Sri Sri Ayurveda Sandal Soap vs Dove Soap

I have been using the Sri Sri Ayurveda Sandal soap for quite sometime. And I really like it. http://www.srisriayurveda.in/product/sandal-soap/

Both my daughters were using Dove soap for sometime.

I just did a comparison of the soap ingredients.

Sri Sri Ayurveda Sandal soap contains

Soap Noodles, Titanium Di Oxide, Glycerin, Sandal Perfume, EDTA, Permitted Color

Dove soap contains

Sodium Laurel Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Sodium Palmitale, Sodium Stearate, Aqua,
Sodium Isethionate, Lauric Acid, C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Palm Kemelate,
Perfum, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract,
Glycerin, Proplene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Oxide,
Tetrasodium EDTA, Tetrasodium Etidronate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate,
Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, CI 19140, CI 42090, CI 77891

After going through the ingredients, I just told them, dove soap contains lot of chemicals. Could you try one of the Sri Sri Ayurveda soap. They agreed to it.

One of my daughter is using the Orange and Tulsi soap

Another one is using the Almond and Honey soap

Both of them really like the Orange and Tulsi soap, Almond and Honey soap. Sri Sri Ayurveda also has Glycerin Bar.

I think it's a good idea to try soaps which contains less chemicals. It's good for our skin as well as the planet.

Lakshmi Taru Plants are growing up

Sometime back I posted an article regarding Lakshmi Taru Tree
http://madnaray.blogspot.in/2014/08/lakshmi-taru-tree-boon-to-humankind.html

Recently I visited the Art of Living Bangalore Ashram and got one full packet of lakshmi thru seeds. Distributed some of the seeds to the course participants.

I just took 4 seeds and soaked the same in water for about 24 hrs. In 4 different pots, mixed mud and manure. Planted the seeds in each of the pots about 1 inch inside the mud. Watered everyday.

After about 1 month, my daughter spotted something coming up in one of the pots. Later realised it is the lakshmi thru which coming up. WoW! what an excitement!

After about 2 months.

About 1 KM from the Bangalore ashram there is a farm called Bolenath. Here, Lakshmi Taru plant saplings are available. I bought 2 of them and planted them in our apartment. Here are pictures of the plants growing up.

One more

More about Lakshmi Taru
http://www.artofliving.org/laxmi-taru

How I cured my Crohn's disease with Diet & Yoga

Back in 2007, I used to live in California. My health was doing good. And I used to have all the normal food that we eat.

During early 2008, after having dinner, during sleep, late in the night, I used to have burning sensation in my throat region. After having some water and walking for few minutes it used to go away.

This problem persisted for some weeks. I consulted a general physician and he gave me prevpac. I had it for sometime. But the problem continued and I had more stomach related issues.

During the later part of 2008, after having food, I used to have diarrhoea, pain in the anus, sometimes blood in the stool, bloating, anal fissure etc.

Since this problem is related to stomach, I consulted a Gastroenterologist. He did lots of tests and took his own time. Finally concluded I have symptoms of Crohn’s disease. And asked me to take mild doses of pentasa.

Took the tablet for couple of months, still the problem continued and no improvement in my health condition and I lost a lot of weight.

I thought of taking alternate routes and see how to improve my health. Started learning Yoga, pranayama, Sudarshan kriya from Art of living.

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/happiness-program

Also, consulted with one of my friend, who had Crohn’s disease. He asked me to try specific carbohydrate diet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_Carbohydrate_Diet

and introduced me to the breaking the vicious cycle book

http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info

Myself and my wife read the book for several times and were really shocked to see rice is not allowed in the diet, which is our daily food from child hood. What to do, I have no choice but to drop rice from my food.

Based on the book, I started having SCD diet and simultaneously practised Art of living yoga, pranayama and sudharshan kria for several months.

My health started improving with diet and yoga. The symptoms I had mentioned above have started disappearing. I had a healing experience.

I started learning more of yoga from Art of Living and did my Advanced meditation program, during 2012.

http://www.artofliving.org/advanced-meditation-course

Slowly my confidence level has increased on having regular food. During Aug 2014, I was in Art of living Bangalore Ashram and started having rice for the first time after several years.

I was able to digest it. Since then, I started having the regular food, that I used to have back in 2007. It’s like welcome home for me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadeeswarar_Temple

Credits
———
On this occasion, I would like to thank Dr. Peter Simpson, M.D. who has done a lot of
diagnosis and concluded I have symptoms of crohn’s disease.

http://www.pamf.org/dr-peter-simpson.html

Christmas Treat - Oats Biscuit / Laddu

For Christmas, we were thinking of making something special at home.

While reading the Art of Living Rishimukh magazine, I came across Oats biscuit. Spoke to my daughter about this. She immediately agreed to it.

We bought Oats plus 300 grams, Nilgris butter 100 grams.  150 grams of jaggery.

To start with we mixed 100 grams of butter with 150 grams of jaggery, little bit of milk cream (top portion of milk).

Grind 50 grams of oats and added the same to the above mixture and remaining 200 grams added as it is. The other 50 grams my daughters ate them.

Added some of dry grapes, little bit of clove powder, little bit of dry ginger powder.

Initially we thought of making biscuits, since we had muffin tray, we have decided to make muffin/biscuit kind of. Later to our surprise it came out to be a laddu.

We kept the laddu in oven for about 10 mins in 200 degree and then turned it upside down and kept for another 10 mins.

All of them at home liked it very much. If you prefer more sweet you can increase the quantity of jaggery little bit.

Awesome Art of Living Advanced Meditation Program with Gurudev in Bangalore Ashram

Recently I attended the Advanced Meditation Program (Part 2) in Art of Living Bangalore Ashram. Just thought of sharing my experience here.

This is the 4th time I am attending this program. Every time I attend the program the experience is mind blowing.

Reached the Ashram one day before and made myself comfortable. Gurudev makes it special every time I attend the program. This time, since he was away, came in Skype and gave us knowledge live.

On Thursday morning the program started of with Yoga, Pranayama and Kriya session with Chicago.

Later that day we had deep meditation sessions with Dr. Nisha Manikantan. Had a nice food and stay in the ashram.

On the same day, during satsang Kashi Ji performed the Guru Pooja and gave us knowledge on the 9 obstacles in the path of yoga. Encouraged us to read the book "Commentaries by Sri Sri on Patanjali Yoga Sutras".

http://www.artofliving.org/yoga/patanjali-yogasutra/knowledge-sheet-25

On Friday, we had a nice darshan of Gurudev with Devi Pooja. Followed by deep meditation sessions with Dr Nisha Manikantan.

During satsang, people from Chhattisgarh performed various traditional dance performances. It's good to watch the cultural diversity of India from Bangalore.

On Saturday, there were some business delegates to the Ashram. Before lunch, Gurudev himself took a meditation session for all of us.

On Sunday, after the program got over. Gurudev gave darshan to all the course partipants.

To top it all, Rudra Pooja with Gurudev on Monday was an excellent experience.

Two of my room mates were attending the Part 2 program for the first time in the ashram. Throughout the course, I was guiding them to various places in the ashram. It was a nice experience helping someone new to the ashram.

Travel to the Ashram, Stay, Food, Morning yoga sessions, deep meditation sessions, silence, seva at various places in the ashram, Knowledge session with Kashi Ji, Traditional performance from Chhattisgarh, Gurudev's presence on all the days, Devi pooja and Rudra pooja with Gurudev. What an experience. Don't ever miss it.

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/art-silence-art-living-part-2-course