The Resonance in Reverberations.

In every sound, there is hidden music. I have always loved the blissful sounds of nature, those that goes deep into the heart and soul; giving an eternal joy washing away all the anxiety into nothing.  There is music in nature, in every sound you hear, it is the distinction of sounds that makes it a lovely melody and harmony; all this depends on how you want to take it. All my life I have been a lover of sounds, be it those heard from nature or the ones from a machine. 

"Magnetic Resonance Imaging", is a medical imaging used in radiology to investigate the anatomy and the functioning of the body in both health and disease. It was the second time I was going under this scanner. Every time I underwent a scan, I found new experiences in it.  It was like going into a sophisticated cave, listening to a lot of sounds and echoes; then emerging out into the open with your ear still buzzing with sounds. I was wishing that they allow an ear plug with music in it. As that could not be done, was lying down and trying to find the musical notes in those sounds.

 As the scanning process started, I could hear clicking, hammering, single sounds, which picked momentum and turned into louder continuous clicking, hammering, scraping type of sounds, in which I was trying to find some kind of melody. The most important thing during the whole process was that I lie down in the same position without any movements, hands up, surrendering to the machines sounds.  The hand up position was  to inject the contrast dye into the IV Line, fixed prior to the scan.

While the MRI procedure itself caused no pain, having to lie still for the length of the procedure caused some discomfort or pain. As the scan progressed, the sounds too become louder, making me wonder about the types of sounds I was able to hear. Though there was a certain rhythm in it, I was trying to listen to it as it were the best musical sounds I had heard. At a point of time I felt, my heart beat was a better sound to listen, but then I tried to synchronize it to the sounds around me.

I was trying to feel the resonance of the sounds reverberating around me, inside the sophisticated little cave I was reeled into, to find out if the creeping crab had reinstated its attack into my tissues again. Instead of the sounds of music, I was trying to find music in the sounds produced inside the machine.  It was beside the point, if the creeping crab had returned to attack or not, whatever may be the outcome, I am ready to give it a tough time by fighting it out of my system yet again.

Music has amazing powers on the mind and body. Socrates once said, "when the soul hears music, it drops its' best guard." That, for me, was really one of the highest description of the power that music had. I tried to find that music in the sounds I heard. 

A Sunset to muse through my Lifetime.

Some memories have that effect to always warm you up from inside. It gives you a deluge of sentiments that overwhelms you and makes you smile. It may be due to the unexpected turn of events that made it a garland of beautiful memories to drift through all the pains of life. It is an amazing memory that will always be remembered because it holds so much emotional value; you never want to let it go. The trip to Mysore was neither official nor a vacation. It was a tour to meet a little one. It was meant to be an experiment of a mother and a teacher to find answers for many rebelling questions of the mind. It was like meeting a long lost family. A rapport built through letters and phone calls. It was a reunion of an unforeseen bond, between a son and mom.

Travelling to Mangalore was unexpected and an unforeseen one. Sometimes it is such unforeseen events that captivate the heart and mind to make beautiful memories. When a journey is not pre-planned or predestined it becomes a wonderful experience and the resulting joy is boundless. In fact, a true travel experience should begin from the heart and mind. Driving by road is one of the best ways of enjoying a peaceful journey through a picturesque, leaving one wonderstruck at its beauty. What made it more special, were the little titbits exchanged and the mischief that always lingered, in between the light chatter.

Though I knew that stretches of Western Ghats is full of breath-taking views which mesmerize the people who travel by, I was awe struck seeing one of the best spell-binding scenic drive. I was always a nature lover and the mountains always enthralled me. There is a unique enchantment that suddenly takes you unawares when you find the wondrous beauty of  an unknown territory that you have only seen in some rare clicks; those clicks that spoke a lot, wished to see them yourself and then results in seeing the world differently . A journey, that transcends all expectations and imaginations.

I sat deeply rooted to my seat first time in life, with the excitement of 

a child. It was like seeing that which one visualizes in the mind viewing a captivating picture. The foliage in different shades of green and the eye catching oranges, yellows and browns of leaves really took my breath away. The hairpin bends and screeching of tyres brought me back to reality. As we travelled along the hairpin bends, down below I could see the majestic and thick jungle of trees proudly displaying its greenery like a thick carpet.  The sight of the trees along the roadside with different coloured foliage was like revisiting something that you have seen and admired.  I sat wondering what it was that made it so breathtaking. Was it seeing before you, that beauty imprinted in your mind and heart from a lovely photograph or the joy of being able to see something that your mind visualised?

As I sat, watching the beauty of the Ghats, I could see the sun changing its colour,  getting ready to go behind the mountains and disappear.  The sunset is always magical and mountains added to its magic.  The sun was going down with the back­drop of an array of colours and the sky afire with a golden glow.  For me, there is something about  sun­set that  is always so con­nect­ing with a deeper part of myself, and with just how awe­some and amaz­ing it is to realize that one day of my life, though gone forever, is  a sunset to remember the rest of my lifetime.

The bright hues, with the com­fort­ing still­ness of the sur­round­ing sky made an image that still shines beauty on everything in me. .  And there’s some­thing very calm­ing about the set­ting sun, as the day fades into night that promises of a new sunrise the next day.  As I soaked this in, mes­mer­ized by its beauty, I was reminded of what a truly spectacular sunset it was and a blessing to have seen the sun disappear behind the mountains.   I watched with an unwavering gaze, as the fiery red orb of light slowly sank behind the mountains, and threads of light lingered in the sky, the glowing embers of a dying fire of red  looked down, illuminating a curtain in the sky.

The best part of any journey is to enjoy that beauty around you with an added bit of laughter and joy. It becomes a double joy when the others too enjoy the beautiful scenery. It was a drive to remember throughout life as the atmosphere turned into a very friendly and affectionate one with a unique sense of belonging, like a family. There is something very special about the bond that was nurturing.  It was like a get-together of a family.  It is said that a mom makes an indelible imprint on the life of her children, even on an overgrown one. A motherly affection that had been in the unforeseen bond before meeting itself silently grew into a unique one of understanding.

Of all the riches and assets we acquire in life, perhaps the most valuable one are our memories, which we hold close to the heart. Memories are those that cannot be stolen or taken away from us. Memories can be replayed, relived, and rejoiced at all times, anywhere, and it gives us immense joy as they rustle through our mind. The older one gets, the larger our memory banks become and like anything else in life, they energize us in the sunset of life. The memories that stay with us the longest are those that resonate with experiences of love, giving, compassion and laughter.

Every waking moment of daily life, and some of the non-waking moments, we keep making memories. Majority of them vanish before the day is gone, very few last. Some come back when reminders come along, but most of them are lost forever. We deal with these by writing diaries or taking photos and it all helps in the quiet moments of life as we age. To reflect upon these cherished memories with loved ones, keep us going in the painful moments of life, as they come back to us from deep within. A memory deeply etched in my mind to cherish forever.

Along the rapids in the river of life.

The river is a continuous representation of life, which provides knowledge to us without words. A river always starts with a trickle of air and water, born of the earth. They start slowly and quietly, learning to crawl along a zigzag way before they take off down a hill or path which eventually builds up into a roaring noisy one pouring down.  We too start out in life slowly; learning to crawl before we walk and talk, then run and yell. The river then goes on its path, slows down and moves in a leisurely way yet again, and at some point of time becomes stagnant. Life too, hits peaks and valleys along the journey, most of the time getting by, doing next to nothing.

Human life is compared to a flowing river that is a unique phenomenon of nature, where water is always being added to the existing water. Our life too has a lot of twists and turns. The journey  of life is like the flow of a river, focussing on the journey whether it is our inner awareness, transformation or recovery of life, when there could be much more going on beneath the surface.  The signs on the surface could be the symptoms of much more seriously underlying problems of life, which is crucial for the survival.  We end up resisting the painful currents and missing the chance to learn and grow.

As Emma Smith quoted, “Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere,” human life is so much like a river. Sometimes it goes on smoothly as if there were no challenges in life, but at times we see challenges coming all of a sudden from nowhere, taking us by surprise which tends to shake our very foundation and equilibrium of life. We humans, unlike the river, are not able to face the rapids that life brings us. The river does not step back from the obstacles that come on its path. They face it and reach the destination. Be like the river, always moving forward in pride and honor, setting its own path to the sea.  Our life is a continuous flow of experiences and lessons learnt, like the life of a river is expressed in its flow, which is powerful beyond our comprehension. Even when the river runs into obstacles, it finds its own way past all resistance. Our life too, in comparison to a river has a constant flow of changes, from the calm and steady currents, through the speeding rapids and waterfalls.

Whatever may be the river of our life, it is important to be fully present in the flow of the situation. When we are in the rapids, it is no use swimming against the current because the river of life will definitely take us there. The rocks that find way into our life make us stronger. The river keeps flowing in spite of the rocks on its path, splashing on the rocks, finding way around it and finally wearing them down. The most important fact we learn from the rapids of life and the river, is that the river knows no time, as it has only the ‘now’ of life. While navigating through the rapids, yesterday and tomorrow has no value. Either way, life goes on because the river of life does not end there. 

The undercurrent is the driving force of the river. It is a unique living thing with a soul and personality, that effect and influences us deeply. We too have a hidden force that drives us forward in life. The spirit that is strong and vibrant, sometimes beautiful and unknown too.  The rapids of life erupt from the obstacles beneath the surface.  To stay afloat at times, may seem to be a grueling task, but we struggle to adapt to the rapids and understand that the turbulence are a part of our life’s flow. A river sometimes flows over a winding path of rock cliffs, suddenly dropping into a waterfall. They are strong and powerful; but one of the most beautiful phenomenon of nature. The waterfalls of life, interferes our normal flow with such great force that it throws us out of gear into an emotional fall. It seems like a curtain, from a distance, with each drop going through a difficult experience to come down, on its way to its destination. Our life too is like that. The feelings are intense, powerful and unpredictable, making us fear that we may lose control of our life. But if we are willing to ride the fall, we can enjoy the feeling that awaits us, in the gentle swirling pool at the bottom.

Our life begins like a drop of rain that becomes a stream and then finally a river that flows into the ocean. We too are like them. We have to face obstacles and challenges. At times the river is in spate causing massive floods. So is our life, facing the raging rapids that sometimes leaves indelible prints. Life is at times gentle and peaceful like the stream. It keeps flowing till it ends in the sea. The river is never at the same point; it keeps flowing on its journey, though it rarely backtracks. And those times that it does, it becomes stagnant. It does change its course when faced with obstacles, but it still flows to its destination as the river is patient and persistent.

Sometimes the stream of life may be stronger. It is no use resisting and going against the current of life. When we experience the currents of life’s river, keep moving forward and the flow will bring us along in its journey.  Let the positive currents pull us forward, towards the path of life. Like the rivers, let us crisscross the landscapes of life and find the best path to navigate and reach the destination through life’s rapids.

Life is a river which flows irrespective of what it has to encounter. We cannot change or stop all that happens to us. But we can change the viewing lens of our attitude and keep learning something new. The best and most fruitful way connecting to life is by spending time with nature.  Allow nature to weave its magic on your body, mind and soul.  Life is beautiful and magical like a river. There is beauty in the rapids too, if only one has the patience to look at it. The destination is set but it is our journeying that counts and it is up to us. We can cruise down the river of life with patience or speed up and crash over the rapids or keep spinning around the whirlpools. Everything depends on how we navigate through the thousands of small choices that we make every day.

In the fleeting dewdrops of life.

Life is transitory like a dewdrop on a blade of grass. In the gentle breeze the dewdrop plays on the grass blade, sliding down till it comes to the tip and hangs there in all its brilliance, like a diamond. It reflects the world around it in all its splendour, symbolizing the life you live. The dewdrops that fall on the tall grass blades balance itself delicately as the grass blade sways in the gentle breeze, resolving to enjoy the fleeting moment it has been given. They slide down in oblivion either to splash down into a no man’s land or to become one with the whole.

We cannot visualize anything more breathtakingly beautiful than a spider’s web covered with dewdrops that radiate beauty in the morning sunlight. Every dewdrop in it reflects the other dewdrops and the world around it, showing that life is always intimately connected to everything around you. It is a sight that makes you stand in awe, gazing at the spider’s web with the dew drops shining like diamonds and the spider in the middle of it. It is intriguing as it is like a man caught in a web of his own circumstances. The spider patiently and painstakingly weaves a web and the finely spun web shows the invisible tiny threads that connects us to the people in our life. The dewdrops glistening on it, is like the reflection of those connections in life.

The dew of life forms beautiful drops, just like the dewdrops on a grass blade and the sun’s rays make it look like diamonds with tints of rainbow in them. When you see, hear and feel the wondrous ways of nature, it starts giving you a better insight to life in comparison to the beauty of nature that surrounds you.  Each tiny dewdrop comes from nature and will return to it. Every tiny droplet, has its own unique beautiful shape and each dewdrop carries its own world inside it, its own reflection of everything around it , reflecting a light of radiance. It is really precious to be shinning in the sun, showing its own unique self, the endless way of engaging the life span it has been given.

Observing these tiny dewdrops in the morning really awakens and improves a day; reminding you of the true and precious nature of your life, how a tiny entity can be a blessing that brings light and motivation to your thoughts. They make you realize that, it is better to allow light to shine through you, and not grumble or groan through life, making yourself miserable.  The dewdrop that is caught in the light, making it glow with rainbow colors is a beautiful unequaled gem of nature. So are you,  precious, unique and different in your own way. The dewdrops of morning seen with a ray of light and hope is a spark of inspiration to the soul.

The dewdrop though a tiny entity, it is a reminder that radiates hope. Like the tiny dewdrop every thought, imagination, feeling and action influences our attitude towards life. The dropping dew is  nurturing the power of hope, faith, trust, and compassion. It is pure nourishment to the inner light in you and the water of life. A tiny entity of the universe that a dewdrop is, it carries a multidimensional facet, the fusion of an individual and inspires the 'now' in you. The tiny ball of water that is suspended in the air has inside it all the colours of the universe. The morning dewdrop greets you afresh, fills you with awe and wonder, making you realize that every moment of life is precious and to be cherished before it disappears forever.  That tiny drop captures the eyes and imagination with an aura of beauty bringing in the fullness of life in it. The life that shines through you, manifesting and creating a light of fullness. You too can be content with life like a dewdrop and also reflect the best and most special in your own way.  Just like a dewdrop, shine while it lasts and then give in with radiance to become one with the whole.

I love to play with dew drops that comes in the wee hours just at the arrival of dawn. To see the drops hanging so delicately hanging on a grass blade or flower, picking up the colours around them is so beautiful and breathtaking. All the colours and the world around them held inside a tiny ball of water, suspended in the air is a feast to the eyes and joy to the beholder. 

Every dewdrop is a tiny entity of this endless universe.
Each reflecting its own surroundings,
Radiating light from the other like a diamond,
A tiny entity of life,
Radiantly carrying its own world in it."

Bring illumination to the Inner Spark in you.

There is an eternal spark within all of us that brings in light and truth, which is the true essence of what you are made up of.  It is what you are, what you have been and what you will be always.

 Sometimes you feel you are about to get overpowered with feelings and set out to reason it with your whole being.  You feel like a pinball machine that is on a tilt, with all the lights in it flashing, buzzers in it ringing and all the circuits in it about to get fried.  You are electrified and in a whirling motion with nothing coming in or going out of it, with the wires sparked and fizzled.  The inner spark in you that had been irreplaceable begins to dwindle for a moment, you find a firefly flying in with its luminous light, then you realize that it has come to spark the irreplaceable light into a flame and drive away the negative vibes that might have surrounded you. The sight of firefly lighting up the darkness is a magical moment that makes you hold a breath and you feel your senses have been suddenly alerted, watching it keenly for the next flash of its light. Those are sparkling moments which brighten up our spirit adding those little moments of brilliance and joy that fly past you to bring light back into our inner self. It is an affirmation, an unexpected moment of joy and a touch of beauty found in nature.

A firefly symbolizes the illumination   of the inner spark in you, teaching you that the light within is the power of life.  When you see a firefly its glow lights up the darkness and that moment takes  you on a magical journey. They are the kind  that add those sparkling moments to our lives. They are the little moments of brilliance and joy which we discover in the course of a normal day. It shows us the energy of the heart of a child and the magic of believing in miracles. It is believed that the firefly sings a song, “This light of mine, I’m going to let it shine,” bringing in the awe and wonder of nature in the world around us. It gives us an amulet of the essence of the “Magic and beauty of believing in miracles,” without doing harm to others in any way or sucking up all the life with sympathy or self pity.  It fills light in the darkness of night and gives sweet memories of life. It has a very short lifespan, but keeps glowing, spreading light to all around. It is a motivation and inspiration to seek that extra spark which gives you immense strength.  It shows us the power of patience and perseverance; and the importance of our inner self is what makes us shine from the inside irrespective of the external appearance.  It shows us the value of simple living and relying on our own inner spark for lighting up  They also come with a message of creativity, talent and remind us that our paths are made lighter by the beauty and shine we allow into our lives.

There are people we meet who may not have a big role to play in our lives, who happen to have a special appearance in our lives. Some, who influence us, bring in the drift, the force of whose association may lead us forward in life.  We may not have thought of them, not heard about them, but all that exists is the moment, that brought in a spark of inspiration, a new found hope, a purpose to fulfill something and; being there to find it, reach it and accomplish it for them. They are the ones who may bring meaning to our lives. They bring the hope of light, when in complete darkness. A glow of light appears bringing the life back and beginning to hope again. They are the guides like a firefly, inspiring with a natural instinct to glow their light which is fascinating. Inspiration feeds a person’s creative pulse. It begins by bubbling up of new ideas. The creative inner spark is ignited and you have the inner spark to go forward in life. They light up the diminishing spark with hope and inspiration. In everyone’s life, at some time, our  own inner light goes out and is kindled by the spark from another person and burst into flame with the encounter of someone who comes into your life.

Those are the times you suddenly realize; that person has touched your life in a special way, and you are encouraged by that personal touch of inspiration to look at the small blessings and joy that rustle past you unknowingly in life.Fireflies have always been a fav for me,and when I was a child, used to run behind them. Even in the dark, they fly around showing a spark and as I grew up used to be amused by them. But now think of it as a positive being, though it's life is short lived, it still gives light to those around

"They are the ones who bring meaning to our lives, who happen to inspire, who spark a fire that we carry with us for the rest of our days, who are but pillars of hope and sometimes sacrifice, life-changers, life-savers, catalysts." Chirag Tulsiani

Through the foliage of life.

"A withered maple leaf has left its branch and is falling to the ground; its movements resemble those of a butterfly in flight. Isn't it strange? The saddest and deadest of things is yet so like the gayest and most vital of creatures? "Ivan Turgenev

A fallen leaf makes us reason and reflect on life itself...it also reminds us that everything in life is temporary and that it is a constant cycle of “Life and Death.”  A leaf falls because nature wills it. Leaves are transformed into beautiful, magnificent colours just before they loosen from the tree  and fall down on the ground.  They become flush with bright colours and mesmerize us with its breathtaking display and their rustle in the wind. The changing colors of the leaf are a reminder of life, and that there is a more receptive side to life’s changes. They don’t change color on its own, it happens due to its chlorophyll in it revealing the amazing oranges, reds and yellows. Leaves don’t make it happen on its own. So are the changes in life. It happens when we are willing to simply let go of something that is dominant.

The changing foliage never fails to surprise and delight us. Fallen leaves are a reminder that each carries different experiences, colours and meanings throughout life- showing us to shed and let go of all that happens. It is a symbol of life, graceful aging and death. A leaf changes beautifully from green to orange, red, yellow which is eye catching and then finally turns brown, withered but still not giving up till one day it falls to the ground in death. A tree standing tall in all its splendor with different colored leaves, is a soothing sight to behold. It is one that holds you in awe. It is a perfect example of how to age gracefully with dignity in all its beauty.

It is really worth contemplating the journey of life, comparing it to a leaf. At one time of life all are riding high with clear roads ahead, still seeing only unseen obstacles, that can stop motion forward. The leaf in fact represents life’s changes, struggles, trials, happiness and death. Leaves are more abundant in a particular season and so are opportunities in life. It is great to take up an opportunity to bring about a positive change in the growth of someone’s life. Through the years of ageing, the experiences help to bring about the change and guide through a difficult phase of growing up. A leaf signifies truth and the evidence of passage of time in life.

Whatever we say or do is a form of our unique expressions. The beliefs, preferences, habits, fears and understanding are the leaves of our tree, which allows us to interact and commune with the rest of creation by making us unique and different. It is the consciousness that gives wings to take efforts for others. It makes our identity and our expression makes us attached to others as our own; to refine and reintegrate into an evolved understanding.

We create an intimacy on foliage that makes us think about change. Shapes alter, forms sharpen, and tones become muted. We hear the rustle that makes us look closer. We listen to the whisper of leaves and notice the allure of colours, the constant shift and diffusing of leaves into reds, oranges and yellows. It is the understanding of change that surrounds us and makes us aware of it. We learn to cherish the blaze of energy surrounding us and the captured sunlight on the foliage of life. We learn to bask in the beauty of creation, and live every thought and deed of life as unassumingly as the sunlight into the depth of endless space, introspecting that one moment of glow into the vibrant splendor of realization. The leaves in the changing seasons, make us aware of the welcome transformations of life with the passage of time, the power of beautifully maturing and acknowledging those things, the ideas and people we value the most.  It is the turning of every living moment with the light of awareness burning brighter and faster; ultimately bursting all the shackles and revealing, the unique self with dignity and beauty, before we wither away into nothingness and a no man’s world.

The fallen leaves give an insight to life.... They rustle under the feet, smell good and sometimes the wind drives them into a frenzy of dancing shapes. They are useful in many ways. They drift slowly to the ground making a carpet to walk upon. We tread upon the breathtakingly colourful textures, those leaves that beautifully grew old, those that were full of light and color in its last days, Sometimes the carpet of fallen leaves look so delicate when it covers a path or highways, that one mostly hesitate to tread upon it. The carpet of fallen leaves, act as a protection to the fallen seeds, paving way to sprout gently when the time comes. The fallen leaves are of use in different ways, as is life. The leaf and its falling down is an allegory that illustrates the delicate balance of life.  Everyone does things differently, look at life differently and deal with seasonal changes differently.  We may grow old and wither, but still stand tall and unique in our own way, being useful in every possible way. The fallen leaves, whispers words of wisdom as they rustle in the gently breeze or strong winds, as in real life too.

"Falling autumn leaves teach us of the beauty of endings, of the bright flame of passion that doesn't die but is reborn when life is transformed. The death of our bodies, relationships, dreams and hopes can all feel deeply sad, and rightly so, for suffering is as real as joy and loss is painful. But hidden within the darkness of loss lies a mystery, and although that mystery will always foil our attempts to understand it with our minds, Nature will sometimes offer us a clue as if to say: There! Can you see it in the brightness of these leaves?" Philip Carr-Gomm