In search of freedom and comfort

Often, I drink my morning tea sitting in the garden. The sounds of chirping birds and the cool morning breeze send my day off to a good start. Last week, one morning I noticed, two tiny little kittens were playing joyfully in one corner of the garden. They looked like two white angels, and were running up and down the red stairs, free and fearless. Their mother, an ash-colored cat was sitting on a chair. Seeing me approach, she jumped off to settle on a nearby cot. I was happily enjoying the activities of the cat family. Instantly I felt very close to them, and to bring them near, I offered a bowl of milk, which those two kittens licked joyfully, and the left over was polished off by my three legged dog Gujia in no time. I have enjoyed their company and decided to bring them back by offering milk to them every morning. Next few days they did not come and one morning while walking I noticed only one kitten was playing around chair. I gave her milk, which she drank, and after some time she also disappeared. Next morning, while I was waiting for them, my housemaid brought a very sad news. She said, one of the little kittens has lost her life by some insensitive driver. I was heartbroken. I enquired about her mother and her sibling, but no one could give me any information. I realized that mother cat must have migrated to some safer place with her other baby. Another week passed. One evening I noticed a little commotion behind a bush and I was thrilled to see my little friend came to give me a surprise visit. I was overjoyed, gave her milk which she finished in no time. She played hide and seek alone in the garden, with lot of curiosity watched on going activities of others, and then I did not notice when she disappeared, maybe she went back to her mother. I realized, they love their freedom, they are born free. And to have that, they are ready to face harshness of nature and human behavior. But they do not forget loving homes, where they are welcomed. So I keep a comfortable corner ready for such guests, in a corner of our garden, where food, water and a bed will be ready to welcome them back. Freedom inspires us to explore, and love brings us back to our nests. And by balancing these two poles may be why life becomes worth living.

Angels among us

Like a soothing moon light, often divine grace falls upon me. It has carried me through times of crisis, and also given me hope and strength to travel through the upheavals of life. We all can turn our old age into golden age with our wisdom, smiles and by extending our helping hands to needy souls. With reasonably good health, a comfortable home environment, and with the company of a few good friends, old age has turned into a truly golden age for me. Also, as my devoted son manages all my worldly problems by remote control from America, I get ample time to pursue my hobbies and play with my three legged dog Gujia. But life is unpredictable. One evening without any apparent reason, I felt uneasy, my head started reeling. I realized something was wrong. I brought my blood pressure measuring machine. My reading showed the reading in red. It was 220/130 – an alarmingly high reading. I called my son, and he was worried and gave me some instructions to follow. When I was thinking what to do next, my hand unknowingly touched the Whatsapp number of Jennifer, who is very dear to me. She has been a guardian angel, appearing in my life at times of crisis – the last one being when I was very ill with COVID) and has pulled me out of danger in the nick of time. My sincere gratitude to her cannot be expressed in words. We do not meet often, because she is a busy medical professional and a young mother of three and an efficient homemaker. But at this time of crisis, when I sent her a message, she immediately responded, and told me she was on her way to my home. Within ten minutes she reached, administered emergency medicine, and quickly stabilized me. She then called a nearby clinic and confirmed my appointment with a heart specialist next morning, and when everything that needed to be done was done, she paused - we enjoyed some lighter moments, laughed a lot, ate chocolates and took a selfie with a big smile. And then just like the wind, she was off going about changing the world one soul at a time. I admire her compassion, efficiency, and purpose. She is always calm, loving and effective – not an easy combination to pull off! And one we all can all aspire to have. I recognize Jennifer for what she is - a Godsend. I’m reminded of a few lines of a poem by Tagore - “You have let me know, what was hitherto obscure. Those who were far, you brought them near. A stranger you converted into brother “.

No such thing as coincidence

Long back, with an earnest request from our cousin sister and her husband, we went to Bombay to attend the marriage ceremony of their only son. We all celebrated the ceremony with gusto. It was short, simple and sweet. Soon after the ceremony was over, guests left, and the newly married couple also went for their honeymoon trip. We had only one day left in our hand before our scheduled departure. So we started thinking - how we could use that short time meaningfully. Nihar, our cousin’s husband, came up with a brilliant idea. He suggested that we all should visit the holy place of Shirdi, have Darshana of Sai temple, and be blessed with His divine spirit. We all welcomed his idea. Shirdi is a small place near Bombay. Hundred years ago, a great saint, known as Sai Baba, stayed there. In his lifetime and even after he left his body, people visit from every corner of the world to see this temple and to get His powerful blessings which infuses the air of the place. Without wasting much time, we started our journey through the only motorable road. We reached there by evening, went to a hotel and then went to Sai temple to attend the evening Arati. The experience was blissful. We did not miss the early morning Arati either. We happily donated generously in the donation box, and were also glad to know that Sai trust has a well-run hospital and a lot of good work happens with these donations. When we came out, to start our return journey, I found it was drizzling outside. I was surprised to see a long line was waiting to donate to feed people , ”Anna daan” – the direct donation of food for the needy– is a long-standing tradition. I was inspired, and joined the line to donate fifty one rupees, the amount left in my purse. My enthusiasm was disturbed however, by my husband who pointed out that we wouldn’t make the flight if I was to stand in the line of people waiting to donate. So grudgingly, I got into the car and headed for the airport in the heavy rain. Well it turned out that our departure was delayed due to heavy rain, and we reached Delhi after midnight, instead of eight in the evening. Reaching home went to sleep in no time. Early morning, I was awakened by our housekeeper who said, someone was standing near the gate and wanted to see me. Reluctantly I went and found a middle-aged man in the traditional robes of a renunciate standing there with a smiling face. He had a picture of Sai baba in his hand and said, “I am going to Shirdi temple for Anna Dan”, and wanted a donation from me to add to the contribution. When I asked him how much donation he wanted, he said, “fifty-one rupees only”. I happily handed him that exact sum still in my purse from the night before. The karma of the commitment of donation had found a different path to its fruition. Such incidences cannot be taken as co-incidence, nor can be explained by logic. They are like guideposts in our lives, pointing to a deeper, unseen force that drives and connects all of life. And when accepted, guides the traveler to cross the upheavals of life with confidence and courage, knowing that the divine spirit is always there as the foundation of our apparently disconnected life experiences.

Wisdom grows in silence

Loud is the language of power, and quiet is the language of wisdom. I remember joining a 10 day course on silent meditation organized by Swami Rama's international organization. Swami Rama was a great yogi who traveled to the US in early 1950s where he set up a training center that still flourishes in Pennsylvania. When he visited, nobody knew much about the power of yoga on the human body and mind. He proved clinically that you could control your autonomic system such as heart rate, blood pressure and so on and at the request of doctors, demonstrated this under a lab setting. They were convinced, became his followers, and started a now renowned organization in Swami Rama's name, which has training centers all over the world. I trained at the center in Rishikesh, India where we stayed in separate cottages on a beautiful campus. It was set in the mountains and surrounded with greenery and deep silence - broken only by the chirping of birds. The beautiful sights of sunrise and sunset opened the horizon of our mind to eternity. From early morning to 9pm at night we had a packed schedule of yoga and meditation classes (3 times a day). We had our breakfast and meals together in a common dinning hall that was silent. We greeted each other with a warm smile, and with folded hands - the Indian gesture of namaste but without uttering a word. On the eleventh day in the morning, we all came to the main meditation hall and were asked by our teachers to express our individual experiences. These experience, when verbalized, were deep and life changing. We all know that the verbal language is the vehicle through which we express our inner experiences and thoughts. When one learns to be calm, peaceful and compassionate, then their verbal expressions becomes pleasant, meaningful, and effective. Keeping silent, one gets ample time to think deeply, can utter right words without hurting others' sentiments. Words are like arrows - once released from the bow, they cannot be taken back and stay in lodged in the memory all through life. Through silence, we learnt to communicate wisely. We also learn to find our hidden talents and be happy within our inner self. It is said, where the heart is full, silence is the best expression. Words are like rain - much sound and many ripples. Silence is like a body of water. It can have the depth of an ocean and hold many worlds within. A beautiful blessing comes to mind - "May the stars carry your sadness away. May the flowers fill your heart with beauty. May hope wipe away your tears. And above all, may silence make you strong." The power of silence is unshakeable because there is nothing left to shake.

Simple is the path to the sublime

As a morning marks the day, childhood creates a glimpse of the life to come. Today, in my ripe old age, I look back at my childhood days and I feel amused. Devoid of modern facilities, then life was simple, joyful and stress free. We did not have fancy toys, smart phones or even television. We were happy to be drenched by the monsoon rains, enjoyed swinging atop a tree branch, or occasionally a walk down to a nearby village with our teachers to enjoy a picnic day. A walk on the moist green grass strewn with morning dew was so thrilling it is still a vivid memory. We had our classes in the shade of big trees except sfor cience classes, which needed equipment and classromms. Life was full of trust, love and sharing. I remember once as a young child, I was thrilled to discover a huge bottle gourd growing in our garden. As there was nobody around to share this amazing discover, I ran out of the compound of the house to find an old man was passing by - he became the unsuspecting candidate for sharing my exuberant discovery. I ran out to him, and dragged him by the arm into our garden to share my joyous discovery - "dadu (grandpa), come and see how beautiful this bottle gourd is, hanging from this creeper in our garden." Being a very kind man, he played the part of a willing and amazed audience quite well, much to my delight. With changing times our lifestyle has changed completely. Telephones, computers, televisions and ipads have taken over our life. Life lived within the closed in walls of apartment homes, and the constant drum beat of competitive exams for kids have made children's life more stressful. Even having fun has become work. Moreover, after the isolation of two years with covid, we all have become uncommunicative and our social senses have been somewhat dulled. We have almost lost the ease of friendly chatter, or a hearty laugh. The time has come to bring a meaningful changes in our lives - the essentials of a life well lives are simple. In forgetting ourselves we find ourselves. In serving all around us we create value in our own lives. And that is possible only by shifting our conciousness and surrendering to a greater cause than our own entrapment - one defined by constant distraction. It isn't entertainment that we must seek but stability and centeredness as a prerequisite to joyfulness. The simple act of breathing consciousless can bring us to our better selves. One that finds joy in just being. Children are unique in their power to create their own reality - much like the morning defines the day, the consciousness of a child if nurtured well will define a life well lived. We must remember the inspiring message of The Gita, which says, "meditation can bring correction and improvement to our inner personality, making the mind peaceful, poised and vibrant." No simpler nor truer words have been said.

Reiki and the miracle of healing from within

Reiki healing is a very popular therapy these days. Even in some hospitals, it is given to patients for quick recovery. Over 30 years ago, when Reiki was not widely practiced, I got an opportunity to learn it. Cosmic energy has demonstrable healing properties and while we might not understand how it works we know that it works. When energy points in our body get depleted, we become susceptible to infections and fall to ailments easily. A Reiki healer cleanses all energy points {chakras} of the body and directs the flow of universal energy through the channels and to the ailing points. The patient feels a sense of relaxation but far more powerful things are happening at the energetic level. As Paramhansa Yogananda said, "whatever mode of treatment one adopts, the mind in large measure may still determine the outcome, positive or negative." When I was initiated to reiki by a lady healer, I experienced something special. When she was cleaning my chakras from back side, I could feel some sensations on my spine. After continuous practice of reiki for 21 days, whenever I invoked receiving cosmic energy, my palms became hot, and that was the surest sign of the beginning of the energy flow. After that I worked pro bono for many healing centers and helped patients in many ways. Here I would like to share two of my experiences. Once I was invited by my friend to her daughter's wedding ceremony - a stressful affair as it turned out. After reaching there I found my friend was totally inactive and was lying still with closed eyes unable to talk even. Every one including her scientist husband {who was aprofessor of physics at Delhi University} was puzzled and did not know what to do. She seemed to be in some kind of a nervous break down due to stress. I sat near her head and started giving Reiki on her head with full concentration. To my and everyone's surprise, after 45 minutes she opened her eyes and asked her sister to help her dress up and said she should be ready to do all the rituals for the marriage ceremony. Her husband, wide eyed with disbelief, "what did you do?" I did nothing, just channeled the life force all around us through the magic of Reiki. In another case, I heard a dear friend who lost her husband of many years was in a desperate situation not being able to sleep after her loss. She was an accomplished person who had served as India's ambassador to many foreign countries but this life event had totally unnerved her. With a nervous voice she requested me to come to her immediately and asked if I could give her Reiki. She had remembered that long back when I gave her Reiki, she had deep sleep. I asked her to lay down and started giving Reiki. Her body convulsed every few minutes but I continued. After more than an hour, she started to drift into deep sleep and I quietly came out. In the evening, she called, and said that it was the first time in 7 days since her husband's passing that she'd been able to sleep deeply and feel rested. I mentally bowed to the power of Reike, all the grand masters who have taught it down the lineage and prayed for their blessings to make me capable of helping people in distress. My own experience is that Reiki makes my mind calm and fearless. It gives inner strength to face life With a smile. Often I remember a`beautiful saying of our beloved guru, Shri Paramhansa Yogananda, which empowers me and gives me inner strength to face all odds. He said, " Meet everybody and every circumstances of the battlefield of life with the courage of a hero, and the smile of a conqueror."

A flower and human life have the same purpose

Santiniketan means abode of peace. It is a small place in West Bengal where I grew up. Though it is surrounded with rural areas and small towns, it was different from them. Tagore established it with a vision of making it a cultural Centre. Scholars from different countries came, shared their knowledge, and also became familiar with Indian culture in its many different forms.Back when the caste system was quite predominant in many parts of India, Tagore expressed Buddha's universal brotherhood and unconditional love and compassions through many of his plays and poems that touched my young mind very deeply. Buddha said we all have Buddhahood in us, so without searching it outside, we must search for it inside and be free. Similar to that, in Santiniketan no traditional idol worship was practiced, and only Upanishadic sayings of self realization were taught through weekly sermons. I experienced the true flavor of Buddhist culture first when I visited the Buddhist country of Sri Lanka with my husband for an international conference and stayed with a very cultured Ceylonese couple in 1981. Even before landing there I could feel closeness with that island. It looked like a perfect picture painted in blue and green. I could see only tall coconut trees surrounded by the blue ocean.People looked friendly, happy and healthy. It was totally a different picture from what I'm reading of today's Sri Lanka. One morning my kind hostess invited me to accompany her to a very famous Buddhist temple in Colombo, the capital city. It was her daughter's birthday. While the daughter lived far from her in a different country, she wanted to celebrate the auspicious occasion with me. She loaded her car with home cooked delicious food and we drove to our destination, a temple. That morning I was surprised to hear a Bengali song on the local Colombo radio station but more surprises were waiting for me. After reaching there we were received by an elderly head monk. Knowing that I was from Bengal, with a smile in his face he recited few lines in Bengali, which said, long back prince Vijoy Singha from Bengal came and conquered Sri Lanka. Later I checked, and found it in history book. Our next move was to going to an alter made of shining black stone (but no idol), where we offered flowers. While offering flowers, the lady instructed me to pray mentally, "Lord, as these flowers will wither away at your feet, I am also offering my life at your feet, to do your service through love and compassion, and when time comes, let it wither away at your feet. That was a great message which stayed in my heart like a precious jewel all through life. I realized life gets full by giving, not by taking. She also asked me to offer a plate of food to Lord Buddha, and to serve food to all monks with her. Many years have past. The solemn fire which she ignited and touched my heart is still alive and helping me keep going in life.

To serve the needy is to serve God

Our own mind can be our greatest friend or the greatest enemy, says the Bhagavad Gita. It depends on how it guides our intention and thus our destiny. Last month I read a news paper report. It said one young girl and her younger brother were abandoned by their parents, and they were lucky to be taken by some kind passerby to an orphanage. The girl went to a government school, passed all exams and finally cleared the medical entrance test. I am sure, soon she will blossom as a competent and a compassionate doctor. Success stories of orphan children bring immense joy to my mind. For last twenty years I was associated with an orphanage as a voluntary worker. It was a very pleasant experience. By telling them stories, or teaching them music or yoga, when I could bring beaming smile in their faces, it made me immensely happy and brought inner satisfaction in my life. The orphanage where I used to go was near my house but later shifted to a distance. But distance could not dampen my spirit. Our loyal driver Rajbir Singh used to take me to my dear children on a regular basis. During lock down period and even now, many migrant laborers, cab drivers, and hotel workers are facing a lot of financial problems. Our Rajbir driver who now drives his own taxi under uber and Ola App, is also facing a lot of problem due to frequent price hikes in petrol, diesel and CNG. Keeping his calm profile, he works hard to maintain his family. He parks his car in our drive way so he comes every day, has some tea or cold drink, and narrates his day's adventure to me. Today he came with a bright face and told me a thrilling story. When he passed through the market close to where we live, he noticed a young boy of nine years old begging by the side of the road. So he stopped and talked to the boy and came to know that the boy's father died, mother remarried and abandoned him on the street. He has no siblings and he picks up empty bottles from the marketplace and sells them to buy some food. The boy's tragic story touched Rajbir's heart. So he took that boy to his home, tried to contact boy's distant relations, but did not get any positive response. He finally took him to the same orphanage he used to drive me to. Before going there he got the boy's covid test done with Rs.500, and paid the money from his own pocket. I was overjoyed to hear that story. As only a hungry man knows what hunger is, our Rajbir also felt the pain of that boy in his heart, because he also had gone through a traumatic childhood. I blessed Rajbir from my heart, for providing home to a homeless child. The orphanage authorities allow Rajbir to visit that boy once in a month as his guardian. Now the little boy will grow up with other children, will go to school, and who knows, in future he may also clear entrance test of medical or engineering and will be ready to serve society with compassion and competence. True compassion is a live wire of inspiration. it can motivate people to touch the stars. The idea of helping the needy is deeply ingrained in Indian thought. As Swami Vivekananda said, " If you want to find God, serve the needy"

Colors of our lives

Indian festivals are generally based on mythological stories. Holi and Diwali are no exception. These two festivals are also very special, because they indicate a change of seasons. After Diwali, suddenly the winter breeze starts blowing, and Holi is the gateway to welcome spring. Like a magical change, flowers start blooming everywhere, birds start singing, and butterflies fly from flower to flower, collect honey and pollinate plants. In the early morning hours, I love to spend my time sitting in my little garden. I see the splash of colors everywhere and find small birds sitting on a bottle brush tree, singing so joyfully. Old leaves fall off to welcome tender leaves and adorn the old branches with new leaves. I find everywhere in nature, change comes smoothly, without any resistance or clinging. This is a wonderful lesson we may learn that can make each life beautiful. The lesson is one of grace and harmony towards a peaceful co-existence. We can make ours and each other’s life so joyful if we’re at peace. Instead of cultivating tolerance, we choose to be intolerant. Instead of playing with colors of love our great civilizations play with hatred and blood. Unless we learn to wipe out hatred, anger, and greed from the core of our hearts, there can never be any solutions. In realizing the impermanent nature of life, we may break out from our delusions. Paramhansa Yogananda said, "The Lord has arranged for us this visit to the earth. Forgetting the temporary nature of our stay, we form various attachments. But when our earth visa expires, we are forced to leave behind all we had thought we possessed. Realize now that you are a soul and not the body. Why wait for death rudely to instruct you," As we connect with harmony in nature, we immediately experience the benefit of being in nature. Even spending a few hours in my garden, I feel immensely relaxed. I was reading about a Japanese therapy - Shinrin-Yoku . Shinrin means forest and yoku means bath. One feels de-stressed by being in nature and experiencing the environment through our senses in a slow and mindful way. So being born as a superior creature on this earth, human beings must realize that a harmonious way of living is the only way by which we can live and let others live.

Our Teacher, Captain Rex

In the short span of 8 years, our brave Captain sailed through many difficulties without fear and reached his heavenly abode peacefully on 13th February,2022. He had a beautiful coat of orange and white fur and was rescued three times in three different situations before he landed into the safe and loving home of Prodeep and Louisa in the Hamptons. This brave heart flew from California to New York all alone, sitting calmly in a cage like a sadhu. He was lovingly welcomed by Mr. Miyabi, an independent, starry eyed black and tan puppy and two great animal lovers. In my first encounter with Captain I was most attracted to his eyes which were full of compassion and had depth of an ocean. I was inspired to name him Karuna Nanda, an Indian name which means joy of compassion. Captain and Mr. Miyabi became great friends. Captain was obedient, compassionate, and friendly while Mister Was starry eyed, independent minded, playful. They loved to run on the beaches, chase wild birds and finally jump in to the ocean to have a good swim. Captain always wanted to make friendship with rabbits, deer, birds and chased them with the intention of making friends with them. We know because he caught up to ducks, swans and loons more than once and instead of attacking them went and sniffed them and sat down. But seeing athletic dog running at them, these creatures ran away and in that process, often our friendly Captain lost his way back home, and created sleepless nights for all. During the pandemic time, when Prodeep was working from home, Captain was his constant companion and followed him like a shadow. The flow of life is very strange - when and how it takes an unexpected turn, nobody knows. Captain was not keeping well for some time. Finally after many tests, he was detected with stomach cancer at a late stage. It was a great blow for us all but like a small child, being totally unaware of his health problem, he loved revisiting his favorite beaches, played with Tiger, his horse friend on the last day, and loved to lay on the deck quietly to watch the flocks of birds flying overhead. At the very end, lying on the chest of his master, and surrounded by all his dear ones, he left his mortal body peacefully. He was a blessed soul to pass away peacefully, loved and remembered by all . We mourn when we cannot see our dear ones physically. But the soul never dies. Like waves break down into the ocean to be one with it, souls, discarding it's limitations dissolve into infinity into universal consciousness. We can feel his loving presence every where when we step out on the dewy grass, lovingly care for helpless animals,or look at the dark sky, glittering with twinkling stars. We may find his loving assurance, "Do not cry, I am with you always". As the poet Tagore wrote - "Brightly shining is the pole star in the dark. Oh mind, do not lose your focus. Do not stop your song, when subjected to sorrow." May we all channel Captain's joyfulness, enthusiasm and kindness in our own lives in his loving memory.

Surya yoga and the possibilities of our relationship with the sun

India is the land of Mystics and yogis. Their wisdom has flowed through the ages from teacher to disciple. Long back I got a rare chance to meet a surya yogi who knew how to draw energy from the rising and setting sun. Just as our digestive system converts food to energy measured in calories, surya yogis know how to convert sunlight into the same. This is not so far fetched given that modern technology is trying to capture solar energy and trying to apply it in convert it into electricity and use it in many ways. We are at the core, electromagnetic beings after all. So when I got an invitation from an well known organization of Delhi(India International Centre), to attended a class of a surya yogi, I was overjoyed. I have great faith and interest in acquiring such rare knowledge, so I did not want to miss that opportunity. On the scheduled date I reached there early morning when and found almost fifty people (mostly foreigners), sitting on a lawn facing towards the eastern sky. And the Surya yogi, a bare bodied lean and thin middle aged man was sitting on a platform facing us. In a short time, when the first rays of the rising sun began to touch our eyes, the Surya yogi instructed us to look at the soft rising sun calmly with even breath, and then gradually shift our attention to our Ajna chakra,(middle point of two eyebrows). He asked us to sense if there was a little vibration and warmth of morning sun at that point. When our breath became even, he instructed us to imagine drawing energy from the sun with inhalation and sending that to every part of the body through exhalation. The method seems to be simple. But to acquire that skill regular practice and deep concentration is needed. I found it extremely beneficial and increasingly so over the years of practice. Today's urban housing in multi storied buildings limits round the clock access to direct sun light which as never the case in traditional housing. It is established fact that the sun is the main source of vitamin D just as it is the life giving energy source of the planet. It also boosts up our moods and reduces stress reactions and helps us fight many diseases. In India , we are very lucky to have sun rays almost all through the year, and so we have fabulous plant diversity. As Charles Dickens noted, "Our life can be richer, if we know how to use sun rays wisely." The bright sun brings back not light alone, but new light and hope, and freshness to man."

The mind's horizon

Recently my son took a beautiful photo of the ocean at the break of dawn. It was a thin line of bright light was coming out piercing through the darkness above and below - the horizon, a crack between the sky and the ocean. It inspired in me a sense of being joyful and courageous. As if in a whisper, it said - the mind is that window of bright light in the vast dark expanse of the universe and its secrets. Life starts like a sparkling and dancing river. We embrace it with our aspirations and with many hopes. We want to remain happy and connected with others and imagine it flowing forever. Little do we realize that life is but a moment of light piercing the dark, and we are all dancers in the interplay of matter and energy, ready to transform when the moment passes. Passing through many phases and encountering many challenges, when finally we enter the golden period of old age our views become more balanced and matured. Though like an old car, our physical faculties start shaking, when we learn to manage one part, other parts start creaking and groaning. At that point many of us feel powerless and lost. The only remedy is to maintain a positive outlook, and stay focused on the power of the mind that can penetrating the universe with the bright light of the dawn and show us what we truly are. When we slow down at the tail end of this journey, we all need rest and loving care from dear ones. In that, some are fortunate, some and some are not. But whatever the situation we may face, we cannot afford to lose control of the only tool of courage and positivity - the mind. When life seems to be a struggle, we should try to draw strength from that cosmic spart that lives within us, stay calm and do our duty as appropriate to what life asks of us.Decaying physical health can be managed by maintaining a simple and disciplined life which includes yoga, meditation, proper food, and appropriate rest. We are all parts of a whole. Individuals lit by the universal source of energy - the source of our life force and consciousness. The manifestations of energy may by heat or light, star systems or life forms. But each state is transient and when the moment passes, all must become the same. Life gives an opportunity to realize our cosmic connection through transformations - both challenging and joyful. But our mind can frame our state of being into one that is ever loving, carefree, peaceful and courageous. I end with a few inspiring lines from Tagore, "I know your presence, when I bow to you in my days of prosperity, in my darkest nights, when the whole world turns against me. Let me not ever doubt you".