2018 Dasara Deepavali Sambaralu by Telugu Association of Maryland(TAM)
When : November 17th , 2018
Time : 1:00pm-10:00pm
Where: TBA
2018 Bhathukamma Sambaralu by Maryland Telangana Community
When : October 13th 2018
Time : 4:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: Gary J.Arthur Community Center
2400 State Route 97 Cooksville, MD 21723
***OPEN TO PUBLIC****
10 Ways to Emit Positive Energy Everywhere You Go
Life is a busy time for us all and our to-do list never seem to be getting any shorter. After we’ve ticked off all our jobs for the day, there’s an arm’s length more to do tomorrow.
It’s safe to say that it’s hard to stay positive. However, with a positive mindset and by offering others small gestures of kindness, we can proactively add light everywhere we go, helping to make the world a happier place.
Here are ten ways you can add a spark of light into your everyday life through acts of being kind!
#1 – Smile!
Try smiling to yourself, even now, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Even the motion of smiling releases positive energy into your life and is a sure-fire way to make those around you smile as well!
#2 – Notes to Your SO
Before you leave the house for work or whatever you’re going to do that day, why not try writing a quick note to your other half wishing them a wonderful day or telling them just how beautiful or amazing they are? This is sure to bring a smile to their face!
#3 – Talk to an Old Friend
There are many of us that have been friends with people for many years, but life got the way, and we have fallen out of touch. Why not reconnect with some of these friends, even if it’s just a couple of messages to see how they’re doing. Isn’t that the point of social media after all?
#4 – Forgiving People
Forgiving people is hard and not always an easy option but, more often than not, it’s the right option. If you’ve had a falling out with someone, make sure you tell them that you’re sorry. You’ll be so surprised with the effect this has on most people.
#5 – Sit with a Stranger
Whether you’re commuting to work or just out and about, when you sit down for a break, the chances are that there’s someone around you sitting by themselves. Why not sit with this person and strike up a conversation. Ask them how their day is going or what their favourite colour is!
#6 – Buy an Extra Coffee
Going to the office and picking up a coffee on your way to kickstart your day? Why not buy an extra coffee and give it to a co-worker? This will surprise many people, but you never know whose day you’re going to make!
#7 – Hold a Door for Someone
This action takes less than a second but can really brighten up someone’s day. Imagine if everybody everywhere held doors open for everyone else everywhere they went. Wouldn’t the world be a much brighter place?
#8 – Pay Someone a Compliment
Whether it’s a loved one, a colleague or even a stranger, paying someone a compliment is sure to bring a smile to their face and will brighten up somebody’s present moment.
#9 – Donate to Charity
Do you have a couple of coins laying around your car or in your pocket? Pop them in a charity collection bucket or jar when you find a charity that you support. Every little helps!
#10 – Donate Your Unwanted Items
Most of us have a tonne of things laying around that we no longer want nor need. Whether it’s clothes, games, CDs or anything, donate them to a charity shop, and you could help change someone’s life!
Starting a Mindful Running Program
One of the biggest pieces of news this month is the announcement that Nike has teamed up with meditation-app giant Headspace and their plans to come together to provide a new kind of running-meditation experience.
What’s more, all your content can be accessed from within the Nike Run Club app, making the transition seamless.
The project launched on the 1st March 2018 and is now available to all members of the Nike app. If you’re not already a member of Headspace, you can trial the service by accessing three free audio-guided running sessions. The aim is to give runners the chance to become mindful while exercising as you would anyway.
Looking into the program, the guides come with both instructions and advice from running instructors and meditation coaches. These audio files will teach you how to improve your running, but this is a first when it comes to workouts being actively combined with mindfulness.
It’s safe to say that Headspace is, by far, one of the most popular meditation apps, so it will be interesting to see where this goes.
One of the most common problems that people face when it comes to meditation is trying to find the time, so being able to combine it with the activity of running, something people already do throughout their days or in the gym, makes sure that there are no excuses.
However, the primary aim that the companies have with this combination is to help you focus better on your workouts. This will help you to get more from your exercises and therefore better results from your workouts.
Andy Puddicombe, the co-founder of Headspace, states;
“Mindfulness is the ultimate tool for any athlete at any level.”
He goes on to say;
“Easy to learn and simple to apply, it can help strengthen motivation, increase focus, improve resilience, enhance form, optimize recovery and, perhaps most important of all, get us out of our head and into the body for an enjoyable and fulfilling training session.”
However, if you’re not a user of the Nike Run Club app, all is not lost. Headspace is also in the process of updating their app to include tips from Nike. These include pieces of advice from the Nike Training Club, helping you to stay mindful and maximise your efforts while in the gym.
Currently, there are no more programs available than the first three sessions, but more are planned to be released in the future.
So, what do you think? Do you think combining meditation and exercise such as this is beneficial? While I believe that any form of meditation is good, especially if it helps people who don’t already meditate to give it a try to see what they think, focus is divided.
I believe that when you’re running, you should be mindful of what you’re doing but the same can be said for meditation. Being able to sit still and mindfully is very difficult to do on its own, let alone while you’re trying to run safely.
As before, this is a relatively new venture, so we’ll have to see how the this plays up in the future.
Watch this space.
5 Ayurveda Tips for Better Skin
No matter who you are or where in the world you are, having healthy skin is a tell-tale sign that you’re healthy on the inside. However, with so many pollutants in our everyday lives, from stress and air pollution to lifestyle and diet choices, this is easier said than done.
However, there are many solutions that can get you feeling and looking great, all thanks to ancient Ayurveda diet and treatments. By following these ancient and traditional practices, you can bring new life into your skin, which will reflect into every other aspect of your well-being.
To get started on this new life of personal rejuvenation, here are five of the best Ayurveda skincare tips!
#1 – Eat Your Vegetables
Vegetables are a key element of any Ayurveda diet which is why it’s so important to ensure that you eat them.
When trying to improve the quality of your skin, try to eat primarily water-based vegetables, such as lettuces, carrots, cucumbers and radishes. Eating three-piece salads with an oil-lemon fusion drizzled over the top is a great way to do this.
#2 – Drink Some Tea with a Kick
Hand in hand with the point above, hydration is the key to healthy, and younger, looking skin. And what better way is there to stay hydrated than drinking some tea. But not just any old tea, you’re going to want some tea with a kick to it.
Try boiling water for your tea, as you normally do, but then add some fresh ginger and a squeeze of lemon. This is the ideal way to start your afternoon, brighten up your skin and promotes healthy digestion!
#3 – Nuts & Seeds
If you’re trying to bring a new life into your skin through your diet, try imagining that you’re eating a bird’s diet. While this might initially sound strange and somewhat surreal, Ayurveda medicine practices show that seeds and nuts are extremely beneficial to your well-being.
In fact, nuts and seeds are renowned for being perfect foods. Many contain everything you need, from Omega-3 and fibre to healthy fats and proteins, everything your skin needs to breathe again.
#4 – Get Enough Sleep
This is a tip that comes up on pretty much every well-being article you read on the internet, but it’s for a good reason. Ayurveda medicine states that getting around seven hours sleep a night is ideal since it will give your body enough time to recover, recuperate energy and build and replace your skin cells.
Some people will vary around this mark and will only feel they need a couple of hours. However, trying to get exactly seven hours of sleep a night for a week and you’ll be amazed at how you feel and how your skin looks.
#5 – Exercise
Of course, this is the tip that nobody wants to see, but it’s just as essential as anything another point you could make. When you exercise, you sweat. We all know that. However, when it comes to your skin, pushing yourself with your exercise will help your skin to release toxins into your skin that can cause damage.
What’s more, exercise will help you to improve your blood circulation, aids your digestive functions and will make you radiate positive energy. There’s so many types of exercise to choose from, including sports, yoga, running or whatever you fancy, so there’s no excuse!
Using Mindfulness to take Control of Your Technological Lifestyle
Do you ever feel like you take your smartphone out of your pocket without even thinking about doing so?
Do you ever find yourself scrolling mindlessly, post after post but you end up thinking to yourself;
“What I am doing this for? Am I gaining nothing from this? This is making me miserable.”
Yet day after day you still scroll like some kind of vicious cycle. Don’t worry; you’re not alone. It’s safe to say that pretty much everybody feels like this from time to time, some more than others.
However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take back control of your technological lifestyle, bringing a bit more meaning and connection to your everyday life. No worry, there’s no retreats or clinics necessary.
This is all possible through mindfulness.
By becoming more aware of how you use technology, you can become a lot more proactive in living the life you want to live. Through mindfulness, a practice you can enhance through meditation, you can start to make the changes you want to make, allowing you to live the life you want to live.
Today, we’re going to explore several ways you can become mindful with how you use technology, primarily your smartphone, so you can be who you want to be.
#1 – Ring, Ring
When somebody calls your smartphone, and you hear it ringing, what’s the first thing you do? Do you rush over and bee-line to see who it is? Do you feel an insatiable answer to pick it up and have a conversation, regardless of what you’re doing or who you’re with?
To become mindful here, stop and take three deep breaths before answering your phone. Notice what it’s like to pause and not run over to it straight away.
#2 – Checking Social Media
Instead of mindlessly scrolling through your social media feeds from post to post, whether you’re on Facebook or Twitter or whatever, take a deep breath and think about how you really feel. Pay attention to each item and mentally take note of how individual posts makes you feel.
Do you feel happy? Sad? Angry? Indifferent? Maybe you come to the realisation that you simply don’t care. Take note of how you feel both before and after going on social media. This will help you to understand your relationship with these technological giants.
#3 – Leaving Your Smartphone at Home
I know a lot of you will have read this and thought something like ‘wait, what? But what if I’m out and about and someone needs to get hold of me, for example, you’re meeting somebody. Or I’m running late?
I’m not saying you have to forget and restrict yourself access from your smartphone completely. Just become mindful of how you feel when you’re not using it, or you turn it off from time to time. When you hang out with friends, or you’re at work, or at home, try turning it off for a couple of hours and see how you feel.
#4 – The Waiting Game
Whenever you’re waiting for something in your life, whether you’re at a traffic light, in a queue or whenever, how do you feel? For many of us, the urge to pull out our smartphones and start tapping away is almost irresistible.
Become mindful of where this need comes from and why you feel this way? If you proactively stop yourself from checking it, how does this make you feel?
The chances are that it will be hard at first but learning to feel comfortable doing nothing can be learned. It’s also far more satisfying, and beneficial to your health if you can.
Smartphone addiction is a growing problem all over the world. If you feel as though you may be suffering, help is available. Read articles online or search for advice in your local area. On an individual basis, try turning off and logging off every once and a while or use a usage tracking app to see how long you’re actually spending on your device every day.
2018 Sri Srinivasa Kalyanotsavam by JET USA **Under Divine Presence of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji**
**Under Divine Presence of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji**
Event: 2018 Sri Srinivasa Kalyanotsavam by JET USA
When : July 11th 2018 ( 5PM-9PM)
Where: Brambleton Middle School
23070 Learning Cir, Ashburn, VA-20148
**Under Divine Presence of Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji**
Who is Prajapati in Hindu Mythology
In an earlier article, I explained how Brahma is also symbolic of our conscious thoughts. In Hindu mythology, Brahma is described as the Universal Mind. And given the comparisons between the two gods, Prajapati is also symbolic of the Universal Mind.
In turn the Universal Mind is your mind, as you are the center of your own Universe. It makes sense that you have to be because you are the only person in the Universe experiencing your existence from your point of consciousness.
Although Prajapati is generally known today as “the god of the people,” a more accurate description would be God in man. He represents a state of higher-consciousness that is innate within each of us if we choose to search for it through the act of self-realization.
Prajapati is also associated with sacrifice and is honored in Hindu rituals as the god of fire. Fire of course is used to dissolve things we no longer want in our lives. We destroy old furniture and rubbish for fuel.
We can also do this symbolic act in a practical way by dissolving our ego and finding our path back to our true self. Furthermore, the element of fire in hermetic alchemy, which shares the same meanings as religious symbolism, represents passion and desire.
Sometimes, in order for us to evolve into our next stage of consciousness, we have to sacrifice things that we desire or have a passion for. We have to burn away values that we no longer need.
The dual nature of consciousness
Nature is governed by cosmic laws, one of which is the law of duality. The law of duality determines that everything has an opposite and a scale between the two. When nature finds balance, it flourishes.
The same is true of consciousness. We have a higher consciousness and a base consciousness. Hindu religion calls them Devas (higher consciousness) and Asuras (lower consciousness).
Prajapati is noted as a Supreme God, thus he can be identified as representing higher consciousness. But he is also associated with animals which represents the lower consciousness of man – because we are by nature animals. It is only our ability to attain higher states of consciousness that human beings are superior to animals.
So when Prajapati is described as a bird, he represents the higher self. The tortoise represents the lower consciousness of the reptilian brain which controls our need to survive, and goats, bulls and oxen represent ignorance of our slavery.
We therefore have choices to make; to follow the path of our divine consciousness and become like gods, or stay rooted in ignorance and slavery like cattle. Do you ever wonder where the term ‘sheeple’ might have come from?
Like all Hindu Gods, Prajapati is an aspect of ourselves. He is our conscious thoughts that evolve to become reality. And the thoughts you choose to act upon come from either your higher consciousness, or your lower consciousness. So pay attention to your actions.
A One-Minute Meditation Session for Promoting Forgiveness and Reducing Anger
Forgiveness is one of the hardest things we can do.
People can sometimes be extremely horrible and make us feel the lowest as the low. It happens to us all at the best of times, and it can leave us to feel rather bitter. However, this is an incredibly harmful to our own well-being as these bitter feelings can last for months, and perhaps even a lifetime.
In the end, people move on, and if we’re feeling bitter without closure, this means that we’re never able to move, and we’ll become angry, full of hurt and pain. Ponder it for a moment.
This just goes to show how important forgiveness is.
Why Forgive?
After watching Tony Robbins: I’m Not Your Guru, he states that you cannot hate someone for what they have done for you because they also have made you who you are, and you should equally love them for that. There is no reason not to forgive.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should keep these toxic people in your life. It’s unhealthy to give forgiving people and allow them to keep causing you pain and hurt, but you need to be able to forgive them for moving on and having closure on the entire situation.
Immaculée Ilibagiza, a survivor of the 1992 Rwandan holocaust, spend three months in the bathroom of a pastor’s house with several other women, living off only scraps of food and no privacy or space whatsoever. Outside, millions of Rwandan people were slaughtered by militants.
If that wasn’t amazing enough, when the genocide was over, she then visited one of the militants who had been arrested for his crimes, which happened to be an old teacher. She then did the seemingly impossible and forgave him for the crimes and murder that he committed against her people.
If you get the chance to read her book ‘Left to Tell’, it’s well worth your time. She tells the story of how enlightening it was to forgive these people, despite holding so much anger and hatred towards these people for months.
If Ilibagiza is able to forgive people, then it should be no problem for you too. But this is, of course, easier said than done. However, using meditation, there’s a simply one-minute session to help you along the way.
The Method
While this may not seem like the conventional form of meditation, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t work. I know from personal experience!
Once a day, either when you wake up or go to bed (making it easier to form the habit) and simply say;
“I forgive every person who has harmed me, whether they meant to or not.”
Naturally, the people who you need to forgive will come to mind. Allow your mind to ponder them for a moment and think about letting go of the bitterness. You can do this sitting down, in bed or even at the end of your daily meditation session.
Think about each person that you want to forgive or hold anger against. Think about them and say;
“I forgive Sarah” and think about sending positive energy to that person and wishing them the best in their lives. You can go through this and do it to everybody you need to or however many people it feels right.
Go deep with your feelings and mean your forgiveness with every cell in your body. Practice daily, and you’ll see be able to happy, even when people cause you harm.
