Jiva's New Group on Facebook

We've just created a Jiva group on Facebook to discuss life wellness. Feel free to join and talk about health, education, Ayurveda, culture and more! The group name is "Jiva".

Creating the group is just one of the steps we're taking to improve our "Social Media" practice at Jiva. Francine Hardaway our friend and mentor from Phoenix, is staying with us in India for a week to help us learn to utilize the many great tools out there that can connect us better with the people we care about.

You can look forward to more developments and improvements in our communication with you over the next few weeks--thanks to Francine!

What Teachers Make

If you are a teacher, have been one before, or have thought of becoming one, you must see this video by Taylor Mali called "What Teachers Make". He delivers this poem in "poetry slam" style demonstrating his pride in being a teacher. Simply inspirational.

Ayurveda and Mexico: An Interview with Liliana Flores Benavides

Recently, Liliana Flores Benavides spent 2 weeks in India on with a group of health enthusiasts from Mexico. A former member of congress in Mexico, Liliana has taken steps to help improve the social and economic climate of the country which has been reeling since the financial downturn of its American neighbor.

I interviewed Liliana here at Jiva. In our talk, she discusses the potential of Ayurveda in Mexico, which has its own indigenous system of natural healthcare, explaining how Ayurveda can provide tremendous benefits to people who are unable to afford expensive and often ineffective allopathic treatment.

Listen to the interview on Radio Jiva.

Liliana and the group came as part of an Ayurtour, where they studied Ayurveda, received treatments for their own health issues, and also explored and experienced India through a variety of cultural activities.

Our New Gurgaon Center

I'm pleased to announce that we just inaugurated a new Jiva Center in Gurgaon, India, located at 328 Galleria Towers (Galleria Market). If you are in Gurgaon, you will now have the ability to get a consultation with our doctors there 6 days a week, Mon-Sat, from 9am to 7pm. For more details call us at +91-124-4227400 or +91-129-4088152.

Have a look at the photos of the new clinic and the inauguration ceremony.


Dr. Chauhan will be visiting the clinic on a weekly basis (dates to be announced shortly). Educational consultations will also be available.

Jiva now has 6 clinics:
- Gurgaon (328, III Floor, Galleria Towers, DLF City, Phase IV, Gurgaon)
- Faridabad
- South Extension II, New Delhi
- Palwal, Haryana
- Vrindavan, UP
- Opatija, Croatia

We are planning to open 15 more Jiva Centers this year. Next in line are:
- Noida, UP
- North Delhi
- Surat, Gujarat
- Mumbai

The Art of Mehndi

Mehndi is a traditional Indian practice of creating temporary skin decoration on the hands, arms, and legs with henna. It is commonly applied by women during festivals and marriages. This past week I spent 3 days in Gujarat at a double wedding (my friend's two daughters both got married in a single grand celebration).

The first night of festivities was kicked off with the female family members getting their mehndi done. While most got simple designs on just their hands and forearms, the two brides received elaborate, exquisite artwork that was so dense, it could be mistaken for full-armed gloves and over-the-calf socks from a distance.

Viewing the mehdni patterns up close is nothing short of an awe-inspiring experience, causing you to marvel at the depth of detail that has been created by an artisan with a simple conical tube resembling an icing dispenser. I've seen mehndi done in various parts of the country, but these artisans seemed to have a technique that enabled them to create extraordinarily intricate patterns. I imagine this is because of the practice of embroidery that is prevalent in this region.

Designs include flowers, geometric patterns, and even romantic depictions of characters reminiscent of Laila and Majnu (the Eastern version of Romeo and Juliette). The artisans also hide the name of the groom within the design, creating an enjoyable challenge for friends and family to find it.

The process of applying mehndi ranges from about 20 minutes for a simple design on a single hand on both sides, to 5 hours for a full bridal treatment. The mehndi must remain on the skin for about two hours to make a lasting impression. During this time, a mixture of lemon juice and sugar is applied to darken the tone. Although some say it is the quality of the mehndi that is responsible for the darkness of the application, others believe it is strength of the husband's love that determines how dark it becomes....

See a photostream here with other pictures of the mehndi ceremony in Gujarat.

Anekta Mein Ekta Song & Lyrics

Here is a song I've written as a tribute to the Mumbai victims and for all the people of India, commemorating the solidarity and feeling of unity that emerged after the event. It's a first version that I did start to finish in about 3 days. I know there's plenty of scope for improvement, but I hope at least the feeling is conveyed.

You can listen to the song here on Radio Jiva.

Anekta Mein Ekta (Unity in Diversity)
Lyrics and Music by Steven Rudolph
December 2008
asksteve@jiva.com

So many people on the streets today
Raising their voices, we have something to say
People of every age and every faith were full of rage
But now we’ve finally learned turn the page

This is a brand new day
Satyam eva jayate (truth will prevail)
Ek hi hai (one indeed)
Ek hai hum (we are one)

Anekta mein ekta,
Anekta mein ekta
Ek hi hai
Ek hai hum

A billion pairs of ears have hear the cries so many lives
So many lies we’ve just refused to hear
A billion pairs of eyes look to the skies, we realize
There isn’t any need to fear

This is a brand new day
Satyam eva jayate
Ek hi hai
Ek hai hum

Anekta mein ekta
Anekta mein ekta
Ek hi hai
Ek hai hum

This is our chance to rise
A billion hearts, side by side
This is our moment to break free

Our fathers used to say
That we shall over come someday
And now celebrate that day is here
And now celebrate that day is here

Anekta mein ekta, Anekta mein ekta
Ek hi hai, ek hai hum


Copyright © 2009. All Rights Reserved

Save the Gulf of Mexico: Go Veg!

The Discovery Channel website has an article explaining how America's consumption of meat could eventually turn the Gulf of Mexico into a "dead" sea. Here's a clip from the post:

Gidon Eshel of Bard College at Simon's Rock in Massachusetts and Pamela Martin of the University of Chicago calculate that if Americans kicked their meat habit, it would prevent seven million tons of nitrogen from spilling into the gulf -- a reduction of nearly 90 percent.

"When we did the calculations, it was astonishing," Eshel said. "The main reason is we're feeding so much corn to livestock. It takes 4.5 times more cropland to do that than if you feed people a plant diet, and corn is so nitrogen-intensive."

There are many great reasons to go Veg (or to reducing meat in one's diet)--one being the positive effects on the environment.

You can read the complete article here.