friends,
Pongal is a harvest festival, celebrating the arrival of the first crops, the bounty of which ensures the happiness of a society based on agricultural wealth. Makara SamkrAnthi refers to the event of the Sun entering the Zodiac sign of Makara or Capricorn. The farmer gets the much awaited break from his hard work and the society is elated.
Thus starts a season of marriages, temple festivals and other auspicious events.
You know all these. Oldies are good in telling others what they already know.
The farmer struggles with the soil, to bring out the best from it. His toiling tunes his muscles. His sweating flushes out the toxins from his body. I do
n’t move a grass of blade. In fact I don’t move away from the air conditioned room at all. So, I don’t deserve the celebration. I haven’t earned that, unlike the farmer..But I’m good in enjoying the harvest produced by others hard work.
Now, coming to the point, I have restarted doing my yoga exercises, to which I said good bye some ten years ago, when Sri. Narasimha Rao discontinued taking classes on my terrace for some reasons.
The other day, I happened to observe my athlete daughter in law, the youngest one, Meenkashi Bhaskar, training my grand children in our basement. I asked her to teach me too. “You are the most difficult student, I have come across, Appa” she said after struggling with me for ten minutes. But I’m not going to leave at that. She too won’t leave me. Good.
By neglecting, my muscles have stiffened. It will take sometime to make those to obey my orders. But, it is worth trying. Narasimha Rao’s struggle won’t go waste. I want to earnestly continue the Yoga exercises with my DIL’s guidance, whenever she comes from New York.
I suggest you too join me from there, if not already doing any body – exercises. It pays. You will be able to sit comfortably on the floor on SukhAsan if not on PadmAsan. Not a small achievement. You won’t have to stop every five minutes to recover your breathing rhythm while walking. I met a friend the other day in New Jersey, who has converted his basement as a yoga studio, since long . His wife too takes classes. He will be in the 85 plus range. You can guess her age .
Together we win and enjoy the bounty of the new crop, our own healthy body. And also the old crop, our own compassionate children!Cat face
Dr. Kidambi is from Marredpally. He works in a hospital in Florida and is a good friend of my Alludu, son in law, Vuday. He has written on his wall.
“Treat your children well. They choose your nursing home”
A doctor knows how important it is, choosing the proper nursing home. Also, the importance of shifting the unwell there, in time.
Happy SamkrAnthi, prosperous Pongal, peace in mind, peace at home, peace in the society.
Love and regards,
Siva
From Baltimore