Is your woman faking it in bed?

Dr Suman Bijlani lists women's common sexual concerns and what they mean for men

Wonder why your wife/girlfriend seems "off sex" of late? Why does she complain of a headache just when you are in the mood? Fact is, as with men, sex is a big issue for women too. Only, due to conditioning or lack of awareness, most women don't articulate them.

Generally, women realise they have sexual problems only when:
» It affects their relationship
» Their partner starts complaining
» When they are depressed
» When they themselves get involved in an extra-marital affair.

Also, the nature of problems differs slightly with age.

Younger women:
Sexual problems relate more to body image issues and 'performance anxiety'. Especially if they feel sex is the only way they can hold on to their relationship.

Older women:
Sex boils down to a chore or duty after years of marriage/relationship. It then manifests in pains, aches, lack of orgasm and other physical symptoms.

The bottomline:
Don't blame your dull sex life on her PMS or mood swings. Gynaecologist Dr Suman Bijlani of Gyneguide tells you how to read between the lines.

Problem: Lack of interest
Message: Foreplay continues throughout the day
A woman wants her man to make her feel special throughout the day. This sets up her mood for the special night. In a marriage, being interested in the house or taking care of the children is important. Conflicts with kids affects her relationship with her husband.
Hence make that special effort to show you care — through messages, gifts, a special outing etc.

Problem: Poor body image
Message: I want to feel beautiful when I'm with you
A woman might shy away from intercourse due to poor body image — a result of low self-esteem. If her partner nags her about her lack of perfection, it can affect her sexual confidence. It's foolhardy to say things like 'your hips are too wide' or 'breasts are too small' and later expect her to perform in bed. For a woman, the only solution is to work on herself as a person. Men get attracted by a woman's confidence.

Problem: Faking it
Message: Orgasm isn't everything
Men tend to focus only on orgasm, but often for a woman, great foreplay is enough. Hence, ensure she is happy with the quality of sex. If she fakes an orgasm, it means she isn't satisfied and doesn't trust you enough to tell you. Such a behaviour points to chinks in the relationship, hence work on them first.

Problem: Frequency issues
Message: I am no sex machine
Some men want sex every day, but with women, many other factors need to be in place. There is no ideal time or frequency for sex,but if the frequency of desire is very disparate, seek help. If a woman is stressed or has resentments towards her man, it reflects in lack of interest in sex.

Problem: Pain during sex
Message: Be considerate in bed
A common problem, painful intercourse can result from vaginal infection or if the partner is very aggressive. Pain is of two types. Superficial pain: which occurs at the time of insertion. Or deep pain: that's usually pathological or due to endometriosis or infections. This needs to be taken seriously. Using a lubricant or increasing foreplay can help.

Problem: Body odour
Message: Please be pleasant
Both men and women can suffer from fungal infections, tinea infection and similar problems that lead to body odour. To stimulate a woman's interest in sex, it is essential that the man maintains a pleasant personality and smells good as well. Taking the point further, he should make an effort to look good for his woman. It leads to a better response in bed.

Problem: Fear of pregnancy
Message: Take care of protection
It's often the fear of pregnancy that makes women shy away from sex. For good sex, it's important for both partners to be equally aware and responsible for contraception.

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Why having 'sex' is a healthy habit

If you thought the only benefit of sex was, well, pleasure, here's some news for you.

Making love is good for adults. And making love regularly is even better! Not only does it help you sleep well, relieve stress and burn calories, there are several other reasons why you need to have sex more often.

Improves cardiovascular health
A recent study says that men who have sex more than twice a week, had a lesser risk of getting a heart attack than men who had sex less than once a month.

Relieves pain
If you're using your headache as an excuse not to make love, stop doing it. Just when you're about to orgasm, the level of oxytocin, a hormone increases by five times. The release of endorphins reduces aches and pains.

Increases immunity
Regular love making increases the body's level of the immune-boosting antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA), which will make your body stronger against illnesses like the common cold and fever.

Reduces stress
Stressed out with work or family problems? Don't let it affect your performance in the bedroom. Not only will having sex improve your mood, but a study has proved that folks who indulge in regular bedroom activities can handle stress better and are happier people generally.

Promotes longevity
When one has an orgasm, a hormone called Dehydroepiandrosterone is released, which improves your immunity and repairs tissue and keeps the skin healthy. Men who have at least two orgasms a week have live longer than men who have sex just once every few weeks.

Increases blood circulation
Because your heart rate increases when you're having sex, fresh blood is supplied to your organs and cells. While used blood is removed, you also discard things from your body that cause you to feel tired.

You sleep better
Notice that just after you make love, the sleep you get thereafter is much more relaxed. Getting a good night's sleep will make you feel alert and healthy overall.

Improves overall fitness
If you find going to the gym mundane or working out at home a task, here's another way to help you lose the flab and keep in shape. Regular sex will do wonders for your waistline. Half an hour of love making burns more than 80 calories.

Increases your levels of estrogen and testosterone
In men, testosterone is what makes you more passionate in the sack. Not only will it make you feel way better in bed, but it is also known to improve your muscles and bones, keeps your heart healthy and a check on your cholesterol. Estrogen in women protects them against heart disease and also determines a woman's body scent.

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The fade away breakup syndrome

Arushi and her husband Amar were the couple that everyone envied. A whirlwind dating period that lasted five years, followed by an idyllic wedding, the couple seemed to have all the pieces of the puzzle in the right place.

So, when the word got around that they were getting divorced, their friends were naturally shocked. Upon further probing, the couple reluctantly revealed that they were just not up to staying together anymore. They were fading away.

Arushi and Amar are not the only ones. A lot of couples these days are falling prey to the 'fade away break-up syndrome', which dating experts are calling the safest break-up strategy! Typically, a fade away break-up happens when one or both parties in a relationship stop responding to each other in due course. And contrary to popular belief, this sort of break-up is not confined to short-term relationships — it can happen to couples who have been going out for a significant number of years too!

For Mahati N, a software professional, a fade away break-up is not a new concept. "I didn't know it was called that back then, but this is exactly how my first relationship ended," she reveals. "Nishith and I were going steady, at least in my opinion, until eventually one day, the calls stopped. After a lot of pain, I came to accept the fact that it was over," she wistfully adds.

Talking about fade away break-ups and relationship woes, in general, Dev Sharma, a media professional, has some interesting insights to offer. "Relationships fade because people don't want to work hard on anything these days or be responsible for anything that's failed. You meet someone, hang out a couple of times, text each other — that's what it takes to begin a relationship. But preserving it is not as easy. Not talking about the way you feel is the easiest escape."

Deepthi Nair, a copywriter, agrees. "I think it is a good way to break up," she says, "But then, I think it has to be mutual between the partners. Otherwise, just disappearing can be disconcerting. Breaking up can be devastating and especially in long-term relationships, a fade away can make it seem less painful."

However Poornima Murali, a communication graduate, chooses to take a more optimistic approach. "Of course, it is easy for two people to eventually drift apart, for any number of reasons. However, if both the people in the relationship are committed and they want it to work, then they can make it happen, no matter what the circumstance is," says she.

Communication is the key to a successful relationship. "It is very important to communicate, especially to dilute differences," says Dr Prabhakaran, a marriage therapist and psychologist. "A couple should ideally communicate for at least 30 minutes a day — not to blame each other, but to find a solution to their problems," he advises.

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Turn a hobby into serious business

Vacations aren't always boring. Your hobbies could make you money while you're at it finds Shruti Bhiwandiwala

With no more schools or colleges to attend, youngsters befuddled about all the free time they have. However, youngsters everywhere have finally found a way to share their talent with the rest and still enjoying themselves while keeping busy.

Over the years, there is a fresh crop of entrepreneurs converting their hobbies into small scale businesses. No specific marketing strategy to follow: spread the word throug friends and family or even put up a page on Facebook and you're set. From papier maché pen-stands to coming up with sumptuous concoctions, the youth of today has found a way to make a profit out of their interests.

Chocolates and cakes
A hobby that usually stems from attending a workshop or two, there has been a noticeable boom in chocolate connoisseurs and cake makers. Pooja Devpuria (22) of Kesar's, has been selling customised cakes everyday for the last five years. After attending a baking workshop, Pooja developed the hobby, which eventually turned into a business. The same goes for Esha Arya (18), who runs Mellow Dew Chocolates from the comfort of her home. Esha, who began Mellow Dew in 2009, has been successful in selling gourmet chocolates all over the city, while still keeping up with her college. She has experimented with countless queer flavours, and it is only through the process of trial and error that Esha succeeds in making something different, which actually tastes amazing. "We've sold some unique flavours like honey-chilli, ginger and gulkand. Ginger's been a constant favourite while gulkand usually only sells during Diwali."

"We try to price the chocolates in such a way that anyone from students to seasoned professionals can purchase them easily," she adds.

Jewellery making
Handmade jewellery from precious stones and metal is a fastbooming business, and with a few required skills it is easy to be good at. Wire jewellery, thread necklaces, intricate and heavy jewellery, beaded pieces, eccentric handmade brooches and exclusive rings are sported by many a fans. Keeping in mind details such as vivid colours, varying bead shapes, intricacy and finishing, young designers are looking to their peer groups and family, experimenting, while finally defining their style along the way. Sweli Shah (20), who specialises in diamond jewellery and works with her father, started out with a background in designing.

She says, "I was interested in the whole process of jewellery-making and was fascinated with the final results. Today my work sells for anything between Rs 10,000 to 1 lakh". With readymade jewellery on sale in stores, there is no available option of customising it to your preference, which is not the case with handmade jewellery. Like all order-based businesses, the customer gets to choose her style, fitting in with her personality.

Accessory painting
Those with a flair for art and a steady hand are coming up with designs to splash across canvas shoes and sneakers. Brother-sister duo Zainali (24) and Azra Jetha (20) of Alpha Cube, are shoe artists working on custom orders. What started as a simple way to brighten their old tennis shoes in 2008 is now a prosperous business. Talking of how they began, Zainali says, "We've always been inclined towards painting and arts.

When we redid our shoes, our friends took notice and the word spread. Our shoes grew popular and eventually orders started coming in."

Customers tend to ask for cartoons designs, tribal prints or even graffiti on their shoes or bags. Personalised shoes and bags by this duo begin at Rs 2,500. "We ask the clients for a reference of what they want and personalise it for them. We have designedshoes for kids of all age groups." There are endless possibilities when it comes to shoe art and with a long list of clientele come an even longer list of demands. T-shirts with graffiti and/ or interesting caricatures sell like hotcakes; the brighter the better.

Stationery making
Stationery producers are growing in number as well. Merchandise stores stock up on expensive stationery but these self-made sellers ask for less while giving a whole lot more. Damini Kulkarni (18) specialises in a decorative technique known as 'quilling', which uses rolls of thin and tiny paper to create shapes and designs. "I remember watching my friend. The fascination led me to eventually learn quilling", says Damini, who has been selling handmade paper artifacts since 2009. She adds her unique touch to bookmarks, greeting cards wall hangings and envelopes for as less as Rs 15 to Rs 100.

Final word
These are just a few examples of the kind of hobbies that are helping make money for growing entrepreneurs. It's not that hard to convert an interest into a business; all it takes is a few final touches and quality products.

What better way to earn your way through something you actually enjoy?

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Is your boss a woman?

Having a female boss could work in your favour if you're a man. However, if you're a woman, you could be in for some rough times...

We protest against the partial treatment meted out to them, rant against their sexist ways and cry hoarse about the universe's unfair preference of Mars over Venus. But, for all we say about men being chauvinistic pigs (and swines of other categories, orders and denominations too), turns out, if you're looking to move ahead in your job, your shiny, perfect, beautiful female boss, could be the single biggest impeding force (think Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada). And in all probability, you're not surprised by this conclusion either. Because you've experienced it yourself —not only from your boss, but also from the girl next door (or cubicle), who appears to do absolutely everything in her power to make you look bad in front of the team.

According to a study published in the Social Science Research journal, women managers who break through the glass ceiling are more likely to support their male colleagues than their female co-workers. In fact, far from encouraging, they obstruct other ambitious women. Software engineer Rakini Yogesh says that though it might not be blatant, this behaviour has been observed in several offices, including her own. "There is definitely a trend where female bosses tend to favour men, when it comes task allotment and appraisals. Also, in a team with a female boss, it is not the only men who complain (largely driven by ego) but also girls, because they feel they're getting a raw deal, where the boss wants to be the only woman on top. Sadly, we girls are not favoured by the male bosses either, because many of them think we're 'just girls' after all."

HR consultant Ramesh Kumar reveals that this matter has been studied in HR circles and various conclusions have been drawn upon. He says, "One of the strongest possibilities is that female bosses favour their male subordinates because they don't want it to look like they're being partial to their own kind. Also, they want to meld in with the men, so that they can get more popular. In very rare cases, they do it out of insecurity — in the competence or looks department."

Sociologist Rashmi K believes that a large number of women do have some residual internalised misogyny. She explains, "In the older days, there were very few positions for women and as a survival tactic, they brought down their peers to get ahead in the game. But now, there is place for everyone — girls have to realize this. They don't have to bring one down to move to the next level. As for the bosses, they have to get professional and embrace their power to mentor their juniors, male and female, equally."

However, copy writer Shama Prasad, strongly believes that women indeed do share a strong kinship at the workplace. "In my office, the male to female ration is 5:1, and my senior, a woman, takes extra care of the junior girls, mentors us and gives us all the opportunities to grow. We share each other's work woes and thrive on the support we get from our girlie-network. In comparison, our male boss is utterly bigoted."

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Be mice to me

They're tiny, hairy and sometimes even a synonym for disease. But now, rats are the new pets on the block. Don't believe us? Ask Hattie McRattie who runs the House Mouse Café...

History and Hollywood cast them as vermin responsible for plagues, famine and famous movie lines like "You dirty rat!" But to a small group of fans, the rat is a charming pocket companion as loyal as a dog and cleaner than a cat.

Nearly 60 per cent of American households have pets, according to an Associated Press-Petside.com poll. About 74 per cent of pet owners polled in October said they had dogs, 47 per cent said they had cats and 3 per cent said they had a gerbil, hamster, mouse or rat.

"To own a rat is to know that forever your heart will walk outside your body on four little feet, " said Dale Burkhart, 66, of Claremont. She's the vice-president of the Riverside-based American Fancy Rat and Mouse Association .

Burkhart's nickname is Hattie McRattie and she runs the House Mouse Cafe . Because of her arthritis, she no longer keeps rats but remains devoted, recalling how her fiance used to come over to visit her and her rats. "They would groom his hair, groom his eyebrows and eyelashes. They are always grooming each other. That's how they show respect and affection," Burkhart said. "We become the alpha rat and they groom us."

The average life span of a rat is two to three years, said Debbie Ducommun of Chico. She's an author and international rat expert known as "The Rat Lady" and was a consultant on the movie "Ratatouille."

Short lives is the "down side of dear little ratties," said Cathleen Schneider-Russell, a member of the association from Chino Hills. "You have to enjoy every precious moment."

Most fans will keep a small colony of rats, said Stephen Zawistowski, executive vice president and science adviser for ASPCA national programs based in New York. That doesn't mean one rat can't be very special, said Jenna R. Lillibridge, director of Any Rat Rescue in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Her rat Aries is blind and the most affectionate rat she has ever had. "She loves people. She sleeps with me, sleeps on me. She will drape herself over my ankle or side or snuggle up to my neck," said Lillibridge, whose organization was founded in 2004 and has placed 700 rats since.

Karen Robbins of Winnetka, near Los Angeles, is rat fancier association's president, a job she's held off and on since 1983.

She got her first rat in 1974 because her sister had a snake and bought three baby rats to feed it. The snake ate two but Robbins saved the third. She took it back to its mother at the pet store and when it was ready, she adopted it and a sibling, both females. A kid down the street found out she had rats and gave her two he couldn't keep and she became a breeder. Robbins has 43 rats she is now breeding separately for marking, color and coat - but all of them for personality.

Rats have to be smart because they're a prey species as well as a predator species, Ducommun said. They also have one of the most robust digestive systems in the world - a reason they're so destructive and hard to destroy as pests.

The average pet rat is 6 inches long, has a 6-inch tail and weighs less than a 450 grams. In the wild, females breed all year round and can have 20 or more babies at a time. In the wild, rats naturally become aggressive and learn to bite as they compete with other rats for food.

Few people are going to head for a sewer to befriend a rat, but even rats who have rocky starts - lab rats, for instance - can be socialised and enjoy life with a rat fan, experts say. A rat will bathe itself head to toe, seven times a day.

Rat fans are as social as they say their pets, with clubs, shows and websites aplenty.

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Red wine, chocolate sharpen your mind

 Red wine and chocolate make for a deadly combination to keep your mind sharp and alert, a study suggests.

Polyphenols, plant chemicals abundant in dark chocolate and wines, dilate blood vessels, speeding the supply of blood to the brain.

"This provides it with a rush of oxygen and sugars, making complex calculations easier and quicker. Besides polyphenols are more effective in combination than alone," the Daily Mail reports.

The theory follows two Northumbria University studies into the effects of polyphenols on the mind. In the first, healthy adults were set a series of tests after taking a capsule packed with resveratrol, the 'wonder ingredient' in red wine.

Scans showed a marked increase in blood flow to their brains after taking the supplement.

"Greater improvements may be seen in the elderly," said doctoral researcher Emma Wightman from Northumbria, because blood flow to the brain naturally decreases with age.

Unfortunately for wine lovers, the quantities of resveratrol used in the study would equate to drinking crates of the stuff. But it is easy to get the same amounts from supplements sold in health food stores.

"And with resveratrol credited with abilities from extending life to burning off junk food," Wightman says. "There is nothing to stop people from stocking up."

"There is research showing quite a lot of health benefits and there is nothing to suggest there are any adverse effects. You are not going to come to any harm," she said.

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Parsley, celery fight against breast cancer

 Parsley and celery, usually used as a decorative accent to a scrumptious meal, can stop certain breast cancer tumor cells from multiplying and growing, suggests a new study.

In his study, Salman Hyder, a University of Missouri researcher, exposed rats with a certain type of breast cancer to apigenin, a common compound found in parsley, celery, apples, oranges, nuts and other plant products.

The rats that were exposed to the apigenin developed fewer tumors and experienced significant delays in tumor formation compared to those rats that were not exposed to apigenin. Hyder believes this finding could impact women who are taking certain hormone replacement therapies.

"Six to 10 million women in the United States receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT)," Hyder said.

"We know that certain synthetic hormones used in HRT accelerate breast tumor development. In our study, we exposed the rats to one of the chemicals used in the most common HRTs received in the United States – a progestin called medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) – which also happens to be the same synthetic hormone that accelerates breast tumor development."

Hyder also found that the compound reduced the overall number of tumors. However, while apigenin did delay tumor growth, it did not stop the initial formation of cancer cells within the breast.

Hyder said, "Researchers have not identified a apigenin dosage for humans yet."

"However, it appears that keeping a minimal level of apigenin in the bloodstream is important to delay the onset of breast cancer that progresses in response to progestins such as MPA," Hyder said.

It's probably a good idea to eat a little parsley and some fruit every day to ensure the minimal amount," he added.

The study was published recently in Cancer Prevention Research.

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Painkillers risky for heart attack patients

A new study has warned that even short-term use of some painkillers like ibuprofen could be dangerous for people who've had a heart attack.

Researchers analysed the duration of prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) treatment and cardiovascular risk in a nationwide Danish cohort of patients with prior heart attack.

They found the use of NSAIDs was associated with a 45 per cent increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack within as little as one week of treatment, and a 55 per cent increased risk if treatment extended to three months.

In the current study, researchers undertook the first time-to-event analysis of a nationwide group and investigated if the duration of prescription NSAID treatment influenced the cardiovascular risk among heart patients. Among 83,697 heart attack survivors (average age 68; 63 perc ent men), 42.3 per cent had a least one prescription for an NSAID.

The most common NSAIDs prescribed were ibuprofen (23 per cent) and diclofenac (13.4 per cent). Selective COX-2 inhibitors — rofecoxib (4.7 per cent) and celecoxib (4.8 per cent) — were also used.

The non-selective NSAID diclofenac was associated with early onset risk similar to the selective COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib.

All NSAIDs were associated with an increased risk of death or recurrent heart attack, with diclofenac having the highest risk (nearly three times).

"Overall, NSAID treatment was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of death," said Anne-Marie Schjerning Olsen, lead author of the study and research fellow at Copenhagen University in Hellerup, Denmark.

"Our results indicate that there is no apparent safe therapeutic window for NSAIDs in patients with prior heart attack, she added.

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Boost your energy with basketball

Summers are an ideal time for playing outdoor sports. Apart from being fun, they also prove beneficial in inculcating team spirit and honing sportsman skills. One such game to choose from is basketball.

Established as the second fastest and one of the widely viewed sports in the world after cricket, the sport has evolved over the years. Several variations in the game today has categorised it as casual play. But competitive basketball is still played according to the set norms. Basically the game involves the common techniques of shooting, passing and dribbling. The players are set according to specialised positions. The object of the game is to outscore the opponent player by throwing the ball through the opponents basket from above and preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. The scores are called 'shots'. And the only pre-requisites are a basketball, good pair of sneakers, shorts and a jersey.

Talking about the sport coach Rajesh Chiplunkar says, "It is a highly competitive game and requires a lot of vigour and self-control. As it involves stretching, jumping, bending, running and also sprinting, it is a very effective form of aerobic exercise. It also inculcates a fighting spirit as the players are competing against each other."

So all you sport enthusiasts, what are you waiting for? Pick up your gear and get going.

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Spices are good for you!

Here are the benefits of some popular spices....

Indians are known to like their food hot and spicy. So to imagine your food without spices is rather unimaginable, isn't it?! They say wherever you find an Indian, chances are you will find a range of aromatic spices. But along with the taste that spices and herbs provide, they also have several medicinal benefits as well. Spices have been used for centuries for their medicinal qualities and researchers continue to study their healing properties. Here are some of their benefits:

Chili powder: It relieves painful joints. Research shows that capsaicin, found in chili peppers, has an anti-inflammatory effect, which may help ease arthritic swelling and pain.

Cinnamon: Protects against type 2 diabetes and heart disease. A study has discovered that about half a teaspoon lowered blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

Garlic: Improves your heart's health. Garlic consumption can lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels by an average of 10 per cent.

Cloves: Clove oil is a well known treatment for toothache, and its antiseptic properties make it an excellent mouthwash. The main ingredient in the oil is eugenol, which is anti-inflammatory and can help ease the stiffness and pain associated with arthritis. It is a warming spice, which can help reduce congestion and stimulate digestion.

Ginger: Ginger contains antioxidants and can help protect against diseases. It calms down spasms and reduces flatulence in the digestive system. It is also an excellent treatment for nausea associated with travel sickness, pregnancy and hangovers.

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6 Tips to kick start weight loss

Now experts from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center can help you stick to that New Year's resolution of losing weight if you just follow these six tips.

1. Keep moving each day: all it takes to see a weight-loss benefit is 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic activity daily.

"You don't need to be athletic. Just brisk walking or dancing to your favourite music or using an aerobic exercise machine like a stationary bike or treadmill is all you need to do – just try to do it each day," said Anne McTiernan.

"You can break it into 10- or 15-minute sessions throughout the day to get the weight-loss benefit," she said.

2. Keep a food journal: "By spending a little extra time to write down everything you eat and drink, you'll be able to see where extra calories sneak in," said Caitlin Mason, an exercise and health researcher in the Public Health Sciences Division of the Hutchinson Center.

"There are lots of good online tools that can help estimate the calorie content of common foods and track your weight loss progress over time," she said.

3. Set realistic goals: "For long-term success, aim for a slow, steady weight loss of about 1 to 2 pounds a week. No one wants to lose weight only to gain it all back – and often more – a few months later," said Mason.

4. Set specific goals: set several smaller but more specific goals, such as eating five servings of vegetables per day, taking a 15-minute walk at lunch each day or drinking six glasses of water per day.

"Adding healthy behaviours to your routine is often easier than telling yourself 'don't do this' or 'don't eat that,'" Mason said.

5. Don't let one slip-up derail your efforts: "Don't throw your entire routine out the window after one bad day. Instead, try to identify the specific barriers that got in your way and think through strategies to avoid such challenges in the future," said Mason.

6. Practice yoga: regular yoga practice and weight maintenance and weight loss are related, according to several studies.

Researcher Alan Kristal found that regular yoga practice is associated with the prevention of middle-age spread in normal-weight people and the promotion of weight loss in those who are overweight.

A follow-up study published in 2009 found that regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating, and people who eat mindfully are less likely to be obese.

"These findings fit with our hypothesis that yoga increases mindfulness in eating and leads to less weight gain over time, independent of the physical activity aspect of yoga practice," Kristal said.

"Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss, such as dieting, counting calories and limiting portion sizes. Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective."

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'We've all reached nirvana'

Do you endorse the brand of yoga being promoted by American Tara Stiles - described as "Rebel Yoga" - who says she does not follow any rules, but teaches yoga that's free of any spiritual undertones or overtones? I thought yoga promoted holistic living that included cultivating a spiritual and inclusive perspective?

Sarah Jacob, Mumbai
I took on Tara Stiles as my personal yoga teacher as I wanted to focus on my physical training. I did not want the broader metaphysical and philosophical teachings as I have already immersed myself in them for the last 30 years. Yoga is a very wide field; it is more so in the US where people come to it for different reasons. Tara Stiles combined many teachings and is very appropriate for those who are still tentative about the spiritual overtones that they may not be willing to embrace seeing them as foreign.

I found Tara to be unpretentious. She does not have the patronising and "holier than thou" attitude that some yoga teachers have adopted in America. In fact, I have now partnered with her to expand the teaching of yoga where she can focus on the physical aspects and I can focus on the other aspects of the eight limbs of yoga.

What happens when one achieves nirvana, the state of enlightenment? Have you attained nirvana? Also, are there different kinds of nirvana or is it just one of a kind?

Meenakshi, Dehradun
I'm happy to report that we have all reached nirvana, the Buddhist term for pure consciousness. Pure consciousness is our source; it is present with us every second of our lives. But we have not established ourselves in this silent state. It appears fleetingly in the gap between thoughts. By diving into the gap, the mind can transcend thought to experience pure consciousness itself. When this is done regularly, a new state emerges, in which you can think and feel while still maintaining pure consciousness. This is the aim of meditation and it leads to real transcendence.

The transformation of the everyday self into the true self depends on becoming aware of transcendent reality in the midst of everyday activity. In that sense, yes, there is only one nirvana, but the path that unfolds it has different aspects for each seeker.

Do you feel guilty that you are not practising medicine, for which you have received training and which is meant to heal the sick?

Sulekha Sekhri, Delhi
I don't practise medicine full time, but my training gets applied quite often. For me, the turning point came 25 years ago, when I realised that consciousness is the primary agent of healing. This was a liberating realisation, and it led me to focus on change through higher awareness. Nothing is more powerful in healing than this. So my current approach is to expand people's awareness first and foremost. Yet if there's a need for medical attention, I make sure that it is attended to - all healing approaches are valid and useful.

Having said that, I am a standing fellow of the American College of Physicians, Internal Medicine, and a member of the American Medical Association. I continue to maintain my licenses to practice in Massachusetts and California, so I can continue to see patients when I am in California if necessary along with my colleagues.

I am 21 years old and live with my parents. I am a post-graduate student of Economics, completing the first year of a two-year course. I now feel the urge to switch to studying Fine Arts as I feel it is an opportunity for creative expression. But my parents want me to complete my MA degree before doing any such thing. I am confused. What should I do?

Pradeep Sharma, Ghaziabad
Apply self-awareness. You are at a new stage of maturity. It is fairly standard among psychologists to call this "the phase of identity crisis". Adulthood is opening up rapidly; new understanding about who you are, and possibilities of what you want to do flood the mind. As part of this stage, it is quite natural for you to feel uncertain as well as somewhat overwhelmed. Old familiar habits, such as listening to parents, no longer seem so certain.

If you reflect upon this transition phase, I believe you can balance your life in such a way that inner change occurs without turning your existence upside down. You can complete your MA while pursuing Fine Arts part time, to see if your inclination is solid and realistic. Make sure you are not being overwhelmed by the responsibility of coming to the end of your education, and having to enter the real world. Feelings of insecurity and panic often lead people of your age to become a perpetual student - it's so much safer to remain in the womb of the university. I hope these considerations help. Once you are more aware, you will be able to decide what is right for you.

I love my wife and I do care for her, but sometimes I feel like just going away to the mountains, and be by myself. We don't have children. At 50, would you put down this feeling to midlife crisis? I don't feel interested in meeting friends; I mostly wish to be quiet and just do my own thing. But then my wife says she feels shut out. Please help.

V Tripathi, Agra
Yes, this sounds like midlife crisis, but knowing the term doesn't bring the solution. What is such a crisis really about? In the natural arc of a lifetime, we set goals that get fulfilled, and when they are done, it is time to move on. Most people set major goals for family and career in their 20s, and by age 50, they have arrived at some sort of fulfilment. They know how to handle their work, they have raised a family, the terms of their marriage are well-known to both partners - all of this leads to a transition phase, which is the midlife crisis. The mind is no longer satisfied even with the good things that have been achieved. Moreover, it is fed up with the bad things, whatever feels stale and old.

So you reach a fork in the road. Either your achievements will serve as the platform for a new phase of life that is equally challenging and vital as the one coming to an end, or you will surrender to habit and inertia. One fork is very positive; it allows you to continue to evolve and grow. The other fork leads to a slow decline and ultimately self-defeat.

Your letter doesn't really tell me which fork you are tending to take, but I fear it is the one of inertia because there is a tone of "leave me alone. I'm not interested anymore". That's not a good sign. It can also be a symptom of crisis, a kind of avoidance because change is too threatening. Let's accept the best interpretation, that you are stuck for the moment because you have not seen a new way forward. To get past your listlessness, certain things are necessary:

1. Reject the repetition of your old life.
2. Look for a new way forward.
3. Try to find goals and opportunities that lie unfulfilled - these are the seeds of the future.
4. Cast your eyes around and look for allies in your quest for change.
5. Make your uncertainty known to your wife so that she can help you explore a new future - this is a shared journey.

If you can follow these guidelines, you can successfully navigate through the midlife crisis. It's an emotional time, and I know that you don't find it a welcome prospect to have to revisit old feelings that you hoped were long buried and forgotten. They haven't been. The way forward is to look at yourself as a fluid personality with new potentials to unfold. Your challenge is to find that potential and make the best use of it. Start right now. 

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So much power in words

Words, especially from those we consider leaders, can guide us or deceive us, make us knowledgeable or ignorant, violent or peaceful, sad or joyful, wise or foolish.

A poster on a school notice board declares: "What we habitually say in our heads, we usually end up saying with our lips, which ultimately direct our feet." Words are powerful. From others they often influence or direct our decisions and behaviour while our own words act to elicit responses from those who receive them.

In the Bible, the Book of Proverbs has much to say about the value of well- chosen words: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." It goes on to prompt us to choose our friends carefully, partly on the basis of the kind of words and speech they habitually use.

"Speak that which is kindlier," the Quran instructs us, "a kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury..." A commentary on the meaning of these verses says that the tongue affects the ear. The ear affects the soul. The soul affects the entire body. Every word makes an impression on the listener. But the deepest impression made on the listener is either a kind word or a harsh word.

Whichever way we look at it, there is no doubt that what we say or write could have impact and so the prudent would use the power of speech very carefully indeed.

In Buddhism, one aspect of the Eightfold Path, Sama Vaca, is most often translated into English as Right Speech, but a more accurate rendering is Wise Speech or even Skillful Speech, which helpfully suggests speech that is acquired through practice. The concept of Intentional Speech is being mindful of one's purpose in speaking.

The following story illustrates well the power of words: An old Buddhist master spoke to his students: "Tonight I would like to speak to you about wise speech. According to the Buddha, wise speech is that which is truthful, gentle, helpful, spoken from a kind heart and is timely."

Then he spoke at great length about the harm that results from rude, mean spirited, harsh or careless words. A young disciple said, "Venerable sir, I do not understand how this can be. A stone can bruise. Theft can deprive. But words are just sounds, having no substance. I must disagree with you when you suggest they are so powerful."

The master replied, "If you weren't such an ignorant idiot, you'd understand. So sit down, shut up and stop interrupting."

The startled young man fell silent, but about ten minutes later jumped to his feet, face red, eyes bulging, fists clenched, his whole body shaking.

The old man turned to him, "You seem perturbed. Your gentle disposition is shattered. What happened to you?"

"You hurtled harsh insults I did not deserve. You cannot possibly be the great teacher you pretend to be. You are a fraud!"

The old man responded, "Ah, I see. It was my words that had such a transforming effect upon you. It seems you and I agree that speech can be quite powerful."

Words, especially from those we consider leaders, can guide us or deceive us, make us knowledgeable or ignorant, violent or peaceful, sad or joyful, wise or foolish. Words give birth to ideas, which in turn create powerful emotions, which rule the hearts of men and women, who then can act constructively or destructively, for justice or injustice.

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Beautiful lotus, easy metaphor

The lotus is an amazing flower. Not only is it a symbol of wisdom and purity, it has a range of spiritual overtones that serve as popular aids to learning.

The lotus, emerging from the water and standing above it - undrenched and unsullied - has come to be accepted as a symbol of enlightenment and purity of mind in Buddhist and Hindu thought. Not only is the lotus in bloom a pretty sight, it evokes positive thoughts in one who links it with his own journey on the spiritual path.

The image of the flower has profound connotations and can be so easily used to interpret and explain the Buddha's transcendence, the non-attachment concept of the Bhagavad Gita, and the evolution of our consciousness, the cause and effect theory of karma, and a host of other teachings.

The lotus is closely linked to the sun. It opens when the sun rises and closes when the sun sets. The eight petals of the flower could be taken to signify the eight noble paths. The white coloured lotus stands for mental purity and spiritual perfection, the red for purity of heart, love and compassion, the blue for wisdom and the pink lotus is often considered as the supreme lotus reserved for the most exalted deity.

In each one of us, the lotus can be visualised seated on the crown in a subtle form of a thousand petals opening upwards to receive divine cosmic energy. A closed lotus indicates an innate potential for enlightenment and an open blossom signifies an evolved consciousness. In paintings and sculptures, Buddha - the enlightened one - is often shown seated on a fully blossomed lotus for this reason.

The sacred lotus can be found in depictions of many Hindu gods and goddesses, too. Lakshmi, Saraswati, even Ganesh sometimes, are shown seated on the sacred lotus. Brahma the creator is depicted as seated on a fully opened lotus flower. The four faces of Brahma represent the four Vedas.

The lotus has the power to self-exist and self-regenerate and this shows the continuity of birth and rebirth. In the Statham Brahmna, the lotus is a symbol of the womb. Hence the flower is a symbol of life and fertility.

The karma principle can be explained easily with the help of the lotus. The flower signifies human life as being governed by cause and effect. Every cause produces an imprint leading to an effect that can be experienced during the doer's lifetime or in his future life.

The Buddhist mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum' refers to the lotus. Here it signifies wisdom. In the Bhagavad Gita, non-attachment to the objects of sense perception is compared to a lotus or padma. "Any person who dedicates all his karma to the Supreme, and carries them out without clinging to the result, remains unblemished by karmas just as the lotus is untouched and undrenched by water."

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Blueprint of the divine

Humanity is part of the cosmos, writes Sadia Dehlvi.
An Islamic tradition attributed to Prophet Jesus states, "The world is a bridge; so pass over it to the next world, but do not try to build on it." The word duniya or world, has a negative connotation in Islam. The real meaning of this Arabic word is to reach out for something you can never grasp.

It indicates the illusionary nature of the world. Humanity is part of aalam or cosmos, and an aalim, or intellectual is one with knowledge of the true nature of God's universe.

Despite the negative connotation, Muslims are prohibited from decrying this world. The Prophet said, "Do not curse the world for God created it and it is a means of reaching Him." Acquiring wealth or position to help the needy, or desiring provisions for the purpose of attaining the best in the Hereafter do not fall in the sphere of duniya alone.

Of heedlessness
The idea that people are prone to ghaflah or heedlessness, ignoring the fact that they will be held accountable for their actions on the day of judgement, is a central theme of the Quran. Alluding to a heart shorn of spirituality and one that lacks the 'inner eye', it describes the heedless as, "those with hearts, but do not understand with them, those with eyes but cannot see, those with ears but cannot hear".

These are people who do not recognise the signs of God in the universe and are deluded by this world, forgetting its transitory nature, reminding us that there are no exit strategies with God, Prophet Muhammad said, "Take yourself to account before you are taken into account."

Polishing the heart with remembrance of God, being in a state of awareness and self-reflection is the way to actualisation of the real Self. To lose touch with God is to lose touch with one's own reality.

Born without sin
Islam claims that human beings are not innately corrupt. They are not born with the 'the original sin' but are in a state of fitrah, an inclination towards faith with an intuitive awareness of divine purpose. As children grow older, their innate nature gets polluted with the debris of duniya, distorting their natural disposition. Physically, we may be different, but each one of us has within us a blueprint of divine laws, which, left untarnished, allows us to recognise the Reality of the One God.

According to Islam, Adam and Eve did not sin, but fell into a state of forgetfulness. They turned to Allah in repentance. Allah forgave them, appointing Adam a prophet and His vice-regent on earth. Adam and Eve then became watchful of their actions ensuring they followed God's commands. There is no blemish passed on to their progeny. The Quran clearly states: "No soul bears the burden of another soul".

Pride and arrogance
If we live up to the expectation of our father Adam, and mother Eve, we would have nothing to fear. There is a fundamental difference between the responses of Adam and Satan. Satan recognised God, but pride and arrogance led him astray. After eating the forbidden wheat, Adam and Eve realised their folly and asked Allah for forgiveness.

Hence, the human state of heedlessness is one thing, and satanic refusal to admit and repent for wrong action quite another. Adam's entry into the earth is a sign that God's mercy takes precedence over His wrath, and that His guidance triumphs over Satan's bid to misguide us.

Heedlessness negates taw hid, the One Reality from where we all originated. Our physical existence is just a shadow which we have to transcend in order to discover the permanent and timeless. The fitrah needs to be cultivated so that the purity of the soul is maintained. If human beings truly follow their hearts, they can never go wrong for the spiritual heart, centred in the physical one, echoes the Divine.

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Voyage of discovery

There is no theoretical or scientific reason that requires the birthplace of the universe to be fifteen billion light years away. It is an empirical discovery. The point here is that these numbers do not follow from some prior scientific or philosophical theory about the universe; they follow from an extremely sophisticated measurement of the universe.

When the astronomers Vesto Slipher, Edwin Hubble, and others first began gathering data on the motion of galaxies, they had no idea they had embarked on an empirical investigation that would lead to the discovery of the universe's birthplace. They were simply observing the universe and carefully attending to the movements of the galaxies.

Sense of bafflement
It is significant that the very people who discovered the birthplace were shocked by the discovery. Some were depressed by it. Rather than trumpet their great achievement, they reported it with a sense of bafflement. Hubble, the very scientist whose work was central for convincing the scientific community that the universe had a birthplace, refused to make any interpretations; he simply published what he found, however strange it might appear to him. And Einstein, whose theory provided the deepest interpretation of the data, began by actually altering some of his best ideas in order to avoid confronting their radical implications. At the very least, we need to understand that they were not projecting their mathematical theories nor imposing their philosophical perspectives on the universe. They were, rather, attending to the movements and structures in the universe. They were, rather, listening deeply to the patterns in the photons that came to them each night in their observatories.

The seemingly innocent phrase "came to them" hides yet another important truth that we need to bear in mind. Scientists, and everyone else as well, can experience only what the universe brings to us here. What we know about the universe is gotten by listening to and reflecting on the news the universe brings.

Reaching into, not out
Take the Andromeda Galaxy. Every night throughout all the millions of years of human existence new photons of light have arrived from Andromeda. But it was not until we had painstakingly developed all the necessary tools, including telescopes and mathematics, but more generally all the arts and languages and conceptual capacities of modern homo sapiens, that we could penetrate into the information these light particles carried. The story of Andromeda and its three hundred billion stars and its circling spiral structure has been present to Earth all along. And no one ever had to journey to Andromeda to learn her story. Rather, humans had to develop the sensitivities necessary to awaken to the story that has been here throughout our entire existence.

We scientists tend to use phrases that speak of our ability to "reach deep into space". We speak of our invention of instruments that "probe the farthest regions of the universe". These are certainly valid expressions, but they can also give the mistaken impression that we actually "reach out" in some literal sense. There is no reaching out. Rather, we reach into our immediate experience.

Alive to the universe
We reach into a droplet of the universe, and we find there photons with wondrous stories from the farthest regions of the universe. All the books on the distant galaxies, all the tomes on the dynamics of neutron stars, all the studies of super red giants are, strictly speaking, explications of the stories that exist in each cubic centimetre of the universe. These stories have been there for all of human history, but not until recently have we been able to read them. Optical telescopes, infrared detectors, x-ray diffractions, and spectroscopic devices - all such instrumentations of modern astronomy aims at becoming sensitive to the news of the universe contained in each drop of the universe.

The discovery of the birthplace of the cosmos, then, is the discovery of the story that has been present from the beginning. The universe's primordial origin has been here with us for millions of years. Our own generation is simply the one to emerge at the time when human consciousness has become subtle enough and complex enough to awaken to what the universe has been telling us from the beginning.

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'I find God in people'

Actress Jaya Prada says, "I find God in people."

You find God in...
"I find God in people and children. God has given us so much, but still we crave for more. Practically, we can't see God, but I feel if you serve the poor, it gives you a chance to see God's presence in them. I strongly believe in God and I try to see His presence by helping others."

How do you connect to God?
"Every day, I do my puja. I religiously say my prayers before I begin my day. I close my eyes and ask for His blessings. I try to bring His image in front of my eyes, and stop all other thoughts and it brings me closer to Him."

What are karma and kismat to you:
"I believe in karma. When you have the good in your life, it will show in your next life as well. If we believe in Pancha-Tattva, we have to believe in karma and kismat also."

True contentment lies in...
"I have yet to reach that stage of meditation. If I am depressed, disturbed, I go to a quiet corner and try to seek God. For true contentment, you have to sacrifice all your commitments, which is too early for me to do. I am in the process to reach God."

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Fall in love with nature, the Australian way

While nature lovers across the world wish all humans to realise the significance of their natural surroundings, many Australians are turning caring for environment as their way of life  .

Julie Astonis, an Australian housewife in Brisbane city is one such example. She and her communities North Lakes have stood out from hundreds of other communities in the Best Master- planned Community Competition and ranked as Redcliffe's top ten best communities.

Even though autumn is approaching Australia's Brisbane in April, one can still watch colourful blooming flowers in Julie's exquisite little garden, as she tells that in her community, "each of us has a beautiful yard".

"There has been a deep rooted awareness of environmental protection, from children to elderly people. The whole community takes care of the environment as if they are taking care of the own garden," Julie told Xinhua.

Talking about her people's sense of care for environment, Julie said when people in the community take along their dog, they would always carry a garbage bag to deal with the dog's excrement.

"In our community, you will never experience the embarrassment of stepping on the dirty waste while you are walking on the grass," said Jolie with a smile. "Taking care of the dog's waste can also help to cultivate children's sense of responsibility!"

"Gardening is the most popular club in our community," she says. "A lot of retirees don't just regularly organise gardening lectures, but also personally visit families in the community to provide gardening training."

"So can see that flowers continues to blossom in our gardens throughout the year."

As to protect water resources, the Australian government has imposed strict irrigation restriction on families, Julie says: "We certainly would not use tap water to irrigate the flowers!"

She says almost every family in her community has a huge tank, used to store rainwater, which is later used as the resources of all outdoor water use, including car washing and watering the garden.

"This year, we also specifically asked people to connect the water tank with our flush toilets, so they could save the use of tap water," she added.

Mentioning their primary school's effort, the school encourages students to do more things; beneficial to the environment, and ask them to write that on a paper to share experience with other students.

Though the World Earth Day is round the corner, Julie feels environmental protection should not be marked only a particular day, instead "every day should be Earth Day".

In 2009, the 63rd UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare April 22 as the World Earth Day.

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Trouble in paradise?

Just three and a half hours down south west of Kolkata is the beautiful beach town of Mandarmani, which, of late, has become one of the most popular tourists spots for Kolkatans looking to get away from the hustle, bustle, smoke and noise of the city. For long, Mandarmani had remained a neglected cousin of Digha. Now, thanks to loads of illegal real estate deals, resorts and budget shacks line the 13 kilometre-long motorable beach. Good news for travellers but not so for environmentalists.

A curious aspect of the beach in Mandarmani is, to reach the high-end resorts, one has to drive 6 kilometres on the beach during low tide. This is particularly problematic as this beach road closes during high tides, which are, again, unpredictable in nature. But more than that, cars zooming up and down this beach road cause much air pollution and leave the beach reeking of car fumes.

Says Kolkata-based environmentalist and social worker, Dipika Ghosh, "Sea beaches have a very delicate ecological balance. First of all, driving on the beach releases poisonous fumes into the atmosphere which are hazardous to the marine ecosystem. Secondly, most often, drivers become speed demons and drive at around 100 kmph. Those enjoying a bath in the sea or just lazying around on the beach may face the danger of being hit. Thirdly, those risking a drive on the beach before high tide may find their vehicles stuck in the sand."

Travellers, so far, have paid little heed to these hazards choosing to live it up on the beach. "It is very rare to find beaches in India where you can drive comfortably. Though the risk of accidents and getting caught during high tide is there, it's worth it as it is an awesome experience," said Dibakar, 27, who travels to Mandarmani every two weeks with his friends.

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Victoria's spooky secret

Outside the iconic Fairmont Empress hotel in Victoria, people gather every evening at seven. Curious, I join them one evening when someone hands me a pamphlet. It says 'come with us to Victoria's spookiest places and find out why it is the most haunted city in British Columbia'. I may not be the right candidate for ghost walks, thanks to my jittery nerves; but I decide to go for it nevertheless. After all, how scary can a storytelling session be? Well, enough to give you sleepless nights for a while.

As my guide and historian John Adams leads me through the courts of Bastion Square, along the infamous Helmcken Alley and into the old burial ground at Pioneer Square, his knowledge of Victoria's past and flair for storytelling (with somber voice modulations) takes me back to the Victoria of yesteryears. I'm almost half expecting the supernatural to jump out from the colonial buildings. Just when I thought that I had enough of horror stories to not venture out alone anymore, John enlightened me about a ghost which haunts the hotel where I am staying. So convincing are his tales of horror that you can almost feel a spooky presence by your side.

The European influence was established in1843 when James Douglas chose Victoria (then known as Camosack), as a Hudson Bay Company trading post. The post was eventually renamed Fort Victoria, in honour of Queen Victoria which later on evolved as a city of government, retirement and tourism.

A great two-wheel deal
It is difficult to cover Victoria in one day, as there are too many sight-seeing options to choose from. Rated as the cycling capital of Canada, the best way to cover the city is by foot or by renting a cycle and like most cyclists, I choose the Lochside trail. Originally a railway track, it skirts through the ocean edge, leading to a view of the spectacular snowcapped Olympic Mountains. Traffic here is almost non-existent and nature abounds with occasional deer sightings. Rebuilt bridges pass panoramically over lakes, which cut through yellow fields as ripe pumpkins wait patiently to be plucked.

As the day progresses, the weather becomes warm and toasty. Owing to its affinity to the sea, the temperature never drops much, thereby making it the most preferred holiday destination in British Columbia. The warm weather also makes it apt for whale sighting. Having watched the biggest mammal only on television, the idea is thrilling. I dress up in a waterproof body suit (temperature would drop remarkably once we are in the middle of the ocean). Soon the boat gains speed, leaving the town behind, and I feel the icy cold, biting wind on my face and silence all around. Evoking the gods can help because this sighting is totally dependent on your luck. I was quite lucky because what follows for the next few hours is a mix of nail-biting wait to sight a whale and exhilarating joy on spotting one. I happily click away, only to discover later that I have been a couple of mini seconds late and have only captured a part of the tail or head. After three hours, I come back to the shore, happy with the feat of spotting six whales, including two killer whales.

Past perfect
Being out in the open sea for three hours can be quite exhausting, so I stopped at the 110-year-old Fairmont Empress for a quick cup of tea before heading out again. The Canadians love their tea as much as they love their coffee and afternoon tea is nothing less than a social custom, handed down by the Britishers who migrated in the 18th century. Overlooking Victoria's spectacular Inner Harbour, this elegant ivy-covered hotel has been pleasing Victoria visitors with its afternoon tea service for more than 100 years. As the pianist fills the 18th century Edwardian room with soft harmony, I choose from four elegant and diverse teas, English scones, tea sandwiches, fruit, and delicious pastries. On my way out, I lose my way and am quite surprised to find myself in a hall named the Bengal Lounge. Drawing inspiration from Queen's role as the Empress of India, this has a vast selection of interesting signature drinks with names such as the Bengal Tiger, Hemingway Special, Ivory Hunter and the Tigertini.

I head out to explore Inner Harbour area and the Government Street. When Captain James Cook landed on the west coast of Vancouver Island, First Nations people were already living in the rugged yet pristine wilderness of the island. The influences are still visible in the form of totem poles, which stand by dozens across the island. Trying to figure out a totem is no less than rocket science. From what I understood, every animal carved on the pole represents a mythical creature associated with family history. Each different totem belongs to the particular family or person carving it.

The Government Street at the south end is the melting pot of activities and it takes approximately an hour to cover the area, if you are not distracted by the local stores like the Rogers Chocolates or the pubs with unique names like the Bard and Banker pub, which got its name from one of its employees when it was the Bank of British Columbia.
  
Fact file   
- Victoria can be visited any time of the year.
- Take a sea plane or ferry from Vancouver. It takes approximately three hours by ferry and 35 minutes by the sea plane.
- If you have time, visit the Butchart garden, which was originally a limestone quarry.

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Austria: The ultimate choice

Snow, fresh air and serene calmness- Austria entails all this and much more. The cosmopolitan nature of its major cities makes this country attractive to tourists, who benefit enormously from the warmth of its people and the range of facilities on offer. Madhusmita Sahoo has the details.

In the very heart of Europe, Austria is a country which could have been created with activity holidays in mind. It is a land of majestic mountains, tranquil lakes, deep forests, undulating meadows, charming villages which cling fiercely to their architectural traditions and cities which still reflect the artistic grandeur of the old Austro Hungarian Empire. The Austrians have long played the host to an influx of foreign visitors and approach the business of making their guests feel at home with gusto. Language is rarely a problem since every one knows sufficient English to help soothe out any problems. The Austrians are friendly, warm-hearted, have a great sense of humour and an almost obsessional desire to see their guests enjoying themselves. There are dozens of places where you can spend a week or fortnight engaging in one particular specialist sport or leisure activity but most tourists would want to cover the main cities or spas of the country listed below:

Vienna:
Vienna owes its universal appeal to the way it excitingly combines imperial nostalgia with a highly creative cultural scene, responsibly cultivating a precious heritage and charming traditions whilst taking on board the latest trends. Architecture dating from imperial times has left an indelible mark on the city. Magnificent edifices, predominantly in baroque, historicism and art nouveau styles, and the city's grand scale make you to forget that this is the capital of the small Republic of Austria with only 8.4 million inhabitants. In Vienna, you re-live the romance of a long-lost empire.

Salzburg:
Known from "The Sound of Music" and as Mozart's birthplace, Salzburg is a city steeped in tradition and surrounded by nature that presents itself as a modern cultural centre in the heart of Europe.

Salzburg owes its international fame not only to the film "The Sound of Music" and to Mozart but also to the unique charm of its cityscape and the beauty of its picturesque surroundings. The city's silhouette is unparalleled: Hohensalzburg Fortress, the baroque Cathedral, the Franciscan and Collegiate Church at the foot of the Mönchsberg and the mighty, legendary Untersberg in the distance. The entire historic center of Salzburg has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO which characterizes it as "an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble that represents a significant period in man's history." And the scenery around Salzburg impresses with alpine landscapes in the south, tranquil lakes in the north and the world-famous Salzkammergut Lake District in the east.

Innsbruck:
Keen on mountains or culture vulture? Medieval lanes or urban shopping? In Innsbruck - the capital of the Alps, home of the winter Olympics 1964 and 1976, you can do and get everything you could possibly desire. The countryside starts right on the town's doorsteps and sports events go hand in hand with cultural highlights. Amidst the charming Old Town, a classic Austrian hybrid of Gothic and Baroque, you will find Innsbruck's greatest tourist attraction and certainly its most characteristic landmark: The Golden Roof.

Zell am see:
Zell am See is kind of an unusual resort - not a rustic village like most of its small Austrian competitors, but a lakeside town with a charming old centre that seems more geared to summer than winter visitors. The town has been a health spa resort since 1961. Its lake Zell provides the town with a natural reservoir of 175 million cubic metres of the purest of drinking water. Naturally, the 4.5 square kilometres of its water surface are wonderfully suited for water and ice sports. Like all towns in Austria, Zell am See is not without its share of cultural attractions. Its parish Church, St Hoppolyt and the town's museum are ample proof of that.
All major cities offer city cards which is an easy way to see the sights and save money at the same time. The city cards are usually valid for one to three days and offer the holder various benefits and free entrances along with travel on the public modes of transport within the respective cities. For eg, the 3-day Vienna card (approximately Euro 19) gives one unlimited travel on the bus, tram and the underground along with reductions or benefits at 210 museums, sights, theatres, concerts etc..

The most popular way of travelling between cities is the Austrian rail Pass which offers unlimited travel on the national rail network of Austria. The pass is flexible and allows one to travel for a period of 3 days to 8 days. If you are travelling with family you can opt for the saver pass which starts from as low as euro 100 per person. In fact, a wide range of cheap point-to-point tickets are available on which children under the age of 6 can travel free.

Accommodation options in Austria are as varied as the country's landscape. You can opt for quaint family run hotels, top-of-the-range 5-star properties and even apartment stays which can be the perfect option especially for Indian families who would like to cook their own meals. Apartments are normally booked on a weekly basis starting on Saturday.

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Kavita’s potpourri of colours and textures

Kavita Bhartia:  Driven by her fondness for craft, designer Kavita Bhartia brought on the fashion runway a collection that embraced delicate fabric, traditional embroideries, along with some attention-grabbing prints, on Day 2 of WIFW Autumn/Winter 2011.

The show that opened with an enthralling dance sequence, offered a wide variety on the colour palette – from black to shades of brown teamed with flamboyant hues like yellow, green and pink, to the subdued beige with a vintage feel.

"This collection is very much wearable, and it's for all seasons. The colour palette will appeal to everyone and the outfits are both Indian and Western for buyers across borders. You see a lot of elegant creations, tribal-inspired work, and also Indian elements like saris and lehengas," said Bhartia talking about her range.

The creations comprised fabrics like silk, net, chiffon and cotton. The garments predominantly included harem pants, cocktail dresses, saris, salwar kameez and dhoti pants that were artistically accessorised with embroidered clutches, chunky bangles and hooped earrings.

The lycra-based sheer leggings with interesting digital prints on them remained the most noticeable element through the show.

am:pm by Ankur & Priyanka Modi: Designer duo Ankur and Priyanka Modi set out to redefine sensuality as they presented a collection that was a pleasant episode of colours. "Our collection is named the Portebello Affair. It's a street in London which sells vintage stuff," said Priyanka after the show.

The creations mainly included silk, velvet and other luxurious fabrics with minimal embroidery. Orange overlap dresses embroidered on one side and well-crafted boleros with circular lapel collars made a bold statement. Also, the inclusion of see-through layers made for one of the most sensuous aspects of the range.

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Toe rings, a fashion must-have!

 Time was when only married Indian women would wear them. But now 'bichchiyas' or traditional toe rings have become a fashion accessory for city girls. Available in plastic as well as metal, they are being flaunted on feet clad in sandals and flip-flops.

"Toe rings were a traditional ornament for married women. But gradually, their visibility started decreasing. Now they are booming back and the demand has doubled in the past five years," said Mayank Goyal, owner of a silver shop at Janpath in central Delhi.

As the social sentiment attached with toe rings seems to be fading in cities, the designs too are undergoing a sea change. The market is flooded with imprinted designs and multi-coloured stonework toe rings.

Single coloured and thin bands in plastic and metal are also available. Even the traditional silver toe rings are a major craze among young girls.

"The young generation has a mixed style of dressing; so the designs of the product are also made in a way that it gels with their taste," Goyal added.

Brajesh Kumar, a roadside accessory vendor in a popular south Delhi market, said: "The tradition of wearing toe rings still carries tremendous social significance in India. In many traditional families these are very much a part of the bride's trousseau. But with time, designs and patterns of toe rings have changed."

Kanika Mehta, 22, says when she flaunted a colourful toe ring, her aunt taunted: "Only married women are supposed to wear these".

But Mehta doesn't care. "I was honestly irritated with the comment. I wear it because it is very popular in college and it looks very cool with open sandals and flip flops. My mother has no objections, so I wear them and like to match them with my clothes or footwear."

Like her, many girls are spending generously to have a good collection of toe rings.

Poorvi Aswani, a first year student of Delhi University, feels these are an extension of one's personality.

"Toe rings are funky and cool. They are add-ons to your attitude and personality. The best part is they are available in many varieties that I can sport them with different kinds of clothes - be it Western or Indian. And moreover they are easily affordable," she said.

From what used to be sold by a local vendor for Rs.30 a few years ago, toe rings could now cost as much as Rs.250.

"Our starting range is Rs.100 for a single toe ring and the price goes up to Rs.225 for a pair or above for the fancier range," said Girish Malik, an owner of an accessory shop at Janpath.

In case you want to indulge in gold and diamond toe rings, it can burn a hole in your pocket.

Foreigners too are lapping them up.

"Toe rings are a big hit among youngsters as the maximum number of customers that we receive are the young college going girls. But even the foreigners are crazy about them," said Goyal.

It is said that toe rings were introduced in the US by Marjorie Borell, who, after returning from India, began manufacturing and selling them in New York in 1973. She sold toe rings in silver, gold and diamond through retail chains like Bloomingdale's, but moved on to a different profession thereafter.

However, the craze for the accessory has continued.

"We attend 8-10 customers in a week. Foreigners have a very strong liking for 'bichchiyas'. They buy them in bulk and are not very choosy while picking them up. For them, it is a very ethnic Indian thing," Malik added.

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