Balance your body alternatively!

How about opting for alternative treatments to balance and prepare your body for the wedding season's grind? Somantic Healing, Dhara Massage, Laughter Yoga Therapy or even Sattvic Weekend Retreats will help you attain holistic health. Trupti gets the details for you

Let the goodness flow
Wedding season translates into late nights and incorrigible food indulgences which can lead to excessive toxins and hormonal imbalances in your body. One of the best ways to eliminate these toxins and balance your hormones is to go in for a Dhara massage (Shirodhara and Chakradhara). An important process in Ayurveda, it is offered in various spas and Ayurvedic centres these days with skilful therapists who treat your body with an array of repetitive and slow movements such as kneading, squeezing, and rubbing.

Shriodhara enhances blood circulation to the brain, improves mental clarity, and generally releases deeply trapped toxins. On the other hand, Chakradhara balances the energy flow and purifies the mind, body, and soul.

Laugh the blues away
Sometimes, balancing work and social commitments can get really tiring. But there is a cure - Laughter Yoga therapy, which gives the adage ‘laughter is the best medicine’ a whole new meaning.

“Laughter is a great stress buster that we naturally possess but we tend to take its importance for granted. With the help of some simple and effective exercises and breathing techniques included in Laughter Yoga, we take in a good supply of oxygen. This boosts our immunity and produces the feel good hormone endorphin in our body that elevates our mood, wastes carbon dioxide and releases toxins, negativity, stress, and nervousness. Perfect to combat the festive frenzy, right?” says Khushmita, a renowned Laughter Yoga therapist.

The real icing on the cake is that ten minutes of Laughter Yoga equals to thirty minutes on a treadmill!

Take a yogic break
Going away to a yogic retreat is the perfect way to prepare you for the mad rush of the festivities. Aimed at rejuvenating and detoxifying your body and mind, these retreats are sheer bliss. Manish Pole of www.totalyoga.in, who conducts regular yogic retreats, says, “The retreat is great for all sorts of people. You get a chance to rejuvenate in the lap of nature, while learning vital and often esoteric yogic practices that can be applied in routine life. It will also teach you to incorporate these exercises in your hectic schedules to offset bad digestion, sudden weight gain and so on!”

The retreats are generally conducted far away from the city. It could vary from a one hour session followed by a delicious brunch to a two day retreat that comprises of pranayama, internal yogic cleansing kriyas, and meditation along with nature treks. At the end of it, you will be surprised at how effortlessly you are prepared to tackle the festive stress!

Tune in to the subconscious
Somantic therapy can help you de-stress like nothing else. It’s like a tool we can use in our ongoing and lifelong journey of growth and healing. Somatic healing uses hypnosis to access the subconscious mind and its infinite healing powers. It taps into the recesses of the mind and nervous system to take care of all those recurrent health problems with very promising results. The power to de-stress might lie in our own subconscious…neat, isn’t it?

None of these treatments have any side effects; hence you could safely opt for them. Nevertheless, we recommend that you consult a doctor before taking the plunge, in case you have any chronic problems.

Honeymoon with a wild twist!

Just married? Come along for the ride as Baisakhi Roy checks out some really crazy and very exotic honeymoon destinations

1) Have a meat-fest
Hawaii is not just sand and snorkelling. A better way to celebrate wedded bliss is eating your guts out at a traditional “luau”. Far from being a picnic table affair, this is an elaborate ceremony where you will be regaled with Polynesian music and dance while you enjoy a demonstration of their native arts and crafts. Then, the fun begins. At a typical luau, in a large pit called the “imu”, a large pig, sweet potatoes and laulau (fish and pork wrapped in a leaf) are placed and covered with banana leaves and ti leaves. then after a couple of hours and a few mai-tais down, watch the unearthing of a steaming, roasted pig from the underground oven accompanied by exotic Hawaiin food like huli huli chicken, fresh mahi mahi, poi and sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables and delectable desserts.

There are three nightly luaus hosted along Kaanapali Beach: the Hyatt Regency Maui’s ‘Drums of the Pacific,’ and the one hosted by the Royal Lahaina Resort; one of Maui’s longest-running luaus. Romance blossoms on a full tummy.

2) Swim with the fish
Yes you could and then stay on. Jules’ Undersea Lodge, at the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon in Key Largo, Florida is perfect for couples who love marine life and literally want to be a part of it. Getting to the lodge is an adventure magnifique. Visitors must dive 21 feet down below the surface and swim through the tropical mangrove habitat of the Emerald Lagoon going up underneath the structure to enter a space through the floor in the hotels ‘wet’ room. “Entering through an opening in the bottom of the habitat, the feeling is much like discovering a secret underwater clubhouse,” according to the lodge’s Web site. See some amazing technology in the Marine Lab, an underwater laboratory devoted exclusively to research and education. Befriend some parrotfish and barracuda while the “mer-chef” dives into the hotel to prepare your dinner. Don’t fret if you don’t know how to dive; the lodge provides lessons for all levels. Seal that pact with love and a wet kiss.

3) Hike up the passion with biking
Take your love to dizzying heights with a biking honeymoon in Oaxaca’s Northern Sierras. Exotic flowers crowd the slopes, and even on the sunniest of days, puffy white clouds loft in from the Gulf of Mexico to cool you. Pine forests give the mountains their green colour and add shade. You can choose from over a dozen inexpensive lodging places called cabanas where you can stay while not biking up the mountains. The housing is reasonably priced to attract adventure junkies and eco-tourists. Add to that the locally grown fresh farm food and you have an inexpensive way to spend your days wrapped in love, savouring some fresh, rare air. And if the culture craving seeps in, explore the ruins in Monte Alban (one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica), located 10 km west of the state capital, Oaxaca City.

4) Camp with the lions
Does big game give you a thrill? Then, one of the largest game reserves in Kenya, The Masai Mara is where you could set up camp. Or it could be done for you; the safari experience is quadrupled when you are right in the middle of the action. The Mara is home to some of the best tented luxury camps in Africa and wait, there’s more. All tents are equipped with flushing toilets, haute cuisine and sun downers served by waiters wearing white gloves. You can begin your mornings with a slow mocha, watching the wildebeest (belongs to the goat family) converging at the waterhole (most of the hotels set up camps along the Talek river) right from your tent. Then take a convertible van out into a no-holds barred wildlife adventure as you sneak up on a herd of African elephants or a family of lions lazying over their kill. Sweet moments spent in savannah splendour!

Kitchen Confidential

Self taught cook and baker Jacob Blankenship runs his virtual kitchen over at his blog Jacob's Kitchen. While most blogs stop at recipes and photographs, Jacob tells you all about eating what you just cooked.

Luxury food at its best, Jacob inspires and often urges his readers to “examine the beauty of food”. Talking to Rajani Mani, Jacob Blankenship talks about how he hopes to “inspire people to be more adventurous in the kitchen” and the one advice he has for readers is to “stop and smell the cupcakes”. Here’s more from him…

What’s your story?
“I have been cooking and baking for as far back as I can remember. Even as a three year old, I would drag a little black stool all around my grandmother’s kitchen, where she taught me how to make bread, cakes, pies, biscuits, jam, and cobblers. Over the years I have collected a lot of cookbooks, and watched countless hours of cooking shows on television. But what I love most about food is its ability to bring us all a little closer together.”

What is Jacob’s Kitchen all about?
“While I do blog about all of the food that I make, I have a special place in my heart for desserts, so I find that I blog about those most frequently. Beyond that, my posts have an emphasis on entertaining, presentation, and how to serve delicious, impressive dishes with as little work as humanly possible.”

You live in Oregon, tell us about the local food scene.
“In Oregon I am fortunate to live in the rich Willamette valley which offers a wide array of fresh produce, and local artisan wines and cheeses. Marionberries, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, hazelnuts, asparagus, apples, and pears are just a fraction of our area’s bounty.”

A delicious food memory?
“My great great grandmother’s yeast rolls that we make for all of our holidays and special occasions. As if the entirety of my life was contained inside of the warm, feathery layers of dough. What could be more delicious than that?”

Your favourite cooking smell?
“Does anything compare to the smell of sautéing onions and garlic, or fresh bread baking?”

Five ingredients you just can’t do without
“Some of my most used, and most cherished ingredients are, fresh lemons, butter, vanilla (beans and extract), garlic, and salt.”

Where are you most likely to source your recipe from?
“My most trusted recipes come from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa series. Her recipes never fail!”

What would you like your last meal to be?
“I have often been asked this question, and fear that when the time came to make the decision that I would be paralyzed by the many amazing choices. But it would certainly have to include spicy Thai panang curry, some delicious fresh sushi, hot garlic naan, lots of amazing cheeses, and a big slice of strawberry cheesecake.”

What recipe are you sharing with us?
“This simple caramel sauce is great served over fresh fruit, ice cream, cakes, pies, and puddings. It lasts for weeks in the refrigerator, and makes any last minute dessert feel really special.”

SALTED VANILLA CARAMEL SAUCE

Ingredients
3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup water
2 ½ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Method
1. In a small bowl, combine the salt and vanilla extract, set aside.
2. In a sauce pan, stir together the sugar and water. Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, or until the syrup is clear. Once clear, turn the heat up to medium and boil for 5-12 minutes, or until the syrup has turned a warm chestnut brown. Off the heat, stir in the cream, being cautious, as this addition will cause the syrup to bubble up violently.
3. Back over low heat, stir the caramel until the sugar has once again melted, the bubbles subside, and the mixture becomes homogeneous.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla mixture.
5. Serve at room temperature over fresh fruit, ice cream, puddings, or cakes. Keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

For more delicious masterpieces and tips on luxurious fine dining, visit Jacob’s Kitchen.

Women are just as scary when mad!

Are you scary when angry? From physical to verbal abuse, from nasty tricks to humiliating scenes, is your temper getting the better of you? Men talk about women and women about themselves when anger in their lives threatened to destroy it all. By Smita Singh

Angry Women = Scary Women
When Supriya started to realize she had a temper she was 12, when she decided she liked her aggression, she was 26 and climbing the work ladder fast, when she realized she had hit her daughter almost everyday during the summer vacations, she was 32 and her daughter was 4.

“Both my parents had a lot of latent as well as overt aggression and that seeped into me very early. I was also bullied in school as a kid, so in my work place I turned it all out and the sense of power and confidence it gave me was exhilarating.” By the time her husband, understanding to a large extent and usually capable of keeping her in good humor, realized the child had no such defense or guile, Supriya was ready to listen.

“Motherhood took a toll on me. I felt frustrated, incapable of controlling a situation, a baby for god’s sake! I would yell so loudly, erupt in such dramatic ways that both my husband and child started to keep a distance, of course that aggravated me more.” Supriya remembers pinching her daughter hard while watching a movie in the theatre to keep the child from complaining. “Back home at night when I was changing her clothes, I noticed so many places on her arm that had turned red and blue. I was inconsolable for days.”

Supriya has since attended seminars, yoga sessions and little by little worked her anger out in different ways, although she admits there’s a long way to go.

You duck when things come flying, and it’s not funny
Suraj was 3 years into his marriage when he felt desperate enough to leave his job and move to another city to get away. ‘She does not work, so I send her money instead. We had an arranged marriage and I think there will be too many questions if I decided to walk out formally. I once share with a friend and all I got was ‘You are scared of your wife?’ It’s very hard to explain.’ Suraj had been struggling from the first six months of their marriage in which he had witnessed more scenes than in his entire lifetime. “It’s not funny when someone goes completely nuts, looking deranged and sets out to break everything you own. If I ever attempted to over power her in any way it would get worse and it was always my fault that I got her this mad.”

Suraj himself acknowledges his shortcomings- unhappy with the match he was negligent, infuriatingly obstinate and sarcastic when they sat down to discuss their problems. “But none of it, at least in my eyes justifies her behavior because she destroyed my reputation where we lived, I became a laughing stock in office because my colleague shared the same apartment complex. She would threaten to cut herself up with a knife if I so much as touched her - in anger, or to walk out at one in the morning and wake the neighbors if we had a disagreement or I refused to give in on things big and small.” It would eventually build up in such a messy situation that he would drive off, leave her alone to cool down and come back to pick up the pieces later.

“It was not a difficult decision for me to move away, honestly. I was sick of never being able to relax in my own house, always waiting for some ticking bomb to explode.” Suraj has found a temporary haven away from his marriage, but he knows its not going to last forever.

Silence bigger than violence?
Rahul and Pooja hold very different opinions on what breaks a marriage- is it the cold aloofness that he emanated every time they had an argument or the passionate and well, a little aggressive reactions from her side that were inexplicably threatening to him?

“His response to every disagreement was to take on this stoic, hurt demeanor and shut all forms of communication. So while I do realize that my responses went out of hand and I do have a problem in the way I deal with my temper, he was no help in relieving the symptoms. He felt it would belittle him in some way to make a little room,” says Pooja. While she feels it was his cold indifference and vengeful silence that did their relationship in, Rahul believes adults should be accountable for their actions.

He argues, “How can I reach out to a person who wouldn’t give me my time or space to come around and would instead start to bang on doors swearing at me loudly? Sometimes she provoked me deliberately to bring me down to her level, said horrible things about my family and me.”

Pooja of course has a different account of things. “I didn’t need to seek help since we both had too many differences and there was no point in opening up and making myself vulnerable for this person I am not even sure I want to be with. Perhaps it’s something I need to do at my own pace at my own time.”

Whether it was his deliberate attempts to bring out the worst in her, or her temper tantrums themselves, they are no longer together and neither one regrets the break up.

Nightingale poop on your face. Really!

What do you do when a bird poops on your shoulder as you step out? Gross out, right? But what if bird poop was slathered all over your face to give you alabaster smooth skin? Read on for the 'dirt' on this treatment extraordinaire! By Prachi S Vaish

The geisha factor
The mysteriously fascinating faces of Japanese geishas in paintings and photographs clearly mark the prominence of their chalky white makeup foundation and underneath, of their creamy complexion. Fortunately for us, their secret has recently been revealed…nightingale droppings! Actors in the Japanese Kabuki theatre and Geishas were the first to extract and use the natural content of these droppings to repair and rejuvenate their skin, tormented by heavy makeup being a part of their profession. Before that, as early as the 17th century, the nightingale droppings were used to bleach out the colours to create the typical designs on Japanese Kimonos; and since these droppings were gentle enough for the purest silk, along with their bleaching capability, they found their place in skin facials and masks, resulting in whitening of the human skin - the ultimate goal of every woman worth her vanity!

The beauty secret
The reason behind the effectiveness of nightingale droppings in repairing one’s complexion, as explained by Lula, the principal massage therapist at the Hotel Wailea Spa in Maui, is that “As each bird differs in its diet, their droppings are different too. While some birds feed on grains, fish or insects, nightingales are found in plum trees, relishing the hairy caterpillars. The caterpillar stomachs are full with the green plum tree leaves and as the nightingale feeds, it not only consumes the protein and fat from the caterpillar’s body, but also the chlorophyll and plum leaf extracts. Then, the stomach of the bird secretes a strong enzyme that digests the worms; however, their intestines are so short that enzymes too are excreted with the droppings. This same enzyme that breaks down the protein and fat from the caterpillar also dissolves dirt while repairing and whitening damaged skin, and that is the secret to beautiful skin!”

The magic formula
Lula reveals that for their exclusive facials they use these nightingale droppings in a dehydrated and powdered form, mixed with the Azuki bean extract that is rich in protein content. It is a 50-80 minute long deep cleansing procedure that claims to remove dead skin and excess oil from the pores, while whitening the skin, giving you a glowing complexion!

So can you wrinkle your nose and turn a blind eye to the ingredient being rubbed on your face, all for a fairer visage? We say why not!

5 dumbest green gadgets ever

"Go Green" is the buzzword these days but in the enthusiasm to fit the bill, some incredibly imprudent gizmos have been invented that serve no real purpose. Shweta Dravid takes a look at five such gadgets.

Solar Hat Fan
Tackling the scorching heat can lead to bizarre inventions. But nothing is as dumb as the solar hat fan that hangs right in front of your face. Adding to the inconvenience the production of solar panels needs a lot of energy, this contains and even produces some toxic materials.

Eco Kettle
Who knew that a cup of tea could harm the planet? But apparently it does, which led to the invention of Eco kettle that provides us with a greener cup of tea as it fills up with water but boils only as much as selected. But the question that arises is that isn’t more energy wasted in sourcing, manufacturing and transporting this yet another brand new uni-function plastic product from China.

But that’s not the real concern, as drinking tea itself is a not an eco-friendly activity as tea gardens are created by clearing huge forested areas. “Most of the tea estates are located in elephant habitats, which disturb these big magnificent mammals. So, whether a kettle is eco friendly or not, it doesn’t really matter in the entire picture, “says Anuj Khare, a renowned environmentalist and Head of Nature Walk, an NGO.

Asus Ecobook
If you eat and drink while working on the laptop, this Asus Ecobook, built from laminated bamboo strips are definitely not for you. When this supposedly eco friendly notebook hit the market in 2007, people complained that bamboo scraps flew around, leaving only a little bit of paneling that made it more of a green hogwash. “Just imagine the repercussions if your laptop heats up or if the battery catches fire,” notes Anuj.

USB Greenhouse
You might want to have plants at your desk to brighten your day but imagine having an USB-powered greenhouse to enhance your moods. This unique gadget needs a lot of paraphernalia to make it work including a PC with Intel Pentium 4 working at 2.4 gigahertz or faster, at least 128 megabytes of RAM, 100 megabytes of hard drive space, a Windows compatible soundcard, a CD-ROM drive and lastly a specific type of display adapter capable Microsoft Windows XP. “Wouldn’t it be a better idea to just buy a potted plant to feel one with nature instead of all these complications, “says Anuj.

Inflatable Shower Curtain
Taking water conservation to different levels is the new inflatable shower curtain that attacks you and wraps you up in its spikes if too much time is taken in the shower. The idea is to make you more conscious of water usage but at what cost is the question. Instead just build self awareness towards environment conservation and have your bath faster or set an alarm if required.

Anuj muses, “The worst part about “green” gadgets is that they are rarely fully green. They do ease consumer guilt but they may never actually help the planet.”

Better buy a high end product that will last forever than purchasing marginally “green” products that may have to be replaced in the end. It’s just not worth it!

How to plan a wedding… and keep your job

He's proposed and you can now start planning the wedding of your dreams. But how do you manage the never-ending to-do list with the manic work deadlines? Read on to become a master juggler and plan your wedding seamlessly, without having to risk the wrath at the workplace. Trust us, you don't want vindictive colleagues ruining your post-honeymoon high. By Sonali Kokra

Say it loud and clear
No matter how tempting the idea of having a quick wedding might be, guard against it. If you have a wedding to put together and make that big presentation in two weeks, chances are that even if you do manage to pull things together, you’re going to end up looking over-worked and on-the-edge on your big day. Once the wedding date is fixed, tell everyone at your workplace. “Announcing the wedding date is like an informal application for leave,” says jewellery designer Arti Aggarwal, 27. “I had three months to plan my wedding. And the first thing I did was to inform my seniors and colleagues.
That way, no could blame me later for not giving them ample notice.”

Cut back, don’t shirk
Start working towards getting small allowances on your time. A good place to start cutting back is working weekends. “Be upfront,” advises Raksha Behl, 30, a business development manager in an IT firm. “Everyone knows that planning a wedding can be stressful. And no one is going to grudge you a few favours. But don’t push your luck so much that they start thinking of you as unprofessional. Says Payal Raghuvanshi, 27, an HR manager at an advertising agency, “I’ve seen the best and the worst kind of brides.
And the one thing I’ve learned is that no matter how much your boss loves you, if you ruin your reputation with erratic behaviour at this time, chances are, you’re going to be stuck with that image.”

Write it down and switch off
Prioritise your tasks, set cellphone or online reminders and write things down so your mind is not in a constant overdrive. This will ensure you don’t forget work deadlines amid all the wedding work.

Use your break
Use your commute to make your phone calls and do other follow-ups. Lunch breaks are great for these too. Start research and meet up with your wedding planner, designer and caterers during the lunch hour. No long lunches, though. Don’t take any more days off to plan your wedding than absolutely required. “Remember that the fewer holidays you take before the wedding, the more time you can take off for your honeymoon,” says Payal.

Shop smart, shop local
There are several wedding planning websites and other resources for brides that you can surf when you have some free time at work. You can also find vendors and decorators online. You’re better off using it just for services, though. Try to buy stuff from local stores and malls, it makes life easier in case you need to return or exchange things. “I got carried away and went on a country-wide shopping spree,” says Minakshi Waghmare, graphic designer, 28. “When friends arrived with my stuff, it turned into a nightmare. Most of the things weren’t quite what I had envisioned and I couldn’t even get them exchanged. It took a great deal of money and time to set things right and I ended up having to go on a month-long break even before my wedding-something that didn’t go down well with my boss.” So buy local. This way, you’re keeping your carbon footprint manageable too!

Employ your mom
Assign wedding duties to your close friends so that you’re not bogged down with having to do everything yourself. Make sure you show your gratitude to those who helped you out.

Your most important resource is your mother. Anita Goenka, 50, whose daughter got married two months ago, says, “Mothers are a boon, so stop bickering and let them take over if you’re too busy. They know where to find you that perfectly matched blouse without having to comb through the city. They know better than anyone else when you’ll throw a tantrum and what colour suits you best. Let unimportant things slide and remember, she’s been dreaming of this day for almost as long as you have.”

Find a happy place
The idea of getting married at an exotic location may sound exciting, but planning a wedding that’s far away from home is likely to be difficult. While it’s tempting to oversee all the details yourself, it’s not humanly possible if you’re sitting hundreds of kilometres away from the venue. And you’re not going to get enough holidays to be able to play control freak anyway. Your boss may be indulgent, but don’t be delusional. So it’s a good idea to share responsibilities with your fiancé. Once you’ve done that, your work has been cut to half. Nupur Singh, who got married in Goa in 2009, has one important advice to give. “Be prepared to pay a little extra just so that you’re ensured good service,” she says.