Well Healed

EVER heard of substituting psychiatric counselling with chocolate-making sessions? The New Age offers us newer options to attain the feeling...

EVER heard of substituting psychiatric counselling with chocolate-making sessions? The New Age offers us newer options to attain the feeling of well-being through millennium merchandising. Lift your spirits, bust stress, achieve harmony and, above all, heal thyself. Aroma oils, incense sticks, candles, chimes and more. Look around and you are sure to find one such ‘centre’ in your city.

I’ve heard of a few, like the Daya Dhaar Self Care Centre in Agra, Sacred Space in Delhi and even a home design store in the Capital which sells ‘meditation chairs’ and ‘spiritual warrior’ lamps. And just when I’m freezing in Delhi’s refrigerator-like-winter, I get warmed by the soothing sounds of wind chimes and fragrance of incense and aroma oils.

‘‘Love yourself—have fun’’ is what Gita Chandra believes in. She translates that belief into her four-year-old centre called Moonbeam. You’ve got to keep a tab on this place if you are interested in bettering yourself and learning anything from kundalini yoga to chocolate-making.

Story continues below this ad

‘‘We conduct all kinds of courses here,’’ says Gita and adds, ‘‘We also have a visiting homeopath and a clinical psychologist who are available for consultation.’’ Other than these, Gita also invites out-of-town doctors who are known for their healing prowess.

‘‘Our mission statement is quite clear,’’ says Gita. ‘‘It is to promote a balance between mind, body and spirit, which is true health.’’

They promote different schools of holistic thought with an aim to achieving this body-mind-spirit harmony. You can call Moonbeam if you are looking for sessions on meditation, reiki, falun gong, reiki, tai chi even tarot, vaastu, feng shui, Vedanta, ayurveda and, of course, chocolate-making. Gita has also arranged for salsa dance sessions conducted twice a week by an expert. ‘‘Moonbeam has introduced fitness workouts, where body toning, stretching and sculpting are taught,’’ says the 37-year-old Gita, who brings years of experience in the hotel industry to this dream project of hers.

‘‘But Moonbeam is not just about fragrant candles and feng shui,’’ Gita is quick to point out. ‘‘The basic concept behind it is shikai shun funi or the harmony of the mind, body and spirit which, in turn, is true health.’’

Story continues below this ad

Moonbeam, 3/15 Shanti Niketan, Near Moti Bagh, New Delhi-21. Phone 011-24105484, e-mail: mbsoulaidsyahoo.co.in

You Ask, They Answer

• Chill Challenges
Neelam, 26, weighs 50 kg and has no serious medical problems. However, her body temperature is very low—about 97°. When the outside temperature falls, her body temperature also comes down to 96°. She has read that the cure lies in having warm liquids. But when she starts taking such fluids, her weight goes up. Please advise.
She needs to get a thyroid function test done along with other routine blood and biochemical tests. Once we have the results, we can proceed with the clinical analysis.

Dr Hemant Thacker, consulting physician and cardiologist at Jaslok, Breach Candy and Bhatia Hospitals

• Breathing Disorder
A reader suffers from a breathing problem. Her heart reports, ECG and X-ray are normal. Her doctor says this could be due to cold and sinusitis. What could be the reason for this breathlessness and what is the best possible treatment?
A breathing problem could be related to the cardiovascular or respiratory system. Shortness of breath could be caused by heart valve problems, or blockages in the heart’s arteries. Also, lung problems may lead to the same. She may require further tests. She should consult a cardiologist or chest specialist.

Story continues below this ad

Dr Aashish Contractor, Head of Department, Preventive Cardiology and Rehabilitation, Asian Heart Institute