Urvashi Gandhi talks about the greatest teacher, Mahatama Gandhi

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others “- Mahatama Gandhi

2^nd October 1869, in a house in Gujarat, was born a boy named Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Nobody could have even imagined that this boy would grow up to be one of the most revered social workers, freedom fighters and people’s champions all across the world. This was the day when the world had welcomed a man whose sole purpose was to serve humanity. All through his life, our Mahatama Gandhi kept fighting against social injustice in the society, trying to instill equality among people.

Bapu, Mahatama, people lovingly address him with many names. In a scenario wherein British ruled India on the account of violence and despotism, there existed a man who resisted all these oppressions using a weapon that was sharper than any other machete and more potent than any firearm; Non Violence. Only a man of strong will, backed by virtues of truth and basking in the shade of selflessness could muster the strength to bring about mammoth-like changes without ever resorting to violence.

Bapu’s entire life is Holy Grail, exuding lessons and teachings in every bit. For him, there was only one god; a god  who was fair to all, a god who never discriminated between rich or poor, privileged or unprivileged. Bapu tried to preach this to the entire world through his actions. He strongly opposed societal sins like ‘Sati’, ‘Child Marriage’ and ‘Dowry’. He believed that the Caste system was biased and unfair. All humans were of same class by birth. To propagate this noble thought among people, Bapu did the jobs that the ‘Harijans’ were subjected to including cleaning the toilets.

Such a great teacher and an honest and humble human being, there is not even a speck of doubt that Mahatama Gandhi was the greatest teacher to ever walk this Earth. If we all could learn from him, the world would be a much better place.

My late grandfather Dr. HARIKISHANDAS GANDHI ... fought our freedom of independence battle alongside Mahatma Gandhi and even got a chance to meet him personally.

How to handle your overly ambitious teenage kid By Urvashi Gandhi

Teen years are often believed to be the most formative years of a child’s life and rightfully believed so. I often meet parents worried beyond all measures about their teen kids. What I very firmly assert to all of them through my counseling sessions is that that when they have been through the 3 a.m. feedings, toddler tantrums and school blues, teenage is comparatively much easier. What we as parents need to understand is that teenage is not merely about physical changes. The teens come with their own emotional baggage, more often than not too much to handle for your young kids.

Through my counseling sessions, I emphasize on certain aspects of teenage life which parents tend to overlook or exhibit a lack of understanding about. This blog is solely dedicated to those parents who worry that their teen kids have stopped eating properly or their teenage son is getting into bad company or their daughter is dating a smoker, yada yada yada.

Many adults are very anxious about their kids entering teenage. But we need to understand that teenage is not restricted to casual flings or long lasting crushes, there’s much more to this much hyped age. Teenage is very energetic, thoughtful and idealistic. Your kids begin to develop their own sense of right and wrong which may not match with yours. It is a time of difficult conflicts between you and your little teenagers but do keep in mind that this is the time when they develop most of their individuality. Be there for their support but never overdo things. Teenagers don’t really listen to parents who constantly nag.

Puberty and adolescence are two important terms for you to understand and differentiate between. Puberty is to do with more physical changes whereas adolescence is more about the changes in behavior patterns. Adolescence is about the emotional changes which your kid goes through alongside the physical ones. So, we might be more supportive of puberty changes like breasts, menstrual periods, pubic hair, and facial hair but we need to more receptive and understanding of the changes of adolescence too.

One of the stereotypes which have gotten attached to teenage is the spirit of rebellion. There is a very thin line between being rebellious and asking for more independence. Parents need to willingly accept the need of space by their child and not tag it as rebellion.

Remember one thing always, the more space you give, the more they will respect you. But keep yourself informed of the company they keep and the things they indulge in.    

Dehumidify yourself with cucumbers this monsoon By Urvashi Gandhi

So, the humidity and dampness, sweat and sogginess are here as we reach the peak of August. Whatever your skin expert or hairdresser tries to sell you by way of this soggy season, we almost get convinced that hair spas or skin facials, are not always a very helpful idea, particularly to your pocket. So considering the need of rejuvenation of the skin during rains, I am dedicating this post to a home remedy to de-stress and beautify your skin. And the one word answer to this is “cucumbers”.

Cucumber is 90% water and this makes it one of the most hydrating veggies of the planet. As the humid season strikes, we need to constantly hydrate ourselves as we lose much of the body water as sweat. Cucumber solves this problem and can not only be eaten raw but can be had in wraps, sandwiches, summer coolers, soups and subs or can be pickled or tossed in salads.

Benefits of this green summer miracle are many. Cucumbers cool and hydrate the skin and make it glow and look fresher. Slices of cucumber can be put on eyes as this helps in lightening the dark circles and making your puffy and tired eyes look fresh. Owing to these rejuvenating benefits, cucumbers often find their way into many beauty and face packs.

Cucumbers significantly aid in weight loss. With high water content, cucumbers hydrate and cleanse the body. They also have Vitamin C content which helps in oxidation of fat. Cucumbers have very low fat content, cholesterol, sodium and carbs and very few calories. This fibrous summer veggie can satiate you without contributing much to the amount of calorie intake.

It is recommended that cucumbers be had in form of salads and continental dishes , be cooked in the form of vegetables, or can be taken as a juice or soup. Eating it alone, though helps in weight loss, may not be sufficient to lose weight.

Interview on Press Room

I have recently been honored to be interviewed by the team of Press Room. We had a discussion on my health aspirations, what’s next in my career and how I define and achieve health. Thanks for having me Press Room!

Q. Tell us about your journey into Alternative Medicines.

I belong to a family where Ayurveda has always had a special significance. My grandfather, great Ayurvedacharya and author, Dr. Harkishandas Gandhi, wrote several books on the subject in his lifetime. He has been my reason and greatest inspiration to undertake the path of naturopathy. I am working as a Naturopath at Naturopathy Hospital in Mumbai. I also write blogs and articles for my website, twitter and facebook pages. Through these portals, I can spread the message of health awareness and people often consult me through mails and messages.

Q. How would Dr.Urvashi Gandhi define ‘health’?

Health is not only about being free of any illnesses but is also about an emotional state of mind. Health pervades both the physical and emotional state. So it is about being confident, optimistic and above all happy. Personally speaking, there’s nothing more healthy than a happy state of mind.

Q. How do you define your fitness mantra?

As I am an ardent believer of balance in life, I do whatever makes me happy in a healthy. I usually try to eat as healthy as I can, mostly going for organic foods, experimenting with vegetarian and raw foods but I also indulge in treats every sometime. I am never very restricted about my approach and I live everything to the fullest. Daily exercise and Yoga is also a way of keeping my fitness on track.

Q. If I had to take a much needed health break to regenerate and start afresh, which place would you recommend?

Any place that makes you feel at peace with yourself, which has less population and where you can have plenty of time to yourself. Amidst the beauty of Mother Nature is the place to be. My personal favorites are beaches so I would recommend Goa or Bali, for meditating and doing yoga by the seas.

Q. Three tips to obtain better health?

Yoga, healthy diet and a positive attitude

Q. Who is your greatest health inspiration?

My grandfather, Ayurvedacharya and author, Dr. Harkishandas Gandhi

Q. Do you have any weaknesses in the food department?

Yes, of course. Who does not! Cakes, cakes and cup cakes!

Q. Where do you see yourself five years down the lane?

I want to continue doing what I am doing right now. Meeting and inspiring people to the path of naturopathy. Who knows, just like my grandfather, I may have compiled my knowledge into a book which I would like to author (laughs).

Color therapy: Balancing the wheels of our life - Part-II

Healing through colors (chromotherapy) is all about the right balance. Administering the colors which someone has in excess or which someone lacks is the key. This follows an application of the appropriate color on the body to stimulate the corresponding chakra. In this blog, I aim to throw some light on the significance and effect of the seven colors of the VIBGYOR.

Red: Red is the color of warmth and energy. It heals fatigue, cold and heightens a low blood pressure. It is the color of stimulation which prompts the root chakra which is at the base of the spine.

 It boosts adrenalin production, multiplies hemoglobin, opens up clogs and releases stiffness. It energizes all the organs and stimulates menstruation. Not recommended for cancer patients as it will stimulate cell growth.

Orange: A color which symbolizes warmth and independence. Orange relieves repression and has a freeing impact on the body. 

It encourages creative thinking and leads to newer possibilities. Connected with sacral chakra, it stimulates respiration, digestion and boosts the activity of thyroid. It also reduces muscle cramps and spasms.

Yellow: Yellow is the color of sun, hence represents life-force. It strengthens the nerves and awakens mental inspiration. It soothes the shooting pain in nerves and energizes the muscles.

 It helps with digestion, liver, intestines, cleansing of skin pores and aids scarred tissues. It also aids with psychic-related conditions and cheers up depression.

Green: The color of nature, green can heal almost everything. It stimulates psychological and emotional harmony. Linked with the heart chakra, it affects conditions of the heart. 

It helps with hormonal imbalances, harmonizes digestion, stomach, liver, kidney function, betters immunity, builds up muscles, bones and strengthens nervous system. It counteracts greed and jealousy.

Blue: Blue is the color of cooling and is electric. It cools down anger, aggression and hysteria. It betters inflammations, fever, blood pressure, headaches and is anti-itching and anti irritation. 

The color blue is linked with the throat chakra and so helps with speech related problems and helps with communication, laryngitis and inflammation of larynx.

Indigo: It helps in dealing with problems associated with the eyes and ears. It purifies the blood stream. It is linked to the brow chakra and controls the pineal gland.

Violet: Violet is the color of transformation. It helps in healing melancholy and alcohol addiction. It stimulates the spleen, detoxifies the body, brings spiritual renewal, boosts immunity, brings better sleep, destresses and reduces pain. It is believed to boost the power of meditation ten-fold.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Holistic Education: Why is it important for your kids? - Urvashi Gandhi

As Ron Miller has rightly said, “Holistic education is a philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the community, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as compassion and peace”. Holistic education focuses on enriching the knowledge base of a kid but not exclusively through the books. It touches upon a deeper recess of conscience and entails introspection. The idea of holistic education is to teach a kid to understand his emotions, his responses and unearth the latent potential. It might sound too complicated to be implemented with kids, but like they say, looks are deceptive.

Holistic education is no rocket science that it would burden your child. On the contrary, it would make your kid relate to the inner self. The child would be more aware of the sensitivities and capacities. The best way to learn in Holistic education is to analyze the experiences. This learning instills a bent which tells a kid that everything happens for a reason. All these effects make your kid understand his surroundings. It leads to enlightenment.

Holistic education unlocks a child’s creative aptitude and frees the mind of constraints. Holistic education in no way condemns academic education, but stresses upon combining it with intellectual knowledge. This is a perfect combination. And that’s why a large number of schools are inculcating holistic education as an integral part of the curriculum to ensure an overall growth of the students. By imparting holistic education to your kids, you can easily prepare them to take on the world. 

When your pet becomes your healer - Animal Assisted Therapy

Before I begin talking about animal therapy and its fantastic benefits, I’d like to mention a small acknowledgement. I would love to dedicate this blog to my darling dog Ninja. He isn’t just a loving pet, but my best friend and nothing short of a little brother. Ninja has been with me through the troughs and crests of my life. It is amazing how an animal understands you without ever communicating through a common verbal language.  

The connection between animal and human is evolving since the evolution of the latter. They are not only your partner in every phase of life, but also play a very essential and comprehensive role in your regular life. You forget all your stress and tension seeing that innocent face and wagging tail of such pleasant distraction which never judges you but quietly eases your tensions. Animal aided therapy is in existence since 1940’s and working miraculously from that time. It recently started trending in India after results been appreciated overseas in huge numbers. Therefore, we will be discussing its importance in this blog.

Dog, cat, horse and dolphins are being used in these animal aided therapies as none of them fail to give you the sense of companionship and avoid that part of your life, when you feel isolated from rest of the world. It is scientifically proven that your pet helps in enriching your emotional, physical and social well being, in order to boost your self-esteem and trim down your anxieties. These therapies concentrate on the physical sustenance and psychological support via involving the person in various activities with the animal being used in the therapy. Many worldwide surveys have acknowledged the dog owners with low cholesterol problems and normal blood pressures as compared to non-dog owners. Different animals can be used in different environments for all different kinds of clients. Like over caring dogs are being used for the treatment of mentally and physically tortured people and that same dog will not be used in that same environment to help motivating the children.

Few things need to be kept in mind while going through the animal aided therapy, which are:

• ·         Allergies of some people regarding that animal
• ·         Abreast vaccination of the animal
• ·         Good health of that animal
• ·         Animal should be well trained

You should keep a record of all above said points in order to avoid few undesirable consequences, though not so harmful, but still an obstacle in doing the therapy properly. Otherwise it’s all goo do go for it, because who wants to miss the chance of meeting such an adorable doctor.

Hunting in 2015 – a blot on humanity by Urvashi Gandhi

It is really sick and disheartening to hear about the recent wanton killing of the lion Cecil. One of the most beautiful lions of Zimbabwe has been killed by a doctor (somebody as literate as that). I happen to, and I think we all should, take this incident as a little serious happening in the year 2015. Our country had banned the animal hunting way back in 1972 but our society still has some 

psychologically sick people who would wantonly hunt down animals for pleasure or perhaps, pride.

Hunting has been an age old tradition of our heritage, belonging to the times of kings and monarchs. The dead animals were displayed and wooed the king’s sense of his own valor, chivalry and his sense of ‘manliness’. But even then, our country had emperors like Asoka who condemned and did away with such a thoughtless pastime. Centuries later, here we are with another case of such a pursuit of satisfaction of one’s pride! It is even hard to imagine how can a civilized-someone impress his own sense of self by killing animals, who cannot speak, do not have any archers or bows or cemented houses to protect themselves.

Walter Palmer, the dentist who has done this honorable killing, hired a professional hunter Theo Bronkhorst to do this noble act (I don’t have words for these men and their actions and all that can justify my anger most closely is irony, just the way hunting in 2015 is oxymoronic).

I am nothing but sick hearing of this incident and I don’t really feel anger but disgust and hurt at such a show of sadism by someone belonging to the profession which people refer to as godliness in this sinful world, a doctor. 

Go the natural way – Cure through Sunlight

Our cosmetic show rooms are flooded with a range of sun screens. With varied levels of SPF the markets offer, we never come to even think that these potions could actually be poisons for our skin. I eagerly want to tell all of you that we need to get rid of the habit of drenching ourselves in these sun block potions. This may be surprising for you that screen screens protect us from Ultra Violet radiations when it is only one of the nine frequencies which the sun light emits. The others are infrared and the seven spectrums of visible light and each of these comes with its own healing powers!

Another not-so-helpful thing with these sun screens is that it prevents the UV rays from creating Vitamin D in our bodies. Vitamin D is an essential which helps in improving bone health, is anti-cancerous, supports immune system, helps in loosing fat, prevents dementia and bone aging and so on. So with these multitudes of sun blocks which our market is flooded with has manifested itself in the Vitamin D deprived generation that we are creating.

Sun light is good and natural and so, a limited exposure to it is good in multiple ways that include:

• It helps combating with breast cancer by making the disease go into remission even in terminal cases.
•  It kills bad bacteria and disinfects wounds.
•  It helps in recovery from skin disorders like acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.
•  It converts high cholesterol into steroid and sex hormones and a lack of it will lead to vice versa, conversion of hormones into cholesterol.
•  It boosts immunity by helping increase the production of White Blood Cells called lymphocytes.
•  It boosts stamina and fitness by increasing oxygen content in the blood.
•  It can cure mild depression.
•  It boosts growth and height, especially among babies. The more exposure to sunlight which infants get, the better their heights are.

Cleanse and cure your body through water therapy

There is nothing more refreshing than a glass of cold water after a day of hard work, which melted down in work and sweat. A thing as simple as water is also as miraculous and take me literally when I say that! This ordinary blue water can have amazing therapeutic effects, correcting a range of illnesses, from pain to constipation to cancer.

The treatment through water is called water therapy and is traditionally known as Usha Paana Chikitsa. Drinking water right when you get up in the morning on an empty stomach cleanses the body system and purifies the internal system. It cleanses the colon which helps the body produce haematopaises (new blood). 

This helps the body restore and cure ailments, while helping the body absorb more nutrients from the food.A surprising result of a Japanese medical society has found out that water therapy can help in a 100% cure of the diseases like bronchitis, arthritis, epilepsy, tuberculosis, diarrhea, meningitis and many other. From taking a day to a month, the therapy can cure ailments from constipation to cancer.

Here is the list of basic steps you need to follow for the water therapy:

1.      Drink 1.5 liters (5-6 glasses) of water every morning on an empty stomach.
2.      Do not take anything an hour prior and post the therapy.
3.      Try avoiding any alcoholic beverages the night prior to the morning of therapy.
4.      If drinking 1.5 liters of water suddenly is hard, increase the amount gradually or take it at                     intervals of a few minutes.

To sum down the benefits of water therapy, I would like to make the following points:

•  Helps in production of colon which helps in the absorption of nutrients
•  Boosts new blood production
•  Helps in fighting various diseases from stomach problems to tuberculosis to cancer
•  Helps in weight loss by boosting body metabolism
•  Helps in purging toxins from the body leading to glowing skin
•  Helps balancing body fluids and lymph system

Root out stress from your child’s life with Urvashi Gandhi

We live in an era where everybody is occupied in many things and where we ultimately end up finding ourselves is in the quagmire of stress. But as adults and as parents, we don’t often realize that our stress seeps down to the younger generations. The primary way of learning is through imitation and as children observe their parents’ lifestyle, what they learn is nothing better than being stressfully caught up by the tick-tock of the clock. And another thing with children is that often their tender hearts and minds may take minute things more seriously than what actually as adults might appear to us. So what becomes the need for every parent to fulfill is to make sure a right growth for their kids. 

Here are a few steps which parents should take heed of while raising the tender and impressionable minds for tomorrow:

• Motivate the kid to face his fears: Facing one’s problem is the solution to it. Running away from the problems only further contributes to anxiety as it offers no permanent solution to it. Make your child follow this simple truth from the very start and provide him the comfort level to share his mistakes.

• Arrange relaxing activities: Spend time with your child and arrange for some simple activities like painting, playing games or just being there for him. It would be better to keep it noncompetitive as it avoids the stress which the whole world is brimming up with. Children are already under the pressure and stress to beat others and win the race against their friends and competitors. So keep it simple and relaxed!

• Inculcate healthy sleeping habits: A good sleep is a map to healthy lifestyle. It not only refreshes one’s mind, but also significantly helps with fighting anxiety. You just have to inculcate the thought of going early to bed and early to rise, which will definitely make the kid very healthy and wise.

•  Promote optimism: Being positive solves half of the problems. The positive energy of staying calm and optimistic also boosts the stamina and fight with many other internal diseases. So it’s better to teach the children to be always positive and cherish the present moment.

So keep these points in mind while you raise those receptive minds and keep stress away from their lives, at least a 100 miles. After all, what we cherish the most is our kid’s smile and their laughter keeps us going too.

Color therapy: Balancing the wheels of our life

Color therapy can be very well described as an alternative therapy that aims at balancing the chakras in our body. The evidences of this therapy can be traced thousands of years back to Middle East, China and India. The underlying idea is that every color has a specific wavelength and energy attached to it. The most prominent colors are that of a rainbow i.e. VIBGYOR( Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red). These seven colors belong to seven chakras or energy centers of our body

•     Violet  à Crown Chakra
•     Indigo à Brow Chakra
•     Blue    à Throat Chakra
•     Green  à Heart Chakra
•     Yellow  à Solar Plexus Chakra
•     Orange à Sacral Chakra
•      Red     à Base Chakra

Understand the chakras as the hands of a clock. For a clock to run properly, every hand needs to run smoothly and in coordination with the other hands. So if the chakras are performing well, then that ensures good health (mental as well as physical). Failing this, a person becomes prone to diseases. Color therapy ensures that all the chakras or the energy centers work properly by balancing or re-adjusting the energies. This is done by applying appropriate color to the body in order to stimulate the chakra.

Colors are absorbed by our eyes, skin, skull and the aura. The energy corresponding to a color affects on all the levels- physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. Every cell in our body requires light. So color therapy has a holistic effect on the body. Various ways can be used to employ the color therapy, for example, Hands on healing using color, Solarized Water, Light boxes/lamps with color filters, color silks. Color is around us everywhere. The nature boasts of colors, the red of the setting sun, the green of the trees, the brown of the soil and much more. But we tend to ignore the colors around us and devoid our life of various energies. Color therapy compensates for those missing energy patterns.