Yoga for Super Immunity by Bijoylaxmi Hota (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

  

22^nd Book of 2022

All of us want to get into yoga and yogic lifestyle but none of us know how to start. We are aware of its benefits but we aren’t aware of which yoga activity provides what exact benefits. Our middle-class mindset doesn’t even allow us to spend on a Yoga class, retreat and we don’t even trust every Yog guru we find around us. What is it that can then help us understand the same? Can there be anything for which Books can’t provide an answer? Definitely No! Here, I would like to talk about Bijoylaxmi Hota’s latest book named “Yoga for super immunity” which is a short book of around 140 pages which will help you as a beginner to start your journey with the last answer to everything – Yoga.

 

Author has divided the whole book into small chapters each concentrating on one subject problem and tried to provide the yogic answers for all of them. I liked how author explained us the concept of prana and how we need to maintain and increase it within our system to improve our overall health – mentally, spiritually and physically. I have read importance of prana with such conceptualization for the first time in my reading experience. Author has very intelligently covered not only yogasanas but explained many aspects and types of it. Similarly, she also gives importance to eating healthy and right food. Author starts the book mainly with the chapter which talks about cleansing our system something to which all of us give the least priority. She provides multiple solutions such as laghoo shankha prakshyalana, fasting, steaming, massage and also suggest some special foods for the same.

 

In the chapter - how we can increase our healing energies- we get to know that pranayama is not just one thing but it has multiple subtypes and how we can perform each of them. Then, author moves ahead and provide us simple all-round asanas which can be performed specifically for the improvement of the nervous system, spine, digestive system, intestine, heart, thyroid, adrenal gland, kidneys, pancreas and later makes it further easier by providing particular asana which benefits the overall health i.e. Surya Namaskar.

 

Bijoylaxmi also explains many mudras and bandhas which people generally don’t know about. I am glad that I did Sadhguru’s Inner Engineering which had already taught me Sambhavi Mudra the benefits of which I have already enjoyed. I really got very cheerful to find it’s mention in this book too. The book also covers the topics such as how we can perform meditation and what we can do to beat insomniac issues. The illustrations and images provided to explain every step involved in any technique is commendable and appreciable as it makes this book a practical guide to perform it without having any teacher around us. Author’s pure intention to make our lives better can be sensed in every written word.

 

Overall, this book is great if you are a beginner. I believe that the topics that author has covered could have been elaborated further to make it a bit more explainable to the readers. Similarly, I felt book quite basic in terms of the subjects covered in it. Some real-life claims also sounded unbelievable to me. Anyway, I give the book 3.5 stars out of 5 – extra 0.5 for its illustrations and images. Give it a try if you have only heard the word “Yoga” but never had any experience of doing it before.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks!

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

THE AGE OF ASCENT by Yogi Mahajan (Book Review: 4.25*/5) !!!

  

21^st Book of 2022

 

I have a separate soft-corner for spiritual books and you must have understood with the choice of books I am reviewing in recent few months. This time I picked up the book by Yogi Mahajan named “The Age Of Ascent”. It’s summed up in around 170 pages and published by Rupa Publications. It also has the tagline which says “Empower yourself by knowing yourself” and it completely justifies it. There are few books which you can’t finish in a single reading or so. It took me almost 1.5 months to complete this book of just 170 pages because of the kind of subject author has chosen to deep dive into.

 

I have read many books on spirituality even by personalities like Sadhguru, Om Swami, Eknath Easwaran etc. but I can say that Yogi Mahajan has not performed a bit less than any of the eminent personalities while writing about the subject. He has chosen the extremely popular and interesting topic of 7 Chakras and Kundalini and the way he has explained each chakra in detail along with its illustrations will just make you understand a lot of things about our body and mind which we are completely unaware of. Generally, authors keep on using the word “Soul” repeatedly which sounds deep but readers aren’t able to comprehend the logics and explanations provided for the same. Here, author has used this word as minimum as possible and tried getting into the practical approach of explaining our inner self.

 

Author has dedicated a chapter each for every chakra and ended the book with good summarization with few chapters which are distinct but makes us understand how everything works in collaboration. There are many beautiful quotes and anecdotes which you’ll get tired of highlighting repeatedly. You will want to keep everyone of them handy with yourself always. Some of them are so impactful that it can make you understand things which 10 books can not write to impress you. The book mainly promotes Nirmala Deviji as a spiritual figure and Sahaja Yoga as a tool to get your chakras and its vibrations corrected and reach a stage where you are able to experience the blooming of Kundalini. Like Sadhguru’s book – Inner Engineering, the main concept is kept as a closure for reader to search the name Nirmala Devi and get associated with their community. Well!

 

Author has not shied away from giving examples from Quran as well as Christianity. He is very open in terms of explaining how every religion is speaking about the same destination irrespective of whatever path a human being chose to experience the zenith. I also admired the way book connects the whole health parameters with the well-being of our chakras. I was surprised to know that the vibrations of left and right side of our body are also distinct which can cause a totally different thought process in our mind. Similarly, every chakra is associated with few of our organs and how it will work. We can sense which chakra is losing balance based on our health issues. It then makes us aware on which chakra to focus to enable the healthiness of the respective organ. Reading such scientific element in a spiritual context was quite intriguing and made me read not more than 3 pages a day – to grasp every word properly without losing anything between the lines.

 

Overall, the book is a different experience. It might seem harder for a beginner in the world of spirituality and chakras but people interested in spirituality or have already read at least 10 books in the genre will enjoy this to the fullest. I give the book 4.25* out of 5. Recommended!

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks!

 

WRITING BUDDHA 

Empowering you beyond Birthing by Mahima Bakshi (Book Review: 3.5*/5) !!!

  

20^th Book of 2022

 

There are few authors who write continuously on a single topic for a vision that they have in their mind for bringing a change in society. Writing books on the subject is their mission towards fulfilling their vision. One such author who’s on a mission is Mahima Bakshi. Her 1^st book was “Birthing Naturally” which spoke about how a mother should take care of themselves so that they can be as fit as possible when it’s finally time for their baby to arrive. Just after that, she has now released a 131-pages short book with Rupa publications named “Empowering you beyond Birthing”. I got chance to read this one which is a guide for new parents on postnatal well-being and equal parenting.

 

The book is very short which’ll make it easy for parents to go through it quickly and mark important points relevant to them. Mahima has further divided the book into 18 different chapters to give ample focus to the specific point she wishes to talk and elaborate about. Our generation has been quite cut-off from all the Ayurveda and ancient methods that was nicely adopted by our grandparents leading to which the situation has become so grim that many couples are not even wanting to have baby as they don’t know how will they go through the initial days post-pregnancy. Some of them are so nervous that they keep on postponing the pregnancy as they don’t know how they’ll handle their lifestyle, daily routine, weekend mastis and baby – all at the same time. Such books are crucial for parents running short of time due to plenty of workload and yet getting suggestions on how to plan expansion of their family.

 

The book resolves to clear doubts and concerns of new parents and in most chapters, Dr. Bakshi is successful in her goal. She has not only spoken on high-level topics but granular and minute level details too. Her research work and social interest towards ensuring better execution from parents on family planning is evident in her writing approach right from the first page. I liked those letters she has written to mother, father and at times, to both the parents after every chapter. It talks directly with you which makes you feel author’s words strongly. Mahima covers the aspects right from hospitalization to breastfeeding to post-partum depression to handling your child to finally getting back to your romantic sexual life with your partner.

 

Author focuses on the need of equal parenting. Just as gender equality has become a thing, Bakshi regularly wants us to understand that equal parenting is also needed for the couple to ensure none of them gets into an overwhelming or depressive situation. Though I felt Mahima talking more on behalf of mothers which is quite obvious but I felt personally that there are lot of points which could have been covered from fathers’ perspective too. I’ll talks about this later in the review. Anyway, her intentions are clear where she doesn’t want mother to lose her individuality because of having a baby whereas father continuing living the same life as before without realizing that it’s his equal responsibility too.

 

I liked the practical approach of the author where she discusses mothers to call either their mother or mother-in-law to stay with them in initial days to make the job easier for them. Author also explains why gap is needed between the 1^st and 2^nd pregnancy to ensure that the mother is completely ready for it rather than getting into the same sleepless routine again. Mahima also talks about the body care needed for mother and how to initiate or resume workouts gradually in order to lose their weight and get back to their previous shape without getting depressive about it. I am glad author speaks about post-partum depression – something many people don’t realize that a woman goes through.

 

Now talking about the drawbacks, I must say – there are many points which author could have added with detailing of exercises, recipes, diets etc. to be followed in this case. Also, book could have included how to cope up with the cases where mother loses child during operation etc. as it’s something which has majorly impacted many women. As the book focuses on equal parenting, I also wished if Mahima could have made women, specifically, understand why fighting for child custody in case of divorce by not letting father meet their child even once is cruelly damaging for the child’s mental health. Like, she has mentioned tips specifically for men multiple times, this serious issue should have also been explained to the mother in the book – prominently in a dedicated chapter.

 

From father’s perspective, how he also goes through several mental issues could have been discussed. A father starts doubting his ability to take care of his child due to financial issues or career stagnancy at times. They also start getting worried about family’s future as sometimes, mother takes decision of not working forever after holding their child for the first time emotionally. Men also starts getting irritated due to reduction in their sex life, being sleep-deprived yet attending office the next day and coming back home to handle mood-swings and depression of their wife. Such important issues should have also been included to make this book an equal guide for both – men and women. Currently, it majorly speaks from mother’s behalf – fathers might not get answer of many things they wished to know.

 

Overall, this is a book written with good intention and it can serve you well in your pregnancy and post-pregnancy days. It will be helpful in resolving most of your concerns. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5. Please have it if you are planning for a baby; or gift it to someone you know is pregnant or already handling a new born baby. They will never forget this gift from you.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE

 

Thanks!

 

WRITING BUDDHA