BALAGOKULAM (HSS) AZ TIMES - July 2016

VOLUME 1 l ISSUE 6

J U LY 2 0 1 6

H I N D U

S WAYA M S E VA K

S A N G H

Balagokulam AZ Times H I N D U D H A R M A F O R K I D S, T E AC H E R S & PA R E N T S

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

YOGA AZ 2016 1

Indian Women

Empowerment Forum

INDIAN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FORUM ORGANIZED IN PHOENIX BY THE HINDU SWAYAMSEVAK SANGH IN COLLABORATION WITH INDO-AMERICAN FOUNDATION OF ARIZONA

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2016 INDO-AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER, 2809 W. MARYLAND AVE, PHOENIX AZ 85017.

602-770-3945 HSSPHX@GMAIL.COM

Aimed to provide a dynamic opportunity to empower women by establishing genuine friendships and connections.

A social responsibility of networking all Asian Indian women in the valley offering support and tools to guide, inspire and motivate. We believe strong women build strong families and strong communities!

REGISTER NOW : http://bit.ly/2aqhd0v /INDIAN WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FORUM

azwishesh.com

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Disclaimer

07 12

Contents

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J U LY 2 0 1 6

Hindu Sangathan Divas Habitat for Humanity IDYAZ 2016 KID REPORTERS Person of the month Story Q&A Yoga pose of the month Health Tips

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Events

HSS & Balagokulam’s IDYAZ 2016 (On June 25, 2016) IDYAZ 2016 Celebrations - Kids Yoga - a great Volunteering and Event Organisation

by HSS Phoenix in association with Consul General of India, SFO & IACRF

HINDU SANGATHAN DIVAS (On June 12, 2016) HSS Phoenix celebrated Hindu Sangathan Divas at The Phoenix Central Library.

Close to 200 people participated in this event and it was a grand success!

IDY AT SYNTEL (On June 21, 2016) IDYAZ Team helped Syntel Inc. (Phoenix), do an exclusive employee International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Eve

s Events

ents

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY (On June 12, 2016) Kind of more Physical work involved but it was worth once in a while gives immense pleasure while serving with friends. We helped to build the home for low income people through Habitat for Humanity project.

PET VOLUNTEER (On June 2, 2016) Sewa volunteers participated in Saving one life pet project organized by Youth.

IDY AT COGNIZANT (On June 24, 2016) IDYAZ Team helped Cognizant. (Phoenix), do an exclusive employee International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Events : HINDU SANGATHAN DIVAS

HINDU SANGATHAN DIVAS

By HSS

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Events : HINDU SANGATHAN DIVAS

HINDU SANGATHAN DIVAS

By HSS

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Events : HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

SEWA helped to build the home for low income people through Habitat for Humanity project.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY Y

By SEWA

To participate in similar monthly volunteering events and other service programs of Sewa international like Family Services and Youth empowerment, WISHESH CONTACT DIGITAL | JULY 2016 PLEASE : PHOENIX@SEWAUSA.ORG OR VISIT : WWW.SEWAUSA.ORG 10

PET

VOLUNTEER

By SEWA

Sewa volunteers participated in Saving one life pet project organized

by Youth.

Y

JULY 2016 WISHESH DIGITAL | JUNE 2016

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Events : IDYAZ

UNITED N

INTERNATIONAL D

CELEBRATION

“Ensure healthy lives and p

The Consul General of India, Indo American Foundation of Arizona and Hindu SwayamSevak Sangh (HSS) working together with sister organizations organized IDYAZ 2016 event to mark the 2nd International Day of Yoga at IACRF Hall, 2809, W Maryland Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85017 on Saturday, June 25th, 2016 from 9:00am-2:00pm

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NATIONS’

DAY OF YOGA 2016

NS IN PHOENIX

promote well-being for all”

The event had overwhelming response with more than 340 adult registrations and 110 Kids registrations and was organized in 3 big event Halls. More than 260 adults and more than 100 kids enthusiastically attended and participated in this, probably the largest yoga event organized in Arizona.

The event was lead by a team of well experienced certified Yoga Teachers ( Anita Rangaswami, Vijay Kumar, Anila A, Shampa Sudhakar, Kids Yoga specialist Shobana Bhat and Isha Foundation ).

People from all corners of Arizona, in celebration of a movement toward inner and outer peace, attended IDYAZ learning Yoga Benefits and core Yoga poses. The Yoga teachers started with Sadilaja /C̣ālana Kriyas/ Loosening Practices; then the Standing postures ( Tādāsana, Vṛikṣāsana, PādaHastāsana , Ardha Cakrāsana, Trikoṇāsana)

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then Siting Postures ( Bhadrāsana, Vajrasan, Ardha Uṣṭrāsana, Ustrasana, Sasānkāsana, Uttan Mandukasana ) then Pron Postures ( Makarāsana, Bhujangāsana, Śalabhāsana ) then Supine Postures( Śetubandhāsana, Uttana Padasana, Ardha Halasna, Pavanamuktāsana) followed with Yoga Nidra and Pranayamas and a special meditation from Isha Foundation..

An appetizing Indian lunch was provided for all the participants. Over all, the event was well received and served to highlight the importance of yoga, as a part of a healthy, all round regimen. IDYAZ event spread awareness of yoga in all aspects, both for the uninitiated as well as the practitioners with 38 HSS volunteers making it a very well organized event.

This year’s celebration was marked under the theme “Yoga for SDGs” since

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Events : IDYAZ the Sustainable Development Goals were launched in January 2016 i.e “Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” – SDG 3 is particularly relevant since yoga improves physical health and general well-being.

Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India.

The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.

UN General Assembly Resolution A/ RES/69/131 designated 21 June International Day of Yoga. 175 nations, including USA, Canada and China co-sponsored the resolution.” It had the “highest number of co-sponsors ever for any UNGA Resolution of such nature.” June 21, 2016 marked the second ever observance of this Day which is aimed to raise worldwide awareness of the benefits of practicing yoga. The UN Resolution notes “the importance of individuals and populations making healthier choices and following lifestyle patterns that foster good health.” The declaration came after the call for the adoption of June 21st as International Day of Yoga by Hon’ble Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014 More details about the International Day are available at: http://www.idyaz.org/

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Events : IDYAZ

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Events : IDYAZ

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Events : IDYAZ

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Events : IDY

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA

@ IDYAZ Team helped Syntel Inc. (Phoenix), do an exclusive employee International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Yoga Guru Mrs.Anita Rangaswami did the event and performed Yoga Protocol and guided participants about Yoga. HSS coordinated this exclusive event for Syntel Inc. in Phoenix.

WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA @

IDYAZ Team help Cognizant ( Phoenix) do an exclusive employee International Day of Yoga celebrations.

Yoga Guru Sri B.S. Vijaya Kumar from SVAYSA a Yoga University, Bangalore did the event and performed Yoga Protocol and guided Participants about yoga.

WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

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Kid Reporters

Roller Skating

Anushka Raghavendra (9yrold, Jijamata Shaka) When I was 5 years old, I used to see other kids on their skates. I used to be thrilled and inspired to do that kind of act. I asked my parents to learn skating then I joined class in Bangalore. Where initial days were tough, and I used to fall many times to get balance on the wheels, for safety you need to wear helmet. To go fast on roller skates we need to bend forward and skates. In America, this hobby is most popular and it can be done for a variety of reasons including exercise, leisure, traveling, and various sports.

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Roller skating is a type of skate; you do it on surfaces with

roller wheels. It is a form of fun activity as well as a sport and can also be a form of transportation. There are many types of skating varieties like Quad roller skates, which have two front and two rear wheels.

Inline Skating typically have four wheels arranged in a single line. The skates used especially for fun & recreation, and have a rubber “stop” or “brake” block attached to rear of the frame. The modern style of inline skates was developed as a substitute for ice skates.

Rink is generally called a rectangular surface used to skates. A surface used for roller skating called roller rink and surface of ice used for ice skating is called Ice rink. With smooth ice and often having vertical boards erected around the perimeter and curving along each corner, used for skating, ice hockey, or curling.

Ice skating (Blade Skate) is a type of

skate you do it on ice by using ice skates. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared ice surfaces arenas, tracks, parks, both indoors and outdoors, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as ponds, lakes and rivers.

WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

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Person of the month

Rao Tula Ram Ahir

Freedom Fighter

Most people familiar with India’s capital, Delhi, will likely have used the nation’s main international airport, Indira Gandhi International. En route from the airport to the centre of Delhi is a long and famous road, Rao Tula Ram Marg (‘Marg’ being the Hindi word for street).

Situated on this road is one of Delhi’s finer higher education institutions, Rao Tula Ram University. All this leads to the question, “who is this Rao Tula Ram?” Rao Tula Ram was one of the prominent leaders of the Indian Uprising of 1857 against the colonial British forces. His story is one of rebellion and guerrilla warfare against the stronger and better-equipped imperialist forces of the British Army.

He was born on 9 December 1825 in the well known Rao family in village Rampura in the district of Rewari (a two-hour drive southwest of Delhi), in what is now Haryana. His father was Puran and his mother’s name was Gyan. He was educated according to the then prevalent customs and he knew Persian, Urdu, Hindi and a small amount of English. In November 1839, Rao Tula Ram ascended the throne on the death of his father.

WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

In 1857, on hearing the news of rebellion at Meerut and other places, the people of the Rewari rose up to support the uprising.

In the Rewari area, lead was given by Rao Tula Ram. His cousin Gopal Dev also stood by him.

The forefathers of the Raos had helped the Marathas in 1803 in the Second Anglo-Maratha War. The British confiscated their land and gave instead an ‘istamarari’, or grant, of about 58 villages. This was a great blow to the Raos, who were itching to fight the British Raj at the first available opportunity.

Rao Tula Ram knew that with the blood of many British soldiers and subjects on his hands, this did not include him. He left India for Iran in 1862.

Once the uprising of 1857 was over, the wrath of the British was unleashed. People in the Rewari and Narnaul areas were hung or shot dead and their villages burnt. In Iran, he plotted revenge against the British. From Iran he travelled to Afghanistan, where tragically, in the winter of 1862, he died after becoming ill in Kabul at the young age of 38.

Source: www.hinduhistory.info 26

Story Boat in

the Ocean

There once lived a businessman named Dhandat, who travelled the seas doing business in foreign lands.

Whatever money he made he would spend on good causes in his town. He would build schools for the children, hospitals for the sick and food houses for the hungry.

Once, while on his trip back home, Dhandat was looking up into the night sky where he noticed a strange sight. It was a parrot, flying against the rough winds of the ocean. As Dhandat continued to watch the bird, he noticed that the bird was slowing down and would fall from the sky any minute. And that is what happened. The parrot fell! But Dhandat caught it, held it in his hands, and gave the tired parrot some water to drink.

When Dhandat looked at the parrot closely, he saw that it had two baby mangos in its beak. Dhandat had never seen such small mangos in his life.

“Oh, where could this parrot WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

have gotten these mangos?” he wondered out loud. Then he witnessed something extraordinary.

The parrot s t a r t e d speaking to him!

“There are many astonishing qualities in these mangos.

One of them is, if a blind person eats them, they will get their sight back.”

Dandat was shocked at what he heard. He immediately asked, “But what are you doing with them?” The parrot replied, “My parents are blind. So I want to help them get their eye sight back. I therefore went to the mountain named Shil to get these mangos.”

“But, where did you hear about these mangos?” asked Dhandat curiously.

“One day, two sadhus came under the tree that I call home.

Listening to their conversation, I learned about these amazing mangos and their wondrous qualities.”

Dhandat was hanging on the parrot’s words and asked, “What did you do after?”

“I went to my parents and told them what I had learned. At first they refused to let me go anywhere, but I assured them that I will come back quickly and safely. After reassuring them, with heavy hearts, they gave me permission,” explained the parrot. “I have

been flying non-stop so that I can get back to them as quickly as possible. Today you saved my life and I am very thankful. So, please take one of these mangos and give it to someone you want to help and it will make their lives better.”

The parrot gave one mango to Dhandat and then continued on its journey.

The parrot returned home and fed both his parents the remaining magical mango.

Instantly both his parents regained their sight. They cried with tears of joy on seeing their son and blessed him with lots of happiness.

On the other side of the ocean, Dhandat had also reached home. Right away he planted the mango seeds into his garden and in a short time the seeds sprouted into a plant. Dhandat took lots of care of the plant and in a short period of time it became a fully grown tree which started bearing lots of mangos. He gave these mangos to the needy to help improve their lives.

Remember friends, like Dhandat, we should always help those who are in need and Bhagwan will bless us in return. Like the parrot, we should do whatever we can to please our parents and earn their rajipo.

Source : kids.baps.org

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Q&A

Hinduism Volume 5

Hinduism is the oldest religion of this world. During the period when people in other areas were hunting down animals, the great Hindu sages, holy men and Kings were leading their people in virtuous life by chanting the vedas, carrying out great yagas (yagna) and medical research in Sittha, Ayurveda and also in astronomy.

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Q: Why does Hinduism have so many Gods?

Hindus all believe in one Supreme God who created the universe. He is allpervasive. He created many Gods, highly advanced spiritual beings, to be His helpers.

Q: Are Hindus forbidden to eat meat?

Hindus teach vegetarianism as a way to live with a minimum of hurt to other beings.

But in today’s world not all Hindus are vegetarians.

Q: Do Hindus have a Bible?

Q: Do Hindus believe in reincarnation?

Yes, we believe the soul is immortal and takes birth time and time again. Through this process, we have experiences, learn lessons and evolve spiritually. Finally we graduate from physical birth.

Q: What is karma?

Karma is the universal principle of cause and effect. Our actions, both good and bad, come back to us in the future, helping us to learn from life’s lessons and become better people.

Q: Why Do Hindus worship the cow?

Hindus don’t worship cows. We respect, honor and adore the cow. By honoring this gentle animal, who gives more than she takes, we honor all creatures.

Q: Are Hindus idol worshipers?

Hindus do not worship a stone or metal “idol “ as God. We worship God through the image. We invoke the presence of God from the higher, unseen worlds, into the image so that we can commune with Him and receive His blessings.

Our “Bible “ is called the Veda. The Veda, which means “wisdom, “ is comprised of four ancient and holy scriptures which all Hindus revere as the revealed word of God.

Q: Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

The dot worn on the forehead is a religious symbol. It represents divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu. For women, it is also a beauty mark.

Q: Are the Gods of Hinduism really married?

It is true that God is often depicted with a spouse in our traditional stories. However, on adeeper philosophical level, the Supreme Being and the Gods are neither male nor female and are therefore not married.

Q: What about caste and untouchability?

Caste is the hereditary division of Indian society based on occupation. The lowest class, deemed untouchables, suffer from discrimination and mistreatment. It is illegal in India to discriminate against, abuse or insult anyone on the basis of caste.

Source : www.hinduismtoday.com

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Yoga Pose of the Month

Strengthens entir

Sarvangas

Sarvangasana, is the Sanskrit name for the Shoulderstand. The word “sarvanga�, means whole body. This Asana strengthens your entire body; it gives many of the benefits of the Sirshasana or Headstand, but here the circulation is directed to your thyroid gland instead of the head.

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attempting inverted asanas for therapeutic reasons.

Those suffering from high blood pressure, bad neck conditions, heart problems, inflammation of spleen or liver, should not do this asana without the consent from the doctor.

re body

sana

How to do 1. Lie on your back in a relaxed way.

2. Let the hands rest on the floor next to the body and breathe normally.

3. Try to raise the legs slowly till the legs are almost 90 degrees to the floor.

4. Place the hands under the lower back at the waist level.

5. Use the hands and elbows for support to raise your body up further.

6. The breath should be held inside when you are raising the body to the vertical position

Inverted asanas like Sarvangasana have a special effect on the human body. Usually, all the organs are ‘hanging downwards’ due to the force of gravity.

Inverted poses are an attempt to reverse this effect.

WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

This can have various health benefits especially for those suffering from piles and certain kinds of hernia.

It is good to consult a qualified yoga instructor and your doctor before

7. Use the support of the hands to raise the trunk further up, till the whole body is vertical.

8. At this stage the body weight rests on the shoulders.

9. Hands and elbows remain 31

Yoga Pose of the Month as props to support and balance the body.

10. In the final pose the body is vertical, 90 degrees to the floor and the chin presses against the chest.

11. Remain in this position according to your comfort.

12. For health benefits 3 – 5 minutes every day is good enough. Though practitioners can go up to 15 minutes for spiritual benefits.

13. Breathe normally while maintaining the steady raised position.

14. While releasing the position, the breath is held inside and the body is slowly brought down to the supine position.

After performing Sarvanagasana, usually a counter asana is practiced to relieve the stretch of the neck. Matsyasana is commonly practiced after Sarvangasana as it bends the neck in the opposite direction giving a counter stretch to the neck. Ushtrasana and Supta Vajrasana can also be used as a counter pose for Sarvangasana.

Duration maintained for the counter pose should be roughly half the duration of Sarvangasana.

WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

Benefits 1. The chin press during Sarvangasana stimulates the thyroid glands. It is good for those suffering from hypothyroidism. The thyroid gland also controls the effectiveness of other hormones. This will help to balance the functions of other endocrine glands.

2. The chin press also activates the spiritual center in the neck region called the Vishuddhi chakra which is closely associated with the thyroid glands and general health.

3. The inverted pose relieves the gravitational weight from many organs and helps in piles, hydrocele and certain kinds of hernia.

4. Sarvangasana is good for those suffering from elephantiasis as it tends to reduce the inflammation in the legs.

5. Tones the spine, the neck, the intestines, other organs in the abdomen and thorax and the shoulders.

6. Help to reduce fat around the waist region.

7. Sarvangasana gives benefits to the entire body and hence is a ‘Queen’ among asanas.

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The chin press during Sarvangasana stimulates the thyroid glands. It is good for those suffering from hypothyroidism. The thyroid gland also controls the effectiveness of other hormones. This will help to balance the functions of other endocrine glands.

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Health Tips

HELP FIGHT AGEING WITH POMEGRANATES! A recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine, suggests that, pomegranates may help you to fight ageing.

The researchers have found a molecule in pomegranates, transformed by microbes in the gut, may help muscle cells to prevent themselves from one of the major causes of ageing.

According to the researchers, our cells increasingly struggle to recycle their powerhouses, as we age. The powerhouses is called mitochondria and these inner compartments are unable to carry out their vital function, and thus accumulate in the cell.

The heath of many tissues, including muscles, that gradually weaken over the years get affected due to the degradation.

The scientists from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and Amazentis company in Switzerland identified a molecule which, all by itself, managed to re-establish the cell’s ability to recycle the components of the defective mitochondria, urolithin A. Patrick Aebischer from EPFL, said that, “It is the only known molecule that can relaunch the mitochondrial clean-up process, otherwise known as mitophagy. It is a completely natural substance, and its effect is powerful and measurable.”

Source : www.wishesh.com WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

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Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh

hssphx@gmail.com

Balagokulam Every Child has the spark of divinity within...

Balagokulam is a forum for children to discover and manifest that divinity. Balagokulam will enable children in the US to appreciate their cultural roots, learn Indian values in an enjoyable manner and make good friends.

• To facilitate children to appreciate, learn and practice Hindu way of life.

• Instill pride and confidence in Indian children about their identity.

• Character building and leadership skills among children.

• Develop social awareness and connectivity in the society.

• Stronger bonding among Indian children.

• Awareness of our rich cultural heritage and traditions.

GAMES

STORIES

ARTS

CRAFTS

YOGA

BHAJANS

SHLOKAS

Vivekananda Shakha at Ekta Mandir 2804 W Maryland Ave Phoenix AZ 85017 (602) 790-9205 Kesari Shakha at 5955 W Ray Rd Suite #16 Chandler AZ 85226 (913) 484-1869

WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

Jijamata Shakha at Deer Valley Village Apartment 3010 W Yorkshire Dr Phoenix AZ 85027 (937) 877-2242

Shivaji Shakha at Villa Salerno Apartments 17030 N 49th St Scottsdale AZ 85254 (602) 427-8863

Shakti Shakha at

Ram Krishna Shaka at San Valientine Apartment 2220 W Mission Ln Phoenix, AZ 85021 (602) 715-1001

16880 N 73rd Ave Peoria AZ 85382 (623) 330-0721

Contact us for more information: hssphx@gmail.com

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Yoga For

Diabetes

CALL NOW (602) 427 8863 (281) 769 8521

STOP DIABETES MOVEMENT CAMP By: SEWA INTERNATIONAL - PHOENIX This program has a format of 10days (2 hours per day) / 10weekends (2 hour per week) After successful completion of 3 SDM camps in Chicago last year, Sewa Phoenix is very pleased to announce the 2016 Stop Diabetes Movement Camp in collaboration with Vyasa.

For more information :

Phone : (602) 427 8863, (281) 769 8521 Email : phoenix@sewausa.org , Web : www.sewausa.org

All rights are reserved including right to change location and timings WISHESH DIGITAL | JULY 2016

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