THE MIND & BODY BLOG

While man was busy conquering nature with his newly acquired powers of biotechnology and information technology, nature decided to test his unchallenged reign of supremacy. The origin of corona virus remains shrouded in mystery, but philosophically it could be looked at as a war against human arrogance and his excesses. This is not the first time when mankind is faced with a threat that has blown into an existential crisis. In ancient India, saints like Augusta and Vishwamitra, armed with their meditative powers and intrinsic wisdom drawn from being one with the universe, had stepped in to save humanity from evil. Many present-day Babas (gurus), on the other hand, are in jail and those with market value are engaged in increasing their ratings by becoming psychotherapists on the electronic media. Incidentally, holy shrines across the world are now closed to believers. The priests with their deities in closed temples are following the advice of the scientists and call of the le...

Mahatma Gandhi saw this coming from a mile. Seems, India is going wrong somewhere, which is why its place has dropped in the Happiness index since 2013. Did you know India ranks lower than even Iraq and Pakistan on the World Happiness Index? India ranks 140th in the happiness quotient as per the latest report released in March this year . As a country, we are perennially on decline having dropped 7 notches from 133 in 2018 out of 156 countries surveyed. We stood at 122 in 2017, and with the latest drop our nation stands below Pakistan (67) China (93) and other immediate neighbours such as Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal. Looks like the entire nation, entrepreneurs and innovators have to buckle up their shoes to make the country prosperous and a happy place to live in. So, exactly why is India unhappy, despite the highest economic growth rate? A happiness index is not just statistics. It offers an insight into what’s on the minds of the peopl...

From what is now seen on television channels and propagated by fitness ‘gurus’ and celebrities, one would be made to believe one can nail yoga by mastering postures and increasing their flexibility and strength. But that’s far from reality. In fact, it is a market-driven version of traditional yoga — more dramatic and highly fascinating, customised to appeal to the uninitiated. Traditional yoga, on the other hand, seeks to initiate transformation in the person by helping them discover self and, at the same time, connecting with the universe as one attempts to use the huge potential of the brain. While we speak of using the brain’s potential to synchronise self with the universe, it’s worth mentioning how the brain is a unique organ in the human body. While it makes up for only 2 percent of body weight, it receives 20-25 percent of cardiac output, consumes 20 percent of the body’s oxygen and glucose supplies, utilises 50 percent of the overall gene pool and has neurons equal to the n...