Laugh More And Live More

Much before the medical science discovered it, Readers Digest came out with the prescription-Laughter is the Best Medicine. Newspapers and magazines which regularly run humor columns are, therefore, doing their bit to keep the readers in good health. Reading light articles, whether they be satirical, comical or just humorous, relieves the tedium of work-a-day world.

It is said that if you laugh for ten minutes you will be in better position to put with pain for two hours. According to US researchers, laughter tones up the system and is a good antidote to stress. Facial laugh muscles instruct the brain to feel ‘feel good’ regardless of how you feel.

According to a French doctor, laughter deepens breathing, improves blood circulation, speeds up the process of tissue healing and stabilizes many body functions. In short it acts as a powerful drug with no side effects. Researchers state that laughter stimulates production of beta-endorphins, natural pain killers in the body and improve digestion. Those who laugh are less prone to digestive disorders and ulcers.

Some people in France have made it a career. You can hire a person who cracks jokes and laughs and promises to make you dissolve your worries in helpless laughter. Even in India you can see in many parks during the morning and evening, classes go on laughter therapy.

Laughing with food in the mouth is dangerous as the foodstuff can get into the wind pipe and may choke the digestive system. Eating, anyway, is a serious business not to be trifled by any jocular diversion. Laughter comes best when it is free of encumbrances, whether it is constricting food or the need to humor the boss.

My Country Flowers

Be it the fragrant flowers or even wild flowers, all of them have been considered to be very important part of the Indian culture. Right from the history till date, one can trace back the uses of flowers in India. Ancient literature in India is replete with names of various flowers. Many mythologies also boast about the use of auspicious flower”Lotus”, which is today also considered as the National flower of India. The historical records prove the uses of various Indian flowers by the people for decoration themselves, the interiors or even as an inspiration for various arts and crafts. Let’s have a look into few of the flowers.

Lotus: It is sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial. Lotus symbolizes divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and enlightenment. It holds additional significance for Hindus, as it is a symbol of God and used often in religious practices.

Rose: Roses top the favorite list of many florists, gardeners and flower enthusiasts. Roses come in an assortment of colors like red, yellow, white, pink, etc. Roses are delicate and need much care in growing them for landscape gardening. Like most other plants, roses need exposure to sunlight. Roses are bred by crossing old garden roses with more modern roses to achieve the superb fragrance, delicacy and charm of the old-style blooms and wide color range.

Sunflower: Sunflower is a symbol of peace and it is so brilliant that when one looks at it he remembers peace and sharing is beautiful. Wherever the sunflowers grow there seems to be a golden glow in air. People cannot ignore such a magical sight. People chose the sunflower as a symbol of peace and new life for the entire world to recognize and understand the side effects of war. Sunflowers are tall and bright. Sunflower has variety of uses right from health benefits to food items. The leaves are food for the animals; its yellow petals can turn plain cloth into gold while its seeds are used for food by all living beings.

Marigold: Marigold flower color ranges from yellow and gold to orange, red and mahogany. Several striped, bi color and creamy white cultivators are available. Marigold leaves are finely cut and fern like. They are used for color massing, edging, borders, cut flowers and container plantings. Most varieties bloom early summer until hard coolness. Marigolds require full sun and grow best in well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter.

Jasmine: The majority of species grow as climbers on other plants or on structures. They are often strongly or sweetly scented. The leaves can either be evergreen or deciduous and are opposite in most species. The shape of leaf is simple, trifoliate or pinnate with up to nine leaflets. Some claim that the daily consumption of Jasmine tea is effective in preventing certain cancers. Many species also yield an essential oil which is used in the production perfumes.

Changing Gender Roles?

This is an era of women trying to shatter the glass ceilings and men attempting to cope with ‘over’ successful wives. But while the typical stereotypes may have diluted a bit, scratch the surface and we are where we were a decade ago.The attempts to change gender roles are rather superficial. People are more comfortable with the roles assigned to them. Society is against radical changes. People are secure in their traditional comfort zones.

The media projects the gradual shift in attitude. However, the pertinent question is – Are men really prepared to accept the ‘new’ woman? The answer is oft stated. They are ‘good friends’ with the successful career-woman but to tie the knot they seek a traditional woman who can cook and keep the mother- in- law happy.

Even woman prefer strong dominating men as against today’s ‘metro sexual male’. No woman wants man who is extra sensitive and cares more about the kitchen than his career graph. So, a woman who does not cook is still not deemed a homemaker and an overly emotional man is not considered man enough. A child even today is largely the woman’s responsibility and the man will still think twice before crying like a baby. May be it’s still not time for Parvati to move over.

What's Concentration?

‘To be able to concentrate for a considerable time is essential to difficult achievements’, wrote Bertrand Russell. Yet, the inability to focus our thoughts is a serious, disconcerting problem, for many of us. William James called it the quality that denoted a genius. Sir Isaac Newton often forgot to eat when trying to solve a problem. The magical facility is concentration and the irony is the fact that when we are concentrating, we are oblivious to the fact that we are. It is at this level that inhibitions melt away, pleasure in the task overrides our self-consciousness. The Buddhists call it ‘the loss of self’. The Latin root means ‘centered’.
Concentration is that fragile ability that disappears during an emotional turbulence. When we concentrate, there is an increase in the frequency of brain waves, palms begin to sweat and the heart beat becomes more variable, slowing down in moments just prior to concentration. People say to concentrate we must relax, but the truth is that the earlier stages are characterized by a slight level of anxiety.
There are various factors that affect concentration. An introvert may focus better than a great personality. Moreover concentration is at its peak between the ages of 12 and 40. The afternoon is a slow time for everyone. We work best from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Concentration spans are not endless. Ideally we need a five minutes break after thirty minutes of focused activity. Some people find it difficult to concentrate after a heavy meal as the digestive processes take over and the level of fat and sugar in the blood stream rises inducing lethargy. Hence balance is the key factor. The inability to concentrate is a symptom of depression. Seemingly unrelated factors such as loneliness, nervousness, perfectionism and worrying can short circuit concentration.
Learned and wise people feel that the strength to concentrate lies within us. This means we can reach our goals, solve problems, read difficult books, if we put aside outside considerations, not by force, but by accepting what is happening in our minds.

The Art of Letter Writing

There was a time when letter writing was considered an art. Much of History and Science is constructed from letters left by great men in the past. Today ,letter writing is a dying art for most of the people. No longer does one lie in wait for the postman because what he will bring most of the time is junk mail,bills and magazines.

Time has become such a precious commodity, and ordinary mail so slow that it is termed as 'snail-mail'! In the fast-paced age,even if one has the time to write long letter,the receiver has no time or patience to read it! In the 21st century where brevity and speed are of the utmost importance,letter writing with its rich descriptions are and narratives has been discarded in favor of the e-mail.

The telephone is an important means of communication today. Even telephones have become old. Modern trend is on cell phones. It's good to hear the voices of your loved ones. But somehow at that time one forgets all the things one would like to say and also ask. With the dying out of the art of letter writing,the art of expressing one's feelings and emotions is also dying out. While e-mail is a good way to keep in touch it is too brief and impersonal to explore the richness of the language. It cannot replace the thrill of receiving a letter,which you read,set aside and read again.