MAKING SUNDAYS SPLENDID & SPECIAL

The culture we live in has pretty much eliminated that idea of a Sunday of rest. You have to create your own culture if you want to make Sunday a day of renewal in your family. Here are things we do to make Sunday special. We all keep Sunday differently, but maybe it will give you some ideas to think about:

• go for a walk
• visit family
• write in your journal
• pray
• visit neighbors, friends
• write letters or cards
• read a book
• take a nap
• think about God
• read picture books to kids
• put together a puzzle
• make a phone call to grandparents or other relatives
• write your own personal history story (even a few paragraphs each Sunday)
• get down on the floor and play with your kids and their toys
• have one-on-one talks
• have a family discussion or lesson on a virtue that you’d like to develop more
• draw, paint, sketch (see my short watercolor journaling video)
• read family histories to connect with your ancestors
• write letters to missionaries or servicemen
• look at home movies or family photo books
• think about your goals and dreams
• plan the week, thinking of ways to implement your goals
• read the scriptures
• listen to music (different from the type you listen to all week
• visit someone in the hospital or in prison
• have someone over for a simple meal (crockpot prepped ahead is easy)
• research ways to resolve a problem
• sing together as a family for fun
• play musical instruments
• meditate
• take some quickie family photos and text or email or snapchat them to those you love

Still, there is something undeniably special about Sunday. It shouldn’t be quenched with oppressive rules and the sequestering of joy. It shouldn’t be ignored amidst the hustle of errands and chores. If you pause, and listen to the flutter of your curtains, clear your schedule, forget your to-do list, and let the day stretch wide in front of you, you’ll find it. It’s a day that’s been set apart. Sundays are a gift, given for us to pause and enjoy all the good things.

 Have a wonderful Sunday!

मकर संक्रांति: दक्षिणायन से उत्तरायण

मकर संक्रांति का पर्व आ गया है। हर साल की तरह इस साल भी मकर संक्रांति 14 जनवरी के दिन मनाई जा रही है। देश भर में मकर संक्रांति अलग-अलग नामों और तरीकों से मनाई जाती है। मकर संक्रांति का पर्व धार्मिक मान्यताओं के मुताबिक अधिक महत्वपूर्ण होता है। जब सूर्य का एक राशि से दूसरी राशि में प्रवेश करता है, जिसे "संक्रांति" कहा जाता है। इसी प्रकार सूर्य के मकर राशि में प्रवेश करने को "मकर संक्रांति" के नाम से जाना जाता है। धार्मिक मान्यता है कि मकर संक्रांति के दिन देव भी धरती पर अवतरित होते हैं, आत्मा को मोक्ष प्राप्त होता है, अंधकार का नाश व प्रकाश का आगमन होता है। लेकिन मकर संक्रांति का जितना धार्मिक महत्व होता है, उतना ही अधिक वैज्ञानिक महत्व भी होता है। इसके अलावा मकर संक्रांति से जुड़े कई रोचक तथ्य भी हैं।

मकर संक्रांति का वैज्ञानिक महत्व

मकर संक्रांति के पावन दिन पर लंबे दिन और रातें छोटी होने लगती हैं। सर्दियों के मौसम में रातें लंबी हो जाती हैं और दिन छोटे होने लगते हैं, जिसकी शुरुआत 25 दिसंबर से होती है। लेकिन मकर संक्रांति से ये क्रम बदल जाता है। माना जाता है कि मकर संक्रांति से ठंड कम होने की शुरुआत हो जाती है।

मकर संक्रांति का महत्व...

पहला कारण
मकर सक्रांति के दिन सूर्य अपने पुत्र शनि के घर एक महीने के लिए आते हैं। मकर राशि के स्वामी शनि हैं और इस दिन सूर्य देव शनि महाराज का भंडार भरते हैं।

दूसरा कारण
ज्योतिषीय दृष्टि से सूर्य और शनि का तालमेल संभव नही, लेकिन इस दिन सूर्य खुद अपने पुत्र के घर जाते हैं। इसलिए पुराणों में यह दिन पिता-पुत्र को संबंधो में निकटता की शुरुआत के रूप में देखा जाता है।

तीसरा कारण
मकर संक्रांति के दिन भगवान विष्णु ने मधु कैटभ से युद्ध समाप्ति की घोषणा की थी। उन्होंने मधु के कंधे पर मंदार पर्वत रखकर उसे दबा दिया था। इसलिए इस दिन भगवान विष्णु मधुसूदन कहलाने लगे

चौथा कारण

गंगा को धरती पर लाने वाले महाराज भागीरथ ने अपने पूर्वजों के आत्मा की शांति के लिए इस दिन तर्पण किया था। उनका तर्पण स्वीकार करने के बाद इस दिन गंगा समुद्र में जाकर मिल गई थी। इस कारण से मकर सक्रांति पर गंगा सागर में मेला लगता है।

पांचवा कारण

इच्छामृत्यु के वरदान से भीष्म बाण लगने के बाद भी सूर्य उत्तराण होने तक जीवित रहे थे। पितामह भीष्म ने सूर्य के उत्तरायण होने पर स्वेच्छा से शरीर का त्याग किया था, कारण यह है कि उत्तरायण में देह त्यागने वाले व्यक्ति की आत्मा को मोक्ष मिलती है। 

मकर संक्रांति के दिन पतंग उड़ाने की परंपरा है। लोग छतों और मैदानों पर रंग-बिरंगी पतंगें उड़ाते दिखाई देते हैं। पतंग उड़ाने की मान्यता का मकर संक्रांति के साथ संबंध है। इसके पीछे अच्छी सेहत का राज है। दरअसल मंकर संक्रांति पर सूरज से मिलने वाली धूप से स्वास्थ्य लाभ होता है। वैज्ञानिक दृष्टि से इस दिन सूर्य की किरण शरीर के लिए अमृत समान है, जो विभिन्न रोगों को दूर करने में सहायक होती है।

मान्यताओं के अनुसार त्रेतायुग में भगवान राम ने मकर संक्रांति के दिन अपने भाइयों और हनुमान के साथ पतंग उड़ाई थीं। तब से मकर संक्रांति पर पतंग उड़ाने की परंपरा शुरू हुआ। इस दिन स्नान, पूजा और दान-पुण्य का बेहद महत्व है। ज्योतिषाचार्य के अनुसार इस बार मकर संक्रांति की शुरुआत रोहणी नक्षत्र में हो रही है। इस नक्षत्र को शुभ माना जाता है। साथ ही ब्रह्म योग और आनंदादि योग बन रहा है, जो फलदायी माना जाता है।

इसलिए उड़ाते हैं मकर संक्रांति पर पतंग

- मकर संक्रांति और पतंग एक-दूसरे के पर्याय हैं। पतंग के बिना मकर संक्रांति पर्व के बारे में सोच भी नहीं जा सकता। भारत के अधिकांश हिस्सों में इस दिन पतंगबाजी की जाती है, खासतौर पर गुजरात में।
- इसके अलावा मध्य प्रदेश, दिल्ली, महाराष्ट्र आदि प्रदेशों में भी मकर संक्रांति पर पतंग उड़ाने की परंपरा है। मकर संक्रांति पर पतंग उड़ाने के पीछे कोई धार्मिक कारण नहीं अपितु वैज्ञानिक पक्ष अवश्य है।
- सर्दी के कारण हमारे शरीर में कफ की मात्रा बढ़ जाती है और त्वचा भी रुखी हो जाती है। मकर संक्रांति पर सूर्य उत्तरायण होता है, इस कारण इस समय सूर्य की किरणें औषधि का काम करती हैं।
- पतंग उड़ाते समय हमारा शरीर सीधे सूर्य की किरणों के संपर्क में आ जाता है, जिससे सर्दी से जुड़ी शारीरिक समस्याओं से निजात मिलती है व त्वचा को विटामिन डी भी पर्याप्त मात्रा में मिलता है।
- इस मौसम में विटामिन डी हमारे शरीर के लिए बहुत आवश्यक होता है, जिससे हमें जीवनदायिनी शक्ति मिलती है।
- यही कारण है कि मकर संक्रांति पर पतंग उड़ाने की परंपरा की शुरूआत हुई।

SILVER ETF: A SILVER LINING IN INVESTMENT

Precious metals like gold and silver hold financial and emotional value for most Indians. Buying, holding and selling has become increasingly difficult. So, when paper gold in the form of Gold ETFs was launched, it was an effective way of transacting in the yellow metal without the trouble that comes with physical gold. Investors now have the option to invest in Silver ETF.

Mutual funds are ready to flood the market with silver exchange traded funds (ETFs) and silver fund-of-funds (FoFs).

At least half a dozen mutual fund houses are in the race to launch exchange traded funds and fund of funds based on silver; SEBI gave its go-ahead to silver ETFs in September 2021.

An ETF tracks an index, commodity or a sector which can be traded on a stock exchange just like shares. A fund-of-fund invests in some other mutual funds. In case of silver FoFs, these will invest in silver ETFs.

"Industrial demand for silver is huge and around 50% of silver mined globally is used in industrial applications and products. Thus, unlike gold which is considered as a pure hedge product, the prices of silver can get affected during economic crises, slowdowns and market falls especially when the industrial demand for silver is low or muted,".

Silver investment for huge returns?

Investors looking at trading in silver or expecting extraordinary returns from investments, may not like the idea of investment in ETF. “Returns from investing in silver ETF will be in line with the returns from investing in silver bars, minus the fees and the tracking error.”

Investing in silver is expected to reap better benefits than gold during recovery times. “Silver usually outperforms gold during economic recovery cycles in the longer run such as post-pandemic,”.

Why Invest in Silver?

·         Getting started to invest in silver is very easy. Physical forms of silver like coins can easily be purchased from banks and jewelers near you. For small size investors, this is a big boon.

·         Storage of physical silver is easy as well. You can buy silver jewelry and silver coins and store them at your home. There is no need to worry as you would when storing gold jewelry.

·         Silver is used a lot in industries around the world. In the year 2017, industries consumed 59% of the total silver produced. If you have any paper forms of silver investments with you, the future looks good for you. Since silver mcx price is determined mainly by the market, this is a trend that will help all silver investors.

·         Silver is relatively less risky. If you have invested in silver in the form of a portfolio, this is good news for you because silver will help to mitigate your portfolio’s risk. This is mainly because MCX silver’s prices don’t fluctuate in value too much.

·         There are many ways you can invest in silver. If you wish to go by the traditional route, buy silver bars, silver coins, and silver jewelry. Buy them and sell them when you need to. If you would rather not deal with physical silver, there are paper forms of silver too like silver futures, NSEL, ETF and many more.

SIP for as low as ₹100

Nippon Life India Asset Management, said investors can start Systematic Investment Plan of as low as ₹100 in silver FoFs; most broking firms facilitate SIP in ETFs.

What Makes Price of Silver Move?

Silver tends to be sensitive to interest rates, inflation, and energy prices, just like gold, though the sensitivity may vary.

Industrial activity, demand-supply forces worldwide, the movement of the rupee against the dollar, mining supply, and inflation are some of the prices determining factors.

Silver tends to play "follow the leader" behind gold with a small lag.

When it comes to investing in silver keep in mind that it moves every 6-8 years in spurts and makes big gains or losses.

Dandruff: Prevent from flaring up.

What causes dandruff?

It's probably caused by a fungus. Hair follicles and oil glands make an oil called sebum, which may be a breeding ground for yeast or the fungus. This fungus usually lives on your skin, but too much fungus may lead to dandruff. Dandruff is very common. People with dandruff and dandruff-like symptoms might lose hair, especially if the dandruff is severe. Dandruff tends to be worse during dry months. Cold, dry winter weather in particular can make dandruff worse. Stress or fatigue can trigger or aggravate it, too.

The Root Cause of dandruff

Dandruff may occur due to climate change, sweating, or even hormonal imbalance in the body. It can also occur due to a fungal infection known as "Malassezia Furfur." Sometimes, you may also develop dandruff if you don't maintain scalp hygiene. The other reason behind dandruff could be Inflammatory conditions like seborrheic dermatitis or scalp psoriasis.

What causes dandruff flare-ups?

There’s only one cause of dandruff, but it has been shown that it can appear worse at sometimes compared to others.

That’s because there are a number of different factors which can exacerbate a problem or make it seem worse. These include:

• Heat
• Sweat
• Pollution

These don’t cause the problem, but can make it seem worse at certain times of the year or when doing particular activities like sports.

What Is Dandruff?

Dandruff is the result of when excessive dead skin cells get accumulated in the scalp.  Dead skin cell accumulation on the scalp is a natural physiological process and part of every person's hair cycle. However, excessive accumulation of dead skin scales causes the scalp to get itchy and flaky. Those flakes and itchiness associated with it are what is referred to as dandruff.

Dandruff Can Show Up in Other Places

You can get dandruff on parts of your body other than your scalp, like your forehead, eyebrows, eyelashes, or ears. Flaky skin on your chest -- or anywhere you have body hair -- could be a sign of dandruff, which is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis. If the skin on your body is oily or greasy or has a slight redness, that could also be a sign. Talk to your doctor about treatment.

"Getting rid of dandruff is not a one-time activity. You have to do the right things to keep things cool on top of your head, and inside it, too!"

Nutritional Requirements

Hair is made primarily of special amino acids, otherwise known as proteins. We suggest eating a portion of high-protein food (eggs, milk, fish, cheese, nuts, seeds, pulses) with breakfast and lunch to provide your hair with the best daily nutrients for growth.

Treatment:

Type of shampoo: Frequent washing with a regular shampoo is the most important treatment for dandruff. Use a regular shampoo to remove the scales as quickly as they form. In addition, the detergents in the shampoo will cause smaller, less visible flakes to shed. Some people mistakenly think that dandruff is caused by a dry scalp that will improve by shampooing infrequently or by applying oily substances to the scalp. This will actually aggravate the condition by preventing the shedding of cells.

If frequent washing with a regular shampoo does not control dandruff, try a dandruff shampoo. Choose products with effective ingredients (check labels):

• Very effective: Nizoral 1% (active ingredient: ketoconazole) is an antifungal shampoo that helps reduce the number of yeast micro-organisms present on the scalp
• Moderately effective: salicylic acid and sulphur (selenium sulphide).

Dermatologists recommend alternating a regular shampoo with an antifungal shampoo when dandruff appears. Dandruff shampoos may need to be used routinely to control dandruff. As symptoms improve, you may use dandruff shampoos less frequently.

Hair washing method is important in treating dandruff. Lather the hair twice and on the second lather, leave the shampoo on the hair for five minutes (or as directed on the shampoo label) before rinsing to give the medicine time to work properly.

The frequency of shampooing necessary to control dandruff varies from person to person. Some need to shampoo twice a week, others more frequently, even daily.

Many people forget that the scalp as well as the hair needs to be shampooed. Massaging the scalp to promote circulation may be beneficial, but scrubbing the scalp may be harmful.

Prevention

Here are some tips to prevent dandruff and dry scalp:

If you have dandruff, wash your hair often with an antidandruff shampoo. Make sure to rinse out all the shampoo.

Avoid using hair products that contain harsh chemicals, like bleach and alcohol. These ingredients can dry out your scalp. Also avoid oily hair products that can build up on your scalp. Maintenance therapy is also required to prevent relapses.

Spend a few minutes out in the sun every day. There’s some evidence that ultraviolet light exposure can help control dandruff.

Manage your stress with meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and other relaxation techniques.

Scalp health for better hair

'Scalp health' is the beauty buzzword du jour for good reason; the length, luster and health of your hair depends on the skin that covers your head.

With stress and pollution levels consistently creeping up and up, it's hardly surprising we've all got scalp issues on our mind. It is essential that the follicle and the scalp, at point of exit, are clean, clear, healthy and maintained; follicles that are full of sebum or blocked by dead skin, dandruff or infection will have an impact on the quality of hair growth. In fact, permanently blocked or obstructed follicles may eventually cease to produce hair at all.

Seek medical help if:

• Itching associated with dandruff increases
• Using a dandruff shampoo fails to control the problem adequately
• Inflammation (redness, swelling, severe scaling) occurs on the scalp or other parts of the body.

Two Parts of a Prayer

A prayer has two parts: one is soliciting a favour from the Almighty and the other is surrendering ourselves to His will. While the first part is practiced by most of us daily, the second part is the real and goal because it implies dedication. Dedication means feeling the light of God within your heart. If your heart is devoid of divine light, you will not be happy, cheerful and successful in your lives.

These are 16 names of Vishnu to be remembered at different occasions.
It is said that shabda (shabda), sparsha (touch), Roopa (form), rasa
(taste), gandha (smell) and the positive energy or vibration coexist
with words. Repeated chanting of each word with bhava creates
different results in our body since effort to utter each word uses
different muscles and brings different effect in the Sadhak.
Chanting can be done like in the naamaavali.

Om Vishnave Namah

Om Janaaardanaaya Namah:

Om Padmanaabhaaya Namah

We will try to analyze the meaning of each name. May be Vishnu sahastra nama interpretations will help us.

When taking medicine think of Vishnu
Before eating think of Janardhan
Before going to bed think of Padmanabhan
During marriage think of Prajapati
During fight or controversial situations think Chakradhar
When you are away from home or NRIs like lot of us think of Thrivikrama
At the time of death try to think of Narayana
When you are with your spouse, think of Sridhar
To avoid bad dream think of Govinda
When you are sad, think Him as Madhusudan
When you are in forest and afraid think of Narasimha
When you are afraid of fire, think Him as Jalashaayin (who is lying in
the Karana jala)
When you have the fear of drowning, think of Varaha
When you are climbing mountains or hard to reach places think of Him
as Raghunandanan.
Before going for a trip pray Him in the form of Vamana
And for the success of whatever we do, (in all our everyday
activities) pray Him as Madhava

॥ श्रीविष्णोः षोडशनामस्तोत्रम् ॥

औषधे चिन्तयेद्विष्णुं भोजने च जनार्दनम् ।

शयने पद्मनाभं च विवाहे च प्रजापतिम् ॥ १॥

युद्धे चक्रधरं देवं प्रवासे च त्रिविक्रमम् ।

नारायणं तनुत्यागे श्रीधरं प्रियसंगमे ॥ २॥

दुःस्वप्ने स्मर गोविंदं संकटे मधुसूदनम् ।

कानने नारसिंहं च पावके जलशायिनम् ॥ ३॥

जलमध्ये वराहं च पर्वते रघुनन्दनम् ।

गमने वामनं चैव सर्वकार्येषु माधवम् ॥ ४॥

षोडशैतानि नामानि प्रातरूत्थाय यः पठेत् ।

सर्वपापविर्निमुक्तो विष्णुलोके महीयते ॥ ५॥ ।

इति श्रीविष्णोः षोडशनामस्तोत्रं सम्पूर्णम् ।