WordsBake

Magic - A poem

Photo by Yeshi Kangrang on Unsplash

It is love,

that makes life divine

It is kindness,

that takes courage

It is dreams,

that no can stop you from having

It is magic,

you won't see if you don’t believe in it

It is me,

I’m no Cinderella

It is not my world, the oyster

I ain’t no pearl

It is me soaring high,

the sky is the only limit I know!

Author's Note: There is magic everywhere, even inside you. Don’t conceal the uniqueness you bring to the world, that is your magic — be bold, be quirky, be creative, be the best version of yourself and you will start seeing a little bit of magic in everything.

Originally published in From the Poet's Heart

Unplug!

Downtime for your brain

As I made way into the compartment and found a comfortable spot, I had a habit of reading my book in the 13-minute short commute, until a few months ago. And as I looked into the restricted space around me, I could see half a dozen cell phone screens active and it dawned on me that we all have forgotten how to wait without our cellphones or get bored standing during travel or waiting anywhere, which was not a few decades ago.
The idle time in our schedule is missing and realized we are not giving our brains a break!

To do Nothing

At every turn, we are pushed to do more, exceed our limits, in this expeditious world filled with challenges, and we strive to meet the relentless pace. In response, we put in extra hours of work and incessantly be up to date using the apps on our phone, the social media sites and all the round the clock notifications. In our obsession with success and being productive always, we have forgotten that we need a break!

In the book Autopilot: The Art & Science of Doing Nothing, written by Andrew Smart, the author gives us the science behind idleness.

Disengaging increases brain activity!

Brain activity is measured by blood flow and how oxygenated the blood is in a specific region of the brain. Neurologist Marcus Raichle during his experiments found that certain brain regions, like the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and the precuneus, are suppressed while engaged in certain activities. These regions become super active when not being in a fully attentive state of mind— this means increased blood flow in your brain! Blood rich brain means a happier, calmer, healthier and more creative brain. In neuroscience, this network of brain regions that becomes active during idleness is referred to as Resting-State Network (RSN). In this mode your brain becomes orderly, efficient, engaged in idleness making you content and creative.

It is essential to take breaks, we all know it. But how many of us actually consider taking a maybe a 15-minute distraction-free walk in the mid-day, or maybe 15 minutes of meditation or whatever works for you to free yourself from one stimulus to another, focused on NOTHING (no stimuli, no distraction)!

I personally no longer read anything during my commute to work & back home, indulge in quiet moments with mediation or just get bored! I see how this turned out a one-hit-wonder for me and I can resonate with positive vibrations inside me. For starters — I way calmer when under pressure, I am more efficient at work, I can write more :)!

Authors Note: Enter into the quiet of the mind that already exists, you just need to find it leaving you with time for yourself and loved ones, and you feel a river flowing inside you — a river of JOY & CREATIVITY!

©Shweta, 2019 All rights reserved!
Originally published in Scribe

Usher of the Fall - A poem

Photo by Greg Shield on Unsplash

As the summer is

drawing up the curtain for

the usher of the Fall,

The colour surrounding is

Amber, gold & brown

The mood evolved is

Merry, light & sound

The wind hustling is

Drifting through the town

The landscape depicted

fresh from an artistic brush

The picturesque is

wet as a painters canvas

Loveliest season of the year

Paving way for the winter

gently brushing down the leaves

on the ground & we all call it “Fall of Leaves”!

©Shweta, 2019 All rights reserved!
Originally published in The Cotton Thread

Art of Living Long & Happy! — Book Review of IKIAGI

This compendium highlights the Japanese secret of living long and happy, by finding a meaningful purpose of life. The inhabitants of Japan believe that everyone has a purpose of life, we just need to find one — calling it IKIGAI — a reason to jump out of bed each morning.

SUMMARY

This word roughly translates into the meaning “the happiness of always being busy”. As the authors Hector Garica & Frances Miracles investigate this Japanese secret, they draw focus to a specific Island — Okinawa, who have people over the age of 100, far more than the global average. The authors arrive there experiencing incredible friendliness among the inhabitants and who talked and laughed at utmost joy amid lush green fields by crystalline waters to interview the eldest residents of the town, only to discover, the uncommon joy flowing in their pleasurable lives is this mysterious work — IKIGAI.

The book draws attention to the various Blue Zones across the earth, where Dan Buettner claims people live much longer than average. Buettner identified five regions as “Blue Zones” —

Okinawa (Japan)
Sardinia (Italy)
Nicoya (Costa Rica)
Icaria (Greece);
Loma Linda, California

The book identified that people living in these regions have a similar lifestyle, and he investigated their lives and shared it as first-hand observations, for why these populations live healthier and live longer than the global average.

By making small changes, we can initiate the renewal of our bodies and mind and increase the quality of our life and longevity.

Here are some changes recommended to renew your mind & body —

Stress is accused of killing longevity, so be mindful of reducing stress
A lot of sitting can age you, so add a few active ingredients into your everyday life — walk to walk, take stairs, indulge in leisure activities, etc.
Sleep long and rest yourself. Science shows sleeping is a key anti-ageing tool, as it releases a powerful antioxidant called melatonin offering benefits for preserving youthfulness
Find flow in everything you do, which is a state of being at pleasure, delight, creative and completely immersed into the task at hand. This is one key ingredient talked about, to have an optimum experience, helping keep our mind “in order”
A few statements from the interviews from the elderly community —

“Don’t worry”
“Cultivate good habits”
“Nurture your friendships everyday”
“Live an unhurried life”
“Be optimistic”

6. Eat more of vegetables and add a lot of natural antioxidants in your diet

7. Exercises from the East that promote health! These gentle movements will help you lead a longer and healthier life

Yoga
Meditation
Tai Chi
Qigong

Lastly, breathe better, live longer!

Authors Note: Pursue your passion at work or as a hobby and give it your best shot, without any fear and with the least distractions! Life will throw you under a bus eventually, the way you deal with these difficulties will make a difference to your quality of life. What matters is here & now, in the present, we all humans are short-lived and perishable!