Magic of Breathing – Changing your Mood & Energy

Breathing Therapy (as some people mention it to distance themselves from term ‘Pranayama’) is gaining a huge popularity in modern generation today. I have been researching these topics for some-time (as we have been making music for Pranayama by Guitarmonkrecords) and thought to write up & invite the experiences of practitioner in my Blog.

For thousands of years Indian yogis believed that many diseases are connected to exaggerated, changed or disturbed patterns of Breathing.

As per writings on Pranayama –

Left nostril is for calming down (represents the moon) whereas the right nostril is for energy (represents the Sun)

Breathing in through your left nostril will access the right-side “feeling” hemisphere of your brain, and breathing in through your right nostril, will access the left “thinking” hemisphere of your brain.  So when you consciously alternate your breathing between either or both nostril, it allows you to activate and access your whole brain.

The same breathing patterns can be used for balancing yourself when you are feeling Tired or Cold, depressed or Heated-up (Headache, Angry, and Irritated) as they say.

For ex: – In Headache or anger, your right nostril is doing the most breathing so you can balance it by closing right nostril and doing breathing for few minutes through left. On the contrary when you are tired, over-calm, cold or depressed you can energize yourself with right nostril breathing.

While 5-10 minutes of breathing or Pranayama claims to have lot of utilities as –

1. Clean Your Lungs – Removal of stale air and impurities with proper breathing
2. Performance – Gives oxygen to Brain so better for students going to give exams etc.
3. Better Sleep – By focusing on left nostril breathing
4. Balance Both Sides of Brain – Access to both left and right brain functions.
5. Revitalization – Gives you energy when you feel tired
6. Calm your anger or exaggerated thinking mind and relaxes you
7. Others etc.

In my case I am doing pranayama for 2 years for around 5 minutes almost daily. To me it helped in better digestion and balancing my body as I eat a lot of outside food.

Please write me your experiences of Pranayama or Breathing Therapy so that I can post it my Blog.

Disclaimer – I totally disclaim myself from anybody practicing based on my article. I am not a Yoga or Pranayama expert but an explorer like you, so you need to find out yourself who is qualified to do so. I wrote this article to create a platform to gather facts from experienced people so that it is helpful information for all.

Indian’s Medal Mentality Rio Olympics – All Gifts for Sindhu & nothing for Dipa?

Kapil Srivastava | kapil@guitarmonk.com

Just a day before everybody forgot cricket and watched PV Sindhu Badminton match. And today almost every state is announcing cash for PV Sindhu. So far she has got 10 crores+ cash and 1000 sq yard house and lot of real-estate and brand ambassadorship opportunities by Jewellery brands, BMW gifts and what not.

Delhi’s government also announced 2 crore cash for PV Sindhu and 1 Crore for Sakshi and Rs. Zero for Dipa?.  Not even Rs. 50 Lakhs for her?

Has all ignored Dipa Karmakar contribution? Badminton had ancestors but Gymnast had none. What Dipa has achieved is no way less than, if not more, what PV Sindhu or Sakshi achieved for India. I would say that from a perspective her contribution is the best for Gymnast for the first time in India.

She didn’t win the medal but her sacrifice, hard-work is incomparable and that’s where our politicians, states should have shown maturity in honoring the hard-work of this lady Dipa Karmakar.  And they should have gifted her 1/3^rd of atleast what they gifted to PV Sindhu and ½ of Sakshi Malik as a good gesture and respect for her hard-work. This would be walk the talk.

We, Indian, on one side, talking about promoting sports etc. but our actions reflects the contrary, it shows affection for only those who win medals and not those who fights. Was Dipa Karmakar more hard-working if she had won the medal? No. She gave 100% and her best despite no support or any backbone of Gymnast leaders in Indian history. She deserves respect for her hard-work, which is as big as any medal winner.

In true, ignoring her is dis-respecting her contribution. It is a reflection of our deep-rooted lust for MEDALS, VICTORIES, POSSESSION, STARDOM, CELEBRITIES, FOLLOWER’s mentality and not sportsmanship. Media always need a new star, they got one after a long time.

Please note – You are just making PV Sindhu one outstanding celebrity that you always wanted to follow but this way you are doing nothing good for sports and sportsmanship in your gestures.

You don’t need Olympics medals, you need stars and celebrities and by this gesture, you are working contrary to winning medals eventually. What you are doing is creating a big gap between hard-work and achievers by such misguided donation gestures, while you did nothing for any of stars yourself. At-least government bodies shouldn’t do this thing and is expected to honor and promote everyone. I wish wisdom prevails on some minds who thinks beyond politics.

Are you wasting time on Bollywood, Politics

Friends,

We all have our priorities right?

But it seems that we are surrounded by people who has jobs of promoting Bollywood, Fashion, Politics only, day and night. Or the next thing they will do is share a video that they have watched. This is all time-waste today in social media. Social Media has become a lazy, time-less entertainment.

Indian economy would have been different had people spent time on thinking development and being entrepreneurs, the way they give time thinking and talking commenting about Bollywood, Actors, Politics etc while being in jobs and then drawing salary as their right. They can never know what it takes to create a project and give a salary. But creating an opinion is everyone’s right, a constitutional right to exercise, which is doing a lot of harm to our creative resources and direction than benefit.

It’s pollution of thoughts that taking lot of energy and we always blame that ‘Time is running fast’.  It has to be because we have lot of information to give time to unless we shun it. 

I just saw a MD writing an essay on Salman and Dalai Lama smile. While most of India’s population is below poverty, I consider such intellectual talks as wasting a lot of time and energy in sharing long stories and then reflecting, as a matter of perspective & contemplation. And then these stories get shared in social media by their followers and become a topics for discussion. Very soon, you will see them as hot topics and on news list. It’s not a pity if you find them part of twitter trends and even some mention in debates (and person like Rajat Sharma won’t mind asking this question in Aap Ki Adalat too on the same smile)

Sometimes I contemplate that how much could be contributed in same time by the same intellects. And the list would-be endless.

Movie – In Time – How much of you have left?

Watched this Hollywood Movie that I felt about TIME. It is a fiction that indirectly talks about how important time is for us. In this movie everyone stop aging after 25 years and their automatic watch starts running and they have only 1 year left.

So everybody wants to earn more time. Rich lives forever and poor dies young. The whole economy of world around is about time, to have time, to get time, to earn time, to pay with time etc.

And relate it in our life as we have abundant time in hand. We have prosperity of GIFT OF TIME by nature. But see how we loose it everyday, we don’t make most of time. Time is passing by in life.

Time is needed by those who are dying in Hospital, who got sickness or who are OLD. Time is the most important wealth and money is the cheapest reward for it. Time cannot be achieved again even after giving Lakhs of Crores of rupees for 1 second.

So Enjoy this fiction movie. It is dramatic too but the concept and theme is enlightening.

My one dialogue from the movie – 

For a Few to be Immortal, Many Must Die.

Everyone can’t live forever, Where would we put them?

Why do you think there are TIME ZONES?

Why do you think prices and taxes go up in the same day in the ghetto?

The cost of living keeps rising to make sure people keep dying.

How else could there be men with a million years while most live day to day?

But the Truth is, there’s more than enough.

No one has to die before their time.

And others must leave IN-TIME.

Old Age – Making a Living – Delhi, India

Being Old is not a relaxation and retirement for many as it is for our parents and affluent families. Many of them have to work hard every day for few rupees to get going (to make a living).

And what to do when you find them around you?

My brother was in TCS Chennai and he shared me the story of a very old lady (nearby his house). The old lady used to make her living by making rosary from flowers. She used to work day and night and then sleep at the same place, waiting for the next day.

2 Months back, I also saw one lady at Rishikesh (Ram Jhula), was a very old lady who used to manage her shop, selling items of clay. She used to keep selling things till 9 pm and close the shop, doing all binding (securing) of items, all laborious task herself. Her shop items were also reflection of whatever she has known and learnt from life; she chose to sell. She started to make a living out of same. Unknown of the larger development of world around her, she was doing her best to meet both ends at this old age. Risking all and nothing at such an age, vulnerable from the heartless and alone.

Today I was for a shopping at Jheel, Gandhi Nagar area of East Delhi and amidst the very fast moving traffic, pollution and people. I happened to see this old lady sitting at the side of main road selling ‘Neem Sticks’.  When I enquired about her, I came to know that she is selling this every day. The same theory struck in mind that whatever she knew, she is selling it every-day to make a living at such an old age, selling something at Rs. 2.50.

Old age is an unavoidable fact of life. It is a time where body-mind is totally tired and need to relax. Not all people are able to live this period of life gracefully and happily.

I want to advise my younger generation that our old people have seen a lot of dark life, less of advancement and development as compared to us and sometimes they are unable to pace themselves with the fast world. They may have grudges; they may have mental blocks and habits. Ignore all of them as they are old now. It is so unfortunate that they don’t have younger ones to give them comfort.

And whenever you find some old lady/man struggling hard, working hard at this old age, support her; buy her stuff, even if you don’t need it. It will give her/him relaxation and convenience at-least for that day.

Lastly if you want to work with me to gather volunteers for helping old, who are struggling in streets, we can start a campaign. Write me at kapil.guitarmonk@gmail.com

ISRO Style – launched 20 Satellites in a Go – What new generation can learn from it?

ISRO makes the new record and I am so Proud.

This is the one organization that inspires me a lot. We successfully placed in orbit a record 20 satellites, in a 26-minute flight. We surpassed our own last record of 10.

Yes we don’t make un-necessary expenditure and that’s why today we are launching American satellites too. Our 20 International Customers are (Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and USA.

Yes we are not working to get likes and appreciation from these 20 countries on facebook or social media, we are working to get 20+ countries as buyers who may not even like us.

Check out this – http://www.isro.gov.in/isro-crosses-50-international-customer-satellite-launch-mark

Let’s try to learn from it – 

SHOW-OFF – We budding generation is tempted to show-off via symbolism i.e. Big Cars, Homes, Mobiles or Lifestyle for reflecting life of success etc. This over-spending is not ISRO way. Are you spending to showing off? This is not a question of success but a question of financial disaster (or life and death) at times. SO LET’S NOT FALL IN TRAP but DO ISRO WAY. It may not look stylish or luteyans style (like America has been doing and spending thousands of crores on it’s space budget that ISRO don’t do or copy) but ISRO is WISDOM.

AVOID BEING A COPYCAT CUSTOMER – Relate it to our life or Education or Guitar Education or our Guitarmonk Experiences of thousands of students. A student can learn anywhere, even on roof and under a tree but a customer expect unwanted expenses.

Many Guitar Aspirants today expects a 5 Star facility but want to pay few hundred. But would that serve the Goal?

DON’T MIX LOOKS WITH SUCCESS – Do we need to be star-looks to be successful?

Yes We don’t need to look like a star to be winners. We rather need to be winners (even without looking like a star). IT’S THE ISRO WAY.

Let’s implement these three things in life.

Choose your goal wisely and we become ISRO

Energy, Passion & Imagination Vs. Direction, Persistence and Craft

Last Days; I happened to counsel many parents seeking music career options for their Children at different platforms. Most parents (in their emotion and extra involvement with their Kids) thinks their child is unique i.e. full of Energy, Passion, Imagination for music. Some of their kids plays guitar and sing etc. And that’s enough of a commitment for them to be a good musician. I always tell them that I never found any single musician without these 3 qualities in my life.

It is rather the other 3 that you would need more i.e. DIRECTION, PERSISTENCE & CRAFT. Imagine a charged vehicle without a Guide. Energy without Direction, Passion without Persistence, and mere imagination without the Craft is a waste.

Pyschology of Superioty Complex Syndrome

In my last 10+ years of biz experience, exposure and contemplation. Having met thousands of people, 7000+ being our customers & students itself. Last 2 years I am meeting most of these topnotch Chairs of schools, corporate, university, investors and different psychologies and superiority.

I often found their various decisions based on old illogical perceptions. Sometimes I really get fed up and in middle of all these, I sometimes also meet beautiful people who are inspiring and motivating to balance all.

Disclaimer – Before I find faults in other’s life, let me accept that I am also one of all those and improving myself. But I don’t feel my career, caste, money, business, and academics or in my case talent or experience is worth feeling superior for. It is a privilege that I have gained with time, luckily. I am grateful rather and want to keep feeling so.

So 4 SC syndromes as per my experience in ‘superiority complex’ suffering people can be addressed to 4 delusions/base perceptions about life. It blocks them and it also displaying them so ‘ordinary’ or ‘local class’ (though they think vice-versa). Here they are

Delusion # 1) CAREER & PROFESSIONAL SYNDROME 

They think they have the best career decision and professional stream/chair than other. There are better positions but not to make you superior. Thinking high and proud of your career is good but thinking it’s best or only superior is evidence of your ‘closed and finite intellect’ and limited exposure sometimes.

There are many who don’t think that way and you will find them much talented and grown up in lot of ways (even financially too).

Delusion # 2) ACADEMIC & KNOWLEDGE SYNDROME –

They consider their academic degrees as top of world, for reference all these founders who turned into doctors, musicians (D.Lit) or Lawyers/Doctors. Investors who are proud to mention MBA, LLB on card. And D.Lit who think they are VIP legacy. They give themselves self-certifications. I saw this a lot in Delhi University music-college, where every professor thinks his work is bigger than other be it having a tea.

Now as we have a decision check for other being. It becomes worst when they mistook it for intelligence or common-sense.

I sometimes feel to tell them – Hello! You are the same restless, scared dude inside or perhaps you gone worst now with such thoughts.

Delusion # 3) MONEY & FAMILY INHERITANCE SYNDROME – Pride of money or riches – The toil in collecting money through both fair and mostly unfair means sometimes scare them. Insecurity is most when means are unfair as you have law, media and social perception. Then you need certain reasons or value system to justify all. In reality, they avoid or dislike honest people around, they justify their all habits/values/behavior by certain look and prism. The very perception of ‘security of life’ which drove them to a financial goal is debatable. The same is later carried on by their next family/generation.

Delusion # 4) CASTE & FAMILY PRIDE SYNDROME –

Pride of caste, spirituality or family inheritance – Let’s see its impact other way round. How does a simple beautiful human starts feeling low due to his caste/family inheritance. You will see this in India as a marriage pretext. For marriage, one should be of same caste and rest abuse is OK. This is yet prevalent for majority.

We are in a society with all 4 mix. Everybody is somebody or other or all of both in different proportions. All above see each other like them and work in close proximity with them.

All these perceptions are old but rule our mind; influence our mind and decisions. Time to note that with all these ‘local’ thoughts and outcomes of life. Who are you in the end?

Are you a world class, national role model? A depressive, stressed, running being or a peaceful, loving, lightest man on earth. Answer is with all of us.

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Nepal worst Earthquake in 80 Years

We encountered earthquake on 25 April 2015 and the next day on 26 April too at New Delhi. The centre of the earthquake became our neighbour Nepal and it faced life and property damages. It is Nepal’s worst earthquake in last 80 years with official death over more than 4000 now.

India is sending lots of help and doing the rescue operations. This earthquake was also felt at many places of Northern India with some life damage in Indian cities too.

One of my friends wrote me this –

“If there is one thing an earthquake reminds us of, it is how fragile this life is. And how connected we are as a world family. The tectonic plates don’t care about the boundaries we draw over Mother Earth. To think that in just a split second, this reality we have built up around us can be destroyed, is a humbling thought. If today were the last day of our lives, would each one of us be truly content with who we ARE within? If not, it is time to start working towards becoming the persons we want to be. Not so much in terms of professions and designations, but as people – as living, breathing manifestations of soul energy.”

A life centered on love

This image teaches a lot, reflecting various phases of life, a life thoroughly centered on emotion of love.

The tree at the backdrop merely surviving and dying but human is filled with companionship of childhood to love and affection of youth, passing through the 3rd phase of intimacy of relationship and bonding of adults to old-age companion once again.

The 5th phase is of pain of separation of lost companion and being alone in an un-imagined life. Sitting yet standing on the crutches of love and affection of thy memories.

The withered tree depicts the end of life having witnessed the imprints of beautiful moments lost in nature.

It teaches the choices we have of living this life either being centered on love and all rest things on circumference or a life centered on status, money and fame and love on circumference?