How Toxic Are You?

I remember...

...Channel 4 undertaking a bold move into highlighting the long-term health damage from excessive use of parabens, soidum laureth sulfate and triclosan in skin care and beauty products...tis includes shampoos, skin creams and lotions.

I thought it would be interesting to expose a few facts about the unending array of better-sounding, better-looking personal products that irresponsible, greedy manufacturers stuff inside and on bodies of gullible consumers like you and me...

Let's look at the popular shampoos sold and used in India, and endorsed through our favorite celebrities:

Get the facts right:

Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Ethyl Sulfate (SLES) are skin and eye irritants.

Found in household cleaning products, shampoos, shower gels, bubble-baths.

Articles over the internet that tell you otherwise, are secondary research information that are outdated and conducted 5-10 years ago. Read them with a pinch of salt

The following favorite shampoos most of us use day in and day out, contain SLS or SLES:

Jennifer Aniston endorses Garnier Fructis internationally

... and Jennifer Penty does it for India

John Abraham endorses Clinic All Clear

...Maria Menounos endorses Pantene ProV

In India, shampoo brands bank on a sizeable share of their profits to celebrities like Kareena Kapoor, Sushmita Sen and Priyanka Chopra...this is what the Hindu Business Line managed to dig out: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/11/08/stories/2008110850761800.htm

Given the mass influence that popular actors have upon the youth...it is dicey for them to jump on the advertisement bandwagon without a little background research on their endorsements...I am certain, as consumers who are used to such intoxicating fragrant shampoos, we either overlook most facts (maybe even now, your mind is saying, "yes, yes", or a "no, no"), or we act helpless with statements like, "Oh! but the market is flooded with such products, what options do we have?"

If that question arose from a space of sincerity for a healthier lifestyle upgradation, then I have a small tip for you...

When did you last walk into the Baidyanath ayurvedic store next door? You will be amazed and so was I, at the richness of the products Ayurveda has to offer!! Fragrant shampoos which do not contain toxins, hair wash gels that are extracted by natural means from organic fruits and herbs, and formulations that were made from ancient ayurvedic compositions (that are still a rage after around 20 millenniums!)...it's easy to fall in love with the organic soaps and ayurvedic hair washes that are pure, natural, holistic, and make us proud and educated eco-conscious consumers.

If you are a step ahead in ~>*narcissism*<~ ...you may use the Trichup brand products, Bhringaraj hair powder available at Bodhi Tree and Herbal Remedies. Alternately, Shikakai Powder has been an enduring trusted hair wash since the days of our grand mothers and grand fathers...

personally, i LOVE the body and hair care products offered at Sri Sri Ayurveda personal care products shops online and offline...you'll find lots of first-hand testimonials of people who use and love its products...

Love yourself, Go ayurvedic...be natural...let our planet breathe easy!

...Oh btw, this is how split-ends of a human hair look like....UNDER THE MICROSCOPE... ouchhh!

OFFICE ARITHMETIC- Excerpts from the Corporate Jungle

Smart boss + smart employee = profit

Smart boss + dumb employee = production

Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion :-)

Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime !!!

PUT THE GLASS DOWN!

This is a small story, though it is old and may be repetition it is
worth reading......

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students, "How much do you think this glass weighs?"

'50gms!' ..... '100gms!' .....'125gms' ...the students answered.

I really don't know unless I weigh it," said the professor, "but, my
question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?"

'Nothing' the students said.

'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the professor asked.
'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the students.

"You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?"
"Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure!" ventured another student & all the students laughed.

"Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?" asked the professor.
'No' was the answer.

"Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?"
The students were puzzled.

"What should I do now to come out of pain?" asked professor again.

"Put the glass down!" said one of the students

"Exactly!" said the professor.

Life's problems are something like this.
Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.
Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache.
Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything. It's important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to 'PUT THEM DOWN' at the end of every day before You go to sleep..
That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

So, when you leave office today, & before you sleep…
Remember to

'PUT THE GLASS DOWN !'

"Touching" Moment

Need I say more?

Courtesy: Vinay Subramanya :-)

Happiness Quotient for Lifetime

An Important Question...A Brilliant Answer

Question: Can you please talk about restrictions during eclipse like not to eat?

Sri Sri: The mind has a deep connection with the moon and the moon is connected to water and water is connected to the body: 60 to 70 percent of the body is water. Everything is interconnected. When a celestial phenomenon happens, it impacts the body also. For example, the way you feel early in the morning is different from how you feel in the afternoon or evening. Evening goes with romantic music and melodies, morning goes with wake up calls. You can´t play romantic music in the afternoon.

The mind has an impact on the mind and body complex. Time has an impact on the mind. Planets have an impact on mind and the mind-body complex. Ancient people have written about it. When the mind says, `It´s wrong´, you try to prove it wrong and when you can´t prove it wrong, the mind accepts it. For example, turmeric. In the 70s and 80s, people dismissed it as only being a pigment with no food value but now scientists say it has the best anti oxidant value like amla (gooseberry) and tulsi (basil). They have started rediscovering the ancient sacred herbs as being very useful and a must for healthy living.

The reason we say, don´t eat during and before the time of eclipse is because the food increases metabolism in the body. Increased metabolism doesn´t let the mind be in a calm state. If you have food, you would simply fall asleep. We advise this to soothe the system and not excite it during the celestial phenomenon.

His simple-yet-profound knowledge makes us realize life is a real "...Wow!"

Jai GuruDeva
(May YOU become wise like a Guru and playful like a Deva)

HAITI DISASTER..What we can do?

(Courtesy Pic : http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/01/13/article-1242929-07D9251D000005DC-556_964x640.jpg)

What happens when the heart of your nation, its financial and political
capital, is virtually destroyed? What happens when at least 200,000 of your
family and friends are crushed by collapsing buildings and 3 million people –
1/3 of the population – lose their families, their homes, their livelihoods
– everything they've ever known?

You lose hope.

Martine leads a group of Art of Living youth leaders in Carrefour, Haiti, near
Port au Prince. She emailed a report and pictures of the street children the
group is working with. She signed off with "I love you. Big kisses." This
email was sent just hours before the earthquake ripped open her neighborhood.
Martine is only 22, and this bold girl wants to dedicate her life to empowering her people. She is
starting her teacher training to empower youth to become leaders, and responsible citizens. We haven't heard from her since the earthquake.

"My Haitian students are fierce and proud, with incredible devotion and resilience. When they smile, they light up a room. There's a depth in their eyes that comes from a deep connection with both pain and love. Whenever they start any activity, they pray. When hardship comes, they pray. God is almost always on their minds. They are praying right now." - Uma Viswanathan, Art of Living Teacher

Dr. RoseMarie Toussaint, a surgeon and Art of Living teacher, talks lovingly of
her homeland. "Being born and raised in Port-au-Prince, I am devastated by what has happened to my people, my friends and family. My country is suffering. I want to jump on a plane right now to help. But I need help to make a real difference."

(Courtesy Pic: http://despardes.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/5-e1263408803734.jpg)

Donate Now. www.iahv.org. Click on Haiti. 100% of your donations go to support:

- Immediate supplies and food

- Trauma relief programs

- Long-term rehabilitation programs

(Courtesy pic: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=318330&sc=79)

Volunteer now

Especially seeking French-speakers. Contact jonathan.woodward@gmail.com

Host a Fundraising Event

For more information: umav@artofliving.org