Buying a house for a couple

I tried to open the door with the key. It didn’t work. Daily I opened the door with the same key but today it was as low as me! Not in a mood to move further. I was feeling blue because my home loan was not sanctioned by the bank and my application was rejected on a baseless ground. And with this my dream to buy a house of my own came to an end. With disappointment, I rotated the key once more with a little force to tackle the rust inside. This time, I could open the door.

I put my bag on the table and sat on a sofa, turning the pages of a newly arrived magazine. Suddenly I saw an advertisement of a developer who had developed a very large society near Greater Gurgaon, a property spread over 105 acres in the lap of nature. The flats had all the modern amenities, plenty of greenery and natural calmness. The 1800 families were already living there. I lost my heart not to be in those lucky families. I felt suffocated inside the room.

For some fresh air, I moved towards the balcony of my house in which I was living from the past five years on rent. As I opened the door of balcony and steeped into it, I saw an Indian myna coming towards the balcony who changed its flight direction and sat at some distance on the windowsill of the toilet. I was observing its movements and it was observing mine movements. Surprisingly I came early today and it was not expecting me at this time in the balcony. It was holding a small dry leave in its beak. Oh My Ghosh! It is making nest somewhere in my balcony!!

Three months before I bought a wooden bird house and nailed in on the wall near the air conditioner. In all the hustle and bustle to buy a new house, I forgot about the bird house. Suddenly a tree pie came from nowhere and that bird lose hold of the leaf from its beak which it must have selected after rejecting scores of leaves. The leaf danced in a rhythm half because of wind and half because of gravity. It attacked the tree pie so rigorously that tree pie would never dare to come again in this area. A small bird shooing a large size bird confirmed me that Indian myna had made its nest. To take rest, it sat on the air conditioner box. My eyes moved towards the bird house. Another Indian myna was curiously peeping outside from the round opening of bird house.

Even if I didn’t get a house for my own but I was happy as I had given a house to a pair of birds who were busy in protecting and decorating it in their own style. This gave me immense happiness. Surely than buying a house for me!

Next book on Time Management?

"Wow you have written a book on meditation!" Mrs. 'L' said elatedly.
"Previous year my two books on Vastushastra were published." I told her.
"When did you get the time to write? Mrs. 'G' asked who was standing beside us.
Mrs. 'L' said light heartedly, "Her next book will be on Time Management!" 

Double cheating = Prize won!

In a function, the anchor asked all the members who were present in the hall to stand up. He asked those to sit down who were wearing leather shoes with buckles. Some guys sat down. He asked all the ladies wearing saree to sit down. Only one middle aged woman sat down. Next he said those who were holding a hand bag to raise their hands. I was in the group and holding a small red pouch in my hand. I was feeling sad that now I have to sit down. But he gave a twist in the game and asked to remain standing. I felt relieved that I was safe. He said that those who were wearing green color top to sit down. My top was mostly yellow in color but has a few wide stripes of green in it. He asked them to sit down. I remained standing as the main colour of my dress was yellow. I was happy as I was still standing. I would definitely get the prize. He gave one more twist to the game and asked that the persons who are sitting won a mug as a prize and those who are standing who nothing. Without wasting a second I sat down as I have green color WIDE stripes in my dress.

"Two negatives make a positive!." I thought. "And double cheating can make you win a mug as prize."

Launch of a smart phone

CEO of the 'X' company was on the stage to launch the new model of a smart phone. He hold the two phones from back side in both of his hands. Down the stage were the media persons who were clicking the photos and making videos of the new launch for good coverage. On the seats were sitting bloggers who were going to write about their experiences in this function and why they are interested in buying this mobile. The hall was big and full of people.

The lights were flashing on the stage for more photos and for better results in videos. One of a media person who was standing below the stage asked CEO to switch on the smart phone and show them. CEO clicked the button but it didn't start. He tried it four-five times but alas the result was the same. He handed over one phone to the person standing near by and again clicked the button twice or thrice. But the mobile was not in a mood to show its lights and colors.
"Atleast you should have learned it properly to switch on this new model before coming here." Someone screamed so loud that it was audible to all present in the hall.

Dear readers, this is my 650th post! :)

Wooden bird house for sale

I designed and painted this wooden house for small birds like Indian Robin, bulbul, house sparrow and humming birds. It is far far better than the metallic ones as in summer metallic ones absorb heat and can cause harm to the eggs and babies. The babies may die because of high inside temperature. Where as the wooden bird house protect them from the scorching heat and helps in maintaining the optimum temperature inside the bird house. The muddy look attract birds more.

Don't imprison them in cages but give them a house. Give them home and not prison! As the number of trees are less so where they will make nests? You can give them a small space in your balcony and garden where they can lay eggs and rear their babies till they fly. The chirping of the birds will make your morning more pleasing.

To attract more birds you can place water bowl, food grains and some other eatables in another bowl.
They will soon make a nest as it is nesting period for most of the birds.

(For purchasing this bird house please write an email to chandrikashubham@gmail.com)   

Creative Pottery!

In my balcony garden some pots need to be replaced so I decided to bring some new ones. I went to that market place where there were some good pottery shops. I was amazed to see the variety of designs they had! White fat hen and brown duck were new designs which I saw for the first time. Snail, frog, conch and tortoise were available in different colors. The rectangular and circular shaped pots were of different sizes, shapes and colors.

I liked these pottery animals and bought them. I put the plastic pots containing beautiful plants in them which fit in perfectly. Still a thought is pondering my mind which animals are these?

Ice cream only!

I took my plate and reviewed the tempting dishes displayed in a buffet. Alas! I was invited in a party on the day when I had fast. I could not even taste the yummy recipes and had to survive only on fruits, milk products and sweet besan products. I didn't take salty food on the fasting days. In party, there were no fruit platter. In sweets there were gulabjamuns and kheer. Both I couldn't take because they contained maida (refined wheat flour) and rice. The only option left with me was ice cream. But there was only ice in the huge bowl and no ice cream.
"Please bring the ice cream." I asked the waiter.
"It is coming in a few minutes." He replied.
I waited patiently. And there was no other option except to wait. The waiter put the bowl of ice cream. There was no ice cream scoop for serving rather a large spoon, may be to decrease ice cream consumption.  I took the serving spoon and fill it with ice cream from the bowl. The ice cream was so sticky that it didn't come out of the serving spoon even after applying little force three four times on the spoon. I applied more force and finally some of it drop on my plate. Wow! I got some! I was delighted like a child. I repeated this not so interesting phenomenon six times. I found a seat for myself and enjoyed the ice cream.
My belly was not filled. I decided to take more. I took my plate and went near the ice cream counter. A middle aged man was trying to get some ice cream out of it but he didn't. He wiped the ice cream from serving spoon with his finger. Oh God! If he was a non vegetarian and had eaten meat with his hands and didn't washed it. What should I do? 
I took the serving spoon filled it with ice cream and emptied it again on one side of bowl. Now I could use it for serving ice cream as I had cleaned it with ice cream. For the first time, I used ice cream as a utensil cleaner agent! I took some more ice cream by applying some little force again and again on the spoon till ice cream dropped on my plate. When I turned around to go to my seat eleven persons were eagerly waiting to hold that spoon from which ice cream did not come out without applying trick!     

Scary earthquake

"Yesterday, I was coloring a clown. Suddenly my table started shaking. I bent down but there was nobody. It was very scary. My granny told me earthquake was coming. We all have to take stairs and go down." Baby 'G' told the kid 'V'.
"So, you came out of the building?" He asked.
"Ya, What you were doing at that time?"
"I was in the toilet."
"Then what did you do?"
"What one does in the toilet?"
"I mean whether you took stairs and came out of the tower or remained in the toilet?"
"I was in the dilemma as what to do? Before I decided tremors ended."

Morning cuppa

Everyday, I take my morning cuppa in my balcony because I love to watch nature. The wind, sky, clouds, rain, trees, flowers, birds and sun are my best pals. I never get bored of with them. The spectacular view of the park in the society is eye catching, although from some height as my flat is on the third floor. It’s my daily routine to have my morning cuppa in the balcony to start my day with a celebration of life i.e. a date with the nature!

Experiencing the gentle wind on my face energises me, awakens me and relaxes my mind to the full. Fatigue, boredom, frustrations all evaporate as soon as the soothing breeze caresses my body. Creative thoughts and innovative ideas start hitting the mind as soon as it is delightfully relaxed with the beauty of environment. Not only it calms down my mind but also refreshes my soul. 

I take three deep breaths to inhale fresh oxygen which rejuvenates mind to such an extent that it is relaxed through out the day. I look up at the sky to enjoy the blue vastness or the ever changing shapes of clouds. Luckily, sometimes dark clouds pouring rain to nourish the mother Earth and cleanse the dirt suspended in between. Life is ever changing like the sky!

Stunned with the magical beauty, I view different shades of greenery from pale green to dark green in the park. The swinging tree branches depicts that they are too in a festive mood. Rainbow colour floral beds are the feast for my eyes. They bloom irrespective of thorns and hardships. The chirping of birds like Indian myna, Tree pie, Humming bird, Seven sisters, Parrot, Sun bird blends so well with the whispers of the wind in the trees. The birds too seem to enjoy life like a big occasion. Seeing them I can’t control myself and start singing songs to express how beautiful life is!

The orange ball slowly rising, glowing and becoming brighter giving me a warm hug and energising me to face all the difficulties with strength without being getting effected by them. The sun moves with its own grace while I drink not only the warm liquid in my mug but also that is pouring from the sky feeling warmth inside as well as outside.

A morning cuppa with nature is a blessing for the whole day! It is a soul uplifting experience.

Dear readers, you can also enjoy nature and life in Kolte Patil Developers projects. “#CelebrateLifeAtIvy by owning a dream home atIvy estate, an 85 acre estate with 34 acres of greenery and open spaces. Join the 1600 happy families already living here. Check out this walkthrough video and decide for yourself.” They feel that a good house is the best way to celebrate life every day.

Nine year old blogger

The most delightful experience in Indiblooger Meet at Gurgaon was to meet a young girl who blogs. She is only nine years old. She writes about her school experiences. In the pic above one can see her mother standing beside her. Her mother encourages her to write and blog about her life. Blogging at such a young age amazed me! I hope to you also! :)

Aditi Singh Sharma

I heard Aditi Singh Sharma live for the first time in Indiblogger Meet 2015 in Nautanki Mahal of Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon. She sang 'Suraj Dooba hai' from the movie 'Roy' which I liked the most. Her voice is amazing. Her costume is wonderful. The special effects made the event even more special.

Biggest IndiBlogger Meet 2015

I attended the biggest Indi blogger Meet at Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon. This is the group photo of all the Indibloggers present in this function. Can you recognize me? ;)

Cooked by my mother

"What do you like to eat?" I asked a kid.
"Paranthas." The kid replied.
"Which parantha? Aloo, gobhi, cheese, onion, peas??"
"Paranthas cooked by my mother." 

Kundalini Awakening

"What is Kundalini awakening?" One of my yoga student asked me.
"Kundalini is dormant spiritual energy that lies in every human being. It is described as a coiled serpent within us waiting to be awakened. It is awakened for union with God. Kundalini awakening results in deep meditation, bliss and enlightenment." I replied.
"I have heard that one's Kundalini awakens just before experiencing God and when one reaches the highest level? Is it true?"
"Kundalini awakening is the first step of spiritual journey which later on results in Samadhi."
"How does one come to know that one's Kundalini is awakened? I mean to say what are the symptoms of Kundalini awakening?"
"After Kundalini is awakened, one can feel the throbbing at the base of spine, involuntary body movements and choking in throat while meditating."
"Have you ever experienced any of these?"
"One of my student had a very unique experience just after practicing concentration exercises, pranayams and meditation for only three months - tears started flowing out of his eyes while meditating. What to say about seeing inner lights and hearing inner sounds!" I smiled like a child.

Magical warm water

From the past six months I was suffering from gastric problems. The pain was shifting sometimes around the navel, sometimes in lower left abdomen and sometimes above the navel on left side. The pain was not subsiding even after my regular control over my diet. I was taking light food like khichadi and porridge, fruits, buttermilk and curd. I took homeopathy medicines thrice a day. They too gave me temporary relief but as soon as I stopped taking those medicines the pain reappeared.

I decided to do some home remedies. I searched the net and found that drinking warm water can cure gastric problems. I drank warm water five six times in a day and found amazing relief. Pain and heaviness disappear. I had never thought of that my stomach ache would disappear with just a glass of warm water!

Sweater - Dil ki Deal

On a dark winter night it is so easy to get into the bed and it is too difficult to get out of the cozy bed on a foggy morning. Like everybody, I too consider it a tedious job. To be out of bed, going towards main door of my flat to open it, is like to climb Mount Everest without an oxygen mask! Invincible!!

“Ding Dong!”

My maid, Samoli was a live alarm clock. She daily rang the bell sharp at 5:30 a.m. without a minute delay. Her accuracy always surprised me, as she was illiterate and never wore a watch. I wrapped my self in several layers of woolens covering all my body parts except sleepy eyes.

“Ding Dong!”

“Coming!” I screamed with a bit of irritation in my voice.

She had become impatient and couldn’t wait till I protected myself to wrestle with the harsh weather. In a short period of time, she had belled twice; I would definitely scold her. I opened the door and was about to utter some bad words out of my mouth but controlled myself as she was standing in front of me without shawl, sweater, socks and shoes, wearing a plain sari and blouse! Seeing her gave the impression that weather outside the flat is of summer and inside is of winter. My anger evaporated.

“What happened? Why are you wearing such thin clothes as if it is summer season?” I inquired.

She explained, “Last night, when I was going back home it started raining which completely drenched me. I couldn’t dry my clothes as there was no electricity last night. My loving husband gave this to me.” She showed proudly her right hand with a woolen green glove on it.

Phew! A dil in vibrant crimson is patched on it to hide the raveled part. I asked, “He could have given you a shawl as well.”

“All his clothes were also drenched while returning home. Only a pair of gloves was left which was in his inner pocket. I can’t stand and talk as I am getting late for my work in next house.”

She hurriedly went into the kitchen and I in my room. I shuffled my wardrobe to search a suitable sweater for her. I couldn’t find an appropriate one which could give her proper warmth. In one corner of the shelf, I found the sweater knitted by my granny. It is white color with rose flowers patterned on it in a vertical row. My granny had given it to me with her blessings that whenever I would receive my degree of doctorate on that occasion I would wear it. I had kept it for years and yesterday was that day, special very special! But now, my maid needed this sweater more. I made up my mind to order a designer cardigan on Snapdeal at economical price. Its quick delivery would surely make me centre of attraction in the function! I gave my priceless treasure to my maid and asked her to wear it right now. She couldn’t utter a word but her moist eyes were saying more than that. After all it was ‘Dil ki Deal’!

Dear readers, I am participating in the #DilKiDealOnSnapdeal activity at BlogAdda in association with SnapDeal. Hope for the best that I win a prize for this post! J

Spinach recipes

"Most of the recipes you try out have the main ingredient - spinach; like spinach barfi, spinach makki roti, spinach dokla, spinach mor kali, spinach salad, spinach idli, spinach tikki, spinach guliyapas, spinach stuffed chilas, spinach bhujiya. Is spinach your favorite vegetable?" Mrs. 'L' asked.
"No, No, Not at all! Actually I always wish to be like Popeye - The Sailor who eat spinach to gain strength. I try out different recipes in a hope that one day I can also relish spinach like him." ;)

Old advertisement

Yesterday, on a sns I posted Rekha's photo and asked she is going advertisement of which product?
A guy answered - Earrings! :)
Can anyone guess which product is she advertising?

God gave us the BEST!

I am following Swami Tejomayananda on Facebook. He wrote these words which I felt so true. Therefore, sharing with you.
When I prayed and did not get what I wanted, I felt sad. But God gave me the best – better than I ever dreamt of. - Swami Tejomayananda

Most of the time we prayed for materialistic things and did not get them like the way we desired. Then we feel disappointed. Time flew and after some years we realized that what God did was the best for us. He could see the future more clearly then what we could and gave the better things and options than what we have ever imagined for us. How big is God's heart! 

Colors of sky

Whenever I have time I love to watch changing colors of sky. The sky with clouds is always more interesting to observe as it changes with just a blink of my eyes. It amazed me with the variation in patterns, designs, shapes and colors. Whenever I am feeling down, the sky's changing colors give free advice that however may be the worst circumstances they will change just like the sky. Nothing is permanent! Neither happiness nor sadness!!

My videos on Youtube

Now you can watch videos shot by me on Youtube. Right now I have uploaded two videos there.
One is about the bird and its babies and other is about my childhood sewing machine toy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a6uqrQ1ttY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8vZ76wUvWo
More are coming soon. :) You can now follow me on Youtube. :)

Need a dentist

Mrs. 'P' who has just moved from Mumbai to Gurgaon said, "I posted on a networking site that 'I am having sever pain in my teeth. Please tell me about a good dentist in Gurgaon.' That site was about to seek information about maid, driver, doctor, helper, carpenter, gardner, good eating places in Gurgaon. I got overwhelming response. And surprisingly, Gurgaonites told me about 32 different dentists."
"You should give each one a chance by getting checked your each tooth with a different dentist." I chuckled. 

True colors

As soon as one gets the chance to sit on a chair, one starts showing its true colours. ;)

Teesu Flowers

I clicked this pic of beautiful red flowers while my regular evening walk. These are teesu flowers which are used to prepare natural Holi colours. The tree grab one's attention as there are only flowers and no or very few leaves during these days. Eye catching flowers and birds feeding on them are very common site during the month of March. 

Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga means liberation through knowledge. Knowledge is truth. And Truth is that God is everywhere and in everything. He is in all beings and all beings are in him. There is no difference between the Self and God. One can practice this with the technique of self inquiry and by asking question ‘Who am I?’ The thoughts arise as soon as ‘I’ thought arise in mind. All the thoughts are based on ‘I’ which is the root of all thoughts. If the root is pulled out then the tree dies similarly if the root thought ‘I’ is uprooted all the thoughts vanishes. Hence, seek the root ‘I’ by questioning ‘Who am I?’. Find it and remove it. The question ‘Who am I?’ is like a stick to gather the scattered wood in the bon fire and in the last the stick will itself burn. It destroys all the other thoughts and finally kills itself also.

(Excerpt from 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online at amazon.in)

Obstacles in meditation

Obstacles appear in meditation somewhat like the obstacles appear while performing any other work. Whatever obstacle comes one must try one’s best to overcome it. One should never stop practice. One should not lose heart. Irregularity in practice, diet, laziness and drowsiness, useless conversation, negative emotions, ego, not finding Guru, lack of faith are some of the problems which a beginner experiences. One should keep moving further without getting distracted because of the obstacles. One should not be discouraged as the journey is very long and can’t be completed overnight.

(Excerpt from 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online at amazon.in)

Karam Yoga

Every action is spiritual, if it is done without any selfishness. If there is selfishness in doing a task then it is only ‘action’ and not ‘karam yoga’. Karam yoga can be practiced by detaching oneself with the fruits of actions. If the result is not upto one’s expectation then one should not get angry, irritated or unhappy. One has to forget oneself in doing the task assigned. One has to erase the factor ‘I’ from it and has to wipe out ‘I did that work’. This is what meditation means to be completely absorbed in work without thinking about the factor ‘I’. 

(Excerpt from 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online at amazon.in)

Shinni with a twist!

My friend told me the traditional recipe of shinni as mix raw flour, unboil milk, ripe bananas, grind sugar and chop fruits. I decided to give it a twist. I poured desi ghee in hot pan and roasted wheat flour in till aroma came and changed its colour to light brown. I mixed the ripe bananas and bura (grind sugar) in a separate bowl. Then added the cool wheat flour in it. Mixed them thoroughly. Added chopped apple, orange and grapes for taste and colour. The result was very delicious.
You must try it if you have a sweet tooth. 

Trick photography

These days it is very common that people click the photos with trick photography. Some try to touch the top tip of a tall building, some try to grab the sun like a ball and some try to push a tall building and some try to hold another person on the palm. The list is endless as our imagination! Here is one pic clicked by me with trick photography. Hope you all like it.

Red-whiskered bulbul

Bulbul is a very common bird in India. They are so friendly that a bird lover can feed them on his palms. Many years back, in our courtyard a bulbul used to come and sing. My mother named her 'Nayantara' and fed Marigold biscuits, its favorite on her palm to it. She sometimes gave it some bits of fruits while peeling them for the family. In fruits, it like pomegranate the most, may be that is the reason of her sweet voice.
The most common variety of bulbul seen in Northern India is red-vented bulbul. One can see them anywhere and everywhere. Many a times I have seen pic of red-whiskered bulbul in books and on net. For the first time I spotted it on top branch of a tree while walking on the path in Mughal Gardens, New Delhi. 

Bhakti Yoga

Bhakti Yoga is the easiest form of God realisation. It is a beautiful way to show love towards God. Bhakti means ‘to worship’ or ‘to be attached to God’. One cannot attain God through logic and reason but from pure faith and devotion. One yearns for God and God alone. In this form of love where there is no expectation. It purifies one’s heart. In sakam bhakti, one desires for materialistic gains and in nishkam bhakti, one desires of God and nothing in return from Him.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available online on at amazon.in) 

Acknowledgements of 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind'

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

To my utmost surprise, I completed this book from idea to print in only seven months. This book was my dream. There are many who helped me generously in converting this dream into reality. A big thank you to all those who supported me!

I wish to thank my Ma, Sarita Saini who taught me how to hold the pencil and to write the first alphabet ‘A’. She was always with me and guided me to overcome the obstacles whenever I stop in my path. My father, Madan Lal Saini gave me a break from business so that I can devote full time to it.

Kaushal Saini, my nanaji for telling me about the power of chanting mantra. Sumitra Saini, my naniji for telling me spiritual stories in my childhood days. That interest later developed into reading spiritual books.

Specially, Neelam Prabha who motivated me from the very first day to write, gave her genuine suggestions and constant feedback. Geeta Davar, who read and critically reviewed the manuscript making it more readable and insightful. I would thank Kiran Bhatia, for adding a tinge of bhakti by improving script in Devanagari. I extend my wishful thanks to my good friends Shrimi and Paulami. Their suggestions about incorporating anecdotes here and there colored my dream with rainbow hues. 

I extend my sincere appreciations to Sanjeev Saini for drawing illustrations and Rajeev Jain for publishing this manuscript.

Foreword to 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind'

FOREWORD

There are several ways one can attain God. Japa is one of the simplest of them. Japa is the repetition of the mantra, mystic formula. Japa is an important anga (limb) of yoga. Lord Sri Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad Gita “Yajnanam japa yajnosmi - among yajnas (religious practices) I am japa yajna.”

According to Swami Sivananda, “In kali yuga (dark age) the practice of japa alone can give eternal peace, bliss and immortality. Repetition of the mantra removes the dirt of the mind things such as lust, anger and greed. The mind, from which the impurities have been removed, acquires the capacity to reflect the highest spiritual truth. There is no yoga greater than japa yoga.” Japa yoga can give all siddhis (powers), bhakti (devotion) and mukti (freedom from the cycle of birth and death). Japa ultimately results in Samadhi, communion with the Lord. Japa must become a habit and must be performed with satvik (divine) bhava (feeling), purity, love and faith.

I understand Ms. Chandrika Shubham has practiced japa meditation for more than fifteen years. Consistent practice by the author herself makes this book important to read. I am sure readers will find this useful and interesting.

My best wishes on the occasion of release of the book ‘Japa Meditation – The Easiest Way to Calm Mind’. I wish all the success in this effort.

Mahendra Joshi

(Practicing Siddha Yoga from 30 years)

U.S.A.

Website - http://www.thekundaliniyoga.org

About the Author of 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind'

Chandrika Shubham is practicing Japa meditation from more than 15 years. She has learnt the art of meditation herself by Grace of God. She has felt the presence of God in the form of books, website, strangers, relatives and nature who has shown her the right path in the time of confusion and crisis. She considers Japa meditation to be the easiest and safest way to God realisation which any one can practice very easily and at any time. She is teaching Japa meditation from the past seven years. She explains the age old deep philosophical teachings in simple, crisp and humorous way. She tries to find out the simple solutions to complicated modern day life problems. She is the author of two books ‘Simple Vastu’ and ‘Saral Vastu’. She is an accomplished Vastushastra consultant and astrologer. Despite being a full time businesswoman, she makes time to teach Yoga in morning and evening. She loves to read, write and blog.

Cover page of 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind'

The cover page of 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind' looks like this. I want to thank Cdr Abhilash Tomy, Vivek S Patwardhan, Ajay Agarwal, Nitin Kumar, Devashish Saini and B K Chowla for praising my book so beautifully.
(This book is available at amazon.in)

The Mistress of Spices

After reading the novel 'The Mistress of Spices' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni I decided to watch movie as well. In most of the cases where movies are based on novels the novels are far better than the movie. Same is in this case. The main attraction of movie is Aishwarya Rai who looks very pretty in sarees. The rest is just fine in the movie.
The author has explained Indian spices and their power amazingly. The description, use and power of spices are well researched. The creative and poetic style of writer keeps me absorbed in novel throughout its length. I must read for those who are interested to know about Indian spices.

No change yet different!

When I visited the society where I used to live earlier near about four years back, my neighbors comments surprised me.
"You have changed so much." Mrs. 'S' said.
"Your face has changed but your laugh is same loud and pleasing to ears." Mrs. 'F' said.
"I will not be able to recognize you if I haven't seen your photo on Facebook." Mrs. 'X' said.
"You are looking very pretty." Mrs. 'K' said.
I thought, "My face haven't changed much though they are experiencing the difference just because of my hairstyle; earlier I used to make plait and now I left my hair loose."

A bunch of flowers

Dear readers these beautiful flowers of Amaltas are for you. I thankyou for reading my posts, liking them and commenting on them. While I was busy with the publishing of my book I missed and forget to tell you that I had written more than 600 posts on my blog. This is my 616th post. I write because dear readers, you are my inspiration, you are my motivation and you are my strength. You made me successful and popular. Thanks for being a part of my blog.

Review of 'Shattered Dreams'

 I have never read a book based on Lord Ram’s life so interesting! Ramayana – The Game of Life is written by Shubha Vilas. ‘Shattered Dreams’ is the second part of this series. The first part is ‘Rise of the Sun Prince’.

‘Shattered Dreams’ is based on Ayodhya Kand and Aranya Kand. It tells that the age old saga has immediate relevance to today’s modern day life. It has uncountable wisdom gems in it which the author discovers making it’s writings more interesting, simple and lucid. Some of the points which I like are as follows:-

1. Unity without loyalty to a common goal is like cement without water to seal bricks.
2. The simplest joys of nature cannot be replaced by the complex creations of man.
3. Clouds receive salty water from ocean and return sweet water as rain. A cow eats grass and returns sweet milk. A coconut tree drinks water and returns nectar. What one receives is a debt that can be absolved by paying through selfless service.
4. Desires are like waves in an ocean. If one hits the shores, rest assured, another is on its way. Spiritual practice transforms one from ceaseless ocean of desires to the still lake of self-satisfaction.
5. When your actions boomerang as reactions, rather than wondering who threw it at you, you should wonder when you threw it.
6. Just like a river does not differentiate between two banks, a pure mind does not differentiate between what is the self’s and what is not; like the river, it is so absorbed in others’ welfare that it finds no time for self-absorption.
7. When the aim of life changes from pleasing the ego to pleasing God, it changes from egocentric to god-centric.
8. A good leader prudently stops an overdose of anger from entering his system like a healthy man consciously avoids overeating.
9. Forgiveness is the fragrance that the sandalwood tree leaves on an axe that cuts it, the stone that grinds it and in the smoke that burns it.
10. One should focus on devotion to duty rather than hankering for appreciation of result.
11. Prayer is not about approaching God for temporary solutions but approaching Him with a permanent commitment.
12. Many have the fortune of knowing what is right, but few have the guts of doing what is right.
13. Lifestyle is not so much about habits as much as it is about mindsets. Imitating habits is easy, but emulating mindsets is difficult.
14. A hero is not one who tries to surpass others, but one who strives to solve the knots in others’ lives at the cost of personal sacrifices.

This book unravels practical facts that go with every age. It tells people to adopt Ramayana in their lives. The author himself is a spiritual seeker and a motivational speaker. He teaches to apply teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana and other dharmic traditions in dealing with modern day life situations.

Name in print

"Thanks for reading the manuscript of 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way To Calm The Mind'. Thanks a lot for suggesting humorous anecdotes here and there which makes it very interesting. As a gesture of thanks I added your name in 'Acknowledgements' of my book." I said and handed a copy of the book to Mrs. 'K'.
Flipping through the pages of book, she checked her name and said, "I am seeing my name in print for the second time. First time it was on my wedding card. I do not know why you gave my name in your book. But any ways Thanks, yaar!"

Japa Meditation is available online

Dear Readers,
You can buy my book 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way To Calm The Mind' at amazon.in. Grab ur copy now. 
http://www.amazon.in/Japa-Meditation-Easiest-Calm-Mind/dp/9385077163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424652245&sr=8-1&keywords=japa+meditation+chandrika+shubham

Release of my third book

Today my third book 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way To Calm The Mind' was released by Mr. Sanjeev Kataria, owner of S. K. Kataria and Sons and Mr. Madan, National Sales Head, S. Chand Group in Delhi World Book Fair 2015. On this occasion Dr. Rajeev Jain, owner of Vayu Publications and Dr. Devashish Saini, owner of Ross Clinics were also present. 

Invitation

Dear Readers,
You are cordially invited on the release of my book 'Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way To Calm The Mind' at Delhi World Book Fair on 20.2.15 (Friday) at 4:00 pm at Hall No. 14, Stall No. 7- 8, Near Gate No.7, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Come one come all!
Chandrika Shubham

Mantra

Mantra is a sound, a word or a phrase which is repeated again and again. It is a powerful sound or magic vibration which creates a significant change in attitude and mind set. It helps in focusing one’s energy. Mantra japa is an indirect way to calm mind. After one thought leaves mind and another thought enters, a mantra is slipped between that gap and slowly that gap is increased by increasing the number of mantra. As one experience deeper meditation all worries and doubts evaporate, mind becomes still and feels the oneness with God and experiences supreme peace. Mantra japa is a very powerful tool to enter Samadhi.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham)

Japa Meditation

Japa meditation involves focusing the mind on a certain mantra and shutting out the disturbing external stimuli. It involves the repetition of mantra which is either a single syllable or a magical group of mystic sounds. The repetition, concentration and devotion to a mantra can awaken its energy. A mantra contains the power to God realization. That power has to be grown by repetition, concentration and devotion. One day a middle aged lady told her husband that today I did only 250 grams of japa. She used to live in a village with her husband.  Her husband replied that he did half kilogram of japa. Actually, they used a rosary mala (string) to do japa. And on completion of one rosary (string) they put one grain of whole Bengal gram aside. At the end of the day they both weighed their total japa in terms of grams. They were innocent and innovated their own way of counting of rosary.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham. This book is available at amazon.in)

Selection of place, time and posture for meditation

Meditation happens naturally. As sleep when comes naturally, one falls into it. Similarly meditation comes by itself. While meditating the newcomers should follow certain points in selection of place, time and posture for quick results. Mental attitude, food habits and environment counts a lot. The beginners should select the room in the North – East direction of house and should meditate while facing North. Brahmmuhrata is the best time for concentrating. The spine, neck and head should be aligned straight in a line. Sukhasana, Padmasana, Vrikshasana, Shirashasana are good postures to calm mind. While meditating, one can focus upon various centres within the body. There are seven chakras in the body on which one can concentrate. Most of the spiritual aspirants concentrate on sixth chakra – the space between the eyebrows. The object of focus is visualized in the space between the eyebrows. Some aspirants focus on Fourth chakra – the space in the central channel in the spine between the lungs at heart.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham)

Relationship between mind and breathing

When mind is agitated because of anger or fear then breathing becomes shorter, shallower, fast and irregular. When mind is relaxed and calm then one breathes slowly. Mind and breathing are interrelated. If one of them is controlled then it will regulate the other automatically. For calming mind, a spiritual aspirant can practice bhastrika, kapalabhati, jalandhara bandha, uddiyana bandha, mula bandha, anuloma viloma, suryebedhe, chandrabedhe pranayamas. Pranayam has four steps poorak, antarkumbhak, rechak and bahir kumbhak which should be performed in 1:4:2:2 ratio.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham)

Make mind a good friend

Mind is attracted towards the glittering of materialistic world. Mind wants to seek more and more. It is never satisfied with the sensual pleasures from the external objects. Mind trapped in the pleasure seeking from sensual objects becomes one’s biggest enemy. Mind should be trained to withdraw from sensual objects. Non attachment to sense objects leads to liberation. Thus, one’s own mind becomes one’s friend. 

The best way to make mind a good friend is to forget. Forget the body. Forget the surrounding environment. Forget the family and relatives. Forget the worries. Forget the happiness. Forget everything except absolute the Truth, God or Brahmn. Forgetting is not easy therefore mind should be engaged all the time in God’s name or mantra. Remembering God will help to forget about the pleasures and pains of this materialistic world. On forgetting this world, one attains Supreme Bliss.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham)

How to concentrate mind?

Concentration is fixing of mind on one object or idea either outside or inside the body. Beginners should start concentrating on an image of deity, Om symbol or flame of a lamp etc. The image should be pleasing and should bring peace and joy to mind. It should neither create boredom nor excitement. Concentration is the first step of meditation and can work wonders.

Everybody has concentration power but its range may vary. One should strengthen mind’s capacity by various ways. A newcomer in the field of meditation must practice concentration exercises to focus the scattered rays of mind on a single point which leads to Self Realisation. There are various exercises using different techniques like focusing mind on sound, breathing, on visual image of deity or symbol. They all have one aim to concentrate mind. Tratak, category concentration, concentration on sound are some of the ways to focus it on one single point. Concentrating on breathing, concentration on sensations, observation of thoughts, emptying the mind, Hatha yoga and pranayama are various methods to control mind.

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham)

Meditation - A step by step process

Meditation is as essential for us as breathing, eating and sleeping. It is attained step by step. It is a matter, not of miracle, but of evolution, of growth. To master a language, a person learns alphabets first, then words, sentence formation, tense, modals etc. Mind can be focused without any effort while doing interesting things. Most of the persons find it difficult to concentrate mind on the tedious work. One can improve its power of focusing by concentrating the mind on one chore which one is doing presently. One can further strengthen the power of concentration through practice and patience. The increased focus power helps in clarifying ideas, making complex things simpler, removing confusion and enhancing efficiency and working capacity. With the result, one can accomplish more work in less time. 

(Excerpt from Japa Meditation - The Easiest Way to Calm the Mind by Chandrika Shubham)