Corona's Blow (Eulogy)

Corona’s Blow

No more

Now there is no sun

In our ‘Inaganti’ family

Always with smiley vivacious face

With grey hair

With pencil mustache

Used to look like Gulzar

In white kurta and pajamas

We’d talk boisterously

With passionate arguments

With jokes

At times he used to tease me

And, we’d forget it all

Still

Memories move in eyes

Like movie stills

In Srisailam

We dined in the Karivena Choultry

Before and after our marriage

Often he would see us off at

Nagpur train station

Only our “bhaiya” could materialize

A vacant seat or a berth on the spot (for us)

How many topics

Did we discuss?

From cacti to politics, science, medicine,

And Literature

Where would we find

Such a unique individual

These days

Who knows four languages thoroughly?

With whom can we talk about

P. S. Sastri from Nagpur?

Who understands such

Esoteric subjects

Hardly there are

Ten people in the entire world

Now

Wherever you are

Let your atma wander freely

Peacefully among verdant gardens

Filled with flowers and mango fruits

Among the bowers echoing the calls

Of koel and pigeons

Among green farms and cradling river waves

With friends in the swings of joy

Then, later

Let it realize “I am the Brahman”

State

So be it!

(Inaganti = ఇన + కంటి = The One who has Sun as one of the eyes. Siva has Sun, Moon, and Fire as the three eyes) 

(Translated from a Telugu verse, inspired by a close relative's struggles with Covid. Both poems Copyright 2020 by the author)

Holistic Approach to the Coronavirus - II

Holistic Approach to the Coronavirus -II

Faith

Faith is strange. Some are introduced to it through parents, teachers, or gurus. Often a gentle suggestion from our mothers is enough during pristine childhood. For a saint like Kabir one word from his guru was sufficient. That paved the way for his entire life. The extraordinarily ascetic (peda పెద ) Balayogi of Mummidavaram (East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh) did not need the initiation from any master; he was well prepared right from birth. So too was his younger brother. For many others it may be difficult to imbibe faith in later stages of life. Often we are mesmerized by the glitzy show of fame, pseudo-intellectualism, bits of semi-rationality (mind not the real logic and mathematics), and a host of unexamined personal biases. Always be aware: senseless (pseudo) logic (కుతర్కము)  or argumentation is like a sharp shard of glass. It is very dangerous and can lead to tragic outcomes (grievances) later. But when a crisis hits us we are face to face with the stark reality; then nothing comes to our rescue except our own inner strength and, if we are lucky – only if we are extremely fortunate the wishes of our relatives. Then, in those rare moments of truth we must rely on ourselves. Faith is like a dear loving mother, it can be (is) our protector, if we let it. It can also happen spontaneously due to ‘grace’. In some of the posts I’ve attempted to explore this delicate topic of faith. One has to meditate on these matters dispassionately with sensitivity – armed with utter humility, totally devoid of ego.

Yoga

This writer and probably many older generations knew a thing or two about yoga when life was much simpler, sans the fancy mats and other embellishments. Still can’t believe - in high school our classmates and I did many asanas just on the cold cement plastered bare floor! If I may, I have one simple suggestion to the novice or beginner: Try to learn from someone who can really demonstrate a healing touch with yoga. If the teacher is really a consummate professional then she should be able to fix backache, obesity, or thyroid malady with yoga. Or any other simple ailments like high blood pressure, breathing difficulty, or acidity. Real yoga means much more than the physical postures in alluring tight-fitting spandex. It includes all purity – purity of body, mind, and thought. Asana/pranayama is only a fraction of the total yoga system.

Walk in the Park

One need not be a Wordsworth or Keats to enjoy nature. But, of course, “a thing of beauty is a joy forever!” Luckily even today in many Indian villages and here in most of the American suburbs there are vast stretches of (unspoiled) nature. You can walk next to Godavari, a winding stream, a banana farm, or stroll in the small streets lined with rows of devil’s tree (Alstonia scholaris). One can easily forget life’s discomforts and ignore the body’s ailments momentarily. The mind becomes clear and after many days it becomes a simple pleasant gentle exercise. There in one of those aimless wanderings one may get inspiration, a poem, a song, or an invention. Or, on some days nothing at all! We just return home with memories of lovely greetings of robins or screeching calls of blue birds. However great the modern medicines may be they cannot substitute the curative powers of nature, the lovely spring flowers, a gurgling stream, or a resplendent sunset. Our grandparents had closer relationship with nature and they could touch a prickly pear fruit or a boulder. No indoor gym can offer the fresh moisture laden oxygen ambient like the outdoors. The writer has experienced pleasures of all the six seasons – through the bone chilling subzero snowy blizzards, furious coastal storms, the boiling desert howling winds, to totally overcast glum cloudy days. There is a hidden secret impervious to our eyes in the nature. It is present everyday and every moment. Enjoy it to heart’s brim.

Mask, a Colorful Mask

Now everyday is a Halloween party day. The science, verifiable facts, and credible theories are scarce, particularly about the propagation of this virus. Can we reliably demonstrate (say with photographs) whether there is a virus footprint on park benches? Or, in train stations or supermarket shelves? The cunning virus being so extremely puny is like the Schrodinger’s Cat. Perhaps it is there or it’s not there. And the damn thing is between life and non-life (inert matter). So, out of abundant caution we wear face masks when we go out. And wash the masks weekly. For redundancy one may carry a cotton handkerchief also. Hospitalizations are not cheap and they’ll put extraordinary burdens on the family both financially and emotionally. Even successful recoveries will take a heavy toll on governments, doctors, and families.

Quick Recap

            Six things we can do keep the virus away: 1. Mask 2. Facial hygiene 3. Vitamin and mineral supplements 4. Exercise 5. Faith 6. Sleep and ample rest.

Munch on small bits of ginger, jaggery, and garlic. Drink sacred basil water (advice due to Dr. Poornachand) In moderation they will help (augment body’s immunity) without adverse side effects. Copyright 2020 by the author

(Disclosure and Caveats: This article is no substitute for a doctor’s visit. The information is given from a “holistic care” point of view of body and mind. A distillation of many decades of naturopathy, Ayurveda, and grandmothers’ remedies goes in here. The writer has no affiliation with clinics, pharmaceutical companies, or any government. Additionally he has no financial relationship to any private company or public entity. One should be very cautious even with Ayurvedic ingredients (herbs). Fenugreek, coriander (cilantro), and turmeric can have significant effects on blood thinning.)

Holistic Approach to the Coronavirus - I

Holistic Approach to Coronavirus

Extraordinary situations warrant extraordinary measures. Whether we like it or not, Coronavirus (and the COVID-19) is here now and it may linger for some time.  The fatalities are climbing rapidly across nations. So, we must take all possible precautions, preventive steps, and prepare ourselves mentally. Even highly qualified medical doctors with modern equipment are not able to save many patients from the virus. Some scientists and media articles talk about antiviral drugs or vaccines – as a possible way out of this tragic morass. Or, they suggest anti-body treatment using the plasma of healthy virus resistant individuals. But, for most of the underprivileged populace, the elderly, or destitute crowd, there may not be much immediate help despite well intentioned measures by governments and NGOs. So, what to do?

Stock up

Earlier during my college days, once we’re forced to vacate the hostels and idle at parents’ homes. Curfew (Section 144) was imposed for many days. Even grocery shopping came to standstill. So, we (my cousin’s family and myself) barely survived on the daily dose of steamed rice, pickle, chilly powder, and salt. Similarly, now we must use all our creativity and stock up on the essentials of flour, rice, lentils, and frozen vegetables. We can add multivitamin supplements, vitamin C, and Tylenol (or Crocin) to the list. If you forget to prepare like the squirrel in our backyard before the advent of severe winter, then you’ve to beg or entreat a neighbor, friend, or relative. For those on prescription medicines, it is not a bad idea to buy a three-month supply, if it is possible (if the insurer approves). In these lean times we have to shed all our luxuries; learn to live on bare minimum. If you run out of bread, then subsist on cereal. If cereal is also exhausted, then just puffed rice (or poha, అటుకులు) will do. Or make rotis (రొట్టెలు). Manage with whatever is possible with the items in your limited stock (pantry). Ordinary greens like the lowly amaranthus (తోటకూర), purslane (గంగవల్లి కూర) or drumstick leaves (మునగాకు)  have valuable minerals, proteins, and vitamins. Even pumpkin seeds have some essential nutrients. With some sunlight exposure, a bit of greens (amaranthus, purslane), milk, sesame seeds, and rose hips one can get minerals, vitamin A, B-complex, C, and D. Just enough to keep the mind agile and body healthy.

Hygiene and Daily Body Care

Valuable and helpful preventive information is provided by a number of Ayurvedic and other alternate medical professionals (1). Every time you come into the house from outside, wash your hands, feet, and face. Do this ritual at least four times a day. In northeast US and other cold hilly places (Delhi), feet are usually covered with socks in the winter, so one can skip the feet washing part. Leave the footwear outside or in the mudroom. A simple ordinary bar soap (kept dry and clean) works wonders for routine cleaning (ex: Dial Basics or Lifebuoy).

The basic ingredient in the soap is the ‘surfactant’ molecule that removes oil and dirt from our hands. Now if you cannot access soap, then the simple age-old technique of using soapnut berries (కుంకుడి కాయలు) will do the job. Or, you can use Acacia concinna (షీకా కాయి ) also. In fact even today, the soapnut berries are used for cleaning jewelry and silk fabrics. Simple bar soap is far better than all the other fancy products. The reason is simple:  After washing and rinsing with water, our hands should be absolutely free of dirt, oil residue, lipid-laden virus particles, and even the soapy layer.

It appears in this virus case, clean face and clean hands (because they are the entry points) are very important. The face has seven gateways to the body: Mouth, two nostrils, two ears, and two eyes. Our task is to keep these pathways healthy and totally blocked from the deadly nanometer (nm) size virus. Actually the virus diameter is ~ 120 nm. One cannot see the virus with naked eye; you need high resolution electron microscopes.  Most children innocently pick their noses (we all did during our kindergarten days!) or stuff pencil points into ears or accidentally get dirt particles into sensitive eyes. Blessed little souls. That’s why they are children! How to safe guard these delicate sensory organs and pathways?

Normally we learn basic hygiene and body care through our parents (and grand parents) or science teachers. Now due to the Corona scare we are forced to relearn these elementary habits. After returning from outdoors, wash hands and face thoroughly; ditto after restroom visit. In tropical climate (where we wear sandals for comfort) we have to clean feet also. Except in summer and pleasant autumn months, I tend to wear socks. So I can skip the feet cleaning ritual; the daily ablutions (if I can borrow the phrase from a learned Swami of my alma mater) will see that the feet are clean. In addition to simple face cleaning I also indulge in these (Ayurvedic) steps: a) Garlic oil drops for the ear. This is to keep the hearing in good condition. It also protects the ears (and the connected sinuses) from cold winds, ear blockages, and earaches. When our mother (bless her!) used to pour sesame seed oil during weekly shampoo baths, I would often run out of the village garden to escape from her oily hands. b) The nose (nostrils) gets dry during wintry months (it is severe where indoor heating is used) or during hot dry summer months (as in Rajasthan or Delhi). This leads to nose bleeding and sinus (stuffed sinuses) problems, headaches, etc. Human bodies are like our indoor plants; they need proper humidity and clean fresh air circulation. We can add moisture through the use of a humidifier (or desert cooler) – and this is particularly essential during sleep. A few drops of olive oil (or sesame seed oil) does wonders to the nose problem. Sometimes, a mild saline solution (saline nasal drops available in stores) (sea salt) rinse can precede the oil treatment. Some people get sudden attacks of mumps or salivary gland aches due to dryness, sudden altitude changes, or winter onset. They can be avoided (or at least the severity of attacks can be reduced) with these simple preventive measures. c) About the throat part now. We need not master the entire Gray’s Anatomy to understand the inner workings of sinuses. Ear, nose, and throat are connected internally. We intuitively understand this fact when we get ear blockage (in flight, diving, or mountain climbing). The internally connected paths (call them sinuses loosely) should not be blocked ("traffic jam" due to infection). They are fluid pathways and they have very sensitive inner soft tissues (epithelial). So to keep the throat in good healthy condition, follow age-old techniques: Drink warm ginger tea (or turmeric milk) at the earliest sign of throat discomfort. Gargle with lukewarm salt water. Sea salt or the Himalayan salt (సైంధవ లవణం) is better if you can grab it. Otherwise just use table salt. At least once a day, preferably right after getting up (from sleep) in the morning, do brushing and tongue cleaning (2) (see my earlier post here). Munch on ginger candy instead of the usual chewing gum.

The eye: It is a very delicate organ. Usually we clean with potable neutral water (pH = 7) after waking up from sleep. We gently remove the accumulated teardrop residue from the corners. For excessive dry eye situations, artificial tear drops are a great help. The human eye is so sensitive that even washing with clean water can produce slight discomfort for eyes. This is because water is water and it is not a substitute for natural tears. The chemical composition, pH, and osmotic pressure issues come into play here. If one cannot access artificial tears, then we can use pasteurized (well boiled) cow’s milk to reduce dryness/itching. (Very dilute salt water is also used some times by naturopaths). In most situations, eyes’ problems resolve with good rest and gentle washing with cool clean water. 

            The ear, nose, throat, and eyes act as the gateways for cold, flu, and the current deadly Coronavirus. (to be continued) Copyright 2020 by the author

1. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1600895

2. https://pattri-pulu.blogspot.com/2019/02/inexpensive-dental-care.html

Recently Dr. G. V. Purnachand prescribed the following Ayurvedic churna (వేసవారం చూర్ణము) for boosting immunity particularly during these Corona virus outbreak. Though the powder mixture uses the common Indian kitchen ingredients, it should be used with proper guidance. Particularly elders who take multiple prescription medicines with underlying health conditions need extra care. The mixture consists of  (v/v) asafetida 1 part, ginger 2 parts, black pepper 4 parts, cumin 8 parts, and turmeric 16 parts. A YouTube video explains the method and its use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mrKsKRyv84

Ayurvedic doctors in Gujarat have made field trials with ginger powder (శొంఠి). Very small quantity (size equal to one moong dal grain) is inhaled through nose. About 1 gm is taken through mouth, gently chewing the powder first. Details are on the Internet at YesTV. The doctors claim that it provides protection from the virus particularly during outdoor exposure in crowded places.