what is Life

Life is what happens when we’re busy making other plans.’ The only moment we have is the moment that is right now. And yet the present moment is so easy to miss, especially if we’re distracted, regretting something that happened yesterday, or already thinking about tomorrow. When my best friend was diagnosed, out of the blue, with cancer, I realized how lucky I was to be blessed with my own perfectly ordinary day, the kind of day she would have given anything to have back again. When we pause long enough to be grateful for whatis, we realize that every ordinary day is a gift, and suddenly, instead of taking our lives for granted, we begin to appreciate the beauty of everyday things.”

Pranayam - A panacea!

Pranayam - A panacea!

'Prana' means breath and 'aayama' means control hence pranayam is the exercise of controlling your breath. Why control your breath, you may ask. Pranayam enhances the amount of oxygen taken inside, removes the toxins and waste from the body and hence results in a healthy body and mind.

Normally, we do not pay attention to our breathing when, in fact, it is the most vital part of being alive! So a series of breathing exercises brings more oxygen to blood and to the brain and automates flow of blood throughout the body. It regulates the breathing and brings in the vital pranic energy and rejuvenates the mind and body.

Pranayam has innumerable benefits. Regular practitioners have reported relief to many problems like headaches, joint pains, acidity, asthma, diabetes, constipation etc. Even healthy individuals can practise pranayam to keep fit and reap the other intangible benefits.

Pranayam is best when done in the morning on empty stomach. But it can also be practised 4-6hours after meal. Take 2-3 deep breaths between every exercise to relax. One can sit in either padmasana, vajrasana or sadhasana, whichever one is comfortable with, while doing pranayam. One should learn pranayam under the supervision of a doctor or a yoga teacher before practising it independently.
Pranayam is practised as given below:

Bhastrika
Sit in comfortable position in dhyan mudra*. Take a deep breath. Breath out forcefully and uniformly. Repeat this for 5 minutes. Point to note here is that the breathing in and out are done with equal force and pace.

Kapalbhati
Sit in comfortable position in dhyan mudra*. Inhale a little and exhale through both nostrils forcefully. Inhale again and follow with another forceful exhalation passively and effortlessly. Continue these cycles. The frequency should be about 60 strokes/minute. Kapalbhati can be done for 5-15min with short breaks in between.

Anulom-Vilom
Sit comfortably in dhyan mudra*. Close your eyes. Close the right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale slowly through the left nostril. Close your left nostril with the ring and little fingers of the right hand and exhale slowly and completely with the right nostril. Again inhale through the right nostril.Close the right nostril with the right thumb. Breathe out slowly from the left nostril. This is one cycle of anulom-vilom. This pranayam can be done for 5-15min.

Bahya
Sit comfortably in dhyan mudra*. Breathe air out, touch chin to chest, squeeze stomach completely and hold for a while. then release chin, breathe in slowly. This can be done 3-5times.

Bhramari
Sit in comfortable position. Inhale completely, press the base of nostrils with little fingers, close the ears with thumbs, keep the index fingers on the forehead, close the eyes with ring and middle fingers. And now breathe out through nose while humming like a bee. Repeat it at least three times and maximum up to 21 times.

Udgeet
Sit in comfortable position with dhyan mudra*. Breathe in deeply, and chant 'Om' while exhaling. One should inhale and exhale so slowly that he or she should not feel the sound of respiration.

The session is concluded with 5-10min of Shavaasan.

Luxury versus Necessity

Luxury versus Necessity

Yesterday, I was driving, and the FM radio went off for few seconds. I thought, I should have an iPod. Then suddenly I realized that I have not used my iPod in last 6 months. And then more things, Handy cam in last 2 years, Digital Camera in last 2 months, DVD player in last 1 month and many more. Now I can say that I bought that Handy cam just out of impulse, I have used it twice only in last 4 years.

 So, whats wrong and where? When I look at myself or my friends I can see it everywhere. We are not happy with what we have but all are stressed and not happy for the things we don’t have. You have a Santro, but you want City¦ You have a City, but you want Skoda. Just after buying a new phone, we need another one. Better laptop, bigger TV, faster car, bigger house, more money¦ .I mean, these examples are endless. The point is, does it actually worth? Do we ever think if we actually need those things before we want them?

After this, I was forced to think what I need and what I don’t. May be I didn’t need this Handy cam or the iPod or that DVD player. When I see my father back at home. He has a simple BPL colour TV, he doesn’t need 32Sony LCD wall mount. He has a cell phone worth Rs 2,500. Whenever I ask him to change the phone, he always says¦ Its a phone, I need this just for calls. And believe me; he is much happier in life than me with those limited resources and simple gadgets. The very basic reason why he is happy with so little is that he doesn’t want things in life to make it luxurious, but he wants only those things which are making his life easier. It’s a very fine line between these two, but after looking my father’s life style closely, I got the point. He needs a cell phone but not the iPhone. He needs a TV but not the 32 plasma. He needs a car but not an expensive one.

Initially I had lot of questions.

I am earning good, still I am not happy¦...why ?

I have all luxuries, still I am stressed.... ....... why ?

I had a great weekend, still I am feeling tired...... why?

I met lot of people, I thought over it again and again, I still don’t know if I got the answers, but certainly figured out few things. I realize that one thing which is keeping me stressed is the stay connected syndrome. I realized that, at home also I am logged in on messengers, checking mails, using social networks, and on the top of that, the windows mobile is not letting me disconnected. On the weekend itself, trying to avoid unwanted calls¦ and that is keeping my mind always full of stress. I realized that I am spending far lesser money than what I earn, even then I am always worried about money and more money. I realized that I am saving enough money I would ever need, whenever needed. Still I am stressed about job and salary and spends.

May be, many people will call this approach not progressive attitude, but I want my life back. Ultimately it’s a single life, a day gone is a day gone. I believe if I am not happy tonight, I’ll never be happy tomorrow morning. I finally realized that meeting friends, spending quality time with your loved one’s; spending time with yourself is the most important thing. If on Sunday you are alone and you don’t have anybody to talk with, then all that luxuries life, all that money is wasted. May be cutting down your requirements, re-calculating your future goal in the light of today’s happiness is a worthwhile thing to do. May be selling off your Santro and buying Honda City on EMIs is not a good idea. I believe putting your happiness ahead of money is the choice we need to make.

I think, a lot can be said and done but what we need the most is re-evaluation of the value of happiness and time we are giving to our life and people associate with it.

Change does not Happen when CircumStances Improves......

Change happens when YOU Decide to Improve YOUR circumstances!!!!!!!

25 paisa will no longer be accepted

starting July, the humble 25 paisa will no longer be accepted as a legal tender anywhere.

"We used to get many things with 25 paise," 

"Used to eat 2 idlies at Triplicane Ratna cafe or masala dosa at Ambal bhavan...It had value at that time,"

But for today's generation, 25 paise can hardly buy them any thing. Even the cheapest mint cost a rupee.

 For those born in 1940s and 50s, it had served for long. My parents used to tell stories of "1 naya paisa" and what all they could get with that in their time

 In my school times i used to buy “then muttai” for 10 paise and “chakkara muttai” for 15 paise, . I couldn’t find a similar taste anywhere till date. 

I roughly remember in mid seventys, I lost a 25 paise coin while returning home during the night in an unlit street. Next day I got up early in the morning and went to the street to fetch the coin. I was on cloud nine when I was able to find it

Those periods were really unforgettable,”

What other things I have done with this 25 paise?

I used to  hire a cycle for five hours and ride around . ( 5 paise per hour is the rental rate for old bicycle),     sumptuous breakfast of idlis and vadas.at any  udipi cafes,

Also remember buying postal envelopes with 25 paise stamps — as opposed to inland letters — “to send letters to special friends”.

This is the last day, that u can use all those tiny shiny 25 paise coins for transactions.  This is gonna end today..  25paise will also go through the same way as 10paise went an year ago.

The discontinuation of 25 paise can have impact on a little rural area economies where they use every paise effectively, they earn. The price of little things may go up..  and can erase the schooltime smiles of little children in such areas.

Anyway, i can wish only good bye to this denomination.

Bye bye little coins, though no longer in market, you all will always remain in my collection.

Anumon lakshmi

3,srininvasmurti avenue adyar 

Subject - Interview Questions

Subject - Interview Questions Most frequently asked Interview Questions Tell me about yourself. Use “Picture Frame Approach” *Do not just repeat what you have given in your resume. It’s a question that most interviewees expect and the one they have the most difficulty answering. Though one could answer this open-ended question in a myriad of ways, the key to answering this question or any other interview question is to offer a response that supports your career objective. This means that you shouldn’t respond with comments about your hobbies, spouse, or extra curricular activities, Interviewers aren’t interested. Provide a brief introduction. Introduce attributes that are key to the open position. Provide a career summary of your most recent work history Tie your response to the needs of the hiring organization Showcase your communication skills. Finish strong. Why do you want to work here? Research the target company before the interview. Basic research is the only way to prepare for this question. Do your homework, and you’ll score big on this question. Give just one or two reasons why you are interested. You can add these points (1) company's reputation(2) desire to join the specific field of interest. What are your weak points? Don’t say you have one, but give one that is really a “positive in disguise.” I am sometimes impatient and do to much work myself when we are working against tight deadlines.” Or “I compliment and praise my staff, but feel I can improve.” Where do you want to be in 5 years? Judge me from the work and I am sure you will put me right where I want to be. Do not over ambitious and speak in a way that you are not satisfied with your current job which you have applied for. What do you look for in a job? Flip this one over. Despite the question, the employer isn’t really interested in what you are looking for. He’s interested in what he is looking for. Address his interests, rather than yours Why are you leaving your current job? You should give two or three reasons for leaving.Lack of challenge, focus on the limitations etc. Never answer with negative reasons, even if they are true. Frame your answer positively by answering why you want to move to the target company instead of why you left or want to leave your most recent job. For example, instead of answering, “I don’t get enough challenges at company,” respond, “I am eager to take on more challenges, and I believe I will find them at [hiring company]. What interests you most about the job? Show how you believe that you are most suited to the post. If you can find out an earlier experience it would be fine. If you have experience, you can quote some similarities from the past and how you achieved success. How is your experience relevant to this job? Sketch out some similar work which you have done in your previous job. It should be something justifiable by you, even though others may think differently.You can even ask some question where you can prove that your experience stands in good strand. Tell me about a time you had to deal with an irritate customer, how did you handle the solution? The question is aimed at you to hear from yourself how you handle people when others loose their temper. Here the best answer you can give to describe a situation and show how you handled it with maturity and diplomacy. What books you read? Do not ever say you have read a book which you have not. Here your suggestion can lead the interviewer to know your taste and interest. It can also hint on how you take your profession. Can we call all your references? If you have given your present boss as your reference you can tell that you prefer to call your current boss only after you receive a confirmed offer as he may not like you changing the job. Do you have any questions? Be prepared to answer this question in advance. List out a few questions you wish to know more about. After you have faced the interview your logic will guide you to ask the question you really want to know more about. How do you handle tension? Answer with ease that in any job and any situation that tension is a part of it. Relax before putting the f act you are very used to such type of works. What is your current salary? Do not bluff. Be specific on the answer. Do not hesitate to say the benefits you enjoyed in the previous job. It may be verified so never mention the benefits you have not got. What is your weakness? Turn the question to a positive one. Simply say that you are a perfectionist and your commitment to output of high quality perfect work. Say this is your weakness.. Don’t say you have one, but give one that is really a “positive in disguise.” I am sometimes impatient and do to much work myself when we are working against tight deadlines.” Or “I compliment and praise my staff, but feel I can improve.”

names

*There are many companies / brands / products whose* *names were derived
from strange circumstances/things/happenings.*

*Mercedes*

*This was actually the financier's daughter's name.*

*Adobe*

*This came from name of the river Adobe Creek that ran behind the house of
founder John Warnock.*

*Apple Computers*

*It was the favorite fruit of founder Steve Jobs. He was three months late
in filing a name for the business, and he threatened to call his company
Apple
Computers if the other colleagues didn't suggest a better name by 5 O'clock
that evening.*

*CISCO*

*It is not an acronym as popularly believed. It is short for San Francisco
.*

*Compaq*

*This name was formed by using COMp, for computer, and PAQ to denote a small
integral object.*

*Corel*

*The name was derived from the founder's name Dr. Michael Cowpland. It
stands for COwpland REsearchLaboratory.*

*Google*

*The name started as a joke boasting about the amount of information the
search-engine would be able to search. It was originally named 'Googol', a
word for the number represented by 1 followed by 100 zeros. After founders-
Stanford graduate students Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their
project to an angel investor, they received a cheque made out to
'Google'* *...thus
the name.*

*Hotmail*

*Founder Jack Smith got the idea of accessing e-mail via the web from a
computer anywhere in the world. When Sabeer Bhatia came up with the business
plan for the mail service, he tried all kinds of names ending in 'mail' and
finally settled for hotmail as it included the letters "html" - the
programming language used to write web pages. It was initially referred to
as HoTMaiL with selective uppercasing.*

*Hewlett Packard*
*Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard tossed a coin to decide whether the company
they founded would be called Hewlett-Packard or Packard-Hewlett.*
*
**Intel*
*Bob Noyce and Gordon Moore wanted to name their new company '
Moore Noyce'but that was already trademarked by a hotel chain so they had to
settle for an acronym of INTegrated ELectronics.*

*Lotus (Notes)*

*Mitch Kapor got the name for his company from 'The Lotus Position' or
'Padmasana'. Kapoor used to be a teacher of Transcendental Meditation of
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.*

*Microsoft*

*Coined by Bill Gates to represent the company that was devoted to MICRO
computer SOFTware. Originally christened Micro-Soft, the '-' was removed
later on.*
*
**Motorola*
*Founder Paul Galvin came up with this name when his company started
manufacturing radios for cars. The popular radio company at the time was
called Victrola.*
*
**ORACLE*

*Larry Ellison and Bob Oats were working on a consulting project for the CIA
(Central Intelligence Agency). The code name for the project was called
Oracle (the CIA saw this as the system to give answers to all questions or
something such). The project was designed to help use the newly written SQL
code by IBM. The project eventually was terminated but Larry and Bob decided
to finish what they started and bring it to the world. They kept the name
Oracle and created the RDBMS engine. Later they kept the same name for the
company.*

*Sony*
*It originated from the Latin word 'sonus' meaning sound, and 'sonny' a
slang used by Americans to refer to a bright youngster.*

*SUN*

**
*Founded by 4 Stanford University buddies, SUN is the acronym for S
tanford University Network. Andreas Bechtolsheim built a microcomputer;
Vinod Khosla recruited him and Scott McNealy to manufacture computers based
on it, and Bill Joy to develop a UNIX-based OS for the computer.*
*
**Yahoo!*

*The word was invented by Jonathan Swift and used in his book 'Gulliver's
Travels'. It represents a person who is repulsive in appearance and action
and is
barely human. Yahoo! Founders Jerry Yang and David Filo selected the name
because they considered themselves yahoos.*

*

TO HELL WITH EXERCISE

TO ALL THE PERSONS WHO EXERCISE AND OFCOURSE WHO DON’T

1.If walking is good for health the postman would be immortal

2.A whale swims all day,only eats fish, drinks water and is fat.

3.A Rabbit runs and hops and only lives for 15 years.

4.A turtle does not run does nothing and lives for 450 years.

TO HELL WITH EXERCISE