Visceral fat lurks within your abdominal cavity, neighbouring important organs such as the liver, stomach, kidneys, and intestines. The belly fat has been linked to an increased risk of chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Fortunately, you can beat the belly fat into submission by improving your diet.

One study found that for every 10-gram increase in soluble fibre eaten per day, visceral fat was reduced by 3.7 percent over five years.

Ten grams of soluble fibre can be achieved by eating two small apples, one cup of green peas and one-half cup of pinto beans; moderate activity means exercising vigorously for 30 minutes, two to four times a week, said Kristen Hairston, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest Baptist and lead researcher on the study.

In addition, increased moderate activity resulted in a 7.4 percent decrease in the rate of visceral fat accumulation over the same time period.

For the study, published in the journal Obesity, researchers examined whether lifestyle factors, such as diet and frequency of exercise, were associated with a five-year change in abdominal fat of African Americans and Hispanic Americans; populations at a disproportionately higher risk for developing high blood pressure and diabetes and accumulating visceral fat.

DON'T MISS How to live longer: The cholesterol-lowering fruit[ADVICE] The 'top' five Covid symptoms in vaccinated[INSIGHT] Type 2 diabetes: Best time of the day to exercise[TIPS]

At the beginning of the study, which involved 1,114 people, the participants were given a physical exam, an extensive questionnaire on lifestyle issues, and a CT scan, the only accurate way to measure how much subcutaneous (the fat you can pinch) and visceral fat the participants had.

Five years later, the exact same process was repeated.

Researchers found that increased soluble fibre intake was associated with a decreased rate of accumulated visceral fat, but not subcutaneous fat.

"There is mounting evidence that eating more soluble fibre and increasing exercise reduces visceral or belly fat, although we still don't know how it works," Hairston said.

"Although the fibre-obesity relationship has been extensively studied, the relationship between fibre and specific fat deposits has not. Our study is valuable because it provides specific information on how dietary fibre, especially soluble fibre, may affect weight accumulation through abdominal fat deposits."

According to Bupa, "combining resistance (strength) exercise and cardiovascular exercise is ideal" for burning the belly fat.

The health body continued: "Resistance exercises are a great way of helping you to maintain your muscle mass and your glucose metabolism (the way your body processes sugar and uses it for fuel), which are important for managing your weight."

As it reports, resistance training has also been shown to reduce fat around your tummy area.

According to the NHS, you should do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least two days a week.

You should also do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week, advises the health body.

Moderate activity will raise your heart rate, and make you breathe faster and feel warmer.

Vigorous intensity activity makes you breathe hard and fast.

Follow this link:
How to lose visceral fat: Four cheap and simple ways to burn belly fat in the 'long run' - Express

Cardiometabolic diseases are the number one cause of death in the world. Cardiometabolic diseases are a group of common but often preventable conditions including heart attack, stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Reducing your risk of developing cardiometabolic diseasesis therefore a key ingredient to achieving longevity.

A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition aimed to investigate the association of diet quality with cardiometabolic diseasefree life expectancy between ages 50 and 85.

Researchers assessed the relationship between the health outcomes of 8041 participants of the Whitehall II cohort study (an interdisciplinary study of ageing) and adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010).

The AHEI-2010 is based on 11 components: six components for which the highest intakes were supposed to be ideal (vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes and polyunsaturated fats), one component for which only moderate intake was supposed to be ideal (alcohol), and four components for which avoidance or lowest intake were supposed to be ideal (sugar-sweetened drinks and fruit juice, red and processed meat, trans-fats, and sodium).

Each component was given a minimal score of 0 and a maximal score of 10.

READ MORE:How to live longer: The simple and free daily habit thats linked to a longer lifespan

A higher score represented a healthier diet.

Cardiometabolic diseasefree life expectancy was defined based on the years without these chronic diseases.

The number of cardiometabolic diseasefree life-years after age 50 was 23.9 years for participants with the healthiest diet, that is, a higher score on the AHEI-2010, and 21.4 years for participants with the unhealthiest diet.

The association between diet quality and cardiometabolic diseasefree life expectancy followed a doseresponse pattern, meaning the more participants adhered to the dietary pattern, the greater the benefits.

DON'T MISS How to live longer: The cholesterol-lowering fruit[ADVICE] The 'top' five Covid symptoms in vaccinated[INSIGHT] Type 2 diabetes: Best time of the day to exercise[TIPS]

What's more, the finding was consistent across occupational position, body mass index (BMI), physical activity level, and smoking habit.

"Healthier dietary habits are associated with cardiometabolic diseasefree life expectancy between ages 50 and 85," the researchers concluded.

Cutting back on saturated fat is key to living a long life.

Saturated fat is the kind of fat found in butter, lard, ghee, fatty meats and cheese.

"To reduce our risk of ill health from inactivity, we are advised to exercise regularly, at least 150 minutes a week, and reduce sitting time," advises the NHS.

According to the health body, sitting for long periods is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body's ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat.

"Many adults in the UK spend around nine hours a day sitting," it adds.

"This includes watching TV, using a computer, reading, doing homework, travelling by car, bus or train but does not include sleeping."

See the rest here:
How to live longer: The diet linked to a disease-free life expectancy past the age of 50 - Express

Whether she's lighting up the stage as a member of the Pussycat Dolls or bringing her signature enthusiasm to The Masked Singer, Nicole Scherzinger has a seemingly endless font of energy. It's not just her dedication to her craft that keeps her in such good spirits (and great shape), howeverthe star relies on a tough workout routine to ensure she's ready to always bring her A-game to her devoted fans. In a new video, a bikini-clad Scherzinger reveals the exercise routine that keeps her so fit. Read on to discover the star's exact workout. And for more on how your favorite stars stay in amazing shape, Khloe Kardashian Reveals Her Exact Butt and Abs Workout.

On August 21, Scherzinger showed off her grueling workout routine to fans in a new Instagram video. In the clip, a bikini-clad Scherzinger can be seen doing a series of lunges and overhead dumbbell presses. She follows this with a quick workout on a stationary bike, after which she completes a series of yoga-inspired moves on a weight bench. A dancer at heart, Scherzinger rounds out her routine with some twerking on all fours. "I don't danceI WERK," she captioned the clip.

For more on how A-listers really shape up, These Are the Exact Foods Ciara Ate to Lose 39 Pounds.

Intense weight-bearing workouts aren't the only way Scherzinger stays fit, however.

In June, the multihyphenate star revealed that she makes dance-based workouts a priority, too. In a clip posted to her Instagram, Scherzinger showed off some Latin dance-inspired movesand once again, ended things with a little twerking. "I mean, I heard that dancing and laughing gives you better abs than crunches anyway?" she captioned the video.

It's not her commitment to exercise alone that keeps Scherzinger in such amazing shape. The Masked Singer judge revealed that when she's trying to shed a few pounds, she incorporates intermittent fasting into her routine.

"When I'm really watching my weight, I refrain from eating late at night," she revealed to People.

While Scherzinger admitted in her People interview that her diet is largely healthy and plant-based, she doesn't deprive herself of treats, either.

"When I'm going to indulge, I love pasta, pizza, I love Mexican with lots of cheese. I love French fries, or [chips]," she revealed in a 2019 interview with Women's Health. For more on how your favorite stars stay fit, Chris Hemsworth's Trainer Reveals His Exact Workout Plan, and for the latest celebrity health and fitness news delivered to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter!

Visit link:
Nicole Scherzinger Reveals Her Exact Workout Routine in New Bikini Video | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to isolate and disrupted our usual routinesespecially those related to exercise. If you haven't resumed regular physical activity, a new study might make you want to get back on the horse (or bike, as it were). It found that being inactive has a potentially very serious consequence. Read on to find out moreand to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You Have "Long" COVID and May Not Even Know It.

According to the study published in the journal Stroke, people younger than 60 who reported sitting for eight or more hours dailyand not being otherwise physically activewere seven times more likely to have a stroke than people who were sedentary for less than four hours and got at least 10 minutes of exercise every day.

Researchers looked at the health data of 143,000 adults registered with the Canadian Community Health Survey, which tracked participantsall 40 years and older, with no prior history of strokefor an average of 9.4 years.

"Sedentary time is increasing in the United States and Canada," said lead study author Dr. Raed Joundi of the University of Calgary. "Sedentary time is the duration of awake activities that are done sitting or lying down. Leisure sedentary time is specific to the sedentary activities done while not at work. It is important to understand whether high amounts of sedentary time can lead to stroke in young individuals, as a stroke can cause premature death or significantly impair function and quality of life."

"Sedentary time is thought to impair glucose, lipid metabolism and blood flow, and increase inflammation in the body," Joundi told CNN. "These changes, over time, may have adverse effects on the blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke."

RELATED: Signs You're Getting One of the "Most Deadly" Cancers

"Physical activity has a very important role in that it reduces the actual time spent sedentary, and it also seems to diminish the negative impact of excess sedentary time," said Joundi.

The American Heart Association recommends that adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, each week.

Joundi told CNN that ideally, that activity is done for more than 10 minutes at a time. "Activities are considered moderate intensity when you are exercising enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, such as brisk walking or biking." Examples of vigorous activity include running, rowing or swimming.

RELATED: The #1 Cause of Alzheimer's, According to Science

Other studies have found that 10 risk factors are associated with 90% of strokes, Joundi said, so "90% of strokes could in theory be avoided if all of these risk factors were removed in a population." They are:

"Improving physical activity is only one important component of stroke risk reduction, together with a nutritious diet, smoking cessation, and diagnosing and treating conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes," said Joundi. And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.

View original post here:
Never Do This or Risk a Stroke, Says New Study | Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That

Written by Jane E. Brody

The childhood admonition to refrain from swimming for an hour after eating, ostensibly to avoid cramp, is not nearly long enough for me anymore. I now have to wait at least two hours before attempting any vigorous activity, or chores that involve bending over, to avoid the miserable sensation of acid reflux, commonly recognized by its frequent symptom of heartburn.

Ive also found that a favorite breakfast food peanut butter is especially troublesome, along with smoked fish, pickled herring or brewed coffee on an empty stomach.

How common is acid reflux?

Acid reflux is among the most frequent health complaints of American adults, and may have become even more common in the wake of pandemic-related stress and weight gain. Late last year, pharmacies reported an unprecedented run on antacids by people described as having a pandemic stomach, leaving those with serious ailments that required such products often out of luck.

Even before the pandemic, an online survey from 2019 of more than 71,000 adults found that nearly a third reported that they were affected at least weekly by the discomforting symptoms of acid reflux, in which a small amount of stomach contents reverses course and backs up into the esophagus.

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms include a burning feeling in the chest, a sensation of a lump in the throat, belching and bloating, and regurgitation into the mouth of highly acidic, partially digested food from the stomach. Reflux can also affect the respiratory tract, resulting in hoarseness, wheezing, postnasal drip, cough or asthma.

But persistent acid reflux is more than just annoying. If it occurs too often and persists for too long, it can erode the lining of the esophagus and increase the risk of developing a deadly cancer called esophageal adenocarcinoma.

5 ways to reduce your reflux risk?

A Harvard research team recently reported that many people could avoid this misery by adhering to an anti-reflux lifestyle. The researchers analyzed periodic health surveys over 12 years from more than 40,000 nurses and identified five lifestyle characteristics that helped keep acid reflux at bay.

The more of these behaviors the nurses adhered to, the lower their risk of developing GERD, the popular acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease, the most persistent and potentially serious form of acid reflux. Following all five behaviors reduced the overall risk of developing GERD symptoms by 37 percent.

1. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY BODY WEIGHT: An analysis of the medical literature led by Dr. Jesper Lagergren of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm found that GERD affected about 22 percent of people who were classified as obese, compared with about 14 percent of those who were not obese. After you eat, a muscular sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus opens to let food enter the stomach, and then closes to keep it from reversing direction. An oversized abdomen can put excess pressure on this sphincter and may prevent it from closing when it should, allowing contents from the acidic stomach to leach into the esophagus.

2. DONT SMOKE: Dr. Lagergrens team found that tobacco can extend the time it takes for acidic foods to leave the esophagus. In an analysis of 30 studies, GERD affected about 20 percent of smokers, compared with about 16 percent of nonsmokers.

3. EXERCISE: Those who engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 minutes per day were less likely to develop symptoms of GERD, the Harvard team reported.

4. CUT DOWN ON COFFEE, TEA AND SODA: The risk of GERD was reduced among those who consumed no more than two cups of coffee, tea or soda each day.

5. FOLLOW A HEART-HEALTHY DIET: Those who followed a Mediterranean-style diet, for example, featuring fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish, poultry and whole grains, but little or no red meat and other sources of saturated fats, were less likely to develop acid reflux.

Genetics can also affect ones risk of developing acid reflux, so people with a family history of the problem would do best to avoid the risks highlighted above. Doing so will also help protect against leading killers like heart disease, diabetes and many forms of cancer.

How to manage symptoms

If you already have acid reflux, theres much you can do to minimize symptoms and perhaps avoid them entirely. Instead of consuming large meals, eat smaller ones more often. Minimize fatty foods and skip fried and fast foods entirely. A friend uses an air fryer to achieve a crispy skin on chicken, but I prefer grilled chicken and skip the skin. Choose lean meats (if you eat meat) and low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and avoid eating within three hours of bedtime. Also, try sleeping as if on a recliner, with the head of the bed propped higher than the foot.

Foods that many people with GERD find most irritating include tomatoes and citrus (like oranges and grapefruit) and their juices, coffee (even decaf for some people), alcoholic and carbonated beverages, spicy foods, garlic, chocolate and peppermint. I long ago switched to low-acid orange juice, consuming only a few ounces a day to dissolve a fiber supplement. Ive also found instant coffee to be less irritating than brewed, and drink the latter only with food to help protect my digestive tract.

To counter an occasional unexpected attack of heartburn, many people use a quick-acting antacid like Tums (calcium carbonate) to help neutralize stomach acid. A more modern remedy, an H2 receptor blocker like Pepcid (famotidine), can relieve symptoms within about 20 minutes by blocking the histamine receptors in the stomach that trigger acid production.

But chronic reflux sufferers may find the most effective relief with medications called proton pump inhibitors, or P.P.I.s, that shut down acid production in the stomach. Popular brands, sold over-the-counter and in higher doses by prescription, include Nexium (esomeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole) and Prilosec (omeprazole). Theyre among the countrys top-selling drugs.

However, like any medication, drugs that fight reflux can have side effects, so trial-and-error may be needed to find a product that works best for you. Also, the drugs should be used only as long as needed to control symptoms. Taken long-term, the P.P.I.s have been linked to a small increased risk of developing serious complications, including kidney disease, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, C. difficile infection and pneumonia.

Thus, your best bet in avoiding or controlling acid reflux might be to combine the lifestyle factors described above with a course of doctor-prescribed medication for as short a time as needed.

Read the rest here:
5 diet and lifestyle measures to ward off heartburn - The Indian Express

Jeremy Clarkson will host ITVs Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? tonight at 8:30pm. The car fanatic became the hosts show in 2018, taking Chris Tarrants place.

They just have a better diet out there.

Plus I had a bicycle rather than a car.

Cycling is not a good thing to do, Im all broken as a result of it but I did lose a lot of weight.

Where I was staying was separated from the small town by a mountain but it was much bigger than Everest.

Although he cycles, Jeremy does not enjoy going to the gym or running.

He has previously compared his lifestyle to Her Majestys, telling The Sun in 2019: The Queen doesnt go to the gym, and she doesnt run, and shes 93 and shes all right.

Apparently, she only has a forkful, she only has a tiny bit, thats what Ive heard.

Shell sit down and just have one little bit of mousse and bit of a lettuce leaf.

Although Jeremy admitted he put on a few pounds during lockdown, he has managed to maintain his slim frame by being outside, walking, and working on his farm.

Clarksons Farm was broadcast on Amazon this year and documents Jeremys attempts at running a farm in Oxfordshire.

More:
Jeremy Clarkson weight loss: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? star on losing 2st in weeks - Express

During the previous several decades, as scholars interested in the life and thought of Mahatma Gandhi, we have had the privilege to work in the archives of the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad the most important repository of the correspondence to and from Gandhi and to walk around the hallowed ground of the Ashram, the residence of the Mahatma and his wife Kasturba, from 1917 until he departed from there on the historical Salt March to Dandi in 1930.

We have wondered what direction the Ashram could take in the 21st century. Over the years we have imagined, in particular, what the Sabarmati Ashram might become and how it could play its role in spreading the message of Gandhi, how it could be ensured that the most effective use is made of this unique world-significant location. Of course, it has a large role to play as one of Indias most historical sites, as a museum and as a pilgrimage place that inspires the quest for truth and teaches the observant visitor about the value of nonviolence and simplicity in a period of threatening environmental collapse and very present economic inequality. For these reasons, the lessons taught by Gandhi, and embodied in the Ashram, are just as important now as ever before.

The ethos of the Ashram is conducive to the higher-level ways of thinking and being that Gandhi modelled. So powerful are the present simplicity and orderliness of the surroundings that they cannot but affect the thoughtful visitor. In the late 1970s, the revolutionary thinker Ivan Illich, talking of Gandhis hut at Sevagram, noted, This hut of Gandhi demonstrates to the world how the dignity of the common man can be brought up. It is also a symbol of happiness which we can derive from practising the principle of simplicity, service and truthfulness. Of course, he could just as easily have been talking about Hriday Kunj, the basic but inspiring home of Gandhi and Kasturba at the Ashram. But such happiness requires time, a slower than usual pace, and quiet reflection something impossible among huge crowds.

It seems to us that there are two possible ways to make sure that the Ashram remains relevant into the future. One of them seems obvious, but we feel would create more loss than gain. If the press reports of the proposal to redevelop the precinct are accurate, the Ashram could become a mass tourist hub, with a large car park, food court, shops, a VIP lounge, that could reclaim the visual wholesomeness, tranquillity and uncluttered environment of 1949, while becoming a world-class tourist destination. This would generate money for the state and, perhaps, make the Mahatma known to a far greater number of people.

One must ask, however, whether there is not a higher purpose in preserving the Ashram in its striking simplicity and as a relatively hard-to-access place without food outlets on the grounds, and without lounges for important visitors (what would Gandhi say about this!).

A potential Disneyesque Gandhi theme park (and what would Gandhi say if he could re-visit Dandi?) may be popular among those wanting to take a selfie and tick a bucket-list box. However, there may be another approach, one that allows the Ashram to become (or, indeed, remain) something harder to envisage but where one can feel the Gandhian ethos. It was here that Gandhi conducted his experiments to observe and infer ethical action, where communal living and dining meant that caste divisions were done away with, where ashramites learned that they could take on the might of an empire.

Would the proposed makeover not end up obliterating Gandhis ideas and message? Would one still be able to feel Gandhis spirit? The loss would be intangible, but huge. When Gandhi was asked why he did not visit America, he expressed the fear that people would come to see him out of idle curiosity: Lets see this animal in the Indian zoo. He wanted those who had an interest in him to really understand what he was trying to do and invited them to come to the Ashram and make a detailed study of his teachings.

Instead of a tourist hub where Gandhi could become a mere tourist attraction, here is a chance for India to ensure that the Ashram where the Mahatma walked and worked, and where one can still feel his spirit in the gardens, homes, and prayer ground, remains a living, breathing means for the world to understand Gandhi and his message.

Of course, as scholars of Gandhi, we may have a narrow perspective. In addition to attracting true seekers, could the Ashram also be positioned so that it ensures that its outstanding collection of Gandhiana is shared by scholars and peace workers in a way that helps to promote first-class Gandhi scholarship and considered Gandhian praxis, and possibly to help create a worldwide community of like-minded Gandhi inspirees? While the Gandhi Heritage Portal of Gandhi-related documents and information is provided electronically by the Ashram, could the Ashram be the site of an international Gandhi research hub in India? It could become the most important place in the world for scholars and seekers to come and work, to meet other scholars and seekers, to share information and discuss ideas. It could foster greater contact among Gandhi experts and ensure that Gandhi scholarship is carried out at the highest level and that an understanding of a Gandhian ethos is not lost. Could it be a place where Gandhi scholars and sincere seekers from around the world come and work with the best of local scholars and activists who could inspire each other?

Having access to documents, whether in hard copy or digital form, is not the same as having a group of like-minded people working in one place. And if the place had a Gandhian atmosphere (such as the Ashram could provide, but simple academic libraries and archives, no matter how good they are, cannot) it would be a wonderfully unique atmosphere and, through the Sabarmati Harijan Ashram, India could serve the entire world as a beacon for the seeker of truth and nonviolence.

This column first appeared in the print edition on August 25, 2021 under the title Gandhi Ashram of the future. Weber is author of On the Salt March: The Historiography of Gandhis March to Dandi, DiSalvo of The Man Before the Mahatma: M.K.Gandhi Attorney at Law, and Dalton of Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Power in Action

See the rest here:

The future of Sabarmati Ashram - The Indian Express

The Mahatma Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati has always attracted universal reverence in India and outside. It has received and welcomed a wide range of individuals, many of whom come here as pilgrims.

The Ashram is not a project, or Gandhijis home, or a tourist spot. It is where our history of achieving freedom for millions with non-violent means was made. It is where we experimented with a future way of living. The Ashram is not a mere memorial of objects and artefacts but a place that inspired satyagraha and carved pathways inner and outer to peace. It is our common and shared responsibility to protect, preserve and promote. All of us. Including our government.

What we have to preserve is the sanctity of the Ashram. We have to preserve the simplicity, logic and spirit of Gandhijis ideas and values. And we have to do so with consensus, and in full collaboration with each other. I insist that any change to the Ashram, or the proposal to redevelop it, is made with consensus and any process for this change is collaborative.

So far, all have been open, welcoming, and cooperative in discussing ideas and plans. The suggestions and protest letters about the redevelopment plan are most valuable and welcome. I have faith that we will all continue this open and peaceful process to achieve a consensus.

And, therefore, there is hardly any possibility of the governmentalisation of the Ashram, we believe. We will continue our efforts to protest, protect, and promote this Ashram with peaceful means.

Non-violence, to me, has never been a lack of action or timid acceptance, it has been a force of its own that is connected with wider day-to-day political, social, and economic struggles for the freedom of the poor and women workers. Gandhi Ashrams will not work for the betterment of Indias society nor its citizens if they are not more and more aligned to the Gandhi way.

This is not to take Gandhi too literally. Let us conceive of Gandhi as a way of thinking about our society, economy and politics. The Gandhi way is self-reliance at the local level, and full employment at the household level. It is a way towards sustainability and near-zero carbon footprint. It implies local ownership of the means of production. It calls for a broad-based and inclusive social and economic democracy. The Gandhi way is to build peace at home, in the neighbourhood and in the world. And in this, Dalits, minorities, Adivasis have a leading role to play. Women and workers will be the engines.

As a society, we seem to be rushing towards mass suicide, with investments that lead to no jobs, and infrastructure that pollutes air, food and water faster than we can clean or preserve them. If the majority turns on minority communities, cultures or ideas, in the end we will leave no one alive.

Unless the ashrams take the economy and the citizens to self-reliance, to full and meaningful employment, to sustainability, and to local cooperative control of the means of production, they will not deliver what they promise widespread long-term prosperity and samullas for every Indian.

The Ashram is not made of the four walls that protect Gandhijis artefacts and archives needless to say they are priceless to us all but of an endless set of doors that open us to the Gandhi way. Let me give a personal example. What touches me at the Ashram is the recurring memory of my grandfather, Dr Manidhar Prasad Vyas, from Desai ni Pole, Khadia, Ahmedabad, joining the Salt March and being hit by police sticks that broke his teeth, weakened the bones in his limbs for the rest of his life, and transformed him from a successful medical doctor into a lifelong satyagrahi.

Gandhiji would have been puzzled by his people caring for the Ashram precincts but not moving ahead to the peaceful, Gandhian constructive way of building a mutually nurturing society.

This column first appeared in the print edition on August 23, 2021 under the title Open doors, not walls. The writer is Sewa founder and chairperson of Sabarmati Ashram Preservation and Memorial Trust

Read more:

It is not enough to protect the precincts of Sabarmati Ashram - The Indian Express

Ma Anand Sheela, the controversial former aid to Bhagwan Shri Rajneesh (later known as Osho), has commented on the two rival biopics being made about her; one, a film starring Priyanka Chopra, and another a show, reportedly starring Alia Bhatt.

In a new interview, Ma Anand Sheela said that she hopes the two projects are able to avoid focusing only on the scandals that she has been involved in.

Asked about the narrative projects being made about her, she told journalist Puja Talwar, "Well, I sometimes chuckle. Sometimes they will have to do deep searching into my character. They have to move a little bit away from scandal. And I don't know if they can. And if they don't, I take it as an impression of me they are doing."

Sheela rose to prominence after appearing in the 2018 Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country, which focused on the ashram that Rajneesh set up in Oregon with Sheela's assistance, and the massive scandal that forced them to shut down, and caused irreparable damage to their relationship.

Sheela also appeared this year in Searching for Sheela, a one-hour documentary executive produced by Shakun Batra. She said that she hasn't seen it in its entirety, but only fast-forwarded to her own portions, to ensure that her words weren't misrepresented.

Shakun Batra is the man behind the purported Alia Bhatt project. He spoke to Hindustan Times about it earlier this year, and said, "It's an ambitious show, it's something that's very close to my heart..." He said that he was ready to 'jump back into development' on the show after completing work on his upcoming film, starring Deepika Padukone.

Also read: Ma Anand Sheela hasnt given Priyanka Chopra permission for the biopic, says Alia Bhatt has the necessary spunk to play her

Sheela had previously said that she hasn't given Priyanka permission to play her on-screen. She told Hindustan Times, "I told her I do not give her permission to do [the] film because I have not chosen her... In Switzerland, we send legal notices very simply. I sent her an email which is accepted there as legal." Asked if she'd heard back, she said, "No, never. Not even a courtesy letter that they received my notice but thats not an issue, maybe she never had the opportunity to meet me or make time to meet me and it is no big issue... not everybody has the time to meet me."

Follow this link:

Ma Anand Sheela's advice to Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt if they want to play her: 'Move away from scandal' - Hindustan Times

The women you will encounter in this book are not four different iterations of the same template. They seek a dissolution of ego, not an extinction of personality.

My first encounter with Arundhathi Subramaniams writing was as a college student in the first decade of this century. Her poetry gave me an opportunity to engage with the inner lives of pilgrimage and postcolonialism in an idiom suited to my curious, restless mind. Her prose showed me a way to inhabit the present moment without apology, while being open to the guidance that might come from those who have asked the same questions before me.

Her new book Women Who Wear Only Themselves is a reminder of her enduring interest in exploring spiritual life when it is a subject that many of her contemporaries only scoff at. Perhaps it is comforting to inhabit the familiar language of cynicism that flows easily from the tongues of those like myself who have been taught to think critically. It takes courage to see things as they are, and not merely to spot what is problematic and how it can be fixed.

Published by Speaking Tiger, this book offers four essays bound together by the authors enquiry into the sacred journeys of four fellow travellers all of whom are women. In the Preface, she writes, These women made no effort to impress. They were gracious enough to share their life journeys, without trying to flaunt their attainments, win recruits, or garner publicity. I am a seasoned listener, and instantly alert to subtle attempts to broker deals.

The first essay, titled Clothed in Emptiness, is about Sri Annapurani Amma who resides in an ashram in the village of Chinnalambadi in Tamil Nadu. She wears no clothes, except during public satsangs and television interviews. Her guru is an 18th century saint named Sadashiva Brahmendra, whose compositions still suffuse the repertoire of Carnatic musicians. He may not be around in a physical human form but he continues to be a living presence for Amma.

Her devotion to him may come across as a disappointment if you equate surrender with subjugation. However, an open heart can help you perceive that their relationship is not bound by codes of obedience and punishment. She refers to her guru as thatha, the Tamil word for grandfather. There is a profound sense of security in knowing that you are being led and looked after by someone who craves no validation and desires only your well-being.

The second essay, titled The Reluctant Guru, is about Balarishi Vishwashirasini whose hermitage lies deep in the palm-fringed road from Coimbatore to Palakkad. Thrown into gurudom because of her stunning gifts as a child prodigy, she is now maturing as a teacher of nada yoga. The author explains, The idea of offering sound to the divine appealed to me. I like the idea of the spoken word as libation a sensual and aromatic gift to the gods.

The experience of being one with Shiva is what gives meaning to this teachers existence. The awareness that she has miles to go before she sleeps has taught her to wear the guru role with joy and lightness. She tells the author, When confronted by questions I cannot answer, I learnt to say, I dont know, and simply offer the person a cup of coffee or tea It is not my role to satisfy people. I now realize that. I can only give them what I am capable of offering.

Arundhathi Subramaniam

The third essay, titled What It Takes to be a Redwood Tree, is about writer-filmmaker Lata Mani whose former life as a Marxist and feminist intellectual was turned upside down by a brain injury from a road accident. She is based in California. I was not looking for the divine, she came looking for me, she says while describing her relationship with the path of Tantra that has transformed her understanding of trauma, pain, illness, disability and death.

She believes that understanding the social basis of gender counts as essential work towards spiritual liberation because men, women, boys, girls, intersex and trans persons, each carry particular burdens. In her view, struggles and spiritual journeys are shaped by class, caste, culture, race, etc. She says, The trick is in learning how to simultaneously understand, honour and take distance from that which we have assumed has made us who we are.

The fourth essay, titled The Leap into Monkhood is about Maa Karpoori whose transition from marriage to monastic life was catalysed by a yoga class that she had no intention of joining but was cajoled into by her former husband. It was there that she met her guru, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. Eventually, she picked sangha over samsara, and walked into a life of voluntary simplicity in an ashram near Coimbatore. The shift was rewarding but not easy.

Arundhathi Subramaniam, who is also the author of the book Sadhguru: More Than a Life, writes, Her guru, once a close friend and guide, was turning into a larger-than-life figure. Access to him was growing more difficult. A small band of fellow disciples was growing into a large bustling ashram. A spiritual path was getting systematized. It was unnerving. She found ease in silence and sanyas, dropping the need to have a personal relationship with her guru.

Each essay has a different flavour because each quest is moulded by a unique set of causes and conditions. The women you will encounter in this book are not four different iterations of the same template. They seek a dissolution of ego, not an extinction of personality. Being able to tell the difference can be an impossible task if you keep trying to forcibly sift reality through preconceived categories of analysis. You cannot be free while being caught up.

If you need a concrete takeaway from this book rather than the chance to sit and contemplate at leisure, read the Afterword. Tying up all the connecting threads, she writes, On one level, they are part of a quietly growing chorus one that recognizes the importance of honouring a woman-nourished, woman-vitalised, woman-inclusive spirituality on this planet. On another, they are just fingers pointing, as so many have before, to the moon.

*

Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based writer who tweets @chintan_connect

Read more:

Book review: In Women Who Wear Only Themselves, an h..al life through the sacred journeys of four travellers - Firstpost