Raavanan Songs

I have not yet watched the movie. But have been hooked to the songs since last week. I always find Rehman's music like wine, it sounds better the more you listen to it. In this album, I just loved 'Usurey POgudhey'. Karthick's voice, the modulation, the feel and of course the fantastic lyrics is mind blowing. At the 5.05 min of the song i.e. during the 'akkarai seemaiyayil...' line there is a violin (I think) which is my favourite bit in the entire song.
I also listened to the hindi version 'Behne De'. Although rendered by same Karthick.. yen Usuru .. ‘Usurey Pogudhu’ ku pinale than Pogudhu !!!
Although I have not watched the movie yet, have seen glimpses of Aishwarya's imaculate beauty captured by Santosh.Spectacular.
The next one is Kaatu siruki.. I usually do not prefer Anuradha Sriram, I feel she is too loud and bold but in this one she is just apt and excellent. Shankar ofcourse, ketkave vendam, excellent... Both of them are very loud and strong voiced singers, I feel. They both have blended really well and delivered this lovely song with enjoyable lyrics and fine composition really impressively.
Again, Ranjha Ranjha is good but Kaatu Siruki is my preference.

Lunch Break.

My lunch break today was slightly different from the mundane usual one.
I decided to take a walk in the direction I just wanted to. Out of the office building took the left (which I have never been before) I walked for just five-seven minutes and found The Tower of London. Lots of excited tourists, many other regular trying to relax in the park, pigeons and the beautiful Thames River. I always love to watch people especially on a sea/river side. I must also say I like the view of the Thames from the Tower Bridge. I was surprised with one more special thing today which I have never seen in the past 6 yrs of my London life.
I have heard and also read that The Tower Bridge opens up for letting in big ships through, but have never seen it. Today just by chance I happened to be there when the Tower Bridge opens for a ship to go through I was very thrilled and excited and enjoyed every bit of it. It was time for me to walk back to office. But I wanted to walk on The Tower Bridge that just opened and closed!! I am very poor at directions and routes. I vaguely remembered the route I actually came. But today that did not bother me. Kattu Sirukki (Raavanan) in my i-pod, gentle breeze, mild sunshine, I simply walked in the direction that my feet took me. After some 10 mins walk I met a junction and then realised I am actually supposed to be walking in the opposite direction to get back to work, but with no regret , in fact happy to walk on the bridge again I started walking back to work which was at least another 20 -25 mins. I really liked the different lunch break I had today.

Read the today as Thrusday 2nd July.

Between Feb and Now...

I did not write anything after my return from India. Not that nothing interesting happened, but as usual laziness took over. There are a few interesting things that has happened in this time.
With no particular order or ranking these are the things that happened...

The first and most important thing is I am on a career break for about 3 months. This is something I wanted to do for a long time. I should have done this before but am glad I did it at least now. I have planned lots of 'Me' things that I love to do during this time. As a first step, I have ventured to fulfill my dream of studying something that I always wanted to do. I have now joined the M A English Lit course through distance education. I am really thrilled and excited about this. I hope to give my best and enjoy studies without any pressure!!!

ISHA.. quite a few things happened with regards to ISHA. Ram took up ISHA inner engg program and I volunteered the same. It was a fresh experience altogether to sit through the sessions again being a lot more receptive and better understanding. The best part is Ram also enjoyed it and is also doing his practice regularly.

I also took up the HATA yoga which is very physical. I will be starting to practice it properly in a couple of days. I also got to meet Sadhguru himself in one of the Sathsungs and also got to talk to Sadhguru myself for a couple of minutes. These are the significant things with respect to ISHA.
Slowly ISHA is also becoming a way of life for us and I am very glad about it.

I have also resumed my driving lessons from yesterday after a gap of 4 months. Hopefully should finish it soon.

My music class schedule is doubled i.e. twice a week from now on.

I also got to spend one week with my nephew, Adithya during his spring break, which i throughly enjoyed and also learnt a lot ... !!!

For the next three months ... I am very keen on doing all the various things that interest me and make it very pleasant for me. Reading, music, yoga ... wow!!! May be I will also blog a little more let’s see... Looks like weather will also make it brighter and warmer now ... so that’s good as well :)

I am all thrilled and happy and am willing to make it the way I want!!!

All is well and I will endeavour to keep it that way!!!

Back from India.

Originally planned for just a week than we extended it by one more week and made it two weeks. Came back from India on saturday night all exhausted.The most tiring was the 10 hr transit in Bahrain my god we struggled a lot trying to sleep on the bench. Should thank Ram for always realdily lending me his lap for pillows.
Am still feeling very tired as i have also brought with me cold, sore throat and fever !!! Ram also has the same so both are enjoying each others coughs and sneezes now :).

This time felt very strange when in India. Wanted to come back to UK asap. I somehow did not feel any belonging there. Its usually never the case i am usually all thrilled and excited about visiting India. But i am still not able to figure out the reason for this kind of a different experience in India.
I was longoing to come back to UK. I dont know somehow I feel I am more myself when in UK there is not need to fake anything and probably thats the main reason.

Other than this new observation within myself i did have a good round of shopping jewels and clothes:):) and also had lovely food by amma specially the sevai and more kozhambu. wow .... fantastic.
There is a new Adyar Anadha Bavan very close to my house and so god can only count the number of mouth watering 'Basundhi's' I had !!! wow lovely.

Another major thing i missed is skiping my yoga practice. i feel quiet incomplete and lost now, need to resume it asap i.e today. Hopefully Isha will bring back the energy and sprit in me !!!

take care all

India visit

I am going to be in india for the first week of Feb Hurray!!!
I am really excited. It all came up so very suddenly and i am sure it will also end much sooner!!! The main purpose of the visit is my in-laws 60th birthday celebrations.
They were quiet reluctant all the time to have a celebration when we are far away. But somehow my FIL's relatives convinced them and they got it arranged in a days time literally !! We were not going to go initially but my hubby got emotional suddenly and then he booked his tickets and I (after approval from work) will also be going.

Hope this visit though short will be sweet !!!

have fun all ...

take care

Chiti I missed you....

I last visited my sister and nephew on Diwali(Oct17th).This Tuesday I went to visit my nephew, Adithya(he is going to be 6 yrs next mnth), actually to help my sister for one day as my BIL was away for his MBA exams. I went to pick Adithya from school in the afternoon. I thought he will jump out of joy looking at me after such a long time. But his reaction was quiet composed and he gave me a broad smile and we headed off to his swimming class from school. When I was helping him change into his swimming clothes he suddenly said ‘Chiti I really missed you so much’. I was overwhelmed with the honesty in his eyes and words when he said that. We do say ‘I miss you’ quiet frequently specially to anybody whom we meet after a long time. But his words were straight from his little sweet heart. I hugged him and felt so good.

Similarly, when I was giving bath to him the next morning he was talking something (he usually talks a lot at home non-stop in fact). Again just like that he asked me ‘Chiti do you not think of me when you were away?’ I was shocked to hear this, wondering what made him think of such a question. I said ‘yes Kanna I always think of you, why are you asking this?’ and he replied saying ‘Because it is so long since you visited me last’. I was moved again.

Why i feel so overwhelmed and special about what he said is because,
He is basically a very content and composed person and very less expressive. So its rather difficult to predict his thoughts. He also never talks over phone so if there is not physical proximity then it is quiet difficult to actually know what his thoughts are. I was really moved and touched by his words this time. No words can actually express my love for him and it felt so nice to hear his feelings from him.

ISHA

I was looking for something to help me grow as a human being for a long time (seriously about a year) . I read some books came across some websites and i did really like one of them a lot Steve Pavlina
.This is a fantastic website and I will strongly recommend it for anybody who wants some great and feasible ideas for healthy, good, disciplined and foccused living.

However, steves ideas and thoughts we all more like in the mind level and also some intellectual ideas and needed lot of motivation and determination to manifest and implement. This is quiet difficult to maintian for a longer period of time(atleast for me it was like that).

So my search was still on... (while i was trying to implement some learnings from Steve's blog)

Nov 18th to 23rd 2009 is one of the most brilliant week in my life so far. I was randonmly reading one of my friends blog's Meera's experience
Her experice with ISHA yoga as she mentioned in the blog was somewhat unbelievable but at the same time intriguing. I just came across her post one week before i actually took the program.
I feel and think strongly this is the thing for me.Before i went for the program i had absolutely no other insight other than Meera's blog post. I had to go away from home to Birmingham for a week. As this is not commutable for me i had to look for a accomodation as well. This also means leaving behind my husband. When i was looking for accomodation options with the ISHA volunteers. I was told that i could stay for a week(the duration of the program) with one of the volunteers itself which was perfect for me as i usually prefer home accomodation.

That one week began from Nov 18th to 23rd Nov 2009. My husband dropped me off in the volunteers home and then it was all a very very differnt once in a life time experience for me.

The whole setup , ambience and the way it was all organised was just unbelievable and so much effective. The program was and 3 hrs for 6 days and one full day so total of 7 days. As i also stayed with one of the volunteers who is associated with ISHA for about four years now i had lot of time to think and ponder over about whatever i learnt in the class.
The program is the Inner engineering program where we got initiated to the Shambavi Maha mudra kriya.

The level of calmness and composure i feel inside myself during the program and also after it now is unbelievable. How much i am actually knowing myself and discovering ther inner me is something that one can only experience. I also got to hear lot of the volunteers experience and how much all of them are truely happy in life irrespective of any materialistic pleasures.

Its about 3 weeks now and i have been practising the kriya twice dialy as advised.
Anger, irritation, frustration, dullness, sadness ... these are somethings i have not experienced since i started doing the kriya.
Physical or physiological benefits are ,I have also not had any back pain even if i sit for a long time. I have been able to manage my usual headache without any tablets or irritation. I am active thoughout the day. I find a purpose and fulfillment in doing everything from the very routine tasks like cooking, washing to everything else.

Everyday i am discovering myself more and I have still not completely understood if Sadhguru is my Guru or why and what I am doing but i am very sure that this is the kind of life i want to lead - just accepting life as it is but living every sec to its fullest.

Life is such a beautiful gift and i am glad i have been able to truely realise it.
I cannot thank enough Meera and also all the volunteers and teachers who taught me and have paved way for me for this great experience.


Happiness always...