Here for writing

I want to start this post with a quick update  before I proceed with the 19th verse. Starting with a warm up 4 k jog on Monday, I managed a 10 K run yesterday, which involved running up and down a flyover 5 times, as a part of interval training. Upbeat with yesterday's success, off I went to the beach, donning my shoes strapping my mobile arm band....but my legs refused to cooperate with me. With the bones below my knee jarring with pain, I limped out a miserly 5K and rushed back home. Yes, the dreaded shin splints. So I am revising my 1st objective -I will do 9 more 10ks in March, but definitely not on continuous days. And, I am going to focus on core strengthening and cross training and most importantly, watch my diet. As far as the other objectives are concerned, I am pretty much on track as far as writing is concerned, have downloaded an app and am tracking my spending diligently and finally, I am yet to make any progress on Sri Suktam. In the 18th ver...

I rarely read Indian authors. One of the very few books that I enjoyed by Indian authors are Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai and Two Fates by Judy Balan. The reason I don't prefer books by Indian authors is this -when I read books set in a foreign culture and locale, I can't really relate to it. I just take what is being written at face value and happily get carried away by the book. But, when the book is set in an Indian context, with Indian characters and Indian locales, I don't really enjoy the book if I don't relate to it. I am not saying that I am fully aware and conversant with the diverse cultural and socio economic strata of India, but this book by Manju Kapur disappointed, even irritated me in so many levels. Astha, a middle class Delhi girl gets married to Hemant -a foreign educated handsome boy who is working in a PSU bank, so that he can take care of his parents. They have an awesome sex life for the first two years of marriage, then they get...

It really pains to see that I have written only 7 posts in February. And it pains even more when I realize that I have logged in only 5 activities in the runtastic app for the month. But then, considering a very hectic work week, 2 weddings, death of a relative, a sick relative and a terrible eye infection, I should not delve too much on the month that was past. So I wanted to share here what I want to do in March 2015, as a sort of commitment to myself. 1. I am excited that I am going to run 10 kilometers for 10 continuous days starting from March 3rd. This 10X10 is something that I have been wanting to do for quite sometime. I have a mental block of this 10 K mark and by doing this 10X10, I want to feel as if 10K is the new 5K for me. Whenever I finish 10K, I feel as if I have done something great, and this feeling is so not helping me to start training for my half marathon that I want to run in June. So here is to the first step for my half...

The more I delve into Vedanta, the more I like it. So many people I know feel that Vedanta is for people who are 50+ and have already lived their lives and done their duties. Many of my well wishers even feel that I should not be thinking/talking/writing about this, lest I get brainwashed into becoming a sanyasini. But the beauty of Vedanta study is, it really makes a difference in my day to day life. When I am keenly observing myself and my thoughts, I very rarely have negative thoughts about someone or something else. And I am becoming less reactive and less agitated. I don't know if it is a temporary effect or a lasting one, but I am immensely enjoying this. The worry factor -especially worry caused by unnecessary fabrication of hypothetical scenarios -has really come down. It is like as if, deep down, I feel that everything is ok...as if I don't have to worry about anything. Most importantly, I am so happy that I am writing so much. When I write, all the thought...

Today was a wonderful day. When the mind is at peace, all days are wonderful days. Also, today was Ekadasi. Since new year, I am trying to fast on Ekadasi. Not only for religious reason, but primarily for self control. I have very very poor self control when it comes to food. I am so bad that, right after having my dinner, I will open the fridge and see if there is anything to eat. Seriously! And if you place any form of yummy food in front of me, I just can't resist taking a bite...no matter how full I feel. Another thing is, I can't control my emotions when I don't have food in my tummy. It is like as if I have a split personality. When I don't get food when I am hungry, I throw tantrums -anger, weeping, irrational decisions...uff. "Hangry" (Hungry + angry) is the perfect expression for what I go through during those times. My Guru tells that During Ekadasi, there is an abundance of energy around us, so that we can survive with little or no food ...

The plot of this book revolves around horse racing and it is written by an erstwhile star jockey. I feared that the book will be too technical for someone who does not even fully understand how the betting odds work. But Even Money was such a breezy book that I felt as if I was reading a Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew book for grown ups. The protagonist of this book is Ned Talbot, an independent bookmaker who sets shop in all major horse races in England. One day, a man turns up and tells him that he is his father..the father whom Ned was told by his grand parents that he died 37 years ago. And promptly, before the astonished Ned could exchange more than a few skeptical sentences with the new found father, the father gets murdered. Why? By whom? And what does Ned do about it? This is the gist of the book. The book has very limited set of major characters. Ned's wife, Sophie, who is battling mental illness. Ned's partner Luca, his apprentice Douglas. The relationsh...

Verses 11 to 14 talk about the impurities of the mind and draw inference about what is the true cause of it. I imagine the impurities of the mind as those factors that does not allow us to exist in the state of bliss and oneness. So for me, they are primarily fear, insecurity, over expectations and I am taking the liberty of adding procrastination here, because, it has lead me to a lot of trouble. I am sure every individual have their own unique list of impurities that stops them from being happy. In Manah Sodhanam, Swami Tejomayananda lists likes, dislikes, anger, greed, ego, selfishness etc as some of the impurities. By listing the emotions, it does not mean that I must not get angry or I must not feel fear etc. Because, as a human, I am meant to experience these feelings and emotions. When I look at a lovely flower, I must feel a liking towards it. If someone abuses me unnecessarily, I am programmed to feel angry and bitter. But I must be aware of these emotions and not l...