உலக அளவில்... முதல்முறையாக... சூர்யா படத்திற்கு மட்டும்! ரெட் ட்ராகன் டிஜிட்டல் கேமரா

உலக அளவில்... முதல்முறையாக... சூர்யா படத்திற்கு மட்டும்!

உலக அளவில் முதல்முறையாக சூர்யா நடிக்கும் படத்திற்கு ரெட் ட்ராகன் டிஜிட்டல் கேமரா பயன்படுத்துக்கிறார் ஒளிப்பதிவாளர் சந்தோஷ் சிவன்.

சூர்யா - லிங்குசாமி இணையும் படத்தின் படப்பிடிப்பு எப்போது துவங்கும் என்று எதிர்பார்ப்பு நிலவி வந்தது. இந்த நிலையில், நவம்பர் 15-ம் தேதி முதல் படப்பிடிப்பு சென்னையில் துவங்கி உள்ளது.

சென்னை பிரசாத் ஸ்டுடியோவில் இந்தப் படத்திற்காக டெஸ்ட் ஷூட் நடைபெற்றுள்ளது. இந்தப் படத்திற்காக ஒளிப்பதிவாளர் சந்தோஷ் சிவன், ஹாலிவுட்டில் கூட இதுவரை பயன்படுத்தாத ரெட் ட்ராகன் டிஜிட்டல் கேமராவுடன், ஆன்ஜினியக்ஸ் லென்ஸ் வைத்து ஒளிப்பதிவு செய்திருக்கிறார்.

இவருக்குப் பிறகு ஹாலிவுட்டின் முன்னணி ஒளிப்பதிவாளர்களான ரிட்லி, ஸ்காட் உள்ளிட்டவர்கள் பயன்படுத்த இருக்கிறார்கள். இந்தப் புதிய முயற்சி பெரும் வரவேற்பைப் பெற்றிருக்கிறது.

'இந்த முயற்சி முதல்முறையாக சென்னையில் இருக்க வேண்டும் என்று தீர்மானித்து துவங்கி இருக்கிறேன்' என ஒளிப்பதிவாளர் சந்தோஷ் சிவன் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

இந்தப் படம் குறித்து இயக்குநர் லிங்குசாமி, 'எனக்கு சூர்யாவுடன் இணைந்து படம் பண்ண வேண்டும் என்பது நீண்ட நாள் ஆசை. 'வேட்டை' படத்திற்குப் பிறகு இந்தப் படத்தின் கதையை மிகவும் நிதானதமாகத் தயார் செய்திருக்கிறேன். தற்போது நிறைய இளைஞர்கள் வித்தியாசமான கதைகள் மூலமாக அசரடிக்கிறார்கள்.

அவர்களுடன் போட்டி போடும் வகையில் இந்தப் படத்தின் கதையை அமைத்திருக்கிறேன். படத்திற்கு இன்னும் தலைப்பு வைக்கவில்லை. ஒளிப்பதிவாளராக சந்தோஷ் சிவன், நாயகியாக சமந்தா, இசைக்கு யுவன், எடிட்டிங் ஆண்டனி என முன்னணி நபர்களை வைத்து படத்தினை உருவாக்க இருக்கிறேன்' என்று கூறியிருக்கிறார்.

'இந்தப் படத்தில் நடிப்பது சந்தோஷமாக இருக்கிறது. சின்ன வயதில் 'தளபதி' படத்தில் சந்தோஷ் சிவனின் ஒளிப்பதிவைப் பார்த்து வியந்திருக்கிறேன். தற்போது அவர் என்னுடைய படத்திற்கு உலக அளவில் இதுவரை யாருமே உபயோகிக்காத கேமரா மூலம் ஒளிப்பதிவு செய்வது சந்தோஷமாக இருக்கிறது' என்கிறார் சூர்யா.

அடுத்த வருடம் மே மாதம் இந்தப் படம் திரைக்கு வரும் என்று அறிவித்திருக்கிறார்கள்.

சீன நிறுவனம் 100 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமராவை உருவாக்கி சாதனை..!

100 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமராவை கண்டுபிடித்து சீன மின்னனுவியல் நிறுவனம் ஒன்று உலக சாதனையை நிகழ்த்தியுள்ளது. இந்த கேமராவால் வானியல் அளவீடுகளையும், இயற்கை பேரழிவுகளையும் தெளிவாக படம் எடுக்க முடியும். சர்வதேச அளவில் பல வழி போக்குவரத்து முறைகளை பாதுகாப்பானதாக மாற்றவும் இந்த கேமரா உதவும். சீன அரசின் அறிவியல் ஆய்வுகழகத்தின் கீழ் இயங்கும் ஒளிதரன் மின்னணு நிறுவனம் இதை உருவாக்கியுள்ளது.

கேமரா குறைவான எடையுடன் சுமார் 20 செ.மீ. அகலத்துடன் உள்ளது. மைனஸ் 20 டிகிரி முதல் 55 டிகிரி செல்சியஸ் வரையிலான வெப்ப நிலையிலும் இந்த கேமரா இயங்கும். மிகவும் நவீனமான ஒளிப்பதிவும், உயர்திறன் தகவல் சேமிப்பு திறனும் உள்ள இந்த கேமராவிற்கு IOE3 கான்பான் என்று பெயரிடப்பட்டது. வானியல் தொலைவு இயக்க ஆய்வில் இந்த கேமரா வெற்றிகரமாக சோதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதாக சீன அரசு தெரிவித்துள்ளது. 8 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னர் இதே நிறுவனம் 81 மெகாபிக்சல் கேமராவை உருவாக்கியது என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

பத்து நாட்களில் தொப்பை குறைய எளிய வழி!

தொப்பைஇரவில் அன்னாசிப் பழத்தைச் சிறுதுண்டுகளாக நறுக்கி நான்கு தேக்கரண்டி ஓமத்தைப் பொடி செய்து அதில் போட்டு நன்றாகக் கிளறவேண்டும்.

பிறகு ஒரு டம்ளர் தண்ணீர் ஊற்றி அடுப்பில் கொதிக்க விட வேண்டும்

பிறகு அதை இறுக்கி மூடி வைக்கவும்.

மறுநாள் காலையில் அதை நன்கு பிழிந்து சக்கையை நீக்கி விட்டு சாறை வெறும் வயிற்றில் குடிக்க வேண்டும்

தொடர்ந்து பத்து நாட்கள் இது போல் அன்னாசிப் பழத்தைத் தாயாரித்து குடித்து வந்தால் தொப்பை குறைந்து விடும்.

அருகம்புல் சாறெடுத்து தினமும் காலையில் வெறும் வயிற்றில் குடித்து வர தொப்பை குறையும்.

பாதாம் பவுடரை எடுத்து சிறிது தேன் கலந்து காலையில் சாப்பாட்டிற்கு பிறகு சாப்பிட்டு வந்தால் தொப்பை குறையும்.

கேரட்டுடன் தேன் சேர்த்து சாப்பிட்டு வந்தால் தேவையற்ற கொழுப்பு குறைந்து உடல் எடை குறையும்.

நெல்லிக்காயை கொட்டை நீக்கி சுத்தம் செய்து, சாறு எடுத்து அதனுடன் சிறிது இஞ்சிச்சாறு கலந்து தினமும் காலையில் குடித்து வந்தால் கொழுப்பு குறையும்

Elephant Rock, Heimaey, Iceland

TCM( transcranial magnetic stimulation) therapy for depression

In TCM ( transcranial magnetic stimulation) therapy, an electromagnet is applied to the left side of the forehead. This induces currents in neurons in the left prefrontal cortex--where brain imaging studies have shown a deficit in activity in depressed patients.

It is thought that this can induce activity and blood flow to this area, but also causes changes in areas deeper in the brain (responsible for mood regulation) to which neurons in the cortex connect. Side effects of TCM tend to be mild, especially compared to antidepressants, and the most common complaint is a mild headache, Simpson said.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 

A schematic showing how TMS stimulates the left prefrontal cortex, activating areas deeper in the brain. 

Neurostar

Raising Children As Good Hindus

Parents Are the First Gurus in Religion and Character Building

Many Hindu families visiting our Hawaii monastery, particularly those with young children, ask if I have any advice for them. I usually respond with one or two general suggestions. I always stress the importance of presenting Hinduism to their children in a practical way so that it influences each child’s life for the better. Hindu practices should, for example, help children get better grades in school and get along well with others. Of course, there is not enough time in a short session to present all the many guidelines that a parent would find useful. Therefore, I decided to write up a full complement of suggestions to be handed to Hindu families in the future who want to know ways to present Hinduism to their kids. You hold the results in your hands: the parent’s guidebook of minimum teachings to convey to children. It is based on the teachings of my satguru, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of HINDUISM TODAY, distilled from insights he gained from over 40 years of closely working with hundreds of families in a score of nations. This booklet presents a gridwork of character-building designed to augment any tradition or denomination. The key is this: start teaching early and don’t stop until your children leave the home. Even if you did nothing more than what is outlined in these 16 pages, that would be enough to send them on their way as good Hindus, well-equipped to live as happy, effective citizens of the modern world. - Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami

TEACH AND PRACTICE HINDUISM IN YOUR HOME

Take responsibility for being the primary teachers of Hinduism to your children.

It is wonderful that many temples have in place educational programs for the youth that are both effective and popular. However, it is important for parents to have the attitude that these programs supplement but do not replace the need for them to teach Hinduism to their children in the home. Parents are indeed the first guru. They teach in many different ways, such as by example, explanation, and giving advice and direction. The child’s deepest impressions come from what the parents do and say. Therefore, if the parents follow a systematic approach to teaching the child Hinduism as he or she grows up, Sanatana Dharma will be fully integrated into his or her life, making it less likely to be sidelined or abandoned in adult years.

Without your help, there is no guarantee that your children will follow their faith as adults.

Look around at the younger generation of Hindus and you will find many who have no interest whatsoever in practicing the Hindu religion. One hundred years ago, before movies, television and computers, in the cities and villages of India and Hindu communities in other countries, the Hindu temple was the most interesting place in town. Besides the festivals, there were dramas, dances and musical concerts. The temple was a social and educational center as well. In our modern world we do have movies, television and computers, and many Hindu children would much rather spend their free time enjoying them with their friends rather than being at the temple. Why is this? There are many reasons. Families are not so close and trusting. And it used to be far easier to get children to come to the temple, since it was the center of village life. Times are different, and today’s children often consider the temple boring compared to the all-pervasive and ever more compelling secular forms of entertainment that are available. So, parents are challenged more than ever to answer kids’ puzzling queries—as grandparents did not have to do—by giving sensible, pragmatic explanations to temple worship and Hinduism’s rich array of cultural and mystical practices. Kids today want answers that make sense to them. They are not at all content with “That’s the way we have always done it.” When parents are unable to meet this challenge, Hinduism does not become a meaningful and useful part of their children’s lives. Many youth today do not view the practice of their faith as important to making their life happier, more religious and more successful. This is the challenge every Hindu parent faces. But all is not lost. New generations are eager to hear the lofty truths, and those truths can be explained in ways that engage and inspire young seekers, counterbalancing the powerfully magnetic influences of the modern world.

Establish a shrine in the home.

Hinduism is in no way more dynamically strengthened in the lives of children and the family than by establishing a shrine in the home. The home shrine works best when it is an entire room. That way it can be strictly reserved for worship and meditation, unsullied by worldly talk or other activities. This is the ideal. However, when that is not possible, it should at least be a quiet corner of a room, and more than a simple shelf or closet.

Naturally, as important as having a shrine is worshiping there daily. In the shrine room offer fruit, flowers or food. Visit your shrine when leaving the home, and upon returning. Worship in heartfelt devotion, clearing the inner channels to God and the Gods, so their grace flows toward you and loved ones. Make the shrine a refuge for all family members, where they can find peace and solace, where they can connect with the Gods and offer their praise, prayers and practical needs. Train your children to worship in the shrine before any important event in life, such as a major exam at school, or when faced with a personal challenge or problem. Following this simple, traditional practice in a sacred space within the home will do much to make Hinduism relevant to them on a day-to-day basis.

Worship together in the home shrine each morning.

A popular saying in English is “The family that prays together stays together.” In Hinduism, ideally this refers to all members of the family participating in the morning worship in the home shrine before breakfast. The children can be trained to always bring an offering of a flower or at least a leaf. The exact routine followed depends on the family’s religious background and lineage. Typical practices include a simple arati or a longer puja, singing devotional songs, repeating a mantra, reading scripture and then meditating or performing simple sadhanas and yogas. As the children get older, they can take on greater responsibilities during the morning worship. A number of Hindus have told us that what kept them a staunch, practicing Hindu, despite exposure in their youth to other religious traditions, at school and elsewhere, was the fact that the entire family practiced Hinduism together in the home.

Worship together as a family at a local temple once a week.

Attending a puja at the temple every week allows us to experience the blessings of God and the Gods on a regular basis. This helps keep us pure as well as strong in our religious commitments. The religious vibration of the home shrine is also strengthened by going to the temple regularly. Specifically, some of the religious atmosphere of the temple can be brought home with you if you simply light an oil lamp in your shrine room when you return from the temple. This sacred act brings devas who were at the temple right into the home shrine room, where from the inner world they can bless all family members and strengthen the religious force field of the home.

TEACH ABOUT THE SOUL AND OUR PURPOSE ON EARTH

Teach that life’s purpose is spiritual advancement.

The Hindu view of life is that we are a divine being, a soul, who experiences many lives on Earth, and that the purpose of our being here is spiritual unfoldment. Over a period of many lives we gradually become a more spiritual being and are thus able to experience spiritual consciousness more deeply. This eventually leads to a profound experience of God consciousness which brings to a conclusion our pattern of reincarnation on Earth. This is called moksha, liberation. A great lady saint of North India, Anandamayi Ma, stated the goal of God Realization quite beautifully: “Man is a human being only so much as he aspires to Self Realization. This is what human birth is meant for. To realize the One is the supreme duty of every human being.”

Teach the four traditional goals of life.

The four traditional Hindu goals of life are duty (dharma), wealth (artha), love (kama) and liberation (moksha). The Hindu has the same ambitions as do others. He or she wants to experience love, family and children, as well as a profession, wealth and respect. Dharma enjoins the Hindu to fulfill these ambitions in an honest, virtuous, dutiful way. Although dharma, artha and kama are often seen as ends in themselves, their greatest value is in providing the environment and experiences which help the embodied soul mature over many lives into an ever deepening God consciousness–culminating in moksha, the fourth and final goal: liberation from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

Teach that, among humans, there are young souls and old souls.

Each soul is emanated from God, as a spark from a fire, and thus begins a spiritual journey which eventually leads it back to God. All human beings are on this journey, whether they realize it or not; and, of course, the journey spans many lives. One might ask, if all are on the same journey, why then is there such a disparity among men? Clearly some act like saints and others act like sinners. Some take delight in helping their fellow man while others delight in harming him. The Hindu explanation is that each of us started the journey at a different time, and thus some are young souls, at the beginning of the spiritual path, while others are old souls, near the end. Our paramaguru, Jnanaguru Siva Yogaswami, in speaking to his devotees, described life as a school, with some in the M.A. class and others in kindergarten. Knowing the differences in spiritual maturity, he gave to each accordingly. Hindus do not condemn some men as evil and extol others as good but rather see all as divine beings, some young, some old and some in the intermediary stages. If children are taught this central Hindu principle, they will be able to understand and accept the otherwise confoundingly wide range of differences among people as part of God’s cosmic plan of spiritual evolution.

Teach about man’s threefold nature.

Man’s nature can be described as three-fold: spiritual, intellectual and instinctive. One or more of these aspects predominate uniquely in each of us according to our maturity and evolution. The spiritual nature is the pure, superconscious, intuitive mind of the soul. The intellect is the thinking, reasoning nature. The instinctive aspect of our being is the animal-like nature which governs the physical body and brings forth strong desires and lower emotions such as anger, jealousy and fear. The goal is to learn to control these animal instincts as well as the ramifications of the intellect and the pride of the ego and to manifest one’s spiritual nature.

It is the instinctive nature in man that contains the tendencies to harm others, disregard the prudent laws of society and stir up negativity within the home, the nation and beyond. Those who are expressing such tendencies are young souls who have yet to learn why and how to harness the instinctive forces. It may take such a person many lives to rise to a higher consciousness and live in his spiritual nature. Thus the Hindu approach to such a man, which children can be taught from an early age, is not to label him as evil, but rather to focus on restraining his hurtfulness and helping him learn to control these instincts and improve his behavior.

Gurudeva describes this in an insightful way: “People act in evil ways who are not yet in touch with their soul nature and live totally in the outer, instinctive mind. What the ignorant see as evil, the enlightened see as the actions of low-minded and immature individuals.”Instill in your children a pride in Hinduism based upon its wise precepts for living.

Since the middle of the twentieth century, Hindu teachings have become more widely understood throughout the world. As a result, cardinal aspects of the Hindu approach to living have been taken up by many thoughtful individuals of diverse religions and ethnicities far beyond India. This is because they find them to be wise and effective ways of living. Hindu precepts that are being universally adopted in the 21st century include:

❖ Following a vegetarian diet

❖ A reverence toward and desire to protect the environment

❖ Solving conflicts through nonviolent means

❖ Tolerance towards others

❖ Teaching that the whole world is one family

❖ The belief in karma as a system of divine justice

❖ The belief in reincarnation

❖ The practice of bhakti yoga and meditation

❖ Seeking to personally experience Divinity

Teach your children how the unique wisdom of their born faith, especially in the principles listed above, is being more appreciated and adopted by spiritual seekers than ever before. Swami Chinmayananda, in his first public talk in 1951, made a powerful statement about the effectiveness of Hinduism: “The true Hinduism is a science of perfection. There is, in this true Hinduism, a solution to every individual, social, national and international problem. True Hinduism is the Sanatana Dharma of the Upanishads.” Children whose peers do not value Hinduism will take heart in Swami’s pride-instilling words.

The traditional Hindu vegetarian diet has many benefits, both personal and planetary.

More and more individuals are switching from the meat-eating diet of their parents to a vegetarian diet as a matter of conscience based upon their personal realization of the suffering that animals undergo when they are fettered and slaughtered. This is, of course, also the Hindu rationale for a vegetarian diet. It is based on the virtue of ahimsa: refraining from injuring, physically mentally or emotionally, anyone or any living creature. The Hindu who wishes to strictly follow the path of noninjury naturally adopts a vegetarian diet. A common saying that conveys this principle to even the smallest child is, “I won’t eat anything that has eyes, unless it’s a potato.”

A second rationale for vegetarianism has to do with our state of consciousness. When we eat meat, fish, fowl and eggs, we absorb the vibration of these instinctive creatures into our nerve system. This chemically alters our consciousness and amplifies our own instinctive nature, which is the part of us prone to fear, anger, jealousy, confusion, resentment and the like. Therefore, being vegetarian is a great help in attaining and maintaining a spiritual state of consciousness, and some individuals take up vegetarianism for this reason alone.

A third rationale for vegetarianism is that it uses the planet’s natural resources in a much wiser way. In large measure, the escalating loss of species, destruction of ancient rain forests to create pasture lands for livestock, loss of topsoil and the consequent increase of water impurities and air pollution have all been traced to the single fact of meat in the human diet. No one decision that we can make as individuals or as a race can have such a dramatic effect on the improvement of our planetary ecology as the decision to not eat meat. Many seeking to save the planet for future generations have become vegetarians for this reason.

By teaching the value of a vegetarian diet to our youth, we protect their health, lengthen their lives, elevate their consciousness and preserve the Earth that is their home.

Hindus hold a deep reverence toward planet Earth and toward all living beings that dwell on it.

Many thoughtful people share the Hindu view that it is not right for man to kill or harm animals for food or sport. They believe that animals have a right to enjoy living on this planet as much as humans do. There is a Vedic verse in this regard that says: “Ahimsa is not causing pain to any living being at any time through the actions of one’s mind, speech or body.” Another Vedic verse states, “You must not use your God-given body for killing God’s creatures, whether they are human, animal or whatever.”

Hindus regard all living creatures as sacred—mammals, fishes, birds and more. They are stewards of trees and plants, fish and birds, bees and reptiles, animals and creatures of every shape and kind. We acknowledge this reverence for life in our special affection for the cow. Mahatma Gandhi once said about the cow, “One can measure the greatness of a nation and its moral progress by the way it treats its animals. Cow protection to me is not mere protection of the cow. It means protection of all that lives and is helpless and weak in the world. The cow means the entire subhuman world.”

Many individuals are concerned about our environment and properly preserving it for future generations. Hindus share this concern and honor and revere the world around them as God’s creation. They work for the protection of the Earth’s diversity and resources to achieve the goal of a secure, sustainable and lasting environment. Children today, as never before, have a native understanding of the place of mankind as part of the Earth, and it is our duty to reinforce this in their young minds.

Hinduism is respected for solving conflicts through nonviolent means.

Mahatma Gandhi’s strong belief in the Hindu principle of ahimsa and his nonviolent methods for opposing British rule are well known throughout the world. The nonviolent approach has consciously been used by others as well. Certainly one of the best-known exponents of nonviolence was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Dr. King, after decades of careful thought on the problem of racial discrimination in the United States, selected the Hindu principle of ahimsa, as exemplified by Mahatma Gandhi’s tactic of nonviolent resistance, as the most effective method for overcoming the unjust laws that existed in America at the time. In 1959 Dr. King even spent five weeks in India personally discussing with Gandhi’s followers the philosophy and techniques of nonviolence to deepen his understanding of them before putting them into actual use.

Children learn conflict resolution at an early age, establishing patterns that will serve them throughout life. Some learn that fists, force and angry words are the way to work things out. Others are taught that diplomacy and kindly speech serve the same purpose more effectively and yield longer-lasting results. Children pick up these things largely through example in the home, by witnessing how mom and dad work out their differences.

Hinduism has great tolerance and considers the whole world to be a family.

In the world of the twenty-first century, a prime concern is the many wars and clashes between peoples of different religions, nationalities and ethnicities based on hatred on one or both sides. The opposite of hatred is tolerance, and in that Hinduism excels. The Hindu belief that gives rise to tolerance of differences in race and nationality is that all of mankind is good, we are all divine beings, souls created by God. Therefore, we respect and embrace the entire human race. The Hindu practice of greeting one another with “namaskara,” worshiping God within the other person, is a way this philosophical truth is practiced on a daily basis.

Hindus do not believe that some individuals will be saved and others damned, nor in a chosen people, nor in a starkly divided world of good and evil filled only with the faithful and the infidels. Hinduism respects and defends the rights of humans of every caste, creed, color and sex, and it asks that those same rights be accorded its billion followers. Hindus think globally and act locally as interracial, international citizens of the Earth. They honor and value all human cultures, faiths, languages and peoples, never offending one to promote another.

This is taken one step further in the ancient verse “The whole world is one family.” Everyone is family oriented. All our efforts are focused on benefiting the members of our family. We want them all to be happy, successful and religiously fulfilled. And when we define family as the whole world, it is clear that we wish everyone in the world happiness, success and religious fulfillment. The Vedic verse that captures this sentiment is “May all people be happy.” By teaching our children this broad acceptance of peoples, even those who are very different from ourselves, we nurture in them a love for all and a compassionate tolerance that will serve them well throughout their lives.

Many people throughout the world firmly believe in karma and reincarnation.

In the second half of the twentieth century Hindu concepts became more and more popular and influential in the West. For example, every year thousands of Westerners take up the belief in karma and reincarnation as a logical explanation of what they observe in life. A contemporary expression of the law of karma is “What goes around comes around.” Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become better people. Reincarnation is the belief that the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually. Finally, we graduate from physical birth and continue learning and evolving on inner planes of consciousness without the need for a physical body until, ultimately, we merge in God. The belief in karma and reincarnation gives children a logical explanation to what otherwise may seem an unjust, indifferent or Godless world. They can be taught that challenging questions such as the following all have logical explanations when viewed through the beliefs of karma and reincarnation.

❖ Why do some innocent children die so young?

❖ Why are some people so much more talented than others?

❖ Why do some people act in evil ways?

❖ Why is it that a mean-spirited person may succeed and a good-hearted person fail?

Belief in a single life makes it hard to reconcile such things, causing one to question how a just, benevolent God could allow them to happen. But an understanding of karma as God’s divine law which transcends this one incarnation and brings to bear our actions from many past lives on Earth offers profound insight. That innocent child may have been a child murderer. That musical genius may have so perfected his art in a past life that he inherits a rare talent at birth and becomes a child prodigy.

The beliefs of karma and reincarnation give a spiritual purpose to our life. We know that the reason we are here on Earth is to mature spiritually and that this process extends over many lives. We know that karma is our teacher in this process, teaching us both what to do and what not to do through the reactions it brings back to us in the future. So, our current incarnation—the nature of our body, family, inclinations, talents, strengths and weaknesses—is specifically designed by us to help us face the fruits of our past actions, both positive and negative, and thus learn and evolve spiritually.

Hinduism boldly proclaims that man can experience God.

Throughout the world today, many who are on the mystical path want to have a personal spiritual experience. They want to see God. Hinduism not only gives them the hope that they can achieve their goal in this lifetime, but it gives them the practical tools, such as the disciplines of yoga and meditation, through which this goal eventually becomes a reality.

The focus of many religions is on helping those who do not believe in God to believe in God. Belief in God, in such faiths, is the beginning and the end of the process. Once you believe in God there is nothing more to do. However, in Hinduism belief is only the first step. Hindus want to move beyond believing in God to experiencing God. To the Hindu, belief is but a preparatory step to divine, daily communion and life-transforming personal realization.

There is a classic story from the life of Swami Vivekananda, one of Hinduism’s best-known modern teachers, that illustrates the Hindu perspective of experiencing God. When Vivekananda was still a university student, he asked many of the foremost religious leaders in the Calcutta area where he lived if they had seen God. However, he never got a clear and authoritative answer from any one of them until he met Sri Ramakrishna. During his second meeting with Sri Ramakrishna he asked the great sage, “Sir, have you seen God?” Calmly Sri Ramakrishna replied, “Yes, I see Him as clearly as one sees an apple in the palm of the hand; nay, even more intently. And not only this, you can also see Him.” This deeply impressed the young Vivekananda, who soon after accepted Sri Ramakrishna as his guru.

By teaching children about Hinduism’s stress on personal Godly experience, we set them on a path of self-understanding, self-perfection and discovery of the Divine that does not rely on the beliefs or reports of others. This gives them an appreciation of each step in life—be it pleasant or unpleasant—as an integral part of a joyous spiritual journey.

The beautiful Black Bat Flower,

The beautiful Black Bat Flower, Tacca chantrieri, is a species of flowering plant in the yam family Dioscoreaceae.

Do These Images Prove That Time Travel Really Exists?

1. Evidence on a Chinese Tomb

Chinese archaeologists, in December 2008, found a small metal piece shaped like a watch, in a coffin that had been undisturbed for 400 years. The time on the watch was frozen at 10:06 and engraved on its back was the word ‘Swiss”.

Image Source: www.strangerdimensions.com

Image Source: www.strangerdimensions.com

It’s hard to explain the watch’s existence since the tomb was undisturbed for all those years, unless of course a time traveler left it there.

2. Time Traveler caught on a Virtual Museum Photo

This photo is courtesy of the Virtual Museum of Canada Website. It was taken in the early 1940s during South Fork Bridge reopening in Gold Bridge, Canada. The event attracted a large attendance but someone in the photo did not belong. He was wearing modern sunglasses, a stamped t-shirt with a great looking sweater and holding a portable camera. Over the years, he has come to be known as the ‘time travelling hipster’.

Image Source:  Virtual Museum of Canada

3. A cell phone in 1928


A short clip taken from The Circus, a Charlie Chaplin’s film, shows an old woman conversing on a cell phone, in 1928. It was not until late in 2010, when this was spotted by George Clark, a filmmaker. In 1938, another cell phone was spotted. This was on a video showing a crowd exiting the DuPont factory in Massachusetts. A woman can be seen holding a cell phone to her ear. Convinced yet?
4. A trip to Gettysburg by Andrew D. Basiago.

Andrew D. Basiago alleges to have taken part in Project Pegasus, a DARPA’s top-secret operation by the government, in 1970. He claims that a photo was taken during one of his time travelling trips on November 19, 1863, during the Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. He claimed to be the “boy standing in the foreground of the image at center-left, looking to his right.”

Image courtesy: Andrew Basiago(taken from)

5. 1800s compact disc case

A painting from the 1800s shows a man holding what appears to be a fancy CD box. Plastic invention was not until the mid-1800s but Compact Discs started usage in the 1980s. So what kind of box was that on the painting? Another time traveler’s device?

Image source: www.strangerdimensions.com

6. A man who time traveled from his kitchen sink

Swedish man, Håkan Nordkvist climbed under his sink in 2006 and time traveled to his future in 2042. He met an older version of himself and recorded a video as evidence. They had matching tattoos!
This video however, was reported to have been a viral marketing campaign for an insurance company.

7. Celebrities who have time traveled.

A photo of Jay Z hanging out in Harlem in the year 1939 claims he is a time traveler. Other celebrities believed to have time traveled include Nicholas Cage, John Travolta, Keanu Reeves and Michael Cera.

[source: www.strangerdimensions.com]
Do you believe time travel exists? Do you have proof you can report on time travel? Please share.

Read more: http://www.unbelievable-facts.com/

According to scientists, This is the most relaxing tune ever recorded.

This eight minute song is a beautiful combination of arranged harmonies, rhythms and bass lines and thus helps to slow the heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress. The song features guitar, piano and electronic samples of natural soundscapes.

A study was conducted on 40 women, who were connected to sensors and had been given challenging puzzles to complete against the clock in order to induce a level of stress. Different songs were then played, to test their heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and brain activity. The results showed that the song Weightless was 11 per cent more relaxing than any other song and even caused drowsiness among women in the lab. It induced a 65 per cent reduction in overall anxiety and brought them to a level 35 per cent lower than their usual resting rates. 

Image Source: www.bubblnews.com

According to Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, the song has been created using various scientific theories and make use of musical principles that are known to have individually calming effects. Hence these elements have been combined together by Marconi Union to make the perfect relaxing song ever. The song comprises of a sustaining rhythm that starts at 60 beats per minute and gradually slows to around 50. Thus, while listening to the song, your heartbeat automatically comes to match that beat. She even adds that it is necessary for the song to be eight minutes long because it takes about five minutes for entertainment to occur. The gaps between the notes have been chosen to create a feeling of euphoria and comfort. In addition, there are no repetitive melodies in the song which allows one's brain to completely switch off since one is no longer trying to predict what is next. The random chimes in the song help induce a deeper sense of relaxation and the final element in the song is the low, whooshing sounds and hums, those like the Buddhist chants.
Moreover, sound therapies have been used for thousands of years to help people relax and improve health and well-being. Among indigenous cultures, music has been the heart of healing and worship. The song, weightless is ideal for unwinding and putting an end to a stressful day.

According to Dr David Lewis-Hodgson, from Mindlab International, which conducted the research, this song induced the greatest relaxation, higher than any other music tested till date. In accordance to the Brain imaging studies, music works at a very deep level within the brain, stimulating not only those regions responsible for processing sound but also ones associated with emotions. The song Weightless can make one drowsy and hence should not be heard while driving.

Richard Talbot, from Marconi Union, was fascinated to work with a therapist to learn how and why certain sounds affect people's mood. Though he always knew the power of music, they had previously written songs using only their gut feeling.

The study conducted by bubble bath and shower gel firm, Radox Spa found the song was even more relaxing than a massage, walk or cup of tea. According to Cassie Shuttlewood, from Radox Spa, it is understandable not to spend hundreds of pounds on massages, spa weekends and yoga retreats to reduce stress levels.

The top ten relaxing songs are known to be 

1. Marconi Union - Weightless 
2. Airstream - Electra 
3. DJ Shah - Mellomaniac (Chill Out Mix) 
4. Enya - Watermark
5. Coldplay - Strawberry Swing
6. Barcelona - Please Don't Go 
7. All Saints - Pure Shores 
8. Adelev Someone Like You 
9. Mozart - Canzonetta Sull'aria 
10. Cafe Del Mar - We Can Fly

Read more: http://www.unbelievable-facts.com

Puri Jagannath Temple in 1890

The Elephanta Caves - Gharapuri

Introduction:
According to French art historian, Rene Grousset (1885-1952) who speaks of the Trimurti statue at Elephanta Caves: 

"Universal art has succeeded in few materialization of the Divine as powerful and also as balanced. He believed that it is "the greatest representation of the pantheistic god created by the hands of man." He concludes with poetic enthusiasm: "Never have the overflowing sap of life, the pride of force superior to everything, the secret intoxication of the inner god of things been so serenely expressed." 

(source: The India I Love - By Marie-Simone Renou p. 88-93).

Located on an island off Mumbai's eastern shore, the 6th century AD Elephanta cave temples, chiselled into a rocky cliff and dedicated to Shiva, contain some great masterpieces of Indian sculpture. Originally called Gharapuri or "Fort-city", the island was renamed by the Portuguese after a huge stone elephant that once stood there. This is now in the garden of the Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Mumbai's Byculla area. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Elephanta cave temples can be visited on a day trip from Mumbai.
Frijof Capra (1939- ) the famous theoretical high-energy physicist has observed:

" A superb sculpture of Shiva in the Hindu temple of Elephanta shows three faces of the god.....in the center the sublime union, of the two aspects in the magnificent head of Shiva Maheshvara, the Great Lord, radiating serene tranquility and transcendental aloofness. In the same temple, Shiva is also represented in androgynous form – half male, half female – the flowing movement of the god’s body and the serene detachment of his/her face symbolizing, again, the dynamic unification of the male and female."

(source: The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism - By Fritjof Capra p. 148-149). For more refer to chapter on Hindu Art
Maheshmurti

This is the glory of Elephanta, and few visitors can fail to be moved by this powerful, compelling image hailed by art historian Percy Brown as "the creation of a genius". The three faces represent Shiva in his different manifestations. The central face with its towering, elaborate crown depicts Shiva the Preserver, sublimely serene and introspective. The one facing west represents Shiva the Creator, gentle, solicitous and graceful. The head facing east, with its cruel mouth, fiercely hooked nose and serpents adorning the hair, shows Shiva the Destroyer. On either side of the statue are other superb sculptures.

The one on the east shows Shiva as Ardhanarishvara - the Lord who is Both Male and Female, and thus symbolizes the Divine Unity in which all opposites are resolved. The image on the west is of Shiva as Gangahara, helping the river goddess Ganga descend to earth while his consort Parvati and other deities look on. Contrasting images of peace and violence, joy and fury, can be seen in exquisite sculptures throughout the temple. Thus one sculpture near the Western Entrance lyrically depicts the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, while opposite it is a powerful panel showing Shiva brutally imapling the demon Andhaka. The Eastern Entrance has Shiva and Parvati contentedly playing dice in their mountain abode, as the demon-king Ravana tries to shake their mountain home in Kailash.

(source: India - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides London p. 461).

Joao do Castro, a remarkable man and Renaissance personality with wide ranging interests and accomplishments.

Castro's navigational diary Roteiro de Goa ate Dio reflects a deep feeling of wonder on his part at the sight of the huge and magnificent temple at Elephanta, for he was thoroughly overwhelmed by the great 'boldness' of manner in which the whole edifice was hewn out of the hard, solid rock.

A work of such magnitude and artifice, he declared could not have been produced by mortals and it must be regarded as one of the wonders of the world. Castro was so impressed by the sculptures that he stated that 'Indeed the proportions and symmetry with which each figure and everything else is made it would be worth the while of any painter to study it even if he were Apelles.'

Diego do Couto, the Portuguese historian noted:

"It is constucted at the foot of a great Hill of Stone of light grey color; there is a beautiful Hall at its entrance, and in the yard that leads to the front back door, there are two human figures engraved on the same stone, twice as big as the Giants exhibited on the Procession of the Corpus Christi feast in Lisbon, so beautiful, elegant, and so well executed, that even in Silver they could not be better wrought and made with such perfection."

The conclusion he reached 'may certainly be reckoned one of the wonders - and perhaps the greatest in the world." He took elaborate measurements of the 'remarkable' and 'stupendous' temple, remarking that it was laid on a north-to-south axis. About the sculptures he made the general remark that 'not only the figures looked very beautiful, but the features and workmanship could be very distinctly perceived, so that neither in silver or wax could such figures be engraved with greater nicety, fineness or perfection."

The elaborate plastic treatment of Siva's matted hair with beautiful jewels set in it especially fascinated Couto who mentioned it admiringly on several occasions. His most important contribution was to leave an account of the great Maheshmurti group, generally regarded as the highest achievement of the Kalacuri period:

"From the pavement of this chapel issued a body from the waist upwards of so enormous size, that it fills the whole vacuum in length and breath of the chapel: it has three large faces, the middle one looks to the north, the second to the west, and other to the east. Each of these faces has two hands, and on the neck two large necklaces, wrought with considerable perfection. The figures have on their heads there very beautiful crowns."

Finally, from Couto we learn that the Elephanta interior was covered with a fine coat of lime and bitumen composition which 'made the Pagoda (temple) so bright, that it looked very beautiful and was worth seeing'. The colors have faded since in Elephanta, and only Couto's testimony remains to tell us how splendid it looked in the 16th century.

The Englishman John Ovington (1696) author of “A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689, ”was specially fascinated by the animal sculpture in Elephanta: "Here likewise are the just dimensions of a Horse Carved in Stone, so lively with such a Colour and Carriage and the shape finisht with that Exactness, that many have Fancyed it, at a distance, a living Animal, than only a bare Representation.'

According to the Cambride man, Dr. Fryer, Elephanta too was a 'miraculous Piece hewd out of solid stone; it is supported with Forty two Corinthian Pillars, being a Square, open on all sides but towards the East; where stands a statue with three Heads, crowned with strange Hieroglyphics.' He noted with regret that the Portuguese 'strive to erase the reminders of this Herculean Work, that it may sink into oblivion of its Founders.'

Gemelli-Careri, the Italian (1700) took it to be the work of Alexander. "The Pagod or Temple....is one of the greatest wonders of Asia..."

(source: Much Maligned Monsters: A History of European Reactions to Indian Art - By Partha Mitter p. 31 - 41).

Pollution Control and Waste Management in Sri Lanka

Dr. W.L. Sumathipala

Senior Lecturer, The Open University of Sri Lanka and
Director National Ozone Unit, Ministry of Environment

The magnitude of degradation of the environment increased tremendously with the industrial revolution which started in 1850s.  Even prior to the industrial revolution, pollution due to human activities existed but in a reduced amount.  Those days the assimilation capacity of the environment was greater than the release of pollutants in to the environment.  Large volumes of wastes were released in to the environment with the development of machine-based industries.  Then the assimilation capacity of the environment became lower than the rate of waste generation.  As a result wastes accumulated in the environment giving rise to problems, which threatens the life existence on planet Earth.

In general, pollution can be considered in terms of Air Pollution, Water Pollution and Land Pollution.  Scientists are also considering some specific types of pollution such as pollution due to Noise, radiation and high temperature.

Since there are no boundaries in the atmosphere air is not limited to a place, region or to a country.  Therefore air pollution produced in some parts of the world can cause problems in another country in the world.  Therefore air pollution should be considered as a major problem where international efforts are needed to address the atmospheric problems. Further it is considered to be a serious problem as it affects the human health worldwide.  All the terrestrial life forms are exchanging gases with the atmosphere.  Therefore there is a danger of inhaling/absorbing what ever the pollutants available in the atmosphere because they do not have a filtering mechanism.  On the other hand the pollutants released in to the atmosphere gets diluted and the possibility of collecting or treating such pollution is impossible.  Therefore preventing, controlling or treating these substances before releasing them in to the atmosphere is very important.  The atmospheric lifetime of some pollutants/chemicals is very high and they cause global environmental problems such as Ozone Layer depletion.

The main sources for air pollution are burning fossil fuels for energy generation & transportation, biomass burning and industrial emissions.  The sources of air pollution give rise to gases, mixtures of fine particles or both.  Most common gases generated from burning fossil fuels are CO2, CO, Oxides of Nitrogen, Oxides of Sulfur and unburned hydrocarbons. Pollution due to biomass burning for cooking is very common in the Asian region.  This will generate unburned hydrocarbons due to incomplete burning processes, mixture of oxides of carbon, nitrogen & sulfur and particulate matter.  Industrial emissions are responsible for most hazardous chemicals such as fluorinated carbons, PFCs, SF6, etc.

Considering the difficulty of treating these gasses after releasing in to the atmosphere it is important to either control or treat the emission before releasing to the atmosphere.  In the industrial sector, controlling the emission of air pollutants can be achieved through changing the method of plant operation, changing the input or raw materials used in the process, adopting cleaner production methods or treating the pollutants prior to release.  Gaseous pollutants can be removed from their gaseous environment to either a liquid or a solid surface, where they will be preferentially retained, or where they react to form a non polluted species.  There are processes with various methods used for collecting gases with high concentration such as absorption in to a liquid or solid or adsorption on to a solid surface.  These are occurring either with or with out reaction.  Pollutants generated due to incomplete combustion can be removed through complete combustion converting them into CO2 and water.  This can be achieved in a combustion chamber providing sufficient air in the presence of a catalyst.  In order to prevent the release of particulate matter to the atmosphere, settling chambers, gravity separators, cyclone dust collectors, filters, wet scrubbers and electro statistic precipitators can be utilized.

Emission of radioactive particles is possible due to the development of energy generation through nuclear power plants.  Since these materials cannot be detected by human senses such as taste or smell and even a very minute quantity is lethal, there has to be stringent regulations utmost in operating these plants and handling waste.  These should operate on hundred percent accident free environments.  In addition, installation of multiple barriers, real time monitoring and error free safeguard systems are very important for these facilities.

Indoor air quality is very important, mainly because people remain indoors in excess of 90% of their lifetime.  Common indoor pollutants are Paints, Varnish, polish, household polymers, fuel wood burning, burning incense sticks and mosquito coils.  Houses or buildings with less ventilation are vulnerable for indoor air pollution resulting in nausea, vomiting, dizziness and respiratory diseases.  As a solution, Architects can design well-ventilated buildings with more air circulation.

Substances such as CFC, Halons, CTC, HCFC are depleting the Ozone Layer that protects human from the Sun’s dangerous UV radiation.  Increase of Greenhouse gases such as Fluorinated Carbons, Methane, and Nitrous Oxides in the atmosphere is making the earth atmosphere warmer resulting in climate change and sea level rise.  Global commitment is essential in order to control such global environmental problems.  Montreal Protocol and Kyoto Protocols are major global agreements to take action in order to control these two major environmental problems.

Water is a basic requirement for sustaining life.  Out of the total volume of available water in the planet, less than 1% is suitable for human consumption.  This limited resource is further reduced due to human activities, which make it unusable.  Main sources of water pollution are release of industrial waste, dumping solid waste, sewage, human waste including faecal matter, sediment run off due to soil erosion etc.  As a result of such activities, concentration of dissolved carbons, heavy metals, biohazards such as bacteria and virus and other nutrients will increase in the water sources resulting in loss of biodiversity and making the water unsafe for consumption.  Several methods have been developed for water treatment once it is polluted.  Biological treatment, chemical coagulation and filtration, carbon adsorption, chemical oxidation, ion exchange, electrodialysis, reverse osmosis, air stripping are some of them.  Water bodies are also being polluted due to discharge of sewage from watercrafts and oil spilling around the world.  Designing holding tanks for receiving and storing sewage until they can be unloaded on the shore is one controlling method.  Large vessels can be equipped with biological treatment plants.  Leaks from offshore drilling and accidental oil spills are possible resulting in threat to water creatures and large-scale killing of sea birds.  Surrounding the oil slick with a mechanical barrier until it can be removed, collecting the oil by mechanical means such as suction pumping or absorption by a suitable material and dispersing the slick with chemicals are methods practiced today.

Environmental problems due to solid waste are a growing problem in Sri Lanka and it is a major problem in many of the developing countries.  Current rate of waste collection by the local authorities in Sri Lanka is estimated to be about 2,500 tones per day.  Rate of waste generation depends on a number of factors such as socio economic conditions, public attitude towards reuse and recycling of waste and geographical and physical factors.  Due to the improvement of technology, a tremendous increase in non-degradable packaging materials such as plastic, polythene, metals and glass can be seen.  Solid wastes are generated from domestic, institutional, market, medical, commercial, industrial and garden sources. Industries such as food, paper, cardboard, rubber, and leather are good sources of organic waste. A greater portion of commercial and domestic waste are organic and biodegradable.  The major problem in relation to solid waste is uncontrolled disposal of wastes.

Toxic and hazardous wastes are generated mainly from industrial and medical sectors.  The extent of land pollution increases due to unorganized solid waste disposal practices.  Developing facilities for safe disposal and management of solid waste should be a high priority in society.  With the rapid development, population growth and urbanization, solid waste has increased and therefore it is essential to manage solid waste.  There is also a serious threat of utilizing Sri Lanka as a hazardous waste dumping site.

According to the estimates the local authorities collect only a part of the waste generated.  Disposing wastes in the home gardens are common in rural areas due to lack of collecting system or facilities.  At present waste disposal is mainly in open dumps, which are unsanitary.  Most of these areas are low laying marshy lands and abandoned paddy fields.  As a result leachate, emission of gases, odors, fire and loss of aesthetic beauty are possible.  As an alternative to open dumping, sanitary land filling has to be introduced.  Proper planning is essential to minimize the side effects.  Separation of solid waste at the point of generation is essential and thereafter different categories can be treated separately.  Biodegradable materials have to be composed and used as organic manure as far as possible.  Avenues for collecting recyclable materials and recycling should be promoted.  The final waste that is not possible for recycle has to be dump in a sanitary landfill.  Incineration is another option but the capital cost is very high and therefore it may not be suitable for a developing country.  At least several small-scale incinerators are essential to destroy toxic and hazardous waste.

Noise pollution has a very close relationship with occupational safety.  In most cases industries are responsible for high noise pollution.  Recent studies show that there is direct relationship with high levels of noise and mental health.  Noise management can be achieved at the point of its origin and along the noise pathway and at the point of reception. There are several noise management techniques available at present.  Shock absorbing techniques, use of non metal parts to reduce the noise generated, use of acoustic guards, installing machinery on adequate mountings, locating machinery away from the residential areas are some of precautionary methods.

In most of the industries a large amount of heat is generated and released in to the atmosphere.  This problem of thermal pollution can be alleviated by using artificial cooling ponds or cooling towers.  Where possible this high temperature can be utilized for useful work such as generation of electricity.

In order to control pollution, proper and appropriate legislation, emission and effluent standards for industries are essential.  Awareness creation among the general public and making the man more environment friendly is an over all approach for environment protection.

Theme Seminar Presented at the Forestry and Environment Symposium 2005, Thulhiriya, Sri Lanka, 2-3 December 2005

thanks http://environmentlanka.com/

ஒரு தோற்றுப் போன விடுதலைப் போராட்டம்

துப்பாக்கிகள்
இன்னமும்
இயங்கக்கூடிய
நிலையில்
இருகின்றன, 
அதை
இயக்கியவர்கள்
யாருமே இப்ப
இருப்பில்
இல்லை.....

மரண தேவதைகள்
இன்னமும்
சாட்சியங்களுடன்
இருக்குறார்கள்,
அதில்ப்
பேசித் தீர்க்கப்
பேச்சு வார்த்தை
தேடிய வாய்கள்
திறக்கப்படுமுன்னே
நிரந்தரமாகவே
மவுனிக்கப்பட்ட
மரண அடையாளங்கள்
ஒன்றுமே இப்ப
மனிதர்களிடம்
இல்லை.....

விடுதலையின்
தொடக்க நெருப்பு
இன்னமும்
அணையாமல் இருக்கு,
அதை
சாம்பல் மேடுகளில்
வன்னிக் காடுகளில்
சமுத்திரக் கரையில்
பொட்டல் வெளிகளில்
எரிய வைத்து
நடந்த சுவடுகள்
ஒன்றுமே இப்ப
இயற்கையிடம்
இல்லை....

இப்பவும்
வெற்றிகரமாகக்
கற்றுக் கொள்ள
எவளவோ
தந்து விட்டு
சென்றுள்ள
ஒரு
தோற்றுப் போன
விடுதலைப்
போராட்டம்
வரலாற்றில் மட்டும்
இருக்கு..........

நாவுக் அரசன்
ஒஸ்லோ 06.05.14

How does stress increase your risk for stroke and heart attack?

Credit: George Hodan/public domain
Scientists have shown that anger, anxiety, and depression not only affect the functioning of the heart, but also increase the risk for heart disease.Stroke and heart attacks are the end products of progressive damage to blood vessels supplying the heart and brain, a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis progresses when there are high levels of chemicals in the body called pro-inflammatory cytokines.

It is thought that persisting stress increases the risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease by evoking negative emotions that, in turn, raise the levels of pro-inflammatory chemicals in the body.

Researchers have now investigated the underlying neural circuitry of this process, and report their findings in the current issue of Biological Psychiatry.

"Drawing upon the observation that many of the same brain areas involved in emotion are also involved in sensing and regulating levels of inflammation in the body, we hypothesized that brain activity linked to negative emotions – specifically efforts to regulate negative emotions – would relate to physical signs of risk for heart disease," explained Dr. Peter Gianaros, Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and first author on the study.

To conduct the study, Gianaros and his colleagues recruited 157 healthy adult volunteers who were asked to regulate their emotional reactions to unpleasant pictures while their brain activity was measured with functional imaging. The researchers also scanned their arteries for signs of atherosclerosis to assess heart disease risk and measured levels of inflammation in the bloodstream, a major physiological risk factor for atherosclerosis and premature death by heart disease.

They found that individuals who show greater brain activation when regulating the irnegative emotions also exhibit elevated blood levels of interleukin-6, one of the body's pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increased thickness of the carotid artery wall, a marker of atherosclerosis.

The inflammation levels accounted for the link between signs of atherosclerosis and brain activity patterns seen during emotion regulation. Importantly, the findings were significant even after controlling for a number of different factors, like age, gender, smoking, and other conventional heart disease risk factors.

"These new findings agree with the popular belief that emotions are connected to heart health," said Gianaros. "We think that the mechanistic basis for this connection may lie in the functioning of brain regions important for regulating both emotion and inflammation."

These findings may have implications for brain-based prevention and intervention efforts to improve heart health and protect against heart disease."

"It is remarkable to see the links develop between negative emotional states, brain circuits, inflammation, and markers of poor physical health," said Dr. John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "As we identify the key mechanisms linking brain and body, we may be able to also break the cycle through which stress and depression impair physical health."thanks http://medicalxpress.com/

The Salar de Uyuni salt desert in southern Bolivia is the world's largest salt flat. Photograph by Takashi Nakagawa

செம்பருத்தி பூவின் மருத்துவ குணங்கள்

செம்பருத்திப்பூ பூஜைக்கு மலராகப் பயன் படுகிறது. சிவந்த நிறமுடைய பூவே சிறந்த பலன் உடையது. இது வெப்பு அகற்றிக் காமம்
பெருக்கும் செய்கையுடையது. கூந்தல் வளர்ச்சிக்கு மூலிகை ஷாம்பு தயார்செய்ய பயன்படுகிறது. இது கருப்பை கோளறுகள் உதிரப்போக்கு , இருதய நோய் ரத்தஅழுத்த நோய் குணமடையப் பயன்படும்.
அழலை, இரத்தபித்தம், தாகம்,பேதி, வயிற்றுக் கடுப்பு, விந்துவை நீற்றும், மேகம், விசுசி வேட்டை போம். தேகவாரேக்கியம், விழியொளியும் உண்டாம்.
செம்பையிலைக்கட்டி, ஜந்நி, தினவு, துடைவாழை, நீர்ரேற்றம், பிளவை, பீநாசங்கள், புண்புரை, மேகம், வாதகபம், விப்புருதி, விரணம், வீக்கம், வெடித்த புண், புரைகளும் போம்.
பூவை நீரிட்டுக்காச்சி வடிகட்டிப்பாலும் சர்கரையும் சேர்த்து காலை மாலை பருக மார்புவலி, இதய பலவீனம் தீரும். காப்பி, டீ புகையிலை நீக்க
வேண்டும்.
பூவை உலர்த்திப் பொடித்துச் சம எடை மருதம் பட்டைத்தூள் கலந்து பாலில் காலை மாலை பருக இதயபலவீனம் தீரும்.
பூவை நல்லெண்ணையில் காச்சி தடவ முடி வளரும். செம்பரத்தை வேர்ப்பட்டை, இலைந்தை மரப்பட்டை மாதுளம் பட்டை சம அளவு சூரணம் செய்து 4 சிட்டிகை காலை மாலை சாப்பிட பெரும் பாடு தீரும்.
செம்பரத்தம் பூ 500 கிராம் அம்மியில் நெகிழ அரைத்து அதில் ஒரு கிலோ சர்க்கரையைப் போதிய நீர்விட்டுக் கரைத்து வடிகட்டிக்கலந்து சிறுதீயில் எரித்துக்குழம்புப் பதமாக்கி (செம்பரத்தை மண்ப்பாகு) வைத்துக்கொண்டு 15 மி.லி.யாகக் காலை மாலை சாப்பிட்டு வர உட் சூடு, நீரெருச் சல், உள்ளுறுப்புகளில் உள்ள புண், ஈரல் வீக்கம், நீர்கட்டு ஆகியவை தீரும்.
இந்தப்பூவின் கசாயத்துடன் மான் கொம்பு பற்பம் ஒரு கிராம் அளவு சேர்த்து 10-20 நாள் சாப்பிட இதயத்துடிப்பு ஒழுங்கு படும். படபடப்பு இருக்காது. குருதி தூய்மையாகும். குருதி மிகுதி யாக உற்பத்தியாகும். பாரிச வாய்வும் குணமாகும். இதன் மகரந்தக் காம்பு உலர்திய தூள் 5 கிராம்
பாலில் சாப்பிட மலடு நீங்கும்.
தஙகச்சத்து இப்பூவில் இருப்பதால் தாதுவிருத்திக்கு மிகவும் சிறந்ததாகும். நாழும்10 பூவினை மென்று தின்று பால்அருந்தினால் நாற்பது நாளில் தாது
விருத்தி ஏற்படும். நீர்த்துப்போன விந்து கெட்டி படும், ஆண்மை எழுச்சி பெறும். உலர்த்திய பூ சூரணத்துடன் முருங்கைப்பூ அல்லது விதை
உலர்த்திய தூளும் சேர்த்துச்சாப்பிட்டு வந்தால் ஆண்மை குறைபாடு நீங்கும்.................இன்பம் நீடிக்கும்

ஆத்மகத- Aathmakatha (மலையாள திரைப்படம்)

2010ஆம் ஆண்டில் திரைக்கு வந்த படம். எல்லோரும் மரியாதையுடனும், மதிப்புடனும் மனதில் நினைக்கும் ஸ்ரீனிவாசன்தான் படத்தின் கதாநாயகன். கண் பார்வை தெரியாத பாத்திரத்தில் வருகிறார். படம் பார்ப்போர் அனைவரையும் கண் கலங்க வைக்கிறார்.
பிரேம்லால் கதை, திரைக்கதை, வசனம் எழுதி இயக்கியிருக்கும் இப்படத்தின் இசையமைப்பாளர்:அல்ஃபோன்ஸ் ஜோசப். பின்னணி இசை: மோகன் சித்தாரா.
நல்ல ஒரு கதையை பலமாக எண்ணி எடுக்கப்பட்ட படம். அவர்களின் நம்பிக்கை வீண் போகவில்லை. படம் முடிந்து வெளியே வரும்போது, மிகச் சிறந்த ஒரு படத்தைப் பார்த்து விட்டு வருகிறோம் என்னும் உணர்வு அனைவரின் மனதிலும் உண்டாகும்.
அந்த அளவிற்கு அருமையான கதை... தெளிவான திரைக்கதை... பாராட்டக் கூடிய உரையாடல்கள்... மனதில் நிற்கக் கூடிய உயிர்ப்பான கதாபாத்திரங்கள்.
இவை அனைத்தும் இருக்கும் ஒரு படம் நல்ல படமாகத்தானே இருக்கும்?
அந்த நல்ல படத்தின் கதைதான் என்ன?
மேலும் படிக்க…

Headaches

Nutritious

It is an extremely important life lesson for our youth

“This media we call social is anything but, when we open our computers and it’s our doors we shut”… This is one of the most vital messages that everyone needs to hear.

Look Up is a spoken word for the “online” generation. Written, performed and directed by Gary Turk, it is an extremely important life lesson for our youth.  Children are growing up in a world where they don’t play outside or communicate with their friends. It seems today everything is done via text message or over the internet. It’s heartbreaking… I feel guilty myself. We need to spread this message before it’s too late. Please do your part and SHARE it with everyone you know.