iMeditate

Day before, I went to a Meditation Centre to celebrate a friend's birthday. She goes there often, but it was my first time. It's called the The London Centre of Self-Realization Fellowship. 

To briefly introduce... 

This centre is managed by members of Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), an organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda. The purpose of this SRF centre is to provide a communal place for people to practice the teachings of Yogananda, indulge in group meditations and provide spiritual support to each other. The centre runs on a schedule and is open to everyone who wishes to practice meditation. They also have a library with a great set of books and audio tapes that you can shuffle through, or buy of course.

My Experience

I'd gone for an hour long meditation class with a whole bunch of people who were also going to meditate along with me. The place looked insanely serene. As soon as you walk in, you cease to speak. The only language of communication in here was that of silence. Entering a place so silent, in a hustling bustling London, almost felt unreal! I was surprised to see how many people turned up to experiment with this type of practice. 

People from all sorts of different religions were there together, practicing the art of meditation. The service started with a prayer and a short story that was read by an old lady who ran that particular meditation practice. FYI, the person running this service is subject to change. Following this, we sat in meditation for about 40 minutes. 

It felt amazingly peaceful! That silence from all the noise of the city and the noise of the mind got me feeling formless. The undying voice of the mind finally seemed to take deep long breaths before uttering each new sentence. There was a time when it completely stopped speaking! And the body? Don't be afraid if your body goes numb, it's only a good sign. 

It really was a beautiful experience. As the service finished, I woke up with tears in my eyes to find this energized spirit and stillness within me. This feeling is the best gift you can give yourself. 

Turns out, it was a great way to celebrate her birthday, and an extremely productive hour. I definitely recommend it!

              

#LaughingAnanas

And it's YOUR TURN NOW!

Ever come home from a fat, long day to a four-course meal, specially prepared by your flatmate to de-stress you?

Ever had a random traveller of public transport carry all your gigantic bags down the never-ending staircase, merely at the thought you might struggle?

Ever found an anonymous envelope with a note from a stranger, wishing you a fabulous life?

Ever had the stranger man in the video below, singing at the Statue of Liberty, telling you to always stay cheerful and wish you all the happiness and more?

I have. And I don't have words enough to describe the kind of spirit all these people have! These people, and the stories of many others on a mission of kindness, inspire me. They inspire me. They make me believe in kindness that has no ulterior motive, kindness that is random.

In our everyday lives, we're offered a helping hand, now and again, when we least expect it and most need it. And it's our turn now! Our turn to give back what we were given, and form an infinite circle of kindness. Want to know where you can start?

Start with YOUR TURN NOW!

YOUR TURN NOW (YTN) is an initiative undertaken by Rushabh Turakhia, a man from Mumbai, who believes in making a bigger, better world for everyone around him.

The idea behind this concept is; every time you lend a helping hand to someone, instead of accepting their 'Thank you', you give them a YTN card, which essentially tells them 'It's YOUR TURN NOW'.

This person can now go away to thank you by helping someone else in need, and pass on the YTN card to them.

In this simple handing over of the YTN card, the kindness that goes around, really will come around. Rushabh believes that we can multiply a single act of kindness into many others, and eventually translate them into lots of happy faces.

This vision of his is. in fact, manifesting in our world. This initiative was established in 2009, and over 315600 cards are already out there in the passing in 38 different countries!

The YTN Card

You can have your own set of YTN cards, not just in one language, but in 9 different languages. Wondering how much you need to pay for these cards? Well, stop. The YTN cards are absolutely free of cost, and you don't need to pay for postage either! Just pass it on every time you help someone and have them pay it ahead, with nothing but kindness. For your YTN cards, visit www.yourturnnow.in or send an email to Rushabh at rushabh@yourturnnow.in.

I have already ordered my batch of cards in two different languages. What are you waiting for? Is it not, YOUR TURN NOW?

#LaughingAnanas

From one Stranger to Another

In my previous post, 4 Main Things to do at Kew Gardens, I talked a great deal about the key attractions of Kew, its plants and their shenanigans. 

And I now have more to add, something beyond plants...

As I was exploring the Palm House in Kew, I found a light blue envelope sitting in the plants, with the words 'Please open me, I'm just for you!' on it. 

I was obviously excited and curious to open it and see its contents, like it asked me to do. I wondered if ants would swarm out on opening the envelope, but that didn't stop me.

In my excitement, I ripped it open and found the following note:

 

Those words say everything and more. To have such random act of kindness bestowed upon me, seeking nothing in return; and to do that anonymously for a complete stranger - it made my day!

It made my day to know that genuine kindness like this exists and to feel it first-hand. The love and kindness this Stranger dwelled in his/her note, reached out to me and instilled in me the very same love that originated within the Stranger. From one Stranger to Another. 

Reminded me of a message I'd written over two years back and sailed it away in a bottle in the River Thames:




I wonder if it ever reached someone...

Going back to the note from the Stranger in Kew; it's placed back to where I found it, waiting to make someone else's day.

―――

Every time you love something or someone, you automatically grow your 'self' and your mind. I don't mean the kind of love that is only for exhibition to convey others of your kind nature and build a self image. I don't even mean the kind of love that aims to please people, and in turn please oneself. And I definitely don't mean the kind of love that expects something back in return.

The 'love' I speak of is beyond any of the aforementioned. It's deep-rooted within all of us, in fact it is our true nature. It's unconditional, it's boundless, it's genuine. It's the highest form of energy that creates good on every level of your being and makes you feel at one with all the other beings! We feel it time and again, but we're not always aware of it.

The next time you feel at one with the universe, ask yourself whether you feel this type of love flowing within your entire entity. Ask yourself if its the same type of love you normally claim to feel for others; or is it Different?

#LaughingAnanas #FeelingBlessed

A conversation between two friends...

Akira: Anthropophobia. That's it. That's what I think I have. I'm scared of people. So scared.

Kabira: What type of people are you scared of?

Akira: I'm scared of them all. I'm scared of Masters and I'm scared of Minions. I'm scared of the Fair and the Foul. I'm scared of the Smarties and the Dummies. I'm scared of those who appear to be my Friends and those who I've known to be my Foes. 

Kabira: Really? That many?

Akira: Yeah, sometimes I'm even scared of you! And it's fine, you know. Isn't everyone scared of each other anyway?

Kabira: Possibly.

Akira: Who is it that you're scared of the most? 

Kabira: The fine man I see in the mirror everyday. Myself.

_ _ _ _

Don't we all feel like Akira time and again? Sometimes we're afraid of people, other times we're afraid of heights. Either way, fear is a major part of our lives that we externalize onto people, things and events. 

But on reflecting upon oneself, we realize that fear is within us. It's all in the mind. It's like our own personal demon based on accumulation of our insecurities, failures, traumatic experiences and ego, along with many other factors. This demon within us drives our day-to-day lives, affects our decisions and of course, determines our behaviours. Consequently, the demon in our minds paints our outer reality. 

In that case, should we find threat and be scared of what's outside of us? Or should we let go of and recognize the threat that lies within us? 

#LaughingAnanas

iAm Loved ..

.. and Blessed.

I didn't know how it would go when I first started penning my thoughts down in this alter-ego-avatar-blog of mine, aka Laughing Ananas. My sole aim was to encourage a healthy lifestyle and express that it doesn't have to be that difficult to be incorporated in our same ol' day to day lives. And now I wonder.. how's it going? Big hit, big fail? Readers healthy, readers unhealthy? Well, me no know.

But, when I get whatsapps and inboxes, from the most unexpected, asking when the next Ananas post is scheduled for or saying they can't wait for more posts and that the Ananas should keep writing ..

And then I see those who religiously like, share, comment their words of motivation on every single post inspiring the Ananas to laugh even more ..

And those anonymous friends, who probably follow the Ananas by mail just so they can, by default, post their feedback under every post as soon as it comes out ..

And of course those who are completely nonexistent when it comes to social media, and too busy to even shoot a hello once in a blue moon. But, when the Ananas first spoke, they revived their close-to-dead accounts, and spread his word of mouth on, oh yes, la social media!

And the others who actually walk the walk of the Ananas by practicing his suggestions habitually as an everyday thing - eating the avocados, singing to their plants and going as far as hula hooping at the dinner table! Not to forget, getting back to the Ananas to inform how much they enjoy their daily avocado ..

And then some other newly-mets, who don't just keep an eye out for the 'coming up on Ananas', but compare his words to that of the Grand Master Osho's!

Makes the Ananas feel blessed. Feel loved.

So loved, that there are so many genuinely interested in what a random, high-on-life Pineapple has to say.

Thank you for supporting and keeping the Ananas in your kitchen :) You know who you are.

#laughingananas

The Life of Akira

"My dear Akira, I see worry lines on your forehead. What is it that brings you here today?", asked the wise old sage.

"I... I don't know", said the hesitant Akira.

"Is that so? And what is it that you don't know", prompted the sage gently. 

"It's just... nothing makes me feel happy. I don't look forward to anything. I don't even feel like I'm entirely here in front of you", confessed Akira.

"I see. Tell me Akira, is there anything you did to overcome this feeling?", interrogated the sage further.

"Of course I did. I did it all to realize my dreams. I've been there all to find my happiness. I wandered in the deserts and I voyaged in the seas. I flew over the moons and I dug under the soil. I saw my tomorrow and I relived my yesterday. No luck. Tell me, o knower of all, am I dying?"

To this, the sage finally revealed:

"My dear Akira, you have been there all. You wandered in the deserts and you voyaged in the seas. You flew over the moons and dug under the soil. You have seen your Tomorrow and relived your Yesterday. But the only place you haven't been to, is Today."

#LaughingAnanas #CarpeDiem

#HappyMothersDay

Today's most sensational hashtag is probably #HappyMothersDay.

Technically, everyday should be mother's day, but today, in particular, is that one day that all the children around the world devote to celebrating and hastagging how special their moms are. To be honest, for a large part of my life, I never even knew when mother's day was, let alone celebrating it. Things have changed now. I've realized that its not always enough to feel that your mom is the most special person in your heart; expression matters. It makes her so explicitly happy, even the smallest expression, that its so totally worth it.

Your mom is probably the most unconditional person there ever is when it comes to you. The only thing she's qualified in is Love, and she expects nothing back. Oh yes, she's done her PhD in How to Love, Unconditionally - something most people can only dream of achieving. I wonder how they do it. In fact, even now, I am undoubtedly my mom's career. She's worked on me since I was born. And even in my worst times, I am my mom's Star Project - All day, Everyday. 

In my opinion, mothers should be celebrated everyday. But let's ask ourselves, how much does that happen in reality? So many mothers, and women in general, are controlled, beaten up and/or insulted. In short, treated as worthless. Fair? I don't think so. Jonathan Simpson, a Labour Councillor, tells us of ways we can help these women and these mothers out in his blog A Happy And Safe Mother's Day. Have a read!

For now, lets all go make our moms feel special, with maybe a small collage, a FaceTime call or something as little as saying "I love you Mom". 

Happy Mother's Day!       

iEat Avocado Toast

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Simple but Genius!

It's almost like my new tradition. I fall asleep after a big long day, go to the nicest places in my dreams - up the mountains and under the water of course, wake up when my alarm starts screaming at me, get myself on a Yoga mat to burn off my totally unnecessary carbs and run straight to the kitchen bewitched by the thought of my Avocado waiting for me to crack it open and destroy it. 

My Cracked Open Avo :)

A Recipe for Blessing

Key Ingredients:

A pinch of sea salt
A dash of black pepper
A drop of lemon
A slice of bread
A hint of excitement
And a very questionable Avocado

The Avo-Tomato Duet on my Chop Board

There's a lot you can do to this fruit to make it yummy in your tummy, I generally like to dissect it into thin, long strips for starters. 

You might also want to chop a tomato for your toast (optional), I like to.   

The rest is really a personal choice, some hand mash the Avocado while others like them in strips for their toast. I have phases - at times mashed, at times shredded pieces. Whatever you do, don't forget to sprinkle some salt, lemon and lots of black pepper. And drizzling some olive oil on top of it all, is always a good idea.

I've started to realize that a nice healthy breakfast in the morning really defines the rest of your day. My new Avo Toast tradition leaves me feeling fresh and energetic for the rest of my day! In fact, Leo Widrich, the Co-founder and COO at Buffer, points out How your Productivity is Determined by What you Eat in his blog. And especially eating Avocados is believed to lower bad cholesterol, and improve learning and muscle function. See for yourself!

In the meantime ..

PRESENTING MY AVO TOAST!

Type A - Long pieces with sprinkled black pepper et al.

Type B - Mashed Avo with grilled Halloumi

Type C - Mashed Avo with an evil smile

Try it, and let me know how you liked it. Stay healthy, wealthy and wise. And, for more Avo experiments and recipes, check out The Scoop Avocado Blog.

Bon Appétit! :)

iSing to my Plant

That's right!

It's soon going to be two years to that day when my dad bought me my very own Aloe Vera plant from a flea market that did a lot more than selling used, old rags. It sold life.

That's what he looked like when he was born to me

I'd take my Aloe everywhere, to the swings, on walks, underground tubes, and of course, supermarkets.

Spotted: Chilling in London with my friend :)

And most importantly, iSing to it. You may call it strange, but it's just a way of showing love. And my Aloe likes it like that.

Plants like music - FACT

There are a lot of studies in the market that have spent a lifetime in proving this instance. A beautiful snippet of this is presented by Sanjay Sharma in The Effect of Music on Plant Growth and Pests, for all those of you who are interested in learning more. 

Question. So plants like music, but how does that help you?

It helps your Attitude. Plants react to the attitude with which they are nurtured. And to raise a brilliant child plant, the parent aka YOU, must also have a brilliant attitude. An attitude of Love, Care and Patience. These are the key rules of life that raising a plant will teach you and fill your life with. Do you like that? So go for it! Improve your own life by raising another life with the right kind of attitude. Really, that's all it takes - One Good Morning Song a day :)

As for my Aloe, he continues to breathe, grow and live ...

Take 1

Take 2

New Life: Baby Pups beside Big Daddy

In fact, he's started having his own children. Just recently, I potted his baby pups in a different pot, so they don't overcrowd :) It's a beautiful feeling. I have enjoyed it and I know you will too. Try it! Keep living, keep loving! 

I'm a virgin blogger, naturally not knowing much about how stuff works around here. I'd really appreciate all the comments, advice and feedback. Gracias. 

Love life!

The Aloe Life