Grateful for March 2016

The month of March was a very interesting one and I am so glad that there are so many things in this month I want to be thankful for- learnings in attending workshops on mindfulness to evolving a research paper for a National workshop on criminal Justice in India- recent trends. Despite all these schedules, I was happy to go out for a picnic and have some fun – I was touched by the generosity of one of our members who invited us to her farm; along with few more ladies and my daughter I spent a full day relaxing and distressing myself.

Mindfulness workshop

One incident that really touched my heart was my visit to Asha Jyothi which is a care and support centre for the HIV&AIDS patients and also kids. This is 60 kms away from the city; with very few AIDS patients and around 70 kids in the age group of 5- 17 years of age. Some of them are positive and the others have lost their parents.  Despite this background the children were active and there was high level of energy, with singing, dancing they welcomed us.

children dancing at the home

I loved the way they welcomed us and danced as if no one was watching, enjoying every step with a cheerfulness. For a moment I forgot where I was and was just admiring their cheerfulness, spreading so much of positivity around. I came to know through their caretakers that they have seen death so closely and are so close to each other. They have seen their friends suffering and dying, and still they continue to go to school, thankful for whatever they get; and so generous and willing to sing, dance and entertain those who come to see them.

Meeting them was a refreshing experience; the joy of their faces and the enthusiasm they had in performing on stage, was a mind blowing experience. I came home inspired by these kids and was telling myself how easily we get disturbed by the little in conveniences in life; and here are the kids who are bringing smiles and cheers to those around them, despite their status and not knowing how the future is going to be… I enjoyed interacting with them and affirmed them for their courage and happiness that they displayed. Made them laugh loud to de-stress and thanked them for inspiring me.

I came home rejuvenated with heart full of gratitude for this experience.  I could not stop myself but share with my family.

A Picnic with the ladies to a farm

This month March 8 being the women’s day celebration, the YWCA organized a session on Thyroid and thyroid diseases followed by testing at subsidized rates. Being the evening hours I was happy to take my daughter too for a testing… so I had opportunity to interact with the lady doctor who took the session, also clarify some doubts and at the same time could get the testing done.

At my workplace, I had 18 students regularly visiting me for counseling and sharing their problems; happy for this fulfilling experience, and for the trust placed in me. I was also busy interacting with a few departments on orienting on psychological counseling to bring in awareness among our campus students.

At the home front, Maria Dorothy my daughter had 10 days study holidays prior to her exams; and am glad that she made her own study plan and managed most of her studies herself and my involvement was minimal. She also did a bit of housework and independently stayed studying an helping herself with whatever she needed. I am glad that she wrote the all the papers well and now ready to go to class X. Together we went to school and picked up the books for the next academic year. She covered her books with the help of her friend, and then she took help from David to write the names on the books.

This month was my nephew’s son Nathan’s birthday which was on good Friday, so me and my daughter visited his place and celebrated in advance and spent time playing with the kids, which was a great experience.

Fun with kids

We got pumpkin from the farm and I never attempted to make a curry; this month I learnt via Google as to how to make pumpkin curry adding chole. Enjoyed trying something new and was appreciated at home. I gained confidence to do any other dish with pumpkin.

Pumkin curry

Being the season of lent, David was busy attending prayer services in our community, and simultaneously also organizing the prayers. This season also helped us to consciously do some random acts of kindness; which we were happy to be involved. We also fasted and prayed as much as we could  and celebrated a quiet Easter with few of our very close friends in our neighbourhood.

I am happy to participate in the A-Z challenge for 2016 and also wrote a theme reveal post and currently busy making posts for the coming month.

Thanks for being here; would love to hear from you :) :)

A – Z Challenge 2016 - Theme Reveal

I have been participating in this challenge A-Z for the last 4 fours and each time I have enjoyed this challenge, met a lot of bloggers, learnt a lot and there was so much fun posting nonstop every day for 26 days.

The first year - 2012. I was very nervous and I just began posting simple topics that inspired me and randomly selected whatever came to my mind and made long posts as I was participating for the first time, I did not know we could schedule a post.

Then second year – 2013 reading through other posts, and meeting a whole lot of bloggers with a variety of topics. I slowly began to understand how I too can start thinking a head much before and start scheduling the topics in advance.

The third year - 2014 I knew what this challenge was all about, and by then I made some very good friends in the blogging space and I learnt to schedule for 26 days. Being an optimistic person and also a full time working lady. I strategically chose to inspire through quotes, as I felt this will not take much time for me to think.  I can simply take quotes that have inspired me over a period of time and then post. So I pre scheduled and tried to make short posts, so that I will have more time to move around reading other peoples post.  I was excited and tried my best to visit as many bloggers as possible.

The fourth year -2015 I was confident by now to have understood this challenge; so I chose travel as my topic and started scheduling posts related to travel, some places where I have actually been; and some places that has been my dream. Now that I have learnt the art of pre scheduling, this activity was becoming fun.  Then some challenges I used to face was the internet connectivity which used to give me a lot of stress. The computer machine which would act funny when I am meeting deadlines. I learnt gradually to deal with all these issues, because I started loving this exercise and I found alternatives to every problem I encountered.

My Theme reveal for the year 2016 

“26 TIPS FOR A HAPPY MARRIED LIFE”

So this year for the A-Z challenge, I want to focus on 26 Tips for a Happy Married Life. Some things which I learnt as walked on in my own married life; having been married for the last 16 years and survived in a joint family system. I don’t say I am an expert in this matter, but definitely I have a lot to share and all my posts will focus on my personal experiences and the learnings that I have derived from being married. 

Now I am happy enjoying my own growth as a person, discovering my capacities, evolving my own space to become who I am and in the process also accompany the man I married to find himself in this journey called life… together we walk towards the unknown and hoping to find ourselves for the purpose we were created for ….

I look forward to participating in this challenge; and am excited to meet a whole lot of bloggers who will be also part of this challenge. It would be a privilege and lot of learning for me… in the last four years I have learnt so much and met so many bloggers because of this challenge; I am grateful for all of them. I have started pre scheduling the posts to avoid being stressed out. This is one more opportunity in my life for 2016 to be posting for 26 days.

Happy Blogging!!

Wishing all of you the very best for this year’s challenge !!

Mindfulness !!

picture from Google..

I am glad to attend the workshop on using mindfulness: for Counsellors and Teachers by Liliana Goldschmidt. MA. This was organized by the Hyderabad Academy of Psychology, Hyderabad. Diana Monteiro the course director introduced Liliana to the group of 50 participants, who were from different organizations, working in helping relationships as counselors, clinical psychologists and some of them also working with children with special needs. 

It was a half day workshop, participative and practical too with a bit of theory.  Liliana spoke about the history of Mindfulness that dates back to thousands of years through various religious and philosophical systems. Dr John Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School is one of the pioneers of mindfulness. He introduced mindfulness into the field of medicines in 1979.

I like the definition of Dr John Kabat- Zinn who states that mindfulness “as the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgementally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment.”

While I was listening to Liliana’s session, so many thoughts were coming to my mind: that I had experienced learning meditation.  I recall attending vipassana meditation for the first time years ago wherein I learnt to observe my breath, and the gurus were encouraging us to focus on the breath for three full days and from the fourth till the last day, the art of scanning the body observing the breath was taught… the purpose was to learn to live in the present; and also observe everything within yourself and surrounding yourself, which is so much a mindfulness involving paying attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them, as right and wrong, but just be aware of every sensations in the body.

images from google

For those who practice meditation, especially focusing on breath, helps to be in the present, also makes us relaxed, reduces stress, increases focus, promotes health and well –being. As a counselor I found practising mindfulness very useful in my counseling sessions. As a counselor being mindful is an important quality, in helping not only those who are coming for counseling but also to be totally aware of oneself, and observant of everything in the session, being aware of thoughts running through, feelings that come from within of comfort, discomfort not labeling them but just being present to the person.

Practising mindfulness helps in anxiety reduction, stress reduction, dealing with negative thoughts and emotions, focusing and also dealing with anger pro-actively and becoming sensitive to all that is freely available in life; filling oneself with gratitude. I mostly encourage and teach breathing techniques to students who come with anxiety, stress and negative thoughts, disturbed mind and confused, and discouraged. 

When I listen to them being totally mindful; I also realize how important it is to practice mindfulness, that helps me to choose always to look at the bright side of life; to keep counting everyday blessings, never to take anything or any person for granted and to be eternally grateful for all experiences which are important for my own growth process. 

images from google

Research has specifically identified benefits of mindfulness as: Reduced rumination, fewer depressive symptoms, improvements to working memory, ability to focus attention and suppress distracting information. Also said to have decrease emotional reactivity, give greater cognitive flexibility, predicts relationship satisfaction.

The effects of meditation on therapists and therapist trainees suggest that mindfulness promotes empathy enhance self compassion among health care professionals, also significant increases in self awareness, insights about professional identity and over all wellness, thus decreasing stress and anxiety and promoting better quality of life.

More information is available on   https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/pst-48-2-198.pdf

This workshop was a meaningful for me as it reinforced some of the things I knew and also; the session was participative and the group was also resourceful; with discussions and personal sharing of real experiences of using mindfulness with children who have ADHD, also with those suffering from Depression and the challenges of using mindfulness with substance abuse and couple counseling was enlightening.

Hyderabad Academy of Psychology conducts basic skills in counselling and regular CE programmes for all those working in the field of Mental Health. www.thehap.in  this workshop is also part of the regular CE programmes.

“I promise myself that I will enjoy, every minute of the day that is given to me to live” Thich Nhat Hanh

Be Blessed & Be Happy!