Thursday, January 30, 2014

Katmandu: The Land Of Glaciers And Peaks

Upon hearing of 'travel destinations', the mind wanders off to breathtaking scenic places and inspires us to explore the majestic mountains, enchanting lands, splendor of seas and snow-white wonderlands. The mere visions of hotspots excite strong feelings of desire to travel even in the mind of the busiest person. The nation's rich cultural heritage and Asia's top destination spot beckons all tourists to capture the nature's spectacular beauty in the capital city of Nepal, 'Katmandu'. Situated in the bowl shaped Katmandu valley, the birthplace of Lord Buddha, is a gateway to the country's most splendid exotic landscape.

Know More: Designed like a Khukri knife, Katmandu is encircled with an awe-inspiring scenic view of the snow-capped Himalayan mountains. The city covers an area of 29.124 sq km and situated at an altitude of 1,350 metres above sea level. The place being the apt place for trekkers, most of the trekking expeditions set off from Katmandu. Kathmandu is not just a display of the historic and artistic achievements, but it is a Cultural World Heritage site listed by UNESCO. Katmandu is a thriving cosmopolitan city and a land of color and culture where the country's ethnicities and smiles appear to have come in concert.

History: The history of the place goes back to the Kiratis around the 7th century BC. The history of this land dates back to around 723 AD, founded by king Gun Kamdev. Initially, Katmandu was named as Kantipur, which was later invaded and renamed by king Prithvi Narayan Shah  in the 18th century. The city thrived during the Malla dynasty, and it was during this era when the majestic temples, buildings and other monuments came to light. The succeeding Shah dynasty uniformed Nepal and made Katmandu its new capital.
Places Of Interest: The must-visit places of Katmandu begin from the Pashupatinath Temple. Not only hindus, but also tourists who step in this shrine revere this temple as an abode of Lord Shiva. The wood-carvings adorned in the temple are the essence of art. Equally pious and magnificient is the Buddhist Pagoda of Boudhnath. The monastery is the biggest in Nepal and famed across the globe. Owing to its prominence, the monastery draws a lot of devotees every year. Aside from shrines and religious places, the city is also known for the Durbar Square, which is indeed one of the tourist spots. The area has many small but eye-catching stone-carved monuments with historical importance. Close to the Durbar's Square is the stunning old palace of Nepal's monarch.

Although entry to this palace is prohibited for tourists, but one can appreciate its beauty from outside.  Places Of Indulgence: If you are looking for fun-time, then drop by casinos of Katmandu. The place caters an array of exciting and action- acked hours of fun and games to make your night life rocking.

The sun never sets in the casinos of Katmandu, as they are open round the clock to give you unlimited pleasure of fun activities. For trekkers, join the adventure and delight in the panoramic views of Everest from Gokyo Ri and Kala Pattar, along with countless peaks and glaciers for which the region is world renowned.

 Shopping and Dining: Ever tasted Nepali dishes? Katmandu leaves one with ample options for eateries and shopping. Food courts cater to a wide range of lipsmacking Nepali delectables. Also, bring home back the mini Katmandu in the form of handicraft items, embroidered attires, leather goods to give a face-lift to your lifestyle.

Fact File: 

A) Best time to visit- From October to March.
B) Must watch- Pashupatinath Temple, Darbar Square. Tourist attractions- Trekking and buzzing casinos. The innate beauty of the land is set to leave an indelible imprint on the mind of every tourist. Let your eyes witness the excellence of the place and your mind sense the aesthetic ecstasy of a captivating land of Katmandu.
Author - Aparna Mukherjee.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Conceived in Vitro

A baby's chuckle is enough to ease off all your woes. A pinned-uppicture of a chubby baby gives rise of motherly love in a woman's heart. Upon seeing your neighbour's kids toddle around gives you an urge to have a baby of your own, isn't it?
Some are blessed to get the bliss of motherhood, whereas, some are deprived of. With each passing day, the boom of medical advancement imbues an optimistic hope to cure any ailments of the body. In present days, the heal of a disease is just a step away from a physician's clinic. For women who are pining for a kid but are incapable of giving birth to a new born, In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is tailored for them.
A Brief About IVF: If a couple is trying to get in the family way for a long time with no positive outcome so far, meeting with dejection every time, give a thought of IVF for once. Let us shed light on the miraculous side of IVF of how this can be a reason of smile for kids-deprived parents. Until IVF has made its mark in giving fruitful results, it was an intractable proceeding to go through. What happens in IVF is the method of fertilisation takes place outside the body. The eggs of a woman are surgically take out and make them meet with a man's sperm outside the body in a labratory. After the embryos get formed, they are placed in the uterus of a woman.

How Does IVF Work: IVF is a natural conception which begins with a process of hormone therapy to raise the levels of hormones in the follicles. After a woman's ovaries produce multiple eggs, they are gathered and go for fertilisation in a test-tube, that is, 'in vitro', to make several embryos. A cycle of IVF can happen between four and seven weeks. After the embryos get matured, one or two of these embryos are surgically implanted in the uterus, and then occurs the process of conception.

However, an important point to be noted is not embryo turns out productive. That is why countless embryos are frozen to make several attempts of embryo-transfer, if the first attempt go fruitless.

What Causes the Treatment of IVF? 

Patients diagnosed with endometriosis, low-sperm count, hassles in the uterus or fallopian tubes, problems with ovulation, the inability of sperm to survive in the cervical mucus, or any other fertility problems. One should keep in mind that the treatment of IVF does not start instantly on the patients who are diagnosed with any of the infertility problems mentioned above. IVF is certainly the last way out, but not the first option. The treatment is secured specially for the patients who have failed in other fertility treatments such as medications, surgery and artificial insemination. If all the treatments linked with fertility do not work out, then only IVF is taken into account as the last step of the treatment.

Success Rate of IVF: The success percentage of IVF is pinned on the factors of the reason of the infertility and the age of the women who sustain medical care. It has been observed that women in their 20s, with healthier eggs, stand a bright chance of success; whereas, women who are above the age of 35, stand a low chance of success of the treatment.

Risks Linked with IVF: With positive sides,there occur negative sides as well. Undesirable effects of IVF are outlined below:

1. Multiple births- Having replaced more than one embryo in the uterus could mount the chance of producing twins or triplets, resulting in intricacies for self and babies.
2. Ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome(OHSS)- After ingesting fertility drugs to increase the production of eggs in the ovaries, some women come up with negative results and suffer from OHSS, which can be baneful for health.
3. Ectopic pregnancy- After having the process of IVF, patients may run a risk of the embryos-implant in the fallopian tube, instead of implanting in the womb, thereby, giving rise of ache in the abdomen, along with vaginal bleeding.  The thoughts of risks should not refrain you from having a baby. Nothing is as blissful as enjoying the motherhood. Keep the risks at bay and feel the little one in your arm by opting for In Vitro Fertilisation, today!
Author - Aparna Mukherjee.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

A Positive Approach For Personal Expansion

You have your daily deadline to meet. On top of that, your team-leader dumps on you a last-minute project report to be prepared in an hour. Your child's illness has already been a cause of worry. To top it, you have been called to visit the bank-manager on that day when no one is at home to look after your child. As soon as alarm goes off in the morning, your multi-tasking gets started to meet everyone's needs, resulting in a headache, tension in the neck and crankiness. These are the signals of your body to tell you that you have been ambushed by stress. Life throws curvy balls at you, and you spend your life Juggling to maintain a balance. In this process, you lose your peace of mind. Be a personal or a professional life, the never-ending demands, deadlines, hassles leave a nerve-racking impact in your Personality.  Stress in small doses instigates to give your best shot. But, racing yourself to fit in the best place can be baneful for your body and mind. 

How Stress Can Its Toll On Your Health?

Body has its own way of informing you the dangers through symptoms. When in stress, you meet with muscle tension, neck and back ache; fatigue; chest ache with rapid heartbeats; loss of appetite; memory problems; short temper; irritability; anxiety. Seeking for medications to get shot of stress is of no avail. No medicines will lessen your family chores, hours won't get long, deadlines won't get stopped, your bills won't give you concessions, or price hikes won't be free of cost.  Cope Up With Stress: Stress is a part and parcel of life, with no way out. No person on earth is immune to stress.  Some people don't let stress affect them by taking charge of their thoughts, emotions, feelings and the skill to tackle problems. Some helpful tips mentioned below can come to avail in the period of stress.

1.       Keep in mind that there is a key to a problem. When you are in stress, don't dwell in your worries. Instead, ponder on what is the key to your worries.

2.       If you are slated with a host of tasks, don't rush into doing all your stuff at once, as you will end up in mess. Enlist your duties and act on them one by one.

3.       There is no point brooding over your problems. Don't think 'Why it is?' But think 'How you can'? Find the root cause of your problems. Take control of your problems before they take control on you and make you paralyse.

4.       Manage your time effectively by focusing on priorities.

5.       Your negative thoughts land you in a tensed situation. Enrich the quality of thoughts by planting a positive approach in life. Shifting your perspective from negative to positive can make wonders.

6.       Stop squandering your mind on petty thoughts, as they will drag you down.

7.       There are people who are in situations worse than you. If they can come up in life, so can you.

8.       Make aim on the quality of work, not the quantity. Leave the least important work to the last. Work on the task that counts the most.

9.       Don't collapse after having met with problems. Fan your potentialities that cloud over in times of stress. The task that life has set before you is not beyond your strengths and limits.

10.   Push your will-power when odds seem to be insurmountable. You are more than what you actually think yourself to be. 

A positive approach in life will forge a strong character in you. Tackling your woes with a calm mind and an optimistic thought will expand your personality.  When life knocks you down, engrave the golden words in your mind,

“No hurdle is too high to overcome. No challenge is too tough to surmount. No crisis is too hot to cool down."  -- Aparna Mukherjee

Thursday, January 16, 2014

A Healing Ride

Put yourself in their shoes who are trapped in a body they cannot control. Your difficulty in walking, struggle with speech, suffer from visual problems can take its toll to your life. Mere thinking sends chills down your spine, isn't it?

True, life of a disability is agonising. People who undergo such disabilities struggle to talk and meet unbearable problems that a healthy person cannot think of. Hence, a treatment to cure their agonies is 'Equine Therapy' is a boon for them.

What is Equine Therapy?

It is a therapeutic horse riding, which offers the best remedy in disable children as an opportunity to gain a sense of control over their mind and bodies. This therapy is apt for disorders like autism, cerebral palsy, paralysis, amputations, multiple sclerosis, down syndrome and so on. Patients with such disorders spend
time with horses, which help them to develop a self-image with an optimistic trait. The motto of this therapy is to infuse positive energy in a disabled patient, thereby, cultivating a sense of morale and building a self-esteem. Centers Organizing Therapeutic Riding, Many centers have initiated to dedicate the best services in therapeutic riding across the globe.

To name a few, North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA), USA; New York Therapeutic Riding Centre; River wood Therapeutic Riding Centre, California; Healing Horse, Komal Hriday Trust, Bangalore, India. Origin of Equine Therapy: The history dates back to the 600 BC, when numerous therapeutic aids of horsemanship were brought up by the people. The first study of therapeutic benefits of riding a horse traces back to 1875.

Later, this therapeutic riding came into being with immense popularity with Lis Hartel, a woman from Denmark, who was fighting with her disability determined to have a horseride, and she was successful in her effort, which later grabbed attention of doctors and therapists. Horse Riding, A Reason To Heal: Many might not know that a formation of bond between a human and an animal has often cured many disabilities, so also the significance of equine therapy has been recognised when the heal turned out to be a boon for disable patients.

To foster emotional growth, the therapy has proved to be a metaphoric experience with horses. This experimental therapy lets people to know about themselves, makes them recognise of dysfunctional patterns of behavior and helps to develop a healthy relationship. Horse riding therapy is reckoned as an animal-assisted activity. The role of a horse makes the patient aware of an emotional condition, as the horse responds in reaction to human's behavior. A patient's link with the horse and a chance to acquire horsemanship skills boost a sense of achievement and fill the confidence in self.

To top it all, the horse's body and the movement are the tonics for the disabled patients, as they help stretch and relax the muscles. On riding a horse, one can get the benefit of muscle-tone, increase the energy level of body and improve posture. As per an equine therapist, the best way for a disabled patient to be comfortable and get acquainted with horses is to feed them. Alongside of the therapy, words of encouragement and a positive approach to life can bring out an optimistic attitude in the patient. With the gaining momentum, now the treatment is diagnosed in India.

The therapy was pioneered in India by Komal Hriday Trust, a Bangalore-based NGO, introduced the Healing Horses Programme in 2000, with the aim to provide therapeutic horse riding to disabled patients. And today, Equine Therapy is successfully carried out all over India with a strong, positive impact to be the reason of heal for physical and emotional-impaired patients. The success story behind is more than 350 disabled patients have been benefited through Equine Therapy.

Author --Aparna Mukherjee

Monday, January 6, 2014

How Deep a Depression Can be

 You attend your colleague's felicitation party, who has been conferred with a promotion. While your colleague wears a crown of success, you wear a crown of distress on your head and come back home with a bagful of depression. While you clap for others, you imagine yourself to be clapped by others for you. The thoughts of your colleague's achievements give a pierce in your mind. The thoughts of defeat are so up to the brim, making you fall into the pit of depression.

You often encounter with unfavourable situations and you degrade yourself for your failures. You feel down and despair overcasts your mind. The bouts of glum change your thinking process. Later, the blues mould into depression, disrupting your life and the lives of everyone else around you. Unmask the truth of depression: Grief is a reaction to life's setbacks. The feelings of defeat and failure seem intense and no rays of hope dart your heart. No matter how fortunate you are, you are destined to meet with adversities in your life. You are bound to stumble upon the bitter sides of life after having tasted a string of fortunes, and you become an easy prey to depression. When despair takes hold of your mind, it gives rise to hopelessness. To escape the pain you experience within yourself, you choose the path of suicide because you see the doors of hope getting closed before you. When despair goes deep, leaves you mind with suicidal thoughts.
How deep a depression can be?

Aside from physical symptoms, other symptoms need to be highlighted. 

A) Depression clogs your peace of mind, keeping you miserable at all times.
B) Nothing seems to interest you.
C) The feeling of being inferior rules your mind.
D) You have trouble-sleeping because you are deeply perturbed from within.
E) Your tolerance level declines and losing temper on trifles is visible.
F) Depression blocks your thoughts, concentration and decision-making.

Rule out your depression: 

A) Depression drains your energy. Break the shackles of your pessimism.
B) Do not strive to be perfect.
C) Banish 'cannot' from your mind and replace 'can' in your mind.
D) Do not make negative interpretations without real evidence.
E) Be with people who adopt optimism in their turbulent times.
F) Take life in a positive stride.
Bear in mind you are not on this earth to be perfect. You are allotted with your share of work. Give your best shot what life offers you. So what, if you are far away from success-crown. Today, might not be yours. Your honest endeaveours are bound to give their fruits someday, for sure. Why to fall in the pit of sorrows, counting on your today's actions?
Succumbing to depression for something you didn't get will keep you away from something better you can get. Sitting in a corner and cupping your face in your hands won't give you back what you have lost. All you need is to root out the weed of sorrows from your mind before it takes a toll on you. Light the fire of your potentialities, surge ahead, trampling the defeats you meet your way. Life is not to be depressed, but to give your best and be blessed.
"Whatever you believe you can do, you CAN do." 
Author --Aparna Mukherjee

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Emotions in the Expression of Emoticons

Today you are in the seventh heaven for having achieved something you have been toiling for long. You are flushing with excitement and eager to express your heyday to your dear ones. You go to dial your loved one's number, you halt for a minute, something crosses your mind and you put your phone
back to the place.
You switch on to 'create message' of your phone or log in to your email to type your biggest moment of life, followed by emoticons. The receiver of your email or text is glad to know your accomplishment and your overwhelming expression of joys in the form of emoticons. They could have been more elated if you would have expressed it by way of a direct communication. In the days of digital communication, we prefer to take the short-cut means to show our inner feelings via texts, emails and animated emotions. But we forget that our emotions are best expressed when they are said and shown in real.
'Yippieeeeee' :-) :-) :-) fail to show your real uncontrolled elation. In the age of chats, messenger, we chat, the means of online communication do their jobs of expressing oneself and here 'emoticons' come into play. Instead of giving free expression of various shades of emotions in front of the people, we seek aid of instant animated icons. Either we think our straightforward lines might go unnoticed or our outburst of emotions might seem to be shocking and weird, so we pick emoticons. Live human contact is slowly becoming a history.
People are so much in love with emoticons that after every expression of feelings, an emotion is sure to be seen. While you pay heed to emoticons, you skip to notice the actual ongoing emotions behind the pictorial emotions. The feelings of joy, anger, love, dismay and so forth can be felt by the tone of the voice, bodily posture and body language. A digital communication cannot potray your physical implications what the one-on-one communication can do. The popularized use of 'emoticons' are growing so steadily that human' emotions got dug in these animated emotional icons. Your facial expressions and body language can speak thousand words what emoticons cannot. Do not let emoticons take a toll in your personal relations. Keep pictorial expressions at bay and be better at expressing yourself through face and voice than alphabets and emotional icons. Do not get your emotions digitalised.

Author -Aparna Mukherjee.