Rachel-Carson.jpg

Rachel Carson

The balance of nature

Rachel has an M.A. in Classical Studies and an M.Litt. in Ancient Cultures and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland. She works in social media and marketing, and in her spare time is a volunteer for Heartfulness charities.

Rachel-Nelson.jpg

Rachel Nelson

<h4>RACHEL NELSON works in marketing and social media. And yet here she challenges the way it is infiltrating our lives, changing workplace norms, how we see ourselves, and how we live our lives.</h4><hr>I was searching for a job during the pandemic. One of the first things I was told was: Have a social media presence. It will improve your chances of being hired. Employers want to see who you are as a person. They want to see your private life to know how you might act in your professional life.This felt like a huge invasion of privacy. It would neither have been possible nor acceptable before social media. Why should an employer see what goes on in my life outside of work? Why would a prospective employer base their decision to hire me on the front I show on social media?I was told to comb through my social media accounts, check if there was anything an employer might find objectionable, and make them as professional as possible. Having grown up when social media was for connecting with friends, the transition from a personal, generally private network to the public sphere has meant scrambling back to see if I posted anything stupid as a fourteen-year-old. Who didn’t?I first got Instagram when it was only two years old and still essentially a photography app. There was no concept of influencers, and social media was as separate from work as home life. I still use Instagram primarily as a photo gallery, a place to store memories, and it has been private almost as long as I have had it. I have never been bothered about having followers, so the switch from this mindset has been a difficult transition.In the past decade, social media has become a ubiquitous presence. It is less of an individual choice and more of a societal obligation. When getting and maintaining a job relies in part on an online presence, saying no to <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/unplugging-to-reconnect" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">social media</a> is a difficult decision. Its role in our professional lives means it is also difficult to turn off from work. It is even worse since the pandemic and working from home, culminating in a state where we can be contacted any time. Through our phones, we are constantly alert to notifications. This alert-feedback makes it incredibly difficult to relax or “turn off” from both work and social obligations.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/socialmedia_obligation2_700x382_58c5ac44c0.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T07:11:24.372Z" alt="socialmedia_obligation2"><hr>As someone who works in marketing, I have four separate social media accounts per platform on my phone at any one time (not including my own personal accounts), all of which give me constant feedback. While many people get a separate phone for work, the obligation to keep it on and nearby, in case someone needs to contact us, still remains. And so, the feedback also remains.The second aspect of social media obligation is that of the uncalculated, unpaid labour which goes into a social media presence for work purposes. We are expected to contribute to the conversation on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, to keep up with trends, promote our work, and promote our successes. Employers look to see if a LinkedIn account is up-to-date and relevant, or if it has been left to stagnate. For many of us, these tasks are performed in our time off. They are unpaid, and often time-consuming and stressful.It creates an enforced, performative element in which people feel as though they have to put on a front which is not true to their lives and personalities. All we end up seeing are curated snippets of that person’s existence. We are not seeing the reality of the person; we are seeing what they want us to see. This results in a culture where everyone appears to be doing well at work, progressing, and thriving. Others feel as if they are stuck, less successful, and less able to juggle work and other aspects of life. It is the professional equivalent of seeing social media influencers on yet another trip to a country half-a-world away, while you’re stuck at your desk at home, having forgotten what fresh air smells like.<hr><hr><h4>Social media creates an enforced, performative element in which people feel as though they have to put on a front&nbsp; which is not true to their lives and personalities.</h4><hr><hr>Professional use of social media is not all bad, and many people enjoy using it. There are some jobs that might not require a LinkedIn account as much as others – a farmer, for example. Farmers might have Instagram accounts in which they show snippets of their daily lives. This can be interesting and informative, as it presents insights into the lives of others and can be an amazing way to equalize and to connect us, showing a common human experience across borders.It is when social media is not a choice, particularly when there is pressure to present a perfect life – whether for work or personal use – for fear of being seen as less competent, that we may feel constantly on show or watched. This level of scrutiny can produce the feeling of being hunted, activating the fight or flight response. This evolutionary survival mechanism served us well in the past when we would either overcome danger or be killed, because either way the problem disappeared. Now, the alert-feedback of social media acts as a trigger which does not disappear. So, neither does our stress.This takes us to the third issue, the blurring of lines between social media as a hobby and social media as a job. For individual creators, artists, small businesses, or anyone who wants to be seen but doesn’t have a lot of money to pay for advertisements, social media can be anything from a casual marketing tool to a lifeline that brings in their only income stream. As social media grows, however, more and more people are turning their own lives into their product. They use social media to catalogue their day, their house renovations, their trips around the world. Through advertising and sponsorship, they make money from it. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, the impact of having your life become your product, your social media become your marketing, and your attention always jumping to work through the easy access of your phone, will begin to take its toll on your ability to relax and step away from social media and work.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/socialmedia_obligation3_700x382_aa510b0627.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T07:12:37.330Z" alt="socialmedia_obligation3"><hr>This is the point in an article where the conclusion drawn would usually be along the lines of “ultimately it is up to you how you use social media,” but we are now seeing that this is not the case. Many people are advocating for reduced social media exposure, or even getting rid of it all together, but with it so prevalent in our jobs and lives it is hard to reduce it, even when we want to.We are starting to see where the next evolution of social media is taking us. With a focus on online living and virtual reality, it already sometimes feels like we spend more time updating people about our lives on social media than actually living them. As social media becomes a normal part of existing in society, we need to think about how we are expected to use it, and how we wish to do so.Please share your own experience and viewpoint on this topic at contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com or in the comments.<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

When social media becomes an obligation

Radhika practices and teaches yoga for therapy and optimal health, having studied with Saraswathi Vasudevan at YogaVahini, Chennai, India. She is a co-founder of the reStore organic shop in Chennai and has a deep understanding of the issues in modern food production and consumption.

Radhika-Rammohan.jpg

Radhika Rammohan

<h4>RADHIKA RAMMOHAN is a yoga practitioner and therapist with Yogavahini, a school in the tradition of Krishnamacharya. During the Yoga4Unity Program 2022, she shared her experiences of how yoga has helped her to refine her inner and outer environments. She also offered us some tips on how to deepen our own holistic well-being.</h4><hr>I have always been involved with the idea of holistic health. My first concern was environment and health, then I came to yoga three decades after that. And when I did, I realized that holistic health goes far beyond food.I was always drawn to the idea of being able to connect directly with the food I ate with as few intermediary steps as possible. When I lived in the USA in the mid-1990s, I saw packaged, mass-produced, and processed foods. I felt uncomfortable about using chemicals for increasing yield or quality without reverence for the land. It felt intuitively wrong.So I sought out and started buying organic foods from smaller retailers, who were not selling popular or branded items. This was also the time when genetically modified crops (GMOs) were being introduced in the USA. For instance, dairy cows were given rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormones) to increase milk production, and in Wisconsin, where I lived, there was activism against this. I always bought milk from dairy farmers who did not use rBGH.At that time, food production and policy were skewed toward corporate interests, at least in the West. I started volunteering at an organic farm and doing some gardening, and I was shopping at cooperative natural food stores. Eventually my interest in food and food systems led me to care for a broader set of issues: land energy, regeneration of the environment, and human rights. I started reading books like Small Is Beautiful by F. Schumacher, and a few by the Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva, and they helped me envision solutions. I also became associated with an NGO in the USA called Association for India’s Development.Once back in India, a friend and I started a community-based organic store, called reStore in Chennai in 2008. To this day, it remains an active place, a center for direct farmer support, local and traditional foods, zero waste, etc.I was very busy and was running into difficulties in my ability to work with people. I realized I didn’t understand my mental patterns very well, or what was leading to the difficulties I had dealing with the world. I wanted to find a quieter space for myself from where I could understand myself better and the world better. This brought me to studying yoga. I did not want to only be a practitioner, but also understand the philosophy behind it and understand the yoga sutras. So I joined a yoga teachers training program.The program led me to the affirmation that the Hindu tradition is really a holistic view of the universe, which is made up of the 5 elements or bhutas – akasha (space), vayu (air), agni (fire), apas (water), prithvi (earth).Everything is essentially made up of these basic elements.In the last few generations, we have been leaning toward a reductionist view of life. We break down everything to its atomic or molecular structure, which is very practical, but in doing so we miss the interconnectedness between things. It’s not so evocative to say that you and I are made of the same elements, so we reduce it to a very atomic level, rather the level of the pancha bhutas.<hr><hr><h4>In yoga, it is about leading to a quieter mind that is able to witness itself a and see from where these actions arise. a Yoga is for everyone, including people a with busy lives, with a family, etc.</h4><hr><hr>We are not so very distinct from each other when we look at it this way. Any sense of competitiveness is reduced when we lose this sense of individual distinction. This is how I’ve seen yoga and sadhana bringing our minds to a quieter location that increases our sensitivity and lets us reflect. That’s also how I feel yoga helps us develop environmental sensitivity.Yoga influences the way I handle relationships, which includes with other beings and the environment, and, of course, my work. Earlier, I thought of health in a very physical sense, and I related it mostly to food and exercise. But mental, emotional and spiritual well-being is actually the space we act from, and where our deepest aspirations come from. Very often we don’t get in touch with that core.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_outer_ecology2_700x378_f5ff63af47.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T07:27:18.206Z" alt="inner-outer-ecology2">&nbsp;<hr>My way of thinking has shifted to inside-out. Our ways of relating to ourselves and to the world are mostly programmed or habituated. In yoga, it is about leading to a quieter mind that is able to witness itself and see from where these actions arise. Yoga is for everyone, including people with busy lives, with a family, etc. Yoga isn’t about the asanas or pranayama alone. It doesn’t have anything to do with a mat. It is about principles like satya (truth) and ahimsa (non-violence). So, while having a regular life with children, pets, and other people around me, if I can make sure that my interactions have the qualities of the yamas and niyamas, then the residue I leave behind in each of these interactions will be minimal. That is the practice of yoga.So, even if you come to yoga for physical exercise, you will naturally gain more sensitivity. Hopefully, after finishing your practice, you will reach work and be able to see the behavior you are upholding in your workplace. Or coming home to your kitchen, maybe the way you are interacting with your house help, or someone else. Hopefully some of that stays with you, and you are able to say, “What am I doing here?”Adding yoga to ecological campaigns is a wonderful idea. When we see environmental injustice, damage, or inequality, and we are not able to do very much about it, it can lead to a lot of anger. Being stuck in that anger is not very conducive for good activism. We might turn into angry activists who people love to hate. It’s not very efficacious.<hr><h4>When what we are practicing is contributing to some kind of quietness,&nbsp; and we’re able to see everything&nbsp; around us with a little more compassion,&nbsp; then we are definitely in a good place.&nbsp;</h4><hr><hr>When what we are practicing is contributing to some kind of quietness, and we’re able to see everything around us with a little more compassion, then we are definitely in a good place. It gives us a happier way to wake up in the morning, compared to saying, “Oh, the climate has not changed, abuse has not changed, and injustice has not changed.” Then it’s not a happy way to wake up.I hope that yoga teachers impart to their students not only the knowledge of the asanas, but also the deep, transformative potential of the practice. Krishnamacharya once said, “The location for a yogi ought to be shantam.” That is equanimity – not in the sense of being unable to respond appropriately to different situations, but to respond from the space of shantam. To bring out whatever is appropriate – anger, courage, wonderment, love, compassion – but not to get carried away with it. To come back to the equanimous&nbsp;location.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_outer_ecology3_700x378_840fdddf15.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T07:28:35.323Z" alt="inner-outer-ecology3">&nbsp;<hr>It is difficult to practice yoga for a short time and expect your problems to be solved. You need to dive deeper. As a teacher, that’s my aspiration – to help my students take their practice deeper, to understand their minds and their yoga, to study some texts, to understand the underlying foundations behind what we are teaching them.For others, I would say get involved with a community or sangha. Study together. It could be a formal teacher training course. We can create communities of practitioners who learn from each other and take their practice deeper.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/inner_outer_ecology4_700x378_8ad0ab2e90.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T07:29:58.318Z" alt="inner-outer-ecology4">&nbsp;<hr>I think it’s important that we have some way of knowing if what we are practicing is transformative. If we can sense that we are more sensitive today than yesterday, we can say we are progressing. It’s a sense of refinement. If we are not feeling that, it’s okay, but we have to keep trying and learning.

Inner and outer ecology

Dr. Rahul Mehrotra is an experienced cardiologist with an academic career spanning more than two decades. He possesses a sharp intellect and is keenly interested in managing various cardiac ailments optimally utilizing different investigative modalities. He is currently the Chief of non-invasive and clinical cardiology at Artemis Hospitals.

RAHUL MEHROTRA

Rahul Mehrotra

<h4>RAHUL MEHROTRA shares his experience as a busy cardiologist who also loves bird-watching and meditation.</h4>It has been more than a decade now that working as a cardiologist, watching birds around my house, and practicing meditation have gone on side by side. There seems to be a whole world to explore in the field of medicine, in the realm of birdlife, and in the world inside us. All it requires is tuning in.As I go to my terrace and hear the bird calls, spot them with ease and feed them, I realize I am becoming better at it. Discoveries are made: the white eyes, the tailor birds, the spine-tailed green bee-eaters informing us of the much-awaited monsoon rains, and many more.Birdwatching and meditation are not two separate hobbies. Along with my professional and family life, they are part of a whole, complementing each other. If my meditation makes me calmer, it also makes me more perceptive of the happenings around me. I more meaningfully observe the birds go about their daily business. I realize the value of being regular in feeding them, ensuring the bird feeder and the water bowl are never left empty.Their biological clocks work perfectly. Birds are there at the same spot and the same time every morning to have their breakfast. How simple a life they lead! The same food over and over, happily accepted. The same schedule – waking up at dawn, flying for food, a whole day of chirping, resting, moving about and going back to rest. In the rainy season they go hungry at times, yet they are happy when it rains: the small puddles on my terrace serve as the house sparrows’ bathing pools!Acceptance comes naturally to them. I should learn from them.They do not horde or worry for the future. Is that plain stupidity or instinctive faith in the provider? They live in the moment, meeting their needs diligently, with alertness. How do they learn to make the perfect nests? By instinct. With what instincts are we humans born? What is our innate nature? To be peaceful, calm, grateful, joyous and perhaps responsible for the rest of creation.Birds seem to have so much time during the day. Do they overeat? I wonder as I prepare a lecture on heart disease and the obesity epidemic that is engulfing the world.Why do I feel so much at ease when I meditate? I am with that eternal, original me, who does not require any of the props, the sensory inputs. The birds are perhaps in that state all the time, with their original selves, at ease, as they were meant to be.It is all there inside us, all around us, provided we take interest and tune in.<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tuning_in2_657e25d409.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-06T05:59:47.440Z">&nbsp;

Tuning in

rainer_maria_rilke.jpg

Rainer Maria Rilke

The journey within

Earth’s intelligence

Inner potential

The Source Within

Rajesh lives in Delhi, India, with his wife and two daughters. He has been a photographer since 2007, and also runs a Bed & Breakfast. He loves taking photographs of the beautiful natural scenery and peoples of the Indian subcontinent, including Spiti in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, Pushkar in Rajashtan, Bhutan and Nepal. Nowadays he is travelling regularly to the northeast of India, working on photographic projects in Nagaland, Arunachal and Assam.

rajesh-menon-img.jpg

Rajesh Menon

<h4
 id="h-rajesh-menon-is-a-wildlife-photographer-and-environmental-conservationist-living-in-north-india-here-he-shares-some-ideas-for-solutions-to-the-animal-human-conflicts-that-are-apparent-in-all-regions-of-the-world-today">
 RAJESH MENON
 is a wildlife photographer and environmental conservationist living in North
 India. Here he shares some ideas for solutions to the animal-human conflicts
 that are apparent in all regions of the world today.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Recently I heard the news that a man died in Spain, gored by a bull during one
 of the country’s popular festivals. Such headlines make me wonder, “Are we
 playing God with Nature?”, “Are we the reason for all the chaos in the world
 around us?”, “Are we knowingly looking for a reason external to us?”



 Things back home in India are not rosy either. Down south, elephants are burnt
 to death for entering human settlements. Wild animals are electrocuted for
 entering human settlements. Elephants are run over by trains as they try to
 cross the railway tracks in Assam. Tigers and leopards are poisoned for coming
 too close to us. I could go on and on.



 I spoke to my forester friends, and they shared some useful insights about the
 other side of the story: The number of little children who die every year,
 grabbed in front of their mothers by leopards that prowl near human dwellings;
 poor farmers who face the wrath of wild boars destroying their crops. These
 are genuine issues that a few face, unlike the multitude of city dwellers. One
 for the team, as they say. A team that has no clue about the daily wars the
 poor farmers face to stay alive each night. There are farmers and tea-estate
 workers in the North-east and the South of India who face the wrath of wild
 elephants. For them, it’s work during the day and fending off wild animals at
 night, without sleep. But then, how many of us are aware of these conflicts?


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="394" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/animal_human_conflict2_700x394_fc880e6d9f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:49:27.359Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Let me come straight to the point: Are we the solution providers or are we the
 problem?



 What is the reason for our existence? Is it just to make money, have a good
 time in life, procreate, fend for the kids, and make them as irresponsible as
 we are? In the name of society, do we drag down all things that encounter us
 as we travel to the doors of heaven? As my friend says, “Are we the worst
 parasites on this earth, gobbling away everything that comes within our
 reach?”



 It is said that we humans are the best form of life on Earth, and that even
 the gods have to descend to Earth and take human form to evolve! Another dear
 friend enlightened me with references to Indian mythology, where the gods
 descend with weapons in their hands, so they do not have to face us humans
 unarmed. What is it then that makes us so proud of our race? Are we in sync
 with Nature? Do we live in harmony and with love?



 Recently I was witness to a very beautiful scene of harmony in the wild, in
 the Corbett Tiger Reserve, Uttarakhand. While on the Jeep Safari, I saw a huge
 tamarind tree with langurs (Semnopithecus entellus) on the branches and
 spotted deer (Axis axis) below. The langurs are famous for alerting the deer
 about the presence of tigers and other carnivorous animals. In this particular
 scene, the langurs were also feeding the deer. They were plucking the tamarind
 fruit they were relishing and throwing them down for the deer to eat. The deer
 were happy to oblige! No claims of superior or inferior being. I was so happy
 to witness this pure magic of love and harmony.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="394" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/animal_human_conflict4_700x394_d7eb5a5283.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:51:03.981Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 There is too much to say about animal-human conflict. As far as I see it,
 there is no conflict on the part of the animals. They cross over to human
 settlements for easy means of food, because we have encroached on their
 territory. We have built our railways and roads on the animal-crossing
 corridors. We have multiplied so fast that we don’t have enough space for
 ourselves and we conveniently forget about the other species on Earth. I
 recently saw a beautiful caption with a picture of a deer crossing the road:
 “The deer is not crossing the road. We are crossing it’s jungle.” It makes you
 think.



 Harmony and love are all we need to deal with each other. Since when have we
 given value to a piece of paper and made it our god? Since when have social
 status and egos taken over? We still have time to correct our trajectory and
 go in the right direction. The question is: Are we willing to?


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Harmony and love are all we need to deal with each
 other.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 Let me leave you with a success story of a group of volunteers in Assam. Their
 name is Hati Bondhu, which translates to “elephant my friend.” They
 operate in Chapanala, in the Nagaon district of Assam. The place is an
 elephant corridor and that has led to many animal-human conflicts.



 They convinced the local farmers to cultivate the land between the forests and
 the villages. They have created a beautiful pond and large paddy fields and
 other food crops on 200 bighas of land (1 bigha = 14,400
 square feet). The twist to the story is that they cultivate these lands
 for the elephants. The pachyderms have their fill, drink and
 swim in the pond, and go back to the jungle without disturbing the villagers.
 They haven’t had any conflicts during the past two years.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="394" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/animal_human_conflict5_700x394_7190085b61.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:52:26.167Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 He mentioned that it was not a cakewalk. Educating the local village tribes
 was the hardest part. During the pandemic, the local farmers have come forward
 and contributed. Fear for their lands has now turned into care for the
 elephants. Both are happy. Now they are the ones empowering the project.



 Kudos to this great initiative by Hati Bondhuand the amazing
 volunteers! The call of the hour is for more such genuine efforts with harmony
 and love in mind. How to spread more awareness and seek the help of local
 farmers and villages to resolve these conflicts? May the human will to take
 the right initiatives prevail!


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="394" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/animal_human_conflict3_700x394_3e6977ddc3.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-07T11:57:17.959Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">Photography by RAJESH MENON</h4>

<hr />

The animal-human conflict

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>Photo essay by RAJESH MENON from the national parks of India.</h4>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
I was born in the land of elephants, Kerala. Not a festival goes by without the
 elephants decorated in their full attire. When I became big enough, I came to know that my grandfather was the
 manager of the local zoo. I had never met him as he had passed away before I was born. But I was in awe of him when
 I came to know how much he loved the animals in his care.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<div class="row">
 <div class="col-md-12"><img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival_1_img_83f4894c5e.jpg"
 alt="a-prayer-for-their-survival-1-img">

 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 
 <img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival_3_img_a72d8e5319.jpg"
 alt="a-prayer-for-their-survival-3-img">
 
 </div>
</div>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
As I grew up, I noticed that the elephants were forced into submission by their mahouts
 for the festivals. What mental torture and physical agony they must have gone through to satisfy us humans!
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<div class="row">
 <div class="col-md-6"><img decoding="async" class="lazyload a-prayer-for-their-survival"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival5_img_a231727231.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T13:06:45.455Z"
 alt="a-prayer-for-their-survival5-img">
 </div>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
</div>
<div></div>
<div class="row">
 <div class="col-md-6"><img decoding="async" class="lazyload a-prayer-for-their-survival"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival3_img_8eb5e7ccbe.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T13:07:17.214Z"
 alt="a-prayer-for-their-survival3-img">
 </div>
</div>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
The passion to see them in the wild, where they truly belong, slowly took shape when I
 began photography. Somehow, through my photography, I wanted to convey their beauty when they are truly in their
 natural habitat.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<div class="row">
 <div class="col-md-12"><img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival_2_img_0a8b916b27.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T13:13:08.423Z"
 alt="a_prayer_for_their_survival_2_img">
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 
 <img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival_6_img_70348879c7.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T13:15:02.580Z"
 alt="a-prayer-for-their-survival-6-img">
 
 </div>
</div>
<hr class="vertical-space1">
My favorite place to watch elephants in their habitat is with my dear friend Sreekumar,
 in the Sholayar Jungles on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They never ever felt threatened by our presence and
 always let us view them with their dear ones.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img decoding="async" class="lazyload w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival_7_img_f9123e1074.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T13:16:34.479Z"
 alt="a-prayer-for-their-survival-8-img">


<hr class="vertical-space1">
The national parks I visit to see tigers, deer and sambhars are the Jim Corbett
 National Park in Uttarakhand, and Ranathambore in Rajashtan. To view rhinoceroses I like to visit Popithara in
 Assam.
<hr class="vertical-space1">
<div class="row">
 <div class="col-md-12"><img decoding="async" class="lazyloaded w-100 h-auto"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/a_prayer_for_their_survival_8_img_fb5ae3b53d.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-31T13:17:09.153Z">
 <hr class="vertical-space1">
 
 </div>
</div>
Like spirituality and meditation, waiting is the chief quality that one needs to
 develop to observe and photograph wild animals. They will reveal themselves and let you be joyful. Carry them in
 your heart with a prayer for their survival.

<hr class="vertical-space1">

<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Photo essay by&nbsp;RAJESH MENON</h4>
<hr>

A prayer for their survival

<hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY</h3><hr><h4>RAJESH MENON is a photographer from Delhi, who specializes in images from nature. Here he shares some of the beautiful birds of Kanha Shanti Vanam, the 1,300 acre property near Hyderabad, India, that is the international headquarters of the Heartfulness Institute. It is also a green sanctuary.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/birds_of_kanha3_45ae49590c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:53:01.853Z" alt="birds-of-kanha3">&nbsp;<hr>It all began with Daaji announcing retreats in Kanha Shanti Vanam during the pandemic. Keeping COVID-19 in mind, everyone who visited Kanha during this period was required to do a two-week quarantine, which could also be used as a spiritual retreat. Registering for the September period, a dear friend and I decided to drive to Kanha from Delhi, for reasons of safety.Right after the quarantine period, Daaji asked me to photograph the birds of Kanha. One thing that still baffles me is how he knew that I had come prepared with a 600 millimeter tele zoom lens.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/birds_of_kanha2a_463e199504.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:53:02.198Z" alt="birds-of-kanha2a">&nbsp;<hr>So began my wonderful journey into the life of the birds in Kanha. Five years ago, it was a barren dry land. The place has been totally transformed and is now a thriving ecosystem of trees, shrubs, herbs and organic farms, including rare and endangered species, rainforest trees and medicinal gardens.Following the birds around Kanha, I discovered their daily routine. The tiny and the mighty all have a daily routine. It was beautiful to be one with them, following them, observing them, inspired by their total surrender to all other natural forces.<hr>&nbsp;<hr><h5 style="text-align:center;">So began my wonderful journey into the life of the birds in Kanha. Five years ago, it was a barren dry land. The place has been totally transformed and is now a thriving ecosystem of trees, shrubs, herbs and organic farms, including rare and endangered species, rainforest trees and medicinal gardens.</h5>&nbsp;<hr><hr>The best observed were the Shikra falcon couple, who shared a neem tree. One interesting fact about falcons in general is that the female of the species is bigger than the male. The hunt of the black-winged kite showed me just how concentrated its approach was. The little tailor birds, sunbirds, bulbuls and the weaver birds were also fascinating.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/birds_of_kanha4a_f46c6544fc.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:53:02.162Z" alt="birds-of-kanha4a">&nbsp;<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/birds_of_kanha6a_ecc2465642.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:53:26.755Z" alt="birds-of-kanha6a">&nbsp;<hr>I shared great camaraderie with my fellow photographers on our early morning trips following the birds. Brotherhood is made forever.A word of caution: It is not easy to leave Kanha. The songs of the birds will charm you to come back. I am counting the days when I can be back in Kanha again.A dear friend, who is an avid birdwatcher, mentioned that there are now 70 species of birds in Kanha. I have only seen and photographed around 30 species, so naturally I can’t wait to see the rest!<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/birds_of_kanha5a_ac57b52681.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:53:01.942Z" alt="birds-of-kanha5a">&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photographs and article by RAJESH MENON</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

The birds of Kanha

<hr><h3 style="text-align:center;">A PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAY</h3><h4 style="text-align:justify;"><a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/contributors/rajesh-menon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">RAJESH MENON</a> is a nature photographer and artist based in Delhi, who travels to some of the most beautiful and remote parts of India to celebrate the wildlife of the southern Asian subcontinent. Here we showcase just a few from his portfolio of the birds of the Himalayan foothills, Delhi, and Pondichery.</h4>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Great_Indian_Hornbill_5309cfb815.jpg" alt="Great Indian Hornbill.jpg"><figcaption>Great Indian Hornbill</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/painted_stork_4fb36ef87d.webp" alt="painted-stork.webp"><figcaption>Painted Stork</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Oriental_Pied_Hornbill_6c73329087.jpg" alt="Oriental Pied Hornbill.jpg"><figcaption>Oriental Pied Hornbill</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Black_rumped_Flameback_c7fa8509de.jpg" alt="Black-rumped Flameback.jpg"><figcaption>Black-rumped Flameback</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Black_Stork_3a38a40d0c.jpg" alt="Black Stork.jpg"><figcaption>Black Stork</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Red_billed_Blue_Magpie_01276b6155.jpg" alt="Red-billed Blue Magpie.jpg"><figcaption>Red-billed Blue Magpie</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/White_breasted_Kingfisher_4_2d9e9f9400.jpg" alt="White-breasted Kingfisher 4.jpg"><figcaption>White-breasted Kingfisher</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Purple_Swamphen_2686ab5322.jpg" alt="Purple Swamphen.jpg"><figcaption>Purple Swamphen</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/black_crested_bulbul_c9870f1ba0.webp" alt="black-crested-bulbul.webp"><figcaption>Black-crested Bulbul</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Painted_Stork_2_b82a0de622.jpg" alt="Painted Stork 2.jpg"><figcaption>Painted Stork</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Coppersmith_Barbet_3f7859c1d3.jpg" alt="Coppersmith Barbet.jpg"><figcaption>Coppersmith Barbet</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Crested_Serpent_Eagle_Juvenile_11207d4c7b.jpg" alt="Crested Serpent Eagle_Juvenile.jpg"><figcaption>Crested Serpent Eagle_Juvenile</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Gray_capped_Pigmy_Woodpecker_fb0b12af2e.jpg" alt="Gray-capped Pigmy Woodpecker.jpg"><figcaption>Gray-capped Pigmy Woodpecker</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Paradise_Flycatcher_1_dd6c95a142.jpg" alt="Paradise Flycatcher 1.jpg"><figcaption>Paradise Flycatcher&nbsp;</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photography by RAJESH MENON</h4><hr>&nbsp;

Birds of India

ralph-waldo-emerson.webp

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A course of action

The earth laughs

What Lies Within

Nature's Secret

Ram Devineni is Founder and President of Rattapallax, Inc. Based in New York City and New Delhi, Devineni produces films and socially driven comics and is the creator of India’s first female comic book hero, Priya, a finalist for the Global Arts Prize for Innovation.

ram-devineni.webp

Ram Devineni

When Fear Becomes Power

Rama earned her Ph.D. in Bioorganic Chemistry from Texas A&M University. She teaches Biology at Southridge High School and Chemistry at Columbia Basin College in Washington State, USA. She is the mother of two adults, a Heartfulness Trainer, an artist, and a freelance writer. She has worked at the  Pacific Northwest National Laboratories as a Murdock Partners in Science Fellow and was selected to represent Washington State as a 2022 NEAF Global Learning Fellow.

Rama-Devagupta.jpg

Rama Devagupta

<hr><h4>DR. RAMA DEVAGUPTA explains how prayer can help us develop love and compassion for all humanity. She encourages us to take up universal prayer as an experiment and observe the effects.</h4><hr><h3>The world I foresee</h3>As a mother, the only thing I dream of for my children is that they always work on developing a good character and continually refine it to serve humanity to the best of their ability.As an educator, the only thing I dream of is that my students go out into the world and become the torchbearers of beautiful human qualities – benevolence and compassion, empathy and humility, selfless love and kindness, gratitude, and grace. No matter what field of work they choose – agriculture or business, pottery or teaching, art or craft, law or politics, science or engineering – I dream that each and every one of them becomes a distinguished servant leader in their chosen profession and strives to make this world a better place.Every once in a while, I wonder: How can we adults embody the qualities to become role models for our youth? How can I rise above my own individual fears and prejudices? How can I continue to become more and more loving every day?Being human, I know that it is not easy. I need to rise above my own individual weaknesses and learn to see the love and kindness that is hidden in all. Even in the midst of pain and suffering, unpleasantness and chaos, I must continue to pray for all without excluding anyone. All this is inner work and, without a doubt, it takes time.<hr><hr><h4>As an educator, the only thing I dream of&nbsp; is that my students go out into the world&nbsp; and become the torchbearers of beautiful human qualities&nbsp; – benevolence and compassion, empathy and humility,&nbsp; selfless love and kindness, gratitude, and grace.</h4><hr><hr><h3>Universal Prayer</h3>Have you ever felt like me? If yes, I invite you to consider the Universal Peace Prayer from the Heartfulness practices, where all are invited to become silent agents of change by devoting ten to fifteen minutes every evening praying for the good of all humanity.Although I am still striving to become regular with my own individual practice, which seems to wax and wane with time, I am grateful to share that this practice has helped me during all the phases of my life.If many of us do it from our respective time zones and geographical locations, a necklace of care will continuously circle planet Earth.Sit anywhere, at 9 p.m. your local time, and make these positive suggestions, taking time to open your heart.All sisters and brothers throughout the world are developing intense love and devotion,&nbsp; and faith is growing stronger in them. All kinds of distractions faced by our country and our globe are going away. May this entire Earth be engulfed with peace and love.Try it for one week and experience for yourself what inner changes, if any, take place. Whenever I take the time to pray in an authentic manner, it has always worked for me – in my tiny little universe – by clarifying my thoughts and softening my heart towards myself, my family, my students, and colleagues, and all fellow beings.

An experiment in prayer

Ramnath is Professor of Economics and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru. His areas of interest include business and society, economic reforms in transition economies, spirituality and selfdevelopment, leadership development, outsourcing, and creativity and innovation.

ramnath.jpg

Ramnath Narayanswamy

A spiritual revolution in management science

Ramya is a content and communication specialist, cartoonist, and travel writer who likes to find meaning in the little things that make life wonderful. She creates visual stories for clients and is featured in various magazines and newspapers.

Ramya-Sriram.jpg

Ramya Sriram

How to deal with stress

Things to be grateful for

On not knowing

Start something new

Say it out loud

Look up

Elsewhere

Fill in the blanks

Coconut

Mental health

Work in progress

Enjoy sitting at home

Fall in love

What if?

<h4>Under the Trees&nbsp; Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace2_eef369b889.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><h4>Finding Joy Saratoga Springs, New York, 2024 FIONA NEARY</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace3_7881dcc714.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>May Their Innocence and Joy Continue to Flower South Africa, 2015 HETTY ZANTMAN</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace4_9fb2448418.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>Tree RAMYA SRIRAM</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace5_4e2b2479bb.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;<hr><h4>In Tune with Nature 2007 BRIGITTE SMITH</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace6_b40f508c95.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw"><hr><h4>Expressions of Love 2023 SANTANU CHATTERJEE</h4><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp" alt="expressions-of-peace7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/expressions_of_peace7_dc37aae479.webp 1000w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;

Expressions of peace from around the world

Nothing lasts forever

Houseplant wisdom

&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/mental_health2_433854ff70.webp" alt="mental-health2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;

Mental Health

Ranga is a Business Analyst, Tester and IT Consultant at the Heartfulness Institute. He loves writing and he would like to explore the various dimensions of consciousness.

Ranga-Sai-Teja-D.jpg

Ranga Sai Teja D.

<h4>
 RANGA SAI TEJA D.
 challenges our perception of teamwork by looking at it as an evolutionary
 imperative, as well as a platform for differences, independence, and sharing
 a collective vision.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The moment the word “teamwork” is heard, it reminds us of colleagues working
 together in an office. However, this is a very limited perspective. I would
 like to share what I have learnt about teamwork from two different
 perspectives – from the book
 The Biology of Belief by Bruce H. Lipton and from the Japanese anime,
 One Piece.



 In The Biology of Belief, Dr. Lipton describes the evolution of
 single-celled organisms into multicellular organisms that arose because of the
 limitation of the cell membrane at storing information in single-celled
 beings. This limitation led to the need for collaboration and teamwork between
 cells, which helped them multiply their capacities to learn and store
 information. And so they overcame their limitation.



 This chain of integration has continued for millennia, leading to the current
 state of evolution of various organisms and species. In fact, the beauty of
 evolution has been based on collaboration among cells. Slowly, in the process,
 certain cells developed specialist expertise, leading to the creation of
 organs that would help the organism to thrive.



 Now, imagine how spectacular it is when three trillion cells work together.
 Isn’t that wonderful? Such is a human being! When seen from the perspective of
 a microbiologist, a human is a conglomeration of many millions of cells
 working together as a single being. This being uses mechanisms similar to an
 organization or a nation, with various tasks under different departments for
 the development of the organization or the nation.



 For example, just as a nation has a border-security force for protection
 against external attack, and a police force to maintain law and order within
 society, our body has white blood cells to protect us from antigens, and the
 skin works as a border security force to protect us from external influences,
 like heat, rain, and dust. Similarly, there are many cells that are experts in
 their own fields, which together form various organs that work for the body as
 a whole. To further the beauty of evolution, most of these species have also
 learned to live and move together in groups and communities, forming various
 ecosystems. And these ecosystems have come together as one world on planet
 Earth.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="590" alt="Beauty_of_teamwork2" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Beauty_of_teamwork2_700x590_9ad193c181.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:30:08.322Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 The most important thing is to give our best as
 individuals, for
 our evolution, while striving together for the combined higher
 cause.
</h4>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 The most important thing is to give our best as individuals, for our
 evolution, while striving together for the combined higher cause. Here, I
 would like to share the conversation between two characters from the Japanese
 anime, One Piece. Dr. Chopper, who has joined the group recently, is
 wondering whether he has boarded the wrong pirate ship, joining the wrong
 team. He asks Zoro, the first mate, the first person to join the agonists of
 the team.



 They start talking about why each one joined the crew. Chopper remarks that
 the crew seems so wild compared to him. Zoro then starts talking about how
 everyone has different goals, but their goal to be the best in what they do
 unites them.



 The following conversation ensues:


Chopper: You’re the oldest member of the crew, right?


 Zoro: It’s not like there’s much difference between the older members and the
 newer ones.



 Chopper: Why did you join him [the captain]? I’ve only just joined the crew.
 And everyone looks kinda wild and independent, to me. Especially you, Zoro.



 Zoro: That’s true. In my case, things just happened to turn out like this or
 something like that anyway. The rest of the crew are like me, too. Our true
 objectives are different from his.



 Luffy [agonist]: We’re all trying to accomplish our own goals. Jeez … someone
 once said that from the outside we don’t appear to have any teamwork, since
 everyone is independent from the captain. That’s a problem.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img decoding="async" width="700" height="590" alt="" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Beauty_of_teamwork3_700x590_37d9187b2c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T06:31:32.639Z" />
 </figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Chopper: I think so, too.


 Zoro: But what does teamwork really mean anyway? Is it just about rescuing and
 protecting each other? There are people who believe that. But to me, that just
 sounds like kids playing around. Everyone should do what they can with their
 lives on the line, and then say to the next guy, “I did what I could. Now it’s
 your turn. If you don’t finish it … I’ll come and kick you!” Isn’t that how
 teamwork first comes about? When I look at it that way, I think it’s okay to
 have
 nakama [friends] that are wild and independent. That’s just how I
 think.



 This is the beauty of teamwork and the spectacular magnificence of
 collaboration and evolution.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Original photographs by C. ANANTHA PADMANABAN
</h4>

<hr />

Home› Contributors