First Day Traveller in the First Trip in Kochi Metro......

Memento

Sky View

We are blessed

 Even though the inauguration was on 17th the trip for public start only on 19th. We planned our trip by Kochi metro on 18th June, Sunday night. My mom is with us but she can't travel. She loves to sleep early morning. That is why our wish came true. At 5.45 am we reached the station and surprised to see the long queue in the station. Got the ticket rushed and we became the travellers of the first trip for publics on 19th June. We get down at Edapally and caught the next metro train back to Aluva station. Got a bunch of reading material as gift and that was also on the reading day. The trip and the experience was so nice to cherish. We had travelled by metro in USA, Perth, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. But in our Kochi trip I was excited like a child who is getting into the metro for the first time. That is because it is our own pride. The station is our next west plot and we were waiting for this day.

Metro passing by

Gift received

Aluva Station

Waiting for swiping tickets

Train entering the Station

New entry in 'Navaneetham Magazine'....

• Navaneetham is the cultural magazine published by 'Indian Society of Authors'. I got an opportunity to write in the magazine. Wrote my first article on a legend in Nagiarkoothu who won the National Sangeetha Nadaka Academy award from the Honourable President of India and it is published in the May 2017. Navaneetham is a great platform to be associated with. My aim is to pick elderly women who are leading successful and worthy lives and write about them to inspire the women folk.

21st June 2017 International Yoga Day

Theme for 2017 is 'Yoga for Health'. The holistic approach of yoga assures
Physical health, mental health and emotional health.
Enhance immunity.
Spreads peace and results in harmony.
Relieves from stress.
Increase self respect, self esteem and self confidence.
Reduces body weight.
Balance and regulate blood circulation, air circulation, heat circulation and energy circulation. Results in better life style.




Yoga is the journey of the self, to the self, through the self.
Yoga connects people to the nature. Yoga is the pathway of wellness.
The harmony results in the oneness of body and mind and thoughts and action.
So why to wait, it is not late, let us make a better choice of our better health. We at AIWC library assembled and took pledge, 'For better health and peace of mind daily for half an hour, I hereby declare to do yoga from today'.
After that we did chair yoga comprising of breathing, exercises, asana, meditation and relaxation.

Reading Day celebrated on June 19th in Kerala

Kerala Government celebrate 19th June as reading day from 1996 onwards in honour of P.N. Panicker, the father of the library movement in Kerala. He formed the Kerala Grandhasala Sanghom that triggered a popular cultural movement in Kerala which produced universal literacy in the state in the 1990s. The efforts of the legend was great to start libraries in each and every corner of Kerala giving the message on the value of reading.. The slogan of the organisation was 'Read and Grow'. Till 1977 he was the General Secretary of the Sanghom until it was taken over by the State Government, then it became the Kerala State Library Council. Kerala Education Department celebrate reading fortnight from 19th. Campaigns, workshops, seminars and classes are conducted by the libraries, schools and clubs by conducting reading competitions. Students are motivated and inspired to read books. Reading books help them to concentrate, increase memory power and to go deep in the subject. All should treat their favourite books as their intimate friend to chat and be in touch. Reading helps to develop their personality. At AIWC, Aluva we conducted a seminar and celebrated reading day. The function was presided by our library president and inaugurated by Executive committee member of Thaluk Library Council. The participants also interacted and made the programme successful.

Being Compassionate is the greatest gift

My mom is having a lot of uneasiness due to her illness. She is 83. Recently she joined us and was admitted in a speciality hospital near by. Six days hospitalisation made her more weak. Back home after two days her palms and hands were severely swollen and discoloured on the points where butterfly syringe was injected. Because of so thin veins for each insertion three to four attempts were done. She was having severe pain and I was so worried. Booked an appointment for consulting. Since we were living upstairs my mom was not able to come down. I took pictures of her hands and went to hospital. With permission of the doctor I showed the pictures and he was so nice and prescribed an ointment and a tablet for 5 days. Knowing the inability of my mom, doctor asked the location of our home. It is very near to the hospital. To my surprise he handed over his visiting card to me telling when ever in trouble call him and he can make the visit on the way to the hospital or back home.
Yes there are Godly people around us who loves to serve. Even though being a busy physician the kindness of the doctor wonders me and it is now my duty to scribble this down for my readers to show the world we are living in a great place among kind people. That is compassion. Finding commonalities with others, kind to self and others, being mindful with high emotional intelligence without emphasis on money with great gratitude. Be blessed and stay blessed dear doctor!!!

Be Positive to be a Winner in Life.....

A lady with positive attitude. I am so happy to introduce this lovely lady to my viewers. What I want to highlight is that 'One can win life by all means if one is free from fear, doubt and jealousy'. Then there is no doubt to proceed because we will be free to go forward without comparison and expectations.
This beautiful lady is like a lamp in our organisation with her lively smile. She is in charge of our little kitchen to serve hot, delicious and nutritious food for the kids of our crèche. Being a no loss no profit organisation she is being paid only a small remuneration. But what she is enjoying is the nice time with us and doing some service for good. She is a real role model for senior women how to spend time lively and energetically.

World Blood Donor Day, 14 June 2017

Today 14 June is World Blood Donor Day (WBDD). As a citizen,'What can we do on this day?'
Let us join the nearest campaign of blood donation in our neighbourhood. The what to do?
Yes, get ready to donate blood, now itself and then donate often to save a life in critical situations. Donating blood is the kindest life saving act. People can access safe and sufficient blood supplies which ensures its quality too. The goals of the campaign are to encourage, strengthen the emergency health services of safe and quality blood availability. Also to thank the blood donors and encourage young people in our community to become new donors as well. We in our organisation conducted a class for women to create awareness of donating blood to save a life.

LAUGHTER THERAPY

Laughter therapy was first started by an Indian, Dr Madan Kataria

in 1995 at Mumbai with five participants in a local public park.

 Laughter therapy is an alternative approach to health and happiness. It is also a mind body medicine.

  We are all born with a gift of laughter. Laughter is a natural medicine which lifts our spirit and makes us feel happy. It is

also a contagious emotion. Here comes the therapeutic value

of laugh.

                  Laughter provides full scale workout for muscles and

unleashes a rush of stress busting endorphins. Body can’t distinguish

real and fake laughter. Laughter makes one giggle and create a

positive impact. So those who are not having sense of humour

can also be benefitted from laughter.

Aim of Laughter Therapy

To promote overall health and happiness

To help relieve physical and emotional stress

To cope with and survive stressful life

To help build positive thoughts

To help strengthen social bonds and relationships.

Who can do Laughter Therapy?

   All age groups can participate in laughter therapy. Different ways are

practised in the sessions. Beneficial to all since it requires no skill or athletic

ability for practice. It is easy to incorporate in daily life. Laughter therapy

works with all, whether you are young or old, rich or poor, male or female,

educated or illiterate.

How to Practice

An open ground or hall is required

A laugh captain should be there to lead

Separate groups for kids

Wear comfortable clothes

Minimum 20 to 30 minutes session

Allow natural laughter to flow

Important Steps in Laughter Therapy

Clapping in rhythm

Breathing and Stretching

Child like Play

Laughter exercises

Benefits of Laughter Therapy

Good physical and aerobic exercise

Release of endorphins results in whole body relax

Tones muscles and improves respiration

Boosts immune system

Boosts respiratory system

Eases digestion

Improves mental functions

Improves overall attitude

Produce a general sense of wellbeing

Helps reduces wrinkles

Restores playfulness in life

Makes one more attractive

Improves communication and relationships

Skills required for a laughter volunteer

Communication skills

Outgoing attitude

Self esteem and self confident

Quite happy to lead the group into laughter

World Laughter Day

First Sunday of May every year is being celebrated.

Dr Madan Kataria is the founder of worldwide laughter therapy movement.

The concept of laughter therapy rapidly spread worldwide.

More than 15000 laughter clubs prevails in different countries.

Each club is run by a captain/ volunteer.

    The combined gentle breathing, stretching and stimulated unconditional

laughter in group becomes genuine which results in enhancing quality of life.

Laughter is a positive and more powerful emotion that has all ingredients

required for individual to change themselves and to change the world in a

peaceful and positive way. World laughter day is a positive manifestation for

world peace and is intended to build up a global consciousness of brotherhood

and friendship through laughter.

  Choosing to laugh as and when you want is not a sign of silliness, it’s a sign of

maturity. Laughter brings people together and helps to feel more alive,

confident and empowered. This reminds the famous quote of Charlie Chaplin,

“ A day without laughter is a waste day.”

         Usually we laugh at other’s expense.

         Let us start to laugh at our own account.

 

email- sumarajpillai@gmail.com

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World Environmental Day 2017

Yesterday, 5th June, 2017 was the 'World Environmental Day'. We celebrated the day at AIWC, Aluva. Based on the theme 'Connect with Nature' we had organised sessions covering planting medicinal and fruit tree seedlings to maintain ecosystem on earth, save water, protect mother earth and fight against polluting nature by throwing waste like plastic which suffocates earth. World environmental Day is a day for everyone, everywhere. The participants were allowed to express their own activities at home along public activities in their residential association, community and clubs. It include neighbourhood clean-ups, raising home gardens and vegetable gardens, planting fruit trees and protecting their homestead crops. The day reminds everyone that how we are part of nature and how intimately we depend on it. The programme was a motivation to all in the session to experience and cherish the relationship of all the living organisms on earth.
 

Rangammal @ 100, a Colossus of Womanhood

 

Unbelievable when we hear about her, unforgettable when we see her, adorable when we do know her, inspiring when we imbibe her, this is what I felt when I met the idol Rangammal alias Pappammal at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Coimbatore. The blissful moment happened through the post in Face book on 12^th August 2016, celebrating the 100^th birthday of the champion leader of Thekkumpatty by the whole village along with dignitaries from all walks of life. It was so hard to believe her age from the picture as it seems like a middle aged healthy woman. It sparked in me the curiosity to know more about her. Being in USA, I need to wait till February 2017 to materialise my dream. Yes, it was realized with the help of the eminent Agriculture scientist Dr Prabhu Kumar who directed me to contact the Principal Scientist in charge of KVK, Coimbatore. With the generosity of head of the KVK, Dr Kumaravadivelu who made the rendezvous.

                               Rangammal, a lady with simple attire, charming in countenance, attracting like a magnet was very fascinating and I felt that I was before a blazing sun of love and regard. The 5.5 feet, 58 kg Rangammal is a real life model and a living example of humbleness for those who seek a rightful, purposeful and beautiful life. It is thrilling to know that she is still the Scientific Advisory Committee Member (SACM) of KVK and special member of Ramakrishna Vidyalaya Agriculture College, Coimbatore. Even now she is always task oriented with daily goals who delights the villagers with her presence in almost all the activities and solaces them in their loss.

                                It is only with awe that we can hear her life saga. She was born in a modest Mudaliyar family. She lost her mother at the age of 8 and father at the age of 15. Thereafter her life with her grandmother moulded in her personal and social awareness and ignited love, care and concern towards humankind. She was married but the anticlimax was that she had to allow her husband to marry her younger sister as she was not conceiving.  Back with her grandmother, started an epoch of awakening of Rangammal as a bold, dutiful and strong woman. From the darkness of ignorance and helplessness she overcame the barricades of life with determination and dedication. No schooling, doesn’t know how to write but she acquired the managerial skills to raise the problems of the community to the authorities and solve the issues tactfully made her the champion of the area. She was the first woman in the village to run a tea stall, grocery shop, farm labourer, bullock cart driver and an entrepreneur. She dared to challenge against the hardships and passivity of the womanhood and motivated them with a hope of new horizon in their minds. In 1959 she was became the member of Panchayat, the vice chairman, union councillor and then her activity graph was successfully rising. In 1970 she was elected as the first woman member of the task group of the Tamilnadu Agricultural University due to her undaunted interest, dedication and zeal to agriculture. She got the opportunity to see and learn the newer and innovative methods of agricultural practices travelling different parts of India and get capacitated in the techniques of rural development. She formed the women self-help group and led them to various enterprising channels. Serving the country was her top priority.  Mere words are not enough to mention her efforts to unite and motivate the women into agriculture and the developmental activities as their mentor. She is ready to run the power tiller even now to inspire the community around her.

                               The down lane journey to her hey days revealed the commitment towards her life. There was no electricity or home appliance to run for the convenience of the household work. She had to prepare all the snacks for the teashop, walk a long way for doing farming, driving the bullock cart to sell and buy commodities for herself and others and also supervising the crops cultivated here and there. She managed all the works even though in a tight schedule working very late in the night with only 2 or 3 hours sleep. She remembered squeezing onion in her eyes to keep the sleep away. She really took her life as a challenge to face the hard realities with a stern and positive mind. Now she gratefully remembers that the hardships were actually empowering her to know the enthralling spiritual power in human being and the value of karma.

                                   When I asked her whether she has any message to give to the younger generation, laughingly she said that her life is her message. Repeatedly when I asked, she said calmly in low tone, “Avoid competition and quarrel, be straight forward in thoughts, words and deeds, truly, honestly and confidently take care of yourself and serve the community. 

                                     Rangammal @ 100 is a woman who does not want any adornment, simple in heart and mind, humble in dealings with ‘Godly’ presence. May the Almighty bless her to live a full life with Strength, Vigour, Happiness and Peace!!!