Dikshi Gupta

An Act of Kindness

June 24, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

We often hear people saying- Be Kind. Kindness is nothing but a deed, no matter how big or small, that brings a difference in the life of others. It is all about being generous and considerate towards others irrespective of whether that person is known or a stranger.

Kindness involves choosing love over hate and light over darkness. They say that any act of Kindness never gets wasted as “The fragrance always stays in the hand who gives the Rose.” An act of Kindness might not cost you anything but can really help and change the lives of someone in need.

What can be the acts of Kindness:

Many of us are not born with a silver spoon and helping each other in such pressing times gives you a sense of satisfaction, joy and makes the world a better place to live in. Our small act of kindness can add value to someone’s life. We can also practice kindness in our daily routine by the following:

Gestures- Gestures are small random acts like-

Give someone a smile or hug,
Lend your ears to listen or Be someone’s confidant,
Help someone carry a heavy load,
Hold the door open for someone,
Call a friend/ family for no reason but to check their well-being,
Help a stranger in fixing a flat tyre,
Help a visually impaired cross the road,
Give up a parking space and park further,
Help someone in getting the billing done prior to you in a store,
Forgive someone,
Offer to babysit for someone,
Be polite to a sales representative on call,
Recommend someone for job opening
Teach someone for no fee/ favors

Donate to Reuse – With people switching to ‘Use and Throw’ policy, an act of kindness can simply be following ‘Re-use or Re-cycle’ policy. This form of donation does not necessarily mean spending money to donate, but it involves donating the things you bought for yourself and are no more relevant to you because for you it might be one of the stuff, but for them it might be the only stuff they have. It can be any item that they can use for a better lifestyle. These may be:

Old clothes,
Old pair of shoes (in a condition that someone can re-use),
Excess/ Leftover food,
Old Books,
Feed animals with water/ food,
Donate blood

Donation for Helping the Destitute- This form of kindness involves donation where you can afford to spare some money to help the ones in need and can be done by following ways:

Buy someone food/ a cup of coffee,
Tip someone more than you usually do,
Make monetary donation to NGOs who provide shelter,
Donate personal hygiene items,
Sponsor a child’s education

What are the benefits of being Kind?

Kindness is Contagious– It will come back to you some day in some form when you need it the most.
Releases feel-good hormones– When you do good for others, it makes you feel better and turns out to be a natural remedy that eases anxiety.
Sense of Satisfaction– It gives you Inner peace and Joy that improves your state of mind and makes you more productive.
Prevents stress– It equips you to handle stressful situations, helps you get a sound sleep, and lead a healthy and happier life.
Improves Relations– It is a language which Deaf can hear and Blind can see and therefore improves connections and relations between people and indirectly boosts your health.

To conclude this, Kindness is about being more compassionate than being judgmental and is fundamental to Human Existence. “In a World where we can be anything, Be Kind“ !!

Importance of Yoga

June 19, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

In today’s Technology-driven Era, physical activity has gone minuscule. We have been dominated by machines in every segment of life, whether personal or professional, to ease our chores. Moreover, with changing lifestyle choices and eating habits, people are becoming obese and more stressed. Also, in the wake of the pandemic situation where negative vibes are prevailing, it is important to control your anxiety levels and keep your calm. Therefore, in order to nurture a healthy mind in a healthy body, Yoga plays an inevitable role. For it helps one to maintain the balance between Mind, Body, and Spirit.

It is often said and believed that one cannot control what is going on outside but can always control what is going on inside. Therefore, Yoga is nothing but conquering your Mind which helps to improve the shape of your life rather than just the shape of your body.

Yoga is a mind-body workout which includes Physical exercise, Breath control, Positive thinking & meditation which relaxes your muscles. There are various forms of Yoga and can be practiced either Outdoor or Indoor with no special equipment besides a Yoga mat.

Major Forms of Yoga:

Hatha: This form is a combination of basic physical posture and breathing and involves balancing active and calming energies. This is best for beginners.

Vinyasa: This involves a series of postures in different sequences as the word itself means ‘to place in a special way’. It is usually practiced in a dark room.

Power: It is a faster and higher intensity practice with added core exercises that tones up muscles.

Ashtanga: It means Eight Limbs and involves breath synchronization along with movement through a series of postures. Eg- Sun Salutation. Each limb has a technique to practice-

Yamas: Moral conduct & ethical standards
Niyamas: Discipline
Asana: Physical postures for awareness about body, mind
Pranayama: Special breathing techniques to control the energies
Pratyahara: Practice of Sensory detachment
Dharana: Concentration and focus
Dhyana: Meditation
Samadhi: State of bliss that merges with the divine

Bikram: It is known as Hot Yoga and has a series of 26 poses that are performed in a room heated to a certain temperature.

Popular Postures (Asana) of Yoga:

Headstand (Sirasana)- Where you balance on your Elbows, Arms, and Head. It helps in the circulation of oxygen-rich blood and energy flow to the brain. It improves memory and concentration.

Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana)- Where the body rests on the shoulder with arms touching the floor and legs upright. This removes the blockage in the neck and shoulder area, relieves stress, and regulates all glands in the body ensuring proper functioning of organs.

Plough (Halasana)- Posture resembling a plough where the hand rests on the floor and feet touches the floor. It helps to put pressure on abdominal organs and reduces indigestion and constipation.

Sitting Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana)- Stretching the spine forward with hands touching feet. It helps in easing spine compression and gives strength to the nervous system and prevents diabetes.

Cobra (Bhujangasana)- Lifting the upper body to form an arc and expanding the chest. It increases flexibility, improves blood supply to the spine, and strengthens the neck and upper back. It helps in menstrual problems in women by putting pressure on pelvic organs.

Locust (Salabhasana)- Lying on the front with arms resting on the floor and lifted legs towards the head to form an arc. This improves the flexibility of the cervical region, reduces sciatica and lower back pain. It enhances your will power.

Bow (Dhanurasana)- Balancing on the abdomen in the shape of a bow with hands grabbing the feet. It helps in reducing menstrual problems in women and strengthens digestive organs.

Standing forward bend (Padahastasana)- Bending forward in standing position with hands touching feet. It makes the spine elastic and strengthens the joints and promotes lasting youth.

Triangle (Trikonasana)- A bend towards the side resembling a triangle with one hand straight and another touching the feet. This increases the flexibility of the hip and leg.

Overall Benefits of Yoga:

The benefits of Yoga are multifold. The body is benefitted from movement and the mind is benefitted from Stillness. They are broadly categorized as follows:

Psychological–

Concentration- Does not let you divert easily, improves focus and concentration, and boosts memory.
Reduces Stress– Stress can have devastating effects on body and mind and yoga leads to improved ability to deal with stress, reduces anxiety, thereby headache.
Lower risk of Mental Health Conditions– Helps to channel our curiosity and mental powers and therefore curtail depression, hypertension.
Heightened mood– Induces meditative mood that heals your mind and soul.
Quality of Sleep– Helps in reducing tension, calming our mind, and provides the inner peace and therefore improves sleep.
Self-Esteem– Yoga is a journey of the self, to the self, through the self, and enhances confidence.
The overall quality of life– Our life is shaped by our mind. For we become what we think. It aids in adding years to your life and life to your years.

Physical-

Tone– Improves the strength of muscles, joints, and ligaments and tone them.
Flexibility– Improvises your posture, balance, flexibility, and stamina. It opens shoulders, chest, etc.
Injury Prevention- Increases strength as well as awareness of body and prevents injury.
Reduces Obesity– Helps to burn calories and shed excess fat.
Slows Down Aging– Improves energy circulation, reduces fatigue, improves skin tone, and promotes youthfulness.

Biochemical-

Balances metabolism– Helps to remove blockages and improves digestion and functioning of all organs,
Immune System– By taming the mind and cultivating positive thoughts, it does marvels in boosting the immune system.
Controls Cholesterol– Burns calories, improves blood circulation and makes one less prone to heart disease.
Hormonal Balance- Blood is the carrier of hormones and increased blood circulation helps in maintaining the balance of hormones.

“Yoga shines the light of awareness into the darkest corners of the body.” It is a twirl between control and surrender, between pushing and letting go. It is an art where it is 99% practice and 1% theory. So why not start from today and Unveil the Unexplored You.

Simple Tips to Self-Care during the COVID Lockdown

June 17, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

Stressing out about what the future holds for you? Constantly worrying about whether things will ever go back to normal? Regularly doubting yourself on whether you are being productive enough in this lockdown? Making plans every day of doing something meaningful but ending up just scrolling through social media all day? If you are going through any of these situations in these testing times, then don’t worry. You are not alone.

In these strange times that we are living in today, it is normal to feel the pressure. Stress and anxiety can easily creep up on you. But it is important to not let it get to our heads. If all these things that are making noises in our heads go unchecked, there are chances of one slowly spiraling towards a mental breakdown. Not able to go outside and see your friends and family is piling up on that.

But, lying in bed all day with just your thoughts is also not a solution. Being stationary does not help anyone. You need to snap yourself out of it and get moving. There are some things that you can do in order to feel better about yourself which do not take much effort. Below is a list of things you should do in the increase the productivity in your life:

Get Creative – Now that everyone is sitting at home and scrolling their social media, this is the perfect opportunity to up your meme game. And who knows? You might even go viral.

Exercise – You have to shake that lethargy off of you and get your body moving. It’s great if you have some workout equipment at home. But even if you don’t, there are plenty of tutorials and fitness apps on the internet that will tell you simple ways to workout at home.

Cooking – Cooking is the ultimate stress buster. Success does not matter in this endeavour. Just making efforts and preparing food with your own hands can be a really fulfilling experience. And don’t forget, it can also make for good Instagram stories.

Reading – There cannot be a better time to read one of the many books that are sitting in your collection but you haven’t had a chance to read. A good book can enhance your perspective towards the world and that is exactly what is needed in this pandemic.

Meditation – Meditation helps in calming your nerves and is a great tool for stress management.

Learn Something New – Hasn’t there been one thing that you always want to learn but couldn’t for some reason? Well hopefully, you can do it now. From dancing to playing guitar to learning a new language, the options are endless.

Be in Touch with Your Therapist – Just because you cannot physically visit your therapist, does not mean that there are no other ways to communicate. Therapists are there to help you become better. Many of them will be more than willing to offer their advice on phone calls.

Clean Your Room – A dirty room can lead to the conjuring of negative thoughts. Live in a clean and cheerful environment.

Talk to Your Friends – Stay in touch with your friends, ask them how they are doing and keep checking up on them. Everyone is having their own issues right now and it is a really good thing to talk about. It lessens the burden on the heart and can also increase happiness in your life.

Sleep – A lot of people’s healthy sleep cycles are going out of the windows these days. For some, birds chirping outside the window is an indication that they should sleep now. This is unhealthy and can cause physical stress on the body. You should try to avoid watching another episode of that web series that you are binging on and go to sleep at an appropriate time.

We hope this article is of help to you and you come out a better person after this pandemic.

Social Distancing: The New Normal

June 11, 2020 by Dikshi Gupta

When we hear the word “Social distancing”, the first image that bubbles up in our mind is being in cages, isolation, or halt to a fun-filled life. But it is not like that. It basically requires you to maintain a “physical distance” between yourself and others. You simply need to be conscious in your everyday routines to minimize close contact with others by:

Avoiding as much as possible, crowded places and non-essential gatherings
Avoiding greetings gestures, such as hugs and handshakes
Limiting contact with people at higher risk of catching infection (e.g. older adults and sick people)
Maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet (~2 meters / 2 arms’ length) from others

Social distancing is a non-pharmaceutical infection control action to stop or reduce the spread of a highly contagious disease. It is an observable practice to lower the risk in most circumstances.

Social distancing is a fruitful action for all beings and to make it bearable rather than a major source of strain, we must insist on maintaining our social and emotional support.

To accomplish Social distancing, we should prefer to work from home, cancel mass gatherings and events. We should stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arms’ length) away from other people. All these measures are trying to achieve the same thing but with slightly different strategies and a slightly different touch.

During any pandemic, virus can spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, and droplets in the form of aerosols from their mouth or nose spreads into the air and the people nearby inhale it. It may be possible that a person can get infected by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.

Social distancing helps in limiting opportunities to encounter contaminated surfaces and infected people outside the home.

Things we should do for Social connection during social distancing:

Connect digitally to build community and prevent feelings of loneliness. Learn and share ideas and skills, make the most of being in touch by interacting with people and groups that use the platforms in a positive way.

Restore Family bonding: Enjoy time at home with your family. Cook and eat dinner together. Blow the dust-off games and puzzles. Teach and practice life skills such as cooking, doing laundry, sewing on a button, or cleaning the bathroom. Plant a garden.

Attend a class or meeting virtually: We Should attend any class or online course of our interests, office meetings, school classes, gyms, yoga studios, cooking classes, craft classes, etc. which will surely boost immunity, deliver positivity and energy.

Make a phone call to friends, loved ones and relatives. Sometimes just hearing someone’s voice can be enough to lift spirits. Asking them how they’re doing. Even if a call ends up being a voicemail, you’ve let someone know you were thinking about them, which is always good medicine.

Provide financial support, food support, or any other support that you can afford to help the needy.

During these overwhelming times of Coronavirus pandemic, here we introduce “SAVE THE MATCHES” a game to help you remain pro-positive, encourage to maintain, and practice social distancing during a pandemic. In addition to this, the game would also help you to reduce stress, increase focus, resilience, and physical well being.

Thanksgiving Gratitude

November 27, 2019 by Dikshi Gupta

As Thanksgiving is coming around the corner, gratitude comes to mind.

Being thankful shifts our focus on the positive things in life rather than the negative. Our mind tends to ruminate on the situations and people that emotionally aggravated us in some way, which can easily take us out of our joy. When we become bothered and disturbed by our outer circumstances, we are no longer in the place of gratitude but in a space of lack.

Gratitude makes us feel full, content and satisfied. The lack seems to disappear. Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., the world’s scientific expert on gratitude has dived deep into the subject with multiple studies that have shown a link between gratitude and overall well-being. Gratitude increases happiness, lessens stress, and can improve our physical health too!

Our mind will always think of new botherations and complaints, but it is our responsibility to shift our mind away from this into positive thinking, More abundance flows from this space. And the more you do it, the more you train your mind to focus on the good in life. If you get fired from a job, maybe it is an opening for new opportunities later. If you ended a relationship, maybe it wasn’t right for you in the first place. Keep your heart and mind open without getting too fixated on certain expectations on how things need to be and learn to just see the good in everything. Life becomes more vibrant, joyful, and less taxing or burdensome.

So you don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to be thankful. Be thankful now, everyday and every moment for whatever life brings you in any form or way is a blessing.

Ways to Practice Gratitude:

Write 5 things you are grateful for in the morning or night
Tell a closed loved one about how much you appreciate them
Offer a helping hand to someone in need
Compliment, encourage, and support those around you
When supposedly “bad” things come your way, see how you can learn from them
Find a way to always see the good out of the situation
Post gratitude notes around the house as reminders

Watch Sneakpeek of JoyScore Gratitude Journal