“Bottled wine is poetry” and when poetry is poured into a glass, it is ready to stimulate one’s intellectual curiosity. (Those who have a culture of wine will utter a silent ‘yes‘).
No matter how much we try and glorify scotch & champagne, make beer & cocktails look fun and young, there’s no denying the fact that to enjoy all about wine, one has to elevate all his senses to savor its journey from a bottle to his soul.
The timeless companionship of wine and wine drinkers only blossoms with age, and hence, they both take immense pride in their birth years to show that they are a class apart.
From a mere association with Gastronomy, wine has come a long way to become a hallmark of class, society, tradition, art and literature. So a big shout-out to all the wine drinkers (new and old) for drinking it in style.
Let’s each uncork a bottle of choice, and see how much we know all about wine.
Love the wine you are with
“Discovery of a wine is of greater moment than the discovery of a constellation. The universe is too full of stars.”
We shall begin exploring the world of wine by enriching our knowledge of the variants it has to offer. So go ahead and see what suits your taste and personality.
Studies on health benefits of wine have repeatedly shown that moderate Red wine consumption seems to lower the risk of several diseases, including heart disease. However there’s a fine line between moderate and excessive intake.
There are many types of red wine, which vary in taste and colour. Common varieties include Shiraz, Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Pinot noir and Zinfandel.
The alcohol content usually ranges from 12–15%.
Consuming moderate amounts of red wine has shown health benefits. This is mainly due to its high content of powerful antioxidants.
Furthermore, the alcohol in wine is also believed to contribute some of the benefits of moderate wine consumption.
IF YOU HAVE SINNED, WINE IS YOUR PARDON
Pour yourself a glass of wine (5 ounce only) and enjoy the health benefits with every sip.
“Be yourself, but always your better self.” ~ Karl G. Maeser
Researches show that abiding by the general opinions is the biggest and the prominent trait of a people pleaser. Majority of us have a latent people pleaser lurking inside of us. As we grow and mature we want to feel more important and needed in the process putting everyone else before ourselves. Many times we just say a “yes” thinking we could that way contribute to someone else’s life.
We at times misconstrue that our ability to please others guarantees us a spot. Staying in other people’s good graces, being on their good side, and acting obediently is an assurance that they won’t find a reason to discard you. Everyone deserves to be loved, but not at the cost of losing ourselves. This kind of love embodies an unconscious agreement and includes an exchange that never ends up being fair or even.
Do we really need to do this? Do we really need to care about what others think about our new little black dress or red colored T-shirt?
Do we need to really color our hair because someone else can spot a wiry silver hair sticking out from our heads? Come on! We don’t need anybody’s validation for every little selection of ours.
Attending to our own needs cannot be accounted for as a selfish or a self-absorbed trait, all the time. Listening to our own selves and satisfying our personal needs is immensely critical because, in the process of doing so, we do apply our principles, high standards, and values.
There will always be someone ready to take us off-track with their baseless opinions and judgments. But the question is why should we try to fit into someone else’s picture? or Why should we forget who we are or may be why should we toss away our set of likes/dislike just because someone else wants us to be like them?
We really need to stop seeking everyone’s approval for the choices we make, as a first step towards showering some self-love.
When we start loving ourselves un-apologetically,
we learn to ignore the pointless remarks thrown at us like “ain’t that lip color too loud for your age?” or “that cologne is screaming for some serious attention” and stop looking for validations from outside.
we learn to say “No” with a conviction and don’t brood and regret over saying so.
we realize that we have a specific taste and stand by it.
we understand that we will never be able to please everybody. Never! It’s impossible, it can’t be done!
we embrace the real us, accept it, own it, love it.
we don’t compare ourselves to others, don’t try to be different, don’t try to be something else just so we can fit in.
of course, we get rid of toxic people.
After all being your better self also comes with the responsibility of shedding the extra baggage that’s holding you back. At the end of the day its all about freeing ourselves from the shackles of fear and insecurities and reflecting the real us, spreading the wisdom we gather over the years and brightening the lives of others as well with positivity without being sorry.
If you are one of those people who suffer from constantly aching joints and fatigue while doing the most mundane tasks or need to pop pain killers to do away with the pain, then you probably need a more holistic approach like yoga asanas for joint pains.
Here’s what you need to understand, as one ages, the chances of joint pains increases. A weak bone structure, lack of adequate physical exercises and essential nutrients in the diet can contribute to and aggravate the situation further. While medication helps alleviate the pain, alternative time-tested methods like yoga can help to do away with the pain all together. Apart from relieving the pain, yoga tones the body and calms the mind.
With that in mind we have created a yoga sequence for you that would be perfect to do any time of the day, when you have a spare 10 minutes.
Padma Asana
Begin in a comfortable seated position, either with the legs crossed or straight out in front of you. Feel free to place a block or cushion under the buttocks to elevate the hips. Close the eyes and mouth and place the hands in your lap, on your knees or at your sides if sitting with legs out the front of you. Begin to focus on breathing in and out of the nostrils, stay here for at lease 8 breaths and then open your eyes.
Skandha Chakra
Staying in a comfortable seated position, inhale to prepare and exhale,- tilt your head to the right. Inhale and come back to centre. Exhale and tilt your head to the left. Inhale, come back to centre. Exhale, and tilt the chin to the chest. Inhale, and come back to centre. Exhale, and tilt the head back. Do 1-2 rounds of neck movements. Be gentle, there is no need to extend the neck too far, just 50% of your full range is perfect.
Shoulder Rotations
Bring the arms straight out in front of you with the palms facing up. Bend the elbows and place the hands on to top of the shoulders, elbows touching. Begin making circles with the elbows, rotating 5 times one way and then the other. Note: Do not do if you have a shoulder injury.
Garudasana
In your seated position, either on your heels or crossed legged (with cushion or block support if needed) raise your arms out to the sides to shoulder height and then bend the elbows so the fingers are pointing up to the ceiling. Wrap the right arm under the left arm, trying to place the top of the forearms against each other or wrapping the forearms around each other. You should feel a stretch in the upper back and shoulder blades. See if you can send your breath to any tension felt in this area. To increase the stretch, lift the elbows up – but keep the shoulders down. Stay here for 5-8 breaths and then repeat on the other side.
Mani Bandha Chakra
Bend your right arm and place your left hand under the right elbow to support the right arm. Focus your concentration on your right wrist and slowly begin to rotate the wrist joint. Rotate in one direction and then pause and continue in the other direction. Repeat with the left side.
Patangasana
Begin with the legs out in front of you and draw your heels into your buttocks. Take hold of either the ankles or interlace the fingers around the toes. Inhale, and straighten the spine. Exhale, leading with the chest begin to bend forwards towards the floor, pressing your elbows into your knees. Don’t round the upper back, keep the spine straight, even if that means you don’t move too much. Repeat this 3-5 times, hold the last one for 3-5 breaths.
Ashtanga Yoga
Bend the right knee and bring the heel of the right foot close to the buttocks. Interlace the fingers under the thigh. Inhale as you lift your lower leg up off the mat, exhale as you lower it back down. Repeat 3-5 times on each leg.
Gulf Naman
Sit on the mat with your legs straight out in front of you. Pull your toes back and then flex them forward, do this 8-10 times. Begin rotating the ankles in one direction and then the other, do 8 to 10 circles in each direction.
Purnaa Tip: Try this sequence first thing in the morning and lubricate stiff joints followed by a hot shower or bath …. Start 10 MINUTES TAKE IT TO 20 MINUTES …
In next Episode , we would take up some Stretch exercises which one most do when Joints have gotten to lubricated and It would not pain … Stretch exercises with some breathing exercises so that Winter’s become enjoyable rather than Painful …
TIP: GO OUT FOR A WALK EVERY DAY … ENJOY THE SUNLIGHT OR EVEN FOG OR SNOW .. DO NOT SIT HOME … ENJOY THE BLESSED NATURE … HAPPY WINTERS WITH YOGA …
Gentlemen and Ladies write to us if you want us to cover a specific area on yoga in detail.
Half century is a key milestone in one’s life no matter how one looks at it. For those who have lived a balanced life saving for retirement, it’s a time to reflect if the savings accumulated till date would suffice for future needs. For those who feel left on the sidelines with not enough savings, it’s time to catch up to the extent possible. Though you can’t expect to match someone who started planning in their 30s, your cause is far from lost. Here are 10 things you can do
Realize time is not on your side
After 55, the most important thing that one needs to realize is that time is not on your side and making mistakes or being callous with money is simply not Ok when it comes to financial planning.
Focus on Health for self / family
After 55 while you may be young in my mind, law of nature dictates that you take care of your health. Illness in any form could throw you off course no matter how well you have planned your finances. Not only can it lead to you losing out on your wages, but also add to your expenses in the form of medical bills. Same applies for your dependents.
Focused Savings
To make up for lost time, act like a 55 -year-old and think like a 20-year-old. That means saving and protecting the money you have, as well as using technology, creating additional income streams, and cutting spending.
Adapt to technology
e-Payments via Credit Cards or e-Wallets can be rewarding in terms of cashbacks and other types of loyalty rewards. Moving to e-Papers from actually purchasing newspapers can help save money. Adapting to such new age technologies and many others can help save a lot of money which can be saved for future.
Track Spends using Technology
Use spend tracking apps to track and cut down on unwanted wasteful spend.
Leverage your skills
55 autumns later, you have all the experience on your side to leverage and monetize your skills. All it requires is a first step. Be open to such an idea and the same can turn out to be a wonderful avenue for the extra bucks that u need.
Evaluation of current liquid assets & investments
Evaluate your current liquid assets / investments and decide if you are getting the right returns. If required seek professional guidance to ensure you maximize your returns. Every penny spent on such consultancy would be rewarding.
Use your illiquid assets as resources
Liquid assets like extra rooms, houses, stores, vehicles, land etc. can be used as resources to earn extra cash in terms of rental income. In case you have gold savings, there are ways to earn interest on the same. Letting these assets lie idle is certainly not in your interest.
Choose your banks wisely
Choosing your bank wisely helps you earn that extra 2-3% in terms of interest income. As they say, every drop counts.
Strategic Debt Reduction
Strategic reduction of Debt is critical once one crosses 55. One should identify debt where interests are on the higher side and strike them off even at the cost of doing away with certain savings. E.g. if one has 100K in liquid assets earning a fixed interest income of 4% per year in savings account, one should use this 100K to pay off an equivalent debt incurring interest of 14%. This would mean a net savings of 10K per year on interest outgo, which can again be strategically invested.
