Preeti Shenoy's Blog, page 10

Exercise for beginners

Hello Gorgeous Person,


I had a very intense workout today--HIIT. (High Intensity Intreval training) If you have never heard of a Burpee, I highly recommend you try it!






I must have done about 30 Burpees today as a  small part of my training plan for today. If you want a good routine for fat loss, do follow this excellent  page for home workout plans and challenges.

When it comes to exercise, I wonder why some of us are motivated and some of us are not. In my case, I grew up with parents who were big on Fitness. My dad used to walk 7-10 kilometres daily. My mother still has her exercise routine. It was always healthy eating, and no one in our family was overweight. Both my parents managed to keep everything (BP, Sugar levels etc) under control.
In a country like India, where majority of people above a certain age think that taking pills for health related issues is the norm, my parents are exceptions.

When I was in high school I competed at track events and won several medals. At college level, I played National level basketball. After I left college I continued yoga.  I have practised yoga for many years now. Fitness has always been a part of my lifestyle.

I know many families who practice no fitness activities, and are content to just go from day to day. Many of the members suffer from ailments and take medications. They eat anything they like with scant attention to nutritional value.

I am a great believer of the theory 'If you don't eat food like it is medicine, you will have to eat medicine like it is food.' If we regulate our diet and get adequate exercise, then we're able to keep a lot of ailments at bay.

Why then don't people exercise? I can think of a few things

1. It is hard to motivate oneself.
2. They lie to themselves saying a few extra  kgs here and there is 'okay', and not bad at all.
3. They are too busy at work from morning to evening, after which they lose the motivation.
4. They don't know how to.
5. They procrastinate

If you are struggling with any of the above issues, here are three steps to help you.

1. Start small: It can be as little as climbing the stairs in your home three times. Commit to it and do it every day. You will be surprised how by the fourth day, it becomes easier!

2. Buddy up: Join up with a buddy and make the goals together. Report to your buddy about whether you did the plan for the day, and let your buddy do the same. Having this accountability helps you stay on track.
3.  Inspiration:  Identify someone who you admire--whose fitness goals inspire you. Stick this person's picture where you can see it. Tell yourself, you WILL achieve it, come what may.

Then begin. Do not waver. Commit for 21 days. Then extend it like the lock down is extended :)
 Today completes day 19 of Lockdown. One thing playing on my mind is whether or not to extend my #21daypositivity daily posts, on my blog., now that the lockdown has been extended. I am considering it, but not so sure I will have the motivation to sustain this. If I get enough requests in my comment box for this post, I shall.

If you want me to extend this daily blogging, till the end of April, do let me know in the comment box. If you are reading this in your inbox or any other aggregator site, then please head over to my blog, and use the comment box.

That's all for today
Until tomorrow: Stay fit.
Lots of love
Preeti
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http://preetishenoy.com/

How honest are you in your relationship?

Hello there you wonderful person!

I must admit this lockdown is hard. It is Day 18, and I can't help thinking that though we were told it is 21 days, the fact it is  the outbreak is hard to contain. Extending the lockdown seems imperative. India is fortunate that compared to US and Italy we have relatively tinier numbers. However, given our population, and how densely we're packed we need to be extremely cautious. So let's all stay home, stay safe, follow all precautions and send a silent prayer and thank you to so many on the frontline.

This morning, when I was walking my dog, I was thinking about 'honesty' in relationships. How honest do we want to be with our partners, our loved ones? By honesty I don't moral honesty, like cheating on them. That is not what I am speaking about.

What I am talking about is the question of how open do you want to be, if you know it will hurt their feelings? And yet, sometimes we as their closest friends and well-wishers, do need to tell them.

Here I make a distinction between what we think is good for them (don't smoke, exercise, eat healthy) and what they think is good for themselves. (It's okay to smoke, I will exercise but not daily, I don't always have to eat healthy). I firmly believe that if you are an adult, the choices you make are yours alone. If spouses or partners try and nag the other person to change, they never will. They will have to feel a need to change themselves.

At times, the person doesn't realise how they have changed. Example: They used to read a lot, and have stopped reading now, because they are spending a lot of time on the phone. In such a case, I would point out gently , saying 'You used to read a lot, and you love reading. What's going on now?'
You may substitute reading with anything else, in the aforementioned example.

Sometimes, I think we all need a nudge. I would appreciate if my closest people noticed something about me, which I hadn't noticed, and brought it to my attention.
Yet many people are afraid of confrontation or telling  close people what needs to be told, as they are afraid of rejection or reactions. They brush it under the carpet, not willing to talk about it.

A close relationship should be such that you have the liberty to talk about anything under the sun. If you fight, it is important to fight the issue, not the person. if you get too angry, please let the other person know you need a timeout and will be ready to talk when you feel better.

I think honesty in relationships makes it richer, deeper and more meaningful.

Do you agree?
Tell me your thoughts in comments below. If reading in your mail, do head to my blog and talk to me in my comment box. I  do love hearing from you. When I hear from you, it makes me feel like I am having a conversation, and that you care enough to reply back to me!



I will see you here tomorrow.
Till then, be honest! :)

Lots of love
Preeti
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Photo by Everton Vila on Unsplash




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http://preetishenoy.com/

Do you believe in Karmic debts? Here's what I believe.

Hello there,

How are you doing on day 17 of lockdown? It does seem like the lockdown will be extended. So let us brace ourselves and not think about it. What has to happen, will happen. We have no control really--over circumstances  or people.

People come into our lives at certain times, and our life changes. People also vanish from our lives at certain points--maybe they break up, may be they stop talking to you for no reason, maybe they die. Our life changes again.

Our life is like a river which ebbs and flows towards a final destination, at which point our soul leaves our physical bodies. The number of books I have read on this topic are numerous. All of them say similar things--that we form connections with people at certain point in our lives, and when the 'karmic debt' is paid off, they vanish.

I have read all the books of Dr. Brian Weiss.
If you haven't read them, I highly recommend them; Begin with Many Lives, Many masters. I have also read Sonia Choquette, Shakti Gawain. Esther and Jerry Hicks, Ian Stevenson's  research papers , Deepak Chopra, Khorshed Bhavnagari  and many more whose names I forget. You can find some of them in my highlights Books 1 and Books 2 on my Instagram.

I used to be a skeptic, going only by scientific proof and 'rationalising' everything, until  some very unusual things  (I blogged about one of them) started happening to me. They changed me in many ways. I grew. I also started meditating which gave me deeper insights into so many things which I would not even have imagined.

There are some excellent ted talks on this subject too. I recommend these three :

I see dead people by Dr. Christopher Kerr.

From life to death, beyond and back by Thomas Fleischmann

Dying to be me: Anita Moorjani

If you are interested in this subject, do watch the above. (I have linked them all to make it easy for you)

And read the books that talk about this!
It's a great way to spend time during this #Lockdown.

If you have read any books on this subject, if you have any thoughts on it, do leave me a comment in my comment box. If you are reading this in your inbox, please head over to my blog. and leave me a comment, rather than dashing off a mail to me (which will probably  get buried in the deluge of mails I receive).

I will see you here again, tomorrow.
Until then, think of all the people you feel a connection with, close your eyes, and send them warmth and love.
Take good care of yourself.



Lots of love
Preeti
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Photo by Jake Thacker on Unsplash





Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/

10 good things lockdown taught us! Especially see No.2 and No. 6 !

Hey there,

Hope all is good with you on day 16 of #lockdown. I thought I would do a fun post today.

Here are ten good things that you would have never discovered but for #lockdown.

1. You learn to celebrate small things: We got milk today. Hooray! We got vegetables today. Yay!






2.The person who goes out and gets the above mentioned stuff, becomes the hero, the  saviour,  and gets treated like  the act  was worthy of no less than a Param Vir Chakra.




 3. Your spouse/sibling/roommate watches YouTube, cooks a meal and suddenly aspires to go on the next Masterchef.




4. Home workouts become innovative, with each and every furniture being examined carefully for it to double up as bench, water-bottles as weights and stairs as elliptical.



5.You have vague memories of the time we used to have house help, and didn't have to sweep, mop, wash the dishes or iron our clothes.





6. You discover the joy of a freshly scrubbed toilet bowl and bathroom floors.



7. You discover new territory namely dust in corners of your home that you never knew existed.





8. You learn the art of exiting WhatsApp groups or  existing like a shadow without ever making your presence felt.



9. You have new empathy for prisoners, as you can relate to the feeling.



and the last one......
10. You discover your true friends--the Dunzo man, the Swiggy delivery guy, the Kirana shop guy etc.

An online art exhibition for you :)

Hello there,

Today, on day 15 of #lockdown, there are discussions are it being extended. It is hard to remain positive when all around there is depressing news of rising deaths. SA, we have to grin and bear it. There is no other way.

I have been painting every single day.  For today's post, I have no words. I am sharing my portraits which I did over the last few days.
. Think of it as an online art exhibition! So, grab a drink, water around the gallery and enjoy the art!















I have shared the progress videos of these pictures, as I paint them, in real time on my instagram stories. They disappear after 24 hours, so if you are interested, please check them out.

I hope my art brings you joy and comfort!
Please leave me comments in my comment box.  Head over to my blog if you are reading this in your inbox.

More tomorrow.
Lots of love
Preeti


Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/

Gift yourself this!

Hello lovely people,

How are you today? We complete two whole weeks of #lockdown today.  That's a LOT of time! Yesterday, I had given you by favourite TV shows. Most  of you haven't watched most of them.
I too used to never watch TV shows till a few years back, when I began. While I am a huge advocate of reading books, I think you cannot ignore the fact that good movies and TV shows expand our  cultural horizons such a lot as the experience is very visceral.

I used to see people watching Game of Thrones, and never understood what was so great till I began watching myself. Then I turned into a huge fan. Same for Breaking Bad and Narcos. If I were to pick my top three TV shows, these three would be it. All three have content suitable only for adults (just in case you have kids around you while watching it).

Those of you who follow me on Instagram know that I make a portrait every day. (We get a muse in our inbox daily) I am a part of #30faces30days challenge. Here's what I made today.



 People ask me how I find time to make art, after all the housework, cooking, working out. (yes, I workout every day!)

I think if you love something very much, you will always make time for it. It is a matter of commitment and how badly you want to do it. Making art is always joyful for me.

My one request to you in these difficult times: Every single day, set aside 45 minutes to an hour for yourself. Tell your family members to not disturb you.  Turn off your phone.
This is your time--your gift to yourself. Do whatever brings you joy for this one hour. Maybe it is just lying on the bed and doing nothing, maybe it is watching a TV show, may be it is colouring a picture--anything! But this must be exclusively YOUR time.

You will find yourself in a much better frame of mind to deal with the daily minutiae, once you have had your fill--something like putting on your oxygen masks, before helping others. :)

What other suggestions  or tips do you have to keep your spirits high during lockdown? Do share it in my comment box so others  too can benefit. If you are reading  this in your inbox, do head over to my blog and share .


This pic was clicked at Sahitya Akademi Delhi, where I was invited a speaker earlier this year
Will be back tomorrow! Till then--keep that pep in your step :)

Lots of love
Preeti

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Photo by Jen P. on Unsplash


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Can you guess these TV shows?

Hello lovely person,

Today is day 13 of #lockdown. Today was a rest day for me, from my  intense home workouts. (

Usually I share something deep, though provoking and motivational on this page. So today I thought I would share something fun. Let's play a game :)

Here are a few TV shows that are my absolute favourites. I have watched all seasons for the following TV shows.
 I am sharing a gif from  each of the shows. Tell me in comments if you can guess the TV show from the GIFS.

1.





2.






3.




4.



5.




6.


I think unless you have watched the show, this is going to be hard for you!

But have a go at it anyway!  (Don't cheat by looking it up :) )
I highly recommend these shows.
I shall update this post in 24 hours time, with the answers.

If you have seen any of these shows, let me know :) Also tell me your favourite shows.
If you are reading this in your inbox, kindly head over to my blog  and  tell me in the comment box.


That's all for today.
See you tomorrow.
Lots of love
Preeti
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Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/

How to meditate--a guide for beginners.

Hi there beautiful soul,

Today, day 12 of #lockdown my day began by joining in the Global mediation , which was an urgent call for healers. Click on the highlighted words and do read up about how 1 million people came together globally, today. The time in the Indian time zone was 8.15 am in the morning. I have a meditation room in my home, and I also have a  bamboo waterfall in the corner which my son and I built. The room is done up entirely in white. There is a singing bowl I got from Mc.Leod Ganj, a couple of plants, white tapestry with the Tree of life, a pale cream shag rug, large cushions. The view from the windows is deep green foliage. It is my oasis of calmness, and I meditate regularly. ( I also work out  regularly but I will save that for another post).
 The room also has a meditation journal (made of handmade paper)  and after each session, I record my insights.If you have never tried meditation before, I urge you to try it. If you are an absolute beginner, here is a step by step guide.

 Step 1:  Starr  by doing a five minute guided  meditation. To do this, just put on your headphone and follow the instructions in this video. (I recommend this one as I have tried many and I found this one to be good and effective)





Step 2. Once you  have done the above video for a few days, slowly  extend the time of the guided meditation. Do the ten minute one. If you search for ten minute guided meditation by the Honest guys on YoutTube, you will find it.

Step 3.  Once you have done the  guided meditation for a few days,  start doing regular meditation. You can do this  by simply sitting still and focusing on your breath. It's okay if your mind wanders, simply observe the thoughts.

 Since I meditate for over 20 minutes, I use a meditation timer on my phone.(Of course my phone is on flight mode). You can download any suitable timer --there are many apps for it.
If you have Netflix, do watch the documentary Mind Explained. It has an episode on meditation. I highly recommend it.

Meditation creates stillness in our minds, gives us powerful insights and takes us on an inner journey in a different dimension.Have you ever tried meditation? Tell me in comments what you think.If you are reading this in your inbox, you know what to do. Head over to the comment box on my blog.
Many many of you are reaching out to my privately, and telling me how much these daily posts of mine are helping you. I am glad they do. Do try and leave comments, so that many others know they are not alone. Sharing is caring, especially in difficult times like these.Stay strong folks.

I will be back tomorrow.Lots of love
Preeti************************************Photo by Dingzeyu Li on Unsplash

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My gift to you: A recipe, an art work and 5 things to do!

Hello again!

Day 11 of #LockdownIndia. Today I made something delicious. It's what you see above: Channa baskets. I have also shared the  recipe on my Instagram, as a video. Head over HERE and you can find it. Do try making it.

I also made art today. Here's what I made.



In  addition to  the above I also shared 5 things you can do today.

View this post on Instagram
Here are five fun things to do today! Of course these are apart from the staple things like #homefitness #reading and #Netflix . . . See my stories for more fun stuff! Subscribe to my blog for #21daysofpositivity . Link in bio. . . Leave me a comment if you want more such posts !

Tell me 5 good things about YOU. (in my comment box please)

Hi there,

Hope you are holding up well on day 10 of #LockdownIndia !
Weekend is here--although every day now resembles the other. There's no concept of "weekday" anymore. Those of you who are working from hope--I hope you get a respite from the usual work pressure and  added stress of work-from-home.

I had a fabulous home workout today. I think it is possible to have a proper workout at home, and be fit even though we don't have access to the gym.

I think it is very important to celebrate our smallest successes. Be it a simple task like sweeping and mopping the house, or resisting the temptation to take an afternoon snooze or cleaning up your bathroom really well. We need to remember to applaud ourselves for even the smallest tasks we managed to achieve, simply because these are very stressful times. Our idea of 'normal' has been completely distorted, and we're bombarded with news of deaths and suffering.

I find that journalling helps me. I have been writing in journals ever since I was a child. I write when i am sad, when I am happy, worried, excited, eager, tired, confused. Writing has been my saviour for ages.

Have you ever maintained a journal? If so did you give up because you were bored of the monotony?
If you want to journal and are looking for what you can write about please read this article:
7  different ways to journal to help you help you create, reflect and explore.


I want to give you a little  kick-start into appreciating yourself: So in my comment box, tell me 5 good things about yourself that you are proud of!
I was once asked this in an interview. You can watch the interview here  where I have candidly answered why  I love myself.

Do it--go! If you are reading this in your inbox, head over to my blog and feel free to use my comment box.



 See you tomorow!

Till then--get busy, filling up my comment box with 5 good things about you. What you believe are good (not what others tell you).

Lots of love
Preeti
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Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash
Grab It's All In The Planets: http:/preeti.io/3
http://preetishenoy.com/