Dr. Ira Listijani, pediatrician, Keystone Pediatrics, Chambersburg: Playing and listening to music is a great way to help your child grow and learn. Here are five ways music affects our brains and our bodies, beginning at very young ages. (This article contains general information only and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or care by a qualified health care provider.)

Singing the praises of music: It's no secret that music can make a profound difference in a child's development. Singing to infants is an ideal way to foster language development, and using different words and rhymes through familiar tunes can enhance the child's memory. An infant's brain isn't thoroughly developed at birth and needs sensory input for cells to build and connect.

Starting before age 7: A recent study revealed that musical training before a child reaches age 7 can have a significant effect on brain development and helps a child's motor skills. Learning to play an instrument requires coordination, and practicing an instrument before age 7 can boost the motor and sensory regions of the brain. Musical training can also be more effective at an early age.

Use your brain: Music is one of the few activities that involves using the whole brain. It's important to understand that musical performance is not only about skills, but also about communication, enthusiasm, style and many other things that we do not measure. While starting early may help you express your genius, it probably won't make you genius.

Insomnia cure: All types of music have favorable effects. Music can be distracting if it's too loud or if it competes for our attention but for the most part, exposure to music has beneficial effects. Listening to music can improve memory and help you recall information. Classical music is an easy way to beat insomnia. Just 45 minutes of relaxing music before bedtime can make for a restful night.

Relax: Countless studies have shown that music's relaxing effects can be seen on anyoneincluding newborns. Music has positive effects on pain management, reduces body tension and improves movement and coordination. Music can help reduce both the sensation and distress of pain. Music is even good for your heartthe study reported that whether or not a person liked the style of music did not matter.

Originally posted here:
Take care: Five reasons infants can benefit from music

New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS): Parts of Rajkumar Hirani's "PK", which questions people's blind faith in godmen, were shot at Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's ashram premises. When the filmmaker was questioned as to why he has thanked the spiritual leader in his film's credits, he says he's "only against fake gurus".

Significant portions of Hiranis latest directorial, which has seen a string of controversies, have been shot at Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation ashram in Bengaluru.

The director and the makers are thankful to Ravi Shankar for understanding the importance of the subject and letting them shoot the film in the ashram premises.

Hirani has said in a statement: I'm being asked that if I'm against religious gurus, why have I expressed gratitude to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the film titles. My answer is that I'm not against religious gurus, I'm only against fake gurus.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a courageous man. He gave me the location to shoot, knowing well that this is a film on god and fake godmen. He is beyond pettiness of religion. He can see the larger picture. I admire his work and have tremendous respect for him. We will be showing him the film soon, he added.

Starring Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma, the movie has already crossed the Rs.300 crore-mark in the domestic market.

Stay updated wherever you go with Daijiworld.com and Daijiworld 24X7 tv channel mobile apps. CLICK HERE to download it for your device. (available on Android and IOS)

More here:
Why Hirani expressed gratitude to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

In a rare archaeological development, Department of Archaeology and Museums officials found the relic casket of Buddha or his disciple during the excavation of the Phanigiri Monastic Buddhist site in Nalgonda district on Tuesday.

Speaking to The Hindu , Deputy Director J. Vijay Kumar said that they had been excavating the site since last February under the guidance of Director B. Srinivas. During the excavation they found a Maha Stupa inside which was the relic casket.

The officials opened the casket to find a meditation mala generally used by Buddhist monks with beads and also disintegrated lotus flower made up of gold and silver.

The relics were found in a small silver box that was kept in a small earthen pot which was put in another bigger earthen pot and buried in the stupa.

He said the Maha Stupas are called Sariraka Stupa (buried bodily remains of the Buddha), Phari Bogika Stupa (buried belongings of Lord Buddha and Uddeshika Stupa, but they identified it as Phari Bogika Stupa since they found belongings of the Buddha.

Mr. Vijay Kumar said after the death of Lord Buddha his remains were kept at eight places in stupas in the world by his disciples, but the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, who embraced Buddhism after the great Kalinga war in 3rd century BC, had removed the relics and believed to have kept the remains at 84,000 places in the world to spread Buddhism across the globe.

Highlighting the importance of finding the relic casket, Mr. Vijay Kumar said in undivided Andhra Pradesh, archaeologists had found the relic caskets only at two places one at Nagarjunasagar and another at Bojjannakonda, another Buddhist site about 45 km from Vishakhapatnam.

Casket intact

According to their observation, the Deputy Director has said the Stupa, in which the relic casket was found, was renovated thrice -- during the Mauryan, the Satavahana and the Ikshvaku periods.

The fall of Buddhism in Phanigiri had started during the Vishnukundins period, but surprisingly the relic casket remained intact.

Read more:
Major archaeological find in Nalgonda