Vive la senility !

We have a population of over 6.6 billion (Jul 08) when i read last and without underestimating our rate of growth which is @ 1.16% per annum (globally), we should some where around this figure and this likely to reach 9.8 billion by 2050 as per analysts. We can be sure that as always analysts would be completely off the mark and hence we can expect any number other than a 9-10 billion figure.

With significant advancement in medicine and especially genetics the mortality rate is likely go down and hence we are going to witness a scenario of "High fertility, High mortality" situation change to a "Low fertility, Low mortality" situation in the future. What this beholds is a planet of aged people where the industries like medical, artificial teeth makers, wheel chair manufacturers are going to be flourishing industries pipping industries like fashion, sports & insurance. Vive la senility!

When you know the trend how can you be away from that and was wondering how do i contribute for this and Yo! i remembered a simple secret give by a siddhar (a realized soul in tamil) to help us live for 120 years!....which i am sharing here.

"நாள் இரண்டு, வாரம் இரண்டு, மாதம் இரண்டு , வருடம் இரண்டு."
"Twice Daily, Twice Weekly, Twice Monthly , Twice Yearly"
thats sounds too simple to be a secret isnt?

The exact meaning goes like this....
1. Hit the potty twice a day. Morning between 5Am to 7AM once and once before sleeping / eating in the night. You can refer my earlier blog for the "body-time-nature triad". http://ragsgopalan.blogspot.com/2008/11/know-thy-body-live-by-nature.html
I think many of us would not disagree with this maxim but may not follow this.

2. Take oil bath twice a week. I cant stress the importance of this more and this is the most neglected aspect which can be easily followed. The ritual goes like this, Til oil (Gingelly oil) is to be applied all over the body including head and take bath (with shika powder) on wednesdays, saturdays morning before 8 AM. Females should follow this on tuesdays and Fridays. You are not supposed to take bath on other days and may lead to cold and cough including defienciency in eyesight if you take bath on sundays. This actually keeps you young, with a glowing skin, bright eyes and a well "oiled" machine. Try doing this and take a small nap in the afternoon and experience the levity in the body. This is generally not advised for people who have sinus or frequent cold attacks. The science (ayurveda) behind this as follows. Body is made of 3 doshas vata, pitta and kapha (google to read more about it). Diesease manifests when there is an imbalance. This activity controls the kapha (water) component in the body. Eyes are the seat for fire / sun and hence this is very good for eyes when you remove the excess water from eyes. Sunday is controlled by Sun god who is seated in eyes and hence you are not supposed to take bath on sunday. If you dont know what to do, visit a ayur clinic and tell them that u need a "Abhyanga Snanam" and be prepared to walk out paying Rs. 700/- to Rs.2500/- ($17 to $55). If you have a steam after massage and before bath, its heaven in earth! But land up in the right place. ;)

3. Have sex only twice a month!. The problem starts here isnt? Its twice a month only when we are absolutely sick or senile. I can hear you murmur whats the fun in living for 120 years without this. But this is the recommendation.

4. Purgate your stomach twice a year!... this is an absolute must. The root cause of most of the diseases, flatulence, obesity, high BP, bad mouth, stinking sweat is linked to not adhering to this. For people who eat outside regularly, non-vegetarians, alcoholics try this every 4 months.

Most of us follow this schedule with a twist, sex twice a day, crap twice a week and am not sure about bathing and purgation!.

Without commenting on point 3 which is too personal for the blog, I practice item 1, 2 (once a week) and 4. 4 helps me to maintain my weight too! But take advise from a ayurvedic doc before trying this. There is a tablet called "Abhyadi Modak" or a churnam called "Triphaladi churnam" (to be mixed with water and drunk early in the morning. I would recommend the tablet which is easy to manage.

While i dont intend to live for 120 years, but certainly want a "stink free" mouth and armpits with flexible body. Try this and check the improvement in flexibility for yourself!..... (beware! if you comment on my fitness in front of me, then this article is of no use to you, as you may go short on your life!)

For the world will have only 2 types of people, old people who are not fit and Old people who are as fit as they can! If you are alive try to be in the second category!

Longue vie à la sénilité.... (for if you dont live long there is no senility ! :)))

Happy reading!

Interesting linkage between Shaivism & Islam!

When i say "sutra" there are many blessed souls in this world who can immediately recollect (nothing other than) "kama sutra". If you have not heard about "Shiva Sutras" then you can google it or refer it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_Sutras.

According to Shiv Sutras, as Lord Shiva danced he spilled 14 sounds (considered to be primordial and also the basis of 14 sutras later composed by many sages). The forteen sounds are very difficult to reproduce here and hence am trying to upload a image with the sounds written in sanskrit.

Thanks to the website that gave me this pic. But the point i was trying to blog was this. The first letter among the fourteen is "अ" (which is "Aa" and this signifies origin / beginning) and the last among the fourteen is "हल" (which is "hal" and this signifies end). Hence between the origin and end lies everything and this combination of refering "अल" (Al) signifies everything / god.

And it is interesting to note that in Islam "Allah" is god or almighty. There are many forms of Shaivism and includes "Kashmiri Shaivism" which is little extreme form and also "Advaitic Shaivism", where the very concept of linga is to move away from Idol workship which has a name and form. Cresent and a star are shared by both Shaivism and Islam as symbols of god. Researches say that Islam could have been influenced by such sects and hence could be a off shoot!...

No one can say if there is a link or ever was, but the reference was interesting!

Happy reading.

Know thy body & live by nature!

"To be ignorant of one's ignorance is the malady of the ignorant."

All great saints who have done RCA (root cause analysis) on life's problems have unianimously Vlogged (Voice blogged) that ignorance is the root cause of all evils. We are actually wiser as long as we can convert our "unknown unknowns" into "Known unknowns".

There is nothing more known to us than our own body and when i read the following piece i was surprised how little we know actually about it.... and more importantly how we abuse them by living against the nature...

Now few questions.... if you can answer them then this article is not relevant to you...else read on!

1. Why can't asthma patients or anyone with breathing probs cant sleep between 3Am to 5Am?

2. If some one has chronic constipation then they should mostly be late risers. Do you know why?

3. Risk of heart attack is pretty high for people who do heavy work during noon...

Lets see what its all about....

Almost everyone would agree that our body is like a self regulating clock, it adheres to some periodicity (atleast with most of us), some rhythm and its self adjusting. But how many of us are aware that there 12 vital organs in our body which works at its peak for 2 hours a day. To lead a healthy life we need to understand the nature and live accordingly. This list goes like this:

1. 3 to 5 AM: Lungs - Good to do breathing exercise at this time. People with respiratory problems have problem sleeping at this time. Dont tell me you have not noticed this!

2. 5 to 7 AM: Large Intestine - Hit the potty in this window & take bath in cold water. Cures constipation and nervous disorders.

3. 7-9 AM: Stomach - Food should be taken at this hour. If you dont hit the potty before 7 AM and if you are hungry during this window there is a clear risk of "to be excreted stuff" being absorbed back into the body as toxin. Among other problems you can see some reference to eye defects due to this absorption. Interesting among the reference is in Kamba Ramayan, where Kambar says that most birds have good eye sight and especially SampAti (Jatayu's brother) who sees seetha is in Lanka (asoka vanam) and asks Hanuman to go there. Kambar says that they have good eyesight because of the urine and faeces are not mixing with blood since birds crap at will. "Some days you are the sparrow and some days statue" is an interesting philosophical quote i like which crossed my mind now :).

4. 9-11 AM: Spleen - Avoid eating, drinking in this window else you may feel sleepy & windy (farty - just adding this since i was not sure if you would get what windy means!). You will certianly feel lethargic.

5. 11 Am - 1 PM: Heart - Dont sleep and do any hard work during this hour. This is the favorite window for most house wives to hit the gym. Please avoid as this increases the risk of heart attacks. You may vaguely recollect that most heart attack victims would complain of uneasiness, stomach pain from noon though they may collapse much later.

6. 1 - 3 PM: Small Intestine - Lunch time and avoid sleeping.

7. 3-5 PM: Urinary Bladder - Back pain or hip pain may occur. Advisable to drink lots of fluids.

8. 5-7 PM: Kidneys - Renal failures or back pain are common during this time too.

9. 7-9 PM: Supper time

10. 9-11 PM: Avoid TV, reading etc. Time to wind up. Actually i am unable to find the organs controlling in this and previous window from my notes. Shall update once i get it.

11. 11Pm - 1AM: Gall Bladder

12. 1 - 3 AM: Liver

When investigations were non-intrusive and less advanced than what we have now, doctors generally ask a question as to what time do you see the disease / pain is manifesting and based on which they can deduce where the problem is.

If you are little more sensitive to your own body many would have noticed that getting up early and doing breathing exercise charges you up for the whole day and eating between 9AM & 11AM makes you lethargic, just that we would not be aware.

Even if you a character who loves to sleep like me, get up clear your stomach and then go back to sleep like i do. This may solve most of your health issues in the future and you would live long. Elders were not wrong in saying early to rise is healthy!, but i think by the time we realize what they told us is right we have son/ daughter old enough to think that we are wrong! I remember a nice siddar padal which tells you how to live long up to 120 years, which i shall blog later.

Have a nice weekend.

Happy reading!