Womenlines Influencer for Yoga, Archana Amlapure is sharing 7 tips for a healthy lifestyle-
Do you want to have a healthy, happy and stress-free lifestyle to achieve your health goals?
But what are the major hurdles- our habits, sedentary lifestyle, Our eating habits, personal, professional and environmental stress, overthinking and many more. These all lead to the health issues sooner or later. When we go through the pain and managing the diseases, it’s too late to go back to the basic. But its never too late to start again as well.
Here are the 7 lifestyle habits everyone should follow, be it managing diseases or maintaining positive health-
1. Know your body better
Do regular health checkups and know your basic parameters are well within normal range e.g: BP, Sugar level, BMI, Cholesterol level, Pulse rate, Vitamin deficiency etc. Only YOU can know your body best. So, everyone should know these indicating parameters. BP, Sugar level etc. can be checked with measuring devices at home as well
2. Breathe
Prana, our basic life force. We take our breath for granted and never try to nourish and improve further. In fact, with stress, tension and anxiety we abuse it so much that our body forgets completely about Deep breathing. Deep Breathing and pranayama alone can solve most of the health issues. Read here more on Prana.
3. Yoganas
Being physically active with aerobics, gym, different kind of exercise program, running etc. is good, but if you really want the holistic healthy lifestyle, then you need to include Asanas/postures. As asanas are done on physical level also effects on pranic(breath) and mental level. Asanas help with better blood circulation to the body part involved, which means better oxygen supply. It works on muscles and strengthening them. Above all, it helps to gain energy every time you do Yoga (with relaxation techniques at the end of yoga) unlike in other exercises where you mainly loose energy. At least incorporate any form of Yoga for 2-3 days in a week
4. Meditation/Mindfulness/Pursuing passion, hobbies
Very often Meditation is related to spirituality. Not to complicate things, you can try to be mindful or meditate (concentrate, Chanting, devotional etc.) minimum 5 mins/day. This gives clarity in your mind, relaxes brain cells. If not, at minimum indulge yourself in some pleasurable activities, where you feel passionate about something like dance, singing, cooking, arts, sports etc. devoting yourself to your passion gives the effects of meditation during that period.
5. Slowing down/Pause
In order to achieve someone else’s goal or personal goal, we are constantly running, working hard, surviving competitions, but once in a while slowing down, taking pause helps and solves many issues in the life. When you stressed, PAUSE. When you are angry, PAUSE. When you are anxious, PAUSE. This will sort of many of the problems.
6. Diet
Today’s Era, too much is talked about diet. Diet changes need to be done as a preventive or curative plan for many health issues. But the key is to have balance, not too much or too less. Everyone is different, follow what your body takes and likes instead of following crazy fads.
7. Selfless activities
Spending time in Nature and if possible, alone time gives pure bliss. Spending time with loved ones, paying it forward, giving back, helping others gives unconditional happiness. Find out what would you like to do.
If you need any further for Yoga, Meditation, Healing, Contact Archana (81912862)
www.ojasyog.com
www.facebook.com/ojasyog
Insta: ojasyoga0704
Converting Womenlines blog to an online magazine in Singapore (www.womenlines.com) where I can report about anything for promoting excellence in women was a dream come true. Six months ago I started this journey and I feel awesome today!
Reaching out to women entrepreneurs and taking their interviews under ‘Entrepreneur of the month section’. Reporting and marketing events which can help women to excel. Reporting about the products by writing reviews and sharing across. Soon women entrepreneurs can share advertorials about their products or services on Womenlines advertorial page and can get benefit from Womenlines reach out.
Womenlines, an online magazine in Singapore strongly believes that if a woman is empowered with the right knowledge she can create a beautiful life. .Womenlines subscription is free and on subscription, the subscriber receives a link of Day Planner For Excellence, which she can download and use every day to plan her day for excellence. With this vision, Womenlines magazine is reaching out to womenfolk across Singapore and India besides the organic reach out digitally across the whole world. Womenlines presence is on 7 social media platforms- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Google Plus, Pinterest and Linkedin. Every day success tips are shared across Womenlines social media to help womenfolk. And on youtube Womenlines Tv there are monthly episodes, Entrepreneur of the month’s interview and various other sharings.
I am so grateful to my Influencers Meenu Agarwal founder Food N Wellness, Success Coach Anji Halliwell founder Hidden Lava and Yoga expert Archana Amlapure, founder Ojas Yoga Singapore, for sharing their expert knowledge on health, yoga, nutrition, and mindset. Above all grateful to my guest contributors who in between keep sharing such amazing informative article.
If you are a women entrepreneur looking for marketing reach out for your product or service, share your ad in the advertorial category of Womenlines!
If you are dealing with a product (health, parenting, kids, green kitchen, beauty, etc), reach out to womenfolk through the product review section of Womenlines!
If you are having any event or workshop in Singapore which can help women or kids in some way reach out at contact@www.womenlines.com for your marketing campaigns!
Womenlines is by a woman and for women, with a mission of promoting excellence in women!
Cheers to womanhood!
Charu Mehrotra
Alka Verma is a media professional in Singapore having an incredible experience in the various field related to media and events. Heading the role of Company Manager for US Production Walt Disney’s LION KING (first Residential Broadway) in magnificent Marina Bay Sands and INCANTO in Resort World Sentosa. In the role of senior production coordinator (Asia Pacific) with Walt Disney Television Singapore she successfully launched 6 Channels in 6 major languages in India.
Alka has been associated with Discovery Asia and ESPN sport-star as an Associate Director. Pursuing her passion in filmmaking Alka has produced short films “Flyer” and “Regrets”. Both films have been recognized and received awards at various Film Festivals and have made their marks in International Film Market.
Alka has been steadily working in the media industry as a producer for corporate films, TV programs and TVCs. Bringing her diverse experience in marketing and media Alka established herself as an online producer for many Bollywood productions With the diverse range of services includes producing programmes for channels, commercial, trailers, videos, radio trailers for broadcast, cooperate presentation and digital media.
After her work experience, Alka decided to take a break to experience a unique sailing experience at Peace Boat, A Japan-Based NGO in 2017. Her adventure story with the Peace Boat in her own words-
1 mission- Nuclear free world
16 sustainable goals
24 ports
23 destinations
105 days
28,138 Nautical miles and countless support from family
What is Peace boat?
Peace Boat is a 30 years old, Japan-based, international, non-governmental and non- profit organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Peace Boat works to promote peace, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment through the organization of global educational programs, cooperative projects and advocacy activities. The First cruise was organised in 1983 by a group of Japanese university students as a creative response to government censorship regarding Japan’s military aggression in the Asia- Pacific. Over thirty Years Peace boat has organised more than 90 global and regional cruises and had visited over 200 ports of call.
Mission – Sailing for a better World
Peace Boat leads and participates in a number of campaigns, advocacy efforts and projects, as part of and in addition to its global cruises, reconciliation and peace-building with partners in Asia, campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons in partnership with survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and training communities in resilient disaster response for a better world. By participating in Peace Boat cruise I play my part to support Peace Boat efforts to realize a more sustainable and peaceful World.
Duration – 105 days (April 12- July 2017)
Destinations Covered-
23 ports covered including Yokohama Japan, Singapore, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Passing through the Suez Canal, Piraeus, Greece, Cagliari, Italy, Valencia, Spain and many others.
16 Sustainable goals
What are the SDGs?
The SDGs consist of 17 aspirations Global Goals and 169 targets-
- No Poverty – End poverty in all its forms everywhere
- Zero Hunger – End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
- Good Health and Well-being – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
- Quality Education – Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
- Gender Equality – Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Clean Water and Sanitation – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
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Affordable and Clean Energy – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
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Decent Work and Economic Growth – Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure – Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
- Reduced Inequalities – Reduce income inequality within and among countries
- Sustainable Cities and Communities – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Responsible Consumption and Production – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns - Climate Action – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy
- Life Below Water – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
- Life on Land – Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
- Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
The SDGs were adopted in September 2015 by the 193 countries of the UN General Assembly. The goals, their targets and indicators of achievement were drafted by a UN Working Group in consultation with hundreds of civil society organisations worldwide. Intended to address the perceived shortcomings of the Millennium Development Goals, the SDGs was designed to be more specific, attainable, inclusive and participatory than their predecessors.
Why Peace Boat?
With the intention to explore the world with a Nobel cause. Life onboard a Peace Boat means the ports of call are not the only place to discover the world around you. Guest Educator-Activists, Academics, Journalist and Artists from around the World are invited on board, music and dance workshops, performances, concerts, exhibitions make the ship a place to discover, engage and enjoy the world with a different perspective. Get closer to Japanese culture with onboard festivals, events and traditional cuisine.
What I achieved?
It’s a life-changing experience. During the voyage, I witnessed 3 Medical Emergency rescue operation including one loss of life. Enjoyed sightseeing at World Heritage Sites, Explored nature, Visited new cities and discovered the world with a global network of partner organisations with a new perspective.
Visit https://www.pbcruise.com.sg,
Alka Verma
Womenlines Influencer for Yoga, Archana Amlapure sharing this month is about how to have a fruitful day-
Do you get overwhelmed with the everyday to-do list and get stressed and drained easily?
In this Era of instant things like instant coffee, instant noodles, instant water heater and so on, we are automatically becoming and working like a robot. With the need to do everything fast and instant, having peer pressure, we fall into competition for our self or which society puts. Hence, we become a victim of stress. The result of above is stress, anxiety and health issues. Deadlines, expectations, passions, competition etc. gives rise to stress. The constant pressure of deadlines, fear of falling behind etc. will cause anxiety.
But at the same time when you relax, you stay happy and relaxed, the Parasympathetic nervous system is active and whole nervous system is in balance.
But how can you stay happy, connected, relaxed with piles of work, to do lists, expectations from family members, colleagues, friends and society? How can you achieve more during the day?
We all have got 24 hours in a day, if you follow these just 12 tips, you will avoid stress and anxiety and you will experience healthy, happy and fruitful day-
1. Meditation, because some questions can’t be answered by Google. Start your day with Meditation
Start from 5 min and slowly increase the time to 15 min or which you can afford to give. Just close eyes and sit in silence. Initially, you might feel restless, your mind might jump to many thoughts but don’t give up, it will come with practice. You can choose to use soothing background music or do gazing or concentrate on an object or simply chant the mantra. Know what best suits you.
2. If you have time for Facebook, you have time to exercise
Just give 15 mins for simple stretching, Gym, running, walking, warm up followed by 5-10 rounds of Sun salutation to improve blood circulation and metabolism. If you can afford more time, add few postures into your daily practice
3. A long and subtle breath establishes a calm mind, A calm mind is the foundation of great things
Spend 5 mins in Pranayama or breathing techniques like Alternate nostril breathing (Inhale from left nostril, exhale from right nostril, inhale right nostril and exhale from left nostril) .5 up to 27 rounds (depends on your time). This is the Instant technique to balance Nervous system and bring down stress.
4. Nobody is too busy, it’s the matter of priorities
Make the list of things you need to do during the day. Out of that list, prioritize which ones need immediate attention and plan your actions accordingly.
5. Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret
If you get irritated and angry very easily, just practice deep breathing with counts. Deep Inhalation for 5 counts and exhale for 5 counts. Deep breaths will help you calm down and gives you time to really think about what happened and avoid any after effects.
6. The worst sleeping disorder is being awake
If you have difficulty in sleeping or have disturbed sleep, practice Brahmari half an before you go to bed (How to do: Tip of your tongue touch to upper palate behind teeth, close lips and make sound mmmmm with each exhalation- 5 to 27 rounds). It clears out all the crazy thoughts from the mind.
7. Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time
During the day, watch your negative emotions. Do you get angry, irritated, feel sad, low very often? Work on culturing/balancing these emotions. Get in touch with your emotion and identify that it’s in you and you are the one who needs to change it and let it go e.g. sadness -try to find joy in the things you like. Anger with love and compassion, forgiveness etc. Just let go of expectations and ego.
8. Thinking positive isn’t about expecting the best to happen every time, but accepting that whatever happens is the best for this moment
Staying and thinking positive needs practice. Hence always look for positive and brighter side
9. A friend is one that knows you as you are, understand where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow
Have that buddy or family person to discuss your problems, fears or difficulties you are going through if any. Sharing your burdens with close one’s will is almost getting close to finding solutions.
10. Energy flows when intention goes
Have small Sankalp/Resolve, set an intention throughout the day if you really want to work and improve on the issues and repeat it throughout the day.
e.g: I am healthy – if facing health issues
I am happy – If you are going through emotional imbalance
I am confident – if working on self-esteem or confidence issues
11. The only mistake you can make is not asking for HELP
Don’t afraid to ask for help from friends, colleagues, family members or even strangers if need to be. You can’t manage thing single-handedly every time.
12. Keep selfies of your soul, keep the journal
Write your thoughts, gratitude, goals and feelings in the journal. It will help you keep accountable, can track your progress and goals and keep you motivated.
Enjoy the day as it comes. Nothing is permanent in life and hence problems.
Have a fruitful day!
-Archana Amlapure
Founder-http://Www.ojasyog.com
http://Www.facebook.com/ojasyog
Instagram: ojasyoga0704
Linkedin: Archana Amlapure
Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Underneath the Pink Umbrella as a guest contributor on Womenlines panel. Underneath the Pink Umbrella is a student in Singapore and feels strongly about women issues. This month she is sharing the lessons about relations that she has learnt.
Underneath the Pink Umbrella: Recently, I was having a reflective moment, thinking about how my freshman year went by. I would not be able to recognise who I was a year back. Meeting so many new people and forming so many new friendships in such a short time, I saw that people may not be who they seem to be, and you can find new relations in the most unexpected of places. Therefore, I thought it to be fitting to share what I think is my perspective on all the relations in my life. I love meeting new people and keeping in touch, but this to can become burdensome sometimes. But at the same time, each person is important to me and if they came into my life, I believe they came for a reason. However, if they’d had to leave, it took me time to realise the topic of my article this week:
What does it mean to truly let go?
As, humans, and especially women, we do have more people to think about and have more relations to take care of. Being the more emotionally sensitive gender, (sorry for the generalization), we try to ensure that the feelings of our cherished ones aren’t hurt. Therefore, each one of us (not excluding men) forms an attachment of a sort with whomever we meet.
We have attachments to these people: some intense, some superficial, some cordial, some obligatory, but they exist. New relations, or the more neutral, emotionally devoid term: new connections are formed almost every day. Every person we meet forges a connection with us.
Within these connections, there can be disputes, disagreements and discord. The nature of the connection would determine how deeply the argument would have affected you. It could either be a petty one which resolves itself, or one which has left a deep and lasting impression of you. This may or may not affect your perceptions about people in general. Each fight is like a learning lesson. In the heat of the moment, we can turn into someone whom we aren’t anything like or say some things we didn’t intend to. But after all, is said and done, we have to learn how to let it go.
This is a learning process that took me a long time to comprehend. If it was something petty, it could be beneficial to just simply forgive and forget. But for the more intense ones, if you and that person aren’t able to talk to each other, remember to give space. Time does heal everything. Remember, it will get better. After calming down, it is very important to reflect and relive the fight. Just put yourself in the other person’s shoes and try to rationalize why they said what they did. Then, analyze what you said, and if you were wrong, why you did it. Doing this is crucial, because, when the time to end the fight comes, you will be able to handle it better because you know why you are apologizing, and help the other person understand why you reacted as you did.
Today, I feel people don’t take out the time to reflect and ponder over the effects of an emotionally charged interaction. And in turn, there are many of these connections that are ended because of one moment. I feel, unless the bond with that person is worthwhile, those relationships are forgotten and cut off. People treat other people like they can be discarded. But that should not be the case. You may think, ‘but I’m not like that’, however during fights, you never know what type of person you can morph into.
The key is to stop expecting. Having expectations is what causes more disputes. “I thought you would have done so…” or “I at least expected that you of all people…” etc. These lines crystallize what it means to have expectations. Obviously, this does not mean that you have to stop expecting decent human behaviour, and what certain relationships, such as romantic ones ought to have. But, it means that instead of hoping for it, ask for it. This would make life easier for everyone. There is no guesswork involved then and you can alter your expectations of that person accordingly.
When such connections of low expectations are established, those same disputes would become infrequent and easier to let go of. If you are an emotional person, and you see yourself being ill-treated, it is no point getting worked up about it. Instead, fight for yourself if you need to. Being indifferent is a skill that so many men I know possess. It is such a valuable feature which help them think pragmatically and not get so affected by people’s shortcomings. It may seem like a negative trait. However, there is a difference between being heartless and indifferent. Indifference just means you don’t take everything to heart, yet at the same time, you aren’t impervious to feelings and emotions. This quality helps one become more easy-going and less prone to succumb to life’s challenges.
Endings and beginnings. Always be open to BOTH. Believe that whatever happens, happens for a reason. If this becomes your life motto, it will help you see a rainbow after every rain. There are times when the connection can turn toxic, and even after your best efforts, there is nothing more you can do, and that connections become an emotional parasite. In such cases, be objective and try to ensure that you have done everything in your power to retain the connection. Yet, remember people can’t change overnight, so if you can’t continue it, end it on a happy note. Letting go of people is not easy. It can be traumatic as well. But remember something better might be in store for you. It is a beautiful thing to heal the relations which may have ended on a sour note. It ended for a reason, hence it may not become a part of your life again, but there should be no hard feelings in the aftermath. A positive end will show that you are capable of forming new positive connections. Never judge a person based on what you hear, rather experience it yourself and be open to the hurt or happiness that it may cause.
Every connection will make you grow, but when it has to be let go, don’t be afraid. You should feel better after doing so, because only you can ensure your own well being and truly let go of the negativity.
Underneath the Pink Umbrella:
Hey! I am currently a freshman studying business, quite boring you might think, right? But I’m passionate about it! Besides that, I’m passionate about women’s rights, which is a topic that has been debated for centuries. A historian and artist, I try to research the story behind everything and imbue creativity in whatever I do. My contributions will show you my stance on women’s issues and offer a historical background and a fresher and more relatable perspective on the world and women around you.
Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Geetanjali Tandon as a guest writer on Womenlines panel. She has more than 15 years of experience in corporate finance specifically in Financial Planning and Analysis in various companies/ industries. Geetanjali will be sharing series of articles on financial literacy at Womenlines. In this article, Geetanjali shares about the importance of understanding investment as an investor-
In my previous blog post, I advocated for women knowing their own finances. One of the most important steps in knowing and controlling your own finances is knowing more about financial markets and understanding investment as an investor. So here is a quick introduction to some of the terms that are referred to often when listening or reading about investment and financial markets. It is important to understand what these terms mean and become familiar with them. This list is by no means exhaustive. I have also provided links to other resources if you want to learn more about this subject. The best way to learn more about investing to is to hypothetically or actually invest a certain amount of money in the stock market and then follow the companies in the market. It does not have to be a large amount of money or even real money. Just hypothetically invest a certain amount making sure you deduct money for fees, etc., and then follow your investment. Record the value in an excel sheet on a daily or even a weekly basis. This is a no-risk way to learn about the stock market and investments.
Here are brief definitions of the top 10 most important terms to know about investments and financial markets:
1. Stocks: A stock is a type of security that signifies ownership in a corporation and represents a claim on part of the corporation’s assets and earnings. There are two main types of stock: common and preferred. Common stock usually entitles the owner to vote at shareholders’ meetings and to receive dividends. Preferred stock generally does not have voting rights, but has a higher claim on assets and earnings than the common shares. For example, owners of preferred stock receive dividends before common shareholders and have priority in the event that a company goes bankrupt and is liquidated.
2. Bonds: In finance, a bond is an instrument of indebtedness of the bond issuer to the holders. The most common types of bonds include municipal bonds and corporate bonds. The bond is a debt security, under which the issuer owes the holders a debt and (depending on the terms of the bond) is obliged to pay them interest (the coupon) or to repay the principal at a later date, termed the maturity date.
3. Market Capitalization: Market capitalization refers to the total dollar market value of a company’s outstanding shares. Commonly referred to as “market cap,” it is calculated by multiplying a company’s shares outstanding by the current market price of one share. A company with 20 million shares selling at $100 a share would have a market cap of $2 billion. The terms small cap, mid cap, etc., refers to the total value of the market cap compared to the ranges in the market.
4. Ratings: A rating is an assessment tool assigned by an analyst or rating agency to a stock or bond. The rating assigned indicates the stock or bond’s level of investment opportunity. For a stock, an analyst may assign a buy, hold or sell rating and an explanation of why they recommend this action for the stock. For a bond, a rating agency will assess the bond’s relative safety based upon the issuing entity’s fundamental financial picture which scrutinizes the issuer’s ability to repay principal and make interest payments.
5. Mutual Funds: A mutual fund is a professionally managed investment fund that pools money from many investors to purchase securities. These investors may be retail or institutional in nature. Mutual funds have advantages and disadvantages compared to direct investing in individual securities. The primary advantages of mutual funds are that they provide economies of scale, a higher level of diversification, they provide liquidity, and they are managed by professional investors. On the negative side, investors in a mutual fund must pay various fees and expenses.
6. Bear & Bull Market: In stock trading and investing there are bulls and bears. You often hear of the market is bullish or bearish. So what is the definition of a bull market and what is a bear market?
A Bull Market
This is when the market is showing confidence. Indicators of confidence are prices going up, market indices like the NASDAQ go up too. The number of shares traded is also high and even the number of companies entering the stock market shows that the market is confident. Technically though a bull market is a rise in the value of the market of at least 20%. The huge rise of the Dow and NASDAQ during the tech boom is a good example of a bull market.
A Bear Market
A bear market is the opposite of a bull. If the markets fall by more than 20% then we have entered a bear market. A bear market is a market showing a lack of confidence. Prices hover at the same price then go down, indices fall too and volumes are stagnant.
7. Revenue: In accounting, revenue is the income that a business has from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. Revenue is also referred to as sales or turnover. Some companies receive revenue from interest, royalties, or other fees. Revenue may refer to business income in general, or it may refer to the amount, in a monetary unit, earned during a period of time, as in “Last year, Company X had revenue of $42 million.”
8. Net Income: The total revenue in an accounting period minus all expenses during the same period. If income taxes and interest are not deducted, it is called operating profit (or loss, as the case may be). Also called earnings, net earnings, or net profit.
9. Earnings Per Share ( EPS): A company’s profit divided by its number of common outstanding shares. If a company earning $2 million in one year had 2 million common shares of stock outstanding, its EPS would be $1 per share. The one-year (historical or trailing) EPS growth rate is calculated as the percentage change in earnings per share.
10. Free Cash Flow: Free cash flow is the cash a company produces through its operations, less the cost of expenditures on assets. In other words, free cash flow or FCF is the cash left over after a company pays for its operating expenses and capital expenditures. Free cash flow is an important measurement since it shows how efficient a company is at generating cash.
Other Resources to help to know more about these terms and other investment related terms:
https://www.nasdaq.com/investing/glossary/
Geetanjali Tandon
Global IT Finance Lead
Monsanto
Greater St.Louis Area
https://dataandfpa.blogspot.sg/
Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Pamposh Dhar as the guest influencer. Pamposh is a mindfulness coach, Reiki Master and counsellor in Singapore and is having expertise in working with children, offering corporate coaching programs, including mindfulness workshops and guided meditation sessions. Her valuable sharing about how to make meditation enjoyable is a must read-
I started teaching meditation 12 years ago because I had a few Reiki and counselling clients who told me they were unable to meditate. I was astonished because I knew everyone could do this simple activity – it was just a matter of finding a method that worked well for each person.
So I have made it my business to teach easy and effective ways to meditate – easy to do and effective in bringing calmness and inner peace.
One of the simplest and most enjoyable ways is breath-focused meditation.
5 Steps to An Easy and Effective Breath-Focused Meditation-
Step 1: Remove the pressure. You do not perfect any skill in one day – you learn the new skill, you practise it, and you make progress.
Remember: you did not learn to walk in a day, you did not learn English (or any other language) in a day, you did not learn law or literature or accountancy in a day.
Through meditation, we learn to still our usually restless mind for anywhere between 10 minutes to an hour or more. And, yes, even 10 minutes can bring a sense of calmness.
Most people do not get to the absolute stillness of mind in their first session of meditation – but they do find themselves getting calmer and more peaceful. This is because they move from a restless and scattered mind to one which is more focused, quieter – and much calmer. The more they practice, the more peace they find within themselves. Regular practice is the key. A daily or weekly practice, even a short one, will help you to perfect your ability to meditate, even on days when you are distracted or agitated.
Step 2: Find the posture that works for you. Sit in a posture that you can hold still for the duration of the meditation. One easy posture is sukhasana, sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor. Those who find it difficult to sit on the floor can sit in a chair – just make sure that your feet are flat on the floor. In either case, keep your back straight, not hunched forward.
Step 3: Slow down your breathing. This is the most important step and it is really easy. Your body already knows how to breathe. You just have to breathe deeper and more slowly than you usually do. Breathe in slowly, taking the breath down to your stomach or your abdomen, whichever is more comfortable for you. And then slowly release the breath.
This deep, slow breathing itself brings quite a lot of relaxation and calmness.
Step 4: Use your choice, awareness and attention. Choose to breathe deeply and slowly. Breathe with awareness, knowing that you are breathing. Breathing is an autonomous function, so most of the time we breathe without being aware of the fact. But in meditation, we breathe consciously. Breathe with attention – shift more and more of your attention to your breathing – feel the air you breathe and, with your attention, follow the movement of the breath through your body.
Step 5: Focus and quieten the mind. We breathe every moment of life. In a breath-focused meditation, we breathe with awareness, attention and focus. Focus in on your breathing to the exclusion of everything else – as much as you can. If your attention wanders, gently bring it back to your breath. Help your mind to be more positive by focusing on the moments of stillness that you achieve rather than the times your attention wanders. Whatever you choose to focus on in your life will become bigger in your awareness. So use your attention with care.
Once your attention is largely on your breathing, your mind is no longer scattered, running after every passing thought. It is now a focused mind.
Congratulations! You are meditating.
For some additional support, please follow my guided meditation video, Mindful Breathing: http://bit.ly/terataii_meditation1
For even more support, join my regular group meditation classes, on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Email terataii@gmail.com to register for a class or course.
Pamposh Dhar is a mindfulness coach, Reiki Master and counsellor. She works with children and adults individually or in small groups. She also offers corporate coaching programs, including mindfulness workshops and guided meditation sessions. Read more: https://terataii.com.sg
Womenlines takes pleasure to welcome Abha Maryada Banerjee, leadership author and motivational speaker as a guest influencer at Womenlines. Abha Maryada Banerjee is India’s first woman motivational speaker of international acclaim, rated as one of the Top Ten Life, Business and Success Coaches in the Asia Pacific. An expert at Leadership, Human Peak Performance and Emotional Intelligence, Abha has been the Peak Performance/Mental Strength Coach for Indian Olympic Athletes. Her sharing below is a dose of motivation for womenfolk to change themselves for a positive approach in life-
Talk of change and we have no clue where to begin..
Here is an exhaustive A-Z list of all that we can do and feel the difference-
A. Smile, Laugh, Joke and Have fun: If we smile for 15 minutes, our body’s chemical composition changes. Try it. It’s funny. Humour is a very important part of life. It allows us to look at life’s many different perspectives in a harmless way. Humour is not dependent on outer circumstance. As much as we can watch a movie and laugh, we can also learn to develop humour. Try cracking jokes, try laughing out loud, try laughing at your self. Nothing lasts forever, no problems, not sadness and not laughter. You will be back to work soon.
B. At all times, speak fair and kindness unless there is serious need to be unkind. Even if others do not reciprocate in the same way, keep yourself kind. By staying in this mode, you will avoid disturbance in your own body or mind. Focus on your action alone, so as not to get carried away by other people’s negativity.
C. Stay optimistic- Optimism is first created and built in the mind and always tested in action. It is the happiness and positive resource of our mind and we have complete control over it. If you practice by doing good and not accepting wrong, you create immense positivity in your environment.
D. Do not allow people to wrong you – React calmly but immediately by saying you feel wronged. Practice it with the people close to you, your family and friends. Let them know what has hurt you or hurts you. Talk it out.
E. Become responsive, not reactive in action – There is a difference between response and reaction. The response is a thought out reaction commensurate to the situation at any given point of time. While the reaction is an instant response to a present situation but coming out of past experience. Use this way of being to guide your thoughts and action. This way, not only can you change your outer circumstances, your inner self is undisturbed.
F. A Thinking heart is tolerant: As you understand yourself better, there is every reason that you will be able to understand and automatically become more accepting of others. As much you are on your own, learning to live your way, others are doing the same. They think their way.
G. Conscious expression can remove negativity – All life’s experience can be categorized into positive and negative experiences. We carry negative experiences closing ourselves to future experience that can prevent the true expression of love and building of positive potential. Each time you express, keep it positive.
H. Make the ungrateful sheer visitors to life: People can be unjust and unreasonable. Unless absolutely necessary, maintain a calm state as that is owned by us. We must choose a response that does not send our self into a disturbance. Right action is not dependent on others. Right action is right because of and complete in itself. Keep yourself in the right action mode. People who trouble you must remain, visitors and guests, nothing beyond that.
I. Right Action comes from our values – Every action has its corresponding result. Values guide the way you live. EFFECTS of action evolve in ways we cannot predict. There are many variables, forces and influences that affect actions. The right thing to do is to keep them right. Whatever you choose to do, choose it for itself as correct. Right action has its own energy. Why do we do things at all? How do we measure action? By the rightness of it, there is no other way. An action does not have a choice but to manifest into something. Let it be right for you.
J. Bring the child detective back: A kindergarten student learns by discovering abstract principles through practical activities. The concept of numbers is taught by sorting similar objects and placing them into groups to count them. The concept of shape is taught in the same way by changing and manipulating shapes of objects. A child first learns the relationships between specific objects in the real World, the principle remaining the same. In Life too, we follow such principles that resonate with our level of understanding. We then apply it new areas and the same process continues.
K. Always move from concept to application and principal to practice: Any principle or understanding must be applied at the next best opportunity so it gets embedded in the mind and body. Always test it, try it and establish your own version of principles.
L. True Moment is always the moment of Action: ACTION stimulates the mind and induces self-contemplation, teaching us the art of sensibility. True wisdom lies in action and the impact it can create. When we begin to focus on it, we can see real creation caused by us.
M. Beautiful is everywhere: Start identifying beauty and aesthetics in everything. You are already thinking differently. Indulge in the not so normal. Art and Words have the power to free the soul, spiritual as well as physical and have a very strong effect on the mind – it takes your mind on a new journey- almost that of a mind of a creator. That affects emotions as well.
To Be Continued…Next time
Abha Maryada Banerjee
wwwBreakOutwithAbha.tv
Vitamin D primarily stimulates intestinal calcium and phosphorus absorption stimulates bone calcium mobilization and increases renal re-absorption of calcium. Vitamin D must be metabolized to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 by the liver and subsequently by the kidney to 1,25-
dihydroxyvitamin D3 before function.
Vitamin D deficiency has now become an epidemic worldwide, in both pediatric as well as in adult populations, as Obesity. Evidence suggests that there is a potential link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency among global populations, particularly among children. The
effects of vitamin D deficiency in childhood obesity appear to have negative influences on overall health in later life like- Diabetes Mellitus, Cystic fibrosis, Chronic kidney diseases, Cancer etc.
The primary source of vitamin D is sunlight exposure, which has been limited or blocked extensively for many children over the past 20 years due to the association of skin cancer and ultraviolet rays. As obese children are usually sedentary, therefore less likely to play outdoors,
their exposure to sunlight may be limited. In addition, unhealthy high caloric food might be low in mineral and vitamin content; both represent risk factors for developing vitamin D deficiency. Bioavailability of this vitamin in obese children might be low because of increased fat deposition.
Interventions like vitamin D fortified milk, regular physical activity & maintaining healthy weight, limitations in the use of TV/ computer, oral vitamin D supplementation, exposure to sunlight in early hours of the day, consumption of vitamin D rich foods; have also been suggested to improve vitamin D status. Adequate vitamin D supplementation and sensible sunlight exposure to achieve optimal vitamin D status are in the front line among the factors for prophylaxis programme to combat this present global situation.
Meenu Agarwal
Founder of Food ‘n’ Wellness, a food, and nutrition advisory company based out of Singapore. Meenu is a trained clinical dietitian & holds a Masters degree in Nutrition & Dietetics. She is registered with the Singapore Nutrition and Dietetic Association( SNDA). She specializes in providing nutrition advice with an emphasis on managing medical conditions like diabetes, cholesterol, acidity, thyroid, blood pressure and weight-related issues.
Visit http://www.foodnwellness.com
As the ‘Entrepreneur of the month’ Womenlines takes pleasure to introduce Michelle Sun, founder of education company The First Code Academy. An entrepreneur with incredible achievements, who is in love with coding and is now teaching kids to code across Asia. Prior to starting First Code, Michelle graduated from the inaugural class of Hackbright Academy, and held various technical roles in high growth startups in Silicon Valley, including as the first growth hacker at Buffer and Bump Technologies (acquired by Google in 2013). Born and raised in Hong Kong, she graduated from the University of Chicago and began her career at Goldman Sachs as an equity analyst. She also founded Women Who Code (Hong Kong chapter), a community for women in technology. She has been awarded many recognitions like Forbes 30 Under 30 in Asia (2016) and BBC 30 Under 30 Women Entrepreneurs (2015). Read about her entrepreneurial journey in her own words-
1. Please share with our reader’s little bit about yourself.
My name is Michelle and I am the founder of First Code Academy, an education company that teaches kids how to code across Asia. I was born and raised in Hong Kong, studied at the University of Chicago and worked in Silicon Valley before starting this company.
2. So when did you started this venture and what inspired or motivated you to take a plunge into this venture?
I started this venture in 2013.
What inspired me was when I was working as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, I volunteered to teach kids how to code in my free time. Observing how the kids learn opened my eyes to the possibility – the students were having so much fun building things on their computer! I decided to bring this idea back to Hong Kong where I grew up.
3. Can you share with us some of the challenges you faced during your initial days? 
During the initial days, there were a few challenges –
Convincing the first customers: When the market is early, it takes a long time to get customers onboard. It includes educating the market, providing top-notch services from day one, and ongoing product development to stay top of mind to the customers.
Convincing early employees to join: When you’re a small, nameless startup, it is very challenging to get people to join the ship. Even today, hiring is one of my top priorities. It takes a lot of tenacity and flexibility to build a solid team. (PS: we are hiring in all front! Contact me if you are/know a friend who’s interested)
4. So how do you balance your personal and professional life?
I believe balance is about prioritizing the must-haves. To me, the must-have in my life are good night’s rest, exercise and inspired work. I make it a priority to have these needs met.
5. What would you suggest to other aspiring women who want to venture out on their own?
To start small, and think big! Many ambitious women may think they need to build something world-changing from the get-go, yet most big ideas start small. Allowing time to experiment and iterate has been an important guiding post of my entrepreneurial journey.
6. Is there any person who has mentored/supported/inspired you?
I’m inspired by Jessica Alba who’s built a company from solving her own pain points to a hugely successful social impact business today.
7. What do you have in the pipeline for your venture’s future development?
We are launching our operations in China this year, starting with Summer Camps in Shanghai and Shenzhen. We see a lot of positive responses from parents there already and are excited to serve the students in those cities.
Links:
https://sg.firstcodeacademy.com/en/careers
https://hk.firstcodeacademy.com/en/careers
Womenlines welcomes ANJI HALLEWELL as an Influencer of Positive Mindset on the Womenlines panel. Anji is a Natural Strengths Coach, Trainer, and Founder of Hidden Lava. In her sharing for this month, Anji is talking about how transitions in life can be taken positively-
It’s been almost a year to the day that life as we knew it was turned upside down. It was about 3 pm on a weekday in May, just days before I turned 40. I had just found a viable route to set up business in Singapore and I was excited about what birthday celebrations were in store for me. I returned home from an appointment, to find my husband at home. He was unusually early, so I blurted out the first thing that came into my head which was, “What are you doing here?”. I knew from his face that whatever his response was, it wasn’t going to be good news.
By the time you get into your thirties and forties you have already established your blueprint in life – your job, your family, where you live and holiday etc. For the most part, life is stable and predictable, which creates a sense of knowing and safety. Sure, there are day-to-day stresses that come with it, but the mind doesn’t need to tackle basic needs, like food and shelter. And you can go to bed very night congratulating your inbuilt safety system for doing a good job of keeping you safe!
Yet, there is an adventurous side to you. One that longs for some excitement or for a different way of life. Sure, you may take a break by stepping out of the normal structure whilst you do something which breaks the norm, but you always return and slip back into things. Showing that once again, the safety side of you will always be the dominant driver in life. Isn’t that curious? On one hand, you want to know exactly what is happening and on the other, you long for excitement. However, there are occasions where this choice is making for you, as I found out that afternoon.
Redundancy is such a kick in the teeth for your safety side. It throws it into a frenzy, whilst the adventurous side of you shouts, “game on!”. Suddenly, both sides of you are fully awake and it causes the heightened level of emotional and mental stimulation. It’s like enjoying the thrill of driving a car at full throttle, whilst screaming for your life. By the very nature of opposing forces, this state is not sustainable and equilibrium must eventually restore. For us, we landed in the lease of new energy and excitement towards the possibilities of newly fledged freedom. Whilst everyone else seemed to represent the voice of safety for us, by quizzing us on how we were going to restore things. This infers that there was something to be fixed, but was there anything to fix?
Opposites are found throughout life, day and night, rich and poor, high and low temperature. Does one always have to be good and one bad, or can they just be different? Isn’t it the very existence of labels that we place on things that cause us to focus on the disparity? If we just saw opposites as different states would it make life events easier to deal with?
There are so many transitions that we go through, both big and small. From moving to a new country to children flocking the nest. But no matter what happens in life, the sun will always rise and the fall. Each day bringing something new and the freedom to do with it what you will. They say that the only constant in life is change, so we should strengthen our ability to be comfortable with it. But it is not the change itself that causes the fear to rise, it’s the thought of having to deal with the unknown. For those that have been through big events in life, you will know that the thought of it happening is never as bad as being in it. For when you engage the human spirit it’s unbreakable.
There is so much more to us which goes unutilised. We have infinite strength, courage and wisdom to navigate ourselves through life. So, we shouldn’t fear change or the unknown. We should feel confident that we will follow our integrity, intuition and heart to see us through. With every sunset, there is dusk, the transition from day to night. Its smooth subtle exchange between light and dark is a natural as the air we breathe. The transition is not something to dread, as just like a twilight sky it’s simply magical.
Coach, Trainer & Founder
+65 8408 5042
