Akshaye Khanna says he respects Osho and his teachings despite his father Vinod Khanna leaving the family behind for the commune.

Countless celebrities from all of the world joined the controversial Rajneesh Movement in the 1970s, becoming sworn followers of the cult and disciples of their leader, Osho or Bhagwan Rajneesh. Those on the list included The Beatles, Parveen Babi, Mahesh Bhatt and late actor Vinod Khanna. Tuesday marks Vinods 74th birth anniversary.

Vinod became a disciple of Osho in 1975, moving to Oregon and leaving his family--a wife and two kids behind in Mumbai. Vinods elder son, Akshaye Khannna was just a toddler at the time and unable to process why his father had left them. It was only when he turned 15 or 16 that he realised who was Osho and the Rajneeshis.

Talking about Oshos influence over his fathers life, Akshaye said in an interview to Mid-Day in January, (The influence) To not only leave his family, but to take sanyaas (renunciation). Sanyaas means giving up your life in totality family is [only] a part of it. Its a life-changing decision, which he felt that he needed to take at the time. As a five-year-old, it was impossible [for me] to understand it. I can understand it now.

In the sense that something must have moved him so deeply inside, that he felt that that kind of decision was worth it for him. Especially, when you have everything in life. And when life doesnt look as though theres much more that you can have. A very basic fault-line/ earthquake has to occur within oneself to make that decision. But also stick by it. One can make the decision and say this doesnt suit me lets go back, he said.

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Akshaye added that unlike the common belief that Vinod returned after growing disenchanted with the movement, his father came back after the US government disbanded the commune. t was just the fact that the commune was disbanded, destroyed, and everybody had to find their own way. Thats when he came back. Otherwise I dont think he wouldve ever come back, he said.

Even though Vinod left the family for Osho, Akshaye still had respect for the spiritual leader. I dont know if sanyaas is something that I could do. But that doesnt mean I cant enjoy his discourses, respect his intellect, oratory skills, and his way of thinking. I have deep respect for him, he said.

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Vinod died on April 27, 2017 at the age of 70 after battling cancer. He made his Bollywood debut in 1968 film Mann Ka Meet, which was produced by Sunil Dutt, who was reportedly struck by Vinods good looks. He was noticed for his portrayal of Shyam in Gulzars 1971 film Mere Apne, where he stood out as a disillusioned young man.

He got his first break as a hero in Hum Tum Aur Woh (1971). A great many films followed including hits such as Elaan and Mera Gaon Mera Desh. He made his political debut in 1997 with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and served as a minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayees government.

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Apart from looking after Chinmaya, Sheela was now spendingmost of her time travelling around India and abroad. Bhagwan [Osho], who had outgrown his space only a few short years after moving to Poona, had instructed Laxmi early on to search for a new pieceof land where his ever-growing commune could swell and stretch ceaselessly.

For the last two years, Laxmi had been searching in Gujarat, its surrounding areas and other parts of India and Sheela had accompanied her on several occasions for official meetings, land hunting, etc. Obtaining land permits in India to expand Bhagwans work now seemed like an insurmountable task since the Guru had offended many politicians with his polemical words, and a brooding negative sentiment regarding Bhagwan and his work now permeated through the bureaucratic arenas of thecountry.

Sheela had once accompanied Laxmi on a trip to Delhi, to pay a brief visit to the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi. Even though Indira Gandhi had never visited the Ashram in Poona, she was highly intrigued by the New Age Gurus philosophy and had invariably accepted his books with a nod of gratitude. By the tail end of the 1970s, Bhagwans notoriety had assumed gigantic proportions nationwide, and Indira Gandhi, who was a highly circumspect politician, was too intimidated to actively promote or encourage the growth of his work in his home country.

One hot summer day, Laxmi and Sheela stood upright in a semi-circle in the Prime Ministers drawing room, patiently waiting for her arrival. Although distinct from afar, the two orange-robed women were amongst a dozen other visitors who had come with their individual requests. Indira Gandhi strode into the room and then slowly shuffled past the guests, addressing each visitor individually before moving on to the next one. As she approached the two sannyasin women and stood in front of them, Laxmi craned her neck, briefly narrated her land-woes in the Prime Ministers ear and then handed her a letter that lucidly stated all their requests. After the Prime Minister had nodded, Sheela proffered her a few of Bhagwans latest books, to which the Prime Minister genially smiled and bowed, expressing her gratitude.

Also read: I was part of Oshos spiritual whorehouse cult & flushed his mala in disgust: Mahesh Bhatt

Apart from meeting the Prime Minister, Sheela had also been entertaining numerous dignitaries and state officials in the luxurious restaurants and swanky bars of various five-star hotels of India. The famous Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Bombay was one of Sheelas regular haunts, where she would dine with several bigwigs and schmooze with the top guns in order to secure lucrative deals for the expansion of the Ashram. Unfortunately though, the hotel would soon close its doors on all orange-robed sannyasin women, after a number of them were repeatedly caught in a prostitution racket, bringing defamation into the fancy foyer of this prestigious five-star hotel. But the top-cat Sheela was exempted of course.

Bhagwans promulgation of a promiscuous lifestyle and his relentless provocative speeches had turned him into a dartboard for the prudes. Many conventional bitter-enders were itching to teach the god-man a lesson. The meek ones would do it subtly by cutting the Guru with razor-blades under the guise of touching his feet, while the fuming swashbucklers would be equipped with daggers to throw at the Guru at any given time.

It had happened once in Bombay, in Bhagwans Woodland apartment days during his evening discourse, when an infuriated man in an inebriated state had attempted to enter Bhagwans flat with a knife in his hand. And the second time was at the Ashram.

On the slothful morning of 22 May 1980, Bhagwan, who was majestically seated on the podium, flanked by kneeling bodyguards, was delivering his discourse in the Buddha Hall. The crowd sat still, silent and stupefied. Sheela had as usual, positioned herself uncompromisingly, in the direct vision of her Bhagwan in the front row, and was sitting in silent ruptures as she ogled at her beloved unblinkingly.

Fifteen minutes into Bhagwans lecture, a young Indian man stood up, about twenty yards from Bhagwan. All the startled heads turned in the direction of the man as he ferociously yelled from afar, You are ridiculing our religion and then stormed towards the Guru with bloodshot eyes and a savagely contorted face. A few bodyguards pounced upon the man and grabbed him in a vice-like grip. Another accomplice leapt up from behind, to the rescue of his ally; and amidst all the scuffle and tussle, an arm flailed above the grappling bodies and a sharp knife flew towards Bhagwan, but fortunately missed its target. Bhagwan had continued lecturing calmly until the people in the hall had erupted in an uproar, whimpering and screaming frantically.

After Bhagwans bodyguards had carried the men out of the hall, Bhagwan raised his hands and placidly called out, Shanti! Shanti and then resumed his morning discourse.

Also read: India needs to talk about stress because now even gurus are killing themselves

It was later brought to light that the man with the knife, Bitthal Vilas Tupe, belonged to a Hindu fundamentalist group and had allegedly co-conspired this attack along with five of his allies. Though, in the subsequent court case, the attackers were not proven guilty. In the light of this attack, security measures in the Ashram were made more stringent. The number of security guards was doubled and several metal detectors were ordered from the US to be deployed on doors and various entrances. The atmosphere was now tense and not as lax as before.

One of Bhagwans bodyguards who had jumped up to the Gurus rescue during the attack was named Kirti, aka Prince Welf Ernst of Hanover, the cousin of Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. Kirti had been living in the Ashram for quite some time along with his wife and a young daughter, serenely tending to Bhagwans garden before he was transformed into a samurai. During the same year, Prince Charles had visited India and Kirti had gone to Bombay to briefly visit his cousin, dressed in his flamboyant orange garb.

A month later, Kirti collapsed during a morning karate practice session in the Ashram and became paralyzed. He died of cerebral haemorrhage on 10 January 1981, at the age of thirty-three. Kirtis body was cremated in the traditional Hindu ritual on a funeral pyre while his devastated parents and brother watched over the glowing flames. Their grief had been strangely aggravated by the queerness and unfamiliarity of the foreign custom.

After the death of the prince, his young daughter and wife stayed back in the Ashram. The wife worked as an assistant to Teertha in his encounter groups. The daughter later became the bridesmaid at Princes Charles wedding to Lady Diana, in July 1981. While the daughter was still in England, the BBC broadcast a programme about the Ashram, which showed the Princess of Hanover in an encounter group, wearing inappropriate clothing and vehemently smacking another participant. Because of the shocking behaviour, the Princes parents fought and gained custody of their granddaughter. The Princess stayed put in the Ashram as a disciple of Bhagwan, whereas her alienated daughter moved on to live with her extended family in Europe.

This excerpt from Nothing To Lose: The Authorised Biography of Ma Anand Sheela by Manbeena Sandhu has been published with permission from HarperCollins India.

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When Ma Anand Sheela met Indira Gandhi to talk of land woes and Oshos ashram - ThePrint

Throughout the years, Line of Duty fans know exactly what's about to happen when those doors close, the tape recorder is switched on, that long ominous beep rings out, and the members of AC-12 sit down to do their thing.

During five seasons of Jed Mercurio's beloved police drama, we've seen countless bent coppers and crooks breakdown and confess after being examined by Ted Hastings, DS Steve Arnott, and DI Kate Fleming.

For example, DCI Tony Gates, Lindsay Denton, John Corbett, DIMatthew "Dot" Cottan, and DCI Roz Huntley have all experienced the pressure-cooker of the famous glass box, but with the new season currently filming, it's time that we meet our new antagonist.

As always, the next season of the hit police thriller will feature a brand new case for AC-12 to investigate and this time around, they're pursuing DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald), the senior investigating officer on an unsolved murder case.

Taking to Twitter, the show's writer/creator Jed Mercurio gave us our first look at the star of Trainspotting and No Country For Old Men facing off against AC-12.

In terms of an official synopsis, Davidson has been described as an enigmatic" senior investigating officer on an unsolved murder case, where she quickly becomes a new suspect.

Welcoming her to the series, Mercurio said, DCI Joanne Davidson will prove the most enigmatic adversary AC-12 have ever faced.

Here's the first look at her on set.

Elsewhere, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Perry Fitzpatrick, Andi Osho and Prasanna Puwanarajah have also been added to the cast for Season 6, which is set for release in 2021.

These new characters join series favourites Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) in the new season.

Speaking about the show's return, showrunner Jed Mercurio said: "We know Line of Duty fans are desperate for Series 6 and we hope we can get it on air as soon as possible. Thanks so much for your patience in these difficult times."

Mercurio has also teased fans with some other images of the cast and crew on set.

Martin Compston (DS Steve Arnott) echoed Mercurio's statement when he said: Its been a long few months and it will be a different way of working from when we stopped, but Im delighted to be back on the case with the Line of Duty team!

Now that production on the new episodes has resumed, Vicky McClure (DI Kate Fleming) says: We've been sitting on these incredible scripts for some time now, so Im really looking forward to getting back to it and seeing the Line of Duty family.

Season 6 had already started production in Belfast before it had to be shut down due to COVID-19.

A few months ago, Mercurio said that the delay may result in his scripts having to be re-written to accommodate social distancing guidelines.

Simon Heath, the Executive Producer for World Productions, says: Its been almost six months since we stopped shooting, but following our implementation of all the industry COVID protocols, were delighted to be able to resume filming series six safely.

"Together with independent health and safety consultants, in full consultation with industry partners, and in accordance with all current government guidelines on Covid-19, the Line of Duty production team will adhere to comprehensive protocols to ensure that the new series is produced in a safe and responsible manner."

We'll leave the last happy words to the gaffer, Adrian Dunbar (Supt. Ted Hastings).

Even with the imposition of COVID restrictions, I can't hide my excitement at getting the team back together. So many people wonderingwhat happens next?" he said.

We're just one of them.

Read more:
First Look At The New Season Of Line Of Duty Has Been Released - Balls.ie

As a seeker, I try my best to decondition my mind and open the windows of my consciousness. I am aware that it is an exceedingly difficult task. I fail repeatedly. There are many reasons. To begin with, my academic identity as a sociologist often limits my thinking; it is not always easy to free myself from the trap of its methods and techniques, discourses and texts, and modes of argumentation and theoretical construction. Likewise, our political ideologies often obstruct the creative flow of ideas: the ability to see beyond Marx or Ambedkar, liberalism or socialism, atheism or religion, and socialism or feminism. Yes, I realize that I too feel tempted to establish my belief with some sort of egotistic pride, and, as a result, become terribly non-dialogic. However, this awareness of my conditioning and limitations has also helped me to unlearn many things, become somewhat non-judgmental, and with compassionate listening, evolve a relationship with even Oshothe much-talked about controversial spiritual guru. I know that the circle I belong to is unlikely to be sympathetic towards Osho; possibly, he would be condemned and castigated; and many stories would be repeated about his wealthy disciples, their life-styles, and their experiments with love, sexuality and meditation.

Yet, I believe that dance transcends the dancer; and even if the controversy surrounds Oshos life, his deep insights and explorations into the interiority of human existence are illuminating. Why should I deprive myself of the sublime beauty of his speeches or writings, even if I am not always very easy with many practices associated with his ashrams? Osho, as I see, is not merely a guru with the galaxy of Rolls- Royce carsan enemy of Ronald Regan or Morarji Desai, or the priests of organized religions. Osho, I feel, is also a teacher-philosopher, and insights and revelations, I have no hesitation in saying, are illuminatingthe way the snow-clad Himalayan peak illumines us. With philosophy and literature, and mysticism and psychologyhe looks like a flowing river. Unlike what academicians do with the burden of knowledge, Osho communicates, whispers into my ears, and heals me. Unlike the priests of organized religions, Osho doesnt burden me with moralism or ritualism; and he tells a rhythmic story filled with laughter and humour, and religiousness and literary sensibilities. The beauty is that I need not be his disciple; yet, I can engage with him.

In this article, I will make an attempt to share the tales of my journey with him. Yes, this is yet another beautiful evening; I take his books, and allow myself to be nurtured by the song he sings

Preparation, Purification and Perfection

Preparation does not mean preparing for a verbal examination or a written examination. Preparation means preparing for an existential examination; it means going deeper into meditation.

Osho, The World Beyond Time , Sterling Publishers, New Delhi, 2008

As a student/teacher, I am familiar with what our education system regards as examinations. These examinations, we are told, evaluate our ability to memorize select texts, think logically, apply the skills we learn, and acquire the specialized knowledge in academic disciplines. Yes, examinations are everywherefrom play schools to doctorate programs. And our top ranking universities produce knowledgeable personsphysicists and historians, mathematicians and biologists, or anthropologists and geologists. Yet, the world we live in is extremely violent; and there seems to be no positive correlation between ones educational achievement and ones psychic/spiritual health. Envy, aggression, narcissism, petty politics and competitiveness: we the educated classare not free from these negative emotions.

I have often asked myself: Is there any other way of looking at studentship, education and life-trajectory? No academic journal has given a meaningful answer to my question; no expert has satisfied me; and seminars/conferences have seldom gone beyond dry facts and soulless theories. However, this evening as I begin to contemplate on what Osho regards as preparation, purification and perfection, I experience a sense of joy; I begin to feel that possibly I too was waiting to receive this wisdom.

Well, we often prepare for school/college examinations; and these days, coaching centres or the traders of knowledge help us to prepare for these examinations. Preparation, for all practical purposes, means the ability to acquire the exam strategyhow to become smart and efficient, and solve quickly the riddles relating to physics and mathematics, or English grammar and general knowledge. When I am tired of this psychic violence that goes on in the name of preparation, Osho tells me a different story. Yes, real studentship is like preparing for an existential examination. And this means a great deal of unlearning. The mind has already been burdened with texts and scriptures, or tales of success and failure. No preparation is, therefore, possible without deconditioning the mind. As Osho says,

Preparation means that you drop all your conditionings, you drop your prejudices, you drop what you think you know and you do not know: you get as innocent as possible. Your innocenc will be the preparation.

In a way, it is like becoming a child once again. However, as Osho reminds us, a child need not necessarily be always pure. In fact, children are not free from anger, hatred, greed and jealousy. If one child has a doll, the other becomes so jealous that they will start fighting. In fact, there are many ugly instincts we have inherited with nature, and with our birth. And this is the reason why preparation alone is not sufficient; we must go through a process of purification. School Principals or Vice-chancellors have never spoken of the process of purification. Instead, we have been continually asked to be competitive, or to be winners, achievers and leaders. We have normalized the ethos of competitiveness; and as a result, we negate our specificity and uniqueness; we imitate the toppers; we evolve some sort of sadomasochism. Hence, purification is needed.

Purification is almost going through a fire of understanding in which all that is instinctive and ugly burns down. And it is a great experience that only the ugly burns. That which is beautiful blossoms. In purification you lose all trace of hate and instead, suddenly a spring of love bursts forthas if the rock of hate was preventing the spring.

Indeed, purification is a deeper meditation than preparation. Because it can turn greed into compassion, or hate into love. And then, everything, says Osho, is light, fragrant and fresh. This invariably leads to perfection. One becomes awakened or enlightened.

Contrast this alchemy of human transformation with what the learning machine does these days. In a way, what the system regards as education destroys us. Awakened intelligence is not its goal; deconditioning or purification hardly matters; what is important is the cultivation of instrumental rationality. We get degrees; we become clever, strategic and instrumental; we become doctors, engineers, managers and professors; we make bombs, cause war, pollute the environment; and we manufacture theses and books on our decay. But then, Osho makes me see the absurdity of the entire thing. I hear the call from the distant peak

Celebrating the Spirit of Meditative Education

God is not a manufacturer, he is a creator. He does not manufacture people like cars on an assembly line. You can have many Ford cars exactly alikethats the difference between a machine and a man. A machine can be duplicated, a man cannot be duplicated, and the moment you start duplicating, imitating, you become more like a machinethen you are no longer respectful toward your humanity.

Osho, Learning to Silence the Mind, St. Martins Griffin, New York, 2012

We live in a society that loves to hierarchize and stigmatize. Not solely that. Here is a society that is eager to normalize and standardize people. Think of it. Your child is silent and introvert. She looks at the sky, observes a tree carefully; and she is not very efficient in mathematics and history. Even if you are a sensitive parent, it is quite likely that schools and neighbours would pressurize you, and remind you that what is happening to your child is not good; she must be smart and pushy; and she must impress her teachers through her knowledge in physics and geography. In other words, she ought to be like what an achievement-oriented society wantsambitious, extrovert and competitive. In a way, we loathe uniqueness; we do not want a child to evolve and grow in her own way. Instead, a sort of uniformityor the societal definition of normalcygoverns our educational practices. What do these schools, coaching centres and management/engineering colleges seek to do? They manufacture products: well-fed/well-clothed employees. And Osho captures it so beautifully:

Every child starts that waywith awe, with wonder, with great inquiry in his heart. Every child is a mystic. Somewhere on the way of your so-called growing you lose contact with your inner possibility of being a mystic, and you become a businessman or you become a clerk or you become a collector or you become a minister. You become something else, and you start thinking that you are this. And when you believe it, it is so.

No wonder, Osho reminds us repeatedly of the dangers of conditioning. In fact, true meditation is not indoctrination; it is to make one aware of the treasure within. However, we destroy this possibility. We make them believe that success is what matters. Moreover, we teach them that they are Hindus, Muslims or Christians. This indoctrination destroys the natural intelligence of the child. The result is that they start losing their natural rhythm, their natural elegance, and they start learning plastic behaviour.

Is it possible to change this pattern? Can education be a meditative experience? In a society that conditions the mind, fills it with all sorts of bookish knowledge and thoughts, and equates religion with the ritualism of Hinduism, Islam or Christianity, Oshos approach to meditative education might annoy our priests, ideologues and teachers. Yet, I feel, it is wonderful.

Meditation is a way to go within yourselves to that depth where thoughts dont exist, so it is not indoctrination. It is not teaching you anything; in fact, it is just making you alert to your inner capacity to be without thought, to be without mind. And the best time is when the child is still uncorrupted.

Epilogue

Your truth is not to be thought about, it has to be seen. It is already there. You dont have to go anywhere to find it. You dont have to think about it, you have to stop thinking so that it can surface in your inner being. Unoccupied space is needed within you so that the light that is hidden can expand and fill your being.

Osho, I Teach Religiousness, Not Religion, Hind Pocket Books, Delhi, 2000

My evening with Osho, I realize, is immensely beautiful. It is a song. No television news. No academic anxiety to perform. No burden of the intellect. I feel like reading his booksthe way I see a mountain peak, a flowing river, a tiny bird flying in the sky. It seems I have become empty. With the lightness of being, I am silencing the noisy mind. And is it that I have ceased to become a Hindu, a Muslim, a Marxist, a sociologist, an intellectual? And then, I feel he is whispering:

You need a total let-go, an utterly peaceful, tensionless, silent state of being. And suddenlythe explosion.

Avijit Pathak is Professor of Sociology at JNU.

Read the rest here:
An Evening with Osho - The New Leam

While doing asanas, you preserve your breath and conserve your body, says fitness guru Mickey Mehta.

In 1970, when Mumbai was Bombay, an eight-year-old boy was restless. It would be his birthday the next day and all he wanted was to join a gym. His mother suggested he should ask at the nearby YMCA.

So I went to Lamington Road YMCA. As I sprinted up the stairs, I was bubbling with excitement. I could see some of the members working out. It was where I wanted to be.

But They said I was too small and I should buy equipment and train at home. This seemed a very good idea and I told my mom. But she said it was not something we could afford. And she then said the strangest thing. She told me to use my mind and body to build my physique instead of depending on equipment.

Not sure what exactly his mother meant, the very next day, on his birthday, Mickey Mehta locked himself in his room and started stretching and doing freehand exercises.

Fifty years later, Dr Mickey Mehta stands tall as one of the leading holistic health gurus and corporate life coaches in the world, having trained Bollywood superstars, top politicians, beauty queens, and the personnel of the police, army, navy and air force. He is also a published author and a regular on various television and radio shows.

Seek and find

Just a few days after the newly nine-year-old Mehta began freehand exercises in his room, one of his uncles dropped in, carrying a book by Yogacharya BKS Iyengar. I was so fascinated by the book that my uncle gave it to me, says Mehta. That was my first initiation into real yoga.

Iyengar led to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who led to Osho, Ma Hansaji, Sadhguru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev and Deepak Chopra, all of whom Mehta considers his gurus. But he is actually the quintessential Eklavya, having never really trained under anyone.

Still, Mehta has met most of his gurus. The common thread among them is that they are always in a state of joy, always smiling, he muses. Never go to a guru who is too serious. Go to people who can loosen you up. Laughter is a miracle drug! When you meditate, you realise that life is not something one should get too serious about. Because everything is transient.

Half a century ago, Mehta began doing yoga to build his body. Now he understands that yoga is about the mind and soul. Here, he shares his 10 commandments of wellness.

From HT Brunch, August 30, 2020

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Mickey Mehtas 10 commandments of wellness - Hindustan Times

With the world navigating health concerns on a global scale, in an unknown climate asking us collectively to slow down, simplify our living, return to our roots and reassess our values, it seems fitting that when it comes to our wellbeing, going primal is the new progressive.

The mind/body connection is well versed and well understood and the new decade sees us move away from faddy diets and false promises of fast results in favour of optimising our health through holistic approaches, yielding long-term results on both the physical and metaphysical level.

MORE:Easy ways to improve your gut health and boost your immune system

We chatted to founder of Primal Health, solicitor-turned-spiritual Holistic Health and Paleo Diet Coach, Charlne Gisle, about how taking note from our ancestors could boost our health today.

Primal principles recommend that we eat as our ancestors would have done, so think foraging, hunting and gathering. Of course that may not be possible in todays society, but the point is discernment moving away from instant availability and industrial processing in favour of quality and nutrient-dense foods and treating your body with respect by loving what you are fuelling it with.

For me, a truly holistic and healthy approach to food is one that gets as close to the source, (nature) as possible. Choices that we can all make are to select foods that are local, organic, seasonal and whole, when it comes to eating in a Paleolithic way.

Enjoy meat, poultry, eggs and fish as healthy sources of protein, try cooking with butter or extra virgin coconut oil as these fats are very good for you, eat your fruit and vegetables as fresh as possible to benefit from all of their nutrients, and sprinkle seeds on your meals for extra nutritional value.

MORE:What is forest bathing and where can you go forest bathing in the UK?

For me, a healthy approach to eating is to see your diet as abundant, to love what you eat and to think about it in terms of what you are adding so a richer variety of fruit and vegetables or good quality, organic meats.

However, going a little Konmari in your kitchen is essential as its crucial to also know what you should be eliminating from your diet as well. Think foods that were entirely absent prior to civilisation, which includes all refined sugar, sugary beverages, all processed food, refined grains such as pasta and breakfast cereals and industrial/chemically altered oils (canola, sunflower). The Primal Principles also recommend limiting the consumption of alcohol.

We know we are not meant to be sedentary creatures, with numerous health implications associated with spending too much time seated or inactive.

You may not be able to help having an office job, which requires a fairly sedentary lifestyle but there are so many helpful ways that you can stop it having a negative impact on your health, wellbeing and fitness levels.

Start the day with some yoga, a morning workout or a short bike ride (even if to the shops or to run errands) before you set yourself up for work. Break your day up with lunch time activity perhaps a brisk walk to ensure you are getting your heart pumping, your blood circulating and a break from your computer screen.

Studies have found many mental health benefits for a 30-minute walking lunch, such an increase in enthusiasm, a greater ability to relax, improvements to physical fitness and other measures of health

This law harks back to the days when our Paleolithic ancestors, in their tribes, would have carried wood for fires, large stones which were used as tools or heavy buffalo and bison that would have been hunted.

The modern equivalent might be to incorporate some functional bodyweight training into your routine essential movements that humans were designed to be able to do, such as lifting your own body weight, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and planks.

With so many, free online body-weight and Calthinestic work outs available online at the moment, this primal law can be done from the comfort (and isolation!) of your own home.

Weight training isnt just about building muscles, its benefits include improved posture, better sleep, gaining bone density, maintaining weight loss, boosting metabolism, lowering inflammation and staving off chronic disease.

This law also nods to our ancestors hunter gatherer lifestyles and the short bursts of cardio required to chase and hunt their food.

A great way to replicate this way of living in modern routine is with Tabata or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) work outs. Trainers everywhere love HIIT because theyre usually fast, always efficient, can be adjusted to just about any level of expertise, and can be done from your living room. Short bursts of cardio are also a great way to burn maximum calories in a minimal time.

In the Paleolithic era our ancestors started and ended their days in alignment with the sun and natures circadian rhythm, illuminating sleep disorders and mid-afternoon slumps. -I certainly saw these benefits (and more!) when living by the suns ritualistic simplicity during my time living with monks in an authentic Indian Ashram, Govardhan Eco Village, north of Mumbai.

While Im a huge advocate of living my life by natures circadian rhythm, I know that waking at sunrise and winding down as the sun sets isnt possible for everyone. However, we can all create regular sleep habits and even relaxing bedtime rituals like going to bed at night and waking up in the morning around the same times (including on weekends), and aiming for around 6 hours sleep a night to help reduce stress, inflammation and depression, while improving your memory, keeps you more alert and may help you lose weight.

We know from studying cave drawings that the Paleolithic tribes spent around 6 hours a day playing, creating and making art and under the idea of play is the importance of human connection, exploration, intimacy and sex.

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The number of adults dealing with stress and depression are increasing all the time with work pressures regularly cited as a reason so we know that we should be striving for a better work/life balance, and making more time for things we love.

Carving out time to play, make love and be creative boosts endorphins, improves cognitive function and reminds us that intimacy is a sacred part of our lives. I believe that we should make time every day for love, laughter and playfulness perceiving play time as quality time where you return to your inner child with your own children, spending time with friends in activities that do not involve screens (think tribe-esque sister circles), enjoying your partner and even playing with a pet.

For anyone in lockdown with a partner or lover, there is never a better time to embrace elements of a Tantric lifestyle, which I offer as part of my Holistic Coaching Service, whereby intimacy, connection and sex is considered sacred and pleasure considered a birth right!

Primal law waxes lyrical about the benefits of spending time outside as our ancestors would have done. For me time outside in nature is an essential part of my wellbeing, and in fact, my approach to holistic health coaching is centered on the five elements:

Air for breath work and Pranayama (breathing techniques), Water for ice-bathing and fasting, Earth for Primal Diet, earthing and grounding, Spirit for meditation and Fire for Tantra and sacred sexuality as well as sun exposure.

Getting outside every day, even if just for a walk or run and a dose of vitamin D, produced naturally in your body when directly exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D fights disease, reduces depression and boosts weight loss.

This may sound an obvious one, but in the primal sense this law applies to not doing too many things at once in essence, being present in the daily.

Todays society is anesthetised to modern environmental dangers by distraction and overstimulation. We all do it: texting while driving, sending emails during meetings, chatting on the phone while eating dinner.

Taking time to do just one thing at a time seems downright luxurious, even wasteful but research shows that its not nearly as efficient as we like to believe, and can even be harmful to our health.

Doing too much can be harmful to your relationships, cause you to overeat as you havent processed what youve eaten that day, stifles creativity, is dangerous and causes stress. Make time to be present in your routine, fitting in both the things you need to do and the things you want to do

As Osho said, To be creative means to be in love with life. You can be creative only if you love life enough that you want to enhance its beauty.

Not only does creativity infuse life with a different sort of depth and richness; creativity allows self-discovery, the opportunity to share a hidden side of ourselves, promotes thinking and problem-solving and reduces stress and anxiety.

I know from my time as a London Litigator that using your brain does not (and should not) mean in the intellectual sense only when it comes to fulfilment and a healthy, functioning mind; so make time to do something you love, which stimulates you creatively, every day. It can be art, singing, making something, a hobby or a passion project.

A simple and truly beautiful way to integrate this law into our modern life is to start journaling and set some time aside to write every day.With practice, negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones using tools such as a daily gratitude, simply writing a list of five things I am grateful for every morning to set myself up for the day.

With time and dedication to these practices you can replace negative thinking patterns with thoughts that actually help. This can make a huge difference in your day-to-day happiness and comfort

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Could a return to primal living help us live longer and healthier lives? - woman&home

Welcome to today's live Reading FC transfer news blog.

We'll be keeping a close eye on all things Royals as pre-season clicks into gear.

It's less than five weeks until the start of the new 2020/21 Championship season so managers will be keen to get their sides in shape as quickly as possible to give themselves the best chance of a positive start to the campaign.

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Reading players are now back for pre-season at their Bearwood training ground so Mark Bowen will be assessing each one to determine how they fit into his plans moving forward.

The Welshman has some big decisions to make with the size of the squad still relatively large and reinforcements needed to freshen the side up.

We'll have the latest Royals developments as they happen throughout the day in the live blog below so keep an eye on our updates as much as you can.

Remember we are on social media too. You can follow our Twitter account @readingfclive and our Reading FC reporter Jonathan Low @jonathanl50

And get the latest news and views on our Facebook page Reading FC Live

Original post:
Tuesday's Reading FC transfer news as Osho wanted by Royals' rivals and target Mendes told to leave Sporting - Berkshire Live

Priyanka Chopra has been living in Los Angeles with Nick Jonas since the beginning of the lockdown in March.

Priyanka Chopra has been away from her mother and brother ever since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed in March. She has been living with singer husband Nick Jonas at their Los Angeles home, but has found ways to stay connected through it all.

Speaking to People magazine, Priyanka said it was important to maintain a sense of normalcy. Im asthmatic and my husbands type 1 diabetic, so we have to be even more careful. But there have been a lot of Zoom calls and Zoom brunches. We have a really large friends and family group, and Ive had a lot of birthdays in my family that have happened recently, so weve done a few socially distanced lunches, she said.

If you have the ability to have a human connection with friends, family, whether thats virtually or whether thats in a socially distant way, I think thats really important to feel a sense of normalcy, she said.

Talking about returning to work, Priyanka said she will make sure everything is safe when she does. The rumblings are that a couple of projects should go on set by the end of the year, if not by mid-fall, maybe September or October, but the world is so uncertain. I am prepared to go back to work. I know Ill have to make sure that Im extremely disciplined, super careful for myself and for everyone else, and take the quarantining and testing measures seriously. Its a new normal, and its not going to turn back into being what it was anytime soon. So we just have to come to terms with that reality, she added.

Also read: Sooraj Pancholi slams reports connecting him to Disha Salian, Sushant Singh Rajputs deaths: Never met, spoke to Disha

Priyanka has multiple projects in her kitty right now. Her next release will be Netflixs The White Tiger with Rajkummar Rao. She has also signed a multi-million dollar deal with Amazon. She will be seen in their shows Citadel, made by Anthony and Joe Russo and co-starring Richard Madden; and reality show Sangeet that she has produced with Nick Jonas.

Priyanka also has Robert Rodriguez movie We Can Be Heroes and will also be seen as Osho aide and convicted attempted murderer Maa Anand Sheela in a biopic.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Priyanka Chopra on staying connected with family during pandemic: There have been lot of Zoom calls,... - Hindustan Times

Filmmaker, scriptwriter and producer KR Sachidanandan, fondly known as Sachy, passed away recently. His untimely demise has come as a major shock to the members of the film industry. Many from the industry have paid tribute to the director. Amala Paul too shared some fond memories of the director. She said that director Sachy gave her one of the biggest hits of her career and that he was the one who introduced her to the mystic Osho. In a heartfelt post, Amala wrote, A shocker after a shocker! Ace screenwriter, director and a good friend ~ Sachy is no more. Sachy gave me one of my biggest hits in the Malayalam movie industry with Run Baby Run. The character Renuka lives on in everyone's heart! Sachy knew everything about everything, he was the one who introduced me to Osho and we spent a lot of time talking about life beyond the movies during Run Baby Run. ce=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Amala Paul (@amalapaul) on Jun 19, 2020 at 2:35am PDT

Just when I wanted to rekindle my friendship with him, he's left the mortal world!He entered this world, mastered his art and moved on to another dimension.With fond memories of our times together, I wish you farewell my dear friend. Goodbye, until we meet again.

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Sachy introduced me to Osho: Amala Paul - Times of India

Parveen Babi was considered as one of the most glamorous stars of the 70s and 80s. She had a westernised image that perhaps came in the way of her getting roles that depicted her as a girl-next-door as filmmakers were keen to bank on her Eurasian good looks. She was one of the highest-paid heroines of her era and appeared with Amitabh Bachchan in eight films, all of them being superhits. She was known for her item numbers. Numbers like Jawaani Jaaneman and Raat baaqi baat Baaqi in Namak Halaal, and Pyaar karne wale in Shaan still remain popular today. She was being featured on the covers of all major film magazines. Apart from her good looks, she was known for her bohemian lifestyle. She always spoke her mind and never hid her affairs and lived life on her own terms. Parveen Babi created a stir when she joined beau Kabir Bedi in Italy on the sets of Sandokan. Kabir became an international star when he agreed to be part of the Italian serial Sandokan. Directed by Sergio Sollima, it was based upon the novels of Emilio Salgari featuring the pirate hero Sandokan. They were two beautiful people very much in love and the European press, who had been hailing him as a sort of superstar from India, played up their relationship. It was widely reported and they even merited covers in Italian and Spanish media. Their romance was intense but short-lived. He was increasingly becoming popular in Europe and was seemingly flooded with work. After Sandokan he even signed an adventure film calledThe Black Corsair (1976), where he reportedly played a pirate. She was one of the most sought after heroines of the time and couldnt afford to give her Bollywood career a miss. Its said she had around 40 films lined up when she left and producers in Mumbai gave a collective sigh of relief when she came back. Her career soon picked up and she was back to top again, it was as if the two years with Kabir had never happened. A long-distance relationship seemed out of the question, as Kabir was already married to Protima Bedi at the time. However, it was said that their marriage was already on the rocks. Protima reportedly admitted that she considered her marriage to be over and hence she didnt mind his having a fling with Parveen. In an interview, Protima stated that when Kabir finally left, she felt a sense of relief. She mentioned he had been trying to get away from her and Parveen came into her life at the right time.

Parveen didnt regret leaving him. She understood that things wouldnt have worked out between them in the long run, especially when his career was very much centred in Europe and when he wanted to be away from Promita. She said she had her own life and could never consent to roam around the world in his shadow. She later reportedly started a relationship with director Mahesh Bhatt. Both were spiritually inclined at the time and used to visit UG Krishnamurti and Osho in his company. Sadly, it was during her relationship with Mahesh Bhatt that first signs of schizophrenia began to appear.

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Blast from the past: When Parveen Babi suddenly joined Kabir Bedi in Italy - Filmfare