The Momma Clan

Years ago, our Sadhus sat under the trees and meditated and did Yoga for days. They were  healthy eating the simple fruits .

Doing yoga exercises now watching Saurabh Bhathra in You Tube and feeling energetic with regular workouts daily.

I remembered  our school days when the teachers used to punish the students to hold the ears and sit up and down. Pull their ears to punish them.

At times the children were asked to run around the school ground 2 to 4 times. 

Yoga exercises are not a punishment but the exercises are those same  ones and now I realize that they were not wrong in giving as punishment. They are actually to develop the muscles.

Let us go back to our village where many used to walk miles to catch a bus or work in their fields. The way as they talk now, ” One has to walk daily for sometime to keep fit .”

People used to cycle a lot. Each child’s gift was a tricycle first, then a bicycle ride with their appa or their brother and once he handled himself to balance well, he gets one. He proudly shows it to his friends and learns to ride without holding the handle to show off. 

My children rode to school on their cycles with their friends. They had good fun stopping to enjoy golgappas and icecream on their way. They played games outside those years and not with their mobiles.

The two _ wheelers were bought and then a four_ wheeler and slowly the walking stopped and the health problems cropped up. They rode their scooter to go to a nearby shop instead of walking.

A change and upgradation is needed but how people say, ” Oh! I do not have time to go for a walk or do some exercise.?” They are so tired working and sit in front of the TV, once recalled as an Idiot Box , maybe now too. 

” I need relaxation, ”  and they watch their programme of interest munching some snacks or eat food.

The weight would increase after all.

Well a good life style if the parents follow and inculcate in their children since childhood like,

Sleep early, wake up early

Eat on time proper healthy home made food,

Washing hands before and after eating,

Brushing teeth twice,

Try to keep the mind calm and happy with a smile on their faces

Be kind and helpful to the others

All these help one to keep healthy.

The lady of the houses in our earlier years sat down and grinded for dosa and the other masala,  swiped the floor bending down and sat down and prayed or recited shlokas.

They never had knee trouble as I have seen my grandmother’s and my mother and my mother_in_ law. They were active even in their older years They ate health  food, included green vegetables in their diet and kept themselves fit.

As the years rolled, many women were educated and were working. 

The electric gadgets like a Mixer Grinder, a Washing Machine came in handy for them. 

Many started having food on  the dining table and the floor was wiped with a mopper.

Sitting down was slowly decreased and the trouble like knee pain started and they started visiting the flourishing Gyms all around.  They opted to go and do their exercises instead of a good half an hour walk. It costed money but walking is free of cost.

Well it is an individual choice .

The mobile, I pad and Laptop wave entered and costed many people’s health.

Eye , back troubles increased and the Doctors soared up.

We in our younger years walked a kilometre to catch a train in Bombay to go to school. We talked all the way to Juhu beach in a group to watch Ganesh Visaranan in Bombay. It was not that crowded as of now in Mumbai.

Now many women take their kids to school in their scooties to reach to a nearby school.

The Mall culture has come. Many visit the Mall to enjoy window shopping and enjoy the Ac comfort. Walking happens inside a Mall during weekend and they have burgers and pastas in the Food Court inside the Mall.

The children prefer to play the Digital Games rather than playing outside in the  park or in any open space. Many kids are obese and the parents have to run to the clinics due to health problems.

Coarse them to go out and play in the open for somedays to get their muscles toned in a natural way. 

They should have good protein diet and include fruits to be active. 

The life style has changed due to the work  timings. BPOs have sprouted and many work all night and sleep till late in the morning. The body at times, is not able to adjust to the situation and  suddenly they realize they have put on weight. They should start a workout or join a gym or now Intermittent Fasting many do.

It is always better to follow a daily proper routine and try to stay healthy. 

We do not know after  10 years what would be the situation of health condition of people.

Elders were right those years  when they advised to eat the right food, sleep early and wake up to the rising sun and have sunlight to enjoy Vitamin D which the Doctors and Yoga Gurus promote.

Or the doctors go for a course of VITAMIN D  Capsules.

Hope  people realize the value of good health and strict to some exercise of their choice which do not burn their pocket.

Good wishes.

I am following doing Yoga exercises and trying to be fit as far as possible at my elderly age.

How many out there are taking a resolution and going to  follow them  too to keep fit?

-Poornima Sivaraman