Shelly Burgess is a longtime Heartfulness practitioner and a Heartfulness trainer. She has taught physics for the past twenty-four years at a suburban Midwestern high school where she serves as chair of the science department. She’s a wife and the mother to two very active teenagers. When free time exists, she likes to read, bike, and hike.

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Shelly Burgess

<h4>SHELLY BURGESS is a high school physics teacher and a meditation trainer. Here, she tells her story about losing sight of her purpose in the midst of the Covid pandemic, and how positive intention renewed her focus and allowed her to accept the last year through a lens of self-compassion, grace, and optimism.&nbsp;</h4><hr>We’ve all had challenges since the pandemic began. Some challenges have certainly been greater than others, but we’ve all had our share of struggles and pain. An effective meditation practice can help us immensely with such life stressors. I know this, of course. I’ve been practicing Heartfulness for thirty years, so of course I was primed to ride out pandemic turbulence with a good measure of serenity and grace … except that I did a terrible job of meditating for over a year.It’s embarrassing, but I am admitting this for a reason. Let’s first rewind, so I can tell you why my terrible job of meditating led me to one of the most important revelations of my life.Allow me to introduce myself. I am a mother of two active teens, a wife, and a daughter. Like many women, I work hard at home to make life nice for my loved ones. I also teach advanced high school physics to teens with serious college aspirations. In a normal school year, I run myself ragged trying to give my children their best start in life and care for my family, while also striving to provide a world-class education to the hundred or so students who count on me at school. My responsibilities are pretty demanding, but my Heartfulness practice keeps me balanced, and I also enjoy sharing meditation with others as a trainer. I’m busy, but it works.Enter 2020, which was a period of upheaval. I make no suggestion that my pain has been anywhere near what others have suffered, but as the pandemic began I struggled. My children switched to online learning while I switched to online teaching. In one room, I led my classes through Zoom, and during breaks I checked on my kids and tried to keep them as motivated and happy as possible. So began the daily cycle. In order to give my own kids my all, while providing a superior education to my students, I was working longer and longer hours. While transitioning a lab course to a digital format, encouraging my suffering students, and holding my family together, I had less and less steam to keep myself running. Slowly my meditation practice began to erode. When I sat in the evenings to meditate, it felt like I had nothing left to set my meditation in motion because I had let myself become so run down.When my alarm went off in the morning so I could meditate before work, I couldn’t get up. I needed sleep. As the school year went on, and my workload and my family’s needs compounded, I slept fewer and fewer hours and had less and less to give. My meditation practice became a skin-and-bones version of its former self, but I had so much to do to serve others, what choice did I have, right?Three weeks before the school year ended, I was concerned that I couldn’t make it. I felt as if a panic attack was lurking around every corner, but I pushed. By this time, I felt that my spiritual condition was really run down, a shadow of its former state. This added to my anxiety. I love meditation. I love what it does for me. Now, not only had I not used it to get through the school year, but I felt like I had slid backward. My heart no longer felt like a glowing sanctuary. It felt like a racing heartbeat. It was distressing. Had I damaged myself physically? Yes, definitely. My body had lots of ways of telling me. Had I damaged myself spiritually? This was a real worry.<hr><hr><h5>I raise my children and serve my family with love&nbsp; in line with my spiritual goal.&nbsp; I serve my students with care in line with my spiritual goal.&nbsp; I serve the hearts of those I encounter,&nbsp; and in doing so, my own heart grows in purity.</h5><hr><hr>Heartfulness offers us <a href="https://www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/a-users-guide-to-living-part-1/">ten universal principles</a> to help navigate life’s challenges in an ennobling way. The third principle suggests that we set a goal of the highest spiritual attainment. In a normal year, I think about this all the time. It helps me frame everything I do within that higher purpose. I raise my children and serve my family with love in line with my spiritual goal. I serve my students with care in line with my spiritual goal. I serve the hearts of those I encounter, and in doing so, my own heart grows in purity. At least, that’s the way it is in a normal year.This year? It took until May to realize that I had been serving the wrong master, so to speak. My goals had become mundane: “I have to write multiple versions of this test to make it fairer, in case kids try to cheat.” “I have to come up with a way for students to run this experiment at home using household tools, and then create an online format for them to post their data.” “I have to hang out with my kids while they do their homework so they feel supported.” “I have to cook dinner and do laundry!”<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/rediscovering_my_purpose2_8a3e3e2799.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T12:21:45.659Z" alt="rediscovering-my-purpose2"><hr><hr><h5>When I serve others in tune with my spiritual goal,&nbsp; I do a better job – I am more loving and more balanced.&nbsp; The self-care that comes with my meditation&nbsp; practice allows me to be better in all my roles,&nbsp; and better to myself.</h5><hr><hr>Ah … the pressing immediacy of meeting responsibilities. I had allowed this to become my goal.I didn’t even see it coming.By not attending well enough to my heart, by not balancing my mind regularly enough through d meditation, by letting myself become so mentally exhausted that I got sidetracked from my goal, I “served the wrong master.” For a year. And where it led me was not good at all. I could barely even tap into that glowing goodness that was formerly an ever-present reservoir in my heart.Well, the story would have had a terrible ending if I had stopped there and given up! And who wants a lousy ending to a story? So now comes the good stuff!First, I dived back into my daily practice, along with lots and lots of positive suggestions. The good news: I can tell I’m rebounding. The bad news: I still have a way to go. The bottom line: There’s always hope.Second, I’m proof that Heartfulness works, because when I let my practice and my goal slip, I saw the dark side of losing sight of them.And that leads to my huge revelation: Third, serve the right master, remember my goal. When I do this, everything else falls into balance. Losing sight of it led me down a dark path. Returning my focus has offered me a way back.Does that mean I should not serve my family and my students? Not at all. In fact, when I serve them in tune with my spiritual goal, I do a better job – I am more loving and more balanced. The self-care that comes with my meditation practice allows me to be better in all my roles, and better to myself.One last little gem popped into my memory as I re-established my practice. A doozy of a positive suggestion came to me, and it has made a huge difference. Decades ago, a Heartfulness meditator known as sister Kasturi said something to someone, and eventually it reached my ears many years later. She told this person that we can do spiritual work in the past. In other words, if we make suggestions in the present, we can reset our past selves. Wild, right?So I sat down and tried it. I made the mental suggestion in May that all along, throughout the school year, I had been serving everyone heartfully, in tune with my goal. The amazing thing was that as I made this positive suggestion I could feel pieces of the past year shifting back into balance, like a mixed-up puzzle where the pieces assemble themselves. I was resetting my goal for my past self. I felt it working. So cool. So wonderful. So grateful.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/rediscovering_my_purpose3_74b7a897c4.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T12:23:10.956Z" alt=""><hr><hr><h5>The main point is that I realized I don’t want to&nbsp; ever give myself wounds again. I love my practice.&nbsp; It keeps me balanced and takes me to my goal.</h5><hr><hr>What is the moral of this story? Let’s be clear that I do not believe there’s a “get out of jail free” card if I just redouble my efforts and make positive suggestions from the present to my past self. This is not the lesson, although I am grateful that I’ve found what I needed to heal my wounds. The main point is that I realized I don’t want to ever give myself wounds again. I love my practice. It keeps me balanced and takes me to my goal. Like Dorothy says at the end of The Wizard of Oz, “I’m not going to leave here ever, ever again.” I’m lucky to have this nice moral to my story, because it could have been much worse. I have pretty good grounds for feeling optimistic, and I’m grateful to be home.<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

Rediscovering my purpose

Shiwani Gurwara

<h4>SHIWANI GURWARA shares her personal experience of learning to speak less and listen more, and how she is learning to improve the quality of her listening.</h4>
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In the last few years there have been many times when I have decided that I will learn to talk less and listen more. Being quite a loner, there are long periods of time when I am totally by myself, so somehow I feel I am trying to make up for lost time when I do interact and meet people. However, I recently started my journey towards becoming a Life Coach and there was something I discovered on the way – something that I would like to share.
<h4>Why so much talk?</h4>
Personally, there seems to be so much to share. I feel that I should put my opinion out there. At a conscious level, the intention for saying stuff is completely altruistic. I feel that what I have to say may help someone else in their life, their thoughts and decisions.
I have come to realize with introspection that this need to talk and share all that I know on a topic comes from a belief that “I know.” It is a belief that tells me that I have the right answers and can positively influence others in some way.
Irrespective of the fact that the talking comes from good intention, it is an arrogant thought to believe that I have any kind of power to change or influence others. I have learnt to respect that every person has their own life, their own individual personality, values, beliefs and circumstances, and they have every right to live it and think about it in their own way. The one thing that helped me achieve this was to look at every human being (and animal) as a soul.
<h4> Types of listening</h4>
At times we are not listening at all. This is what we call inactive listening. While we may be able to hear the words that are being said, we are not really listening. In such a situation, we find ourselves wandering off or asking the other person what they just said. All of us are guilty of such listening at times – at parties, with children, in conferences etc.
Conversational listening is the most common type of listening. This is when we are talking to a friend, colleague or relative, merely keeping up with what is being discussed. The moment something that is more interesting pops up, we listen more intently to them.
Deep listening is not something that most of us do. This is the kind of listening where you don’t listen just to the words that are being said, but those that are not being said, too. It is listening with all your senses including the sixth sense that can give you insight into the other person.
How to listen well? How to listen well? All of us have our own reasons why we are not able to listen well. While some of us may be plain bored in a situation, others may be preoccupied with something else. If you feel that you need to listen better, ask yourself some of these questions, as I did:
Do I feel that I know how this person will end his sentence and therefore finish it for him or her? 
Do I want them to get to the point quickly? 
Do I feel I am wasting my time listening to jabber that I already know? 
Do I not listen because I disagree with the other person’s point of view and block it out? 
Am I just not interested in this person? 
Am I so preoccupied with my own life that I do not want to take time out to listen to another? 
Am I so arrogant that I feel I know what the other person may want to communicate?
Identifying the barriers that do not allow us to listen well is half the battle won. I did this for myself, and the points I ticked above were too many! The trick, I guess, is to be conscious of these in every conversation, and check yourself when you feel you are getting into any of these modes. I have hope! Practice makes perfect and over time we can replace old habits with new ones. So, all the best if you are someone like me, trying to learn to talk less and listen more.
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by SHIWANI GURWARA 
Illustration by JASMEE RATHOD</h4>
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The art of listening

Acharya Shree Varma, also known as Dr. Krishna Varma, comes from a lineage of Ayurvedic doctors who have been practicing for over four centuries. With a vision to share this wisdom with the wider humanity, he founded the Shree Varma Organization in 2001.

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Shree Varma

<h4>ACHARYA SHREE VARMA comes from a lineage of Ayurvedic doctors who have been practicing for over four centuries. With a vision to share this wisdom with the wider humanity, he founded the Shree Varma Organization in 2001. &nbsp;Here, he is interviewed by MARION MARCEAU from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy about the Ayurvedic approach to mental health.</h4>Q: Hello, Dr. Shree Varma, welcome. You are from a long lineage of Ayurvedic practitioners. Could you tell us a little bit about your background?SV: Happy to meet you, Marion. I’m from the Durango tradition and my birth village is on the border of Tamil Nadu and the Kerala Kanyakumari district in South India. The family has treated chronic ailments with Ayurveda, yoga and varma for nine generations. I’m the first graduate in Ayurvedic medicine from the family. My father believed that Ayurveda has been proven over centuries, but he also wanted me to be qualified and sent me to Chennai to Dr. MGR Medical University to do a Bachelor of Ayurveda Medicine and Surgery. From that degree, I have the title Ayurveda&nbsp;acharya.We teach preventive healthcare for a disease-free life, maintaining positive health in a healthy person, and curing diseases with the help of Ayurveda, yoga and&nbsp;varma.Q: What is the relationship between yoga and Ayurveda?SV: Ayurveda is not a medical science alone. We say it is shraddhayu – if someone has the desire to live for 100 years without disease, Ayurveda will teach that philosophy and the associated principles, and it has three different dimensions.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/mental_wellbeing_ayurveda2_c2e3b8b3f3.jpg"></figure>The first is prevention: the guidelines of dinacharya, the daily regimen, and ritucharya, the seasonal regimen. It speaks about the principles of life, how to start the day, how to design your day. It prescribes a healthy life. You get up one and a half hours before sunrise and start your day with breathing practices. And it speaks about meditation, and physical exercise. So the first priority in the morning is yoga to ensure a healthy life of 100 years.&nbsp;What is the definition of health in Ayurveda? A blissful state of body, mind, and soul. We talk about equilibrium of the energy in the physical doshas,&nbsp;vata, pitta, and&nbsp;kapha; and balancing the emotional&nbsp;doshas for the mind,&nbsp;sattva, rajas, and tamas. So, start your day with yoga to lead a healthy life. That is&nbsp;dinacharya, how to design your day.&nbsp;And ritucharya describes how to adjust the daily routine as the seasons change – what to eat, how to drink, how to breathe, how to keep your physical body and mind flexible, and your soul peaceful. They decide your inner health. So Ayurveda and yoga are absolutely interconnected.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The first is prevention:&nbsp; the guidelines of dinacharya, the daily regimen,&nbsp; and ritucharya, the seasonal regimen.&nbsp; It speaks about the principles of life,&nbsp; how to start the day,&nbsp; how to design your day.&nbsp; It prescribes a healthy life.</h4><hr>The first philosophy of Ayurveda is preventive health – yoga and meditation. The second philosophy is about cures. For someone who doesn’t practice yoga, doesn’t take care of their body and mind, there is the possibility of disease due to improper food, improper lifestyle, accidents, infections, and&nbsp;heredity.There are causative factors that produce toxins in the body, leading to disease. So, Ayurveda cures from the root cause, so how to disconnect from the causative factors is the first line of treatment. First, understand what has produced the disease, then practice&nbsp;pratyahara by disconnecting from the disturbing substances, or withdrawing from your senses, which give you discomfort inside. Once the disconnection is done, then the treatment can start.&nbsp;Treatment is based on curative principles that have to be followed until the healing completes. When someone doesn’t follow them, they don’t heal from the root, so the disease becomes deep-rooted, and it is termed incurable. Even if your disease is termed incurable, Ayurveda says that an excellent physician can teach you how to heal yourself. With the practices of yoga and the medicines that eliminate toxins, the physician can guide the patient to recover permanently. Somebody has to handhold and support the patient –&nbsp;it can be a yoga teacher, a doctor, or a family member. They give confidence and aid in recovery. However, unless the patient makes an effort, recovery is a challenge.So Ayurveda looks at prevention, cure, and rehabilitation,&nbsp;and&nbsp;reduces the suffering of miseries. When Ayurveda and yoga are combined, we can reduce the suffering of the individual. Yoga is a tool for Ayurveda to help the patient not necessarily recover, but at least stabilize their health.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">So Ayurveda looks at prevention, cure, and rehabilitation, and reduces the suffering of miseries.</h4><hr><figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/mental_wellbeing_ayurveda3_0f196a3219.jpg"></figure>Q: How does Ayurveda tackle mental health? Is it something new or is mental health something that has been treated for a long time in Ayurveda?SV: Ayurveda specializes in healing the mind. We look at a human being as a combination of five&nbsp;koshas: Annamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vignanamaya and&nbsp;Anandamaya, the metaphorical layers that comprise the human body and mind, and house the soul.&nbsp;An excellent physician of Ayurveda learns how to heal through these five&nbsp;koshas. The&nbsp;Annamaya kosha&nbsp;is the very basic structure of you, and the&nbsp;Pranamaya kosha is the energy that connects the human body and mind. The&nbsp;Manomaya kosha is very dominant in a human, as manushya comes from the Sanskrit&nbsp;manas, meaning mind. A human being is absolutely mind dominated in their world.&nbsp;Any sickness that comes starts from the koshta, the stomach, and affects the&nbsp;Annamaya kosha, the physical body; and when it’s not taken care of, it affects the Pranamaya kosha,which then makes an impact on the&nbsp;Manomaya kosha.As human beings, we have emotions.When the emotional challenges or requirements are not properly addressed, we encounter an improper lifestyle, improper association of people, improper understanding of emotions. This leaves samskaras or impressions on the mind. When they are not properly cleaned, this emotional imbalance can impact the&nbsp;Pranamaya kosha, which in turn can bring on the onset of physical diseases.&nbsp;In Ayurveda, although we address all five&nbsp;koshas, the&nbsp;Manomaya kosha is very, very important.&nbsp;In this we differ from allopathic medicine, which says that diseases are either curable or incurable. Ayurveda says that when you define a disease as&nbsp;“incurable,” the mind takes it very strongly, feels nothing can be done, and won’t make an effort to cure it. There is a lot of research and good documentation on the benefits of Ayurveda; even our ancestors committed themselves to write about everything they did. But we don’t rely only on these papers.We look at the person as a living example of this.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;A good physician takes his knowledge as a base, and with every patient he decides how Ayurveda can improve their life. Whether it is an emotional challenge, a mental disorder, or a physical problem, we take a positive approach to healing and convey to their mind, “Yes, it’s possible to cure you.” Of course, they have to make the effort, otherwise it’s a false promise – we help them to cure themselves. The physician, the medicine, the therapies, yoga and meditation, all comprise 75% of the healing; the remaining 25%, the rogi&nbsp;or the sufferer, must believe it’s possible to recover and make an effort to work toward it.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It gives a lot of confidence,&nbsp; a lot of energy inside, &nbsp;to understand what is happening in your mind.&nbsp; Ayurveda has a very deep&nbsp; understanding of the mind.</h4><hr>If the patient is not able to put in the effort, Ayurveda treats the&nbsp;Annamaya kosha, the physical body. It does the detox and teaches the basic breathing practices. That’s the&nbsp;Pranamaya kosha, which gives energy. When the&nbsp;Annamaya kosha has toxicity, trying to reach the&nbsp;Pranamaya kosha is difficult. After the&nbsp;Annamaya kosha is cleansed through the&nbsp;Panchakarma, you can start very simple breathing practices.It gives a lot of confidence, a lot of energy inside, to understand what is happening&nbsp;in your mind.&nbsp;Ayurveda has a very deep understanding of the mind. So treating emotional challenges are easy with Ayurveda and yoga.I really like the teamwork between the patient and the therapists, the doctor and the yoga teacher, to restore health. I really feel it is important. We start from the physical body by doing a detox. This generates energy and also helps the mind so the patient can take over their own healing.&nbsp;To be continued.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Mental well-being and Ayurveda

Treating emotional challenges

ACHARYA SHREE VARMA comes from a lineage of Ayurvedic doctors who have been practicing for over four centuries. In part 2 of an interview by MARION MARCEAU from the Heartfulness Yoga Academy, he goes into more depth about the Ayurvedic approach to mental health. Q: Are there specific treatments in Ayurveda for mental well-being o you use medicines?&nbsp; SV: We should first understand that the mind is a spectrum, not a structure. For the physical body, the Annamaya kosha, we need medicine. For the Pranamaya kosha, we need the breath, energy. When these two layers are addressed, then it’s very easy for the physician and the patient to understand the mind. The mind is the connective material which connects the Annamaya kosha with the Pranamaya kosha, and together they connect with the Vignanamaya kosha, which connects the body with the soul, the atman.&nbsp;The mind is a spectrum, but how do we see inside the mind? There is a remote wireless connection that our eyes can’t see. The body and the soul are connected by the mind, so how do they connect? In Ayurveda, there exist seven major chakras and 108 minor chakras that we call marmas, which are energy points. How do emotions operate through these energy centers? It depends on what we eat. And not only what we eat; the body needs all the pancha bhutas, the nutritional substances, for its survival. The body consumes food, water, and oxygen, without which metabolism is not possible.&nbsp;So what is food for the mind? It’s very simple. The mind is nourished by what we see, hear, do, and feel; and with these emotions, the mind moves between the past, present, and future. The mind never stays in a particular space, it’s always moving.&nbsp;Solidity is the nature of Earth, fluidity is the nature of water, heat is the nature of fire, and mobility or challenge is the nature of the mind. So, the mind moves from past to present to future. Those Ayurvedic doctors who work with varma (marma) are known as varmanis and practice the secret art of divine healing. They know about emotions.What are these basic energies? How do they move in our seven major chakras, and how do they create changes in the 108 marmas? The varman treatment is given to eliminate the toxins of the body. And the practices of yoga are given to clean the impressions from the mind. This is the way we treat emotional issues.In today’s environment, people are often really stressed and face challenges at work. We can’t get away from mobile phones and screens. Even when we don’t want to, there is always some reason to be in front of a screen. Our senses are challenged, we see and hear things that maybe we shouldn’t; it’s very difficult to protect ourselves from that.&nbsp;Q: So let’s say a patient comes to your clinic with a sleep disorder, burnt out, depressed, or anxious, will you start directly with a Panchakarma detox? How will you help them to come out of the situation?&nbsp;SV: Ayurveda looks at a human being as a whole. We are the combination of a physical body, energy body, emotional body, intellectual body, and spiritual body. So when we do a basic assessment of the illness, we look at where the patient has challenges, in which layer they have the impurities.&nbsp;We do a diagnosis, we listen to the challenges they are facing. Can we treat them simply on the basis of this? No, because they are in a disturbed and difficult state, and they’re complaining, not explaining. Instead, we use our training and experience to understand the causative factors. To reconfirm the causative factors, we read the pulse, the nadi pariksha, to gauge how energy is traveling in them. Is it vata, pitta, or kapha in the Annamaya kosha? Any trained Ayurveda doctor is able to diagnose what is happening by checking the nadi. Then, with the Pranamaya and Manomaya koshas, we feel the flow of energy.&nbsp;When we are touching the nadi, we connect our energy with the patient’s and understand which layer is affected. Treatment will start from the Annamaya kosha. If palliative treatment is needed, we give only herbs; but when the toxins are deep rooted, we recommend Panchakarma, the intensive 14 to 21 days of detox to ensure that the accumulated toxins are eliminated. This is followed by potentiated medicines, and energy to heal the mind. Ayurveda teaches that we are not just a structure or a substance, we are the energy inside the substance.First, we detox the physical body, then we guide the patient on how energy can heal them.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The mind is nourished by what we see, hear, do, and feel; and with these emotions, the mind moves between the past, present, and future.&nbsp;</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_flowering2_1875e0bd07.webp" alt="inner-flowering2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_flowering2_1875e0bd07.webp 110w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Q: It’s very beautiful how you give the power to the patient to heal themselves. It’s restoring the healing power within the person for a mental disorder, which may have occurred through some imbalance in the body. SV: Yes, it can be something common like sleeplessness or it can be schizophrenia. For both, we look at what impact it is having on the emotional level, on the mind. The brain is the structure, the hardware; but we work with the software, the mind. And the effect isn’t only on the brain. It can be on the whole central nervous system, from the brain to the base of the spine. The nervous system directly connects with our endocrine glands, and it connects with our chakras. The gut has neurons, and our thyroid, thymus, and sex hormones are interconnected with the nervous system. &nbsp; Modern scientific research shows that we have neurons in the brain, nano-neurons in the thyroid, and micro-nano-neurons in the thymus. Centuries ago, Ayurveda and yoga established that the mind operates with our chakras, so when we accumulate toxins in different chakras, they manifest through different signs and symptoms. In modern medicine, the diagnosis says, “These are the symptoms, this is the disease.” We don’t look at symptoms first, we look at energy. We treat the human, and the symptoms are cured.&nbsp;Food is important, sexual activity is important, and sleep is important for a human being to maintain a healthy life. When sleep is disturbed, we ask, “What is the causative factor?” Prolonged screen time is one factor – we spend a lot of time on our mobiles and the internet. Too much of anything is not good for us. A sedentary life, excessive eating, not enough exercise – all of these are contributing factors. We need moderation.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">To reconfirm the causative factors, we read the pulse, the nadi pariksha, to gauge how energy is traveling in them.</h4><hr>When you approach an Ayurvedic doctor, they won’t say “Stop all these things,” but rather “Reduce them, and make every effort to recover from your illness.” And when you start reducing from within, you can get out of anything that is not allowing you to progress. All human beings have a basic desire to be healthy and happy, and happiness is directly proportional to your state of health. Science today talks about the happy hormones, like oxytocin and serotonin. Stay far from everything that elevates stress hormones and fear hormones. Anything that makes you flower inside, add to your life.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_flowering3_31a47383cf.webp" alt="inner-flowering3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_flowering3_31a47383cf.webp 127w," sizes="100vw"></figure> Q: That’s a very nice philosophy – add what makes you happy and remove what makes you stressed to keep a mental balance in this chaotic world.&nbsp;So, when patients are very agitated, are there key points they can follow to remain happy, to remain balanced? SV: Ayurveda talks about prevention, cure, and rehabilitation. We have a very clear understanding that only 10% of people have a physical problem that needs treatment. The other 90% are healthy. But 90% of people have emotional challenges, so they are on the waiting list to contract a disease. These emotional challenges can lead to disease if they are not properly addressed. When the disease is not cured, it turns into a chronic disease, and you think it is incurable.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Anything that makes you flower inside, add to your life.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_flowering4_522f43f789.webp" alt="inner-flowering4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_flowering4_522f43f789.webp 103w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Try to learn yoga and understand Ayurveda for a healthy life. It’s important what time you get up and it matters how you start your day. It’s like preparing for a marathon: the first step you take matters, how you train every day. It makes you stronger if you have the highest goal in life. Start the day with meditation. Do some physical activity – it can be asanas, cycling, running, walking, or swimming. Whatever it is, your physical body needs training at least six days a week, one hour a day. Then, concentrate on your work. You will deliver 100%. At the end of the day, sit and recollect the day – what unwanted things have you accumulated in your emotions? Do a cleaning practice. When you go to bed, be in a prayerful mood. These three things are mandatory. This is the takeaway.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_flowering5_c49f85caa8.webp" alt="inner-flowering5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_inner_flowering5_c49f85caa8.webp 113w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_inner_flowering5_c49f85caa8.webp 361w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It’s important what time you get up and it matters how you start your day. It’s like preparing for a marathon: the first step you take matters, how you train every day.</h4><hr>&nbsp;You can learn a cleaning practice from trained yoga teachers and Ayurveda doctors who are connected with Heartfulness. They know how to guide you in all these practices. Going to sleep with a prayerful attitude makes you healthy and happy. If you have challenges, don’t hesitate to reach us. We are here to help you to have a healthy and happy life. Thank you Marion. Q: Thank you very much.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Illustrations by JASMEE MUDGAL</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Inner flowering

Shruti Negi

<h4>SHRUTI NEGI tells us how she cherishes friendship and the qualities she values most among friends.</h4><hr>I value honesty the most in a friendship. Two people truly honest with each other can create a strong bond, which is required for a long-lasting relationship. If you are honest with a friend, you don’t have to hide anything or lie. You both will understand each other anyway.As a friend, I wish to be a caregiver and a listener. If I can truly understand my friends’ feelings, I can maintain the sacred communication between us. I may not solve problems, but I can listen.Being heard is the best feeling in friendship. It gives us the feeling that we have a stress-buster for every upcoming situation. We can never be alone in our good and bad times as long as we have good friends. It has changed my outlook. I started believing that the world can be a better place. Around friends, we are complete.Freedom of speech is very important, and with a friend we know we have that. Having a friend is like having an extended family.

Friendship

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SIDDHARTH KAK

When a bird sings, do you analyze it? 

Siddhartha is the Director of Education and Civic Engagement and Curator of South Asian Art at the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, USA. He curates exhibitions and focuses on community engagement.

siddhartha-shah.jpg

Siddhartha Shah

<h4>SIDDHARTHA V. SHAH is the Director of Education and Civic Engagement and Curator of South Asian Art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, USA. As a curator, he develops exhibitions that tell the stories of the artists, communities, and traditions of South Asia, as well as important moments in the history of the region, and what they reveal about nation-building and self-discovery. He strives to create alignment and synergy between the museum’s education and curatorial departments while focusing on community engagement and impactful programming. Here, he speaks with VANESSA PATEL from the Heartfulness Institute.</h4><hr>Q: Hello Siddhartha. Thank you for your time. You have been extremely busy with various projects. Can you tell us about one in particular – your role on the Board of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect?SS: About ten years ago, I became close with clients who were involved with the Anne Frank Center. I told them that I had read Anne Frank’s diary three or four times, and it really impacted me. Then, I went to college in Amsterdam for a semester, right across the river from the Anne Frank house, so I have always felt a connection to her. They invited me onto the Board because they saw that I was deeply committed to human and civil rights. Anne Frank’s experience does not apply to the Jewish community alone; it is relevant to different kinds of struggles around the world, such as LGBTQ issues, with which I identify, and race, here in the United States and elsewhere. I got involved with the Anne Frank Center through this alignment of vision. My goal is to make sure that Anne Frank’s story reaches as broad an audience as possible.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_service_community1_700x303_afbb166f97.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:23:35.291Z" alt="art-service-community1">Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert<hr>Q: You have also developed a program for nurses to strengthen their observation and communication skills, using art to reduce anxiety and stress. Nurses and caregivers seem to be the forgotten people, and the impact on their mental health isn’t often addressed. How have you used the medium of art?SS: We take nurses through the South Asian galleries at Peabody Essex Museum, and we have them look at certain paintings. Then we talk about what they see. We also help them see what they don’t see. If you look deeper into paintings, there are things you may not notice. Then we ask, “How does this relate to your work?” “When you’re taking a diagnosis, what is the information you’re collecting?” We help them assess what they see and apply that to their relationships with their patients. In terms of the mindfulness piece, as you said, nurses and caregivers are forgotten, and we don’t think about the amount of stress they’re under, particularly during the pandemic.We have them look at two paintings by Ghulam Rasool Santosh, which are very simple geometric images with simple colors. They slow down and allow their eyes to wander over and across the paintings, noticing what associations they have. One of the paintings is predominantly black and one is predominantly white. At the black painting, we ask them to think about what associations they have with the color black; then we ask them to think about the same with the white. We tend to think of black as dark and negative, and white as positive, so I ask, “Can black feel expansive?” “Can white be so bright that it constricts your vision?” I ask them to flip their associations, which also have racial connotations. It is an exercise in perception of color and race. They realize that if they take a little more time, art can help them calm down.I curated another exhibition called Zarah Hussain: Breath, where a meditation on breathing is done through the paintings, and there is a digital animation that expands and contracts every five and a half seconds to help the viewers slow their breathing and enter a state of relaxation. We have eight paintings by the artist that are curated as four pairs; in each pair, one is an “inhale” and the other is an “exhale.” Then there is a room with the projected animation; it is generative so the color patterns vary every time. People enter this room, which is dark other than the projection, and they calm down completely and stay there for a long time. It has been wonderful to see.Also, we created a version of the animation online so that people could experience it from home during the pandemic. You can adjust the length of the breathing cycle and the color pattern. Whenever you need a break from meetings, you can turn on the animation.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_service_community2_700x466_b0dc911c0f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:24:29.335Z" alt="art_service_community2">Zarah Hussain, Breath Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola<hr><hr><h4>A meditation on breathing is done through the paintings,&nbsp; and there is a digital animation that expands&nbsp; and contracts every five and a half seconds&nbsp; to help the viewers slow their breathing&nbsp; and enter a state of relaxation.</h4><hr><hr>Q: Wow! That’s lovely. It’s also calming.SS: It is calming, and it is significant because breathing is deeply connected with Covid-19, which takes away people’s ability to breathe. And it connects to the death of George Floyd here in the United States. He said, “I can’t breathe” as some of his final words. A meditation on the breath just seemed so relevant this past year.Q: A lot of what I am hearing is art in service of community, so I want to know what led you to take your professional practice to these spaces. You are committed to building community and mending wounds through art collaboration and respectful communication. How easy or difficult has it been to do this?SS: I entered PEM as the curator of South Asian art. After about two years, George Floyd died, and our museum responded like a lot of institutions by acknowledging his death. When I saw the message, something about it did not feel comfortable, so I told our director, “I come to you with full respect, but I need to say that I am not comfortable with the messaging. Here is a different way I think we could have messaged this.” That’s when he understood that I have ideas about engaging the community in a respectful way.That’s when we started talking about my other role as Director of Education and Civic Engagement, which is new for the museum. Ours is a very big museum with a large footprint, but, like a lot of museums, our relationship with the community is complicated. We are not reaching a lot of people. My work is to find out how we can reach them. It’s difficult because we don’t decide what the community needs; the community tells us what they need. I go out and ask questions, but they don’t know me or my agenda, and whether they can trust me. I have been asking questions for over a year and we have started a bunch of new initiatives based on these conversations. But we need at least two years to gain people’s trust before we will see any change.The process is slow, and we need to show that we are committed. For example, I have a conversation with the YMCA, find out how they feel about us, what they like and what they don’t like. Then our team discusses the feedback, and we go back and ask, “Have we heard you correctly?” If yes, then we tell them we are going to develop a menu of partnerships. We think of four or five ways we can work together, then show them and get their thoughts. We do this a few times before we commit to one partnership – not too many, because we first need to make sure we are doing it correctly. We implement that and then we reconnect to talk about what went well, what did not go so well, and then decide that in six months we will do another project based on the outcome. It is a very slow process, but it is helps us earn trust.Q: I love that you said it’s not up to you to decide for them what they need, but it’s a space for them to tell you what is important to them. Is this also where your drive to set up intergenerational initiatives comes from?SS: A lot of museums have an older audience, which is predominantly white, well-educated, and often wealthy. School groups also come on field trips, but we don’t have a lot of teenage involvement. It is hard to draw teens, and that is the age when I fell in love with art. So, how do we create connections between those who are already coming to the museum and those who are not?During the pandemic, two populations have been very significantly impacted: Young people, who could not see their friends, and older people, who were the most vulnerable and isolated. We wondered how we could bring these two communities together, so we created a virtual art-making evening once a month called Create Night. People signed up, we mailed the art supplies to them, and they came together online – old people, young people, artists – all doing art together for about an hour. They got to talk to people. That is a way to get intergenerational programs going.We also started a bilingual initiative, because we have a very significant Spanish-speaking population here. We also host English as a Second Language classes for adults, and a teen program for learning English. We thought, “Why don’t we have the Spanish-speaking teens run tours in Spanish and English to teach the older Spanish speakers about the museum?” The teenagers speak to the adults, and they engage with one another.<hr><hr><h4>We don’t decide what the community needs;&nbsp; the community tells us what they need.</h4><hr><hr>Q: That is amazing! You’ve put together two groups of people who are unlikely to interact with each other, creating an opportunity to discover what they can learn from each other. Is this what you meant about your plans to reach more audiences in “original and unexpected ways”? It also seems a great way to improve the footfall in the museum.SS: Exactly. We are looking at unexpected ways of doing that. Another project happened last Thanksgiving: Older people living in public housing needed meals delivered. We participated in a campaign to send cards with the food, wishing them love and care. Our employees and a lot of artists drew beautiful things in these cards, and some also asked their kids to get involved. The people receiving the cards didn’t meet the people who sent them, but there was a connection happening.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_service_community4_cef74e8d1b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:25:19.281Z" alt="art_service_community4">Gulam Rasul Santosh Untitled, 1983 Oil on canvas Gift of the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection, 2001 Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum<hr>Q: That’s beautiful! I can just imagine the joy it must have brought people who are lonely and don’t have anyone else to call their own.SS: So lonely. Lonelier these past two years than most people have ever been in their lives.<hr>To be continued.<hr>

Art in service of community

<h4
 id="h-siddhartha-v-shah-is-the-director-of-education-and-civic-engagement-and-curator-of-south-asian-art-at-the-peabody-essex-museum-in-salem-massachusetts-usa-as-a-curator-he-develops-exhibitions-that-tell-the-stories-of-the-artists-communities-and-traditions-of-south-asia-as-well-as-important-moments-in-the-history-of-the-region-and-what-they-reveal-about-nation-building-and-self-discovery-in-his-role-as-director-of-education-and-civic-engagement-he-strives-to-create-alignment-and-synergy-between-the-museum-s-education-and-curatorial-departments-while-focusing-on-community-engagement-and-impactful-programming-in-part-2-of-this-interview-he-speaks-with-vanessa-patel-from-the-heartfulness-institute-about-yoga-meditation-art-and-growing-up"
>
 SIDDHARTHA V. SHAH
 is the Director of Education and Civic Engagement and Curator of South Asian
 Art at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, USA. As a curator,
 he develops exhibitions that tell the stories of the artists, communities,
 and traditions of South Asia, as well as important moments in the history of
 the region, and what they reveal about nation-building and self-discovery.
 In his role as Director of Education and Civic Engagement, he strives to
 create alignment and synergy between the museum’s education and curatorial
 departments while focusing on community engagement and impactful
 programming. In part 2 of this interview, he speaks with
 VANESSA PATEL
 from the Heartfulness Institute about Yoga, meditation, art, and growing
 up.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<figure class="has-img-center" style="width : 700px !important">
 <img
 decoding="async"
 width="700px"
 alt="art_as_social_responsibility2"
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_as_social_responsibility2_700x466_2b4c318074.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:40:31.704Z"
 />
 <figcaption>
 Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Kathy Tarantola
 </figcaption>
</figure>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Q: So, Siddhartha, you’re also a Yoga practitioner and meditator, and you
 have spoken about psychospiritual wellness. Can you share a little bit about
 how you have incorporated this into your work?



 SS: I have been a
 pretty rigorous Yoga practitioner for twenty years, but I have basically
 stopped in the past year. Part of it was because of physical restrictions – I
 didn’t have a teacher here because of the pandemic, and I kept doing something
 wrong that was hurting my hip. No one was there to correct it, so even if I
 tried to do something simple, the next day I had pain.



 I also felt that I was too addicted to it. I understand that doing Yoga means
 I have a better day, but it got to the point where I could not have a good day
 if I did not do Yoga. That’s when I realized, “My relationship to this is not
 healthy.” But that’s also part of the practice – knowing when to tell myself
 that I need a break, because this is not doing what I need.



 Regarding meditation, it so happened that the week after lockdown started in
 March 2020, I started a meditation challenge for our staff. I said, “Okay
 everybody, the universe is telling us to go inside, so that’s what we are
 going to do.” For ten days I sent videos to them – just ten minutes of
 meditation each day for ten days. More than 70 people signed up, and some
 people said they wanted to keep going. So I said, “We’ll do a 21-day
 challenge,” and 40 people signed up for that. Since then, we do meditation
 every Monday morning before the work week starts, and every Friday afternoon
 at the end of the work week. It is open to anybody who wants to drop in, so I
 always have my Google Meet open. Sometimes nobody is there and I still attend,
 leaving my camera on, and I sit for twenty minutes. Other times, people come
 and join. It is just a service I now offer to staff.



 Q: I appreciate the sense that there are no expectations, no demands. If
 you feel the connection, the room is open. To me, that feels like true
 service, because there are no expectations in the intention behind your
 gesture.



 You’ve given me a 360-degree glimpse into your work world, although I’m
 sure there is a lot more that you are involved in. I know you started as a
 gallerist so I would love to know more about your journey, and the struggles
 you faced. Do you feel you are now in your dream job?



 SS: When I was
 younger, my dream job was to be an art dealer. I did that and thought, “Okay,
 now I have my dream, but I am not done. Now what do I do?” That dream career
 ended years ago. I would say the struggle was mostly internal, but there were
 some external challenges. It was a different path than a lot of South Asians
 in the United States. My father and brother are both physicians. Most of the
 Indians we knew were either physicians or engineers, and that just wasn’t the
 path for me. I always felt supported by my parents, but there were a lot of
 questions like, “What do you do?”, “What do you study?”, and “What are you
 going to do with that?”


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width : 700px !important">
 <img
 decoding="async"
 width="700px"
 alt="art_as_social_responsibility3"
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_as_social_responsibility3_700x365_4798062ce3.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:41:43.024Z"
 />
 <figcaption>
 Courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Bob Packert
 </figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 There was one pivotal moment around the age of 25, when I was a manager of a
 gallery in California. I was really unhappy in my job. I called my dad,
 crying on the phone, and said to him, “I don’t know what to do.” He said
 to me, “I don’t know your field of study. If you were a physician I could
 guide you, but you made this choice for yourself and I can’t help you here.
 You need to decide what you are going to do.” And that was so empowering
 for me. I realized he was right – “I chose this path, and I am going to figure
 this out.” That was a moment of real empowerment.



 I have had many different careers, and my path has unfolded because I said yes
 to the right opportunities. I have never had a vision of where I am ultimately
 going to be. I never decided that museums were where I wanted to be. It just
 felt right, and I said yes to the opportunity. That happened with the Ph.D. as
 well. I had never formally studied Indian art, and I only wanted to study with
 one professor, Dr. Vidya Dehejia. So I applied to the program, and thought,
 “If she takes me, I’ll go, and if she doesn’t, I’ll continue here.” She took
 me on, and my whole life changed. Suddenly I was a student again at 35.
 Everyone else was in their early twenties!



 Q: And how has your experience been in the curatorial world of art
 galleries and museums, amongst that community of people?



 SS: It’s been
 different every time I have curated something, because it depends so much on
 what you’re working with. Here at PEM, curating has been such a joy because I
 get to work with an outrageously rich collection. It’s great fun. It’s the
 largest collection of modern Indian art outside India, and certainly one of
 the most important collections of modern Indian art in the world.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 I have had many different careers, and my path has unfolded because I
 said yes to the right opportunities.
</h4>

<hr />

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<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width : 600px !important">
 <img
 decoding="async"
 width="600px"
 alt="art_as_social_responsibility4"
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_as_social_responsibility4_924812ecc5.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T05:42:45.809Z"
 />
 <figcaption>
 Gulam Rasul Santosh 1929 – 1997, India Untitled, 1973 Oil
 on canvas Gift of the Chester and Davida Herwitz Collection, 2001 E301212 Courtesy
 of the Peabody Essex Museum
 </figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 If I were curating it in India, I would do it in a different way, but I have
 to curate for an American audience that is not in a major city. So, how to
 talk about Indian masterpieces by a collection of artists that most people
 have never heard of here? The challenge is to frame it in a narrative that the
 public is going to understand. I speak in very general terms, so that the
 story of India replicates the story of America. For example, there is a
 version of the Ramayana that, depending on how you enunciate it, is both the
 Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It’s a Pallava-era poem by the author Dandin.
 The work has been lost, but apparently it composed a version of two different
 epics with the exact same text. This is how I speak about India’s diversity,
 and unity in diversity. Part of what makes India so unique are the different
 types of people there, but, like America, the biggest challenge to harmony has
 been the country’s diversity. I speak about it in these ways, and it is great
 fun, as you can apply the concept to India and America.



 Q: That is a great way to make it relatable. Ultimately, art is something
 that needs to be relatable because, as you said, so many people feel it is
 beyond them. You have made it really accessible and activated it in so many
 ways for your community. Thank you so much, Siddhartha.



 SS: Thank you,
 and I hope to see you here at the museum.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Art as social responsibility

Siddhartha is Director of the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College, overseeing collections, acquisitions, exhibitions, and programs, and deepening engagement with the community. Shah is on the board of the American Council for Southern Asian Art and the Advisory Council of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect.

SIDDHARTH SHAH headshot.jpg

Siddhartha V. Shah

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SIDDHARTHA V. SHAH has been promoting art as a means of community engagement and social responsibility throughout his professional career. Recently he has taken up the role of Director of the Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Massachusetts, and talks with VANESSA PATEL about how he is expanding his vision in this new college environment.</h4>Q: Hello Siddhartha, thanks for your time. Since last we met, you’ve moved to the Mead at Amherst. It's a different profile of people, right?SVS: Totally different. At Amherst College, the students are incredibly smart and talented. They can really think critically about art in a different way, and you can take more risks because college is about engaging with difficult conversations.&nbsp;Q: So how are you taking forward the community engagement that was so central to your last position at the Peabody Essex Museum?SVS: That will be a major part of what I do. The challenge is how to make the arts more available to people and democratize art museums. But the museum is in the middle of a college campus, so, if the community has a hard time accessing it, if they can’t park, if they don’t feel like what’s on campus is really for them, we’re limited. I’m hoping to advocate for the museum to move closer to town, to show that we are balancing the commitment to the educational mission and the civic responsibility of the college. This is a long-term plan as we want more people from the community to feel welcome. We want the general public to feel quite comfortable wandering in.Q: Are there specific projects that you are working on here?SVS: We are working on a public engagement project, an exhibition around American Studies and the idea of democracy, as well as the college being a place to develop the civic leaders of the future.&nbsp;I started thinking about Puerto Rico, which is essentially an American colony. The situation of Puerto Rico really brings into question whether the United States is a democracy, and whether our identity really is about freedom.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">To be in a space of beauty&nbsp; can shift the way we feel,&nbsp; how we open up, the way we connect with people.</h4><hr>This exhibition, from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Puerto Rico, is called “Tropical is Political – Caribbean Art Under the Visitor Economy Regime.” It addresses some of the issues around American identity. There are towns near here in Massachusetts that have the highest percentage of Puerto Ricans in the United States, like Holyoke and the city of Springfield. These are communities that have not felt welcomed at an elite college campus. So, my hope is that by doing this exhibition, talking about the situation of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, that these folks will come to the museum and see their story. The labels will be in English and Spanish. This is one form of community engagement, through an exhibition that’s about the people who live near us.Q: I hope it expands for you the way you want it to.&nbsp;SVS: The first thing I did when I arrived was to check with the staff if they wanted to do a training on sensory accessibility, and they agreed. The museum is now certified as a sensory-inclusive museum, which means that we attend to the needs of people with invisible disabilities (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, a stroke, or on the autism spectrum). We have signs to inform them when there might be noise or flashing lights; we have noise cancelling headphones if they’re sensitive to sound. The next step is color accessibility, where we purchase special glasses. Folks who are colorblind don’t experience visual art in the same way. These glasses allow them to experience art fully.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_healing_slowingdown3_dd3fe7802a.jpg"></figure>Q: I’m sure it requires quite a bit of investment. Do you see this leading towards more partnerships with the larger community?SVS: Yes, although it’s going to take time. You can’t rush into community partnerships. You have to assess the risks, for example, where you could break someone’s trust. It takes time to earn the trust of people, performatively testing partnerships, seeing that everybody is happy.&nbsp;We’ve been doing an art project around mental health for students with learning disabilities and social challenges, displaying their work in the lobby. We have special hours because some of them are not comfortable being there with the public. It is a resource we share with them and we want them to take advantage of it. But we have to be really sensitive about how we partner with them. All these things take time.&nbsp;Q: With so much social upheaval around us, what are your thoughts on the role of art in navigating through our current issues, for instance, the fears around climate change? Is there something that art can offer as a means of support?SVS: There are a lot of different ways to approach this. Regarding fear around climate change, art can present solutions. Can art address this in ways that are communal? I’ve heard of some artists who make coral reefs out of knitting, so other folks can come and participate. It is a co-created practice about something at risk because of climate change. There are creative ways you can present issues.&nbsp;There are ways to present race and social justice with art in ways that words can’t. There’s a lot of sensitivity about using the wrong language and not wanting to hurt people. Art can communicate some of these complexities visually, touching a much deeper place.&nbsp;The flip side is that you can trigger people’s sensitivities. You may need to have content warnings, for example, “The next object engages issues of racism and sexual violence. The reason it is here is because there are aspects of these topics that need to be presented and engaged. If you wish not to engage with this material, then you might want to go to a different area of the museum.” You need to give them the option to engage or not.Ultimately, it’s all about visitor experience. You have to balance the objects and care for the objects, the correct presentation and history, and the visitor experience. Museums have historically prioritized objects. Now they’re shifting, and I’m someone who is all about the visitor experience; objects support that. For the visitor to have a good experience, they should have the option to engage as they wish, rather than being confronted with something they aren’t prepared for. What do you want to learn about? Here are your options, now choose your own adventure.<figure class="image image-style-align-center"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/art_healing_slowingdown4_88e16d4db8.jpg"></figure>Q: You have talked about including spiritual aspects like empathy, connection, and wellness. You used to do meditation at the Peabody. Is that something you’ve brought here too?SVS: Not yet, since I’m the director and because of the power dynamic. But nothing has changed around my commitment to wellness and the role of the arts. There are a lot more college students seeking counseling services than when I was in college. Since the pandemic, a lot of students are seeking mental health support. I see an opportunity for the art museum to be a space of healing, rejuvenation, restoration, rest, and slowing down. All these are aspects of the same thing.&nbsp;I noticed in myself a connection between internet scrolling (doom scrolling) and anxiety. There’s so much news and the images are changing. I become like a zombie, mindlessly scrolling until I’m completely agitated. And if I’m experiencing that, there must be a lot of people experiencing it, potentially worse than me, because they might not even be aware.&nbsp;The museum can be a space of slowing down; not just swiping past an image, but looking deeper, more closely. If people are having an experience of looking at images and slowing down, it is the complete opposite of looking at images frantically, whether it’s a dating app or Instagram. A space to slow down can really support mental health.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The museum can be a space of slowing down;&nbsp; not just swiping past an image,&nbsp; but looking deeper, more closely.&nbsp; If people are having an experience of&nbsp; looking at images and slowing down,&nbsp; it is the complete opposite of looking at images frantically,&nbsp; whether it’s a dating app or Instagram.&nbsp; A space to slow down can really support mental health.</h4><hr>We do have a Counseling Centre on campus, and my understanding is that people can go for one-on-one sessions and group therapy sessions, like survivors of sexual violence, Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous. I’m wondering if we can offer the museum as a space for some of these groups to meet, because we have an old wood-paneled room that can be completely closed and private; it is a beautiful, cozy room, a great safe space to engage in a facilitated conversation around a challenge. I’m exploring that too.Think about the stress of exams. I remember what it was like, paired with trying to find a job when you graduate, maybe coming from not much money, and feeling like you are now going to be responsible. Those pressures as well as body image issues, questioning sexual identity, are really intense for students.Q: I think the old support systems have practically crumbled and disappeared. They seem to have become redundant. There is a need for support systems with anonymity and lack of judgment, completely open and supportive. I really hope your idea takes shape, because that room sounds like a lovely place, a haven.SVS: Yes. I don’t know if it’s the same for everybody, but I find beauty really healing. When you’re sick, hospital doesn’t feel or look like a space of healing. It’s sanitized and cold and smells bad, and there are machines beeping. Even a therapist’s office can feel unwelcome and stark. To be in a space of beauty can shift the way we feel, how we open up, the way we connect with people. So, I’m hoping that this beautiful room can be used in that way.Q: Thank you again, Siddhartha.

Art, healing, and slowing down

Simmi is a Professor at the Department of Philosophy, Delhi University. Her Ph.D. was in feminism and ethical philosophy, and her M.Phil. in Gandhian philosophy. She is the author of Gandhi’s Law of Conscience (2001) and The Married Monk: From Experience to Beyond, which is soon to be released.

simmi.jpg

Simmi Valecha

The four eternal truths

simon-sinek.webp

Simon Sinek

Integrity

Intention

Simonne Holm is the founder of the Alkaline Institute. She helps people discover plant-based cooking through classes, retreats, and her cookbooks. www.alkaline-institute.com

SIMMONE-HOLME.jpg

Simonne Holm

<h3 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">Vegan, plant-based, organic and gluten-free</h3>
<h4 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">LEMON MARINATED&nbsp;KALE
 SALAD</h4>
<h5 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">INGREDIENTS</h5>
<h5 class="p1" style="text-align: center;">6 leaves of lacinato or dino kale 
 1/2 red grapefruit 
 1 lemon, the juice 
 1 small beetroot 
 1/3 red cabbage 
 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
 1 fresh red chili 
 salt and pepper</h5>

<hr class="vertical-space1">
Wash all vegetables. Thinly slice the green&nbsp;kale and mix in a bowl with the juice from 1&nbsp;lemon
 and 4 tbsp oil.
Massage the green kale with your hands for&nbsp;a few minutes, to make it soft. Cover and&nbsp;refrigerate
 for 1 hour or longer – overnight.
In a new mixing bowl add thinly sliced&nbsp;red cabbage and spiral sliced (or grated)&nbsp;beetroot then
 marinate it with lemon and&nbsp;olive oil for 1 hour or overnight.
Before serving, slice the red grapefruit&nbsp;and cut off the peel. Cut the slices into&nbsp;triangles and
 mix it with the green kale.&nbsp;Add the finely sliced chili, salt, pepper and&nbsp;more extra virgin olive oil.
PS refrigerating overnight makes the kale&nbsp;really delicious.
<hr>
<h4>To find all the&nbsp;recipes in Volume 2, Issue 1</h4>
<h4><a style="color: #d4aa20;" href="//www.heartfulnessmagazine.com/subscribe/"
 target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SUBSCRIBE &amp; DOWNLOAD</a></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">ALKALINE-INSTITUTE</h4>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Photos &amp; recipes by Simonne Holm 
 alkaline-institute.com</h4>
<hr>

Alkaline kale salad & pumpkin bread with chia & herbs

<h4 style="text-align: justify">
 SIMONNE HOLM shares her passion for fresh, alkaline foods, and
 especially for healthy green drinks full of chlorophyll.
 </h4>
 <hr class="vertical-space1" />
 
 <img
 alt="Good Health"
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/good_health1_7f8160f0a4.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:27:19.074Z"
 />
 
 <h3>CHLOROPHYLL</h3>
 
 <img
 class="img-float-right has-img-center-in-mobile lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/good_health2_cf3039c0e6.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:28:13.573Z"
 alt="good-health2"
 />Chlorophyll is the green colour we see in green plants. The pigment.
 Photosynthesis is a process used by green plants to transform light
 energy, from the Sun, to stored energy.
 
 
 Chlorophyll is one of nature’s riches sources of important nutrients.
 Its rich green pigment is vital for the body’s health.
 
 
 All green leafy vegetables and grasses are high in calcium, iron,
 magnesium, vitamin C, many B vitamins and protein.
 
 
 Chlorophyll has the power to regenerate our bodies at the molecular and
 cellular level.
 
 <ul>
 <li style="text-align: justify">
 Use a juicer or a high speed blender.
 </li>
 <li style="text-align: justify">
 Buy the alkaline vegetables and fruits.
 </li>
 <li style="text-align: justify">
 Make 300 – 500 ml of green juice or smoothie every morning, for your
 day.
 </li>
 </ul>
 <h3>
 SOME ALKALINE FOODS TO HAVE IN YOUR KITCHEN
 </h3>
 <h4>
 Vegetables<img
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/good_health3_eb6ef3d92c.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:29:41.728Z"
 alt="good-health3"
 />
 </h4>
 <h4 style="text-align: justify">Fruits</h4>
 
 <img
 class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/good_health4_a2409fb5dc.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:35:19.917Z"
 alt="good-health4"
 />
 
 
 Alkaline green smoothies are full of nutrients, fiber and easily
 digestible vitamins. They have a cleansing and revitalizing effect. The
 more alkaline your smoothie, the more cleansing is the effect.
 
 
 Begin your morning with a super alkaline morning smoothie. 
 Prepare 1/2 – 1 liter of green smoothie. Drink most of it as your first
 meal of the day, and keep the rest for later. 
 When you are hungry, drink a glass of your green nectar and feel the
 vitality.
 
 <ul>
 <li style="text-align: justify">
 <img
 width="300"
 height="195"
 class="img-float-right has-img-center-in-mobile lazyload good-health"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/good_health5_8ff6d53d13.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T06:36:05.656Z"
 alt="good-health5"
 />1 avocado
 </li>
 <li style="text-align: justify">1/2-1 lemon including peel</li>
 <li style="text-align: justify">
 1/2 green pepper without seeds 1 handful spinach leaves
 </li>
 <li style="text-align: justify">1 dl olive oil</li>
 <li style="text-align: justify">1 cup of water</li>
 </ul>
 
 Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and mix until smooth,
 adding a little filtered water if needed for consistency. 
 Add Himalayan salt (or other healthy salt) if you like.
 
 Enjoy!
 <hr />
 <h5 style="text-align: center">
 Article and photographs by&nbsp;SIMONNE HOLM
 </h5>
 <hr />

Good health

Serves 4 persons<h4>INGREDIENTS</h4>1 big onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic 1 bundle of fresh parsley 1 handful of basil leaves (optional) 1 carrot, grated 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1 tsp Himalayan salt 1 tsp lemon zest 2 tsp lemon juice 1 tsp baking soda 1 handful of fresh herbs (or dry) ¼ tsp cayenne pepper ¼ cup of cooked rice, rice flour or chickpea flour (preferred) 2 cups dry garbanzo beans, soaked for 10 hours, drained and cooked for 45 minutes (keep the cooking water).<h4>MIX THE MAIN INGREDIENTS</h4>In a food processor or blender, pulse all the ingredients except the garbanzo beans and carrots. Mix to combine thoroughly. Add half of the cooked garbanzo beans and pulse. Add the rest the garbanzo beans and the carrots. Pulse until it forms a granular paste. Add the cooking water to dilute if necessary. Place the paste in a bowl and let it stay for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.<h4>SIDE DISH OF GREEN KALE</h4>1 bunch of green kale, chopped and steamed in hot water for 2 to 3 minutes, and rinsed in cold water. You can remove the stems or chop them and use them, too.<h4>SIDE DISH OF RED OR WHITE CABBAGE</h4>Finely chop the cabbage and marinate it in 1 tbsp of cold pressed olive oil and 1 tbsp of lemon juice for 1 hour. Then add a pinch of Himalayan salt.<h4>TURMERIC SAUCE</h4>1 cup cashew nuts, soaked for 3 to 4 hours 1 tbsp grated fresh turmeric (or powder) 1 clove fresh garlic ½ tsp grated ginger 1 fresh chilli ½ lemon zest 1 tsp fresh thyme (or dried) ½ tbsp extra virgin coconut oil or sesame oil (preferred) 4 tsp fresh or dry herbs mixed 1 tsp Himalayan salt ½ to 1 cup of the water in which the garbanzo beans were cooked Pepper to tasteBlend all ingredients.<h4>MAKE 6 CHICKPEA BURGERS WITH YOUR HANDS</h4>Pan fry in a skillet with 3 to 5 tbsp extra virgin cold pressed coconut oil for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden.ORPre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius /400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the slices on a baking sheet and brush on both sides with coconut oil. Bake for about 20 minutes.Assemble your plate. Enjoy warm or cold.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/chickpea_burgers2_8a5c306e0f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-04T06:57:02.879Z" alt="chickpea-burgers2"><h4>TIPS</h4>Use whole salt, not refined salt. Whole salt is rich in many important minerals. Use cold pressed oils, as it is a healthy way to eat important fats. Use organic ingredients to avoid pesticides and chemicals.This is a delicious and nutritious recipe you can serve for lunch or dinner, or take to school or work.Take the opportunity to prepare your food with joy and love, and let your loving vibrations be a part of this life-giving meal to those whom you love. Thank you Mother Earth for providing us with great food.All the best, Simonnewww.alkaline-Institute.com<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Recipe &amp; photographs by SIMONNE HOLM</h4><hr>

Chickpea burgers with vegetables

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Serves:</h4>
2 persons
<h4>Ingredients:</h4>
2 big handfuls spinach 
 1 big lemon without peel 
 1 green pepper 
 1 avocado 
 A little peace of fresh ginger, grated 
 A nip of Himalaya salt 
 2 to 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
 1 tbsp hempseeds or chia seeds 
 1 cup fresh clean water (less water for a smoothie bowl) 
 Blend it all and add the oil last
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Alkaline_Smoothie2_7df96cc9d5.jpg">

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Toppings:</h4>
Hempseeds and/or chia seeds. 
 For newcomers to an alkaline diet, add a little fruit, e.g. red grapefruit, watermelon or berries.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Alkaline_Smoothie3_dab1000e27.jpg">


<hr class="vertical-space1">

<h4>Replacements:</h4>
Green pepper = cucumber 
 Avocado = less water or more oil and more greens 
 Olive oil = extra virgin coconut oil 
 Spinach = any green leaves, salads and green kale
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Alkaline_Smoothie4_5fc868fe1a.jpg">

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h5 style="text-align: left;">Thank you Mother Earth for giving me this beautiful, nourishing, live-changing clean food.
 I feel the Earth, I feel the sun and the water and the oxygen all contributing to our life on Earth. I respect it
 and thankfully I prepare the food with all my love, and serve it for my beloved who will feel the light of the
 food. 
 -Simonne</h5>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Photos and recipes by SIMONNE HOLM 
 <a style="color: #333333;"
 href="https://alkaline-institute.com/">alkaline-institute.com</a>
</h4>
<hr>

Breakfast alkaline smoothie

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 <spanundefined
 >SIMONNE HOLM is the founder of the
 Alkaline Institute. She helps people discover plant-based cooking through
 classes, retreats and her cookbooks. Here she shares a wonderful vegetable
 soup, rich in flavor and color.
 
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <spanundefined
 >The vegetables in this soup have many health benefits and they are low in
 calories and a great source of nutrients and fiber. You can also spice up
 the soup according to your taste by using more chili, fresh herbs and
 lemon juice for taste. Cook with joy and enjoy.

<h5 style="text-align: left">
 <spanundefined
 >Prep time: 10 minutes / Cooking Time: 30 minutes / Serves: 2
 persons
</h5>
<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 <spanundefined style="color: #962121"
 >Ingredients
</h4>

 3 to 4 large fresh beets 
 1 big onion 
 2 cloves garlic 
 1 tablespoon ginger 
 1 to 2 celery stalks 
 1 big sweet potato or 1 carrot 
 1 to 2 parsnips 
 ½ to 1 teaspoon chili, fresh or dried 
 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt 
 ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 
 1 liter water 
 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon 
 2 tablespoons fresh herbs: thyme and basil (or 1 teaspoon dried herbs) 
 1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 
 3 to 4 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <img
 decoding="async"
 class="w-100 lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/beetroot_soup2_1_d14fcbbb98.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-08T08:49:38.258Z"
 />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />
<h4>
 <spanundefined style="color: #962121"
 >Preparation
</h4>

 Wash or peel all the vegetables and roughly chop them into similar sized
 pieces. 
 Add 1 liter of water to a medium pot, add the chopped onions and cook for 5
 minutes. 
 Turn down the heat, add the rest of the vegetables and cook for another 25
 minutes. The vegetables should be fully cooked. 
 Add the fresh or dried herbs and turn off the heat. 
 Blend the vegetables and water with the olive oil and lemon juice. Make sure
 that your blender can handle the hot soup, or let it cool first for a few
 minutes. 
 Taste with salt, pepper and chili. 
 If needed, warm the soup again after blending. It also tastes good cold.

<h4>
 <spanundefined style="color: #962121"
 >Presentation
</h4>

 Garnish with toasted seeds, fresh parsley, coconut creme or serve as it is. 
 To toast seeds: 
 Put ½ cup of pumpkin or sesame seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat. Dry
 roast them until they are golden brown, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4
 minutes. Let them cool completely. 
 The seeds have many potential health benefits and have been used in folk
 medicine for thousands of years.


 To learn more about the Alkaline diet:<a style="color: #008000" href="https://alkaline-institute.com/">
 Alkaline-institute.com</a
 >

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 style="text-align: center">Article and photographs by SIMONNE HOLM</h4>

<hr />

Beetroot soup

<hr class="vertical-space1">
Zucchinis, also known as courgettes, are
 delicious in many dishes. They are easy to cook and they can be eaten in many ways – raw, baked, stir fried
 and steamed.
Zucchinis are also alkaline-forming with
 their high water, mineral-rich in potassium and manganese, and fiber-rich contents. They also contain
 antioxidants and a lot of important vitamins like B, C and K. All in all, zucchinis are
 anti-inflammatory.
<h3>INGREDIENTS </h3>
2 medium
 zucchinis 
 1 tsp olive oil. 
 ½ tsp Himalayan or sea salt. 
 1 pinch of dried mixed herbs.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile lazyload" alt="Stuffed-zucchini"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Stuffed_zucchini_6_432ac84375.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T08:39:32.727Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Filling
</h4>
1 big onion, finely
 chopped. 
 3 cloves garlic, minced. 
 ½ cup of black beans or green lentils, cooked. 
 2-3 tomatoes, finely chopped, or a can of crushed tomatoes. 
 Fresh herbs, 1 tsk oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary etc. 
 2-3 tablespoon olive oil. 
 ¼ tsp salt. 
 A little pepper and chili flakes.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile lazyload" alt="Stuffed-zucchini"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Stuffed_zucchini_4_0e9613a01b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T08:41:19.915Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Sauce</h4>
1 sweet potato, medium-sized, cut in thick slices, cooked. 
 ¼ cup of cashew nuts or sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 hours and rinsed. 
 1 tsk salt. 
 Juice of ½ lemon. 
 1 tablespoon onion powder.
¼ tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic. 
 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch. 
 Save the water from the cooked sweet potato to dilute the sauce.
<h4>Topping</h4>
A handful of fresh coriander or parsley.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class=" img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile lazyload" alt="Stuffed-zucchini"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Stuffed_zucchini_2_2b2033e10b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T08:42:29.671Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h3> PREPARATION </h3>
Preheat oven to 390°F/200°C. 
 Prepare the sauce. 
 Cook the sweet potatoes and set aside. 
 Rinse the soaked cashews or sunflower seeds and blend them with a little water from the sweet potatoes. 
 Add the other ingredients to the mixture in the blender. 
 Blend high speed. 
 Dilute if necessary with the sweet potato water. 
 Set aside.
<h4>Prepare the zucchini</h4>
Trim off the stem
 ends and cut each zucchini in half, lengthwise. 
 Carefully remove the inside soft part of each zucchini using a small spoon. 
 Chop the inside part and save it.
<h4>Prepare the
 filling</h4>
Heat the olive oil
 in a pan, add the onion and cook for 3 mins. 
 Add the garlic and chopped inside zucchini and cook for 3 mins. 
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile lazyload" alt="Stuffed-zucchini"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Stuffed_zucchini_7_2a344a9d99.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T08:43:43.249Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
Add the herbs. 
 Add the tomatoes, black beans or lentils, salt and pepper and for cook for 2-3 mins more. 
 Set aside.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="img-float-left has-img-center-in-mobile lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Stuffed_zucchini_3_5662846bad.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T08:44:42.018Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Bake the
 zucchinis</h4>
Place the zucchini
 shells onto a baking sheet in a baking tray. 
 Sprinkle salt, pepper and chili on the shells. 
 Add the filling into the zucchini shells. 
 Add the sauce over the top and bake for 25-30 mins.
<h3>SERVING </h3>
Serve with fresh
 coriander or parsley. 
 Add chili if you like them spicy. 
 Serve them as an appetizer or side dish with a salad or quinoa.
<h6><a href="http://Alkaline-Institute.com">Alkaline-Institute.com</a>
</h6>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4><img alt="Stuffed-zucchini" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Stuffed_zucchini_5_9c0fa96703.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-19T05:12:13.019Z">
</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Photos &amp; recipe by SIMONNE HOLM 
 Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4>


<hr>

Stuffed zucchini

<h4 id="h-simonne-holm-looks-at-ways-to-develop-healthy-balanced-nutrition-using-the-80-20-alkaline-acid-principle">
 SIMONNE HOLM
 looks at ways to develop healthy balanced nutrition using the 80-20
 alkaline-acid principle.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 In the book, The pH Miracle, Dr. Robert Young explains how our modern
 lives are suffering from imbalance caused by our dietary choices. He also
 explains how we can easily restore our health, getting the best nutrients and
 eating a balance diet, by finding the right combination of foods. If you would
 like to benefit from his exhaustive research, as well as from the works of
 early pioneers in the field, I highly recommend reading the book.



 The pH balance in your body plays a very important role in your health. pH is
 a measure of how acidic or alkaline something is, and an optimal acid-alkaline
 balance is necessary for the body to maintain a state of good health and avoid
 lifestyle diseases.


<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="647" height="714" alt="new-biology2" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology2_88aa67565a.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:42:55.703Z" />
 </figure>
</div>


 The tissues in our body have an optimal pH range that must be maintained for
 the immune system to function optimally, e.g., the blood at the slightly
 alkaline pH of 7.365. Eating acidic, toxic, low-quality processed food and
 leading a lifestyle full of stress and negative thinking make the body create
 more acid than it can eliminate, and this then affect sour digestive system
 and body metabolism.



 So, in order to maintain the optimal pH of the blood, our bodies use alkaline
 minerals from our tissues. Once the alkalinity reserves in your tissues are
 exhausted, serious problems start. The body will be



 gin to leach calcium directly from bones and magnesium from muscles. And the
 excess acid in the body will be dumped back into the tissues for storage as
 the lymphatic (immune) system is overloaded. The body will retain fat to
 protect the excess acids from affecting the organs that sustain life. It is
 one of the main reasons for weight-related problems.



 This circle of imbalance will eventually lead to an oxygen-deficient
 environment in which bacteria, fungi, and yeast thrive. The body’s inability
 to remove its own waste leads to acidosis, the over-acidification of the blood
 and tissues.


<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="501" alt="new-biology4" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology4_5b347db4b0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:45:03.667Z" />
 </figure>
</div>


 Initial symptoms include low energy, allergies, premature aging, joint
 problems, inflammation, digestive issues, bowels irritation, reflux, weight
 gain, sleep problems, etc. These symptoms can later lead to chronic diseases
 like diabetes, inflammation, heart disease, osteoarthritis, cancer, and more.



 Fortunately, we can prevent imbalance and support our bodily needs by eating
 an alkaline diet that is full of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, fiber, omega
 oils, antioxidants, and plenty of water.



 The pH of our internal fluids affects every cell in the body, and blood is the
 most important tissue in the body that transports oxygen, nutrients, and water
 to the cells and eliminates waste products.



 It is quite easy to regain the proper pH balance within only a matter of
 weeks.


<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="467" height="602" alt="new-biology3" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology3_71b6f32865.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:45:46.629Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Step 1:
 Understand
 what kind of lifestyle you live and what food you are
 eating.



 Step 2:
 Understand how
 your body works according to the pH balance and how to
 maintain homeostasis.



 Step 3:
 Take action.
 Break your imbalance and start eating a diet rich in raw,
 green, organic whole foods.


<h4>
 Daily Program for
 Optimum Health and Vitality
</h4>

<ol type="1">
 <li>Drink fresh organic green smoothies or juices.</li>
 <li>Drink more pure water.</li>
 <li>Eat organic green salads and nourishing dressing.</li>
 <li>Meditate to give your mind a break.</li>
 <li>Do breathing exercises for a few minutes daily.</li>
 <li>
 Move and get in contact withnature (parks, coast, forests, mountains, etc.).
 </li>
 <li>Sleep well – more than you think you need.</li>
</ol>


 By adding these to your life, you can return your body to astate of purity and
 balance.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="388" alt="new-biology6" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology6_206bc24839.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:46:34.082Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h4>
 The 80-20
 Principle
</h4>


 Everything you eat influences your body’s pH balance. So, it is important to
 find the right balance between acidic and alkaline food. To achieve the
 correct balance, strive for a diet of 80% alkaline-forming foods and 20%
 acid-forming foods.



 In reality, most people are doing the exact opposite: eating
 20%alkaline-forming foods and 80% acid-forming foods.



 Make sure that meat, fish, potatoes, rice, pasta, and other acid-forming foods
 only make up 20% to 25% of what you eat. The remaining 75% to 80% of what you
 eat will be fresh vegetables and other alkaline foods.



 Keep in mind that each of us is a unique individual with different bodily
 needs. You need to be your own best expert and begin to recognize your body’s
 true needs.



 You can eat as many alkaline-forming foods as you like, as they contain
 important nutrients and have a low-glycemic index.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="467" height="602" alt="new-biology7" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology7_9c2d437684.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:47:37.616Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Alkaline food is plant-based, gluten-free, sugar-free, and contains proteins,
 minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. Alkaline fruits
 and vegetables contain high water content and mineral content, which increase
 the oxygen content of the body.



 The human body is designed to eat natural foods. And an alkaline diet offers
 an optimal way to bring yourself back to balance from any disorder, be it
 physical, emotional, or spiritual.


<h4>
 Alkaline Drinks are
 the Foundation of Health
</h4>


 The easiest and the best way to get more raw vegetables daily is to kick-start
 your day by juicing or blending your vegetables.



 A healthy daily intake is 6 to 9 cups of vegetables and fruits. Drinking a big
 glass of a green smoothie or juice daily will increase your greens intake by
 up to as much as 3 cups.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="467" height="602" alt="new-biology5" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology5_7ab56b7928.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:49:12.784Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Using the balance principle, it is possible to create vibrant health,
 facilitate weight loss, and slow down aging.



 Apply the principle step-by-step and visualize a big plate of what you will
 eat during the day. It can help you to navigate toward more healthy alkaline
 food.


<h4>
 Acid–Alkaline Ratios
 in Food
</h4>


 1. 75%
 acidic: common in the standard Western diet


<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="300" height="300" alt="new-biology8" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology8_4889b720ff.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:50:36.582Z" />
 </figure>
</div>


 Acidic foods rob your nutrients: low-quality processed, refined foods,
 nutrient, pre-packaged non-foods, fast foods, trans fats, genetically modified
 and oxidizing foods, sugar. They provide fewer nutrients to your body, but
 result in stress, toxins, and acidity.



 2. 50-50: a
 good start to a healthy lifestyle


<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="300" height="300" alt="new-biology9" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology9_a69c1aff59.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:51:35.243Z" />
 </figure>
</div>


 Regain nutrients by adding fresh, unprocessed foods. Let fresh, organic fruits
 and vegetables make up more than 50% of your food.



 3. 70% to 80%
 alkaline food is the optimal balance for your health


<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="300" height="300" alt="new-biology10" class="has-img-center lazyload"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/new_biology10_8cbe7b1d67.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T06:52:28.529Z" />
 </figure>
</div>


 Live fully recharged with 70% to 80% high-energy, fresh, alkaline, organic,
 whole foods, alkaline juices, smoothies, and water.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

New biology

<hr><h4>SIMONNE HOLM is the founder of the Alkaline Institute and is dedicated to helping people to thrive on their health journey through creative food projects, cooking, and lifestyle. Here she shares a colorful nutritious vegetable soup that is simple to make and tastes delicious.</h4><hr>This is an easy way to cook a vegetable soup rich in flavor and color. The vegetables have many health benefits and they are low in calories and a great source of nutrients and fiber. You can spice it up as per your choice. Use more chili, fresh herbs, and lemon juice for taste. Cook with joy and enjoy.Prep time 10&nbsp;minutes. Cook time&nbsp;30&nbsp;minutes. Serves 2 people.<h4>Ingredients</h4>3 to 4 large fresh beets 1 big onion 2 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon ginger 1 to 2celery stalks 1 large sweet potato or 1 carrot 1 to 2 parsnips ½ to 1 teaspoon chili, fresh or dried 1 teaspoon Himalaya salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 liter water 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon 2 tablespoons fresh thyme and basil or 1 teaspoon dried herbs 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 to 4 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/healing_soup2_478ba93e64.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-26T07:49:29.983Z" alt=""><hr><h4>Preparation</h4>Wash or peel the vegetables and roughly chop them into the same-sized pieces.Add 1 liter of water in a medium pot, add the chopped onions, and cook for 5 minutes.Turn down the heat, add the rest of the vegetables, and cook for another 25 minutes. The vegetables should be fully cooked.Add the fresh or dried herbs and turn off the heat.Blend the vegetable soup with the olive oil and lemon juice.Make sure that your blender jar can handle the warm soup or first let it cool for another 5 minutes.Add salt, pepper, and chili to taste.You can warm the soup again after blending. It also tastes good cold.<h4>Toast seeds</h4>Add ½ cup of pumpkin or sesame seeds to a skillet over medium heat. Dry roast them until golden brown, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes.Transfer to a plate to cool completely.The seeds have many potential health benefits and have been used in folk medicine for thousands of years.&nbsp;<h4>Assemble your plate</h4>Sprinkle the beetroot soup with toasted seeds, fresh parsley, coconut crème, or have it just as it is.<hr>When the Divinity at the center of every atom in our food resonates with the Divinity within us, food becomes a potent source of goodness. — Daaji<hr><hr>To learn more about the Alkaline Diet, visit Simonne’s website at <a href="http://www.Alkaline-institute.com">www.Alkaline-institute.com</a>

Healing Soup

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">SIMONNE HOLM shares an approach to eating that will reduce inflammation and nourish your body, and shares 5 simple recipes to help you do it! You’ll soon be bounding with energy and not feeling hungry all the time.</h4>&nbsp;For more vitality, aim to include high alkaline-forming, anti-inflammatory ingredients as often as possible. These nutrient-dense and energy-rich foods will rejuvenate your body and bring clarity and calm to your mind by reducing inflammation.By simply adding more fresh, clean greens and fruits to your diet, you can eliminate the need for hunger and calorie counting. Instead, focus on satisfying, vibrant meals that deeply nourish, leaving you energized and free from deprivation. This way of eating supports personal well-being, while also promoting a sustainable lifestyle in harmony with nature.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Your food choices matter!&nbsp;</h4>Everything you consume impacts your cells and the environment. By choosing plant-based, unprocessed, organic, fresh foods, you create positive changes—not just for your health but also for the planet.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Your health starts in the kitchen.</h4>It’s equally important to preserve cooking traditions and skills, as these empower you to inspire younger generations to embrace healthy cooking, habits, and living.At the start of a new year, many of us set <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/are-you-eating-for-your-mind-body-and-soul" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">health goals</a>. Success depends on how realistic and sustainable it is to implement these goals. Studies show that the average woman tries eight diets a year. How can you balance a healthy and nourishing plate every day without thinking it is a diet?The key lies in incorporating nutrient-rich ingredients in your meals, making it easier to phase out unhealthy options like refined food, sugar, trans fats, and gluten. They are really no go! Raw fresh foods like kale, spinach, cucumber, and celery are great for smoothies, for instance. They are a simple and powerful way to boost your body, fast. Packed with energy, <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/wheatgrass-juice" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">vitamins</a>, and fiber, they promote better digestion, provide your body with essential nutrients, and vitalize your cells.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Why not start with a smoothie a day?</h4>Try my Alkaline Vitality recipes during the next five days and enjoy the health benefits and taste.I’m here to help you on your journey to vitality! Feel free to reach out with any questions. Visit my website for more inspiration today and discover some free guides. <a href="www.alkaline-institute.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.alkaline-institute.com</a><hr><h3 style="text-align:justify;">Basic smoothie template for ultimate vitality.</h3><ul><li style="text-align:justify;">80% leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and other fresh greens.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">1 to 2 cups of water.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Healthy fats: Avocado, almonds, chia seeds, and oils such as olive oil, flaxseed oil, or avocado oil.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Fruits with very low fructose: Lemon, lime, papaya, or tomato.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Vegetables: Cucumber, celery stalks, or zucchini.</li></ul><hr><h2 style="text-align:center;">5 BOOSTING RECIPES</h2><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Alkaline Ultimate Morning Smoothie</h4>Ingredients:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">100 grams (2 big handfuls) of fresh spinach and kale.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">½ to 1 avocado (if in season).</li><li style="text-align:justify;">2 cups of water.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">2 to 4 tablespoons of oil (olive, flaxseed, or avocado) or chia seeds.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">1 lemon, peeled; you can use the peel without the white pith for extra zest.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">A few fresh mint leaves.</li></ul>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/boost_your_vitality3_0c15748a2c.webp" alt="boost-your-vitality3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_boost_your_vitality3_0c15748a2c.webp 235w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_boost_your_vitality3_0c15748a2c.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_boost_your_vitality3_0c15748a2c.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/boost_your_vitality2_82e75a364e.webp" alt="boost-your-vitality2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_boost_your_vitality2_82e75a364e.webp 233w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_boost_your_vitality2_82e75a364e.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_boost_your_vitality2_82e75a364e.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Instructions:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li style="text-align:justify;">Blend all ingredients until smooth.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Adjust the water to your preferred consistency. If using chia or flaxseeds, note that the smoothie will thicken over time.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Enjoy a big glass fresh and store any leftovers in a glass container in the fridge for up to one day.</li></ol><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Green Vitality Smoothie</h4>Ingredients:<ul><li>2 kale leaves.</li><li>1 handful of spinach.</li><li>1 cucumber.</li><li>Fresh herbs, e.g., mint, lovage.</li><li>1 lemon or lime (peeled).</li><li>½ tsp Himalayan salt.</li><li>3 tbsp olive oil.</li><li>500 ml water (or more as required).</li></ul>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/boost_your_vitality4_28cc3e4a1e.webp" alt="boost-your-vitality4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_boost_your_vitality4_28cc3e4a1e.webp 117w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_boost_your_vitality4_28cc3e4a1e.webp 374w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_boost_your_vitality4_28cc3e4a1e.webp 561w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Instructions:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Rinse the vegetables thoroughly and add them to the blender. If your blender isn’t very powerful, place the softer ingredients at the bottom.</li><li>Add water and a pinch of salt. Blend at high speed until smooth.</li><li>Add the olive oil and blend briefly to combine.</li><li>Adjust the water as needed to reach a drinkable consistency.</li><li>Drink a large glass immediately, and store the rest for later. It keeps up to three days in an airtight glass container. Enjoy this refreshing boost of vitality!</li></ol><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Alkaline Papaya Smoothie</h4>Ingredients:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">100 grams (2 big handfuls) of fresh spinach, kale, or a combination.</li><li>½ papaya (if in season).</li><li>2 cups of water.</li><li>¼ tsp Himalayan salt.</li><li>2 to 4 tbsp of oil (olive, flaxseed, or avocado) or chia seeds.</li><li>1 lime (peeled; you can also use the peel without the white for extra flavor) A few fresh mint leaves.</li></ul>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/boost_your_vitality5_088b6b3c69.webp" alt="boost-your-vitality5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_boost_your_vitality5_088b6b3c69.webp 218w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_boost_your_vitality5_088b6b3c69.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_boost_your_vitality5_088b6b3c69.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Instructions:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li style="text-align:justify;">Blend all ingredients until smooth.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Adjust water for desired consistency and enjoy fresh. Store any leftover smoothie in a sealed glass container for up to one day.</li></ol><hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Kale and Cabbage Salad with Sweet Potato and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds</h4>Ingredients:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">2 cups kale, finely chopped (remove tough stems).</li><li style="text-align:justify;">2 cups cabbage, finely shredded (green or purple cabbage).</li><li style="text-align:justify;">1 zucchini, julienned with a knife, grater, or mandolin.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed, and cooked (boiled or roasted).</li><li style="text-align:justify;">¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds.</li></ul>Dressing:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">2 tbsp olive oil.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">1 tbsp lemon juice.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">1 tsp Dijon mustard.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">1 tsp grated ginger.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Salt and pepper to taste.</li></ul>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/boost_your_vitality6_a9d5012bc8.webp" alt="boost-your-vitality6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_boost_your_vitality6_a9d5012bc8.webp 234w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_boost_your_vitality6_a9d5012bc8.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_boost_your_vitality6_a9d5012bc8.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Instructions:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li style="text-align:justify;">Prepare the dressing:  In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, grated ginger, salt, and pepper until smooth.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Massage the kale: Place the chopped kale in a large bowl and drizzle a small amount of the dressing over it. Massage the kale with your hands for 1-2 minutes to soften it.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Assemble the salad:  Add the shredded cabbage, julienned zucchini, cooked sweet potato, and the remaining dressing to the bowl with the kale. Toss everything well to combine.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Top with pumpkin seeds:  Sprinkle toasted pumpkin seeds over the salad before serving.</li></ol>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/boost_your_vitality7_efdc4eb2a5.webp" alt="boost-your-vitality7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_boost_your_vitality7_efdc4eb2a5.webp 234w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Chia Pudding with Oats and Cinnamon</h4>Ingredients:<ul><li style="text-align:justify;">½ cup of chia seeds.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">1 cup of water.</li><li style="text-align:justify;">Optional toppings: Ground cinnamon, oats, fresh fruit.</li></ul>&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/boost_your_vitality8_4ad3f238c1.webp" alt="boost-your-vitality8.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_boost_your_vitality8_4ad3f238c1.webp 125w," sizes="100vw">Instructions:<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Soak chia seeds in water for at least 10 minutes, or until they form a gel-like consistency.</li><li>Add a sprinkle of cinnamon and mix well.</li><li>Serve as is, or top with oats and fresh fruit for added texture and flavor.</li></ol><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photographs by SIMONNE HOLM</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Boost your vitality

Smriti Krishna, M.Phil., Ph.D., GCED, is a research scientist who focuses on improving the lives of patients with cardiovascular diseases and promoting healthy aging. Her work&nbsp;has been published in many leading general and specialist journals. Currently, she conducts her research at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and the Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, University of Melbourne, Australia.&nbsp;

Smriti is a strong community-oriented person with a long history of voluntary activities.&nbsp;She is an active member of the Australasian Mental Health Higher Education Committee, a Charter Member of the Emotional Well-Being Institute (UN Geneva), and a volunteer for the Heartfulness Institute.&nbsp;

smriti-krishna.jpg

Smriti Krishna

<h4>DR. SMRITI KRISHNA shares some reflections on the value of solitude and alone time during the pandemic. She reminds us of some ancient wisdom from both the Japanese and Indian cultures on how to love ourselves, spend time with ourselves, accept our imperfections, and celebrate life, even during a pandemic!</h4><hr>As I glance outside my apartment balcony in the heart of Melbourne, Australia, to the piece of sky above and a green patch that I can see through the high-rise buildings, I notice that the streets are unusually quiet. The occasional chirping of birds breaks the deadly silence. The sixth lockdown due to the pandemic has turned the city into a ghost town.Many who have been resilient throughout the past emergence of the pandemic are starting to feel the sand wash away from under their feet. Holding on to positivity and being resilient is becoming harder as each day goes by. Many are lonely and confined to limited physical and emotional spaces. Yes, there is a vast virtual or digital world out there where we can hang out and reconnect with anyone across barriers, but still, many people feel lonely.I have listened to my friends’ complaints that the lockdown has made them realize how lonely they were.Why are we so reluctant to spend time with ourselves?Loneliness is an experience which, when turned into a positive, becomes a divine practice. Solitude is an enjoyable phase to detach yourself from your body and allow yourself to heal the wounds that past experiences have inflicted upon you. The solitude phase is transformative and nonjudgmental. You might be broken from inside: a broken marriage, broken friendships, children being irrational and alienating, loss of career growth, a lack of personal growth and feeling stuck. But it is okay to be broken, it is okay to have failed. You are beautiful the way you are.How to make solitude a divine experience?The practice of meditation takes us to a stage where we learn to accept the things that comes our way in life. Yes, life may not have been rosy, and there have been lost opportunities and occasions of discrimination, but so what? None of that has changed who we are “inside.”<hr><hr><h5>The practice of meditation takes us to a stage&nbsp; where we learn to accept the things&nbsp; that comes our way in life.</h5><hr><hr>Many of us have been lucky enough to have a list of friends on social media, a group of friends to help us enjoy weekend parties, and school and university social media groups that erase international borders, all of which have brought us together in the time of the pandemic. Those are all good support systems. But you want to go beyond that and live fully in the present moment. That’s when you are left alone with your real self and that is when you start to love yourself without judgment.The Japanese art of Kintsugi puts broken pieces of pottery together with gold, which is a metaphor for highlighting the flaws and imperfections in a damaged art piece. However, we don’t need Kintsugi. It is okay to be broken, it is okay to have been hurt in the past, it is okay to carry scars that have healed only on the surface. The whole of our life may not be perfect, but the pieces are just as beautiful as they are whole in themselves. The broken pieces don’t need to be aligning perfectly. Every piece or experience in life is a story, and it is perfect the way it is.Hindu philosophy teaches that the gunas (a Sanskrit word meaning tendencies or personalities) are not the true “Self,” or Atman. So, practice Atma-Prema, or unconditional self-love – love of the Self that exists at the center of all of us. AtmaPrema arises from the realization that beyond our imperfections, beyond the titles and genetic lineages we carry, our fundamental inner being is pure and eternal.As lockdown continues, now is the time to put all those years of reading about meditation into practice. Meditate and enjoy time with yourself. Congratulate yourself on the amazing journey so far. Be your best friend!<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ARATI SHEDDE</h4><hr><hr>

How to love yourself

SMRITI NARAYANAN is a high school senior from Austin, Texas, who enjoys researching the various impacts music, the environment, and interactions have on the human brain. Here she explores the soothing effect of the sounds of nature.

Smriti-Narayanan.jpg

Smriti Narayanan

<h4>SMRITI NARAYANAN is a high school senior from Austin, Texas, who enjoys researching the various impacts music, the environment, and interactions have on the human brain. Here she explores the soothing effect of the sounds of nature.</h4><hr>Think of the soft pitter-patter of raindrops and the gentle tumbles of a stream nearby. Think of the shrill chirps in a birdsong and the whoosh of the leaves blowing in the wind. What do you associate these sounds with? How do they make you feel? These sounds of nature invoke a sense of comfort and ease. This is something common to all people, but why is it so? Actually, there’s a science behind why these sounds make us feel relaxed.A study conducted by Buxton, Pearson, Allou, Fristrup, and Wittemeyer (2021), published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences furthered the theory that natural sounds relayed a positive correlation to quantitative and measurable health benefits. The study identified 36 publications in which “decreased pain, lower stress, improved mood, and enhanced cognitive performance”1 correlated with listening to natural sounds.From this, they identified an environment in which there was decreased human disturbance – parks. Environments with reduced noise pollution allowed people to perceive animal, water, and wind sounds. As the researchers looked more deeply into various sounds, they found that water sounds had the largest mean health benefits and positive outcomes. When they compared natural sounds to human noise, they found a similar outcome. Their results demonstrated the calmness and joy brought to those who experienced and perceived the sounds of nature.Having more calmness and joy in one’s life can lead to reduced stress, anxiety, and brain fog. In environments with increased human noise pollution, such as cities, towns, and suburbs, we don’t perceive sounds in our environment because our attention is focused on other singular sounds or sights, like a voice or a person. Human-made sound is referred to as noise whereas environmental sound is simply natural sound. When we do get the chance to listen to the sounds of nature, it’s almost as if we’ve taken a pause from the world around us.One reason why humans find the sounds of nature soothing is because of their connection to music.The basic elements of music are derived from sound and rhythm, which are found in nature. Take, for instance, a bird song. The sounds of the bird create a song, just as notes connect to make a song on an instrument. Rhythm is seen in nature through drops of rain hitting the ground. If you listen to the peck of the woodpecker, you will find a rhythm. Many renowned musicians like Vivaldi, Beethoven, Handel, and Debussy were inspired by nature. If you’ve ever listened to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, you can distinguish the different moods of music used to portray the change in nature. Essentially, we’ve discovered that music and nature are one. The music we find soothing today wouldn’t exist without nature-derived sounds and rhythms.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/power_of_sounds_of_nature3_700x466_b2c1200ed0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-13T05:44:33.386Z" alt=""><hr>In addition, the way humans interpret the soundscape can have an effect on emotions.Studies have shown that nature can affect the psychological development of an individual. Though it is important to note that not all sounds affect humans in the same way. Due to various experiences and memories, different sounds can evoke different emotions. Various sounds can evoke certain recalls in the human mind, correlating to positive (and sometimes negative) feelings. The way in which our mind reacts to these auditory stimuli is what we show through emotion.<hr><h4>Natural sounds have an overall positive effect&nbsp; on human health. The long term benefits of stress relief&nbsp; and reducing anxiety are numerous including sleep improvements,&nbsp; reduced muscle tension, and an overall better quality of life.</h4><hr><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/power_of_sounds_of_nature2_700x176_1230b7df08.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-13T05:46:22.845Z" alt=""><hr>Kanha Shanti Vanam, an ashram in Hyderabad hosting the world headquarters for the Heartfulness Institute, is an ecological paradise where you can resonate with inner and outer nature. The Green Kanha Initiative aims to utilize this space to nurture biodiversity and this is accomplished through the conservation of hundreds of endangered and indigenous species of plants and animals. In addition to being a meditative space, Kanha Shanti Vanam has become a conservation site and home to these flora and fauna. Here people can experience the sounds of nature all around them whilst practicing meditation. If you’re looking to implement natural sounds into your meditation and mindfulness routine, you may consider visiting this ashram.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/power_of_sounds_of_nature4_700x466_95c584f423.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-13T05:48:29.997Z" alt=""><hr>For the most part, we’re able to say that natural sounds have an overall positive effect on human health. The long term benefits for stress relief and reducing anxiety are numerous, including sleep improvements, reduced muscle tension, and an overall better quality of life.Some strategies for accessing natural sounds on a daily or weekly basis are to take some time to step outside, be away from the bustling sounds of an urban environment, and connect with nature. Whether it’s in your own backyard, the local park, or a national park, the sounds of nature surround us. If you don’t have the luxury of stepping into nature, there are thousands of relaxing audios and natural sounds found on streaming platforms. By simply implementing any one of these strategies, you could take small steps towards daily stress and anxiety relief.1 <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2013097118#%3A~%3Atext%3DThe%20results%20affirm%20that%20natural%2Csound%20and%20low%20anthropogenic%20sound">https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2013097118#%3A~%3Atext%3DThe%20results%20affirm%20that%20natural%2Csound%20and%20low%20anthropogenic%20sound</a><hr>

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