebook page given above.

Looking forward to your feedback and comments.

Happy Reading!

Know Thy Nature! - Part 1 - Breath

Breath Management - Know your breathing rhythm

Now look at the picture of Lord Shiva below depicting to be holding a staff as a support to his left hand. Not just Shiva any yogi doing meditation or not would always have his staff supporting his left hand and not right hand. Can you answer why?

This blog will briefly touch upon some of the basic concepts about our breath. Irrespective of whether we consider that breathing as an activity that we perform or we identify our very existence with breathing, it is important to know the basics behind this activity.

Before you start i would suggest you to read the following link if you have not read this before. http://ragsgopalan.blogspot.com/2008/11/life-is-billion-breath-package.html

The basis of this blog is our Indian Yoga / Siddha system. Some of the interesting aspects are given as points below:

• If you divide the human body vertically along the sternum it has 2 symmetric sides - right and left side. (have you recognized that most of the organs are symmetric along this meridian?) Right side is called as male, +ve, Yang, Surya, pingala, ravi and so on. Similarly left side of the body is called as female, -ve, yin, mathi, ida, chandra. These 2 aspects are bipolar yet non-dual in the sense one cannot exist without the other. The Yin-yang symbol, the Arthanareeswarar image and the star of David conveys this aspect only. This is known to many of us. 
• Out of the 72000 nadis / meridians in the body there are 3 nadis which is very important. Pingala, Ida and Sushmna. We breathe through our right side and the breath that comes through the right nostril is called pingala and left breath is called Ida. Its actually the name of the nadi and the breath is called Surya or Chandra. The objective of the article is not to talk about Sushmna but look at the rhythm we have between right and left nostril breathing.
• Most of us are not aware that our breath has a very rhythmic pattern unless it is disturbed by a physical activity or emotion and management of this rhythm has been linked to physical well being, mental health, wealth, long life, spirituality etc.
• This right and left breath alternates every 2 hours between the nostrils depending on the time of the day and day of the week and linked closely to the lunar cycle. This is the rhythm we need to be aware of.
• Lunar rhythm alters every 15 days as we know - new moon to full moon and vice versa. The period when the moon is growing / waxing / between new moon to full moon is called as Shukla in Indian calender. Shukla means white. Obviously the other 15 days is called as krishna which means black. 
• The 2 hours rhythm between right and left nostril based on the time of day and day of the week and lunar cycle is given in this chart below. This breathing rhythm is universal and we can check just by placing our back of the palms under the nose and breath little forcefully.

• Monday, Wednesday and Friday - between 4am to 6am the breathe is on the left side and it alternates for every 2 hours.
• Sunday, Tuesday and Saturday  - between 4am to 6am the breathe is on the right side and it alternates for every 2 hours.
• On Shukla / waxing Thursday, the breathe starts on the left side at 4am and on the krishna /waning thursday its on the right side. 

• You may not need the chart as it is very simple to find out which nostril is active. Please note that as per the yoga system only one nostril is active any time and not both.
• All our pranayams if you note would be to give symmetric breathing pattern and restore the imbalance if any. There are few special ones which i would address them below. The beauty about our system of knowledge is that we always saw a rhythm / order governing every aspect of nature and this was linked to the primordial rhythm.

Now lets see what is the use of knowing this rhythm:

• Right breathe characterizes solar power and hence physical energy, enthusiasm, drive, health, aggression, sexual potency and long life. Left breathe characterizes humility, truthfulness, creativity, spirituality, obedience, compassion etc.  
• Now if you know that every human being is endowed with ~ billion breath package and the concept of long life is based on how much breath you save and not waste. Yoga states that if you breathe through the right nostril more then the breath wastage is low and you would lead a long and healthy life. Alternatively when you breathe through your left nostril the breath wastage is more and they noted that it hampers long life and good health.

Now lets try to answer this question i asked at the start of this blog. When you want to breath for long and healthy life you should breathe through your right nostril. The easiest way to breathe through your right nostril is to close the left nostril or more easily press the left side of the body slightly. This can be done by leaning to the left even while sitting in a chair or by pressing the left hand on to a staff.

If you or your kids have a blockage of any nostril say right nostril is blocked, please turn to your left and sleep and you would  notice that the blockage is cleared within seconds and not minutes. There is no need for medication like saline and nasal drops. 


Lets look at some simple Dos and Dont's:

• If you are diseased (even headaches, running low on energy) you may want to note that you may be breathing through your left nostril and not right. Try switching the breathe over for a doctor-less, self administered relief.  Please note that this is not cure since the root cause is not addressed for a disease.
• Right side breathing increases the overall heat in the body and hence requires  some  bodily thermodynamics management. Its very important that you take the advice of a qualified yoga guru  / siddha doctor.
• All physical activities in worldly life should be performed when the right nostril is active. If you have poor appetite, feeling very cold because of weather try switching over to right nostril. A male's sexual attraction increases with right nostril breathing and the female's magnetism increases with her left nostril breathing.
• Right breath is conscious mind and left is about sub-conscious mind. Never do any   worldly activities when the breath flows equally through both the nostrils, this spells disaster. We notice most of the half baked gurus tell people to balance the breath in both nostrils through out the day. There are deeper aspects about this which are not discussed here.
• Equal breath through both nostrils or left nostril based breathing is recommended only for meditative purposes. Please note Brahmins who do pranayam during Sandyavandanam do only left nostril based breathing. This is a very special breathing technique. You may understand the reason now that if you want to meditate then your left nostril should be active.
• When you sleep in the night it is preferable to sleep turning to your left. I understand we don't have any control after we slept, but consciously training ourselves helps us with healthy life.
• You would have understood as to why it is healthy to sqaut and sit in padamasan on the floor and as to why sitting in a chair with one leg crossed is unhealthy.

Now these are just few basics listed here to invoke your interest into self learning and you should approach an expert and take guidance before you practice.

But the important points i wanted to drive is;

• Breath management is one of the fundamental concepts which we should be aware of but we are not.
• Our traditional way of life is very rich and offers secrets about us and the nature around us, lets be passionate to learn about them and be rational in accepting or rejecting them.
• Every being - living or non-living confirms to a rhythm and order. As a wise man said "  Mathematics is the language of gods". Lets always be conscious to learn and understand this rhythm and order. 

Happy reading!

PS; I would like to add that the transition of breath from one nostril to another is not a smooth cut and to my understanding there is an overlap for a specific period of time. Hence it is prudent to know the concept and apply it for our benefit than exact timing the  breath chart.  :)

Tongue Analysis - Part 4

Part 3 here...

In this part let me initially take a philosophical angle to the elements and then on some interesting aspects of our body.

a.    Elements and abstract qualities

Since the 5 elements form the bed rock of all matter in this world let us look at what they represent within us and also outside us.

·         Earth       – Stability, Perseverance and steadfastness.

·         Water     – Agent for change and also the carrier.

·         Fire         - Transformational agent. It’s considered as form without substance.

·         Air           - Air is existence without form and it is an agent for dynamism and movement.

·         Space     - It’s the field, source and represents the concept of distance for vibration.

As we become more and more sensitive to ourselves and the environment we start observing the primacy of the elements of nature within us. This is when our actual self discovery starts. All the elemental nature is stored within us as memories and they are as follows:

·         Earth memory is in the heart

·         Water memory is in the kidneys

·         Fire memory is in the intestines

·         Air memory is in the lungs

·         Ether memory is in the brain

b.       Life, Fire and Disease

·         As one wise man said, “The body is nothing but fire”. The extent to which Hinduism and some of the other religions pray Agni as god can be understood from the fact that if there is NO AGNI then there is NO LIFE. A balanced fire component in the body is the most important aspect for health and longevity.

·         Pitta is the container, Agni is the content. Pitta is gross and Agni is subtle. In the same measure there is a subtle component to Agni too. This is called “Tejas”. This is the illumed radiance around an individual which is a direct result of managing the fire component in the right way.

·         It is told that there are 40 different Agnis in our body. Mainly 13 of them (1 digestive fire, 5 in the liver – this converts food into 5 elements for the bodily tissues and 7 agnis in 7 bodily tissues).

·         When we exercise well a good Agni is maintained and hence digestion is good and so is health.

·         When Agni is imbalanced then food isn’t properly digested and results in a condition called AMA. This is an internal toxin and the initial stage of on setting of diseases in the body.

·         There are 3 things important to be noted:

o    When AMA accumulates it tends to putrefy and ferment within the intestines and spread throughout the body resulting in disease. That does not digest, ferments.

o    Now if I tell you that the first signs of AMA as it tends to accumulate is seen as a coating in the tongue accompanied with some lethargy and stiffness in the body, then would it not be possible for you to keep your tongue clean and lead an healthy life? The fact that this is so non-invasive, simple and yet very effective is what prompted me to share this blog.

o    Before we get to that if I state the popular reasons as to what causes Agni disorder then you would be surprised all the factors are absolutely part of our current day life style - Eating at inappropriate times, overeating especially having a large meal in the evening, eating junk devitalized food that is difficult to digest, excessive sleep, anger, grief, consumption of excessive fluids and frequent changes in dietary habits.

·         For any treatment to be effective the first step is to clear the body of its AMA (toxins). Traditional alternative therapies start with this step and this cures most of the diseases to a great extent. But the wise would try and avoid formation of this AMA.

·         Symptoms of having this AMA in the body are:

o    You wake up tired, feel lethargic and don’t feel hunger after long hours of eating.

o    General aches and pains, lacks mental clarity, heaviness in the abdomen, legs, heart burn and possibly gas bloating.

o    The most important of it is the coating in the tongue especially upon waking up in the morning.

·         Let us check some quick ways of busting AMA:

o    Eating freshly prepared, enzyme rich food (not frozen, microwaved and stale).

o    Have the largest meal as lunch, avoid meat consumption and fluid / water intake 30 minutes before meal and 30 minutes after meal.

o    Avoid taking bath 45 minutes before meal and 2.5 hours after meal.

o    Herbal teas, warm water, deep belly exercises do help.

In summary so far, we went through some of the basics, un-manifested connections between elements, tastes and health, importance of fire in maintaining health, AMA as the first stage of the disease and that the signs of every disease is first seen in the tongue as a coating. In the next section let us check out as to how to read the tongue.

Happy reading!