“As a lamp in a windless place does not waver, so the transcendentalist, whose mind is controlled, remains always steady in his meditation on the transcendent self” Bhagwad Gita, (6:8-19)

As a person attains conscience he/she develops a mind full of wants. With a craving for material happiness, the mind is occupied with stress, worries, and anxieties. These elements have a detrimental impact on one’s heart, mind, and body and it becomes difficult for one to silence the mind. Bhagwad Gita which has been part of the Indian History has Lord Krishna talking defining about the power and potential of yoga.  Many times we have been relying on doctors, antidepressants, psychiatrists to aid us in controlling our mind? Isn’t it funny?  Our mind, our thoughts, our worries, yet we knock on their doors with the hope that they might be able to curb our anxieties. If nothing from the above provides relief, then Yoga is the door that needs to be knocked. History claims that Yoga is an art that restrains our minds from possessiveness and insecurities thereby calming and silencing us from fears. It gives us the power to control our minds from unwanted worldly elements. Yoga is a pathway that will help develop a bond with the almighty along with rendering health benefits that no medicines or physicians can provide. However, to assure yourself with the promised benefits it needs to be done the correct way. Some rules that need to be borne in mind to do it correctly are as follows:

1. Early to bed and early to rise - Yoga practitioners need to have a sound sleep for 7-8 hours, wake up early, take bath and practice yoga in fasting mode. If you wish to practice yoga before bathing, make sure you take a bath sometime after practicing yoga.
2. It is best advised to practice yoga out in the open, but to avoid direct contact with sunlight. In the case of practicing inside, ensure the doors and windows of your house are open.
3. Make sure the floor is level. Also, avoid direct contact with the floor by practicing Yoga on a carpet or mat.
4. Be focused and aware of what you are doing, thereby avoiding maximum distractions. Avoid practicing it if strained or tired. It is advised to take rest and then practice it in such situations.
5. Do not, under any circumstances practice yoga in smoky places as it requires inhalation on a repeated basis and inhalation of smoke can cause breathing problems.
6. Do not suppress yourself from sneezing or coughing while performing yoga.

EASY YOGA ASANAS FOR SENIORS

Aging accompanies health concerns like body pain, back pain, lethargy, tiredness etc. The following asanas regardless of your age will enable you to perform Yoga and fully utilize its benefits.

These asanas have numerous health benefits. For example, ASAN 1 relieves constipation. ASAN 2 strengthens ankles and calves and tones abdominal muscles. It is also a remedy for flat feet. ASAN 3 provides flexibility to the spine, improves digestion and blood circulation, relaxes the mind etc.

We often chant Om without sometimes knowing its significance. Om is considered to be the primordial sound. It existed even before the material creation existed. Om was the sound of natural humming energy that made the sound similar to the sound of Om. This mantra is said to have spiritual power which enables you to establish a connect with your inner self with the almighty.

Why do we chant Om?

It is referred to as a vibrating sound pre-existing before the material creation hence as the universe vibrates with quivers, as we chant Om it vibrates at a frequency at which everything present in nature vibrates. Self-realization requires us to calm and control the mind, listen to our inner self, connect with the sole creator, free ourselves from worldly anxieties and align our heart, body, and spirit and focus on the everlasting light of the almighty. Yoga is incomplete without the vibrations of Om. These vibrations have a favorable impact on the nervous system thereby calming the mind and relaxing thoughts of worries and fears. So the next time you pick up your mats or carpets to practice yoga does not forget to do it the right way and make sure you chant Om while meditating. Allow your lives to be free of anxieties, free of worries, free of medicines with this one simple art of Yoga which aims to drive you away from all health hazards and bring you closer to the beauty of life.

Commode Comfort

Sometimes, it gets very easy to take our daily activities for granted. So much so that it feels hard to comprehend what it would be like if we weren’t able to do some of the activities in our old age as easily as we do them today. One of them being going to the toilet. Elders find it increasingly difficult with each year they grow older, which makes it a given for them to use a commode.

Usually, walking to the bathroom is not an issue, but for arthritic patients, or for elders (especially those who are hearing or visually impaired as they have balance problems), lowering to or getting up from the toilet seat is a challenge, not to forget those with joint problems. Even a small illness like a fever can leave a person too weak or unable to walk from the bed to the bathroom. And if the level of body weakness (or balance issues) is greater, regular trips to the bathroom could actually be dangerous with the more risk of falling in the bathroom.

Commode chairs help prevent the chance of falls while walking to and from the bathroom, or even in the bathroom itself.

The first consideration is to find out how the commode chair will be used. Can it be used next to a bed to reduce trips to and from the bathroom? Or is it better to have a taller toilet seat for ease of use?

The first point that needs to be addressed when purchasing the commode are the features that will have to be included, such as:

• Ankle straps (for providing greater support)
• Seat belts (particularly for elders with balance issues)
• Type of seat (a hard, plastic seat is less comfortable but easier to clean compared to a padded seat)
• Weight capacity (Bariatric commodes are available as compared to normal  ones which can’t handle weights over 160 kg)Durability (a stainless steel commode chair will last longer than a plastic one)
• Adjustable height (would be necessary, especially if there is an old age couple)
• Multiple functions (i.e. combination commode chair which offer a range of features)
• Armrests (can have arm rests for support, which may be detachable)
• Back support (providing support would increase comfort)

As per the basic functions, there are various types of Commode Chairs depending on where you want to use them, as well as based on the needs of the person using it:

• Bedside commode chair: Also known as a “Basic Unit”, it consists of the seat and the bucket. This is the most basic of commode chairs.
• Drop-arm commode: The arms of this commode chair fold down, which helps aged people who are unable to stand up or sit down easily.
• Bariatric commodes: These commodes are designed to support people who weigh over 160 kgs.
• Shower commode chairs: These chairs are helpful for efficient hygiene, can be used in the shower and are made from plastic and rust-proof materials.
• Commode chairs with wheels: Think of this as a wheelchair with a built-in commode feature. Some of these wheeled commode chairs can be used directly over the existing toilet in the bathroom or can be wheeled directly into the shower to serve as a shower commode too.
• Over the toilet commode chair: This is probably the most common commode chairs in India, considering it can be used directly over an Indian toilet.

Is Your Bathroom Safe?

Most falls occur in the bathroom than in any other room in a house so bathroom safety is essential for people of all ages. But people with mobility issues (be it from a disability, illness, or surgery) and the elderly are especially at risk of falling in the bathroom, more so during nights.

Bathroom safety is of utmost importance especially for the elderly. The bathroom is one of the most dangerous rooms in any home, with slippery surfaces that are easy to trip on and sharp corners where anyone can hit and hurt their head. Because safety is of paramount importance, not only to prevent falls but also to allow seniors to ensure their independence, a wide variety of bathroom safety products are available to provide stability and assistance. Having the right bathroom safety aids ensures that one of the most dangerous rooms in your home can become one of the safest.

Ensure the safety of yourself and your loved ones when you buy and install the right bathroom safety products for your home.

One of the keys to bathroom safety is maintaining balance. By maintaining balance, any person is unlikely to slip up and thus can prevent catastrophic falls. A properly installed Grab Bar or even a Tension Rod can provide balance assistance wherever the user may need it. Positioning the same is also just as important as installing it, with regards to both the right height and location. For eg., a Grab Bar near the shower area or next to the commode or sink is more useful than one in the middle of the bathroom.

Fall prevention is important, especially for the elderly. Each year, many seniors suffer grievous injuries from falls that could have been prevented with the installation of proper bathroom flooring.

For seniors who live alone and will need to do their own cleaning, vinyl flooring is the most obvious choice, considering its easy maintenance. Stains can be easily wiped off, and the floor won’t scar or scrape over time with the use of a walker or as a wheelchair passes over it on a regular basis. However, rubber flooring is one of the safest and best choices that can be made for a senior-friendly bathroom. It’s not slick when wet, provides solid and stable footing, is easy to maintain and creates a soft surface that’s very soft to the feet and in case a fall does occur.

Life Begins @ 60!!!!

What so fun about old age people?

Most of the younger group think of them as they are almost in the retired stages of life, they have no interesting things to achieve anymore, they assume like it’s time for them to just sit down and watch what others do and get happiness just by looking at others, in their so-called retirement phase.But old age can be fun and enthusiastic as philosopher Francis Bacon said “Old age is always 15 years older than I am.”

So why to get boredom in your old age?

Let us make it interesting by engaging in some of the following interesting fun-filled activities which will help the old young people for a heal their lifestyle:

• Making yourself busy: Get a part time job or your own business which makes you happy and interesting. Now you have the freedom to work anywhere you want, but you can pick a job that is fitted to your interests and hobbies. This will also give you some spending cash for other things you wish to do but can't afford the nice retirement you receive.
• Use your stack of money to book those places which you wanted to go but you had no time. Now it’s right time to snatch it and go for your dreamed destinations.
• Join active groups which help social organizations. Become a volunteer to that group which you really want to help and give your best time of life. Or you can join some clubs like quilting clubs, golf clubs, etc.
• Have a quality time with your loved ones; invite them for a day out or for lunch, dinner …
• Take a hobby which you loved to do. For example, taking puzzle and solving them, trying some new dishes in cooking, decorating or remodeling new things for the home, planting trees like bonsai, flower plants etc.
•  Give your experience of life by sharing your knowledge in your expertise subject/topic. This will also help in self-learning as you will be on trend with the latest technologies, discussions, and events.
• Learn some religious topics in which you are interested. Visit a pilgrimage which gives you positive energy and enlightens your life.
•  Stay active: Daily walking makes a club and starts doing exercises which improve your health.
• Have healthy food which keeps your brain cells active too and your body balance also.

Isn’t old age fun and interesting if you engage yourself actively?

All the very best to the old young people out there J

Music - Tonic for your brain!!

Music-Tonic for your brain!!

Music is the voice of the soul. It always refreshes your mind. Sometimes music speaks what cannot be expressed, it heals the Heart and calms our soul.

Why music is so special?

Because when words fail, Music speaks. "It plays the moments, pauses the memories, stops the pain and replays the happiness".

• Music not only changes our mood, but it also changes the way we think as well as our perception of the world.
• A part of the joy of music is listening to a lot of different kinds of music and learning from it.
• Music is a moral law. it gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm to life and everything.
• There is a famous proverb about the music that goes "Music is to the soul what words are to the mind"
• When your heart feels happy you listen to a happy song, when you are sad you either listen to sad or melody song. So, the choice of the song depends on your mood.
• When you wake in the morning, listening to silent meditational music during meditation will give a peaceful mind which makes the whole day active and you will be able to work smoothly and happily without any tension or stress in the mind.
• Music enlightens your world because it's the best remedy for your Brain. Brain/Mind is a wonderful thing which we have got, because of the stress life nowadays had become so hectic. So, unless you keep your brain calm and composed, you'd feel like you're in a traffic jam. The best way to overcome this is by listening to music which makes you happy provides relief and inspires you every day.