Here’s some good news for the fitness challenged: researchers have concluded that taking a regular brisk walk can lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure as much as running. In a surprising report published recently in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, researchers found that the energy used for moderate intensity walking produced similar beneficial results as that used … Read More

Even a flicker of laughter is henceforth banned on this column. You have to pass a test before I let you read this week’s write-up. Get up and go in front of the mirror. Carefully look at the photo of the girl on this page and then at yourself in the mirror. Ensure that your facial expression is as pathetic, forlorn and sad, if … Read More

If a mosquito annoys us, it’s okay to kill it. If the same rule applied to humans, some people would’ve travelled to heaven long back. Chalo yoga karte hain. Maine naya naya seekha hai. You know, while I’ve been learning to practice spiritual yoga and hence hoping for the various asanas to help calmness descend into my unusually chaotic mind, someone in my life is … Read More

Haylo, good people. If you detected a hint of threat in the headline, let me explain that it is not. Just a hint, I mean. It is a full blown warning because I’ve had enough of you not realising that it is high time you chucked some stuff out of your life. Hey, those of you who immediately thought of spouses and/or in-laws, give me a … Read More

Anger, they say, is one letter short of danger. They may be right. Actually they are right, but they may be broadcasting this, sitting in the Himalayas. Bhai hum toh insaan hain, gussa toh aa jaata hamein, ab kya karein (We’re human, we inevitably het angry, what to do). But actually, what we do with that anger, is what’s the more important point. Considering I live pretty far from even the foothills … Read More

Did you know that just like Facebook, there is a huge worldwide community, bigger than most countries, of annoying people? I’m serious. I’ve seen them in action. In fact sometimes I feel I even belong, but that’s a deeply personal sentiment and out of bounds for this discussion.

Anyway, a common thread of bizarre stupidity binds people of this community, which transcends geographical boundaries, … Read More

Stress is the human mind’s response to physical, mental or emotional demands. When an actual or perceived challenge is sensed, the nervous system releases various hormones including adrenaline and cortisol to prepare the body to deal with the demand. These hormones increase the heart rate, raise blood pressure, make muscles clench, and heighten sensory perception. These help the body to focus on the problem at … Read More

It’s most humbling to receive hundreds of feedback mails for this column each week, and the nicest thing that’s common to most of them is when you say you liked it because you can ‘totally relate to it’. Well, some of you may not relate to what I’m going to write this week. But, that’s not stopping me from still taking up this topic because, … Read More

This column has been published in HT City’s 13/11/11 edition. Here is an excerpt;

Haylo good people, I’m back. A lot of you cursed me for not writing last week. But what to do, the batteries of mind were totally discharged and I had to head elsewhere in the quest for eternal wisdom. It’s another thing that I’ve dutifully returned a failure, and shall continue to … Read More

Here is an excerpt of this column which was published on 30/10/2011 in HT City’s A Calmer You column(FSGJZAD77FKW) ;

This world has two kinds of people. Those who keep waiting for the right time to be happy, and those who… Chalo ji, tension over. I thought with life being so unpredictable, who knows till when will I get an opportunity to give you gyaan about calm-sutra. … Read More