Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit with a flavor that can range from bittersweet to sour. It contains a range of essential vitamins and minerals. People can consume the fruit whole or as a juice or pulp. The grapefruit first appeared in the 18th century, as a result of crossing a pomelo and an orange. People called it “grapefruit” because it grows in clusters, similar to grapes. The nutrients grapefruit contains may help promote healthy skin and protect against various conditions. They may also play a role in weight maintenance. In this article, learn about some of the possible health benefits of grapefruit. Also, find out who should take care when consuming grapefruit. Benefits Grapefruit is low in calories but very rich in nutrients. It is also an excellent source of vitamins A and C. The sections below discuss the specific health benefits of grapefruit in more detail. Diabetes Grapefruit is low on the glycemic index. This means that it provi...

Grapefruit is a citrus fruit with a flavor that can range from bittersweet to sour. It contains a range of essential vitamins and minerals. People can consume the fruit whole or as a juice or pulp. The grapefruit first appeared in the 18th century, as a result of crossing a pomelo and an orange. People called it “grapefruit” because it grows in clusters, similar to grapes. The nutrients grapefruit contains may help promote healthy skin and protect against various conditions. They may also play a role in weight maintenance. In this article, learn about some of the possible health benefits of grapefruit. Also, find out who should take care when consuming grapefruit. Benefits Grapefruit is low in calories but very rich in nutrients. It is also an excellent source of vitamins A and C. The sections below discuss the specific health benefits of grapefruit in more detail. Diabetes Grapefruit is low on the glycemic index. This means that it provi...

*23. Improve Your Prejudice* Your prejudice against gender, religion, caste and class does not allow you to mingle with everyone around you. Often, you don't sit with people who are not economically or socially at par with you.  You have to learn to break that barrier. Also, there is age prejudice. Teenagers don't like to have fun with elderly people and vice versa. Gender prejudice is more prevalent in rural areas.  Caste system is present even among the royalties of Europe, the UK and Japan. Religious prejudice is well known. There are good people and bad people in every community, religion and every section of society.  Don't be prejudiced against them. At the same time don't be shy about your identity. When you overcome prejudice, you will be very natural, and your quality of life will improve. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji  25 WAYS TO A BETTER LIFE 

*22. Don't Be Afraid To Make Mistakes* Whenever a boundary is broken, it creates some fear. The fear creates dislike. This dislike puts us back in the boundary you put forth defenses. When you try to defend your position, it is such a stress.  Every time you try to defend your position, it makes you more and more weak. Drop all your defenses. When you are totally defenseless, that's when you'll be strong. Your knowledge of a mistake comes to you when you are innocent.  Whatever mistake has happened, do not consider yourself a sinner because in the present moment you are again new, pure and clear. Mistakes of the past are past. When this knowledge comes, you are again perfect.  Often, mothers scold their children and afterwards feel so guilty. Okay, you got angry at your kid once or twice. Why? Because of the lack of awareness. Awareness was missing so anger came up. Knowledge of the self, truth and skills can bring out the best in you. So, don't be afraid to...

*21. Have A Sense Of Humour* You are endowed with certain naughtiness as a child. Keep it alive. Humour will grease all though situations. One who has humour can sail through any conflict.  Humour is the buffer that saves you from humiliation. If you refuse to be humiliated, you become invincible. Humour brings everyone together, while humiliated tears them apart. In a society torn with humiliation and insult, humour is like a breathe of fresh air.  Humour should be coupled with care and concern. Humour can keep the spirit high, yet if overdone it leaves a bad taste. Humour without wisdom is shallow. Humour without sensitivity is satire, it comes back to you with more problems.  The wise use of humour to bring wisdom and to lighten situations. The intelligent use humour as a shield against humiliation. The cruel use humour as a sword to insult others. The irresponsible use humour to escape from responsibility. And fools take humour too seriously. How does one ...

*20. Let Us Be Unpredictable* We often behave like machines. A compliment makes us smile and an insult makes us frown. We don't have to react in the same way always. You have the freedom to respond differently.  You don't have to answer all questions posed to you. As the people have a right to questions, you have the right whether to answer or not. So, be unpredictable. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji  25 WAYS TO A BETTER LIFE 

*19. Don't Look For Perfection* Many a time, you become angry or miserable because of the feverishness for perfection. If you are too much of perfectionist, you are bound to be an angry person. In a state of ignorance, imperfection is natural and perfection is an effort.  In a state of wisdom or enlightenment, imperfection is an effort, perfection is a compulsion and is unavoidable. Perfection is taking total responsibility and total responsibility means knowing that you are the only responsible person in the whole world.  When you think that others are responsible, then your degree of responsibility diminishes. When you are in total dispassion, you can take care of even insignificant things with such perfection. Perfection is the very nature of the Enlightened One.  When we are joyful, we don't look for perfection. If you are looking for perfection then you are not at the source of joy. Joy is the realisation that there is no vacation from wisdom. The world a...

*Day 18 - Do Not Lose Your Friends* Mistakes keep happening all the time. Often you want to correct them. How much can you correct? There are two situations when you correct other’s mistakes : 1. You correct someone's mistake because it bothers you. But even if you correct it, this does not work. 2. You correct someone's mistake not because it bothers you, but for their sake so that they can grow. To correct mistakes you need authority and love.  Authority and love seem to be contradictory, but in reality they are not. Authority without love is stifling. Love without authority is shallow. A friend needs to have both authority and love, but they need to be in the right combination.  This can happen if you are totally dispassionate and centered. When you allow room for mistakes, you can be both authoritative and sweet. That is how the Divine is, the right balance of both. Krishna and Jesus had both. Don't make mistakes by pointing out mistakes. Once a lady came to...

*17. Identify Your Limitations* Every time you are unhappy or miserable, you are just coming in touch with your own boundaries. And what can you do? You can just feel thankful : "Oh, I came in touch with my boundary, my limitation. This was my limitation."  You just turn the whole situation into prayer : "Let there be peace, not just in me but in everybody." Prayer is that moment when you come in touch with your limitations, your boundaries.  You are peaceful, you are joyful, you are happy as long as you have not come in contact with your boundaries. At that moment what can you do?  You can just say, "My Lord, My God, You have made me become aware of my boundaries. You bring peace. I am giving it all to You." That very moment you will start smiling. However hopeless the situation is, you will walk through it, sing through it, dance through it. This is love.  In Hindi, love is written with two-and-a-half letters. They say, "Who is a master,...

*16. Implement Changes If Needed* Sorrow simply means that 'viveka' (discrimination) is overshadowed. Viveka means knowing that everything is changing. Your body, your emotions, the people around you and the world - everything is changing.  Time and again you have to awaken to this reality. You are often fearful of change. Change is inevitable in many fronts though security is hooked on to stability. You know there is a need for change to improve your life, but you feel secure in the old pattern.  You need the courage to implement changes wherever it is necessary. You have to evaluate the pros and the cons. You have to see whether something gives you short-term joy and misery in the long run or short time pain and joy in the long run.  Life is a combination of both change and non-change. So, use your intelligence and courageously implement changes when you feel that there is a need for change. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji  25 WAYS TO A BETTER LIFE ...

Weekly Knowledge 92 New Delhi 13 Mar 1997  India THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT Being in a crowd when you are alone is ignorance. Enlightenment is being alone in a crowd. Feeling of oneness in a crowd is a sign of wisdom. Knowledge of life brings confidence, and knowledge of death makes you fearless and centered. What is fear? Fear of separatedness. Celebrate while you are alone and when you are with people. Some know to celebrate when they are in a crowd. Some can only rejoice alone in silence. I tell you to do both. Celebrate the silence and Celebrate the noise. Celebrate the life and Celebrate the death. This is the Eleventh Commandment! 🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸   साप्ताहिक ज्ञानपत्र ०९२ १३ मार्च , १९९७ नई दिल्ली, भारत ईश्वर का ग्यारहवां आदेश जब तुम अकेले हो तो भीड़ में रहना अज्ञानता है। ज्ञान-प्राति है भीड़ में भी अकेले रहना। भीड़ में सभी के साथ एकता महसूस करना बुद्धिमता का लक्षण है। जीवन के प्रति ज्ञान आत्म -विश्वास लता है और मृत्यु का ज्ञान तुम्हें निडर बनाता है , आत्म-...

*15. Prayer Is A Vital Role* Prayer is a vital tool to improve your life. It also nurtures values like integrity and honesty. Prayer happens in two situations, or in a combination of situations. When you feel grateful or when you feel utterly helpless. If you are not grateful and prayerful, you will be miserable. In either case your prayers will be answered.  What you can do, you do. What you cannot do, you pray for. It is said the divine dawns in you when you pray for it, when you sing for it. The divine is only waiting for we you to dig a little deeper into yourself. Because, it can then fill you with much more nectar. Divine wants you to create more space in you. Cry from your soul for help. This is for those seekers who are weak. Those seekers who are strong with the power of knowledge can sing with that joy of what they have achieved.  The moment you sing in gratitude, in glory of the divine, it immediately dawns in you, and fills you up again. One type of peo...

Flower/Plant : Manuka( Leptospermum scoparium)  Origin: Australia and New Zealand  Plant Type : Myrtaceae Season: Manuka's flowering season lasts only 2-6 weeks, peaking in mid-December About :   An evergreen shrub or small tree with white, occasionally pink flowers and small, rigid leaves that have a sharp tip. The fruit are woody capsules that appear on the plant all year round. Plant uses Beauty and cosmetics Extracts from the leaves of manuka are used in cosmetics to improve skin by decreasing flakiness and protecting against UV damage and skin ageing. In hair care products, the extracts are reported to help hydrate, repair, and strengthen hair. Food and drink Manuka honey is produced by bees that pollinate flowers of the manuka plant. It has a thick texture and rich flavour. The leaves of the manuka plant can be brewed to make a tea. The Maori (Māori) people of New Zealand (Aotearoa) have traditionally eaten a sweet gum-like substance from the branches of...

Flower/Plant : Caesalpinia lutea(Peacock flower)   Origin : West Indies and tropical America. Plant Type : Fabaceae Season : January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, Flowers in flushes throughout the year About :  Native to America and the West Indies. - Evergreen shrub. - Profuse and free flowering. Few shrubs put up such a vibrant display of color. - Have plenty of color on them during late monsoon - when most other plants are green and growing. - Tall shrub up to 2-3 m. Can be pruned and kept to 1 to 1.5 mts. - Recommended as a single specimen plant in small gardens or as a group in large gardens. - Flowers on long slender stems Growing tips: - Very quick growing. - Grows best in full sunshine. - Well drained and light soils are perfect. - Should be heavily pruned in winter after flowering is finished. - Application of manure and fertilizer at the beginning of summer and monsoon will make the plants lush and bloom even more. Source : https://www...

Flower/Plant : Red ginger(Alpinia purpurata) Origin: Malaysia Plant Type : Zingiberaceae Season: June-July About :   Alpinia purpurata goes by a few common names, including Red Ginger, Ostrich Plume and Pink Cone Ginger, Jungle King, Opuhi uteute, and Tahitian Ginger. Most people would simply call it red ginger because of its apparently showy red flowers. But it doesn’t have red flowers. Its flowers are white. The red bracts that cover the plant give the impression of a long-lasting, red-flowered inflorescence. Only a patient observer will actually find the true flower buried inside the red bracts. Red Ginger can grow up to nine feet tall and develop into large clumps. There are two varieties, red (known as Jungle King) and pink (Jungle Queen). The wild ginger has a deep red inflorescence. The small white flowers emerge from inside the bracts. Seeds are extremely small. Leaves are shiny and green. Red Ginger “blooms” year round and is used as a tropical cut flower....

Flower/Plant : Hibiscus(Gudhal Flower)  Origin: West Africa, East Africa, Southeast Asia, or Northeastern India.  Plant Type : Malvaceae Season: Summer, fall, and year-round in tropical climes About :   Hibiscus tree is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant with trumpet-shaped flowers. This tropical tree grows in full sun or partial shade and does best in moist, well-drained soil. With over 200 species and many more cultivars in the genus, hibiscus flowers can reach nearly 10 inches in diameter at maturity and come in a wide range of colors from white to red, pink, yellow, and orange.  Hibiscus goes by many names: bissap in parts of West Africa; karkade in North Africa (specifically in Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan); rosela, rosella, grosella, and sorrel in Indonesia, Australia, and across the Caribbean and Latin America; mathi puli in Kerala; krachiap in Thailand; luo shen hua in China; and flor de Jamaica in Mexico and across North America. Source :...

Flower/Plant : Flaming glorybower Origin: Western Africa Plant Type : Verbenaceae Season: December and January About :   Flaming glorybower, native to western Africa, is a woody or semi-woody evergreen vine or running shrub to 12 ft long, that climbs by twining. The leaves are oval, to 7 in long, and arranged in opposite pairs. Flowers are tuba shaped, having a slender tube with an abruptly expanded corolla. They are scarlet (sometimes white), about 1 in across and borne in dense terminal clusters to 5 in inches long. The fruit is unknown. This evergreen climber is popular in warm, humid climates and can be used as an evergreen screen on a trellis or wall. The flowers are extremely showy and attractive to butterflies as well as people. Flaming glory bower can be found growing up the pillars and walls and exhibits its peak flowering during December and January Source : http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Flaming%20Glorybower.html Reference  Ashish Kumar Sin...

Flower/Plant : Aechmea fendleri Origin: Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago Plant Type : Bromeliaceae Season: Early Summer to Late Summer About :   Aechmea fendleri is a species native to Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago that has a very colorful inflorescence. Mostly a green to lime-green in overall leaf color, this hardy species provides an inflorescence with its blue and red and purple colors. Aechmea fendleri is a species of bromeliad in the genus Aechmea. This is an epiphytic plant whose natural environment is in the cloud forests at elevations of 900 to 4,500 feet. ‘Fendleri’ is a 3-foot, rosette shaped plant that has spreading spines on black edged green leaves reaching 32 inches long. The 1 foot high, pink, cylindrical inflorescence is branched high above the leaves with a sparse dusting of white while the pastel coloring extends to the flowers of violet-purple. Source : https://myplantin.com/plant/966 Reference  Ashish Kumar Singh 

Flower/Plant : Marigold Origin: Southwestern North America Plant Type : Asteraceae Season: Annual but mostly July to October About :   Aechmea fendleri is a species native Marigolds are a popular blooming plant amongst gardeners and can be a great addition to the garden or back patio. They are heat and drought tolerant and have many beneficial qualities. While marigolds add a pop of color to any landscape or garden, this is not the only reason marigolds can be a great addition to the garden. They are widely useful as interplanting crops due to their qualities that attract pollinators, deter pests, and even attract beneficial insects. Marigolds, while easy on the eyes, also attract bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects that can help ward off harmful ones. They contain pyrethrum and limonene, chemicals that deter harmful insects such as: tomato hornworms, thrips, whiteflies, and beetles. Therefore planting marigolds near tomatoes or in between other ve...

Flower/Plant : Kangaroo paws(Haemodoraceae)  Origin: Australia Plant Type : Perennial, herbaceous Season: Spring, summer, fall About : Kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos) is a genus of 11 species and multiple subspecies of flowering plants that are native to Australia. These plants have long, slender, arching leaves similar to the foliage of daylilies or amaryllis plants. The unusual tubular flowers grow on stalks in fan-like rows and are covered in velvety fuzz, giving them the appearance of an animal’s paw. The blooms come in an array of shades, including red, orange, yellow, and purple. Kangaroo paw is the common name for a number of species, in two genera of the family Haemodoraceae, that are native to the south-west of Western Australia. These rhizomatous perennial plants are noted for their unique bird-attracting flowers. The tubular flowers are coated with dense hairs and open at the apex with six claw-like structures which resemble kangaroo fore...

Flower/Plant : Ivy geranium  Origin: South Africa Plant Type : Geraniaceae Season: Spring, Spring, summer, fall About : Ivy geraniums have somewhat different cultural needs than the more prevalent zonal geraniums grown so widely as bedding plants. Ivy geraniums prefer milder temperatures than zonal geraniums, and if they are grown in conditions warmer than 85 degrees Fahrenheit, they require a partial shade location. In addition, ivy geraniums require more consistent moisture than zonal geraniums, which are often quite tolerant of dry, blazing conditions. Beyond this, ivy geraniums are very easy to grow and have few problems. The long repeating bloom period makes them a favorite wherever lots of color is wanted in a cascading, trailing plant. Source :  https://www.thespruce.com/ivy-geranium-plant-profile-4768928 Reference  Ashish Kumar Singh 

Flower/Plant : Cyanthillium(Little Ironweed)  Origin: Tropical Africa and to tropical Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Indonesia, etc.) and has become naturalized in Australia, Mesoamerica, tropical South America, the West Indies, and the US State of Florida Plant Type : Asteraceae Season: July to February About : Cyanthillium cinereum is an erect herb, 20 to 80 cm high, slightly branched and covered with fine gray hairs. The stem is finely striated. The leaves are alternate, simple. They are elliptical, attenuate base in corner and covered with a grayish hairs. The flowers are grouped in small purplish heads, assembled in a loose inflorescence. The fruits are carriers of small tufts of white hairs. Flower   The flowers are all tabulate and hermaphrodites. The corolla is purple or pink, 5 mm long.   Fruit   The fruit is a Subcylindrical linear achene, 1.5 mm long, covered with short hairs. The pappus is formed of an outer series of linear scales of...

Flower/Plant : Garden geranium Origin: South Africa Plant Type : Pelargonium Season: Fall Bloom, Reblooming, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom, Winter Bloom About :   A classic garden plant, geraniums have been a gardener's favorite for over a century. The old-fashioned standard for beds, borders, and containers, geraniums are still among the most popular plants today. This garden staple has a little secret: The plant we know as the common annual geranium is actually a Pelargonium. A completely different group of plants has Geranium as its genus name. No matter which geranium types you select for your next container or flower bed, make sure to keep up with deadheading. And don't forget to feed them! Source : https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/annual/geranium/ Reference  Ashish Kumar Singh 

Is it possible for a newborn to start walking on the very first day? No.. Wake up!  Wanting others to behave in an enlightened way is like expecting too much from your side.. Be compassionate..  Relax.. Focus on yourself.. Have some goal.. Happily move on with that.. Know that you are that sparkling energy within you.. You have all the powers to do whatever you want to do.. WAVES OF HAPPINESS 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar cognized the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique in 1981 after observing a 10-day silence in Shimoga. Here is what the cognizer of Sudarshan Kriya  has to say about the technique. 1. How Sudarshan Kriya came out “I was already teaching meditation and yoga. But I felt there was something that was lacking. Though people do their spiritual practices, their life is in compartments. They do their prayers, meditation and spiritual practices, but when they come out in life, they are very different people. So, I was thinking about how we can bridge this gap - between inner silence and outer expression of life. During a period of silence, the Sudarshan Kriya came like an inspiration. After I came out of the silence, I started teaching whatever I knew and people had great experiences." 2. Helps overcome a flood of emotions “Sudarshan Kriya is like an automated mechanism within, which helps you overcome negative emotions easily.” 3. Transforms emotions with the ...

VITACEAE Good morning friends, today let's take you to meet the Grape family- Vitaceae. Vitaceae is a medium sized family of flowering plants that includes about 14 genera and 800 species found in tropical and subtropical regions.  Some of the characteristics of Vitaceae plants include: 🍁Growth habit: Members of Vitaceae family are typically woody vines that climb by means of tendrils. Some species may also be shrubs or trees. 🍁Leaves: The leaves are usually alternate and palmately lobed, meaning the lobes radiate from the center of the leaf like the fingers of a hand. The leaves are often toothed and have a rough texture. 9 🍁Flowers: The flowers are usually small and inconspicuous, borne in small panicles in the axils of, or opposite, the leaves with each flower having five petals and five sepals that...

URTICACEAE,  The nettle family is a large family comprising about 54 genera and 2,600 species of herbs, shrubs, small trees, and a few vines, distributed primarily in tropical regions.  🍂The stems and leaves of many species in this family, have stinging trichomes (plant hairs) that cause a painful rash upon contact, leading to a condition known as Urticaria in Dermatology (science of skin studies). 🍂The leaves of these plants are usually simple and alternate, and they may be toothed or lobed at the margins. The leaves are often 3-nerved from the base and bear stipules . Some species have stinging hairs. 🍂The flowers are small, inconspicuous, greenish, unisexual, usually borne in dense, axillary clusters or spikes, usually with 3-5 perianth parts. Male flowers usually have 3–5 stamens and female flowers have ...