Rain and the unrest

We reached here on 24th June and while onboard,the flight captain announced that the temperature in kashmir is 15 degrees and its also  raining....we landed and were welcomed by heavy down pour...and it has been raining since then day and night...people here have witnessed  recent floods and everybody is tense since the water level in Sangam river has crossed the danger mark and the river Jehlum is rising too....my niece and nephew had been to school yesterday....it was a usual morning when we received a call from the school stating that the nearby Jehlum river is rising and school day has been called off....we rushed off to the schools to get the kids....there was an unrest all around...people were really scared....no body wants to undergo the same ordeal again....on our way back I got a glimpse of the Jehlum...it seemed to be just touching the danger mark!! I also happened to pass through the streets of once happening Rajbagh and Jawahar Nagar areas....that used to be buzzing with life and full of hustle and bustle but now all i could see was ruble and heaps of concrete! ! It was really heart breaking to see such a sight!! Floods here have left a disastrous impact and it will take a while for people to recover from it!!

All we can do for now is to pray for rain to stop and for little sunshine to instill some energy , some warmth in our damp spirits !!

Yoga & My thoughts around it!!

We all have heard a lot about it, apparently everyone is talking about it, every other article is regarding its benefits...well this is "YOGA"  Yes it has become the  latest fad with its name in the days marked internationally.

undoubtedly yoga is good for us, it is not just for body but for mind as well, its the holistic science that was put together many many years ago by a wise sage named Patanjali, he at that time recognized its true potential and took the task of arranging it, assimilating it at one place so that mankind will benefit out of it, and if you think you can't do it, think twice because you have already done it and you are not aware, you have practiced yoga in he womb, when you were in the fetal position...in deep meditation , the only difference is that at that time your lungs were not pumping oxygen and removing carbon dioxide, it was done by placenta :), so you have to learn that Pranayama (breathing exercises), how to breathe deeply, and exhale deeply as well, we all are accustomed to this involuntary shallow breathing, whereas to attain that stage of relaxation one needs to breathe deeply, and exhale deeply as well, expelling out all the negativity, frustration that grips our soul...then only can we be at peace.

There are few Asanas (body postures) that if you practice in your stressful times, they tend to ease that tension a bit, besides relieving those tension knots in your spine and neck, like the Balasana (child pose), i tried it recently , and it works great for me...there are many more that help with body flexibility and mental peace...i am thinking about starting a series about yoga poses in my blog, lets see how it goes and how i start...as i have said earlier, I start many things but hardly complete them , or stick to them...i have serious commitment issues, that i need to work on...so not bragging about anything right now..lets see..fingers crossed!!

Photography credits go to my Niece , Divya Kaur Mehta, she is a 9th grader, an artist, a phenomenal painter, and budding photographer!!

In the pictures above, my darling Nephew and my elder sis, apparently my family in Kashmir celebrated their yoga day in Narang Nag in south Kashmir amidst all the beauty, greenery and fresh air!!

Akash's 32nd Birthday!!

My best buddy turned 32 on 20th June!! The best part of marrying your friend is that you never realize that you are getting old, while years come and go just so fast!!

Our day started with a nice and hearty breakfast for Akash served with beautiful fresh flowers ;), then the much awaited Cake cutting, this time I ordered a Chocolate ice-cream roll cake and now that has become our fav, we absolutely love it!! and finally a Photo shoot!! 

I am waiting eagerly for Vihaan to grow up and be my charming companion in planning for occasions like these,it will be so much fun doing things together, going market, making plans, and shopping!!

DIY-Creative Nook/Revamping an old space

l am a restless soul, or to put it precisely "I am the change" ;)

Little bored with my living space, Today I tried to revamp it a bit...without having to spend a penny, I like the idea of "Homemade charm" using the things that are inside the house only and creating something new every time...I think that money can buy you stuff but it also kills the creativity!!

From my multitude collection of books, I used some of the interesting pages and created a creative nook...this time , I chose to incorporate different aspects...from an Aayat in Arabic to  a Sanskrit sholak...from a theory related to Ethics to a simple statement that says"Use what you have" that defines my work :) ...

From quiet some time i was thinking of buying a map and today while searching for pages , i found an interesting world atlas and i thought why not make one at home ...i had wooden dowels...so i just pasted the pages together and "taa daa" here is my map!!

So now all i have to buy is a lamp for highlighting the space, and that can be delayed for a while!! I am happy with this new change and i am loving it :)

This is what I call frugal living...not just living but cherishing the creativity that blooms inside!!

Story of a leaf….

It was the time of re-birth, rejuvenation, renewal, resurrection and regrowth…it was spring!! Snow was melting each day slowly, delicately and the streams were running down the hills…valleys were laden with golden daffodils, dales were decked up with purple Crocuses and the view was spectacular…life was blooming everywhere!! Just then a tiny green leaflet was borne on the branch of a tree…it opened its eyes to the melodies of the passerines, symphonies of  Robin, fluttering of the butterflies!! This tiny leaf knew that somewhere on the earth people will be decorating the windows and doors with the fresh garlands of Jasmine and rose, they will be making colourful Rangoli on the steps and thresholds, and  offering Sandalwood to the fire deity, celebrating its birth….and on the very first night of it’s birth, it  saw the spectacular fireworks in the northern sky, indicating that people somewhere  are scaring away the bad spirits and souls!! They are celebrating its birth!!

Each day it grew a little more, in the morning it was awaken by the kisses of the sunshine, all day long it was entertained by the breath taking somersaults of the bumble bees, and by the hip hop dancing of  dragon flies…in the evening it went into the  trance by the continuous vibrating sound of the male Cicadas, it was lulled to the sleep by the caressing moonshine and at times gently awaken by the magical Moon bow too….and amidst all this, it used to think : “what a wonderful life it is”

And then ,

came the summer, and along with it came the day long heat…while the flowers were still blooming, the fruits were getting ripened by the strong sunlight, there were thunderstorms and rains, the streams were swollen with blessings from above…there was enchanting performance by the clouds, it used to thunder and then pour down…it loved the heavenly feel of the rain drops on its waxy coat…it used to calm it down…wipe it clean drop by drop…and it used to feel re-energized and pepped up again…and at night it slept peacefully snoring under the twinkling spread of bright stars…

summer heat was receding day by day and the bright sunny days became scanty….skies were turning grey…the cherry, fringe, maple and birch trees were changing the colours, from bright green they had gone rustic red…people were collecting the harvest….when it looked below, everyone seemed busy…ants, badgers, squirrels, raccoons, beavers-all of them were busy in hunting and storing the food…and then it noticed a change…it’s green was had turned pale…and now few patches of deep brown were appearing too…still it thought “What a wonderful life it is”

and then one day something unusual happened , the sun travelled at its farthest below the horizon, some birds and animals migrated and others went into hibernation….and then the roots of the tree where it still stood firm announced that it has decided to let the upper part go dormant…it was winter….and that meant- it was the time for this leaf to bid goodbye to the tree…to let go ....it shivered…it quivered…all the trees nearby were naked now…and when the strong wintry wind blew this time, it finally let itself be…it drifted from the branch…into the air…to and fro…little to right and then to the left…and landed on the barren land below…land that was once buzzing with life…it still had traces of life left in it…it looked above, at the tree where it used to be…and thought “what a wonderful life it is”

Lemongrass and Ginger Infusion

At times breaking the monotony/the same old routine that you follow everyday is good for you, for your health, well that's what i did ...while ordering for groceries this time , I ordered lemongrass and Sunflower seeds, and in the morning I made some fragrant lemongrass and ginger infusion...

Early morning I was there in my kitchen chopping those heavenly fragrant greens of lemon grass, pounding this  aromatic ginger and dissolving the golden jaggery !! and i made something amazing :) 

To make this infusion I used:

Lemongrass

Ginger

Jaggery

Let's talk about the goodness of Lemongrass and Ginger:

Lemongrass also known as Citronella apart from being used extensively in Aromatherapy and an excellent insect repellant, it strengthens the immune system, is helpful in painful swellings, in menstrual cramps, obesity, skin conditions,it is an  excellent nervine tonic, and also beneficial in fever, cough and cold.

Ginger is effective in nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, painful conditions like arthritis and painful menses and it boosts the immune system.

The benefits of these two herbs are many and not limited to the few listed above...

Method:

chop lemongrass, pound ginger and add both to 4 cups of water in a pan with lid and bring to boil, when the quantity of water is nearly half i.e 2 cups, turn the knob off, give a standing time of 3-4 minutes...now in a separate pan  add few pieces of jaggery  in 3/4th cup of water and let the jaggery dissolve in it....add this jaggery water to the lemongrass and ginger infusion as per the taste....and drink the infusion freely!!  drink the goodness of these herbs!!

I choose jaggery instead of sugar, why?? because of following reasons:

Sugar has only sucrose whereas jaggery has sucrose with traces of mineral salts, iron ( as it is prepared in iron vessels) and some fiber , which makes it excellent choice for anemia or iron deficiency.

 Sugar being simple in nature, is instantly absorbed in the blood and releases a burst of energy, which can prove harmful for some internal organs like kidneys, eyes, and brain, whereas jaggery is digested slower than sugar so it releases energy slowly which provides energy for a longer time and is not harmful for the body. 

Jaggery is very good as a cleansing agent. It cleanses the lungs, stomach, intestines, oesophagus and respiratory tracts. Those who are exposed to dust or silica in their daily life are highly recommended to take jaggery.

and finally to the above infusion, I added a tsf of Sunflower seeds, 

They are rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid, which constitute more 50% fatty acids in them. They are also good in mono-unsaturated oleic acid that helps lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good-cholesterol" in the blood.

Like other nuts, they are also a very good source of proteins with fine quality amino acids such as tryptophan that are essential for growth, especially in children. Just 100 g of seeds provide about 21 g of protein (37% of daily-recommended values).

Natural anti-oxidants, rich source of vitamin E, B-complex, folic acid, essential minerals. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper.

This was the perfect start of my day...it was healthy , it was yum!!

Source of information:

Organicfacts.net
Webmd.com
whfoods.com
Nutrition and you.com

Homemade Lavender Lip Balm

There is nothing more fulfilling then making your own products at home, the world of Homemade stuff is endless and so adventurous…Nowadays I am busy making everything at home, from soaps, medicinal balms, lip balms, cakes, to baked biscotti , and I am enjoying every bit of it, it feels like there is so much to do, so much to create, so much to make…and I am going all crazy!!

Recently I made this vanilla lip balm, that is natural and safe…lip balms in market have many unnecessary and harmful chemicals, like petrolatum, mineral oil, alcohol, dyes, and god knows what type of fragrances…whereas I made it with just 3 things:

1)      Natural Beeswax

2)      Cold pressed Coconut Oil

3)      Lavender Essential oil

You make fine pieces of the natural beeswax, melt it in a double boiler, add Coconut oil and mix well and then finally 5-6 drops of Lavender essential oil…shake well and pour this mixture in a container…let it set and you are good to go…The whole process usually takes 15-20 minutes…That’s it… simple and 100% safe and effective, without any chemicals…. and the fact that you have made it, will make it even more special... Isn’t it amazing!!

Next on my list is a Homemade shaving cream J

DIY POM-POM NECKLINE T-SHIRT

After making homemade soaps and balms I have been thinking a lot lately about healthy & natural living, good thing is that I have been reading all the food labels before purchasing stuff and I can't tell you how many products I had to put down today morning while I had been out to buy groceries , every third thing had “Artificial flavours, artificial colour” and I never paid any attention to them before …it’s a real cause of worry and this latest row over exceedingly high levels of lead in the so famous Maggi noodles has left everyone agape!! I mean you don’t know really what’s going on in our body system??

Anyways apart from that I have been thinking about how I can add some homemade charm to Vihaan’s clothing  and yesterday I came up with this idea of sewing the Pom-Pom’s on the T-shirt's neckline and I turned out to be a pretty good idea…he looks so sweet!!

 I have some time before he grows up and says “Hey mom, boys don't wear this/that” ;)