Moscow by Night

October 14, 2017

I had gotten up late in the morning and realised that I had no energy left for the day. So I slept over till the evening and then decided to call Muzaffar and check out Moscow at night. We meandered through the central part of Moscow and then went towards the Moscow University hovering over the Moscow River with my GoPro camera. Muzaffar was becoming a kind of an expert with my Canon camera and now, even he was enjoying taking photographs of the city at night. Moscow was beautiful near the river as the boats sailed through. We stood on a bridge staring into the skyline and shot pictures on the sidewalks where tourists were also taking pictures. I posed with a Russian hottie who was happy to take a picture with me. Muzaffar said, “You know, he is a Bollywood actor.” The lady smiled and pulled me closer towards her so that Muzaffar could get a better shot.

After a lot of shots, I walked towards the car and Muzaffar served me some fresh coffee which I duly took a sip of. My GoPro was taking some excellent videos of the city skyline and I was enjoying the breeze of fresh air which blew eastwards.

We truly had a ball till five in the morning taking pictures and videos of Moscow at night. So now, sit back and enjoy the view.

By adminin Coimbatore, India, others

Isha Kriya and the Magic of Dyanalinga

March 2, 2017

As I wandered around the spacious campus of Isha Foundation, the first thing I was asked was to take a dip in the Kund (energised water pond) on the extreme right of the entrance. It is a place where the water is energised by mercury that will help to give relief to the bathers. I went in, draped a lungi around me and then took a dip in this energised water. With a statue of the Naga right in the middle of the pool, I did feel a difference and just melted into the experience.

I, then, swam to the left and stood under a cascade to further cleanse my body, mind and spirit. A few meters away is the mighty stone statue of Nandi, the bull, painted in black. Behind Nandi was the Dyanalinga. This is the main area reserved for people to do dyaan and meditate around a huge Shivalinga. You have the statue of Bhairavi at the other end where worshippers can offer prasad and light a diya.

Dyanalinga is a perfect place to sit silently and meditate as well as a brilliant place to go inwards. Mediate means to sit silently by just watching your thoughts and not interfering with it. No holding them back but just watching them like a silent witness. You can also do japa or chants but you just need to watch your breathe or be in shunyata, total sense of nothingness.

The whole idea is to reach this nothingness, this state of no mind and no thought, just the silent witness. When the body and the mind both collapse, only the witness remains. This moment is the real you and this is where you feel one with the whole existence. This is also called inner engineering. I tried this for a while but got a bit restless and walked away to offer prayers at the statue of Ma Bhairavi.

I, then, strolled into the dining area for my dinner which was a meal of appam and tomato rice served in the style of the Bandar like they have in the golden temple.

We all sat cross-legged as food was served on our plates. After a prayer where we all had to hum and recite ‘Om’, we started our meal. Each one had to clean their own plates and very silently, walk out.

The facilities here are excellent. The rooms are small but very well lit with an AC and bathroom. There is a cafeteria, bookshops, shops selling artefacts, soaps and clothes, and a grocery shop so that you are well-fed throughout the day. Food is vegetarian and one is advised not to smoke and consume alcohol during the stay. For a donation amount of Rs. 2550 for six nights, I think it is a steal and a great bargain.

Lots of foreigners patronise this place unlike in Baba Ramdev’s ashrams. Sadhguru is popular amongst the westerners. After all, his book “Inner Engineering – A Yogi’s Guide To Joy” is a New York Times bestseller.

By adminin others

Blogging the Midnight Oil

February 10, 2017

Blogging is a relentless activity especially mind numbing for guys like me who have a low attention span. So many ideas spinning in my head, so many stories. The only way I0 can let them out is by writing them down on my blog and building on them. I spend four hours a day writing including ideation and research. So guys, there are no shortcuts. You have to keep generating new places, travels, stories and new ideas to maintain as well as grow your follower base exponentially.

One has to be alert, sensitive, creative and imaginative, receptive to your surroundings, all ears waiting to catch a conversation or a funny line at the club or the bazaars. You have to live and breathe your idea at all times. This focus comes after some time when the path starts to unfold and things begin to get clearer.

Keep writing and it doesn’t matter if you exceed your word limit. You will get better at it and then the words will just begin to flow. Researching on the net or YouTube is also an integral part of blogging. I have to read a lot and absorb many kinds of information from the net otherwise these research and information that keeps floating in my mind where I give things a structure are just plain writings. Apart from being therapeutic, you should be able to gather your thoughts just when you begin your writing. Your writing should reflect the learnings of the day, a totally different topic or an idea of discussion.

Nighttime is the best time to blog as it’s still and quiet. I prefer to write at night but I go with the flow, whatever the mood dictates. It truly is burning the midnight oil kind of stuff. My photography course and new equipment will add the needed visual appeal to my blog write-ups as they add the sheen, colour and flavour to my writings. As the blog ebbs and flows with the same emotions as me, I try to meet the demands of my audience. My writings are true and from the soul. They are philosophical in nature. They inform and enquire. They ask questions but unnecessarily does not give all the answers. My growing interest in wildlife and adventure sports has only added a new thrill to my blog writing. So keep at it till you find the type of life you want. Blogging helped me achieve that or at least set me on that path. Come and benefit from it.

Moscow by Night

Isha Kriya and the Magic of Dyanalinga

Blogging the Midnight Oil

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Isha Kriya and the Magic of Dyanalinga

Blogging the Midnight Oil

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