A Letter to Adhirai on her 3rd birthday!

The day exactly three years ago from this day was the second most memorable day for our entire family. Our first milestone was achieved! ya, baby.... you came like a gift to us! That wetness due to the first and last touch of umbilical chord on my left toe! I will never forget in my life. I always feel my toe has that moisture even in a dry land. Whenever I see my toe, the birthing room with full of my emotions only come to my mind. You are a rare soul, you came exactly 5 years 10 months from our marriage. I named you on the very first day you came into me as 'happy'. I think that is why you are giving immense pleasure to us every day. We cherish every moment of our togetherness. Every now and then you weaved a memory with in us. We were not that happy before you born; you showed us life will be this beautiful. We haven't laughed together like we laughed with you. You actually has increased our husband-wife relationship happier and better. Now I & Srini love each other more; have understood each other more; respect each other's differences. We learnt how to love unconditionally from you. Your trust on us has made us responsible. The belief system that evolved in our family, all because of you. You are making our house live. You have become the meaning of our life. You are the mark of our happiness.

The individualism you showed increased our confidence of facing life. You are the person who challenge the challenge. The gut feeling you have….., happppppaaa. We have admired it many times. How this girl can be this confident, this much understanding, this true to self and us.. You have taught me more than I did to you. We are growing everyday by listening to you.

There is no husband-wife setup in our family after your birth. Over the time, our home is like a hostel room of three friends. I always love to play with you; chat with you; hear the dynamic stories you weave everyday, your creative play, your nature walk, your cute cute yoga postures, our single plate sharing eateries, the way you feed your dad and mom; the tight hugs while sleeping; your lazy morning get ups; your lovely 'no's when I wake you up and clinging on to your dad, your 'ohm namachivaya's and slogans; your 'aaruvadhu sinam' talks; your gut talks to your grandpa; your first drawing 'ettu kaal poochi' and your second drawing 'led bulb'; your tight kisses, your cricket plays with dad, your cyclings, you gym time on the park rope… on the top of all, your clinging on me for breast milk… I loved to breast feed you, I enjoyed the entire process of feeding. I have the satisfaction that I did my very first duty as mom fully with lots of love. When you were 2.7 years, I stopped mother feeding with no heart.

Kid, you are the eye opener for me. You made me love you and Srini for no reason. Love you my sweet heart!

  

Yoga In My Life

Yoga! For me, pronouncing this word is like chanting the prayer lyrics. Tat much powerful.. You know some thing or some people automatically gets attraction while being spelled and seen... Words like Yoga, Ohm fall under these category.

Ya, fine.... Now coming to point... I was studying fifth standard that time. Here no matric schools were near by.. Of course now too.. We have to travel 10 kms to get a good one... So the prime minister and home minister of my family decided to switch me to tamil medium school which was near by street. My grand pa took me one fine morning to my new school.. just an informal visit on a summer day before joining..... a very fine morning walk to school.... he took me inside, main gate was open... we surprised and got inside.... 15-20 people were giving more different postures there.. One man was guiding them to correct the postures they gave.... Don't get puzzled, yoga teaching was being done at the moment... We were seeing it by standing in a corner of the playground.

I took a look of whole surrounding... The school was so good looking... too greeny..... grandpa told it was of 2 acres of bare land surrounded by more flowering plants... 2 to 3 mango trees too i suppose.... i liked it very much...  somebody patted my grandpa's shoulder.. i didnt notice it as i was surprisingly seeing the things happened on that moment... the flowers, the trees and the children who were playing cricket.... I was having a swift look on all wonders present there.. i can say it seemed like a lake view point..... yes a big sized pond was there beside the mango trees.... Grandpa was talking to the stranger then finally he introduced me to him... "Abi, see your tamil teacher. He's going to teach you." I saw him... over pounded weight...average looking... i wished him and make my hands crossed as i was advised by my fifth standard class teacher that it s a kind of politeness... He asked some questions.. While answering, my eyesight fell on the yoga man more times... he asked me if i want to learn it... I told yes, not intentionally but i didnt want to make my first answer to my teacher 'No'. He told my grandpa that a guy from tiruvanmiyur has come to teach yoga for 3 weeks. Those who were learning were some sophisticated chennai people.. Their looks even prooved tat... Actually he has brought them to teach yoga in a live environment, in a greeny surrounding.. Grandpa appreciated tat with a good nod and gave a smile seeing me...

He took me to the man and told pointing me "She will be coming  from today onwards. Small girl. She dosen't know about this. So dont impose your hard postures on her, please guruji.". He smiled and asked a lady to make me feel comfortable..She helped me a lot... I was doing aasanaas. But not involved fully... Often I was looking behind to make confirmed whether grandpa was there... Ya he was talking to my forthcoming tamil teacher... I completed and was told to come on the same time next day... I returned home and grandpa told my mom abt the yoga classes... She heard with a big smile in her face... She told to do those stuffs even at home... I was puzzled why mom was like tat, forcing me to do these excercises... But i obeyed her...

The day after, granny accompanied me... She was sitting on a bench, looking how things were going there..... The yoga master showed a handy book in which all the aasanaas taught had been depicted with picture... his own postures were there as pictures... I was exicted that I'd never seen a person in direct, whose picture was published in books... I guessed he might be a great person.... I utter obeyed him from the moment onwards...  considering him as a celebrity..... Granny bought that book.... At once returning to home, she gave the book to mom..She started reading it... Infact, she finished the book on the day itself... It was of some 70  pages, but pictures occupied more.... Then I started doing exercises which were taught by my celebrity..

Thus my yoga practices began... Continuing now too... But in the middle i left practicising.... Became irregular... But later after knowing the bare necessity of yoga, I started again.....

Really saying, "After doing the 'pranayama', i feel better in breathing. A deep breath comes after doing the excercise.." You too try it....These are the virtues given by ancestors. Start learning.. My advice is not to follow any books and dont read the strategies... You learn from a guru.... It s the best way.... Later you can follow the books...

I'd suffered from breathing trouble during winter days in my childhood... As practising yoga, i've come out of it... Now everything is perfect... Try it.... You can also feel the wonders.... Actually the aasanaas have been simplified now... Those which were taken into practice in early days were too hard... My guruji told nearly 84 lakhs yogaasanaas are available now... If so imagine how it were in earlier days..

Yoga is the best medicine for getting recovered from the diseases...