As on 2nd May, three cases of suspected swine flu have been reported in India. These are people traveling from Chicago and London. They have been quarantined at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital at New Delhi. It is a cause of alarm considering that the flu is passed from human to human. Here are few myths and facts about the flu:

Myths

• You can catch swine flu from eating pork. (Properly cooked pork is safe)
• Flu is transmitted from pigs to human (It’s rather transmitted from human to human)
• You can avoid the swine flu by wearing a facemask. (Virus is small and can pass through. There are sociality masks but not fool proof)
• You should stay home until the swine flu outbreak is over. (You should stay home and rest only if you have contracted the flu!)
• Flu is deadly (It is curable just like any other flu)

Facts

• The last swine flu outbreak occurred in February 1976 in Fort Dix, New Jersey
• There is currently no vaccine for the current swine flu in humans. Vaccines need months to develop. It is said that it should be ready by winter time.
• Swine flu can be contracted by people of all ages
• Symptoms of swine flu can be similar to cold or viral fever such as headache, fatigue, discomfort, high fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and body ache. Hence, consult you doctor.
• Swine influenza is common in pigs in the Midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe, Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.
• Swine flu is a highly contagious respiratory illness hence sick or not, cover your mouth while coughing or sneezing, use a tissue and discard after use, wash your hands as often, do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

Alpha is a level of brain wave frequency. Meditating at that level connects you with your subconscious mind. Meditation has always had positive results provided you are disciplined enough to do it regularly. But alpha meditation is something new I came to know about. It’s like this, when we meditate, our brain activity slows down as we enter a more peaceful state of mind. The brain activity is measured in four levels

Beta: Your normal waking state, which is characterized by brain rhythms of 14 cycles per second and above. In this state your mind activity is a veritable can of worms. The higher the brain activity becomes, the greater the stress factor.

Alpha: A very relaxed state of mind, characterized by brain rhythms of between 7 and 14 cycles per second. In this state of mind you are relaxed, somewhere halfway between being fully awake and asleep. Dreaming and daydreaming occur in the alpha state.

The big difference between operating in alpha and beta is that in beta your mind is in control of yourself, whereas in alpha you are in control of your mind.

Theta: Usually the state of sleep, when not dreaming. Characterized by brain rhythms of between 3.5 to 7 cycles per second. The theta level is also reached in very deep forms of meditation where consciousness becomes separate from mind and body.

Delta: Very deep sleep or coma, characterized by a brain rhythm of between .5 to 3.5 cycles per second.

Alpha Mind Power (P) Ltd conducts regular workshops and here are few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) answered by the trainer and Managing Director Dr.Vijayalaksmi Panthaiyan

• What is the age limit for this?

Above 10 years.

• Does this meditation have any religious base?

No. This is a non-religious meditation and anyone can practice it.

• Who can benefit?

Any person from any field of life can benefit from this workshop. The techniques taught here can be applied for each individual’s goals in life.

• Is a one-day workshop sufficient to learn Alpha Meditation?

Yes. This workshop has been designed to give you meticulous training in one day. After this you will be able to practice Alpha Meditation on your own. However, a printed guide book and an audio CD are included as workshop material and the CD contains guided meditation for your practice.

• What is Alpha Meditation?

Alpha is a level of Brain wave frequency. Meditating at that level connects you with your subconscious Mind. This is a very powerful level of Meditation. It has been proved that the Meditation practiced by ancient Siddhas of India and Alpha Meditation are one and the same.

• Is it like Yoga?

No. There are no physical exercises involved. This is only Mind Power Training. You will sit on a chair and practice.

• How much time do we need to allot for Alpha meditation daily?

10 to 15 minutes per session and 2 sessions (preferably morning and night) would be ideal.

• Can we stay at Alpha for longer periods? Does it have any side effects?

Of course, you can stay at Alpha for as long as you like. It is a blissful experience. This level of mind has a therapeutic value and increases your immunity too.

• How long does Alpha take to start working?

There is no such waiting period. It works immediately.

• Does Alpha help to relieve Stress?

It has been medically proved that Alpha meditation relieves stress. As a consequence, it helps to avoid heart problems. Alpha Level is an instant Stress Reliever.

• Is Alpha useful for goal achievement?

Yes. Goal achievement is possible by creative visualization at Alpha, for which you get meticulous training at the workshop.

• How does Alpha work to mend relationships?

At Alpha, there are techniques with which you can communicate with the subconscious minds of others and create positive changes there. This helps to mend relationships. Whatever you cannot speak to a person directly can be communicated at Alpha to his subconscious mind. The results are amazing.

• Can pregnant women learn Alpha meditation?

Yes. Practicing Alpha meditation is very good for both mother and child. The delivery will also be much easier.

• Can we heal health problems with Alpha?

Yes. Visualizing a healing at Alpha makes it happen almost instantly. Miraculous healings have been experienced with this technique.

• Can insomnia (sleeplessness) be cured with Alpha meditation?

Yes. People who had been using sleeping pills even for 20 years have stopped it just after this one day workshop and have been enjoying natural rejuvenating sleep.

• Can obesity be cured by Alpha?

Yes. The mental image you hold of yourself can be changed at the subconscious level and then the body starts undergoing changes to shed weight.

• Can we get rid of bad habits with Alpha?

Yes. At Alpha, you can also talk to your own subconscious mind and create positive changes within you. Getting rid of bad habits is easy with Alpha.

• Can we get rid of monetary problems with the help of this meditation?

Yes. You can clear off debts, increase flow of money in your life and enjoy abundance in every sense of the word.

• Is it easy to learn and practice Alpha meditation?

Yes, anyone can learn and practice Alpha meditation easily. This meditation is simple to learn and practice and yet very powerful.

• Is it like Reiki?

No. This is completely different. This is a Mind Power Training Program.

• Is it Telepathy?

Telepathy is a very minute and natural application of Mind Power. Here you will learn much more powerful techniques.

• Can it cure Depression?

Alpha meditations are recommended to lift the mood and cure depression. This workshop in particular is very empowering.

• Does it cure Alcoholism?

Yes. Any unwanted habit can be cured by using the techniques taught in this workshop.

• How does it help in studies?

The Alpha Trigger given in the workshop helps a student to study easily, register what he reads clearly in the mind and then also to write well in the exam and score excellent marks. Practice of this meditation brings about perceptible improvement in the memory.

• Who started Alpha?

The Trainer and Managing Director Dr.Vijayalaksmi Panthaiyan has been initiated into various levels of meditations by ancient Siddhas of India. She combines scientific information regarding meditation with the energy of ancient Siddhas in her workshop. Her research on the effect of meditation on a person’s mind has given her innumerable inputs which she incorporates in her workshop. In short, this workshop empowers a person in a very unique way to handle any situation in life and come out successful.

• When was this workshop started?

In 2000. So far more than 350 workshops conducted in 18 cities in India including Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi , Vijayawada , Hyderabad , Bangalore , Goa , Chandigarh , Coimbatore , Madurai , Vizag, Ludhiana , Cochin , Trichy, Salem , Pondicherry ,Tirunelveli, Tiruppur etc.

• How many people have benefited so far?

More than 10000 beneficiaries. Thousands have benefited by listening to her lectures.

Yeh that’s the book by Rujuta Diwekar, the famous dietician of Kareena Kapoor, which sold like hot cakes the moment it hit the shelf. They say the book talks of various myths about health and diet and also the secrets behind Saif Ali Khan’s hot bod, Sonali Bendre’s post pregnancy glam look and Karishma’s new sexy avatar.

I like to make a confession at this point. Most of the gals suffer from the “I am fat” syndrome and I am no exception. This entire buzz about the Zero figure made me write to Rujuta Diwekar. Nah, I have no such desire to get into Kareena’s shoes and sport a wafer thin look. I was just curious. I know for a fact that one must not ill treat one’s body by subjecting it to crash diets etc. I have always believed in eating everything but moderately and working it out. All I was keen to know was what is the diet Rujuta Diwekar suggests to her clients? She makes her clients follow ‘eat everything you want’ style of diet, which interests me.

Curiosity goaded me to write to her! And the response nearly killed me! Man I don’t earn as much as Kareena and Saif, and I should have known better before writing to her.

Anyways, minimum commitment she requires from us is 2 months in which initially you need to send her a 3 day report with your current diet and activity details, based on which she will chart out you diet that you are expected to follow to the T. During this time you are to maintain a diary to document daily intake and timings. Your diet will be changed every 2 weeks based on your feedback. This format is for people who cant meet her in person.

Nutrition package exclusively by Rujuta Diwekar can cost you anything between Rs.45, 000 (for 2 months) to Rs. 2, 20,000 (for 1 yr). While a consultation from nutritionist from Rujuta’s team will cost Rs.28, 000 (for 2 months).

Rujuta Diwekar is reachable on rujuta.diwekar@gmail.com / +91 9324 224276

I am still interested to understand my metabolism and outline a diet best suited for me, but with that kind of money I will prefer going on a vacation…anytime!