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Tag: health family & personal development

Yoga Reads for Everyone!

Posted on by Penguin India

Yoga really has something for everybody. It has a number of benefits for the mind, the body as well as the soul. There have been many books that inform us not only about the practice, its tips and tricks, but also the fascinating story behind all of it.

In celebration of the International Day of Yoga, we’ve put together a list of six books for you and your child that can act as an introduction into the world of yoga, or for improving your knowledge and practice.

 

For you:

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra

A contemporary interpretation of the foundational text for the practice of yoga. Patañjali’s Yoga Sutra (second century CE) is the basic text of one of the nine canonical schools of Indian philosophy. In it the legendary author lays down the blueprint for success in yoga, now practiced the world over. Patañjali draws upon many ideas of his time, and the result is a unique work of Indian moral philosophy that has been the foundational text for the practice of yoga since.

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Laughter Yoga

Laughter yoga is a revolutionary idea: simple and profound. A practice involving prolonged voluntary laughter, it is based on scientific studies that have concluded that such laughter offers the same physiological and psychological benefits as spontaneous laughter. This comprehensive book by the founder of the laughter yoga club movement, Dr Madan Kataria, tells you what laughter yoga is, how it works, what its benefits are and how you can apply it to everyday life.

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Beyond Asanas

Have you ever wondered how the names for yoga poses came about, inspired from animals, nature, and even sages?
Using thirty carefully researched asanas, yoga teacher Pragya Bhatt draws upon her own yoga practice and research to make a connection between ancient Indian mythology and modern yoga practice in Beyond Asanas.

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The Story of Yoga: From India to the Contemporary World

This comprehensive history sets yoga in its global cultural context for the first time. From arcane religious rituals and medieval body-magic, through muscular Christianity and the British Raj, to the Indian nationalist movement and the arrival of yoga in the twentieth-century West, we discover how the practice reached its present-day ubiquity and how it became embedded in powerful social currents shaping the world’s future, such as digital media, celebrity culture, the stress pandemic and the quest for an authentic identity in the face of unprecedented change.

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For your little one:

Peppa Pig: Peppa Loves Yoga

It is a very busy day at Peppa and George’s playgroup, but they have a very special visitor coming in the afternoon. Miss rabbit is going to teach the children how to calm down and relax with yoga. The children love learning all the different positions… And the parents love picking up their calm children! Read more here.

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Om the Yoga Dog: Fun and Easy Asanas for Happy Kids

 

It’s fun yoga time with Om the Yoga Dog, Prana the Frog and Moksha the Elephant! Learn and master essential asanas like Roaring Lion and Tummy Sandwich, pranayama techniques like Anulom Vilom and meditation exercises like Yoga Nidra.

What it take to Build a Happy Family

Posted on by Penguin India

You can’t have a happy family unless you’re happy yourself. Raageshwari Loomba, an award-winning speaker on mindfulness, shows us how to create an excellent atmosphere for the entire family to thrive in. Her relateable style is coupled with real-life examples, such as that of Albert Einstein, who couldn’t speak till the age of four and was a poor student. His parents encouraged him with love and allowed him to learn at his own pace. This, she shows, is the way to bring up your own little genius.
Building a Happy Family brings to you 11 simple mindfulness philosophies that will enrich and strengthen your and your children’s inner world. Through scientific research and her own intimate story of heartbreak and facial paralysis, Raageshwari emphasises how our thoughts can manifest further struggles or glory, and how teaching children early that our inner world attracts our outer world is key. Parents are taught to encourage their children’s original expressions, creativity and joy, and not lose sight of it in their own lives too. This is the secret to a happy family.

 

Read an excerpt from the book below:

Why Mindfulness?

 

There are many inner-work philosophies, just as there are many meditation techniques. To counter anxiety, restlessness, anger, stress and depression, we can turn to the following:
  • The zen method, wherein we build our centre by focusing only on one object.
  • The mantra method, wherein we build our awareness by consistent repetition of a mantra or a shloka.
  •  The t’ai chi, yoga or qigong method, wherein we build our alertness with slow body movements to align with our inner feelings and thoughts.
However, mindfulness is particularly brilliant for parents because it gently reminds us to be present, to live to the fullest now, to not be concerned about getting to the next place. By being present now, we give children what they crave— our complete attention. Not to mention, we learn to be happy, we learn to be grateful and we alleviate stress and anxiety. In short, we become like children.
Santhosh Babu, founder, OD Alternatives, and mindfulness coach, says, ‘Psychologists, whichever branch of psychology they believe or practice, collectively agree that our behavioural patterns are shaped at an early stage of our lives. The most important influence for most of us at an early stage is the influence of our parents. Thus, our parenting styles, our behaviour towards children and the way we bring them up become the most influencing factors in who they end up becoming. Here, the importance of mindful parenting comes into the picture. Are we projecting our unfulfilled dreams on to our children? The way we react or act in front of our children could shape their world view and belief system. So how can we be the role models who allow healthy mental development in our children while we live in a world of distractions? Mindfulness philosophy and mindfulness techniques help us to be fully present for our children which in turn develop empathy and emotional resilience in them.’
Why is mindfulness important?
Do you wake up exhausted, thinking, ‘What needs to be done today?’ Wake up spouse, wake up children, pack the tiffin, get to school, get to work, answer emails, answer texts and oh! We are hosting a dinner tonight!’ Do you keep thinking about what needs to be done next? Do you always seem to be in a rush? All these are classic symptoms that you are never fully HERE and are constantly anxious and stressed about the next action on the to-do list.  You are overwhelmed and constantly snapping. You get irritated and provoked by family, friends and especially your children. Rather than listening and being still for a while, you react impulsively. Then you keep thinking about it and regretting your outburst.  The same pattern of anxiety, restlessness, worry and anger, followed by regret, continues in your life. Hence, mindfulness is important.  With mindfulness, we can train ourselves to slow down so that we can achieve much more. We can learn to enjoy this moment NOW and savour its memories.  Our family, friends and colleagues will then see that we can listen with love and reason with patience. Our relationships will flourish. With a few simple changes and techniques, you will see how your life is in your control again. You will have patience, presence, more focus, less anger and more insight.  The fact that you are able to focus on the present moment will take away a great deal of stress and anxiety from your life.
But what does my mindfulness have to do with the mindfulness of my children?
The philosophy of mindfulness is all about not being judgemental and being present. Today, parenting is the opposite of mindfulness; it is all about judging and rushing around. Children are naturally mindful as they are not culturebound, have zero judgemental qualities, zero prejudices, are happy without a reason and not concerned about getting to the next destination.They are born with the gift to understand that our inner world creates our external world.  Children are naturally curious and filled with wonder. They cheer up quickly and forgive and forget easily. Their desires are simpler; they wish to touch a pebble or wave at another kid passing by or simply play in the rain. They love being present in the NOW and are not even aware of the great gift they possess. Children lose this gift because of conditioning and well-meaning adults. Adults are the ones rushing them and urging them to get to the next moment or next destination. For example, a parent taking their child to a birthday party will say, ‘We don’t have time, get into the car. We don’t have much time, so we must reach soon.’ Once they are at the party, the parent says, ‘Eat the cake quickly and take the balloons if you want to. We don’t have time and we have to leave now to avoid the terrible traffic.’ And before we know it, the child has turned out just like them. Adults unknowingly train children to believe that happiness is a moving target and life is all about reaching the next destination. Hence, it’s ironic and amusing to see adults trying to achieve mindfulness, a quality that we once possessed in abundance as kids and were forced to let go of. Sadly, this terrible cycle continues with our own children. So, as parents, it is vital that we learn how to be mindful all over again so that we can allow our children to grow into mindful individuals.
How can I be mindful when a child irritates me?
Sometimes, when our children take too long to get ready and we have chores to finish, or when they are rude and angry, we immediately want to clarify who’s boss and fire back promptly. But do remember, our anger can never defuse a child’s anger, only calmness can. We are all sensitive to vibrations, and children are brilliant at sensing ours. On an external level, when children see us acting stressed, angry and restless, they internalize this behaviour and present it back to us in their times of distress. Let us remind ourselves that asking someone to hurry up too many times only triggers and escalates stress and anger. Hence, children reflect this behaviour. It is just like a boss hovering around us, waiting for us to finish a task. ‘Hurry up, I said. Hurry up, will you? Are you listening to me? Goodness, how slow are you?’ I wonder how well we would do a task under such circumstances. Just like an irate and hyper individual comes across as weak, so too does an irate and hyper parent. Stress and anger are a chain reaction, just like peace, patience and mindfulness.  An angry parent asking a child to be calm will not work for long. A parent who rarely gives focused attention to a child cannot expect the child to communicate effectively with them in the future. Hence, can you be mindful of your emotions the next time your child upsets you? It is in your control to stop the vicious cycle of helplessness and start the cycle of mindfulness. Just be still, sip some water and breathe. Reframe your thinking, focus on something that brings you joy. Now observe the same child; you will notice a shift in their behaviour too.  When we are at ease and show confidence, our children take us far more seriously and naturally reflect that. This book is about training you to take the onus on yourself in every situation. This book is about you accepting the reality that parenting is all about bringing up the parent and not the child. Once you master this art, you will magically navigate every situation. This is science. This is the magic of mindfulness!

Get your copy of Building a Happy Family here 🙂

Should You Dance When You’re Pregnant? – An Excerpt from ‘Amma Mia’

Posted on by Penguin India

Is my baby not well?

When can I introduce my baby to solid foods?

Becoming a new mother can be an exciting yet overwhelming time. No matter how prepared you are, there will always be many confusing moments, opinions and a whole lot of drama! And just like any other new mom, Esha Deol Takhtani was faced with many such questions soon after the birth of her two daughters-Radhya and Miraya.

Packed with advice, tips, stories and easy and delicious recipes for toddlers, Amma Mia reflects the personal journey of one woman’s transformation into a mother. Informative and easy to follow, this book will help new mothers navigate the ups and downs of raising a healthy toddler and make their child fall in love with food.

Read an excerpt from the book below:

 

When she[Hema Malini] was five months pregnant, my mother was shooting for two films—Satte Pe Satta and Razia Sultan. In the song, ‘Dukki Pe Dukki Ho’, you can clearly see her bump. That’s me in there! And for Razia Sultan, she had to ride a horse while pregnant. She tells me that I’m restless and energetic because she was physically active during her nine months. She also danced onstage during her pregnancy. You must remember that she was doing this during the 1980s, when it was radical for a woman to be so active while pregnant.

 

My mother is a superwoman like that, who has always broken the rules and stereotypes of what women should be like. She has always inspired me to push the limits. In fact, I will never forget what she told me when I was pregnant. She said, ‘You’re not sick that you need to rest all the time. You’re simply pregnant. After delivery, your body is at its most elastic and flexible. You can mould it into any shape you want.’

 

And so I followed her advice unconditionally. I performed the dance ballet, Ramayana, on stage; I worked on a short film called Cakewalk; I wrote this book during my second pregnancy; and I had many other projects in the pipeline.

 

Channelling your inner creativity is a great way to enrich your nine months because the energy and positivity will most certainly be transferred to your child. That being said, no two pregnancies are alike. If you have complications or have been advised rest by your gynaecologist, do so. Be cautious. Don’t be silly or impulsive. From the day you know you’re pregnant, you must be careful. There will be many people with all sorts of advice during this time but pay heed to only one person: your gynaecologist.

For more tips and tricks, check out Amma Mia by Esha Deol Takhtani.

On hope and healing

Posted on by Penguin India
by Tanu Shree Singh

‘Last three years have been a struggle after Mom passed away. Darkless brought a sense of calm to me. That I am okay. That I will be okay,’ a woman my age wrote in a few days back.

‘I read this to my boy. After we turned the last page, he gave me the tightest hug though he had been at loggerheads with me the entire day!’ said another.

And then there have been the responses at various sessions with kids:

‘Dying scares me.’

‘I am scared that my pet dog won’t come back from hospital.’

‘My Dadi is too sick.’

Darkless || Tanu Shree Singh, Sandhya Prabhat (Illustrator)

The conversations amaze me, stump me, but mostly worry me since most of the children also confess that they have never talked to anyone about it.

It has been more than four months since the book came out and never had I anticipated that it would reach people across age groups, across fears and across life situations. It is surreal and humbling at the same time. And when someone somewhere reaches out to let me know that the book helped them reach out or find inner peace, it makes all the phases of uncertainty before it came out totally worth it.

People often ask if any personal tragedy or fear prompted me to write Darkless. Although, all of us have our own bags full of fears and worries, this book didn’t come from that bag. It came out of a telephone conversation with a friend, Vaani Arora, who was working on some story based on the concept of light and dark as part of a STEM series. I saw light as something that seemed bright and colorful when the heart felt light. And when clouds of uncertainty, fear or worries visited, everything got dark. The story continued long after she hung up. I wrote it and sent it to a number of places only to be handed one rejection after another. Most thought that it was too dark or made no financial sense and so on.

I forgot all about it too for a couple of years. And then out of the blue I sent it to Pickle Yolk Books. Rest as they is a mad slice of history. We all put our hearts into the books – Sandhya with her sensitive illustrations, Richa with her impeccable editing and ideas and finally Sohini for putting her faith in the book. And then the hunt for the right title began! We brainstormed different options and out of the blue, Parag from Penguin said ‘Darkless’! We literally pounced at it. I have always maintained that books are a product of good teamwork and this one is a perfect example of that.

Darker emotions are often brushed under the carpet, more so when it comes to children, since we assume that they do not feel the depth of it or that they need to be protected from them. We hide them from uncomfortable situations and questions. We do that thinking that we are keeping them safe from whatever life throws at them. The truth is that somewhere, we are in denial. We don’t want to face the realities ourselves, mostly out of uncertainties and fears, and so rather than befriending and eventually accepting our own demons, we choose to ignore. The children, meanwhile, deal with their own solitary clouds in whatever way they can. Sometimes they accept the cloud as a part of themselves.

What we – the grown-ups – forget is that kids are just regular people. They experience all emotions as adults do, with similar intensities. The sessions that I have done so far around the book have been an eye-opener. From first graders to teenagers, all start the conversation about anxiety, stress and fear with innocuous things like worms, lightning, and bad dreams, and soon quiet conversations around deeper, bigger fears follow; things that they normally do not talk to anyone about. From fear of dying, being left alone, to anxiety around a sick family member and even the mortal fear of losing them – everything tumbles out. When asked what they do when they are gripped by these worries, most had little to say. They mostly kept quiet, mostly buried it.

Through this book, I hope to give the quiet ones a way forward, some tools to deal with the grief, a small step out of their own worry clouds. We need these conversations on fears, on worries, on friends like Ani’s who don’t give up, on the importance of being in the present, and being gratefully aware of the good things in life, no matter how small they are; just like the dust fairies that Ani loved to spot.

‘Ma’am,’ a little girl approached me after a recent session and asked, ‘can I please hug you?’ I received one of the warmest hugs in a long time. ‘I get scared of having no friends too,’ she whispered. ‘But I will be okay, thank you.’ Moments like these make all the drafts that I wrote, all the words I let go of, and the ones I stood by while we made the book, totally worth it.

My hope for this book is not multiple editions or a position in bestsellers’ list. My hope for it is that it helps a child rekindle hope and allows some grown-up somewhere to shed some happy tears and heal.

The importance of gratitude in everyday life

Posted on by Penguin India

Making a conscious effort to count one’s blessings adds to physical and psychological well-being of a person. Mandira Bedi’s book Happy for No Reason affirms the beneficial effects of expressing appreciation for what one has. She illustrates how gratitude can be achieved by minimizing the possibility of mulling over negative emotions of resentment, envy, and depression.

Why is gratitude an important facet of being happy for no reason? Here’s Mandira Bedi telling you why!

 

Gratitude is the key

“Wherever there is gratitude, there is no room for unhappiness. The two are mutually exclusive.”

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Biggest learning: being grateful, not entitled

“When we receive something on a regular basis, we start taking it for granted. Even if it is a gift, eventually we come to expect it. Going by natural human tendency, if we receive a gift long enough, we come to view it almost as entitlement.”

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The real transformation

“I can see now that it wasn’t really an epiphany, but I know it had everything to do with gratitude, that it came about when I started feeling and experiencing sincere thankfulness at the very core of my being. For all the small things. For my home, my body, my son, my husband, my family, for the love I receive, the car I drive, the muscles that show, the food I eat, the good single malt . . . for every single thing.”

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The truth of life

“Gratitude is a state of being, literally! When we simply are, with all-encompassing awareness, we are opening up to appreciate the wonderment of life and nature and existence itself.”

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Gratitude is the state of being

“One can never run out of gratitude. I can look back at every single moment of my life—the good, the bad, the ugly—and give thanks. Because all of that has brought me to this very moment. Right here, right now, writing these words. I feel great right now. And if this moment feels aligned and full and content, everything is perfect.”

If you’ve resonated with any of these, then pick up your copy of Happy for No Reason to walk further into Mandira Bedi’s journey of eternal gratitude (and of course, happiness!).

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