How is Sexual Electricity Created

“Man represents positive and woman the negative, counterparts of a single phenomenon. Masculine and feminine energies are equal and opposite forces,” says Diana Richardson in her book, The Love Keys. And what happens when a positive node meets the negative? Electricity happens. Current flows.

So when we move with each other, touch each other, we exchange current — or sexual electricity.

“The thrills and pleasures of sex and love were caused by the transmission and reception of currents of “animal magnetism,” or “vital electricity,” which could be conveyed by contact or passes from one human body to another,” says American individualist anarchist J William Lloyd in his book, The Karezza Method.

Sexual Electricity is Experienced as High-voltage Jolt

The concept of sex as energy is not new. Eastern traditions of Taoism and Tantra that date back several thousand years are based on it. They prescribe sexual techniques for harnessing sexual energy for intimacy, health and longevity. In fact, Tantra means ‘transformation of energy’. The tantric teachings are based on the circulation and merging of vital energy [chi or prana] between two people. “In the grand scheme of our energetic anatomy, our electromagnetic energy plays a role as well. During intimate contact, the two are transferred and circulated simultaneously,” writes Dr William Collinge in Subtle Energy: Awakening to the Unseen Forces in Our Lives. “Both kissing and sexual intercourse involve contact of moist mucous membranes, and moisture facilitates particularly strong and efficient electrical conductivity,” he says.

We have all experienced it. We remember our first kiss. Don’t we? That is because when we kiss a person we are attracted to for the first time, we feel a high-voltage jolt. A jolt that passes through our entire body, nerve endings included.

How Do You Build the Charge for Sex to Be Electric

So for sex to be electric, we need to slowly build the current. And love, not lust, is the ingredient that does it. When we touch each other with love, the current resonates not just in the skin, but deep inside the heart.

Experiments conducted by American psychiatrist and psychologist, Rudolf von Urban revealed that there is a bio-energetic potential difference between sexually charged males and females which requires about half an hour to be exchanged and reach an equilibrium.

In one of Urban’s experiment, a medical doctor and his young Arabian bride caressed each other naked for about an hour without sexual contact in a dark room. The doctor later reported that he saw the body of his wife surrounded by a greenish-blue hazy light. Moving his palm close to her breast a visible and audible electric spark jumped from the breast to the palm. Scientist Baron Karl von Reichenbach too had previously described a similar phenomenon. Sadly, scientists didn’t take him seriously.

Igniting Sexual Electricity Between You and Your Partner

Science defines magnet as an object that is surrounded by a magnetic field and has the property, either natural or induced to attract.

We have a magnetic field around us, and the ability to attract. That means we are magnets. And like magnets, we too we have both negative and positive nodes within us.

There is a man in every woman and a woman in every man. Tantra encourages accepting that, for a truly wholesome sexual experience. “You are half your mother and half your father and they both co-exist within you. When they meet within, ecstasy happens,” says Osho.

When you feel sexual electricity with someone, their individual bio-energies create an ecstatic sexual experience through the interplay of opposite polarities. In The Karezza Method, a book about harnessing our sexual energy for health and prolonged pleasure, J William Lloyd, gives interesting pointers. “Cultivate the art of magnetic touch,” he says.

Think of yourself as an electric battery capable of transmitting an electric current. Touch each other in a way that transmits a vivid electric current and thrills the partner.

In Lovemaking, Slow Is Magic

The key is to focus on the way we touch—with love. If we learn to focus our sexual energies on touching, there can be sparks flying out when we make love, literally. It has happened. You can also take it to the next level by finding out what a dildo is? This can help you magnify the collided energy as one being.

In another of Von Urban’s experiment, a couple caressed for an hour and then had orgasmic intercourse for less than 27 minutes, sparks started and still moved between them till the end. For sparks to happen the pair caressed for a full 60 minutes. Remember what Von Urban had said? — “The bio-energetic potential difference requires about half an hour to be exchanged and reach equilibrium”.

The lesson: If you want to generate sexual electricity, touch with love, don’t rush.

Electric Intercourse

Logic dictates that when two fully charged bars collide, they will blast. But we don’t want our circuits to short. We want the current to flow and light us up. So, for the glow, go slow. Besides we are actually harming ourselves when we rush through intercourse.

According to Urban, a short intercourse eliminated the tension in the sexual organs but increased tension in the rest of their bodies.

Also, the electric charge is distributed across the body, not just the genitals, which is good. Because that means we can experience pleasure all over.

We must open our minds to that thought. For instance, our eyes can play a very big role in our energy exchange. “A gaze that stays overtime awakens primal, slightly disturbing feelings. It induces the same ‘fight or flight’ chemicals that race through our veins when we feel infatuation— a tingling sensation,” writes Leil Lowndes, internationally recognized communications expert and in her book, How to make anyone fall in love with you.

Also, use the feet. They are the most erogenous part of the body. Through the feet we can indirectly stimulate: nipples, breasts, ovaries, penis, and vagina. Our whole body is a magnet. Use it.

Ecstasy Through Control

For most of us, electric sex means making love like animals and then collapsing exhausted. That’s not what Eastern traditions believe.

Both Tantra and Taoism believe that sex relates to our vital energy. When we make love, not only are our bio-magnetic energies at play, but also our vital energies—the energy that runs through our entire being. Tantra believes that ejaculation wastes energy and robs the woman of her potential multiple orgasms.

Toaism believes that when a man ejaculates, he depletes his vital energy because his sperms carry jing or the sexual essence and life force. Now you know why men fall asleep afterwards? In fact, some immediately drop and start to snore.

The aim of Tantric and Toaist sexual practices is to energize us and not exhaust us. Sex should bring us alive, charge us in ways where we can enjoy not just the experience, but life as well.

In the modern world, Wilhelm Reich was the first scientist to describe the nature and purpose of orgasm as a discharge of excess bio-energy with the additional liberation of feeling energy [in the mid-1930s]. He also recognized the negative consequences of blocked sexual energies.

The Karezza Method too advocates non-seminal intercourse in which men have to hold back just before ejaculation. It increases pleasure, stamina, vitality and longevity.

It is not surprising for practitioners of Tao, Tantra or Karezza to have intercourse sometimes lasting an hour. Not foreplay, but intercourse. Because they take it slow. Men are encouraged to hold back, women to let go. It’s done with love. Lovemaking is a joint effort, a merging of two energies. When we make love this way, all chakras open up and all barriers break. The result: an energetic union of bodies and inseparable fusion of minds.

Bonus Section: Quick Tips for Electric Sex

Sex is not instant noodles. For sex to be really electric and energizing, it needs to be approached as an art. Such sex will help you feel complete together. Here are some Tantric techniques for electric sex…

Don’t rush

Spend at least half an hour in foreplay, touching each other, enjoying the sensations.

Hold back [This one is especially for men]

Try not to ejaculate every time. It results in a tremendous turn-around in the vital energy.

Make lovemaking an experience, not a chore

Stop focusing on pleasing each other or your performance. Focus on how it feels.

Breathe together

Take longer filling breaths. Try and circulate your energy together, as one energetic whole.

Try kissing the back of the knee

Gently massage or kiss the acupressure point at the back of the knee, just between the ligaments for stimulation when you are making love.

Give your partner a big O

Give your love a big O by placing pressure along the tendons of the shoulder, just beside the neck. As your partner reaches climax, gently massage the shoulders to stimulate a longer and more satisfying orgasm.

An older version of this article appeared in the February 2009 issue of Complete Wellbeing magazine (print edition).

The post What is Sexual Electricity and How is it Generated appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

After extensive research on the kriya, the Foundation found that practising it for just 12 minutes every day for eight weeks increased activity in important regions of the brain. This translates into improved memory and mood levels, and reduction in anxiety, tension and fatigue. There is also an increase in the blood flow to the brain. All these results were quantified by brain imaging tests.

Owing to its many benefits, Kirtan Kriya is gaining popularity in the west. It’s even a popular topic of discussion on social networking sites, where people are talking about experiencing other benefits such as feeling calm and peaceful. Besides the cognitive benefits, many people are elated about the feeling of spiritual bliss it induces in them. One such practitioner posted, “I am practising Kirtan Kriya and I am amazed that even though it is so simple, it is so powerful. [I have been] feeling lighter and clearer than I have in a while.” In the book, Introduction to Kundalini Yoga, author Guru Rattana, Phd, calls it “the most important meditation in Kundalini Yoga”.

What is Kirtan Kriya

Developed by Yogi Bhajan, Kirtan Kriya is a guided meditation from the Kundalini Yoga. It involves chanting or singing the mantra Saa Taa Naa Maa coupled with imagery, specific finger movements and focus. In Sanskrit, kirtan means divine song and kriya means action.

The post The 7 Steps of Kirtan Kriya — The 12-Minute Miracle appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

“It is not unusual for someone to tell me after a few months of tantric involvement that s/he feels like a different person, much less stressed, much more comfortable, more joyful,” says Bodhi Avinasha, founder of Tantrika International.

Although the word tantra sounds very esoteric and mystical, it’s really easy to follow and inculcate it into your sexual practice, once you understand the basic philosophy. Let’s get you initiated into it…

What is Tantra?

“Tantra is where sex is transformed into love, and love is transformed into the higher self,” says the spiritual master Osho. According to Avinasha, tantra is much more than a sexual teaching. In the literal sense, tantra, the Sanskrit word, means weaving. At the core of the tantra way of life, which originated in the Hindu and Buddhist cultures of India and Tibet, is the knowing that everything is a manifestation of the Divine energy and is woven together.

“The union of ordinary man and woman becomes eternal coupling of Shakti [divine mother] and Shiva [immortal spirit]. When connected in sacred, ritualised sex, our human bodies—mirrors of the cosmos—rejoin the wholeness of essential reality. Thus, tantra weaves together sex and spirit,” write authors Pala Copeland and Al Link in Soul Sex: Tantra for Two.

Tantra practices include meditation, sacred sounds, scents and breath control. The form of tantra that is practised today, though does not encompass many of the rituals originally prescribed; it has been modified to fit the current time and age.

A union of souls

All tantric sex practices aim to awaken the energy centres [chakras] of the body to attain higher levels of consciousness. It is at this level that the sexual union between man and woman happens. Together they achieve spiritual and physical ecstasy; become one with one another and the Divine. Hence, tantra is also known as soul-to-soul sex.

Red and white

The White Tantra, write David Ramsdale and Cynthia W Gentry in their book, Red Hot Tantra, is the type of tantra popular today. And according to yoga scholar George Feuerstein, PhD, it originated in medieval India around AD 1000. White Tantra is the masculine version of the tantric tradition; Red Tantra, the feminine version.

Tantric practices are further divided into Hindu Tantric practices and Buddhist Tantric practices. However, a lot of tantra propagated today is an interesting blend of both, like the SkyDancing Tantra.

Sky Dancing

According to Margot Anand, founder of SkyDancing Tantra, this tantra is based on Tantric Buddhism developed by the enlightened couple Buddha Padmasambhava [Guru Rinpoche] and Yeshe Tsogyal in 8th century Tibet.

“It is a path of spiritual partnership between men and women as equal spiritual partners integrating ecstatic states into their daily lives,” she says. SkyDancing Tantra combines modern techniques, such as psychology, neurolinguistic programming [NLP], visualisation, with meditation, sacred ritual, massage.

Like her, many are reinterpreting tantra their own way. However, some principles are common to all.

Core principles of Tantra

Sex is blissful

Tantra considers sex good. It views it as a moral force and encourages individuals to express themselves unrestricted, harness their powerful sexual energy and experience unrestricted orgasms.

Sex energy is life-force

Both sexual and spiritual energies are expressions of the life-force or prana or chi. “As the sexual energy charge builds during lovemaking, we increase our access to this basic life-force,” write Pala Copeland and Al Link. Do not resist this life-force.

Sexuality is spiritual

Tantra is a form of yoga, which means union. Hence, tantric yoga unites sexuality and spirituality. Sex and spirit are one.

Pleasure is our birthright

Tantra places the sole responsibility of pleasuring oneself squarely on the individual. If you are not open to sexual pleasure, you will not experience ecstasy no matter what the other does. Only if you are fulfilled, will you be attractive to the other. And only if you can satisfy yourself, can you satisfy another.

Spontaneity

Being natural and spontaneous is important. Curb no impulses, go with your inner flow and seek pleasure. Pleasure is supreme, nothing is taboo.

There are various schools of tantra, and hence diverse rituals and practices. But to experience true tantric bliss and to follow real tantra is to internalise its principles and apply them. Getting caught up in technicalities beats the purpose. Any sexual act done with these principles in mind will tranform your experience a tantric one. In that sense, tantra is a state of consciousness.

Tips to try tantra in your bedroom

Consider your whole body your sex organ

Not just your genitals, you can experience erotic sensations in every inch of your body; particularly erotic are the hands, hips, thighs, neck and feet. Stroke, caress with your whole body, focus on the feelings. Then, “each part of our body becomes almost as hot, open, and sensitive as the genitals,” writes Suzie Heumann, founder of Tantra.com.

Breathe faster

In his book, A Chakra & Kundalini Workbook, Dr Jonn Mumford prescribes men to puff out air out of their mouth, while pulling in the stomach muscle sharply with each exhalation [as in Kapal bhati asana] as they approach orgasm. This retards ejaculation by easing the blood supply to the male sexual organ, intensifying orgasm.

Be in the moment

Each time you become intimate with each other, be totally rooted in the now. Blindfolding each other is a fantastic way to do that; without the visual stimulation you learn to explore each other, focusing on the current feelings and surrendering to the sensations. You can either blindfold each other simultaneously, or alternate. Do not hurry. Let each sensations penetrate your spirit.

The post Love the tantric way appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Publisher: Rupa & Co

Pages: 260

Price: INR 295

ISBN: 9788129115720

We are growth-loving beings who are constantly seeking an improved life experience. And we want guidance to be
able to do that. However, we don’t like to be preached to.

And that’s what I liked about this book—it’s devoid of long-winding sermons that are so typical of self-help
books. There’s nothing preachy about Be. Do. Live. And this, despite it being a guide to life success. It is replete with practical tips rather than advice.
So, the book is all about what you can ‘do’, so that you and ‘be’ and ‘live’ better. The chapters are short—each not more than 2 – 4 pages. There are hardly any paragraphs of more than a few lines [a boon for those with a short attention span]. All this makes it an easy read, although the topics relate to crucial aspects of your life such as relationships, spiritual growth, attitude towards money and eliminating limiting beliefs.

Another thing that sets this book apart is the freshness of concepts. Although some of the ideas are common, others are really different. For instance, Dewan suggests that we replace the ‘If then’ in our lives by ‘and’. So, instead of thinking ‘If I make more money then I can feel successful’, we learn to think ‘I feel successful and I intend to make more money’.

“Due to the new perspective that comes with this approach, we are much more effective in the world. Also, because we’re tapping into our optimal feelings, we are happier, more satisfied, and have more fun,” writes Dewan in the book.

Caring Quotient is another fresh concept Dewan introduces in the book. He defines it as a measure of the breadth and depth of your caring—I liked the idea of measuring caring.

The style of writing, the relevance of the topics to your day-to-day and life and the simplicity of the tips really appeals to you and makes you think “I’ll start doing that from right now”.

The only thing I found a bit out of place—although a lot of people might like it—is the use of diagrammatic depictions of ideas. Every chapter has either a pie-chart, or a table or a circle diagram. To me, the diagrams lend the book a text-book like feel, which might put off some of us. It unnecessarily makes simple things look complicated and the book could certainly do without those.

It’s a great travelling companion. One that comes with recommendations from stalwarts like Brian Tracy, Stephen Covey and Anthony Robbins. In fact, the first 11 pages are testimonials by CEOs, self-growth experts and other celebrities—it’s something that might impress someone who’s just started his journey of self-growth but annoy others who are eager to begin reading.
All in all, a good book—worth adding to your personal library.

The post Be. Do. Live. by Rajeev Dewan appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

By Deepak Chopra with David Simon and Leanne Backer

Published byHay House Publishers (India) Pvt. Ltd

Pages: 322

Price: 350

ISBN: 9788189988890

Everything in this universe is nothing but energy. Your body, your thoughts, the trees, the animals and even the food you eat. And there is interplay of energies as each element of the universe interacts with the other. So when you eat a certain food, the energy of your food, affects your energy and directly impacts your emotional, physical and spiritual health [whether it will make a positive affect or negative, depends really on the kind of food you are eating and the way you are eating it].

Deepak Chopra and his co-authors at the Chopra Centre believe that food not only nourishes our body but also our souls, because they are all different forms of energy. They believe that food contains energy and information and that our entire body is made of food, reinforcing that we are what we eat. In addition to suggesting a conscious approach to nourishment, the book also prescribes a 30-day nutritional plan—healthy options for breakfast, a main meal and a light meal for each day of the month. They also share recipes of the meal options they suggest. Although this book contains healthy, energising recipes, it is more than a just a recipe book—it is a guide that tells you how to nourish not just your body but your entire being.

The post The Chopra Centre Cookbook: Nourishing Body & Soul by Deepak Chopra et al. appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

No matter who the person is—celebrity or non-celebrity; a stranger or a friend—people can’t stand other people being single.

Singlehood is seen as a sorry condition and single people are often victims of singlism—a term coined by Bella DePaulo, American social psychologist and author of Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After.

Individuals who have made this decision by choice have done so because they have found a way to love themselves without having to depend on anyone. There is nothing negative about being without a partner; it is as wonderful to be alone as it is to be with people.

Singles are desperate to get hooked up

Everybody and their uncles are desperate for singles to get married because they feel that that’s what singles want more than anything in the world. Well, they are wrong.

“Not every single person is so because the circumstances have forced him. Like me, there are many people who are single by choice. We are not dying to get married. In fact, I don’t want to ever get married,” says Kiran Mistry, a sales professional based in Mumbai.

Singles are incomplete

They are considered incomplete people who need someone to complete them. This belief stems from another belief about marriage. It’s assumed that marriage completes a person or makes him/her whole as it is a union of two people.

Does that mean that those who get married have been living as half individuals till then? Singles are complete in themselves.

Singles are less happy than married people

“I am happy, in fact, more than my married friends,” says Kiran. It’s like what American actress Renee Jones has said: “Being single isn’t the cause of loneliness, and marriage is not necessarily the cure. There are many lonely married people as well”.

One’s happiness levels have nothing to do with one’s marital status. We all have our basic happiness point called the ‘set point of happiness’, which we return to irrespective of the circumstances around us.

This means that if you are a happy person by nature, you will be happy in general whether you are married or not. And if you are basically a sad person, marriage will not necessarily make that huge a difference [according a study of 24000 individuals by University of Illinois].

Singles are miserable

This is partly true, says Bella, and not because they are lonely or unmarried but because they are targets of stereotyping and discrimination.

The thing about singlehood is that it is lonely and depressing only if it is forced. Singlehood by choice is, in fact, liberating. “Many experience life fully and are neither disappointed nor miserable.

Even if they were to be less than satisfied, their dissatisfaction is no different from those who are married,” writes Anthony Yeo in Partners in Life. Yeo is considered Singapore’s father of counselling.

Singles are self-centred

Singles don’t have to make compromises to accommodate another and can try out new things. They can concentrate on their careers, health and fitness. They can actually spend time with themselves and get to know themselves better.

“Singleness beseeches us to take care of our inner needs, to pay more attention to our centre, to love our very own self,” writes Judy Ford in Singles: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled, and Independent.

But here’s the thing, this is often misconstrued as being self-absorbed and self-indulgent. It’s just that single people are more clued into themselves and hence take care of themselves more than others.

Besides, when you’re in a relationship, you don’t get to do all these things for yourself. If given a chance to do what their heart’s desire, even married people would jump at it.

Singles have no life

Karin Anderson, assistant professor of psychology at Concordia University Chicago, who did a research on single women, has an answer to that. “Singles are not by definition hiding out in their closets curled up in the foetal position all day,” she says.

“Most are likely working, meeting friends for dinner and events and working out.” Or they are just reading a nice book splayed on the bed and being a slob. If that’s not having a life, what is?

DePaulo guesses that most people pass such judgements about singles because they are miffed by singles that are not whining about their status or pining for a partner. They are jealous.

Singles have no family

“From knowing nothing more about you than your status as a single person, other people sometimes think they already know all about your family: You don’t have one,” says DePaulo. That’s mean.

Single people haven’t fallen from the sky. They have mothers, brothers, sisters, colleagues and a large network of friends. Instead of their attention on just one person, they have more people that are important to them.

They have a grand variety when it comes to relationships—from flirting to dating, from friends to living together, from casual to committed.

Singlehood = irresponsible behaviour

Forced into being single after a break-up, Samrat is now enjoying the freedom of living on his own terms. “I realised after my girlfriend moved out that I really like being on my own. What I love the most about it is the freedom to take my own decisions about my life without having to explain them or getting them endorsed by anyone else.”

This freedom is often dubbed by people as the free ticket to escape responsibility and behaving as one pleases [which often means adulterous behaviour, late nights, parties, substance abuse].

That’s just a stereotype. Just like a married person, a single person has to pay the bills, reach office on time and meet deadlines.

The post The stag tag appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Let me share a few of my staunch ‘beliefs’ that, on introspection, fell flat on their face…

Balance happens instantly

I used to feel that balance is like a switch. When I find it, I have to just flip it on, and voila, my life would be set.

But I realised that balance is not a ‘thing’ that, if I looked for thoroughly, I would find somewhere [perhaps below the bed or in some country hidden behind mountains].

It was when I read what Cari Vollmer, personal growth expert and the founder of lifeontrack.com and inspireyourday.com, said that I finally got it. “Balance is a state of present moment consciousness.

It’s something we can feel in our body, mind and in our spirit. We can create balance by tuning into our gut, our intuition and our feelings. We can listen to our soul and give it what it wants. Balance is something we create on the inside, not something we ‘find’ on the outside.

Balance isn’t so much about what we do; it’s about who we are being in each moment,” Vollmer said. And it resonated within me. I realised, then, that balance is a change inside me, in the way I look at the world, and, myself.

Balance is a one-time event

Another thing about balance is that it’s not something you ‘fix’ once and for all. American personal coach Nancy Hughes Verhoeven too used to think that she would figure out what balance meant for her, and then achieve it by prioritising her life.

But when she reached her ‘ideal’ place, she found that she had still not found her balance. That was because her initial definition of balance wasn’t valid anymore—so much had changed. “That is when I came to understand that finding a balance in your life is not something that you can define once, but rather it is a journey and an ever-changing target, which requires continuous effort and adjustments,” she said.

“No balance or equilibrium is static. Achieving balance is a process, not a one-time event. There will be times when work, family, church and friends, all become demanding and require attention. This is fine and natural,” says Morgan Mclintic, executive vice president, LEWIS PR.

“Our balance will vary over time, often on a daily basis. The right balance for you today will probably be different for you tomorrow. The right balance for you when you are single will be different when you marry, or if you have children; when you start a new career versus when you are nearing retirement,” says Jim Bird, CEO of worklifebalance.com.

Situations change, people change, and we change too—life is fluid and the sooner you grasp this, the easier it will be to get a handle on finding your sense of equilibrium.

Balance means being able to manage work and life

For a long time, life for me was divided into work and personal life. Then I came across an article by Morgan Mclintic that changed the way I saw things. He wrote that work/life balance is a mirage; it simply doesn’t exist.

What exists is conflicting priorities. And instead of seeing them as ‘work’ or ‘life’, we should see them as mental, emotional, physical or spiritual. And this is what we need to balance. “Your professional career can easily encompass all four, even the spiritual. Spending time with family, going to the gym, seeing friends, meditating, even listening to your iPod, all hit different aspects of those needs,” says Mclintic.

The series of little emotional, spiritual, mental and physical decisions we take everyday—when to work late, when to eat and what to eat, when to spend time with family, whether to work on the weekend, or decline that drink—determines the slant of our life; the balance of our lives hangs on decisions like these.

Balance = perfect

I used to look around and find people who are successful [read ‘wealthy with enviable careers’] and feel, ‘now that’s what I call a perfect life!’ I was shocked to know later that they had their fair share of issues too, but many of them were happy despite that.

According to Vollmer, there is no such thing as a perfect life. “Now, don’t get me wrong,” he says. “As a personal growth enthusiast, I do think you can create a life that works well and feels great. But that has nothing to do with perfection.

Balance is all about the NOW and has nothing to do with perfection,” What I understood from this is that a balanced life doesn’t mean a life sans problems; it means being in a state where you don’t get bogged down by them.

Balance means equal

The easiest way to see through this myth is to look at the concept of work/life balance through Bird’s perspective. “Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. Life is and should be more fluid than that,” he says.

Balance is same for all

Lastly, I realised that one of my problems with finding balance was that I was comparing my life with someone else’s. I was searching in my life what others had in theirs, and therefore not finding it.

But my set of worries and challenges are unlike those of others. Then how can my sense of balance be the same as theirs? When I realised this, I stopped comparing. As Bird says, “There is no perfect, one-size-fits-all balance that you should be striving for.

The best balance is different for each of us because we all have different priorities and different lives.” Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a leading researcher on positive psychology put it best: “A joyful life is an individual creation that cannot be copied from a recipe.”

The post Calling the bluff on life balance appeared first on Complete Wellbeing.

Healing stones

Men-an-Tol, Cornwall, UK

Near Madron in Cornwall are three granite stones standing erect—one holed round stone flanked by two straight stones. If you look at them from a particular angle, they look like the numbers 101 in stone.

British lecturer, researcher and author of The Sacred Place, Paul Devereux investigated the stones to find that the levels of radiation around the inside of the hole stone were almost double of that found outside it.

These stones are said to have healing powers. Passing through the holed stone nine times was said to cure a person of back problems, especially cricks [hence it is also known as the crick stone].

In fact, little children were passed through the stone three times for a particular kind of tuberculosis and rickets. According to folklore, if a woman wanting to get pregnant goes through the hole backwards seven times at a full moon, she conceives.

Rollright stones

Spread across 100ft in Oxfordshire [England] is a circle of 77 stones that attracts tourists from all over the world. Legend has it that these stones are actually a king’s army, frozen in place. These stones too are believed to have fertility-enhancing powers.

Locals believed that if a young woman rubbed her breasts on the King’s stone, it would do wonders for her fertility. Although there is no scientific evidence for the stones’ fertility-enhancing properties, some scientists did find that some of the stones radiated strong energy, especially at dawn.

Several dowsers too have confirmed the presence of energy lines between the stones.“My own experience of time spent at the Rollrights is one of healing. Many minor ailments have cleared up after the time spent at the Circle.

Others too have commented on the healing qualities to be found there, not only of physical ailments but also of tensions and headaches disappearing, leaving a sense of tranquillity and of oneness with the world—a feeling of unity,” writes Beulah Garcin, Vice President of the British Society of Dowsers, in an article in the Journal of the British Society of Dowsers.

Silbury Hill

Located in Avebury, Wiltshire [England] is a centuries old man-made mound that has a flat top. It is one of the megalithic sites, which experts believe were built by our ancestors to tap into earth’s energies. It is the earth’s energies that promote healing at such places.

At Silbury Hill, you can actually feel the energy by touching one of the raised stones with both your hands. Dirk Gillabel, healer and an ancient civilisation enthusiast experienced a miraculous healing of his sore throat after spending just two hours at the Hill.

The Tolmen Stone

Near the bank of the North Teign river in Dartmoor, UK, is a large boulder, which has a large hole carved by the friction of river currents. The hole is big enough to allow a human adult to pass through.

People pass through the stone to heal themselves of rheumatic pain and to increase immunity levels. Like the Men-an-Tol and the Rollright stones, the Tolmen too is associated with fertility.

Healing waters

Mexico

In Tlacote is a well, owned by Chahin that is now of global interest. The water of Chahin’s well is known for its healing properties. Chahin discovered this a decade ago when his injured dog healed after drinking the water.

Several researchers have conducted tests on the water. Clinician Gracela Camps Salaberry of the Montevideo General Hospital, Uruguay, tested the Tlacote miracle healing water on 3,673 patients [14  84 years old] and found that it helped in allergy, diabetes, and respiratory and skin diseases. Medicine companies are even using the water in their drugs. It is even believed to cure cancer.

Germany

In an out-of-commission slate mine at Nordenau in Germany is a pure water spring. When Guido Brandenburg, a reporter from the Bild, a German newspaper, drank the water while standing in the energy zone, he felt that his fingers started vibrating after a few minutes as if an electric current passed through him. He met people who claimed to have been cured of blindness and other disabilities.

The springs of Baden-Baden have a structure that is akin to Roman baths of the 3rd century. These have been known for more than 2,000 years, and their composition resembles that of the Roman baths.

USA

The Hot Springs National Park is located near the Ouachita mountain valley. It used to be a misty place where native Americans used to bathe and heal. The natural hot springs still attract tourists from around the world who are looking to cure their ailments with thermal waters.

Another area famous for mineral springs is Colorado. There are about 24 natural springs in the region that are famous for their medicinal properties. These mineral springs are known to cure arthritis, respiratory and skin ailments.

The Tecopa springs in California are also popular for their restorative powers. People compare them to the waters of Baden-Baden in Germany.

India

Not far from Delhi, is a village called Nandana, where a deserted tubewell is oozing magical waters. Villagers reported getting cured of skin diseases after having washed themselves with the waters. Not just skin ailments, but it is said that the waters enable miraculous cures of incurable diseases like polio.

There are other places in India that are famous for its healing waters. These include: Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh, which is famous for curing muscular problems; Reshi, Yumthang and Ralang hot springs of Sikkim that are known to be abundant in sulphur, which helps cure skin diseases; andVajreshwari near Mumbai that has 21 hot water springs, which have high mineral content that help cure skin ailments.

China

Two places in China have waters that are known to reverse ageing. China’s northern Liaoning province is known for the ‘fountain of youth’, which an 80-year-old couple accidentally discovered in their backyard.

The couple reported drinking water from the fountain and feeling 10 years younger. The husband, Zhou Lianghua had lost a lot of his hair and was balding. He claims that he grew a thick black mane a few months after drinking the water. The couple even claimed that they can easily walk up a mountain without getting breathless, according to AFP, Hong Kong reports.

The other place is Bama, a village in China, that is known to have a sizeable population that has survived many years.

Jordan-Israel

Located between Jordan and Israel, the Dead Sea is a lake with the highest salinity. A large quantity of water evaporates from the lake, increasing its concentration of salt and minerals. The Dead Sea has high levels of magnesium, bromine, sodium, potassium and calcium [chloride salts].

The Dead Sea water is believed to cure psoriasis and external inflammatory diseases. Scott Cordray, a USA-based otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, has used the waters of the Dead Sea to treat illnesses of the upper respiratory tract. The water is particularly beneficial in reducing congestion and swelling.

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Ramniklal Dharia wakes up at 5.30 every morning, goes for a walk with his son, washes his own clothes and does all his chores unassisted. Sounds unimpressive…till you know that he is 94 years old and has undergone a bypass surgery with three grafts in August last year.

“My father has always been an active man. In May 2010, he suffered from chikungunya while he was in our village in Gujarat. We consulted an echo cardiologist, who informed us that my father has suffered a stroke,” remembers Chetan Dharia, Ramniklal’s son. Ramniklal was admitted in the ICU for five days, after which the doctor suggested further treatment in Mumbai.

Although Ramniklal was active, he had his own bag of ailments. Hypertension, hypothyroidism, a previous appendectomy and hernia repair. However, this was the first time he had heart trouble.

Ramniklal had been complaining of chest pain three months prior to the surgery, which was what prompted his family to consult a cardiologist. His angiography revealed that he had three blockages. “The left main artery of the heart was completely choked with 90 per cent fat deposits. The pumping capacity of his heart had dropped to 25 per cent. Normal capacity is around 35 per cent. Also, his age had made the case more challenging,” informs Ramakanta Panda, vice chairman and cardio vascular thoracic surgeon, Asian Heart Institute.

Doctors advised bypass surgery. “My mother, who is 86 years old, was a little scared. But we explained to her that surgery was required,” informs Chetan. If he hadn’t gone for surgery, Ramniklal’s condition could worsen. “Blockages in the left main artery are often fatal if not surgically treated. That’s the reason why it has earned the nick name ‘widow-maker’ artery,” informs Panda. At his age, the problem of reduced coping capacity and increased susceptibility to infections are a deterrent.

The family agreed for surgery. Now the question was how would Ramniklal take it. Strangely, Ramniklal was unfazed. He was emotionally strong and was ready to take on the challenge.

So, on 13th August 2010, Ramiklal underwent a CABG [coronary artery bypass graft]. The surgery went without incident. He was in the hospital for eight days, recovering, which too passed without the complications doctors feared. Ramniklal’s confidence paid off. With sheer will power not only did he recover fully, but was also back to his regular routine within 15 days. Six months post surgery, and he is as active as before.

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Thinking that it was probably because of the spicy food she had been having, she resolved to cut down on the spices. Sure that it would seal the issue, she went on a low-spice diet.

So when she noticed the red blob again in a few days, she was surprised. “It wasn’t a lot of blood, maybe a spoonful, but there it was again. And I got a little concerned and decided to keep a close watch,” she remembers.

In just a few months following her initial discovery, the frequency of bleeding increased. She suspected it to be piles and to avoid undergoing surgery, she consulted an ayurvedic doctor.

“I couldn’t afford to undergo surgery; my son was to be married in a few months and there were a thousand things to do. So I consulted an ayurvedic doctor. The doctor put me on a month-long course.”

But even after a month, her symptoms persisted. So she went for a second opinion, this time to a general surgeon, who suggested immediate surgery for piles.

“And without any blood or urine tests, purely on the basis of physical examination, he operated on me.

At the time I didn’t realise what was happening—I was in a hurry and had little time left before my son’s marriage, so I agreed. In hindsight, I wonder how he didn’t find anything wrong even while operating on me. Perhaps, I was destined to suffer,” she rues.

Back then, she was relieved to have finally tackled the problem. She had no idea how wrong she was.

Soon, the problem reared its ugly head again. This time she really got worried. Confused and unable to understand why her condition did not improve despite several rounds to the doctors, she consulted her family doctor.

Since the bleeding was painless and nothing improved her condition, the doctor suggested that she consult an oncologist to rule out malignancy. “That really shook me up. But somewhere I thought ‘God would not let that happen to me’,” she said.

With a pounding heart, she visited an oncosurgeon. “When she came to me she was scared and depressed. She required a lot of counseling and encouragement to even do the investigations.

On examination, there was no obvious growth but on doing colonoscopy, there was a huge growth in the rectum. Now, everything depended on the results of the biopsy,” recalls Anil Heroor, consultant oncosurgeon, Fortis Hospital.

To her and her family’s dismay, the biopsy came positive. Anuprita had cancer.”When the diagnosis was confirmed I was shattered. I remained that way for some time all the while thinking why did it happen to me?

Perhaps, I had some bad karma that I had to pay for. Then, I came to terms with it and decided to fight it out. I had faith that my Guru would help me through this,” says she.

Naturally, Anuprita’s family was devastated too. They felt they had lost a lot of valuable time andunfortunately, they were right. But the team at the hospital counselled her and impressed upon her that all was not lost and they could treat the cancer successfully with surgery.

With just a month left for her son’s marriage, Anuprita agreed for the surgery. Her family stood by her like a rock and gave her the much-needed love and support.

After further investigations to confirm that she was fit to undergo the treatment, the team decided to operate upon her.

“The operation done was ‘Laparoscopic assisted anterior resection’, which helped us save her rectum. The diseased part of the rectum was removed along with normal surrounding margins so that we were sure that all of cancer was removed,” explains Heroor.

The surgery used many advanced techniques like staplers, which help in saving the rectum, advanced laparoscopic instruments like ultracision scalpel, which cut and control bleeding and state-of-the-art laparoscopy equipment. The doctor explained that this helped in faster recovery than the conventional method and use of less painkillers. It also takes less time to heal.

“The first time I met Dr Heroor, I knew in my heart that I have come to the right place. His pleasant demeanor and smiling face soothed my fears. My family’s support gave the strength, my folks took care of me and all the arrangements.

Exactly a month after my surgery, my son got married. In fact, those who didn’t know about my surgery, didn’t notice a thing,” she smiles.

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