AVOIDABLE LIFESTYLE

Avoidable lifestyle like sleeping too late and waking up late; overeating; skipping breakfast ; liberal recourse to medicines including sleep     inducing pills, even without advice of doctors; indulgence in fast-food; love for deep fried snacks and indulgence in intoxicants including tobacco, has been making thousands of young men and women susceptible to ailments which would have severe impact on the length and quality of the working life of these well educated youth. They know intake of fresh vegetables would be desirable; yet they would go in for food in restaurants where very often they would settle for spicy and oily dishes. The other day the revelation of an old friend of mine was shocking. He has provided accommodation  to a family in his house that looks after him. The family has three members including a child. Therefore food is made in the house for four persons including a child. They consume at least eight litres of cooking oil per month. My advice to him was to curtail the consumption drastically. “We, five consumers including our support staff, consume 1500 ml of oil per month” I told him. I had to make efforts to make him believe that I was honest.

Many in the society are silent persons by temperament. They prefer to work and read; they would avoid a crowd or commotion. While this trait need not be decried, I would feel that people should not be averse to engaging themselves in lively and healthy discussions. Intellectual conversation promotes efficiency of the brain. Positive thinking is a sure way of keeping our brain in shape.

We do not limit our crusade against our natural endowment only to these aberrations I have narrated above. We have gone beyond. How many of us, including the brilliant ones of the emerging generation,  derive pleasure in writing by hand? Calligraphy used to get reflected many a time in letters written to friends and near and dear ones. Letter writing is declining. I had great pleasure seeing my grandson writing by hand when he was younger and was completing his home work. Now I have started seeing his feelings through e-mails. I only hope he does not abandon writing by hand when he grows up. Regular writing by hand— not limited to putting our signature or writing a cheque --  keeps our reflexes strong and the fingers agile. Handwriting is a reflection of the state of the brain.

Sadly we seem to be under the impression that the human body is strong enough to withstand relentless abuse. We are wrong. Let us not drift too radically too fast. The youths may keep this in mind and ensure that they too enjoy the scene of the rising sun every morning. Bahagvad Gita speaks about SAMATWAM YOGA UCHYATEY. A nice example of the precept is the Anantasayam posture of Lord Vishnu. Appreciation of this precept would make our young generation aware of the virtue in being in peace with self. It will make them see virtue in moderation. They may be convinced that it may not be wise to tinker too much with the law of nature.

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17th November,  2012